Halloween Time!

I know it's only July, but I love Halloween!  My children's costumes are bought and delivered and I am working on mine and my husband's as we speak!  There are just 64 days until I will be celebrating Halloween with my favorite Disney pals at Disneyland's Mickey's Halloween Party!

People often ask if it's worth the extra money or wonder what they get for the price.  This will only be our second time attending, but we definitely loved it the first time and are (notice above) counting down the days until we do it again!  

One of our favorite parts was the character meet and greets.  You get to meet your favorite characters in costume or some of you favorite villains!  

Other wonderful events include the Monsters U Dance Party, the Halloween Screams firework show, a special Mickey's Cavalcade Costume Parade and trick-or-treating stations throughout the park.  

Many people find it worth paying extra just for the shorter lines for rides or the special treats for sale in the shops, especially The Candy Palace...my favorite! 

October is one of our favorite times to visit the Disneyland Park, the weather is great and the decor is amazing! So whether you want a great time to go to Disney, or you want something special to do at the parks or maybe you just love Halloween, I think that Mickey's Halloween Party is a fun way to bring out the kid in you again!  

Walt in Space

 

Walt Disney has always been fascinated with Space, but did you know that Walt actually helped the U.S. Military imagine the reality of space travel?

Walt expressed his love of space through a three-part TV series from 1955-1957: Man in Space, Man  and the Moon and Mars and Beyond. 

                                                     His research for the science related shows led him to spending time with German scientist Wernher Von Braun, the man who created the first rocket at the commission of his government. After World War II Von Braun began working with the Americans to develop space travel, but it was Walt who was able to sell the excitement and real possibility of space travel to the American people.

In 1965, at the request of Von Braun, Walt went to Alabama to the Marshall Space Flight Center and met with President Dwight D. Eisenhower. President Eisenhower encouraged Walt to help promote the idea of space travel and honored his ideas in "science fiction" that ended up becoming science fact!  

"A vista into a world of wondrous ideas, signifying man's achievements .... A step into the future with 

predictions of constructive things to come. Tomorrow offers new frontiers in science, adventure, and ideals, 

the atomic age, the challenge of outer space and the hope for a peaceful and unified world." 

-Walt Disney's Tomorrowland Dedication Speech

On a momentous occasion for all American's many joined together on the afternoon of July 20, 1969 and watched the Apollo 11 Moon landing on the Tomorrowland Stage in Disneyland, just steps from an attraction called Flight to the Moon. 

Walt's Spirit of adventure and exploration continues in the hearts of all of us who keep his dream and magic alive.  In his own words Walt expressed it best- 

                                                                                                                             

                                                                              

  This week will celebrate 59 years of Disneyland!  As celebrations gear up for Thursday at the park I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the history of the park and opening day 59 years ago July 17, 1955!

The Disneyland you would have seen on opening day, 59 years ago is much different then the Disneyland of today.  There were just 18 attractions on that first Disneyland day: Autopia, Disneyland Band, Disneyland Railroad (4 stations), Jungle Cruise, King Arthur Carousel, Mad Tea Party, Main Street Cinema, Mark Twain River Boat, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Peter Pan's Flight, Snow White's Scary Adventures and Storybook Land Canal Boats.  Many popular attractions followed in the next month to a year.

The one thing that I believe is still very much the same as it was 59 years ago is the magic and vision that existed then.  Walt Disney stated "Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world"  As a Disney fan I get excited as I see new attractions and new events that the Disney Imagineers create, they are keeping Walt's legacy alive.  I also love to see certain things stay the same year after year and be able to enjoy the nostalgia, the classics that Walt himself had a hand in.

As we look back at this great moment in history and a different time, I hope we can all find some joy in the words of Walt's opening day speech almost 59 years ago.  It brings tears to my eyes every time!  I know I find great joy and inspiration from Disneyland, and I hope you do too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bdHGROiiCM

Disney! What's not to love?!

There are many people who just don't get it.  I have people who just roll their eyes when I tell them I am going to Disneyland, AGAIN!  But for those who share the love of Disney it makes sense.  Disney is a magical place that takes you out of your everyday life and allows you to escape for just a while.  Walt Disney understood this concept well.  He knew what he was trying to create in his films, in his park and in his life for his family!

Every time I enter Disneyland I take some time to notice the history of the park and all the little things Walt created to help you feel like you have been transported to a different place. I love to see this sign as I enter  This automatically makes me feel like I have stepped into another world or have taken a step back to a simpler time. Then you see Main Street U.S.A and the Sleeping Beauty Castle at the end of the street.  I become a bit emotional every time.  I know I can't explain this to some people, but this is what I love and what I am passionate about because I feel like it brings me a little peace and happiness in a world where that is becoming harder and harder to find!  

Eating in the Parks...Part Two! Have a seat!

I am anxiously counting down my next trip to The Happiest Place on Earth!  We are heading there in May and will be there over Mother's Day weekend.  One sad point about our upcoming visit is that my absoulute FAVORITE restaraunt will be closed.  I thought of saving this place as my last restaraunt on this post, but it is so fabulous I believe it deserves to be mentioned first...  The Carnation Cafe! 

The Carnation Cafe will re-open in time for the busy summer season.  When they re-open they will feature both indoor and outdoor seating.  Reservations are highly recommended if you don't want to wait a while. This is a must visit cafe for their loaded baked potato soup.  I also love their chicken croissant sandwich, their salads and shepherd's pie.  The kids love the make-your-own peanut butter paint pallete.  If you are visiting, like we are, during the renovation visit the Jolly Holiday Bakey and Cafe where they may be serving a few of the favorites.  One other unique opportunity at the Carnation Cafe is to take a picture with Oscar Martinez.  He is the longest tenured cast member at the Disneyland Resort.  57 years and counting. 

Ok, enough about the fabulous Carnation Cafe, there are also some other great options.  Another one of our favorites is The Plaza Inn.  They have delicious fried chicken and delectable pot roast.  One thing I love about The Plaza Inn is their portion sizes!!!  We can purchase one meal for each adult and have enough food to share with our kids and not have to buy them their own meal.  If your kids are older, you can still save a bit of money by buying one meal to split between them.  Also, you can't pass up the delicious desserts at The Plaza Inn.  The French Market has some good Pot Roast and Chicken dinners as well at a good price (considering you are in Disneyland)The last favorite sit down place is Rancho del Zocalo.  This place serves up some delicious Mexican food in good portion sizes at a decent price.  Stay tuned for my next post, which will help you get some good ideas on character dining and World of Color dining options. 

Eating in The Parks...Part One...quick eats!

Our family are die hards when we head to Disneyland!  Once we get there we have no plans to head back to the hotel until bed time.  This gives us two options.  Packing a lunch, stuffing it in a locker and eating at one of the few tables right outside the front gates...not gonna happen!!!  So we eat in the park.  In fact we find it to be part of what we love so much about visiting the Disneyland Resort.

Both Disneyland and California Adventure have some fabulous options for food. I am not going to pretend like there is anywhere inexpensive to eat in the parks, but there are places where you get more for your money.  The first mistake that is often made is thinking "I'll grab something cheap like a burger and fries".  The quality and quantity of the food at places like the Tommorowland Terrace of Village Haus restaurant are not worth the price. Another place to avoid eating is in Toontown. The hot dogs and sandwiches at Daisy's and Clarabelle's are definitely some of the worst values in the park. 
If you want a good burger and fries I recommend Hungry Bear Restaurant in Critter Country where they feature burgers and good southern classics as well as a new favorite sweet potato fries, or wait until you spend a day at California Adventure and head to Taste Pilot's Grill.  The burgers are good, they have ribs, salads and chili cheese fries to die for!!!   If you just want something quick to eat and get on your way there a few fabulous options for that in both parks.  In Disneyland, Edelweiss Snacks sells delicious chimichangas, huge turkey legs, corn on the cob and yummy frozen juices.  Both parks have great locations for one of my favorites...hand dipped corn dogs!  This is one of the best deals in the park.  For just over $6 you get a delicious (and rather large) corn dog and a bag of chips.  These can be found on Disneyland Main Street at the Little Red Wagon or Stage Door Cafe and at California Adventure at Award Wieners or Corn Dog Castle. If you are feeling like you need something healthy to cleanse your arteries there are carts around these areas that sell fresh fruits or veggies and you would want to plan a couple extra bucks for this.  Other quick meal options are fries and chicken fingers at the Stage Door Cafe and Golden Horseshoe, delicious soups and/or sandwiches and salads at Harbour Galley and Studio Eats.   

A few of our MUST VISIT eating establishments that fall in the quick foods category are first, the Pacific Wharf Cafe. I love their cheddar broccoli soup in a huge sourdough bread bowl!  They also have a good selection of other soups, salads in a bread bowl and fantastic sandwiches on sourdough bread.  I also love their cookies and brownies!  Our other fave, and ironically we just discovered this a few years ago, is the Bengal Barbecue. We love, love, love the bacon wrapped asparagus, the veggies on a skewer as well as the barbecued beef and chicken skewer options.  I also thoroughly enjoy the bread sticks.  This is a great place to grab one item for about $3 a piece or mix quite a few together to make a meal.  This place does not seem to be a favorite for the kids but they do love the Mickey Mouse pretzel with cheese dipping sauce. 
Stay tuned to my next post to see some our favorite places to sit down, relax and enjoy some good food at a good value (for being at Disneyland, that is).

The FASTPASS!!!

I absolutely love all the looks I get as I am walking quickly through the FASTPASS line on my favorite Disneyland attractions, while the onlookers in the standby line look at me with anger and disgust!  I always think to myself, "they could have got a FASTPASS too!" 
There seem to be many that do not know that FASTPASSES do not cost money and are fairly easy to obtain.  FASTPASSES are available for many popular attractions such as Space Mountain, Star Tours, Big Thunder Mountain, Soarin' Over California, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and more.  During slower times some attractions will not have FASTPASS since it is easy to get right on.  During busy times FASTPASSES will run out, so get them early in the day. 
FASTPASSES will tell you an hour of the day to come back to that attraction.  The time to come back will be posted at the FASTPASS distribution area.  If you plan accordingly you can hold up to three FASTPASSES at a time.  You will want to obtain your first FASTPASS early in the day and then as soon as that FASTPASS is eligible for use you can get another FASTPASS before hopping on your ride.  If, you end up with times that match up well, and the hours all fall within a short time of each other, you can get a third FASTPASS before you go ride either of your first two.  Now, there is some planning and thought that goes into getting your FASTPASSES and it does require a small amount of running around the park, but we try to obtain FASTPASSES in the same area.  If you are extremely adventurous the rules for the first FASTPASS needing to be ready to use before you get another one do not apply from Disneyland to California Adventure.  So, if you feel like you want a little exercise you could hold multiple passes for both parks all at the same time. I do not personally recommend this unless you are there with just a group of adults or teenagers and you just want to hit all the big attractions and you only have one day to do it. 
Ok, so now you are thinking "this FASTPASS thing sounds awesome, but how do I get them?"  When you come to Disneyland you are given your paper Park Hopper passes.  You take these to the area near the attraction that says FASTPASS DISTRIBUTION, you then put in your PARKHOPPER ticker (one for each person) and it will spit out a FASTPASS ticket for you.  You then give this ticket at the entrance to the attraction that will say FASTPASS RETURN.  It's as easy as that! 
One last thing for those of you visiting the parks with younger kids who are not yet able to ride the bigger attractions, you can use the Rider Switch Pass.  To obtain this pass you talk to the Cast Member at the entrance to the attraction.  You must then show them the child to obtain the pass.  The pass is good for up to three riders.  The first rider(s) will take the pass while the remaining rider(s) stay in the standby line and after the first rider(s) exit the remaining rider(s) access the ride through the FASTPASS line.  You may obtain one rider switch pass that will be good for all attractions on the same day. 
HAPPY RIDING EVERYONE!!!