I can't believe this blog series is wrapping up.
I have loved writing out each and every Disney detail.
For my final installment, I wanted to do something a bit more unique.
I found the list method to be most intuitive for the food blog, but for the rides and attractions, I wanted to make this more of an experience than just a bunch of items to check off the next time you visit the parks.
So I’m going to take you on a little journey … first through Disneyland, and then California Adventure.
We will stop at our favorite spots, and catch all of our favorite shows.
So without further ado, let’s head into the happiest place on earth.
A DAY IN DISNEYLAND
The gates greet us, and they are no ordinary gates. It seems as though they are a portal to our very childhood. For when we enter this place, we become as we were when we were young.
Wide eyed with wonder, laughing, skipping.
It frees us in the most childlike way.
Through the gates, there hangs a plaque over the tunnel beneath the Disneyland Express.
It reads this:
“Here you leave today
And enter the world
Of yesterday, tomorrow
And fantasy.”
As you make your way into the main street square, a horse drawing a carriage slowly gallops by. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and the rest of the gang can often be seen and met with here. They post up outside main street buildings, lines of eager children and adults wanting a hug, a commemorative photo, and even a signature in a keepsake book.
Main street houses some of the best eateries in Disneyland. You can find many of those HERE, but for now, we will continue walking toward the piece de resistance of the entire park: Sleeping Beauty’s castle. It is a stunning architectural masterpiece, subtly bathed in painted hues for daytime viewing, and aglow with lights and projected images for the evening showcatchers.
Just before you reach the bridge to enter Fantasyland, a statue of Walt and Mickey cannot be missed. For here lies the very pinnacle of what Disney means to us and our family, in a quote graven on the brass plate below:
“I think most of all what I want Disneyland to be is a happy place … where parents and children can have fun, together.” ~ Walt Disney
Well he accomplished that, my friends. Disneyland is truly our happy place, and I’m excited to take you on a walk to our very favorite spots.
Before we head into Fantasyland, let’s hang a left and visit Adventureland.
This houses my very favorite attraction, the best ride in both parks (in my humblest opinion): Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye.
It’s truly an experience to walk through the Temple, candlelight flickering, various archeological finds strewn about. About halfway through your trek lies a center well, to which a rope hangs with the express instructions to not pull on it. Upon obviously ignoring these instructions and yanking that rope as hard as you can muster, a voice yells out from below. Yeeks. Let’s keep walking.
A video greeting plays right before you board your offroad jeep adventure into the unknown. It lays the groundwork for what has potentially happened to Indy, as he has been inside the temple for a long time with no sight of him. You are given orders to not look into the eyes of the idol Mara, for if you do, demise will surely fall upon you.
Once you board the jeep, you immediately lock eyes with the idol and unfortunately anger the beast into causing all sorts of peril. Fire, snakes, natives with spears, bugs, and a giant boulder all make this the most heart pounding, exciting, and fun attraction I’ve ever had the pleasure of riding.
After we exit Indy, we take a detour through Frontierland and walk along the water up to New Orleans Square. Here lies our second best attraction in the park, and one of the oldest as well: Pirates of the Caribbean. This ride is not only iconic and unique in every single way, it is genuinely fun each and every time. A boat holds up to twenty passengers. Although there are a few dips along the way, this ride is friendly enough for the smallest passengers, so there is no need for using Disney’s Baby Swap program. Baby Swap is a brilliant concept, and one we have utilized on many trips. One or more of your party stands in line, and after they exit the ride, they obtain a pass from the cast member running the ride and hand it to their waiting party members. The remaining members can walk through either the exit or the fast pass line, drastically cutting their own wait time. It is a huge time saver, especially if the initial riders use a fast pass (or a Max Pass, more on that later). This is largely the same program they have for handicap individuals, and most if not all of the rides have either a wheelchair option to ride, or assistance in transferring from the chair to the ride and back again.
Once on Pirates, your boat makes it way through the swampy waters of the Caribbean, and there’s no mistaking that musky aroma … it has been and always will be a part of this attraction. We go past treasure coves and an epic at-sea battle. Jack Sparrow, from the cinematic recreations based on this very ride, was added to several scenes along the route in 2006. He fights Barbosa, hides in a barrel, and then basks in the glory of his gold at the end. Truly this ride is one of a kind.
After getting your land legs again and leaving New Orleans square, we walk upwards toward that castle and make our way into Fantasyland. Housing some of the original and oldest rides, this is a great spot to post up with children and let them take a spin or two on King Arthurs Carousel, ride Dumbo and Peter Pan (be aware that these are some of the longest lines in the park as neither has a fast pass option), and take a not-as-nausea-inducing-as-one-might-imagine spin on the Mad Hatter Tea Party teacups.
A little walk beyond the teacups is a connection to Tomorrowland, where our final top rides lies: Hyper-Space Mountain. This ride has undergone some changes in recent years, but the bones of it remain the same. It is a dark and twisted coaster through space, and as we whiz past stars both shooting and sedentary, you truly do not know which way you will go next. It is exhilarating, and I have long loved this ride for a special memory it holds for me. When I was eight years old, my parents brought us to Disney, and my dad willingly rode this ride SEVEN times in a row with me. Each and every time, he put his arm around my shoulder so that the back of my head wouldn’t hit the seat during the tumultuous turns. I will never forget that trip and the amazing dad I had.
Once we are done in outer space, it’s time to post up for the top shows in the park. We will want to get a good seat, so it’s smart to snag a prime location 1-2 hours in advance and plan to have dinner at that time. Someone can save seats, and someone else can fetch food, drinks, and dessert. If the kids get restless, there are plenty of gift-shops and even quick rides to take the edge off of the wait.
Up first is Fantasmic. It is outside new Orleans, and Mickey is transported into his dream, creating all sorts of magic and mayhem as fireworks, lights, and music come together to create an incredible show.
{A gold spike, to mark the geographic middle of the park, lies just inside the entrance to Sleeping Beauty's castle}
After Fantastic wraps up, it’s not long until the fireworks. Moving into main street is ideal, although the best spots have long been claimed so standing is allowed in the middle of the square when the show begins. We usually chose one or the other, and truly fireworks win out a good portion of the time.
There is no firework show like a Disneyland firework show.
It’s unbelievable.
Music and images that are projected onto the castle (and back on It’s a Small World as well!) come together seamlessly with almost unending fireworks in the sky to tell a story unlike any you've seen. During the holiday season, a Christmas themed show culminates with actual snow being blown into main street, the castle lit up bright white, and carols playing in the background. Magical doesn’t even begin to describe this experience. It’s breathtaking.
An honorable mention is Mickey’s Soundational Parade, which happens during the day and is an exciting and energetic musical procession through the main street of the park.
A DAY IN CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE
Just a quick jaunt across the way is Disney’s second theme park, California Adventure. It is a completely different yet complimentary experience to Disneyland, and the energy is contagious in this place.
Walking through the gates feels like quintessential CALIFORNIA. It is bright and colorful, with lush greenery everywhere you turn, a winery on a hill, and a replica of a Hollywood backlot to the left before you head to the famous pier.
For starters, we will head to Carsland. This is our favorite spot, and if you’ve seen the movie Cars, it will feel like you’ve walked directly into Radiator Springs. The best ride in the park lies at the back of this adorable little town run by automobiles, and it's Radiator Springs Racers. Nearly eight years after its debut in June of 2012, the ride’s fast passes still “sell out” by mid morning. Non-fast pass lines easily reach 45 minutes on a ghost-town day. And it’s worth it, because this ride has it all, and the creativity is simply marvelous. It is, however, an excellent use of Disney’s newest line beater, the Max Pass. At $10 per person per day, you can use it in conjunction with the Baby Swap program, and everything is done from an app on your phone. Get updates on ride closures and delays, and have the option to change your pass with the push of a button. We did this one day in Disneyland, and loved it. We didn’t feel that it was necessary every day of our trip since crowds were lower overall in both parks, but you also get unlimited Disney photo-pass downloads right to your device as well. That alone pays for your pass if you chose to have Disney photographers snap your picture often with characters and in front of iconic spots (like the incredible 60-ft Christmas tree that greets you just inside Disneyland during the holidays!).
Back to our ride. We begin our drive through the hills of Radiator Springs, much like the joy ride Sally takes Lightening on in the first installment of the films. We see the waterfall, and the movie’s recognizable musical score plus a story play out through speakers right next to our ears. As we head into a cave, we narrowly miss a train, go tractor tipping, and have a run in with the Sherif before the entire recreated town unfolds before our very eyes. We are preparing for a race, so we visit one of two drive-through check points: Ramone in his body shop gives us a sharp new coat of “paint,” or Luigi straps on four “white wall” tires to give us our best shot at victory. When we emerge from our prep stops, we line up with another vehicle full of riders, and the Fabulous Hudson Hornet stands between us, ready to see us off. Luigi and Guido count down, and off we go! After twisting down a racetrack reaching speeds of 40 MPH, it’s anyone’s guess which car will pull ahead and cross the finish line first. This ride is spectacular, and Disney truly brought the movie to life in the most incredible way.
When we depart our vehicle and before we head out of Carsland, we take a right and hop aboard Luigi's Rolicking Roasters. This brand new trackless technology allows a bright array of adorable little European cars to coordinate their moves and even “dance” to a song together! It’s the cutest ride and fun for all ages.
After our automotive dancing is complete, we swing a left outside Carsland and head to the Pier, which has recently gone from being known as Paradise Pier to Pixar Pier. With this change came a facelift to the original California Screamin’ Coaster, and it was rebranded to the Incredicoaster. I’ll admit, this was a change I wasn’t thrilled about until I actually experienced it. I LOVE the new version! Much like Radiator Springs Racers (and a gamut of other Disney rides), it tells a story as you weave and speed through the several tunnels, multiple drops, and one loop-de-loop. Jack-Jack has vanished, and the family is on the search for him. He brings mayhem and hilarity throughout the entire ride as his parents and siblings make many failed attempts to catch him. He returns at the end, his contagious laughter ringing out as Auntie Edna expresses her pride in Jack-Jack’s abilities. It’s so fun, and it was special in and of itself to experience it for the first time with Conner, who was finally tall enough to ride the coaster.
As we exit this attraction and head back over the pier, one of the newer rides (and family friendly options for infants all the way through adulthood) is the Little Mermaid. Bursting with color and music, this foot-stomping, sing-along experience compresses the original story into a pleasurable six minutes of wonderment. The technology here is amazing, as we truly feel that we are heading under the sea for our very own adventure alongside Ariel.
After we leave the Little Mermaid and make our way back past Carsland and the newly dissembled Bugsland (soon to be Marvel-land), we head into the Hollywood backlot to experience the other great thrill ride in this park: Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout. Again, this was a recent change from the iconic Tower or Terror, and Richard’s all time favorite ride. He was extremely bummed that they were rebranding it, and although we both still miss The Tower, Guardians has done a fantastic job of keeping the detail and experience of walking through this building alive in it’s own way. It encompasses many of the beloved characters from the films, and not to spoil the ending, but the ride itself has been supercharged and is quite the rush! It remains a top favorite of ours.
Our final stops will be another indoor ride, and a completely unique one at that. Soarin’ Over the World (formerly Soarin’ Over California) is a parasailing-style flight simulation that takes your breath away. Vivid landmarks from around the globe come to life, and Disney’s famous smellitzer comes into play here as we breath in many of the aromas to which we are viewing below. Dust from a herd of elephants in Africa, a floral-like scent when soaring over the Taj Mahal in India. The ride culminates with soaring over Disneyland itself, as Tinker-bell waves her magical wand to bring us back to earth.
The first of two shows we will view this evening is the Paint the Night Parade. Arguably one of the most fun and electric experiences the park has ever created, this light parade is a modern and updated twist on the classic Main Street Electrical Parade. Disney moved the MSEP to Florida a few years back, and returned it to California for a short season in 2017. You can see that emotional little promo video (that I still get chills while watching) HERE , because is it well worth the thirty-six seconds. MSEP was from my childhood; I had the music on a cassette, and knew every float by heart. It was incredible to experience it with Conner when we surprised him with a birthday trip to Disney while the parade was in town.
The second, and arguably the best show Disney has ever brought to life, is the water and light spectacular known as World of Color. To try and describe the emotion and beauty that this show exudes is hard to do. You can see a full version of it HERE , but it is vastly different and a million times better in person. It is absolutely not to be missed, and you will want to line up early as is it standing room only, and space fills up hours in advance (and some even pay for reserved seats plus dinner on occasion when these packages are offered.)
Another honorable mention is the Pixar Parade, where beautiful floats highlight the best from Disney + Pixar’s beloved films set to plenty of upbeat tunes.
~~~~~
To leave the parks is somewhat sad.
We are wistful when we say goodbye, already looking forward to planning our next trip back.
There are dozens of other rides and shows I want to tell you about, but to do so would take up another several blogs (to which I am not opposed to writing in the future).
Disneyland is magic. Pure and simple. The energy, the lights, the colors, and the happiness outdo any and all travel exhaustion, lines, crowds, or meltdowns (yes, they do happen … even here in the land of make believe 😉 ).
Disneyland will always be our land. The place where we can skip and run down the streets with our boys, eat giant ice cream cones in the warm sunshine, ride a classic train around the entire park, and take a submarine journey into the depths of the ocean. All in one day. Imagination is free, and nothing is impossible when you choose to believe.
Thank you for coming on this journey with me! Until our next trip, happy planning … and as always, I would love to chat with anyone who would like more details about how to make their own stay as magical as it possibly can be.
XO,
Heather
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