Entries Tagged 'California Adventure' ↓

If you are willing to pay the extra money for your upcoming trip to Disneyland, you should splurge on one of the three resort hotels on the Disney property.  The original hotel (and the only one for decades) is the Disneyland Hotel.  This property boasts anything and everything having to do with Disney, complete with your favorite Disney characters ready to greet you as you check in.  The lagoon-like swimming pool is modeled after Peter Pan’s Neverland, complete with Captain Hook’s pirate ship.  Disney’s Paradise Pier (renamed from the original Pan Pacific Hotel) is a more upscale, modern hotel with a delicious hibachi-type restaurant.  This hotel is perfect for those who are traveling without children.  The newest of all the hotels is the luxurious Grand Californian.  Modeled after the Awahnee Lodge in Yellowstone, this hotel is the epitome of rustic California.  It adjoins the California Adventure Park and even has it’s own special entrance especially for hotel guests.  If you are in for a little rest and relaxation, come and try the spa at the Grand Californian as well as a delicious, adult suitable meal at one of the hotels many restaurants.  The pool at the Grand Californian is a site to behold with its water slide wrapping around a large redwood tree.  These hotels are definitely pricey (upwards up $400/night) but the location alone is worth every penny.

Part of the allure and wonderment that embodies the Disney spirit are the parades and live entertainment within both Disneyland and California Adventure.  Held numerous times a day, the parades are full of catchy Disney themed music, lively performers and gorgeous sights and sounds.  Live audience participation are a must, whether it is playing an instrument brought to you by one of the cast members or just clapping your hands along to the rhythm, your energy gives a fun feel to everyone around you.  The parades have several different stops on the parade route.  Sitting anywhere along Mainstreet will insure you have a fantastic view as well as in Fantasyland.  The live shows run all throughout the day at assigned intervals.  There are many different kinds of shows.  Many of them are set to mimic your child’s favorite Playhouse Disney television show; others are a remake of your favorite fairytale.  All of these are done with incredibly talented performers who take the stage to entertain you and your family as though they were going for an academy award.  These live shows and parades are geared to provide entertainment for every age group traveling to Disneyland.  From the old to the young, these shows will bring out the kid in you!

California Adventure at the Disneyland resort offers your little princess the opportunity to dine and share their meal with all of their favorite Disney Princesses.  Ariel’s Grotto (named for that famous Little Mermaid, Ariel) offers lunch and dinner seven days a week.  Reservations are a must and should be done well in advanced to ensure the desired time.  Once you are let into the Grotto, and have descended the grand staircase, you are greeted by the Little Mermaid herself (with an accompanying Disney Photographer to capture that special moment).  Ariel will pose for a picture with your little princess as well as autograph your book for you.  Once you are seated for your meal, you will be greeted repeatedly by all of your favorite Disney Princesses.  All of them are there, Cinderella, Belle, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty all dressed in their royal finery.  These princesses lovingly take ample time with your little girl, posing for plenty of pictures and asking them adoring questions that make your little princess feel like she were royalty herself.  If you have a Disney Princess fan in your family, this is not something to be missed.  The meals are tasty and the service is wonderful, but the real money maker are those dreamy princesses who light up your little princesses eyes when they make their entrance into the Grotto.

As a resident of California, people are given a discount to enter into Disneyland or California Adventure.  If you are not a resident, however, these admission tickets can be extremely expensive, not to mention hotel accommodations, travel fees, food and souvenirs.  Luckily, the Disney Travel Company, as well as many travel institutions associated with Disneyland offer year round specials and deals to help you with your travel expenses.  Usually you can find a special offering a free night (or more) with a certain number of days and many airlines offer programs where kids fly free with every paying adult.  When you book your Disney vacation through the Walt Disney Travel Company, you are guaranteed to get a great deal from travel arrangers (cast members as they are supposed to be called) who are willing to go the extra mile with a cheerful disposition.  Your travel package will always include a huge packet full of great discounts that you can use at Disneyland, California Adventure, Downtown Disney, as well as all around Southern California for restaurants, attractions and more.  Looking into these companies and shopping around to see which company has the best deal for you and your family will ensure that your Disney vacation is just like you dreamed it would

Several years ago, when the Disney company opened its neighboring park adjacent to Disneyland, it opened the opportunity for the thousands of daily visitors to spend several hours (or days) inside of each park, experiencing their uniqueness while still showing off each parks’ individuality.  With the parks being located right next door to one another, the Disney Company offers a “Park Hopper” ticket which allows you to literally “hop” from one park to the other.  You have to realize that nothing in Disneyland comes cheap, except for the smiles.  A one-day Park Hopper ticket will run you between $84 and $96 each.  This price gets you admitted into each park (be sure to hold on to your tickets) as well as entry onto every ride and attraction in the park.  You will also have the opportunity to view all of the shows and parades available throughout the day at both parks.  The arcade games, food and souvenirs are all additionally priced, so be sure to bring enough money to make it through the day.  You just can’t walk out of those magical doors without at least one pair of Mickey ears!

If you are one of the lucky few who gets to celebrate your birthday at the Happiest Place on Earth, you are in for quite a fun adventure!  Disneyland offers so many extra special perks for those who are celebrating their birthday at the park; the most important being that anyone who travels to Disneyland on their birthday receives a free admission.  You must present a valid ID or a copy of a birth certificate in order to receive free admission, but it will save you almost $100 just in admission prices for a Park Hopper ticket, which is admission into both Disneyland and California Adventure.  If you call ahead and make reservations in one of the many specialty restaurants associated with Disneyland (Goofy’s Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel or the Plaza Inn inside Disneyland) you can arrange for a special birthday cake and goodies like balloons and party favors.  And, of course, no birthday at Disneyland would be complete without a visit from a plethora of Disney characters.  A birthday at the Disneyland resort is one you should not pass up.  It is guaranteed to be a memory maker for any age group.

With the grand opening of Disneyland’s next door neighbor, California Adventure, it broadened the spectrum of the demographic that normally visits Disneyland.  This new theme park still boasts the magic and splendor of Disneyland (complete with all of your favorite Disney characters), but it is geared more towards an older audience (adults and children above the age of 5).  Modeled after all of the famous landmarks of the state of California, this land brings out the best in the state.  You have the fun Santa Monica Pier complete with a loopy roller coaster and Ferris wheel looking over the “bay”.  Arcade games and ice cream stops line this part of the park.  The Hollywood Backlot is straight out of the movies.  This land hosts the Aladdin show (a must-see for all) plus the terrifying thrill ride, The Tower of Terror.  Moving on to the Forests of California will bring you to the two most popular rides in the park, The Grizzly River Run and Soarin’ Over California which is a virtual ride that makes you feel like you are literally flying over all of the many sights (and scents!) of this beautiful state.  While Disneyland does not serve alcohol on its premises, California Adventure does with wine tasting modeled after the beautiful Napa Valley.  The restaurants serve delicious California cuisine as well as tasty treats suitable for the kids.  In the evening, the Electric Lights Parade graces the road bringing sheer joy to the masses.  This park is definitely not one to be passed up.