Disneyland

I can’t believe I haven’t shared a Disneyland post before! The Mister and I practically lived there a few years ago. We LOVE the place! So I thought I would simply share our typical day at Disneyland with some tips and tricks sprinkled throughout the post. Here goes … Our trip to Disneyland starts about 3-7 days in advance when I make a reservation for the Carnation Cafe so we can have Mickey Waffles for breakfast. Yeah, you read that right. Mickey Shaped Waffles! Do it! But I’m not kidding about the reservation, when we were there last month, people kept walking up to the hostess who had to repeat, “Do you have a reservation? I’m sorry, we’re currently only taking reservations for breakfast.” And breakfast is only served until 11:00 AM. Side note: If it’s your birthday, stop and get a FREE birthday pin at City Hall and if the Carnation Cafe is feeling nice, you might get a free cupcake on your birthday for breakfast dessert! After breakfast, we mosey across Main Street for a silhouette. Well, not everytime. But I do have 2 silhouettes of the Mister and 4 of myself including one with my DONUT EARS! And then we typically wander over to Adventureland. I don’t know why we go there first, maybe it’s because the rides there get really long lines, or it’s just habit at this point, but that’s what we do. We love Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion, the Jungle Cruise (my personal fave – can’t get enough of those bad puns!), the Enchanted Tiki Room, Indiana Jones, ok we love everything. Don’t forget to start using your Fast Pass! And if we don’t have Mickey Waffles for breakfast, then it’s typically soup and beignets over in New Orleans Square. If you missed breakfast at the Carnation Cafe, I recommend making reservations for lunch or dinner at the Blue Bayou which is the restaurant inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

Depending on how hungry we are or how bad the crowds are and whether we need alcohol, sometimes we’ll do lunch at the Jolly Holiday Cafe or we’ll trek over to the Disneyland Hotel for burgers and Krakatoas and Piranha Pools (tiki drinks!) at Trader Sam’s, the tiki bar by the pool. If you haven’t been to Trader Sam’s, go! It’s amazing. Get a seat inside the bar because the bartenders yell, volcanos erupt, and ships sink, it’s a good time! Plus, on a hot day, it’s really nice to get out of the sun. And those tiki drinks definitely help your mood if it’s a crowded day! (Stay tuned for Part II where I’ll tell you my other favorite spots for alcohol.)But the Jolly Holiday is fun, too! The turkey sandwich is a great meal if you’re looking for something on the healthier side – try asking for a replacement side salad or fruit instead of the chips.

Have you taken a ride on the Mark Twain? If you ask the captain politely before departure, he might let you steer the ship and then you get a free souvenir Pilot’s Certificate! While you’re over that way, see if the Canoes are operating. We typically visit the park on weekdays, but we were lucky enough once to take a ride. I caution you: the canoes are NOT on a track and it’s hard work. The idiot in front of me thought they were on a track and stopped rowing. Thanks, girl! My arms burned afterward, but it was fun! And speaking of free souvenirs, you can ask for a map of the jungle after taking a tour on the Jungle Cruise. But don’t ask for the Haunted Mansion Death Certificate, the rumor is it reserved for special guests. However, you might ask a cast member to show you the pet graveyard in the back. I haven’t done that yet – can anybody leave a comment below and tell me that this rumor is true? Usually around this time of day, we’ll skip over to California Adventure, but I’m saving that park for Part 2 of this post, so I’m just going to remind you to ride the teacups and don’t forget to look up while you’re at the park! There are so many neat details in the sky! Oh! But I almost forgot one of my favorite parts of Disneyland: Main Street! There is so much to do along Main Street other than the Carnation Cafe for Mickey Waffles and Silhouettes. You can get ice cream at the Gibson Girl Cafe, watch early Walt Disney cartoons in the cinema, visit the museum-like area outside of Moments with Mr. Lincoln (which includes some great Mary Blair dolls, a map of Disneyland from the 50’s or 60’s, the original bench Disney sat on at Griffith Park when he came up with the idea of Disneyland, and more! Plus, Main Street is so beautiful at night with all the lights, and of course, there’s always balloons for sale, and the amazing castle! And stay tuned for Part II of my Disneyland round-up where I’ll take you through a day at California Adventure!