It's been a whirlwind of a month, friends! But in the very best way! As you probably have already seen on my Instagram, I kicked off May with a trip back to Disneyland to celebrate my birthday! This year,...
It's been a whirlwind of a month, friends!
But in the very best way!
As you probably have already seen on my Instagram, I kicked off May with a trip back to Disneyland to celebrate my birthday! This year, I stayed for a whole week. Last year's two days just weren't long enough. Five whole days at the parks meant a lot more time to dedicate to activities, as well as a lot more time to relax and take it easy.
Today on the blog, I'm journaling all about the trip- all the things I did and how I still managed to make a busy schedule feel like a vacation!
For starters, I stayed at a different hotel this year. This hotel was a bit farther from the parks- about 1.2 miles. The walk was no problem during the day, but being by myself at night, I preferred to Uber. Although the hotel was a greater distance than I would have liked, I truly can't complain. It was very clean and cozy, plus they offered a continental breakfast each morning, which helped me save some money. They even had a hot tub, which I took full advantage of at night after a long day of walking. It was also a block from the Anaheim GardenWalk, which is an outdoor shopping center that has a lot of great dining options. I ended up at Johnny Rockets the night I arrived, and I went to Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. one night when I wasn't feeling like walking back to the parks for dinner.
Because I had a 5-day ticket to Disney, I decided to split my time between each park to really get the full experience. Monday/Tuesday were spent at the Disneyland Park (DP) and Wednesday/Thursday were spent at Disney California Adventure Park (DCA). Friday was open for doing whatever I was feeling.
Here's some of the fun stuff I did:
MONDAY (DP)
Got my free birthday button.
Picture with the Partners statue,
of course.
First ride was my favorite one: Alice in Wonderland.
Next up: Mad Tea Party teacups.
Tried a Matterhorn Macaroon. Took the cliche picture of it.
Ran into Mary Poppins.
Explored Pixie Hollow.
Caught the Tangled show at the Royal Theatre.
Rode Peter Pan's Flight for the first time.
(Loved it!)
Wandered around Frontierland.
Listened to the Disneyland Band outside the Golden Horseshoe.
Stumbled upon new parts of New Orleans Square.
Ran into Mickey, Minnie and Goofy.
Found the bench where Walt Disney first dreamed of Disneyland.
Saw a sneak preview of the new Aladdin movie, as well as props and costumes on display, including the magic carpet.
(I was FREAKING. OUT!)
Made my way to the Downtown Disney District (DD); something I didn't get to do last trip.
Devoured the Brinner pizza from Napolini Pizzeria in DD. Cheese. Bacon. Potato. Egg. Yum.
Sat on the terrace and ate a pulled pork sandwich for dinner at River Bell Terrace in DP.
Hopped on the Mark Twain Riverboat and enjoyed a nighttime tour.
Watched the fireworks show from the middle of Main Street.
Finally got to see
(and ride) the teacups at night. It's even more magical with the lanterns glowing.
Found the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and went for a ride.
Grabbed a chocolate marshmallow wand
(my favorite) before heading back to the hotel.
TUESDAY (DP)
Caught a glimpse of the castle that has been covered and under renovation since the winter. One of the spires was revealed!
Visited my favorite princess in her tower, Rapunzel.
Got a picture in a teacup wearing my teacup shirt like the super nerd that I am.
Ate breakfast at the River Belle Terrace with the prettiest window view and the yummiest Mickey pancakes.
Rode Pirates of the Caribbean for the first time.
SO worth the wait.
Saw what the Jungle Cruise was all about. I was blown away.
Found the magic carpet in Adventureland and had to get a picture with it.
Climbed up Tarzan's Treehouse.
Took a ride through the Haunted Mansion.
Ate my very first churro. Banana pudding flavored.
Next up: It's a Small World.
Strolled through Toontown.
Bumped into Aladdin and Princess Jasmine.
Fastpassed it to Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters.
(Not my favorite.)
Tried the Jungle Skewer from the Bengal Barbecue. Bacon-wrapped asparagus. Easily the best thing I've eaten at Disney.
For dessert, my most-wanted item: a root beer float in
WOODY'S BOOT from the Golden Horseshoe.
Took a stroll through the Hundred Acre Woods and bumped into Tigger, Rabbit and Eeyore.
Couldn't leave Pooh's Corner without trying a Tigger tail.
Oh, and I couldn't pass up the Mickey donut sugar cookie.
Did you know I like food?
Called it a day and headed to the hot tub. Ordered takeout for dinner. The good life.
WEDNESDAY (DCA)
Made my way down Buena Vista Street.
First ride at DCA: Monster's Inc.
(Another fave!)
Stepped inside the animation building. I can't describe how amazing this is-
just go see it.
Learned to draw Mickey Mouse at the Animation Academy.
Hiked through Grizzly Peak and took in the trails and waterfalls.
Barely contained my excitement when I reached Pixar Pier for the first time.
Took
PLENTY of pictures with the Fun Wheel.
Explored Knicks Knacks and Bing Bong's Sweet Stuff. Bought neapolitan taffy!
Played carnival games on the board walk. Did
NOT win a Jessie the Cowgirl doll.
(Not bitter.)
Got in line for the Pixar Pal-a-Round and
CHICKENED OUT.
Ate a corn dog instead from Corn Dog Castle.
Bumped into Mike Wazowski.
Headed over to Downtown Disney for the Pop-Up Disney! tour.
Took pictures inside a giant Mickey balloon and with the Mickey snack wall. The experience was
SO cool!
Made my way to Radiator Springs because I couldn't wait any longer! It's my favorite part of Disneyland.
Obviously Fastpassed it to Radiator Springs Racers, the best ride
EVER.
Grabbed a strawberry milkshake with road gravel from Flo's V8 Cafe.
Took a ride on Ariel's Undersea Adventure.
Went back to the hotel for a dip in the hot tub and Bubba Gump Shrimp for dinner.
THURSDAY (DP and DCA)
I had one Magic Morning pass with my ticket, which meant I could pick one day to go into Disneyland Park an hour early. I used this on Thursday. With the extra time, I:
Took flight with my pal Dumbo.
Rode Pinocchio's Daring Journey and Snow White's Scary Adventures.
Ate breakfast outside at the Carnation Cafe and watched people stroll down Main Street.
The best Mickey waffles in the biz!
Then I headed back to DCA and:
Took another ride on Monster's Inc.
Explored more of Radiator Springs.
Fastpassed it to Toy Story Midway Mania-
a really fun arcade game experience!
Saw my pal Woody pass by.
Another ride on Radiator Springs Racers was in order.
Ate a bacon mac and cheese bread cone from the Cozy Cone Motel. A DCA must-have.
Headed back to the hotel earlier to change for my dinner reservation.
Made my way back and strolled through Hollywood Studios.
Ran into Buzz Lightyear.
Had dinner at the Lamplight Lounge. The restaurant is all Pixar-themed and
I was in heaven.
Ate ratatouille for dinner in honor of one of my favorite movies. It was so delicious.
Went back to Radiator Springs just in time to see the lights come on.
(Hint: ask a worker in RS what time they will turn on the lights/music. It feels just like the movie!)
Devoured a twist soft serve ice cream cone from the Cozy Cone Motel in RS.
Strolled under the starry string lights on Pixar Pier. It's even more magical at night.
Had a late night snack- a warm, gooey cookie from Jack Jack's Cookie Num Nums over by the Incredicoaster.
Watched the World of Color show.
Shut down the park and headed back to the hotel.
FRIDAY (DP and DCA)
I took Friday nice and slow. Woke up and lounged around before heading to the parks right before lunchtime. I started the day in DP.
Got a Fastpass for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I promised my mom I would do at least one scary roller coaster. I surprisingly loved this one even though I was a nervous wreck beforehand.
Discovered the Snow White fountain near the castle.
Had no idea it was there!
Strolled through Adventureland and ran into my niece's favorite, Moana.
Took a seat in the Enchanted Tiki Room.
Bought a Mickey Pretzel and a Coca-Cola. My favorite combo.
Grabbed a seat and watched Mickey's Soundsational Parade march by.
Headed to DCA for a Mickey ice cream bar. A stomach ache could not stop me from eating all the Mickey-shaped things.
Took a spin on Jessie's Critter Carousel.
Had to.
Had one last stroll down the boardwalk at Pixar Pier to take in the magic.
One last ride: couldn't close out the trip with anything but Radiator Springs Racers.
Then a late night dinner at the Plaza Inn- the
BEST fried chicken!
To wrap it all up, I had one last Mickey treat- the Mickey ice cream sandwich. I could barely eat half of it but
I DID IT.
Said my goodbyes at the main gate and closed out another incredible adventure.
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