My Favorite foods at Disneyland

One of the things I like best about Disneyland is the food. I have been to other theme parks in Southern California and this is one of the many areas in which the other parks just can't compete. I am a creature of habit and have quite a few favorites that I go to time and again.

My first stop when I enter the park (and my last when I leave) is the Blue Ribbon Bakery, which is located right on Main Street. They have really good chocolate filled croissants and cinnamon twists. I don't eat sweets too often, but I love to get one and share it with the kids. It's also a good place to get a cup of coffee. The Carnation Cafe, which is right next door, is also great, if you're looking for a nice warm plate of pancakes to start your day off.

For lunch and dinner, there are a wonderful array of choices. One of my favorite places to dine is Bengal Barbecue in Adventureland. My personal favorites are the chicken kabob and the vegetable kabob. If you look at the official Disneyland web site, they list the type of meal served here as a snack. Don't let this discourage you from making it a meal. Just get 2 kabobs and an order of Tiger Tails (bread sticks) and you'll be set. If you're in the mood for fish, I would recommend the Stage Door Cafe's fish and chips, which you'll find in Frontierland. An excellent lunch can also be found at the Royal Street Veranda in New Orleans Square. Everything is great on the menu, but when I dine there, I get either the vegetarian gumbo or the clam chowder. They serve it in a wonderful sourdough bread bowl that's a treat in itself. My final favorite haunt for food is the Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante in Frontierland. They have really good cheese enchiladas and salads. I am personally not much of a meat eater, but the barbecued meat looks like it's pretty good too. It's particularly nice to dine here, as the outdoor dining area is really beautifuly decorated with delicate, multicolored lanterns.

Another thing I love about dining at Disneyland is the fact that they serve Coca Cola products. It is by far the best beverage ever invented, as far as I'm concerned and is just one more aspect that makes the park ideal. I lovingly refer to it as "the nectar of the gods" and is the only sweet habit I just can't seem to break (although I have cut back significantly). If Disneyland were to ever get rid of it, I just don't know what I'd do.

Jennifer

Enjoying the Disneyland Fireworks Display

The fireworks at Disneyland are nothing short of spectacular and well worth seeing when visiting the park. When planning your vacation you should keep in mind that if you're going on a day when the park is not open late, there will be no fireworks display. Make sure you check the park calendar to see if they will be doing a show, if the fireworks are a must see event for you. We absolutely love watching them.

Getting a Spot for the Show:

Many guests get a spot a couple of hours before the display starts, in order to get a perfect spot for the show. Now, while they may have a wonderful view, they have lost a lot of valuable time and won't get to ride as many attractions as those who don't. We suggest getting a last minute spot on Main street, which has a great view, or to watch them in front of It's a Small World, which also has a good view as well. Usually, you can easily get a spot about 20 minutes before the show starts in either location. Keep in mind the trees when getting a spot as well. It's easy to forget they're there and they can really block the view. While waiting for the show to start, We use this time to have a snack while waiting for the show. If you're on Main St., there is a bakery and a coffee shop, where you can get a nice hot beverage and a snack. We also suggest that you do not try to leave the park immediately after the fireworks. It takes forever to get out of the park itself and then you will be waiting for a very long time to get on a tram. We suggest you use this time to get any souvenirs you were eying during the day, or grab a cup of coffee and let the guests filter out. This is also a good time to get in a few more rides, as the lines are much shorter after the fireworks.



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How to Avoid Long Lines at Disneyland on a Crowded Day

Going to Disneyland on a crowded day can be a bit of a challenge, but it's possible to still do a lot, without spending the day in endless lines. Whenever we go to the park we always take into account the number of people visiting that day and plan our activities accordingly. There are many attractions that offer fast passes, as well as other attractions that have faster moving lines, or none at all.

If you are going in the summer, or during the holidays, the park is going to be very crowded. I can't stress enough the importance of getting there a good hour before the park opens in order to park, get your tickets and get in line to enter the park. For every hour the park is open, hundreds of people are going to be flooding in the gates and the sooner you get in the park, the bigger the head start you'll have on the other guests.

A wonderful feature that Disneyland offers is fastpass tickets. When you enter the park, be sure to get a map and schedule for the day. It includes all the information about fastpasses and where to get them. When getting fastpass tickets, make sure you get them early in the day. If you wait too long, they may run out of fastpasses and you won't be able to take advantage of them. Also, if you don't get back to the ride before your fastpass expires, don't worry, park employees will still honor them.

You can also avoid long lines by choosing attractions that have short wait times. These are our favorite attractions to visit when the park is crowded:

- Pirate's Lair at Tom Sawyer's Island
- Mark Twain River Boat
- Sailing Ship Columbia
- Innoventions
- Pirates of the Caribbean (even when the line is long, it moves very fast)
- Disneyland Railroad
- Jungle Cruise (another one with a fast moving line)
- Main Street Cinema
- Disneyland Story Featuring Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln
- Disneyland Monorail
- Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough (it was recently revamped and they did a really nice job)
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (even if you don't have a fastpass, the line moves quickly)


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Planning Your Meal Times During Your Visit

Taking out time to eat at Disneyland can take a lot of your precious time when visiting the park. It's a really good idea to plan ahead of time and eat meals a little early or a little late to avoid long lines. I generally try to eat lunch as late as possible, knowing that the park is only going to get more crowded as the hours go by. This can be kind of hard if you have kids and a potential melt-down from hunger is really not worth it. Also, if you have explored the Disneyland website, which also has a wealth of information, they specify that no outside food or drink is allowed in the park. They are pretty strict when it comes to picnics, but I always throw a few snacks and water bottles in my backpack and no one ever bothers me about it. This also saves a ton of time if your not having to stop and stand in line to get a snack. You can just grab something out of your bag and eat it in line while you're waiting to go on a ride. This also frees up your budget to buy a few extra souvenirs if you aren't spending all your money on food.

Many of the park's restaurants also let you make reservations well in advance of your visit. This is really important if you want to eat at one of the fancier restaurants like Blue Bayou. Your chances are not very good to get a reservation if you wait until the day of your arrival. If you have any questions or would like to make a reservation you can call Disney Dining at (714) 781-DINE, or (714) 781-3463.

If you are Jewish and need to have kosher meals it can take even longer for a meal break, which I found out this weekend. There is only one restaurant that kosher meals can be ordered and it takes 15-20 minutes for it to be heated and delivered. The couple that I went with were very irritated about the wait and they didn't seem very crazy about the food. If you chose to order a kosher lunch and dinner at the park, you can order it at the Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante. I personally would not do this if I were a park guest. It is much quicker to pack a picnic in a small cooler and put it in a locker outside the park and take advantage of the beautiful picnic area that the park provides. It's much quicker to get a handstamp and grab your lunch out of the lockers than to wait for a special meal to be prepared for you. It also provides a quiet break, which can be really nice on a crowded day, not to mention that what you bring is probably going to taste much better as well.

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Getting an Early Start

The most important tip we can give anyone who is planning to visit Disneyland is to get there EARLY. If you are driving to the park, it is a good idea to get there well before the park opens. We suggest you get there a good hour before the park opens. The line to pay for parking can be very long if you get there right at opening, not to mention the line to get on the tram. There is also another security line you'll have to go through after you get off the tram and if you haven't bought your tickets ahead of time (which we suggest you do), then you still have to wait to buy a ticket before you can get in line to enter the park. If you get there early, all these lines will be short and you will be able to enter the park right at opening. Now you might be wondering why it's so important to get your day started early, especially if you don't plan on spending that many hours at the park. The reason you want to get in early is that with every passing hour, hundreds of people will be entering the park and the lines get longer and longer as the day passes. If you're the first into the park, you can hurry and get several rides in before it gets crowded. If you're a Disneyland hotel guest you're at an even better advantage, as you are allowed early admission into Disneyland. In our opinion it is well worth the extra cost to stay at one of the hotel parks if you want to get a lot done and your vacation is on the shorter side. If you are going to the park on a crowded holiday it is an absolute MUST to get there early. It is not uncommon for the park to sell out by 11:00 am during the week between Christmas and New years, Thanksgiving weekend and 4th of July.

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All You Would Ever Need to Know About the Happiest Place on Earth

Being artists, Angela and I have numerous spots around Los Angeles that we frequent for inspiration. Without question, our favorite inspirational spot is Disneyland. The care that Walt put into it is evident in every detail and is the reason why it is loved by so many. It is also why it's known for big crowds-especially in the summer months. Being an annual passholder has given us the advantage of learning how to avoid the crowds and make the most of our day.

I had never considered doing much of anything with the information though, until my most recent trip with family from back east. They were telling me what a wonderful "guide" I had been for the day and that I should take people on tours of the park. While that does sound fun and I'm not completely against the idea, it would take me away from my art far too much. I really liked the idea though and it sounded really fun, which led me to the idea of a blog. While it's not the same as having your own personal guide, Angela and I do have a wealth of information that we would love to share. We hope the information makes your day run smoothly and that you get the absolute most of the park! Check back often, as we will post new tips regularly.

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