Sunday, July 26, 2015
Top 10 California Adventure Favorites
I can't believe we have less than a month left before our trip to Disneyland. I figured now was as good a time as any to post about our top 10 California Adventure Favorites. I am sorry I don't have any pictures, but I will update my top 10 after our trip.
1-World of Color - There is something so magical about this show. It's a water show they do at Paradise Pier. The old show would show parts of Disney movies with the music and special effects. It always makes me warm and fuzzy :) They just redid the show for the 60th Celebration so I'm excited to see the new one.
2-Radiator Springs Racers - This ride is awesome. The line can get really long so we usually hit it up during the Magic Mornings and then get a fast pass for later in the day. It takes you through parts of the movie followed by a race against another car. Right before the race it takes you to either Luigi's for new tires or Ramone's for a new paint job. I think if you get the new paint job that is when you win the race.
3-Mater's Junk Yard Jamboree - The kiddo and I will ride this over and over again. I think it is one of his favorite rides. You sit in tractors and they spin you around pretty quickly. Its so much fun.
4-Wine Country Trattoria - This is a pasta restaurant that is fantastic. My favorite is the Shrimp Scampi and they have some really good wine. Plus if you book at the right time and get a good seat you can watch the Pixar Parade. They also do the World of Color dining which provides a more limited menu but the food choices are really good and you get great seats for the World of Color show.
5-California Screamin' - This ride always scares me but I love it. Probably the biggest thrill ride in Disneyland. It's always the loop that gets to me but as long as I hod on tight it is so much fun. The kiddo refuses to ride it but one day we will get him on it.
6-Red Trolley News Boys - This is probably the kiddos favorite show. It tells the story of Mickey Mouse coming to Hollywood using an old school Newsboy performance. I hear they added a new musical number for the 60th celebration. That will be fun to watch.
7-Aladdin on Stage - Aladdin is one of my top 10 Disney movies, so to have a stage show is great for me. The Genie is hilarious and his jokes are always changing so they are relevant. Plus it's a great chance to get in out of the heat.
8-Silly Symphony Swings - This ride always scares me but it so much fun. It's like the classic swing ride at the fair, but it is based off of The Band Concert from Walt Disney's Silly Symphony cartoons. The kiddo is just tall enough now to ride in his own swing and he loves it.
9- Cozy Cone - We always get a snack or two here during out trip. My favorites are the Churro Bites, Pretzel Bites, Fillmore's Fuelin' Groovy Pomegranate Limeade (with or without Vodka) and the dill pickle popcorn. The kiddo loves the Churro Bites and the ice cream. It's just a fun place with some good food and drink.
10-Toy Story Midway Mania - This is an interactive ride were you score points on different games. The hubby and I always compete to get the best in the car :) There are a ton of easter eggs in this ride. One hint, get all of the aliens in the rocket on the Buzz one and it will open up for a lot of points.
What is your favorite ride?
I hope you all enjoyed my top 10. I will do an update once I get back with pictures.
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Booking meals at Disneyland
Booking the meals for Disneyland was a lot less stressful than it was for Disneworld. That is one thing I like more at Disneyland.
I looked at the menus before hand and figured out which restaurants we wanted to go to and what days we wanted to go. With booking at Disneyland you book each meal 60 days in advance so each morning when I woke up at 6:45 I would go straight to the computer and look at what I wanted for the day and book it, usually before my tea was ready. Way less stressful and I got everything on the days I wanted them with no problem. In fact I could even book some of them today if I need to.
The kiddo and I take a flight early morning so we will get to the hotel at about 11:30 and then we will head into the parks, after we check our bags of course. So we are going to be tired by the end of our first day, so I booked us for dinner at Goofy's Kitchen the first night at around 5ish so we can see the characters and then head over to the hotel and get settled in and make it an early night. Hopefully I don't fall asleep in between trips to the buffet.
I booked the kiddo and I at a few other restaurants: Cafe Orleans, Carnation Cafe, and Carthay Circle. This leaves us with a few options to grab some quick service at places like Cozy Cone, Bengal BBQ, etc. I also booked a surprise breakfast for us at Paradise Grill at our hotel Paradise Pier. The kiddo has asked us a few times if we could eat there a few times but they have always been full so he is going to be really happy to get to go this time. I am still working out the surprise for him so any ideas would be great.
Once the hubby gets there we are going to do Carnation Cafe, Wine Country Trattorria, and Steak House 55 for breakfast. One thing the hubby is always in search of is a great Eggs Benedict and when we were at Disney earlier this year he saw a sign that showed an amazing picture of the Eggs Benedict and he has been thinking about trying it ever since. Good advertising Disney.
When our friends and there kids get there we will be doing Wine Country Trattoria World of Color Dining, Ariel's Grotto, and Fantasmic Dinner at Blue Bayou on the kiddos birthday with a special cake. It's always really nerve racking when you take friends to some of your favorite restaurants because you want them to like it as much as you do, but what if they change the menu, or they order something they hate. I'm sure it will be fine though.
I can't believe the trip will be here so soon. It's going to be so much fun
I looked at the menus before hand and figured out which restaurants we wanted to go to and what days we wanted to go. With booking at Disneyland you book each meal 60 days in advance so each morning when I woke up at 6:45 I would go straight to the computer and look at what I wanted for the day and book it, usually before my tea was ready. Way less stressful and I got everything on the days I wanted them with no problem. In fact I could even book some of them today if I need to.
The kiddo and I take a flight early morning so we will get to the hotel at about 11:30 and then we will head into the parks, after we check our bags of course. So we are going to be tired by the end of our first day, so I booked us for dinner at Goofy's Kitchen the first night at around 5ish so we can see the characters and then head over to the hotel and get settled in and make it an early night. Hopefully I don't fall asleep in between trips to the buffet.
I booked the kiddo and I at a few other restaurants: Cafe Orleans, Carnation Cafe, and Carthay Circle. This leaves us with a few options to grab some quick service at places like Cozy Cone, Bengal BBQ, etc. I also booked a surprise breakfast for us at Paradise Grill at our hotel Paradise Pier. The kiddo has asked us a few times if we could eat there a few times but they have always been full so he is going to be really happy to get to go this time. I am still working out the surprise for him so any ideas would be great.
Once the hubby gets there we are going to do Carnation Cafe, Wine Country Trattorria, and Steak House 55 for breakfast. One thing the hubby is always in search of is a great Eggs Benedict and when we were at Disney earlier this year he saw a sign that showed an amazing picture of the Eggs Benedict and he has been thinking about trying it ever since. Good advertising Disney.
When our friends and there kids get there we will be doing Wine Country Trattoria World of Color Dining, Ariel's Grotto, and Fantasmic Dinner at Blue Bayou on the kiddos birthday with a special cake. It's always really nerve racking when you take friends to some of your favorite restaurants because you want them to like it as much as you do, but what if they change the menu, or they order something they hate. I'm sure it will be fine though.
I can't believe the trip will be here so soon. It's going to be so much fun
Check-In
It truly is amazing how quickly time passes. We have been insanely busy. Last weekend was the start of our serious training for the Wine & Dine Half Marathon, we have been focusing on getting ready for out trip to Disneyland next month, and just life.
I will do some posts on booking meals and planning for Disneyland, including Disneybounding but I will make this one all about training and weight loss.
I am officially down 16 lbs and 2+ dress sizes, woo hoo. I can totally tell a difference. It feels so great to put on a size 12 and have it fit a bit lose. It makes me want to keep going. I just hope I can lose 4 more lbs to be able to do my mani/pedi before the trip.
We have been running a mile as a family and then going for 1.5 mile walk with the dogs each night. I normally go to the gym every day, but I have been taking a break and going for three walks during the day, two 15 minute ones during break and then a half an hour during lunch. It really nice to get away during my breaks to clear my mind and listen to music. With running every night with the family I have found it hard to run during the day and keep up with the family at night. I should probably star doing it two days a week though especially with having to run the 5k in the morning followed by the half in November and just get over my desire to keep up with or beat the hubby and kiddo.
I can't even begin to talk about how proud I am of the kiddo, minus our first long run. . He has been able to do an 11 min mile every night. He really wants to do well on the 5K's. I think the thought of pictures with the characters is helping a lot. I will say though, that when we went for our first long run last weekend at 2 miles and he didn't do to well. I think it was a mix between the new shoes and the new location. My kiddo is a lot like me and he HATES change. We bought him a new pair of shoes, which were a bit bigger than his current size, and we went to run on the waterfront which was totally different from what he is used to do, since we normally run in our neighood. The first half a mile he did great, but he kept saying his feet were hurting him so we walked a bit for the next mile and a half then hubby and I decided to adjust his shoes and he was able to run the last half a mile. He has been doing really well on the normal runs each night in the new shoes so I think he just gets to much into his head and tells himself he can't do it. I used to do the same thing growing up, so I just want to support him but also push him to do his best. It's actually really tough.
I hope everyone is all well and I will do a few more posts about the Disney trip. Thanks to everyone who checks in while I try out this whole blogging thing.
I will do some posts on booking meals and planning for Disneyland, including Disneybounding but I will make this one all about training and weight loss.
I am officially down 16 lbs and 2+ dress sizes, woo hoo. I can totally tell a difference. It feels so great to put on a size 12 and have it fit a bit lose. It makes me want to keep going. I just hope I can lose 4 more lbs to be able to do my mani/pedi before the trip.
We have been running a mile as a family and then going for 1.5 mile walk with the dogs each night. I normally go to the gym every day, but I have been taking a break and going for three walks during the day, two 15 minute ones during break and then a half an hour during lunch. It really nice to get away during my breaks to clear my mind and listen to music. With running every night with the family I have found it hard to run during the day and keep up with the family at night. I should probably star doing it two days a week though especially with having to run the 5k in the morning followed by the half in November and just get over my desire to keep up with or beat the hubby and kiddo.
I can't even begin to talk about how proud I am of the kiddo, minus our first long run. . He has been able to do an 11 min mile every night. He really wants to do well on the 5K's. I think the thought of pictures with the characters is helping a lot. I will say though, that when we went for our first long run last weekend at 2 miles and he didn't do to well. I think it was a mix between the new shoes and the new location. My kiddo is a lot like me and he HATES change. We bought him a new pair of shoes, which were a bit bigger than his current size, and we went to run on the waterfront which was totally different from what he is used to do, since we normally run in our neighood. The first half a mile he did great, but he kept saying his feet were hurting him so we walked a bit for the next mile and a half then hubby and I decided to adjust his shoes and he was able to run the last half a mile. He has been doing really well on the normal runs each night in the new shoes so I think he just gets to much into his head and tells himself he can't do it. I used to do the same thing growing up, so I just want to support him but also push him to do his best. It's actually really tough.
I hope everyone is all well and I will do a few more posts about the Disney trip. Thanks to everyone who checks in while I try out this whole blogging thing.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Top 10 Disneyland Favorites
With less than two months to go and planning for Disneyland in full swing I figured I would do a list of my favorite things to do at Disneyland. Here is my top 10 for Disneyland and California Adventure will be a separate post. It was so hard to narrow it down to just 10 things. So without further ado...
Disneyland
1-Carnation Cafe - Probably my all time favorite restaurant. I mean who can pass up fried pickles. They have some really yummy salads and great service. Plus if you can get a seat outside you get to people watch and if you time it just right you can watch the parade.
2-Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster - This is a family favorite and probably the kiddos favorite ride. You get a laser gun and you have to shoot the Z's to defeat Zurg. The line always moves pretty quickly and it's so much fun. Hint - When you get to Zurg shoot in between his chest plate for major points.
3-Space Mountain - Dark, music, stars and speed what's not to love. I enjoy Space Mountain at Disneyland much more than Disneyworld, although my favorite one is in Disneyland Paris.
4-Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - You can't go wrong with the Wildest Ride in the Wilderness. They recently revamped this ride and it is great. Just watch out for the Goat with the dynamite.
5-Star Tours - With a family that loves Star Wars you cant forget about this ride. It's actually one of my first memories at Disneyland. When I was 7 my family went down to Disneyland and I have good memories of my dad and I riding it together. When I saw C3PO & R2-D2 I was amazed and slightly scared at the same time. I remember my Dad putting his arm around me and said "It will be ok Kiddo I'm right here" The changes they made to it are awesome, and its awesome that you never know what you will get.
6-Peter Pan's Flight - This is hubby's favorite ride when he was younger. There is something so magical about getting on a flying ship and going through the story of Peter Pan.
7-Soundsational Parade - I really enjoy this parade. The floats are fantastic and the music is great. I love any parade with the Genie & Aladdin.
8-Bengal BBQ - This is a quick service across from Indiana Jones which serves skewers. There isn't a lot of table & chairs but you can always sit nearby on a rock. My two favorite items are the Tiger Tails which is a bread stick and the Safari Skewer which is bacon wrapped asparagus. They grill to order which makes it super yummy.
9-Autopia - Another old favorite. This one actually wasn't on my top 10 until the kiddo came along. I love riding this ride with him and watch his face light up while he drives our "car" and we race daddy. So many good memories.
10-The Disney Gallery - This is a great place to go cool down and see some history on Disney and the parks. I love the models of the castles and the pictures. Plus they show a little video from the 50th celebration I think which is fun to sit and watch when the pavement feels like it's melting and it the crowds are getting larger.
I am really excited about the new things for the 60th Anniversary so my top 10 might change after this trip.
Disneyland
1-Carnation Cafe - Probably my all time favorite restaurant. I mean who can pass up fried pickles. They have some really yummy salads and great service. Plus if you can get a seat outside you get to people watch and if you time it just right you can watch the parade.
2-Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster - This is a family favorite and probably the kiddos favorite ride. You get a laser gun and you have to shoot the Z's to defeat Zurg. The line always moves pretty quickly and it's so much fun. Hint - When you get to Zurg shoot in between his chest plate for major points.
3-Space Mountain - Dark, music, stars and speed what's not to love. I enjoy Space Mountain at Disneyland much more than Disneyworld, although my favorite one is in Disneyland Paris.
4-Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - You can't go wrong with the Wildest Ride in the Wilderness. They recently revamped this ride and it is great. Just watch out for the Goat with the dynamite.
5-Star Tours - With a family that loves Star Wars you cant forget about this ride. It's actually one of my first memories at Disneyland. When I was 7 my family went down to Disneyland and I have good memories of my dad and I riding it together. When I saw C3PO & R2-D2 I was amazed and slightly scared at the same time. I remember my Dad putting his arm around me and said "It will be ok Kiddo I'm right here" The changes they made to it are awesome, and its awesome that you never know what you will get.
6-Peter Pan's Flight - This is hubby's favorite ride when he was younger. There is something so magical about getting on a flying ship and going through the story of Peter Pan.
7-Soundsational Parade - I really enjoy this parade. The floats are fantastic and the music is great. I love any parade with the Genie & Aladdin.
8-Bengal BBQ - This is a quick service across from Indiana Jones which serves skewers. There isn't a lot of table & chairs but you can always sit nearby on a rock. My two favorite items are the Tiger Tails which is a bread stick and the Safari Skewer which is bacon wrapped asparagus. They grill to order which makes it super yummy.
9-Autopia - Another old favorite. This one actually wasn't on my top 10 until the kiddo came along. I love riding this ride with him and watch his face light up while he drives our "car" and we race daddy. So many good memories.
10-The Disney Gallery - This is a great place to go cool down and see some history on Disney and the parks. I love the models of the castles and the pictures. Plus they show a little video from the 50th celebration I think which is fun to sit and watch when the pavement feels like it's melting and it the crowds are getting larger.
I am really excited about the new things for the 60th Anniversary so my top 10 might change after this trip.
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