We have taken over 50 trips to Disneyland and we’ve stayed at a number of different hotels around the Disneyland resort. I am sharing my honest thoughts on all the hotels we have stayed at over the years. When it comes to booking the hotel for our Disneyland trips I always check the package deals through Get Away Today, because they always seem to have the lowest prices. I highly recommend checking Get Away Today for package deals or tickets only.

I often get asked if I think staying at a Disneyland hotel is worth the extra cost. I think it’s fun to stay at a Disneyland hotel at least once or twice, but we mostly choose the good neighbor hotels around the resort for a couple of reasons.  One, we don’t really spend much time in our hotel, we prefer to hang out at the Disney Parks or at the beach.  Second, the prices of the Disneyland hotels are substantially higher, we prefer to go for a less expensive hotel which leaves extra money for Disney treats, meals and souvenirs.  We can also make more trips to Disneyland each year by choosing hotels that are less expensive.   

When we started our Disney trips we had a family of 7, since some of our older kids have headed off to college we don’t need large rooms anymore.  Plus, many of our trips have just been my husband and I (Yes! We do take kidless trips to Disneyland).  You will find that many of these hotels have room options that work well for large families.  My favorite hotel that fits 8 is the Grand Legacy (3 room suite).  My favorite hotel for 5 is the Fairfield Inn or Tropicana Inn & Suites.

If I had to narrow down my top hotel choices, it would be these hotels, most of which are within very close walking distance.  It really is a huge plus not to have to drive, park or ride a shuttle into the parks.

• Grand Californian Hotel & Spa – If it’s in the budget, this is such an amazing hotel to stay at, the location can’t be beat and we love the perk of getting into the parks 30 minutes before everyone else.
• The Westin Anaheim Resort – This hotel is absolutely stunning! They have some amazing rooms with views of DCA.
• Grand Legacy at the Park – The walking distance from this hotel is super easy, they have family suites which are great for large families and they have one of the nicest pools of the hotels on Harbour Blvd.
• Fairfield Inn – We love this location for it’s proximity and the fact that there is a Panera Bread in the parking lots which makes breakfast super easy.  We also love the fact that it’s a Marriott hotel and we can use our Marriott rewards to get free stays.
• Tropicana Inn – This is a great hotel that is fairly easy on the budget and it is one of the closest hotels to the entrance to Disneyland.
• Courtyard by Marriott Anaheim Theme Park Entrance – This is a great hotel with plenty of room for everyone.  The rooms also have a microwave which is really handy.  Kids will love the waterpark and pool!

Disneyland Hotels

Grand Californian Hotel & Spa (5 times) – This hotel is amazing as far as location and ambiance.  I love the huge open lobby and the atmosphere with the fireplace and the Craftsman decor. The restaurant selection is great!  We love the Craftsman Grill for quick meals and Storyteller’s Cafe for sit down meals. The pool is wonderful. The rooms are lighter and brighter since the remodel and I really like them.  The showers are amazing!  Each room has a refrigerator and you can find a microwave on each level near the ice machine.  Many rooms have amazing views of California Adventure from the balcony, but you will pay extra for those. This hotel is an amazing option if you have the funds and if you have small children, taking them back to the room for a nap is so easy. Keep in mind this hotel does not have tubs, they only have showers. The customer service is great, everyone was very friendly.  The pool was only open until 8pm when we visited in January, which is a bummer, because we were hoping to sit in the hot tub after a long day at the parks. I know the pool hours are extended in the summer, but it’s something to check when you are visiting. This is probably my absolute favorite hotel around Disneyland, but the price is often a deal breaker for me. I’d prefer to stay at a less expensive hotel to allow for more trips.

Disneyland Hotel  (4 times) – This hotel is completely magical!  The rooms are stunning!  I love all the little Disney touches you can find around the room and though out the entire hotel. This my favorite of all the Disneyland hotels as far as the rooms and the grounds. The floor to ceiling windows give you a great view and let in a lot of light. In addition to the property being amazing, the restaurant selection here is great too.  We love Goofy’s Kitchen for character breakfast and Tangaroa Terrace is a great option too.  The only drawback that I see (and it won’t be a drawback for everyone) is the fact that the pool is only about 4 feet deep. This is great if you have little ones, but we were traveling with 4 teens and they weren’t all that impressed with the pool.

Villas at Disneyland Hotel (once) – We stayed in a Deluxe Studio, which had a queen bed and a pull down queen bed and a little kitchenette. The decor and amenities of the room are gorgeous! They also have 1, 2 and 3 bedroom villas that include full-size kitchens and sleep quite a few people.  You get access to an exclusive pool and cute Steamboat Willie splash pad. I love the fact that everything at this hotel is new and pretty.  Even the walk down the hallways is gorgeous! The staff at the Disneyland hotel is always top notch.  

NEW! Pixar Place Hotel  (once/twice when it was previously Paradise Pier Hotel) – The theming throughout the hotel is so well done! The rooms include some truly stunning artwork and the service we experienced from cast members was exceptional. One of our favorite things about this hotel was the private entrance into Disney’s California Adventure. This park entrance is exclusive to guests of the Pixar Place hotel which means you most likely won’t wait in any lines at all. We literally walked right through security! It’s less than a 10 minute walk away lets you in right next to Goofy’s Sky School. Majorly convenient! However, it’s important to note that you can only enter through here before 12:00 pm. You can exit through here any time of day though. They also have a great pool area! It’s situated on a rooftop on the third floor and includes a snack shack, plenty of lounging area, and a decent sized pool! The only major downside is the elevator situation. You cannot access the stairwell from the first floor and the elevators run on a unique system that means you’ll likely be waiting a while. It was a common gripe amongst all guests. We bonded with a few strangers in the lobby over how long it takes to grab an elevator. 

Super Easy Walking Distance

The post Honest Reviews of all the Hotels we’ve used around Disneyland appeared first on Gather Lemons.

Current Rewards Card offers:

Disney Rewards Visa – $150 credit when you get a card with no annual fee, $300 credit with the premier card with annual fee of $49.

IHG Rewards Card: up to 80,000 bonus points, $95 annual fee

How we planned our vacation:

I love family trips to Disneyland and I love saving money, but when I can combine the two and take a “free” trip to Disneyland, that’s completely magical!  We recently took a quick 2 night/3 day trip to Disneyland and paid for the entire thing with credit card and reward miles.  This “free” trip wasn’t an instant gratification thing, it took us several years of saving our rewards.  I also didn’t set out to book this trip with our rewards, it just kind of happened that way.

I am sharing this information with you to let you know that a free or inexpensive trip to Disneyland is completely possible.  You may not be able to book an entire Disney trip with rewards, but you certainly can use some of these techniques to make sure you pay less out of pocket for your trip.  Here’s a peek at how we took advantage of our rewards to take a trip to Disneyland that didn’t cost us anything out of pocket.

Please note, booking a trip with rewards is only a good deal if you pay your credit card off in full every month.  I do not recommend putting anything on a credit card and making payments.  When it comes to credit cards, we pay for all of our expenses with credit cards and the total amount due is automatically subtracted from our checking account when it’s due, this way we never pay interest.  We use our credit cards for pretty much everything, medical bills, auto repairs, utilities, groceries, travel and the list goes on.

Flights

First up, we had to get to Disneyland!  We booked our flights using our Alaska Airlines miles. Fortunately, my husband has quite a few airline miles accrued because of his job. I don’t recommend just using miles when you want to go somewhere, I suggest you still watch for low fares.  Usually when fares are low the amount of miles you need is lower too.  Flying from Seattle to California isn’t that expensive and it’s easy for us to find deals.  This is one of the reasons why it’s easy for us to take quick trips to Disneyland.  If you have an airline that you frequent, look into the credit card for that airline, they will often have bonuses when you sign up.  Alaska is currently offering 40,000 bonus miles.  As an example, our flights to California were only 7500 miles each.   You could easily send 2 people round-trip somewhere with 40,000 miles.

Hotel

Next up we booked our hotel using our Marriott Rewards. One of the main reasons we opened the Marriott credit card is because we had a trip planned for Tokyo that was a couple of years out and we wanted to save up some points so we could get a few free hotel stays on that trip. We have enough points for 3 nights in Tokyo so we used some of the extra points for this stay.  We scored two free nights at the Four Points Sheraton, one night stay was free with our anniversary reward and the second night we booked using 25,000 reward points.

One of the perks of signing up for the hotel rewards credit cards is they give you bonus points for signing up, which makes it a fairly quick and easy way to save on a Disney trip, it will take only a few months to earn this bonus reward.

Both my husband and I have Hyatt Rewards cards too, the offer when we signed up were 2 free nights at ANY hotel.  We used both our free nights when we went to Paris.  If you are looking to maximize your rewards, sign up fo the rewards cards separately instead of adding your spouse onto you credit card.  You will get double the bonus sign-up rewards!  Decide on your favorite hotel chain and sign up for that card.

Park Tickets

Once we had our flight and hotel booked, we needed to take care of the Park tickets.  Both my husband and I have an annual pass so we only needed to buy a ticket for our youngest (the older kids are off at college). I have a Disney Visa and I used the rewards from that card to pay for his 2-day Park Hopper ticket.  I know what some of you are going to say…if you have annual passes than the trip wasn’t actually free.   Guess what???  I actually paid for the passes last year with credit card rewards!!   See how fun this is?  I have seriously been saving my rewards for nearly 10 years and we are now reaping the rewards.

We also bought tickets for all three of us to attend the Oogie Boogie Bash and those tickets were bought with the rewards from my Disney Visa too.  

Food

Since this was a short trip there wasn’t a huge food expense, the items were paid for with my Disney Visa Rewards. Another general money saving tip is to share meals and just drink water from the restaurants.  You can ask for a cup of ice water from any restaurant, you don’t have to buy bottled water or soda, it’s a great way to save.  Because of our annual pass, we also save 20% on our meals.  We ate breakfast at Panera one morning and I paid for that with a Panera gift card I earned from ibotta.

Lightsaber building

This trip happened during our son’s birthday and we knew that he would love making his own lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop.  We gifted him with a new wallet (he lost his old one) and we put a note inside telling him he had an appointment to make a lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop.  My husband built one on our last trip and the whole experience is completely magical, especially if you are a die hard Star Wars fan.   My son absolutely loved the entire experience, he went on and on, all day long about how it was one of the coolest things he’s ever done.  This experience was paid for with my Disney Visa Rewards (I’m starting to sound like a broken record, aren’t I?)

Rental Car

The last expense we had on this trip was our rental car.  We always book a rental car through Costco, it is often times cheaper than it is to pay for a shuttle.  The trick is to book your car and keep checking back every week to see if the price drops.  If the price is lower you can book the new car at the lower rate and cancel your old one.  I find that I can usually get the best deal about 3 weeks prior to our departure date.  Sometimes, I find 2-3 days before I pick up the car there is a major drop in the price too.  I paid for the rental car with the rewards from my Costco Visa (you thought I was going to say Disney Rewards, didn’t you?).  The Costco Visa is probably the rewards card I used most now, because the perks are the best.  With the Costco rewards, you will get a rebate check once a year, the check can be redeemed at Costco or you can get cash back.  I opted for cash and used some of the money on our rental car and the cost of parking at the hotel.  Booyah!

Whenever we take our trips to Disneyland we usually always incorporate one or two credit card rewards in some way.  This was the first trip we took where I actually used rewards to pay for the entire trip and it was kind of exciting. Unfortunately, this trip used up a lot of our rewards so I am going to have to start saving again.   

I hope this encourages you to come up with some creative ways to save on your next Disney trip, whether it’s with airline miles, credit card rewards or just basic money saving tactics like sharing meals or ordering free water. 

Another great way to save on a Disneyland vacation is by booking your trip through Get Away Today.  I have found Get Away Today has some of the best deals!  When we aren’t using rewards for our hotels or tickets I usually always book my Disneyland trips through Get Away Today.  If you book a package for 2 nights or longer, you can use the code THRIVING10 to save an additional $10 off the package price.  You can also purchase discounted Disneyland tickets through Get Away Today too.

Once again, here is the rundown of how we used our rewards to get this trip for free:

• Flight – Alaska Airline miles 
• Hotel – Marriott Rewards
• Park Tickets – Disney Visa Rewards 
• Lightsaber Building Experience – Disney Visa Rewards
• Food – Disney Rewards Visa & gift card from ibotta
• Rental Car – Costco Visa Rewards

It’s worth mentioning that we planned our stay with the minimum hotel nights as possible.  We flew in Thursday morning, went to Oogie Boogie Bash that evening, spent Friday in the parks all day, we then spent 1/2 the day on the park on Saturday and flew home late Saturday night.  Since we made our arrival and departure days park days, less hotel stays were required.  This may not work for everyone, but we live fairly close to California and we visit on a regular basis so we don’t feel the need to fit everything in all in one trip.   Just another tip your might try when booking your trip.

We visit Disneyland on a regular basis and we have a bunch of posts to help you with your trip planning, check them out below:

• Complete Guide to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
• Make a custom lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop
• Ultimate Guide to Disneyland Snacks
• Honest reviews of the hotels we’ve used around Disneyland
• Our visit to Club 33 at Disneyland
• Complete Guide to Pixar Pier
• Visiting Disneyland in the Fall
• Tips for One Day at Disneyland
• 10 of the Best Places to eat Lunch at Disneyland
• 10 of the Best Places to eat Breakfast at Disneyland
• Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival
• 7 Reasons I Prefer Disneyland over Disney World

I don’t recommend signing up for all the credit cards at once, just pick one and start with that, maybe a couple years later add another one. If you have experience with traveling with rewards I’d love to hear what your favorite cards are, let me know!

The post Disneyland Vacation Booked Totally with Credit Card Rewards appeared first on Gather Lemons.

A trip to Disneyland is magical, but a trip to Disneyland during the holiday season is extra magical! I love visiting Disneyland at Christmastime, both parks are decorated for the holidays and you can hear Christmas music playing everywhere.  It’s the best combination…Christmas and Disneyland. 

I just returned from a trip to Disneyland with my sister and here is a peek at all the fun we experienced at Disneyland during the holidays.   This year the holidays season at Disneyland runs from November 8 – January 6, 2020.

We stayed at one of my “go-to” hotels which is right across the street from the entrance of Disneyland, the Tropicana Inn & Suites.  You can check out our thoughts on all of the hotels we’ve used near the Disneyland Resort.  Our trip was booked through Get Away Today, they really have some of the best deals when it comes to Disneyland vacations.  

The parks are all decked out for the holidays, you’ll find a big Christmas tree on main street, garland, lights and decor all over the parks.  They really go all out!

The holiday decor in Cars Land is so much fun!   They are so clever and creative with the holiday decorations, they make sure it’s festive and that it fits with the theme of Cars Land.   I swear, everywhere you look in Disneyland and California Adventure there are fun touches of holiday magic.

Even the characters are dressed in their holiday best!  There are lots of opportunities to take photos with your favorite characters dressed up in their holidays attire.  To find out when and where the characters will be, consult the Disneyland app.

Some of the attractions get dressed up for the holidays too, here are two of the most of popular ones:

It’s a Small World Holiday – It’s a Small World get’s decked out for the holidays.   Listen as the costumed chorus of children sing a medley of traditional holiday tunes and the classic “It’s a Small World (After All).”

Haunted Mansion Holiday – Pumpkin King Jack Skellington has decorated the Haunted Mansion with frightfully festive touches inspired by Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.

You can be there the moment they flip the switch and turn on all the holiday lights on the facade of It’s a Small World, it happens everyday at 5:15.   The building is absolutely beautiful all decked out in twinkling lights.  I highly recommend watching it all happen one of the days during your trip.   There really isn’t a need to wait, you can just walk up a few minutes before it happens.  

Another fun lighting event that happens is the Christmas tree lighting on Main Street, this happens at 4:55.  There is a tree lighting that takes place over at California Adventure too. You can see the Buena Vista Street Holiday Tree Lighting at 4:55 every night.

You can’t miss the lighting at Sleeping Beauty Castle, it looks absolutely beautiful all decked out in icicles, wreaths and festive décor.  You can gather to see the castle glow.  Times may vary, so consult the day you are there, but the lightings usually happen at 7:30 and 8:30 every night.

You can watch A Christmas Fantasy Parade with Mickey and Minnie and lots of your other favorite characters.   We were there are the beginning of December and had no problem finding a spot just minutes before the parade started.  We caught the parade twice while we were there and we had a great viewing spot both times.

If you are visiting during a busier time during the holidays you will probably want to grab a spot up to 30 minutes before the parade starts.  This is definitely a parade kids will love because they will get to see their favorite characters.

In addition to all the fun Disney characters at the end of the parade you get a visit from Santa Claus himself!  

Of course one of my favorite things about visiting the Disneyland Resort is the yummy food and treats and during the holidays there are tons of fun new things to eat.   Here is a sampling of some of the food we tried, we’re sharing our thoughts on what you should eat and what you should avoid too.

Before our trip I checked out the Holiday Foodie Guide for Disneyland,  I knew I wanted to try this Mickey Gingerbread Cookie, not only is he cute but he’s delicious too!  You can find the Mickey Gingerbread Cookie at several places including Jolly Holly Bakery and Market House in Disneyland and at Clarabelle’s, Fiddler Fifer & Practical Cafe (Starbucks) and the Cappuccino Cart in California Adventure.  If you have this on your list make sure you grab him sooner rather than later, he’s a popular one and sold out by the middle of the day when we were there.  Luckily we were able to grab him on our last day.

I seriously make a mental list of the treats I want to try when they have special events.  This one wasn’t on my list, but when we stopped at Market House (Starbucks) in Disneyland and I saw this beauty sitting in the case I knew we had to give it a try.   It was good, I would buy it again.  It’s almost too pretty to eat.  This Holiday Linzer Cookie is only available at the Market House in Disneyland.

Whenever we head to Disneyland stopping at Cafe Orleans is a must!  Our family love the Monte Cristo Sandwich and Pomme Frites.  We always share the Monte Cristo because it’s way too much for one person, which meant we had enough room for dessert so we tried the holiday special of Hot Chocolate Beignets.  Yum!  These were so good.  We actually saved some of the raspberry jam from our Monte Cristo and dipped the Beignets in that too and it made it even better.  

I also consulted the Holiday Foodie Guide For Disney California Adventure and made my list.  A churro is a must on every Disney trip and this time we tried the Sugar Cookie Churro.  It was good, but the frosting made it a little too sweet.  I think it would have been much better if it was just drizzled on top.  I wouldn’t buy this one again.

I was really looking forward to trying the Peppermint Soft Serve cone from the Cozy Cone Motel. Unfortunately, I was not impressed by this one at all (and so many other people have raved about it, I’m totally confused).  I couldn’t eat it all, the peppermint ice cream just wasn’t that great.  Skip this cone and go for the Chocolate-Peppermint Sundae at Clarabelle’s, it was divine!  The peppermint ice cream is how Peppermint ice cream should taste, plus it has chocolate which takes it to the next level.

Once of the fun events that happens this time of year is the Festival of Holidays over at California Adventure.  It is similar to the Food & Wine Festival where booths are set up and you can sample different food and drinks.  There is an option to buy a Sip & Savor pass but I didn’t see huge savings in buying the pass so we skipped it.  I of course consulted the Holiday Foodie Guide for Festival of Holidays and made our wish list.

Here is what we tried at the Festival of Holidays:

Chorizo Fundido – Served with House-made Tortilla Chips.  This dip was so good!  Definitely one of our faves.  We could have used a little more tortilla chips though because we had some dip left over.  We just stopped by the Boudin Bakery and got a couple of sourdough bread samples to finish off our dip.

Holiday Stuffing Mac & Cheese – This was really good too!  I loved the little crunch from the stuffing crumbled on top of the mac & cheese.

Pork al Pastor Naan Taco – With Pineapple Pico de Gallo and Cilantro-Lime Crema.  I absolutely loved this one!  I was surprised how much I really loved the pineapple with the pork.  Yummy!

There were several other items we would have loved to try, I think the offerings during the Festival of Holidays are great!

The Festival of Holidays also includes some great entertainment too.   You can catch a street party hosted by the Three Caballeros, bands, groups and a dance company too.

You’ll also find holiday entertainment to end your evening at both Disney Parks for the holidays.  

“Believe…in Holiday Magic” Fireworks show  – Over at Disneyland you can enjoy the “Believe…in Holiday Magic” Fireworks show. It ends with it snowing on Main Street.  It’s really is a magical feeling!   My favorite place to view the fireworks is on Main Street, U.S.A.  You’ll be able to see the fireworks and the projections on Sleeping Beauty Castle and the Main Street buildings.  Another great option for fireworks viewing is at It’s a Small World, they also do projections on the facade of the building.  I personally don’t recommend standing directly in front of the castle, it gets super crowded.   At the end of the show it will begin to magically snow on Main Street.  It’s so festive!

World of Color: Season of Light – This is a combination of cherished holiday music with memorable moments from treasured Disney animated films.   You can get a FASTPASS to view the show (or use MAXPASS).  You can also get a voucher for the show with a World of Color Dining Package. 

I’m going to share my World of Color viewing tip with you…make a late as possible reservation at Lamplight Lounge and you should be able to stay and view the show from your table.  We’ve done this three times now and it’s a very relaxing way to view the show.  You may not always have the best view, but it’s nice to be able to sit and watch the show at the end of the day rather than watching it standing on your feet in a crowd.  While there, make sure you order the Donuts with Raspberry & Chocolate dipping sauce.  They are divine!

I highly recommend visiting the Disneyland Resort during the holidays!  I prefer to visit earlier in the holiday season and not anytime near the week of Christmas.  That’s a crazy time!  If you are looking to plan a Disneyland vacation I recommend booking your trip through Get Away Today, you can purchase individual tickets or a package deal that includes tickets and a hotel.  The Get Away Today vacation packages often beat the prices of booking your hotel and buying tickets separately.   You can save an extra $10 off the low package price by using the discount code THRIVING10 at checkout. 

We love Disneyland and have numerous posts and tips to help you make the post of your trip.  If you have any questions, let me know, I am always happy to chat Disney.

• Hotel reviews of all the hotels we’ve used around Disneyland
• Complete Guide to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
• Ultimate Guide to Disneyland Snacks
• Complete Guide to Pixar Pier
• Make a custom lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop
• Tips for One Day at Disneyland
• Saving Money when Dining at Disneyland
• 10 of the Best Places to eat Lunch at Disneyland
• 10 of the Best Places to eat Breakfast at Disneyland
• Our visit to Club 33
• Mickey Tic Tac Toe in a Bag
• 7 Reasons I Prefer Disneyland over Disney World

The post Holidays at the Disneyland Resort appeared first on Gather Lemons.

As I get older, my desire to get out and explore more of the world increases!  I was thrilled when my husband had a business trip to Amsterdam and I got to tag along.  We had a couple of days to get out and explore the city so I am sharing some of the fun things we did.

Before I get on to all the fun stuff, first I need to address transportation. When visiting a new city (especially International cities) it’s a must to figure out ahead of time how you plan to get around.  Amsterdam has a great transportation system with metros, buses, trams, ferries and trains. I recommend purchasing a pass for the GVB public transportation system for however many days you will need.  Also, getting to Amsterdam was a breeze with the NS train from the airport.  Of course you can also get around the city like the locals do, via a bike.  Check out some of the fun things you can do when visiting Amsterdam.

Rent a bike – How the people of Amsterdam get around is truly fascinating!  The primary method of transportation is via bike and pretty much everyone uses that mode of transportation.  There are very few cars.  There are actually more bikes than people in Amsterdam, some people will have more than one bike because they have a different one for getting to work than they would have just for getting around town.  It doesn’t matter if you are old, young, in a business suit or a dress, they bike everywhere and I think it’s awesome!  I recommend renting a bike for a day or two so you can really tour the city and get around like the locals do.

Take a canal cruise – If the weather is cooperative, I highly recommend taking a cruise in an open boat so you don’t have to look through windows.  You will see lots of amazing sights and it’s much easier to take photos in a boat without windows.  We used Friendship Amsterdam and I highly recommend them. I’ve also heard great things about Those Dam Boat Guys.  

The canal cruise was one of the highlights of the trip for me.  I love water and I love looking at the architecture and old buildings.  I could have stayed out there for hours.  We learned some fun facts about Amsterdam too.  If you go to Amsterdam, put a canal cruise at the top of your list.

Visit the Rijksmuseum – The Rijksmuseum is a Dutch national museum dedicated to the arts and history in Amsterdam. The Night Watch by Rembrandt is probably the most famous and popular piece in the museum. You can purchase tickets online and use an e-ticket to enter the museum.  It’s not necessary to buy tickets ahead of time, but buying online will save you time waiting in line to purchase tickets.  I recommend visiting in the morning because it’s less crowded.  Another popular museum worth visiting is the Van Gogh Museum.

Enjoy nature in Vondelpark – Vondelpark is Amsterdam’s most popular park.  It also has some great restaurants and cafes in the area, so you can grab yourself some lunch to eat and enjoy it in the park.  

Explore the NEMO Science Museum – This is a great option of you are traveling with kids, they will love the fun and educational exhibits at the NEMO Science Museum.  This museum is just a short walk from Centraal Station.  I really love how easy it is to get around to some of the most popular sites in Amsterdam

See the Anne Frank House – When I asked for suggestions of what to do in Amsterdam, pretty much everyone said to visit the Anne Frank House!   You MUST buy tickets in advance for this museum because they will sell out, it is best to purchase your tickets a month in advance.  Tickets are only available online.  Unfortunately, because of transportation issues I missed my reservation time so I didn’t get to check it out personally. I was kind of bummed!  So many people say this is a must see, so I would add it to your list for sure.  And don’t miss your reservation time!

Stroll the 9 Streets –  The 9 streets consists of 9 picturesque alleyways along the canal belt.  There is a mix of vintage boutiques, designer shops and lots and lots of great places to eat.  We enjoyed our stroll through the area, and found there were really a ton of great places to eat.

Just a few of the great food options in the 9 Streets area are Pluk, Van Wonderen Stroopwafels, Chocolate Pompadour and Pancakes Amsterdam.  

Take a trip to Haarlam – Haarlam is such a cute place without the hustle and bustle of the streets of Amsterdam.   We loved strolling the streets, checking out the shops, eating, and enjoying the scenery.  The trip to Haarlam is a quick ride via train from the Centraal station.  I highly recommend it!

Eat great food – Food is always a highlight of any vacation we take, not just because it’s fun to try new things, but because I don’t have to cook!  I usually always do research regarding the best places to eat before I reach my vacation destination.  Here are some of the places we ate while in Amsterdam.

Pancakes Amsterdam – The dutch pancakes were fabulous, my husband bought a savory one, I bought a sweet one and we shared.  I’d highly recommend Pancakes Amsterdam not only for the food, but the service was amazing, everyone that worked their was super friendly.  They have several locations, so there is a good chance you can find one near wherever you are staying.

Jetties Organic Food & Ice Cream – We found this cute place while we were visiting Harlaam.  We loved it.  We both had hamburgers which were different than any other hamburger we’ve had before.  The menu was all in dutch so were weren’t 100% sure what would come on our burgers.  Turns out there was some unexpected veggies like cucumbers and a chunky like salsa, but it was one of the best burgers I have ever had.  It was a burger, but it was also so fresh.  So good!  We of course had some ice cream too and it was amazing (and so cheap).

Eat Fries with Mayonnaise – I know it sounds gross, warm fries with mayonnaise?  No thanks, right?  I was wrong…fries with mayonnaise is absolutely delicious!  I especially liked my fries with the garlic mayo.  So good!  We ate our fair share of fries on this trip.  Here are just a few recommendations of places where you can get some great fries. Vleminckx de Sausmeester has 25 different types of sauces, so if mayo isn’t your thing you should find something that is.  Manneken Pis always had a long line, so I’m fairly certain they sell amazing fries.

Eat Ice Cream – The ice cream in Amsterdam is so cheap!  You can get one scoop of really good ice cream for around 130 euros.  Since it’s so cheap I had to of course go for two scoops.  I love me some chocolate and raspberry ice cream together.  Yum!

Overall, we really enjoyed our trip to Amsterdam.  Unfortunately, the area where our hotel was located smelled a lot like pot.  The hotel itself didn’t smell like weed, just the streets around the hotel.   If we had more time I would have enjoyed getting out to see more cities outside Amsterdam.  I absolutely love the architecture of European cities, I love just walking up and down the streets and just taking it all in.  Have you been to Amsterdam before?  What were your favorite places to visit?  You can also check out 30 of the best things to do in Amsterdam via Your RV Lifestyle

Love to travel?  Us too!  Check out our posts of fun places we’ve traveled.

• I’m sharing some of the best places to eat in Maui
• See our review of Disney’s Aulani resort in Oahu.
• Check out some family friendly things to do in San Francisco
• Learn about the Walt Disney Family Museum
• I’ve got some suggestions for fun things to do in London.
• Find out more about the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London
• If you prefer a road trip, we have five things that we always bring on our road trips
• We visited Disneyland Paris and I’ve got lots of great tips.
• If you have a Disney trip in the works we have a bunch of Disney themed posts to help you make the most of your vacation (It’s one of our favorite vacation destinations).

The post Fun Places to Visit in Amsterdam appeared first on Gather Lemons.

When you visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, you will find that two of the most popular attractions are Oga’s Cantina and the custom lightsabers at Savi’s Workshop. If you are a big Star Wars fan, making your own custom lightsaber will probably be high on your to do list. The custom lightsaber building is an experience as well as a souvenir and it comes with a high price tag. The cost is $219 and there are no annual pass discounts.

If you want to ensure you get a spot in one of the lightsaber workshops I highly recommend booking a reservation, you can now book reservations for Savi’s Workshop up to 14 days in advance.  In the future, Savi’s Workshop will go to the usual 60 days in advance Disney reservation system.  You can also check if there are any opening first thing in the morning the day you visit Disneyland.  You must first have a Disneyland.com account. Once you’re logged in to your account, you should easily find where to make a reservation. If same-day reservations are available, they will be posted at 7 am PT that day.  If you decide to make a reservation, it will require a credit card deposit. 

Now that we’ve got the scary stuff out of the way (the price), let’s talk about the experience, because it is pretty amazing. We attended Savi’s Workshop opening weekend and there was not a lot of information out at the time about the experience and there are things we wish we would have know prior to visiting Galaxy’s Edge.

The cast members act as if they really are from a galaxy far far away. They are playing a role and some of them play it a little too well. We missed the first workshop because when we enquired about where we go to make lightsabers, they told us they had no idea what we were talking about and that they only sell “scrap metal”. By the time we figured out that “scrap metal” was actually the lightsabers, the workshop was booked. We were fortunate to have found an opening later in the day and jumped at the chance to buy some “scrap metal”.

Because lightsabers are not allowed by The First Order, Savi’s Workshop is unmarked, there is not a huge flashing sign that says “Make your lightsaber here”. You will want to look for the building with the blue banner. And don’t get caught saying the “L” word, you might get in trouble!

Once you get in line to pay for your “scrap metal” you will be given four options to choose from and each option has a different style hilt. This is something that is handy to know ahead of time, you can check out the different options ahead of time so you’ll know exactly which one you want to make.  We felt a little rushed choosing our lightsaber because things were so busy (no regrets though, we are super happy with our choice). Here is peek at the four different styles. You will not use all of the pieces in each collection, they give you a couple different options so you can truly customize your lightsaber.

Peace and Justice

Protection and Defense

Power and Control

Elemental Nature

These pieces are not made of flimsy plastic, they are made of metal and have some really nice weight to them.

Once you’ve chosen your design, you will be given a pin that coordinates with your design choice and a color coded card that will assign you to a certain group.  We were part of the orange group and we chose the Elemental Nature design.  Each person that is building a lightsaber is allowed to bring two people in with them to witness the event.

Everything in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is interactive.  While we were waiting to make our lightsabers we were visited by Kylo Ren and a couple of Stormtroopers.  They questioned people about what they were doing and of course we all had to pretend that we were only interested in buying scrap metal.  This land is totally immersive, it’s truly amazing.

Once we were ushered into the workshop area, everyone was put at a station where we received a brief introduction to the lightsaber.

They shared the different colored Kyber crystals and who owns lightsabers with those colors (example: Yoda has a lightsaber with a green Kyber crystal).

We then had the chance to choose our own Kyber crystal.  You can choose from blue, red, green and purple.  You can also purchase additional Kyber crystals in Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities.

Your Kyber crystal is placed in front of your building station and then the fun begins.

There are several people there to assist with the building process if you get stuck on any of the steps, but it really isn’t too hard to understand.  

Here is my husband’s finished hilt using pieces from the Elemental Nature lightsabers kit.  It’s a lot of fun customizing and trying out the different options.  The pieces in the tray are leftover pieces that he didn’t use.

Once everyone has constructed their lightsaber hilts, they are attached into the the lightsaber area that is connected to the tables.

This is one of the most magical parts…all of the lightsabers light up and are revealed at the same time.  It seriously gave me chills, but I am a Star Wars nerd who grew up in the 80’s, so your experience may be different.

At the end everyone raises their lightsabers!   More chills!  The whole experience was so cool, I would highly recommend it.   The lightsaber also has realistic sound effects.

Lastly, you are given a padded bag to carry and protect your lightsaber. I love that the bag was included in the price and not another added expense.  For the $199 price tag it totally makes sense that the bag is included, but Disney is known to charge extra here and there for things.  Here are a couple things to think about when you make a custom lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop:

• You will have to carry the lightsaber with you all day, so if that is a concern make plans to take it back to your hotel room or maybe book a spot towards the end of the day.  It won’t be easy to go on attractions like Space Mountain with the big lightsaber.
• We didn’t have any problem traveling home with the lightsaber.  We made it through security without a problem. When we boarded the plane, we simply put the lightsaber at the very back of one of the overhead bins.  It wasn’t a problem at all (we flew on Alaska Airlines).  I can’t guarantee that everyone will have the same experience, but it is possible to fly home with the lightsaber.

If you have plans to visit Disneyland to see Batuu, I recommend checking out my Complete Guide to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.  If you are still in the process of planning a trip I highly recommend checking out vacation packages and ticket prices through Get Away Today.  I have used them on numerous occasions and they usually always offer the best prices.  They have great customer service too!  You can save an additional $10 on any 2 night stay with Disneyland tickets by using the code THRIVING10 at checkout.

Looking for even more Disney?  We have tons of posts for hotel recommendations, food choices and more.

• Ultimate Guide to Disneyland Snacks
• Discounts on tickets to Disney World
• Honest reviews of the hotels we’ve used around Disneyland
• Complete Guide to Pixar Pier
• Tips for One Day at Disneyland
• Saving Money when Dining at Disneyland
• Great Way to Save on Official Disney Parks Souvenirs (Disney World)
• 10 of the Best Places to eat Lunch at Disneyland
• 10 of the Best Places to eat Breakfast at Disneyland
• Mickey Tic Tac Toe in a Bag
• 7 Reasons I Prefer Disneyland over Disney World
• Our dream vacation to Disneyland Paris

The post Make Custom Lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge appeared first on Gather Lemons.

When Disney announced they were making a Star Wars themed land I was so excited! I have been a huge Star Wars fan since I saw the first movie with my Dad back in the fourth grade (don’t do the math, you’ll find out I’m old).  I became Star Wars obsessed! I had Star Wars sheets, a Star Wars lunchbox and I listened to the movie on a record in my room every night before I went to bed. My favorite character from the movie was Darth Vader and I thought the Stormtroopers were super cool too!  I guess you could say I am a fan of the Dark Side (not in real life, I’m all light and goodness – I promise)! That’s why I was so excited to get to go to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

When I was finally able to set foot on Batuu, the feeling was magical. Getting to experience my favorite childhood movie in my favorite theme park was truly a dream come true.  You do not have to be a Star Wars fan to appreciate the amazing theming of Galaxy’s Edge. It is so stinking cool and way better than I could have ever imagined!  If you are in fact a Star Wars fan, you may even shed a tear!

If you plan to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge before June 23rd you will need a reservation into Galaxy’s Edge in addition to your park tickets. There is no fee for the reservations, but all the regular reservations have been claimed. The only way to get a guaranteed reservation now, is to stay at one of the three Disneyland hotels. I recommend booking your Disneyland vacation through Get Away Today. I have used them many times, they have great customer service & their prices can’t be beat. If you book a vacation package, use the code THRIVING10 at checkout to save an additional $10 off the package price.

I’m giving you a complete overview of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge so you will be able to make the most of your visit. 

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is a totally immersive land, you will feel like you left Disneyland and landed on another planet.  One of the coolest things is that all the cast members act as if they truly are residents of Batuu.  They even have their own language, here are a few things they say and what they mean:

Bright Suns – Good Morning
Rising Moons – Good Evening
Til the Spire = Farewell
Refresher = Bathroom
Hydrator = Water Fountain
Credits = Currency

Characters

The character interaction is different at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, you won’t line up to take photos with the characters, instead the characters roam throughout the land and interact with everyone.  Some kids may be afraid of the characters (I get it, Kylo Ren freaks me out too).  The characters are very good with the kids, none of them do anything scary, all the interactions I saw with children were fun.

The Stormtroopers may stop you to ask for your ID or to see what kind of business you have on Batuu.  They are out looking for rebels and it is so cool!  My husband got stopped by two Stormtroopers asking for his ID. It was so much fun to see my husband interact with some of my favorite childhood characters.  

Attractions

There are two main attractions in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. 

Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run – Ride in the famous cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, you will get to play one of the roles of pilot, engineer or gunner.

You are given a color coded card and put in groups of six, each group consists of 2 pilots, 2 gunners and 2 engineers.  These are handed out at random, but you are welcome to trade with the people in your group.  If you suffer from motion sickness I do not recommend that you be a pilot.  The pilots are up front and see the images up close.  I tend to get sick on Star Tours, but I was a gunner both times and I didn’t have any problems feeling sick afterwards.

There is a holding area where you wait for your color to be called.  This gives you the opportunity for a photo op at the famous chess table.

Once you are called forward, you take your seats in the cockpit.  The pilots sit up front, then the gunners and lastly the engineers.  The height requirement for this ride is 38 inches.  If you have a small child you will not be able to sit directly next to them, so keep that in mind. Whenever you need to push a button or pull a lever it will flash at you.  There isn’t a ton of instruction given prior to take off, but the more you ride the more you will get the hang of things.   Every person is given a score and the total of all 6 people gives you an overall score.  The ride is a little chaotic, but a whole bunch of fun, especially if you are with a vocal group.  It’s fun to yell, scream, cheer, and really get into the ride.  It’s the Millennium Falcon for goodness sake!  The pilot is the most active and exciting role in the ride (as long as you don’t get motion sickness).  I was happy being a gunner both times.

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance – Finally open as of January 17, 2020, this ride has been a hit! This is without a doubt, the most immersive ride at Disneyland. The cast members remain entirely in character throughout the queue experience as you move through multiple different locations before buckling into your transport. These vehicles contain two rows, each with four seats. The mechanics of the ride are pretty smooth and there is only one small drop, so I would consider it suitable for all guests that meet the height requirements. The visuals on this ride are incredible and the attraction transports you into such an exciting story that revolves around a capture by the First Order and a daring rescue from your fellow members of The Resistance! I won’t say too much else because the experience is best when you go in without knowing what’s going to happen!

Food & Drinks

Oga’s Cantina – This is a popular place!  This is the only place in Disneyland where alcohol is served, and it must be consumed in the Cantina and there is a 2 drink limit.  I don’t drink alcohol, but they have great non-alcoholic drinks too.  The theming of the Cantina is just like you see in the movie. 

Reservations for Oga’s Cantina can now be made up to 14 days in advance. Additional same-day reservations will be made available each day at 7:00 AM Pacific Time for visits that day and are subject to availability.  Eventually, Oga’s Cantina, will be available for reservations up to 60-days in advance.

Here is a peek at the menu.

The atmosphere in Oga’s Cantina was chaotic, crowded, noisy and lively.   That’s not necessarily a bad thing, it is a Cantina after all.  When it comes to seating (or standing) there is a very good chance you will be with other people, they encourage you to socialize and get to know your fellow travelers.

There are a few tables that will seat large parties or a couple smaller parties.

They have tables for standing.  You do not have to stay at the table the entire time, you are free to walk around. We were placed at a standing table with 2 other couples.  Somebody will come and get your drink order.  If you are at the bar area you can order directly from the bartenders.

I ordered the Carbon Freeze I and liked it a lot.  My husband ordered the Blurgfire and neither one of us really like the Habanero Lime that was around the edge of the glass.  We also ordered the Mustafaran Lava Roll which was a Cinnamon Roll with some cookie crumbles on top.  It was yummy!

You’ll even find DJ Rex at Oga’s Cantina.

Mobile Food Ordering – Before I talk about more of the food, it’s important to stress how convenient and important it is to use mobile ordering.  You can place your mobile food order via the Disneyland app.  With Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge being so popular mobile order return times may fill up quickly so order your food early.  You can schedule your pick-up time for hours later if necessary.  You can use mobile ordering at the following locations:

• Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo
• Ronto’s Roasters
• Milk Stand

Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo – There are lots of options here, we tried the Smoked Kaadu Ribs, sticky pork ribs served with a blueberry corn muffin and cabbage slaw. We won’t order this again, the coleslaw had too much vinegar.  The ribs had a great flavor, but they were kind of fatty and very messy to eat.  The cornbread was delicious though.  We ordered the Moof Juice and we loved it!  It was so refreshing, we will order this one again for sure.

I think the serving plates and utensils are perfectly themed. How cool is this spork?  Some of the meal choices are a little out there, especially when it comes to kids meals, there aren’t a ton of great options for kids in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

For dessert we tried the Batuu-Bon, it was so good!  I highly recommend it.  It’s supposed to have a coffee flavor, but I really couldn’t taste any at all.  Get this one for sure!

Ronto’s Roasters – Great place for wraps for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

We had the Ronto Wrap and it was so good!  It doesn’t look beautiful but the flavors are so good together.  It’s a little spicy.  I am not a fan of super spicy food and I could handle it just fine.

Here we chose the Meiloorun Juice and we loved this one too.  

Milk Stand – I am once again going to stress how easy it is to use mobile ordering.  The line at the milk stand was long.  I checked my Disneyland app and I saw that you could mobile order the milk instantly and go pick it up.  I placed my order on the app while standing next to the milk stand, I walked up to the counter and got my milk, it took less than 2 minutes.  The line would have taken 15 minutes.  Use mobile order my friends, it’s a huge time saver!

We of course had to try the Blue Milk.  It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t amazing.  I don’t think we’ll order it again. It’s totally fun to try once though.  I have heard many negative reviews on the green milk we decided to pass.  

Kat Saka’s Kettle – You will find colorful flavored popcorn here, the popcorn is a mix of a sweet and savory.  In addition to the popcorn, you can also purchase the super cool detonator Coke bottles.  They have Coke, Diet Coke and Sprite.  It’s a drink and a souvenir in one.  

Experiences

Savi’s Workshop: Handbuilt Lightsabers – This workshop combines entertainment and retail into a shopping experience.  The only way you will be able to see this cool experience is if you shell out the $199 to make a lightsaber.  The lightsaber is not a cheap plastic one, the pommel is made of metal and is more of a collector’s item.  This experience is better for older kids, teens and adults.  If your child really want’s to build their own lightsaber they still have the less expensive option over at Star Traders in Tomorrowland.   This is a popular one, you will need to get in line early to get a return time reservation.  Many people were turned away because they couldn’t keep up with the crowds.

My husband convinced me that in order to give a full report on the blog it was necessary for him to make a lightsaber. He’s a giver!  He’s always thinking of you, my wonderful readers.  I have a post in the works to give you a full and complete review of the Handbuilt Lightsaber Workshop which will give a more in depth review.

We had such a hard time finding the Lightsaber workshop because all the inhabitants of Batuu were adamant that they didn’t sell lightsabers, they only sold scrap metal. We were finally informed that we didn’t say the “L” word on Batuu.  So, if you are looking for this place and they ask if you are interested in scrap metal, say YES!!   Savi’s Workshop isn’t clearly marked, so look for the blue banner outside the building. 

Whether this experience is worth the hefty price tag will be a personal decision, but for us, it was well worth the $199 price tag.  We have a family filled with Star Wars fans and this lightsaber will be cherished.  The actual lightsaber building experience was fun and if you are a true Star Wars fan you may even get a little choked up.  

The good news is the experience includes a carrying case for your lightsaber so you can protect your investment.  You are allowed to bring two members in with you to watch the experience.  Reservations for Savi’s Workshop can now be made up to 14 days in advance.  Coming soon, reservations can be made 60 days in advance.

Droid Depot – Another combined shopping and entertainment experience is available at the Droid Depot.  The cost for this one is $99.  This is another popular place, but I didn’t see anyone turned away.  From what I have seen this isn’t going to be a relaxing, take all the time you want way to make a droid kind of experience.  It is noisy, chaotic and crowded (Hey! It sounds a little bit like Oga’s Cantina).

Once you pay for your droid, you will get to choose the pieces from a moving conveyor belt.  This is just so cool!  I can see kids (and adults) having so much fun with this.

After you select your pieces, head to one of the stations to assemble and activate your droid.  Once complete you will get a remote control and a box to store you droid.  You are not allowed to use your droids on the ground in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.  You can take them out to admire them and maybe snap a selfie, but using the droid on the ground is not encouraged.

If you don’t want to make your own droid, you can shop for other droid merchandise.  Maybe you want this life size working model of R2-D2.  It will set you back $25,000.  That is more than I have paid for any of my cars!

They have R2-D2 and BB8 headbands that actually make noise.

This bowl is pretty cool!

Merchants

Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities – You will find an eclectic collection of merchandise from many different planets and eras.  The line to get in this store can get long at times, but don’t let that stop you, it moves rather quickly and this merchant is a must see.

The doors to the shop and many of the other doors in Black Spire open automatically, just like you see in the movies.  Kids (and adults) will think this is the coolest thing ever.

In addition to all the merchandise for sale the theming at this merchant is amazing.  It’s fun to take in all the details.  

The items they sell are pretty cool too.  You’ll find jewelry, clothing, robes, rare Kyber crystals and more.

They also sell several lightsabers here, you can purchase one from your favorite Star Wars characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker or Darth Maul.

First Order Cargo – Here you will find all your First Order merchandise from clothing, key chains, water bottles, pins and more.

Resistance Supply – You will find the Resistance Supply over where the Rise of Resistance ride will be.  

Who wants a Chewie over the shoulder bag?

Kids were going crazy for the helmets.  And by kids I mean men over the age of 18.  

At the Market you find the following merchants.

Black Spire Outfitters – Pick up a robe or other casual attire to blend in with the locals.  The interesting thing about this land is there are no items that say Disneyland or have pictures of Mickey Mouse on them, Disney really went all out in keeping with the theming of the land.

Jewels of Bith – This is a great place to pick up souvenirs from your stay at Black Spire village on Batuu.

They even have cooling fans that are Star Wars themed.

Creature Stall – Pick up exotic creatures and critters from around the galaxy at the Creature Stall.

I’m not gonna lie, some of the creatures are UGLY!

Toydarian Toymaker – Cute handmade toys that look like something you’d find at a galactic artisan market.  

Disney Play app

If the amazing land isn’t enough, there is also an interactive component to the land that you can access through the Disney Play app.  

You can scan codes, play mini games and translate signs.

Since our time was limited in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge we didn’t play with the app too much, but I can see this being super fun for kids and teens.

Theming

I can’t get over how amazing the theming is throughout the entire land.  Just look at these drinking fountains and water bottle fill station.  

Even the bathrooms are cool.

The garbage and recycling cans are neat too.

I was totally impressed with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and I can’t wait to visit again.  It is truly an immersive land full of so much detail.  I believe that people who aren’t Star Wars fans will also appreciate the land.  

Once the land opens up to the public on June 24th, I recommend visiting during the day and the evening.  At night it has a whole different feel to it.

If you stay until closing time you will be able to view fireworks from Galaxy’s Edge too. I hope you will be able to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge soon. It’s amazing! Plan on visiting? booking your Disneyland vacation through Get Away Today.

The post Guide to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland appeared first on Gather Lemons.

Disneyland is paying tribute to Disney’s most iconic couple…Mickey and Minnie Mouse!   Now is the perfect time to visit Disneyland to enjoy the fun celebration, save some money on park admission and enjoy the parks before the crazy starts when Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens.  I recommend booking your trip through Get Away Today, you can purchase individual tickets or a package deal that includes tickets and a hotel.  The Get Away Today vacation packages often beat the prices of booking your hotel and buying tickets separately.   You can save an extra $10 off the low package price by using the discount code THRIVING10 at checkout.  With the spring ticket savings, you can save up to $111 per ticket.  The Get Your Ears On celebration lasts at Disneyland resort through May 2019.  Here is an entertainment and food guide for the Get Your Ears On celebration.

Mickey’s Mix Magic

Every night you’ll find a music and lights show with state-of-the-art projections, lighting and lasers.  The show is filled with high energy tunes and “DJ” Mickey spinning the new celebration song, “It’s a Good Time” along with remixed tunes from some of your favorite Disney songs, like “I Wanna Be Like You”, “Un Poco Loco”,  “Let It Go” and more.  The show lasts about 10 minutes.

You can view Mickey’s Mix Magic at the following locations:

• Main Street, U.S.A.
• Rivers of America (on the water screens, when Fantasmic! returns this spring)
• The façade of “it’s a small world” 

Select nights Mickey’s Mix Magic will also include a fireworks show.  The fireworks shows are usually only on the weekends.  To know if there are fireworks included and to find the exact time of Mickey’s Mix Magic each night, consult the Disneyland Entertainment Schedule. Showtimes vary between 7-9:00 pm.  Some evenings there are 2 shows, so if you miss the first one you can catch the second one.

Mickey’s Soundsational Parade

The Soundsational Parade returns to Disneyland in celebration of Mickey’s 90th birthday.  There are colorful floats, great music and tons of your favorite Disney characters.

Watching the parade is fun, but I think it’s even more fun to see the little kids get super excited about seeing their favorite characters.  This trip was just my husband and I, but watching all the little kids dance along the parade route and wave to Mickey was just plain fun to watch.   This was a colorful and fun parade.  During other parades Mickey is often the final float, but with this parade, Mickey was the very first one to kick off the festivities.

Get Your Ears On Food Guide

I’m not gonna lie, probably my favorite thing about the themed celebrations at Disneyland is all the limited edition food! The Get Your Ears On celebration has tons of Mickey and Minnie shaped food that is not only fun, but delicious too. You can check out the entire Disneyland food guide for the Get Your Ears on celebration, but of course we did our best to sample many of the treats and meals and we are sharing our thoughts on everything we ate.   Make sure you look for the special red signs at each restaurant or food stand, the Get Your Ears On special items will not be on the regular menus.

The Mickey Cookies & Cream Shake from Schmoozies in California Adventure is probably the cutest thing I have ever seen.  It addition to it being cute, it is yummy too.  I highly recommend this one!

The River Belle Terrace has a Mickey Jumbo Pretzel. The hand-crafted bavarian pretzel comes with a cheese sauce and a sweet mustard sauce. Both of the dips were really yummy! You will probably have to book a reservation if you plan on dining at the River Belle Terrace.  The pretzel was average, but I thought the dipping sauces were above average.  I would order it again!

We tried the Fiesta Cone at the Cozy Cone Motel.  It has spicy beef, refried beans, shredded lettuce, cheese sauce, sour cream, Pica da Gallo, and crispy tortilla strips.  This was just okay.  We much prefer the Chile Cone Queso over this one.  

Have you had the hand-dipped ice cream bars from Clarabelle’s in California Adventure?  They are divine!  For the Get Your Ears On celebration they have special hand-dipped Mickey or Minnie Ice Cream Bars.  This treat is so cute!   You really can’t go wrong with ice cream and chocolate, but I think next time I will stick with the classic hand-dipped ice cream bar.  I love the get the raspberry, with milk chocolate.

We also had the Sopes Trio from the Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante.  It has chicken, beef, and pork served on fried corn dough with refried beans, shredded lettuce, spicy lime aïoli, and salsa roja.  I’m kind of wimpy when it comes to spicy food and this was almost a little too spicy for me.  I will say this looked nothing like the picture, the picture made it look all cute and Mickey shaped.  Everything was just kind of plopped on the plate.  It was still good, I’d order it again.   We love this restaurant, we usually stop here every time we head to Disneyland.

Get Your Ears On Merchandise

With every celebration there is also new merchandise.  You will find lots of festive, brightly colored merchandise featuring Mickey.  I like my Disney souvenirs and shirts to be more subtle, so I didn’t find any Get Your Ears On merchandise I had to take home with me, but you can’t help but smile when you see all the happy merchandise.

We have quite a few Disney posts you can check out if you are in the process of planning a Disney trip.

• Honest reviews of the hotels we’ve used around Disneyland
• Complete Guide to Pixar Pier
• Visiting Disneyland in the Fall
• Tips for One Day at Disneyland
• Saving Money when Dining at Disneyland
• Great Way to Save on Official Disney Parks Souvenirs (Disney World)
• 10 of the Best Places to eat Lunch at Disneyland
• 10 of the Best Places to eat Breakfast at Disneyland
• Mickey Tic Tac Toe in a Bag
• 7 Reasons I Prefer Disneyland over Disney World
• Our dream vacation to Disneyland Paris

The post Disneyland Get Your Ears On – A Mickey & Minnie Celebration appeared first on Gather Lemons.

Summer at Disneyland has just gotten cooler because Pixar Pier at California Adventure is now open!  The newly themed area changed from Paradise Pier to Pixar Pier with themes and characters from your favorite Pixar movies.  I was able to visit Pixar Pier opening weekend so I’ve got all the fun details you need to know on all the rides, food and more.  For this trip I used Get Away Today and booked a package deal.   Get Away Today is one of my biggest money saving tips when it comes to Disneyland vacations.  You can buy individual tickets at a discount or package deals (I almost always go with the package deals, because it saves me the most).

You will find new billboards decorating the boardwalk of Pixar Pier.   This Up billboard is my favorite.   It’s so bright and happy.  They’ve also switched out the light bulbs with star shaped light bulbs.  Disney thinks of everything!

When Pixar Pier is complete is will consists of four Pixar-inspired neighborhoods, Incredibles Park, Toy Story Boardwalk, Pixar Promenade and Inside Out Headquarters.   Inside Out headquarters will be completed in 2019.

Probably the biggest highlight of Pixar Pier is the Incredicoaster.   California Screamin’ has been transformed into a roller coaster featuring the Parr family.  You can join the Incredibles in their mad dash to catch baby Jack-Jack as he wreaks havoc throughout every inch of this high-speed chase!

I recommend riding the Incredicoaster at night!  The neon lights stand out better during the nighttime.  It’s fun during the day, but it’s another level of cool at night.

Toy Story Midway Mania is a family favorite of ours.   This ride has a Fast Pass, so it’s much easier to play without a long wait.   Before Pixar Pier opened, we would usually skip Cars Land first thing in the morning and make a mad dash for Toy Story Midway Mania.   We could ride it 2-3 times in a row before the lines started getting long.  I’m wondering if now everyone will make a made dash for Pixar Pier leaving Cars Land more open.

Mickey’s Fun Wheel is now the Pixar Pal-A-Round (which is not as easy to say).  The ride is essentially the same, you can still choose between a non-swinging and swinging car.   It’s a non-swinging car for me!

You will find each car/cage is decorated with some of your favorite Pixar Pals.

Jessie’s Critter Carousel is a bright and fun carousel filled with fun critters from the Toy Story films.

The Pixar Pier now has the Lamplight Lounge restaurant, this was formerly Ariel’s Grotto and the Cove bar.   This is a popular restaurant, so making reservations in advance is highly recommended.   You can make restaurant reservations 60 days in advance, and this one fills up quickly.  If you don’t see a time available for your date, check back later.  The restaurant was completely booked the first time I checked, but on my third try, I found an opening.

The theming at this restaurant is amazing!  There are so many fun details to check out.  You’ll find Pixar images and movie quotes.  Even the coasters have fun Pixar drawings on them.

The beloved Lobster Nachos are back!  I was happy to find out you can also order the nachos with chicken or steak.   I recommend the nachos and the Donuts with raspberry and chocolate dipping sauce are definitely a must.  They were so good!  The have an extensive drink menu with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.   We tried the 2319, which is a a Non-Alcoholic Mocktail with Frozen Strawberry Purée, Cream of Coconut, Pineapple Juice topped with Coca-Cola.

Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats opened before the grand opening of Pixar Pier and it has already been a big hit with Park goers.  They serve frosted treats like lemon, chocolate and vanilla soft serve in cones and cups.   They also have the “It’s Snow Capped Lemon” which is lemon soft serve topped with white chocolate.

The biggest seller seems to be the Pixar Pier Frosty Parfait, which is lemon soft serve with a blue raspberry swirl.  This is so refreshing on a hot day!  I love the tart mix of the lemon with the sweetness of the blue raspberry  It was really good!  Lines form early for these treats, but they are totally worth it.  I’ve also heard great things about the lemon and vanilla swirl cone, that is next on my list of things to try.

I recently tried the It’s Snow Capped Lemon Cone and I would pass on this one, the lemon is a little too much on it’s own. Plus, as soon as I took a bite, all my white chocolate broke and fell on the ground.  I do think the lemon is great with the blue raspberry float or swirled with vanilla, but on it’s own not so much.

A brand new quick service option is the Poultry Palace.  How cute is the take-out box shaped building?  Here you can get a take-out box with 3 Chicken Drumsticks and Coleslaw or a Jumbo Turkey Leg.   They also have corn on the cob with either chili-lime or butter.

I tried the 3 drumstick box and I was impressed.   I love the take-out box!  Drumsticks aren’t usually my favorite (I prefer white meat), but the drumsticks were super moist and the seasoning was really well.  It did have a little kick to it, but it wasn’t bad, I’m not a fan of super spicy food.  The coating on the outside kind of reminded me of a lighter version of Shake-and-Bake.   That probably sounds weird and not like a compliment, but it is.  I like the fact that it comes with 3 drumsticks so it makes it super easy to share, and at $9.99 I didn’t think the price was all that bad.  I will definitely hit up the Poultry Palace next time I visit California Adventure.

Churros are a must on every visit with several members of my family.  Now you can feed your Churro addiction on Pixar Pier with Señor Buzz Churros.  They have two flavors to choose from the Cinnamon Super Galaxy Churro or the Caliente Churro.

The Cinnamon Super Galaxy Churro is the regular cinnamon-sugar churro with a sparkly sprinkles.  The Caliente Churro has a coating with a flavor similar to Red Hots.

Angry Dogs sells hot dogs, you can choose either the Slightly Angry Dog, which is a regular hot dog with chips or the Angry Dog which is a spicy all beef hot dog.  The Angry Dog is served with “hot fries”, which are essentially flaming hot Cheetos fries.

You can top your angry dog with different condiments ranging from “Keeping it Together” (Ketchup) to “Raging” (Buffalo Hot Sauce).   I had the Slightly Angry Dog, because like I mentioned before, I don’t do spicy.  The hot dog was full of flavor and actually pretty good.

You’ll find Jack-Jack Cookie Num Nums at the exit of the Incredicoaster.   Don’t pass this one by!   They have 3 different varieties of cookies, warm Chocolate Chip, Shortbread Cookie with frosting and a gluten-friendly Blackberry Jam-filled Cookie.  You can wash it down with regular, chocolate or strawberry milk.  They also have vanilla almond milk and soy milk too.

I had the Warm Chocolate Chip cookie and it was amazing!  I’d give it a 10 out of 10.   It’s thick and gooey you can eat with with a fork.  The chocolate is just the right amount of melty.   The only thing I think would make it better is a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

You will find Boardwalk Games along the right side of Midway Mania.  These games were previously on the Paradise Pier too, but now they have been themed to match some of your favorite Pixar movies.

You will find the following games:

• Laluna Star Catcher
• Wall-E Space Race
• Heimlich’s Candy Corn Toss
• Bullseye Stallion Stampede

At the Pixar Promenade you can listen to music and meet your favorite Pixar characters.  While we were at Pixar Pier there was a dance party with Sully and other Pixar characters at the Promenade.

Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff is open and you will find Pixar souvenirs and sweet treats throughout the store.

The entire store has a fun colorful theme.  With a rainbow on the ceiling and a candy design on the floor.

You can order Memory Refreshers here, which are fruit slushies in the following fun flavors: Rainbow Unicorn, Sunshine in a Cup, Imaginary Pal, Slow Burn and Gloomy Blues.

You can also get the yummy Churros Toffee here at Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff.

Don’t forget to stop by Knick Knacks for even more Pixar souvenirs.

Coming later:

• Inside Out Headquarters (coming 2019)

When booking our Disneyland trips I use both Get Away Today and Costco Travel for the best package deals.  This time around we used Get Away Today and stayed at the Four Points Sheraton (previously Menage).  I have priced numerous vacations and Get Away Today is usually always priced the lowest.  I usually save hundreds of dollars with the packages from Get Away Today.

For even more Disney news, check out our following posts. They will provide you with tips, money saving ideas and great places to eat!

• Everything you need to know about Pixar Fest
• Check out the highlights from our trip to Disneyland Paris
• 10 of the BEST places to eat breakfast at Disneyland
• 10 of the BEST places to each lunch at Disneyland
• Several ways you can save on Disneyland Park Tickets.
• Great tips that will help you to do Disneyland (and California Adventure) in a day.
• Craving a Dole Whip? Check out our recipe for Homemade Dole Whip
• Check out the time my husband and I has six meals & one snack at Disneyland and paid less than $30 (thanks to a lot of planning)

The post Complete Guide to Pixar Pier at the Disneyland Resort appeared first on Gather Lemons.

Back in October I mentioned that JetBlue was having some AMAZINGLY LOW fares.  One of the routes was from Seattle to Long Beach for $62 round trip.

Hello…$62 round trip is crazy low my friends.  So, what does one do when they don’t have a ton of time for vacation, but they still want to take advantage of this amazing deal?  They go to Disneyland for a day!!   My daughter and I flew into Long Beach at 9:30 am, went to Disneyland for the day and then flew home at 4:30 pm the next day.  Here are some tips we found that worked well for us since we only had one day in the parks.   We actually spent time at both Disneyland and California Adventure and we didn’t feel like we missed out on anything.  We had a fabulous time and we are so glad we took this quick jaunt for a fun mother/daughter day.

Here are the things we did before we left and while we were at the Parks to make the most of our one-day Park Hopper.

Choose to Park Hop (or Not) – If you are a first timer, I just recommend buying a one-day park ticket and sticking to one park.  If you are a regular, go for the Park Hopper so you can take advantage of all your favorite attractions.  If you aren’t certain you will have time to do both parks, you can buy a one-day park ticket and upgrade to a Park Hopper anytime before the parks close.

Buy Tickets Online – Save time by buying your park tickets ahead of time.  This will save you from having to spend time in the ticket line and then waiting again in the line to get into the park.  With your tickets you can just go straight to the gate. Single day tickets are only available from Disneyland.com.  If you plan to buy tickets for 2 days or longer, I highly recommend using Get Away Today for your Disneyland tickets.  I recommend checking out the package deals at Get Away Today, they can’t be beat!  We have used them 7 times now and have always been pleased with the service.

Arrive early – If you only have one day in the parks your best bet will be to get there before the park opens.    If you are flying in the same day you plan to attend the parks I recommend flying into Long Beach (LGB) or John Wayne Orange County Airport (SNA), both of these airports are close to Disneyland and they are much smaller, which makes getting out of the airport quicker and easier than LAX.  Our plane landed at Long Beach at 9:30 and we were in the park by 10:15 (that time included picking up a rental car and a stop at our hotel).

Grab a Park Guide  – As soon as you enter the parks you will want to make sure you grab a park guide.  This will help you know when shows and character meet and greets are happening.  You can also download the Disneyland Mobile app before you go and get all the information via the app.

Take Advantage of the FASTPASS System – This is probably a no brainer, but pay close attention to the time on your FASTPASS tickets so you will know when you can get another one.  Better yet, get MAXPASS, for $15 per person/per day you can book all your FASTPASS options via your phone.  You will save time from having to go to each FASTPASS distribution location.  Plus, when you buy MAXPASS you also get all the PhotoPass photos for they day too.

Catch the Popular Rides first – In California Adventure we always head straight for Toy Story Midway Mania (many people head for Radiator Springs Racers, but we always choose the single rider line for this ride and it goes fast).  At Disneyland, you will want to head straight for Peter Pan or catch a ride on Hyperspace Mountain (Hyperspace Mountain does have Fast Pass, but we love to go on this one multiple times).

Plan your meals – Know ahead of time where you want to eat and make your reservations accordingly.  Before our trip we made plans to have the Monte Cristo and Pommes Frites at Cafe Orleans for lunch and dinner at Flo’s V8 Cafe.  Deciding where we were going to eat saved us time.   If you are really pressed for time, I would just go with quick service meals.   Check out our recommendations for great places to eat lunch and breakfast.

Use Mobile Food & Beverage Ordering – Disneyland now offers mobile food and beverage ordering via the Disneyland app. No more waiting in line to get your food!  You can use mobile food order at many of the restaurants, a few of the Disneyland locations are: Bengal Barbecue, Galactic Grill, Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor, Hungry Bear Restaurant, Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe and Red Rose Taverne. At California Adventure you can order food at Award Wieners, Clarabelle’s Hand Scooped Ice Cream, Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill, Corn Dog Castle, Flo’s V8 Cafe, Lucky Fortune Cookery, Pacific Wharf Café, Paradise Garden Grill or Smokejumpers Grill.  It seriously is a time saver!

Share meals – With only one day in the park the amount of Disney treats and snacks you can have will be limited.   When we have a 3 day trip I can easily fit in all my favorite Disney snacks, but with only one day it’s a little more difficult.   My daughter and I shared our lunch and dinner so we would have more room for our favorite Disney snacks throughout the day. We even shared some of the snacks too!

Eat your favorite snacks (and take some home) – We made sure not to miss our favorite snacks like Dole Whip and the Hand Dipped Ice Cream Bars at Clarabelle’s Hand Scooped Ice Cream.  We chose several snacks that were easy to take home with us to save for the next day like Mickey Caramel Apples and Matterhorn Macaroons.  We’ve got a list of 24 great Disney Snacks that you don’t want to miss.

Tip: The Dole Whip is a must on ANY Disney trip, to save time, get in line on the other side where you wait for the Tiki Room.   Both the line in the front and the back are open to everyone and the one in the back should save you a ton of time.  Or, you can now grab a Dole Whip at the new Tropical Hideaway.  Try the Pineapple Raspberry Swirl.  It’s delicious!

Schedule Down Time – A whole day in the park can wear you out, make sure to schedule some down time by taking in a show (or a sit down meal).  We got to relax later in the day while we watched the new Frozen – Live at the Hyperion.   Other show options are Mickey and the Magical Map, Fantasy Faire and more.

Save shows for later in the day – The parks get busier in the afternoon.  Save your show watching for the late afternoon when the ride lines are the longest.

Use Single Rider Lines – If all the members in your party are old enough (kids have to be at least 7) take advantage of the single rider lines.  In most cases you will get on the ride much quicker.  I highly recommend the single rider line for Radiator Spring Racers (there is a chance you may end up in the same car, with one in the front and one in the back, or you may even get to race each other). Another great ride for single riders is Indiana Jones (you have to request the single rider pass for this one and you will actually enter the ride through the exit).

Save popular rides you missed for late at night – If there are popular rides you couldn’t ride because the lines were too long during the day, try them again at night.  Many lines are shorter at night, especially if there is a parade, fireworks show or World of Color going on.  Skip the parade to take advantage of the lower lines (sometimes there are 2 parade times, so you catch the later one).   Plus, some rides are so much fun at night.  We love to ride Thunder Mountain Railroad at night (especially when the fireworks are going off) and Radiator Springs Racers has a totally different feel when it’s dark.  So much fun!

Stay til closing time – You will get the most for your money if you stay until the park closes.  Hopefully you can visit the parks when they are open late.  On the day we visited, California Adventure was open til 10 pm and Disneyland was open until midnight.  The late closing time gave us plenty of time to tour the parks.  If you do visit a park on a day they aren’t open late, the good news is they will probably be less crowded.

Get in line for a ride right up until closing time – If you get in line for a ride before closing time you will still get to ride it.  If the park closes at 11pm, you have until 10:59 pm to get in line for one last ride.

Save your shopping for the end of the day – The shops on main street will stay open up to an hour past closing time.  You can also shop at the World of Disney in Downtown Disney which will typically stay open 2 hours past park closing time.

While 3 or more days is ideal for a Disneyland vacation, I can vouch for the fact that you can still have a magical time and fit a ton of fun into one day.  Have you ever done Disneyland in a day? I love to hear you tips!

I was provided with (2) one-day Park Hoppers to help facilitate this post.    My opinions and love for Disney are honest and true.

Check out all of my other Disney posts that are filled with money saving tips:

• Check out our Ultimate Guide to Disneyland Snacks
• We’ve got a complete guide for visiting Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
• Check our our Guide for the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival
• Food recommendations and guide for the Get Your Ears on Celebration
• Your complete guide to Pixar Pier
• Food recommendations and guide for the Get Your Ears on Celebration
• Your complete guide to Pixar Pier
• I share honest reviews of all the hotels we’ve used near Disneyland
• 10 of the BEST places to eat breakfast at Disneyland
• 10 of the BEST places to each lunch at Disneyland
• Another great way to save on Disneyland package deals is through Costco Travel

The post Tips for Disneyland in a Day appeared first on Gather Lemons.

We had a spring trip to Disneyland planned and we were thrilled to find out that the last day of our trip just happened to be the very first day of Pixar Fest at the Disneyland resort.  Having had the chance to experience Pixar Fest, I can say without a doubt, you don’t want to miss this celebration of all things Pixar happening this summer at both Disneyland and California Adventure.

Pixar Fest runs through September 3, 2018.  To plan your vacation, I highly recommend booking a package deal through Get Away Today. You will find that booking a package with Get Away Today can save you some serious money. Use the code THRIVING10 to save an additional $10 on your Disneyland package.  Here are the fun things you can expect to find during Pixar Fest at the Disneyland resort.

Together Forever Nighttime Spectacular – Oh my goodness, this show is amazing! I recommend viewing this show in the middle of Main Street. While images are projected onto the castle, they are also projected onto the buildings of Main Street and if you plant yourself directly in front of the castle you will miss some of the amazingness.

Main street will get crowded! We were there on opening night and we started waiting 45 minutes before the show started and we were all the way back at the entrance of main street (right next to the Emporium). At first I was a little bummed that we were so far away from the castle, but once the show started, I loved the location.  I assume it will be even busier in the middle of summer.

Photo Credit: Disney Parks

One of the highlights of the show is the Up Balloon soaring over Sleeping Beauty Castle.  Seeing the balloon soaring into the sky brings all the feels!

Photo Credit: Get Away Today

Paint the Night Parade – My all-time favorite parade returns for Pixar Fest!!   This is the same parade that ran during Disneyland’s Diamond Celebration, only this time it runs through California Adventure and it includes a brand-new float featuring The Incredibles.  This is another must-see in my book!  I love the catchy music and all the bright lights!

Pixar Play Parade – The Pixar Play Parade also makes a return and this time it winds down the streets of Disneyland (it used to be at California Adventure).  This is a bubbly, high-spirited day time parade that includes some new characters like Joy, Sadness and Bing Bong in Riley’s “Rocket” Wagon from Inside Out.

Pixar Entertainment & Activities – You may find the Dapper Dans getting into the Pixar Fest festivities by adding “You’ve got a Friend in Me” to their repertoire.   Stop by the Animation Academy where you can draw some of your favorite Pixar pals.  The Animation Academy has recently become one of our favorite things to do.  We may even visit the academy more than once (or even twice) on our trips.  You can check the schedule at the check-in desk so you know exactly which characters will be drawn at what time.

Photo Ops & Meet & Greets – You will find fun Pixar photo ops all over the park.  The entrance to Cars Land is dressed up with Woody and Buzz to celebrate Pixar Fest.  Head over to the Paradise Gardens to meet a rotating cast of Pixar characters like Mr. & Mrs. Incredible,Woody & Buzz from Toy Story, Russell and Dug from Up and Flik & Princess Atta from A Bug’s Life.

Photo Credit: Disney Parks

Pixar-themed Food – One of the best things about a Disney trip is always the food!  The special themed food they have for Pixar Fest does not disappoint!   There are so many new options to try!  I already want to go back, because one day wasn’t enough to try all the snacks and food on our list.  You can learn more about the Pixar Fest food offerings, but here are a few of the highlights:

• Alien Macaron (Alien Pizza Planet) – Bright green alien macaron with lime and blackberry filling.
• Berry Funnel Cake (Stage Door Cafe) – A house-made funnel cake topped with blueberries, strawberries, chocolate cookie crumbles, crème anglaise, white chocolate, and gold-dusted whipped cream.
• Mint Chip Shake (Schmoozies) – A Monster’s Inc themed shake that sounds divine!
• Habanero Meatball Cone (Cozy Cone Motel) This has turkey meatballs in a habanero derby sauce with a cheese crisp and spiral pasta “smoke stacks.”

Pixar Merchandise – You will find plenty of Pixar themed merchandise, including a fun Sully themed popcorn bucket (which may be sold out now).   There are shirts, hats, bags, pins, drinkware and more all with your favorite Pixar characters.

Photo Credit: Disney Parks

Opening of Pixar Pier –  – Pixar Pier will be opening to the public on June 23rd. The newly themed pier will house the Incredicoaster, Pixar Pals Fun Wheel, Toy Story Midway Mania and several new themed food options. We’ll have a full report on all the fun things you can experience on Pixar Pier once it is open.  If you want to stay on top of all the Pixar Pier and other Disneyland festivities, I recommend you follow our Disney Instagram account.

Don’t forget to check out the great package deals you can score when you book through Get Away Today.  I have used them on numerous occasions and they always seem to offer the best price and great service too.  You can save an additional $10 off your package by using the code THRIVING10 at checkout.  You will find the perfect package whether you want to stay at a Disney hotel, a budget hotel, a hotel within walking distance or a hotel for a large family.  They cover them all!  If you just need Disneyland park tickets you can get those from Get Away Today at a discount too.

The post Everything you Need to Know about Pixar Fest at Disneyland appeared first on Gather Lemons.

This year my husband and I were fortunate enough to take a dream vacation to France for 10 days.  Since we are big Disney fans we knew without a doubt we would have to spend a couple days at Disneyland Paris.  Getting to the parks is super easy, it’s about a 40 minute train ride from Paris.  I’m sharing some of the highlights of our trip as well as some money-saving tips and tricks.

Seven of our hotels stays on our France trip were free with Hyatt points and rewards so we decided to splurge a little on the hotel at Disneyland Paris.   We chose to stay in a suite at the Newport Bay Club.  This room was part of the Compass Club, which is similar to a room with concierge service at Disneyland or Disney World (something we’ve never done before).

Our room was big, airy and gorgeous!  It was by far the nicest Disney hotel room we have ever stayed in.

Because we were staying in a suite, it came with a couple perks, one of which was a VIP FASTPASS, which got us into any FASTPASS line at any time. There was no waiting an hour or two after the previous FASTPASS. If we got off a ride and wanted to go on it again right away, we could.  We loved this perk so, so much!

The purchase of this room also provided us with free breakfast in the morning and snacks in the late afternoon. My biggest tip when it comes to booking a room at a Disneyland Paris hotel is to check the version of the Disneyland Paris website for other countries besides the US.  For instance, you may find the UK version of the site has better deals.  We found this to be true.

The US version of the Disneyland Paris website was not offering any discounts, but the UK website was offering 25% off the room rates + a FREE half board meal plan. By booking our trip through the UK website we saved quite a bit of money.

It is OK to order from a different version of the Disneyland Paris website, it is even mentioned on their page.  If you do order from a different country make sure to let your credit card company know you will be making an international purchase before you checkout.

It just happened to be the 25th anniversary of Disneyland Paris and my husband and I have been married for 25 years.   Who knew we’ve been married as long as Disneyland Paris has been around.  I’m fairly certain this means we need to visit each and every year.

The castle Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant (Sleeping Beauty castle) was stunning!   I dare say it is probably my favorite Disney castle of all the Disney parks I have visited.   It is gorgeous!

You can actually go inside this castle and view stained glass images of the story of Sleeping Beauty.   I loved this feature, it made the castle even more realistic.

You can also go under the castle and visit the dragon that lives under the castle.    This was such a cool feature and it’s something you must see.

I assumed all of the rides and attractions would be identical to the ones at Disneyland or Disney World, but I was pleasantly surprised.   There were a few differences between some the rides, and some of those differences made them even better in my opinion.  Yes, I said better!

The Adventure Isle and Pirates’ Beach at Disneyland Paris are amazing!   We didn’t have our kids with us, but my husband and I enjoyed walking through the island, discovering the caves and more.   This is similar to Pirate’s Lair at Disneyland, but is done much better in my opinion.  Kids would love this area!   The adults were particularly fond of hiding in the caves once it started raining like crazy.

Thunder Mountain Railroad has always been a family favorite and Big Thunder Mountain at Disneyland Paris is the best!!   Thunder Mountain is actually located on an island.   The queue takes you in a tunnel under the water to get to the island.   Some updates were made to this ride just before the 25th anniversary and it is awesome!    This is my favorite version of the ride at all 3 Disney Parks I have visited.

Pirates of the Caribbean has a different layout as well and I loved it.   This ride has already done away with the “Auction – Take a Wench for a Bride” sign and has been replaced with “Auction, Surrender Yer Loot”.  I know many are saddened by this change, but it fits well with the theme and I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing.

I expected the Phantom Manor to be the same storyline and have the exact same artwork that “stretches” at the beginning of the ride, but it is a totally different ride!  It was a pleasant surprise.  I’m not sure you can associate the word pleasant with Phantom Manor, but it was cool to see something totally new.  If you are a fan on the Haunted Mansion I think you will enjoy this version too.

Space Mountain (currently Hyperspace Mountain) is also a totally different ride at Disneyland Paris. You still ride in darkness, however, there is an inversion and you start the ride outside where it blasts you upwards to begin (almost as fast as the start of California Screamin’) and then on into the inside of the ride. Your head can get thrown around a little on this ride. My husband actually liked this version of Space Mountain better than the others. I skipped this one, I wasn’t up for the fast start and the upside down portion. Call me a wimp, but I wasn’t feeling it.

Peter Pan’s Flight is a popular ride at Disneyland and Disney World.  They have it at Disneyland Paris too, only at Disneyland Paris it has a FASTPASS!   I don’t care how old you are, this ride is amazing!   My husband and I used our VIP FASTPASS and went on it twice.   It’s simply stunning!

The Indiana Jones ride is all together different, the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril is a roller coaster ride, which was a little crazy for my taste.

One of the highlights of any Disney trip is always the food.   I look forward to a Dole Whip each and every time we go. Um….Disneyland Paris does not sell Dole Whip.   Say what?   They do sell their own version which is called the Floating Pineapple Whip.  It’s Pineapple Juice and Syrup with Vanilla Soft Serve Ice Cream.  It was actually quite fabulous!   Sometimes a Dole Whip Float can be a little too much sweetness.  I love the Pineapple juice with the cool, creamy vanilla ice cream.   It’s no Dole Whip, but it was pretty dang good.    Sadly, this was the only food item we ate that was worth raving about at Disneyland Paris.

The food in the parks was mediocre at best.  You’d think with the park being in France the food would be amazing, but it wasn’t the case.   They didn’t have many of the Disney treats that we consider classics.   No Mickey Caramel Apples (they had Candy Apples).  No Hand Dipped Ice cream bars or Mickey Ice Cream bars (they sold Dreyer’s Ice cream bars).  The food at the restaurants weren’t all that great and the service was even worse.   It was sad eatings my friends!

Here are a few differences you will find at Disneyland Paris compared to the Disneyland Parks in the US:

• They do not have PhotoPass photographers throughout the parks.  You can purchase a PhotoPass, but it mainly gives you ride and character photos.
• Selfie sticks are banned here, but they aren’t strict on the policy at all.  We saw them all over Disneyland Paris.  At Disneyland you won’t get past the checkpoint with a Selfie Stick.  It was a little weird to see rules posted, but not adhered to.
• Outside food is not permitted at Disneyland Paris (this was also not monitored, we saw tons of people bring in their own food).

• The weather in France is different than California and Florida so you will want to plan accordingly.  You could possibly get snow in the winter.   (We had crazy rain in August, but it didn’t dampen our spirits).
• There are designated smoking areas, which are largely ignored and again security isn’t enforced.
• Their meal plan is different from that at Disney World, it took me some serious research time before I finally figured out what everything meant and what the perks would be with my free meal plan.  I found that DLPGuide.com was a huge help for me and explained everything really well.  Save yourself some time and head to their website first.

There are actually two parks at Disneyland Paris, the other is called Walt Disney Studios and it is very small and not very magical.  It does not have the same attention to detail as Disneyland does.  I heard from so many people that you could easily just skip this park, but in my mind I thought “there is no way I can just skip a Disney park I’ve never been to before”.   We spent maybe 3 hours at this park.  We could have just skipped it…seriously!!   It was totally underwhelming.   If you don’t take my word for it and actually go to the park like I did, make sure you do it first, you want to make sure to end with the awesome park.

We went on two rides here and we didn’t like either one of them.   We tried Rock N Roller Coaster and we did some serious “head banging”, my head was so shaken up on this ride I did not feel well when it ended.  This ride is not at all smooth like it is at Hollywood Studios in Florida.   To make matters worse, we tried the Ratatouille ride everyone raves about here.  Oh my goodness, this made me SICK and I closed my eyes for most of it.  It is a 3D ride that has way too much movement for my liking (and my husbands).   I did think the theming at the Ratatouille Bistrot Chez Rémy restaurant was amazing.

If you make it to Paris and you are a big Disney fan (or even if you aren’t) I highly recommend spending a day or two at Disneyland Paris.   The park is gorgeous, the rides are amazing and there is the Floating Pineapple Whip to try.

The post Disneyland Paris Highlights,Tips & Tricks appeared first on Gather Lemons.

Do you have plans to visit Disneyland for Halloween?  We got word of some great savings from Get Away Today that are valid for trips planned for travel during Halloween Time (September & October 2018).  Get Adults at Kids’ Prices on 3-Day and longer Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Tickets. You can save up to $19 per ticket. This deal is good on individual tickets or package deals that include a hotel.  If you book a package deal you can save an additional $10 off by using the discount code THRIVING10 at checkout. Here are the dates the adults at kids’ prices are valid:

• August – September 2018
• November 1 – 20, 2018
• November 28 – December 22, 2018
• January – May 2019

Check out our post below for our fall trip to Disneyland last year. Visiting in the fall is one of our favorite times to go!

We recently got back from a trip to Disneyland. This wasn’t a normal planned vacation for us, it kind of came about when we looked into hiring someone to weed our entire yard in order to prep it for summer.  We live on an acre so the quote that came back was big…like more than the cost of a Disneyland trip big.  So, it got us thinking…we presented to the family that if everyone chipped in and did 2 extra hours of weeding each week (above and beyond their normal chores) we could take the money we would have spent on yard work and put it towards a trip to Disneyland instead.   This would mean we would’t have as much free time during the summer (which is the main reason we looked into hiring someone to do the weeding in the first place).  Our family chose do the extra work all summer long to earn the trip to Disneyland.  It was a lot of work, but it paid off, because we took our Disneyland trip in September and we had a blast.

Even though we have taken more than 10 trips to Disneyland as a family, we experienced at ton of “firsts” on this trip.  I am sharing some of the new experiences we enjoyed (and some we didn’t).  As always I will share some money saving and Disneyland tips with you too.

Costco Travel –  When booking our vacation I always try to find the best deal by first looking at packages through Get Away Today and Costco Travel and then I see what the cost would be booking everything individually.   I find that Get Away Today usually has the lowest out of pocket cost most of the time, but the added extras from Costco was the best deal for this trip.  Here is a peek at the costs I found for this trip with our hotel choice being the Fairfield Inn.

Get Away Today cost $1685, included:

• Hotel
• Disneyland Tickets (5 – 2 day one park per day tickets)
• Hotel Parking (Bonus)
• 5 Lanyards  (Bonus)

Costco Travel cost $1745, included:

• Hotel
• Disneyland Tickets (5 – 2 day one park per day tickets)
• Hotel Parking (Bonus)
• Disney PhotoPass Collection (Bonus)
• Disneyland Resort Photo 5×7 Print by Disney’s Photopass (Bonus)
• $50 Disney Gift Card (Bonus)
• 5 Lanyards and pins (Bonus)
• 5 Luggage Tags (Bonus)

Booking Hotel & Tickets individually cost $1859, included:

• Hotel = $788.04
• Disneyland Tickets (5 – 2 day one park per day tickets) = $995.00
• Hotel Parking ($19 per night) = $76

I chose Costco over Get Away today for a couple reasons.  One, when you factor in the $50 Disney gift card that made the cost more like $1695.   Since I am an Executive Member that means I will earn 2% back on the cost, which is $34.90.  This made the cost cheaper than Get Away Today and the fact that there were a few extras made the Costco deal the best choice for this vacation.  Checking these sites takes no time at all, but it can save you hundreds of dollars.

Disneyland PhotoPass – We used the Disneyland PhotoPass service for the very first time, because it came as a bonus with our Costco package.   I know many people love this service, but I think I’ve decided it just isn’t for us.  We had 3 days in the parks and we ended up with a total of 29 photos (that included our ride photos).  We are PhotoPass drop outs!  I guess we just aren’t posers…photo posers that is.   I like taking photos of my family on our Disneyland trips, but most of them aren’t posed, they are just photos of the fun.   I will get some use out of this if it comes with a package or Max Pass, but I have no desire to purchase the PhotoPass on it’s own.

Mickey’s Halloween Party –  We have been to Disneyland in the fall probably more than anytime of the year, and we have never attended the Mickey’s Halloween Party.  I always thought it was an unnecessary added expense.  During our previous trips when the party was happening I made sure that we planned to be at California Adventure the day the Halloween Party.   Last year, my husband and I attended Mickey’s Christmas Party in Disney World and it was one of the best times we have ever had, so we figured the Halloween Party might be similar experience.   We decided to give it a try this year and… we loved it!!!   I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.    Here are some things you should know about the Halloween Party:

Every year you can get into the park 3 hours before the party actually starts, but this year you were are able to get into EITHER park 3 hours before the Halloween Party started (normally it’s just the park that is hosting the party).  So, at 4:00 we headed to California Adventure to experience some fun before we headed to Disneyland for the party.

There is Trick-or-Treating throughout the park.  They pass out good stuff too.  Lots of great candy bars, Apple Crisps, Goldfish crackers and more.  They will give you a trick or treat bag as you enter and with all the stuff they hand out, they are a little on the small side.  You may want to bring along an extra bag or two.

The party includes the Frightfully Fun Parade and Halloween Screams, a supernatural fireworks celebration.  You will also find lots Disney Villains and popular Disney Pals decked out in Halloween costumes that make for great photo opportunities.

FastPass is not available during the Halloween Party and quite honestly, it’s not needed!  Disney limits the amount of tickets they sell to the party which results in shorter lines, even for many of the more popular rides.  This is another reason why we love the holiday parties.  The holiday parties are magical my friends, you must try one!

The Halloween parties sold out before the first party even took place.  If you plan to go to a Halloween party in the future make sure you buy your ticket well in advance of the party date.

Magical 3 Wishes –  One of the coolest things we experienced on our trip is when a cast member came up to my son (who was dressed as Aladdin for the Halloween Party) and asked him what his 3 wishes were.   My son said, a handshake, a joke and a new tie.  The cast member shook his hand, told him a joke and told him to pick out any tie that he wanted in the store.  He gave my son the tie for free!  It was completely unexpected.  My son kind of wished he asked for something different like an annual pass.  : )

Birthday at Disneyland – For the first time, one of our kids got to spend their actual birthday at the Disneyland park.  He was able to pick up his free birthday button.  Since it was the night of the Halloween party many of the cast members were extra generous with his Halloween candy.   If you are celebrating anything while at Disneyland, you can pick up a special button. They have buttons for birthdays, anniversaries, first visits, etc.   These buttons can be found inside at City Hall on Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland Park or at Guest Services in Disney California Adventure Park.

Halloween at California Adventure – California Adventure was all decked out to celebrate Halloween!   Cars Land was especially fun to visit because there was new Halloween decor around every corner.   So much fun!  I’m not even that big of a fan of Halloween and I loved it all.

Disneyland MaxPass – Disneyland has released a new version of their FastPass service called MaxPass.  The cost is $10 per person/ticket per day.  The purchase of MaxPass also includes Disney PhotoPass Downloads (Yay, my fave! – that was sarcastic, in case you couldn’t tell).   We decided to give the MaxPass service a try on our day at California Adventure.  We paid $50 for our family of 5.   You can’t activate the service until you are actually inside the park.   Once you are in you can schedule your first FastPass.   With this service you are essentially saving yourself the time and hassle of physically getting your FastPass tickets, you just do it all via your phone.   We usually just have one our teenagers run and get our FastPass tickets so it didn’t save me any running around time.  : )   You still have to wait the regular hour and 1/2 before you can schedule your next FastPass.   I don’t believe we will use this service on all of our visits, but it was fun to try for a day.  It was very handy to get FastPass for Radiator Springs Racers without having to wait in a long line.

Halloween Treats – One of my favorite things about holidays at Disneyland is that you will find new treats to celebrate each and every holiday.   Halloween is no exception!   A favorite family treat (for half our family) are churros.  For Halloween they had pumpkin churros and churros with purple ghost sprinkles.   If you are heading to Disneyland during a holiday season, I highly recommend doing a little research to find out what new treats they will have.  It’s no fun when to get home and realize there was an amazing treat that you missed.  I hate when that happens!

Passing Time in Line – Do you have a favorite thing to do while you are passing time in line.   We like to play the “Disneyland Guessing Game” where a family member thinks of something related to the Disneyland Parks and then the rest of us have to guess what it is.   This time around we enjoyed playing some rounds of “Heads Up” with our phones.  If you have the Heads Up app on your phone you can gain access to the Disney Parks deck for free if you are visiting Disneyland, Disney World or Aulani.  The Heads Up app only costs $.99 and it’s a great way to pass the time while waiting in line. If you have any fun and clever things you do while waiting in line, I would love to hear about them.

Souvenirs – We happen to hit the parks on the one day they got in new stock of the coveted Rose Gold Minnie ears, so I had to get myself a pair!  They are the first pair of Mickey Ears I have ever purchased (they of course were immediately “borrowed” by my daughter).  I also picked up a new Disney keychain.    They keychains are some of my favorite souvenirs because it reminds me of our fun Disney vacations every time is use my keys.   I know many people are turned off by the high prices of the Disney souvenirs, but this is one of the things that we budget for.   I have the Disney Visa which saves us 10% on all purchases of $50 or more at the shops throughout the Disney Parks.   If you happen to be visiting Disney World, I highly recommend checking out their Disney Outlets to save on official Disney Souvenirs.

We visited the 3rd week in September because our daughter is in running start and she hadn’t started school yet.  For quick trips like these we usually leave on a Wednesday night and fly home on Sunday.  This means our youngest only had to miss two days of school.  This gave us Thursday at Disneyland, Friday morning at Downtown Disney, Friday evening at the Halloween party and Saturday at California Adventure.  We usually try to avoid weekends, but I was pleasantly surprised by how light the crowds were at California Adventure on Saturday.  September is a great time to visit!   We also recommend the last week in August if your kids aren’t in school yet.  It’s a great time to go, but it can get hot.

If you have a Disney trip planned, I have a ton of posts to help you make the most of your trip.  Check them out below:

• Check out our Ultimate Guide to Disneyland Snacks
• Check out the highlights from our trip to Disneyland Paris
• 10 of the BEST places to eat breakfast at Disneyland
• 10 of the BEST places to each lunch at Disneyland
• Several ways you can save on Disneyland Park Tickets.
• Great tips that will help you to do Disneyland (and California Adventure) in a day.
• Craving a Dole Whip? Check out our recipe for Homemade Dole Whip
• Check out the time my husband and I has six meals & one snack at Disneyland and paid less than $30 (thanks to a lot of planning)

The post Visiting Disneyland in the Fall appeared first on Gather Lemons.

My husband totally surprised us by planning a quick 2-day trip to Disneyland.  I mean, he seriously planned the entire thing BY HIMSELF and kept it a secret.  I was shocked!!   Not only was I shocked he planned the trip without me knowing, but he also made the trip as cheap as possible.  That’s the way to win me over, Disney trips on the cheap.

I’m even impressed that he shopped around for the best deal on lodging and tickets.  He’s been listening to me when I’ve mentioned that Get Away Today is one of my favorite places to book our Disney vacations because the savings is so great. Here is a peek at our 2-day trip and some Disney tips and money saving ideas along the way.

Our 3 oldest are off at college or on missions for church so it was only 4 of us this time.  Wow!  What a difference it is traveling with a family of 4 instead a family of  7.    Our vacation was cheaper than normal from the get go since we were traveling with less people.

How we got there: We are fortunate to live in an area that has occasionally has inexpensive flights to Disneyland. The best deal we ever scored was our $62 round-trip flights on Jet Blue.  This trip we flew via Alaska Airlines into LAX (we much prefer flying into LGB or SNA).  My husband used our frequent flyer miles to score reward tickets for only 7500 points for one leg of the trip.  That was an amazing deal!  The flight for all four of us was made with airline miles so there was no money out of pocket.

When we went:  We took this trip during our schools mid-winter break in February.   We usually always avoid the weekends at Disneyland and we did so this time too.  The crowds were a little heavy, but a busy day at Disneyland is still better than no day at Disneyland (I’m pretty sure Christmas & New Year’s are the exception to this rule, I still haven’t ventured to Disneyland on either one of these days and I don’t plan to in the future).

Where we stayed: We love staying within walking distance and since this was a short trip where we needed to maximize our park time it made the most sense to stay at a hotel within walking distance again.   We stayed at the Grand Legacy at the Park (this is our 4th stay at this hotel).   It is a super easy walk!   I highly recommend checking the price of the hotel directly from their website  and checking for any discount codes and them comparing it to the prices from Get Away Today.  Keep in mind that the prices at Get Away Today include your park tickets so you will need to factor the cost of tickets in to the hotel to see the total savings.

Park Tickets: Since we had only 2 days in the parks, he opted to save money by just getting 2-day tickets with admission to one park per day instead of Park Hoppers.  This made the most sense because it gave us one day at each of the parks.  By choosing these tickets he saved us $180.  Keep in mind if you are unsure if you will want Park Hoppers, you can buy one-day tickets and upgrade them to Park Hoppers while at the parks.

Souvenirs & Spending Money: I have mentioned before that we love buying Disney souvenirs.  My husband usually has an annual pass that saves us 20% on merchandise.   His pass expired recently and since we don’t have another trip planned for at least 10 months we figured it was best to hold off on updating the annual pass until our next trip.   Since we often visit the Disney Parks once as a family and usually twice as a couple (due to business trips that take us to California anyway) we decided to get just one of us an Annual Pass on several occasions because in the long run it saved us money with the free parking and dining, merchandise and hotel discounts.

I do have a Disney Visa that allows me to save 10% on purchase of $50 or more at all the shops within Disneyland area. Right now there is an offer for a $200 Disney gift card when you are approved for a Disney Visa and spend $500 within the first 3 months of opening the card.  You will earn 1% on all purchases as Disney Rewards that you can spend at Disney Theme Parks and more.

I had more than enough Disney Rewards to cover all our food, snacks and souvenirs.   I signed up for the same offer several years ago.  I figured the $200 gift card would be a great way to save money on our trip.

Food: The food has become one of my favorite things about a Disney vacation.   Here is where we ate and what we snacked on this time around.   I’ve mentioned it before, and I will say it again, it is totally worth planning where you want to eat ahead of time, it saves so much time and this way you get to make sure that everyone gets to eat at their favorite places at least sometime during the trip.  It could just be our family that struggles with the “I don’t know where I want to eat, where do you want to eat” when on vacation, so I solved that problem with the planning.   I am a HUGE fan of sharing meals too.  It’s a great way to not over eat, save room for snacks and save money.   We also tend to just order ice water with our meals, since it’s free, it’s another great way to save money and you better for you too.

Panera Bread – We ate breakfast here both mornings before entering the park.  They open at 6 am so it’s easy to eat before the parks even open.   I love that this is so close to the parks now!!   The Panera Bread is located near McDonalds in the parking lot of the Marriott Fairfield Inn.   You can even use their app to place your order ahead of time and pick it up.

Cafe Orleans – My daughter and I shared a Monte Cristo (it’s a must do for us) and my husband tried the “Crescent City” Salad with Blackened Chicken for the first time and he said it was one of the best meals he’s ever had there.  We have a son that is picky when it comes to food, so instead of paying the high prices for something we knew he wouldn’t eat here, I packed a bagel and a few other lunch items for him.

Rancho del Zocalo  – We had dinner here on our day at Disneyland. It has been awhile since we’ve eaten here and I forgot how much we loved it.

Flo’s V8 Cafe – We ate dinner here while we were at California Adventure, we pretty much make sure to eat here on every trip.  It’s one of our faves!  I recommend breakfast, lunch or dinner here.

Snacks – Our snacks consisted of Dole Whip, Churros, Hand Dipped Ice cream bars and believe it or not corn on the cob (my picky child loves the corn on the cob).  If you haven’t yet tried the Hand Dipped Ice Cream bars  from Clarabelle’s in California Adventure they are a must!   This time I tried the Raspberry Sorbet dipped in milk chocolate and covered with Blue Raspberry Bursts (essentially Pop Rocks).  It was yummy!

FastPasses:  With only 2 days in the parks we made sure to take advantage of the FASTPASS system.   Here is a tip for you!   Check out the message we had on our Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters FASTPASS .   This ride is occasionally not connected to the entire FASTPASS system so it allows you to have this FASTPASS and another one at the same time.   If we weren’t paying attention to the time to get a new FASTPASS we would have totally missed the message.   We ran over and got us another FASTPASS for Hyperspace Mountain.

Things we Did – No matter how many times we visit Disneyland, there is always something new to experience.  I actually rode the Mad Tea Party for the first time ever (I had to make sure there was no spinning allowed)!   We all saw the new Frozen – Live at the Hyperion and got to ride Soarin’ Around the World together for the first time as a family.    The Main Street Electrical parade was back at Disneyland and our kids hadn’t seen it before.  This is the same parade my husband and I saw on our honeymoon at Disney World 25 years ago.

We also like to visit the Animation Academy in Hollywood Land and try to draw a different character each time.   They now have a schedule posted so you can see who they will be drawing at each time during the day.  Head there at the beginning of the day so you can make sure to get the character you want.

Disneyland is one of our favorite vacation destinations, if you have a trip planned this year make sure you check out our other Disney posts:

• Tips for One Day at Disneyland
• Saving Money when Dining at Disneyland
• Great Way to Save on Official Disney Parks Souvenirs (Disney World)
• 10 of the Best Places to eat Lunch at Disneyland
• 10 of the Best Places to eat Breakfast at Disneyland
• Mickey Tic Tac Toe in a Bag
• 7 Reasons I Prefer Disneyland over Disney World

Affiliate links have been used in the post, I may be compensated for products or services you click through. All my thoughts and opinions are honest and true.

The post Surprise Disneyland Vacation 2-Day Trip Report appeared first on Gather Lemons.

My husband and I were celebrating our 25th anniversary with a trip to Disney World (it’s where we spent our honeymoon).  I noticed the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party was being held nearly every night we had planned to go to the parks.  We decided instead of heading to the Magic Kingdom in the morning and then having to leave at 7pm we would give the Christmas Party a try, and were so glad we did.  I was concerned the party would be aimed more for “kids only” but that wasn’t the case.  I’m sharing a few tips and highlights of the party for you.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is held at the Magic Kingdom and starts at 7pm and lasts until midnight.  You may enter the park at 4:00 pm, 3 hours before the official party start time.  The party is scheduled for select nights during November and December at Walt Disney World.  As you can see some party nights are more expensive than others, the nights with higher prices are the nights that Disney assumes will be the more popular. The difference is pricing on each day is adults vs. kids.

On nights of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party guests who did not buy special party tickets will have to leave the Magic Kingdom at 7pm.  I was wondering how they could tell who had party tickets and who didn’t, my question was answered when we were given a wristband to wear.

Fast Pass+ is not available during party. However if you haven’t visited a different park on the day you plan to attend the party, you can use your ticket to schedule Fast Pass+ for the hours between 4-7pm.  In all honestly, the Fast Pass+ system is not necessary during the party because the stand-by lines for the rides are usually fairly short (I assume them will be longer the closer we get to Christmas).  During the party we attended most rides only had a 5 minute wait time, with a few of the popular rides claiming a wait time of 30 minutes (Peter Pan & Seven Dwarf Mine Ride). We got in line for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Ride with a posted wait time of 30 minutes and we only had to wait 15 minutes.  Check out the 10 minute wait time for Space Mountain, that never happens!  It was fabulous!

One of the fun things about the party is they offer free cookies and drinks at several locations around the park. To find the freebies, just look for the large Peppermint Stick.

Here are the cookies and drinks offered last year:

• Hot Chocolate and Snickerdoodle Cookie ~ Tortuga Tavern (Adventureland)
• Eggnog and Gingersnap Molasses Cookie ~ Heritage House (Liberty Square)
• Snow Cone and Snowman Sugar Cookie ~ The Friar’s Nook (Fantasyland)
• Hot Chocolate and Peppermint Bark Cookie ~ The Lunching Pad (Tomorrowland) My personal fave!
• Spiced Apple Cider and Snowman Sugar Cookie ~ Pete’s Silly SideShow (Fantasyland)

Allergy-friendly and alternative healthy options are available upon request.  Offerings are subject to change.

Special Holiday Treats ~ You can enjoy special holiday treats at select locations.   I really wanted that Peppermint Hot Fudge Sundae, but after all the FREE cookies and drinks there was no way I could eat anything else.

• Main Street Bakery – Frozen Snowflake Cupcake, Peppermint Cupcakes, Holiday Cookies
• Plaza Ice Cream Parlor – Peppermint Hot Fudge Sundae
• Gaston’s Tavern – Holiday Tree Cupcakes
• Sleepy Hollow – Pumpkin Waffle Sundae (these were popular)

The party contains special entertainment you will only find during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party.

Disney Character Appearances ~ There are lots of chances for photo ops with characters like the Seven Dwarfs and more.  This is one area where the lines can get long, you may need to pick your favorite characters from the list and just focus on those.

A Frozen Holiday Wish ~ Queen Elsa uses her powers to make the castle sparkle.  This show happens at 8:15 pm.   It was gorgeous seeing the castle add dark and then lit up.  I wouldn’t miss this one!

A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas! ~ It was a cute show, but I wouldn’t call it a “must see”.   Stitch makes an appearance for those of you that are fans.  This performance happens five times throughout the night.

Voice Play ~ Watch an a cappella holiday concert with VoicePlay.

Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade ~ I might get boo’d for this one, but if you are childless (like we were) you could actually skip this parade and use the time to ride the more popular rides.   We watched part of the parade but then decided to use this time to ride the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train that we couldn’t get a FastPass+ for the last 3 times we’ve visited Disney World.  Little ones will probably really enjoy the parade (some adults too).  I am told I should have waited to see the toy soldiers because they are the best part.  I’m also told is is best to view this parade from main street, and I will agree with that I think it would have been way more magical with Main Street and the Cinderella Castle as a backdrop.  The parade happens twice at 8:30 and 11:00 pm.

Holiday Wishes – Celebrate the Spirit of the Season – This is the fireworks show that begins at 10:00 pm.  I wouldn’t miss it!  We found a spot about 10 minutes before the show started and had a great viewing area (you will probably have to find a spot earlier if you plan to attend the party in December)

At the end of the evening they magically make it snow on Main Street.   I loved this!   I thought it was the perfect end to a perfect evening.

My thoughts: Should you spend the extra money and attend Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party?  100% YES!!!  We had 3 days at Disney World and the time we spent at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party was our favorite day by far.   We have been visiting Disneyland & Disney World regularly for over 8 years and we have NEVER attended one of the special parties (Halloween, Christmas, etc) and now I am a convert.   I loved the magical feel and the lower crowds.

A few tips:

• Eat before you come so you can focus on the fun, or make your reservations or dinner plans between 4-7 pm.
• We didn’t spend any time before the party in the Parks.  I think it made a big difference coming the party “fresh”. we weren’t already worn out from the day.  We spent the morning checking out the new downtown area Disney Springs.  In my opinion it was a perfect way to to the party.
• If possible visit Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party in November when crowds are lighter.
• Don’t forget, you can enter the Magic Kingdom at 4 pm the evening of your party.
• The party happens rain or shine and tickets are not refundable, so keep that in mind.   Some people like to wait to buy their tickets until the day of the party, but then you also run the chance of it being sold out on popular party days.
• Check the event schedule when you enter the park so you can make a plan.  You don’t want to miss the Frozen Holiday Wish because you were waiting for the 8:30 start time for A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas.
• Consider skipping the 8:30 parade and watch it at 11pm instead.  It will be less crowded.

I’d love you hear your thoughts, do you enjoy the special ticketed events like Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party? What’s your favorite part? (please don’t say watching the parade on Main Street, you’ll make me feel bad for missing it). : )

The post Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Disney World appeared first on Gather Lemons.

As a family we love heading to Disneyland each year for a family vacation.   We started our Disney family vacations in 2008 and have gone every year since (with the exception of 2010 & 2013 when we went to Disney World instead).  This will be our 7th family trip to Disneyland and believe it or not there are things we have NEVER done (some may even surprise you).  I thought it would be fun to share these things with you before we head to Disneyland & California Adventure this month and we can see how many of these items we can cross of our list.

Here are the 10 things we have never done on our Disneyland vacations before:

1. Watch a parade from beginning to end –  You’re probably thinking to yourself  “Say what? They’ve never seen an entire Disney parade?” It’s true!  If we see a parade going by we may stop and watch, but we have never actually sat on the parade route and waited for a parade to start.   With this year being the 60th Diamond Anniversary I am thinking we need to sit, wait and watch the entire parade.  DONE!

2.  Eat a Monte Cristo – This has been on my wish list for several years now, but I have never been able to make it happen.   This may be my year!   DONE!

3.  Have one of our kids participate in the Jedi Training Academy –  We have watched the Jedi Training Academy on several occasions, but have never had one of our kids participate.   Our youngest is hoping to volunteer this year.

4.  See “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” – This is one thing we have never seen, I’m not sure how excited I am to see it, but I have a couple die hard Disney fans that say we must do this this year.  DONE!

5. Ride the Storybook Land Canal Boats – This is a ride we have never gone on, even though we don’t have super young children anymore we figure we need to ride it once.   DONE!

6. Participate in the Animation Academy – My husband and I have participated in the Animation Academy at Disney World, but we have never done this as a family at Disneyland.   We have several boys who are great artists and I think they would get a kick out of this.  DONE!

7.  Join the Mad T Party –  We’ve seen and heard this party going on, but we’ve never actually participated.  I’m certain there are a few of my children who wouldn’t enjoy this, but I think my daughter might have fun with it.

8.  Eat a Disneyland Corn Dog – There is a long list of items we haven’t eaten yet, but this is one of those items that everyone raves about but we just haven’t tried yet.    DONE!

9.  Take The Bakery Tour hosted by Boudin Bakery – We’ve never taken the time to go on a the tour and see how the world-famous San Francisco sourdough bread is made.  I’ve heard there are FREE samples so I might need to add this to the top of my list.  DONE!

10.  Ride The Tower of Terror as a family – This is one ride we have never rode together as an entire family, and it’s all my fault!   This is the one ride that scares the heck out of me.  I don’t even like to ride regular elevators.  While this is something we haven’t accomplished yet, I am totally fine never completing this task.

I think it’s interesting that no matter how many times you visit Disneyland there is always something new you can do.   I’d love to hear what things you haven’t done at Disneyland.

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