Long before the days of Disneyland, when Walt first began his career as an animator, he met a woman named Lillian Bounds. Walt and Lillian married in 1925, and together, the Disneys built an empire. While Walt was the creative force behind the animation studio, and later the theme park, Lillian was his unwavering support […] Read more…
Tips & Trivia
Picnic Area
Trips to the Happiest Place on Earth get expensive…especially when you’re factoring in food. Many families opt to bring in their own food, which can be a huge money saver. But if lugging around your food all day sounds less than appealing, fear not – Disneyland has its own picnic and rest area between the […] Read more…
Play Disney Parks
BASIC INFO App Name: Play Disney Parks Company Name: Disney App Price: Free Free Version: N/A HOW IT WORKS The Play Disney Parks App has three components: interactive queues, games and trivia, and music playlists. To start, you choose your version: Disneyland or Walt Disney World. (For the purposes of this post, I’m just looking […] Read more…
Smellitizers
I don’t know about you, but for me, the smells of different places in Disneyland are as familiar as the buildings. Places like Pirates of the Caribbean or Main Street USA have a distinct smell, somehow reaching your nose through hordes of people, churro carts, and popcorn buckets. Smell is an important component of Disneyland. […] Read more…
The Ultimate Guide to the Disney Vacation Club (DVC)
When you travel to Disneyland for vacation, you’ve got tons of options for your home base: resort hotels, off-property “good neighbors”, even AirBNB. But did you know you can also earn membership points with a Disney program? I’ve teamed up with SellMyTimeshareNow.com to explain the perks and offerings of the Disney Vacation Club, a.k.a. the DVC. […] Read more…
PhotoPass Day 2018
Disneyland helps guests capture magic every day, thanks in part to PhotoPass photographers. But on August 19, the Resort will kick things up a notch with PhotoPass Day 2018, a character event designed to rack up camera clicks. Source: Disney Parks Blog This one-day event includes special character meet and greets, new PhotoPass locations, and […] Read more…
On The Waterfront: The Story Of Tom Sawyer Island
Tom Sawyer Island…the focal point of the western side of Disneyland, and an icon that somehow maintains its classic feel while constantly changing. This island serves a practical purpose, by creating the illusion of a river instead of a pond. But as Frontierland evolves into a busier and more exciting land, Tom Sawyer Island also […] Read more…
Walt Disney’s Disneyland
In the later years of Walt’s life, Disneyland consumed his imagination. Moving into theme park development was completely uncharted territory for Walt. He needed tons of help, and some funding, which meant covering additional new ground: television. In 1954, Disney signed a deal with ABC to create a limited series: Walt Disney’s Disneyland. The show […] Read more…
Cats of Disneyland
If you’re an observant Disneyland visitor, you may notice some slightly unusual creatures roaming Disneyland…and I don’t mean Wookies or Green Army Men. In addition to the princesses, villains, pirates, and other characters, a family of cats also call Disneyland home. Source: Pinterest No one knows exactly when the first cats arrived in Disneyland, but […] Read more…
Fried Chicken Celebration
Heading to the Disneyland Resort this July? You’re in for a savory treat. This week, Disney Parks Blog hinted at an upcoming event (?) from July 6-8 in both Disneyland and California Adventure: the Fried Chicken Celebration. In this slightly unusual event announcement, Disney didn’t highlight any unique offerings. Instead, they invited guests to check […] Read more…
Souvenir Shopping Tips
Half the fun of visiting the Disneyland Resort is shopping. You never know what souvenirs you might find, and the items you end up bringing home have a memory attached to them! But with so many shops and carts (more than 50 in Disneyland alone), souvenir shopping can feel a little bit overwhelming. Here are […] Read more…
Time Capsules
It’s amazing how quickly Disneyland memorabilia changes over time. How could we have known back in the day that 50s and 60s souvenirs would be so highly coveted? Originally, Disneyland didn’t have any official place preserving mementos of the past. But in 1995, on the park’s 40th anniversary, cast members buried a time capsule (called […] Read more…
Halloween Season 2018
Last year I started talking about Halloween season at Disneyland in the middle of July, which is already crazy. But this year, Disneyland upped the crazy and announced the Halloween lineup in the middle of May! So apologies for season hopping before the summer even really starts, but tickets for the Halloween Party go on […] Read more…
The Berm: Disneyland’s Magical Barrier
Have you ever noticed that inside Disneyland, you can’t see the surrounding world? Despite the city of Anaheim bumping right up against the park borders, you’re completely immersed with no clue as to what’s going on around you. That’s no coincidence, but the work of a magical border known as “the berm”. The berm took […] Read more…