If you follow me on Twitter, you probably saw that I recently attended California Adventure’s new version of the Halloween party: Oogie Boogie Bash! Oogie Boogie is throwing quite the party, with special entertainment, event-exclusive merchandise, trick-or-treating, and all the Halloween food & drinks you can possibly eat in one night. Cars Land, Grizzly Peak, […] Read more…
December 2018 – present LOCATION Adventureland – The Tropical Hideaway is nestled in a cozy corner along the rivers of the Jungle Cruise. To find this spot from Main Street, follow Adventureland’s main path as it curves left. You’ll see the entry bridge on your left, next to the Tiki Room exit. If you’re coming […] Read more…
Sleeping Beauty Castle’s magic comes from its details: the real gold plating along its turrets, the stained-glass windows, and the colorful stone. Walk across the drawbridge and you’ll see one of those details up close, just above the archway. This fixture wasn’t original to the castle; it was added in 1965. Many sources, including Wikipedia, […] Read more…
Anyone who’s ever had a blog will tell you: you need a LOT of photos. As a result, I’ve easily taken thousands of photos of the happiest place on earth. After a while, you realize you’ve been snapping the same angles over and over again. It’s easy to fall into familiar patterns. So on my […] Read more…
The Disneyland Resort’s Halloween season is in full swing, with the sold out Oogie Boogie Bash drawing visitors dressed in their best costumes. But many visitors are already looking ahead to the resort’s next big party: the Festival of the Holidays! Source: Disneyland Resort From November 8 to January 6, Paradise Gardens Park will once […] Read more…
Welcome to Ask The Duchess – Vol. 47, a monthly Q&A post covering a variety of resort-related topics. Ask The Duchess answers questions submitted by readers. If you have a question you’d like answered, send me a message here. 1. How do I purchase an annual pass? Can I buy it online? (submitted by Errol) Yes, […] Read more…
October is here…and so is Halloween madness at the Disneyland Resort. Last month ushered in the start of the spooky season at the happiest place on earth, and both parks now glow with some magical orange accents. Let’s take a look back at September at Disneyland. HALLOWEENTIME BEGINS September 6 marked the official start of […] Read more…
Downtown Disney isn’t known for its attention to detail in quite the same way as the resort’s two parks. But if you wander the shops, restaurants, and hotels with sharp eyes, you’ll definitely spot some amazing little details. One of my favorites is in the last place you’d guess: Starbucks. Head over to the Starbucks […] Read more…
October 2018 – present LOCATION Downtown Disney – You’ll find Salt & Straw in the center section of Downtown Disney, near Naples. To find the restaurant, head toward the side of Downtown Disney closest to the parks. You’ll see it in the last block of shops on the north side, across the walkway from Marceline’s […] Read more…
Source: Yesterland March 1991 – November 1991 LOCATION Fantasyland – Plane Crazy occupied Videopolis, later renamed the Fantasyland Theater. To find the theater, visitors flocked to the rear of Fantasyland, near It’s A Small World. The theater was on the left side of the open plaza, behind the hills of the Storybook Land Canal Boats. […] Read more…
Buena Vista Street is California Adventure’s primary nostalgia spot. Guests here can enjoy handmade sweets, listen to the 5 & Dime, or hop on the Red Car Trolley. Like Main Street, Buena Vista Street’s nostalgia doesn’t fully extend into the shops; virtually every retail space sells the newest Disney goods. But one shop has a […] Read more…
Even though you’ll catch me wearing a tiara in the parks 99% of the time, I too have been bitten by the ear bug. It’s so, so hard not to snatch some up – they keep designing cuter and cuter pairs! For a long time, I stuck my ears in a basket in my closet, […] Read more…
At first glance, Paradise Gardens Park might seem like a land without an identity. It’s the only land in California Adventure without any clear marker indicating its beginning or end, and its hosting of festivals means the décor and layout often change with the season. But when you take some time to really explore the […] Read more…
Source: Disney / LucasFilm Visiting Galaxy’s Edge is unlike any other part of Disneyland; when you arrive, you leave earth and head to the planet of Batuu. You won’t encounter cast members, just villagers trying to make a living. And you’ll hear them use some Batuuese phrases that sound a little strange the first time […] Read more…