If you've read my previous Disney blogs (Disneyland + Disneyland Paris), you know I am definitely a Disney enthusiast. Despite having visited the Southern California Parks countless times, I've not yet exhausted the Disney magic during my trips. This particular time, my goal was to maximize my time and save as much money as possible - both of these can be difficult feats in a place like Disney California Adventure Park. However, I found some wonderfully thought out day plans on Disneyland Daily. I ended up using their basic day trip itinerary, but tweaking just a few things to fit our desires for the day.
Note: THIS POST WILL MAINLY COVER HIGHLIGHTS FROM MY DAY, ALONG WITH SOME TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS, AND PLENTY OF PHOTOS.
We began by entering the park about 10 minutes before opening. Once the rope dropped, we went straight to Radiator Springs Racers, contrary to the advice given on Disneyland Daily, mostly because the crowd was already very small that morning. Instead of grabbing a FastPass and moving on, we got on the ride! After a 30-minute wait, we were full of adrenaline, tackled Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters, then continued our lucky streak of short-ish wait times.
PRO TIP: DISCUSS YOUR GAME PLAN WITH YOUR GROUP AHEAD OF TIME. DECIDE WHAT YOU ARE WILLING TO WAIT IN LINE FOR, AND ALWAYS HAVE A BACKUP PLAN!
For lunch, we indulged in a World of Color dining package with Wine Country Trattoria. A 3-course meal and reserved viewing area for World of Color were included, prematurely making our evening less complicated and giving us a mid-afternoon lunch break. A win-win, right? You can find more information about the package here.
PRO TIP: PICK ONE MEAL FROM THE DAY TO BE A SIT-DOWN. MAKE SURE YOU EAT WELL AND FUEL YOURSELF FOR THE OTHER PARTS OF THE DAY. OPT FOR SNACKS/LIGHTER FARE FOR YOUR OTHER MEALS.
I ordered the Italian Wedding Soup, linguine with clams, and tiramisu for dessert. Our reservation was for 12:30PM, but we also were eyeing the 2PM performance of Frozen.
We took our time at lunch, taking slightly more than an hour to enjoy our food and drinks. At around 1:45PM, we power-walked through A Bug's Land, even made a bathroom break and STILL managed to walk into the Hyperion Theater for the 2PM show. Miracles do happen, or maybe it's that Disney magic!
PRO TIP: CLOSER IS NOT NECESSARILY BETTER WHEN YOU ARE WATCHING FROZEN. IF YOU SIT TOO CLOSE, YOU WILL MISS SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PARTS OF THE SHOW. AIM FOR MEZZANINE INSTEAD OF ORCHESTRA. BALCONY WAS NOT IDEAL, BUT WE HAD A GREAT VIEW OF EVERYTHING.
Because we were able to get on so many rides before lunch, after Frozen, we decided to do some things for a second time and have a leisurely evening. We had also done the Animation Academy early in the day, avoiding the afternoon crowds, so that was checked off our list as well.
At 6PM, we attended a live demonstration as part of the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival, a 6-week festival in the park, full of specialty food stands, demonstrations, live music, and more. The event lineup is usually sprinkled with celebrity chefs, so I jumped at the opportunity to get VIP tickets for Maneet Chauhan's live demo and meet and greet.
We checked in at the VIP podium, got our wristbands, and were directed to the front of the audience. The crowd was small, probably due to our visit being on Easter Sunday, but there was a special intimacy we experienced. The demo was outside, with the hustle and bustle of the Disney crowds in the background. We watched Maneet make a beautiful crab cake, transformed by her expertise in Indian spices. A short Q&A with audience members took place, then the VIP group was escorted to the Silly Symphony Swings for our tasting and meet and greet.
It was a wonderful event, not too short, but not too long. The meet and greet was not rushed, and it was handled with the professionalism and grace Disney is often known for. The cast members were friendly, held our bags and made us feel very well taken care of. At around $30 per ticket, I would surely recommend this kind of event.
As we entered the evening hours, we took our time and repeated some of our favorite rides from earlier in the day, before heading over to our designated viewing area for World of Color.
PRO TIP: IF YOU ARE IN THE FRONT TWO SECTIONS OF WORLD OF COLOR, YOU WILL GET WET. PLAN ACCORDINGLY!
I personally love World of Color, so for me, it was the perfect end to a perfect day!
Until next time,
Happy wandering!
