New Year's Eve at Disneyland and DCA

We love ringing in the New Year at Disneyland and DCA. We have celebrated New Year's Eve at Disneyland and DCA on a couple of nights in years past. Disneyland's New Year's Eve Celebration is a blast but is definitely busy and the trams stop running at midnight. In my opinion although it is a busy night, it is one of the best places to ring in the New Year.

If you are planning on spending New Year's Eve at Disneyland or DCA here is some updated info:
Disneyland will be open from 8am to 2am. Disney's California Adventure will be open from 10 am to 1pm. Both parks will host countdowns to the New Year.

Disneyland will have the regular fireworks at 9:25 and then the special New Year's Eve Fantasy in the Sky fireworks at 11:30 PM.  Also featured is Jump, Jive, Boogie Swing Party Featuring Doc Anello and the Swing Machine at the Plaza Gardens Stage, running shows hourly up through 1 AM.

Over at DCA you'll find several dance parties with different themes.  They are each sponsored by Southern California radio stations:

Power 106 New Year's Eve 2009 Dance Party

Hollywood Pictures Backlot

9:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.  

Super Estrella New Year's Eve 2009 Dance Party

Pacific Wharf Stage

9:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.  

104.3 MYfm New Year's Eve 2009 Dance Party

7:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.   9:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.

Also, DCA will be featuring the last Electrical Parade of the year at 8:45.

If you are planning on heading to either park make sure to arrive early as both parks fill to capacity and they will turn people away at the gate. If you can get it in it really is a fun family extravaganza!

One Last Holiday Post...

I don't know about you, but I'm sad that the holidays are coming to an end.  It's become a tradition in our family to sneak back to Disneyland one last time before they take down the holiday overlays, stop the Christmas Parade, take the tree down and change the fireworks.  There's just something magical about seeing the parades at night. 

I've uploaded a couple videos from our trip earlier tonight to YouTube and embedded them below for you to enjoy.  After this, I promise no more holiday postings until next year.  :)

Tree lighting on Main Street:


Mrs. Claus:


and finally Santa Claus (with the Reindeer of course!)...


Happy Holidays!
-Katie

Castle at Disneyland - Wordless Wednesday

Storybook Land Canal Boats

Storybook Land Canal Boats at Disneyland have recently re-opened.  They were closed down for a draining of the canal (imagine the dropped cell phones, keys, toys, etc. that were at the bottom!) while they replaced the Casey Jr. Train track. 

It is one of my favorite rides in the park (okay, so most of them are favorites of mine...).  There's just something about riding in the boats through the small scale world of fantasy that mesmerizes me.  Disneyland never ceases to amaze me with the attention to detail.  Notice in the pictures (sorry they are a tad blurry because the boats move) that there are tiny Christmas trees and decorations throughout each scene!

Whether it's Cinderella's Castle, complete with pumpkin carriage, Princess Jasmine's Palace...

The dwarf's house from Snow White...

Pinocchio's village...

Or the Three Little Pigs house made of bricks...

The Storybook Land Canal Boats are great for everyone in the family, young and old.  Make sure you keep a close eye on young children though because unlike some of the other boat rides, the water is quite deep - not the normal couple of feet that most rides have.  Also note that the ride closes down 30 minutes before and 5 minutes after the parades go through to prevent the line from blocking the flow of traffic because it is so close to the parade route.

Disney's Electrical Parade is back

We love Disney's Electrical Parade and are excited to share that the parade is playing nightly until January 3rd. The parade will be play nightly starting at 8:45pm. It will be a while before it makes an appearance again. Make sure to catch it if you can. The park will be super busy during the next couple of weeks but DCA is usually not as busy as Disneyland. We are packing a bag and heading over tomorrow night. Hope to see you there.

Handicap Friendly Attractions at Disneyland

Going to Disneyland is a magical experience, but sometimes it is easy to forget how challenging a theme park can be if you or a family member is handicapped.  But when you look at this list I am sure you will see that it can still be a magical experience with a little bit of research! (A question from my son's teacher prompted me to write this post) 

On several rides Disneyland offers what is called an "alternate experience" in which you can still experience much of the aspects of the ride without needing to climb up or down stairs.

Disneyland offers an Audio Tape Tour, Braille guidebook and written aids for several things around the park.  If you are looking for more assistance you can always go to City Hall on Main Street in Disneyland and there is a special guidebook available to guests with disabilities at the Information Centers throughout the parks. 

Here are the attractions where a wheelchair can roll right on to the ride (either by elevator or other mechanism and you don't need to be able to transfer to the boat or vehicle):

• The Tram from the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure
• Disneyland Railroad (use the New Orleans, Tomorrowland or Toontown entrances/exits)
• Main Street Cinema
• The Disneyland Story featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
• Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island
• Frontierland Shootin' Exposition
• Mark Twain Riverboat
• Big Thunder Ranch
• The Golden Horshoe Stage
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Enchanted Tiki Room
• Jungle Cruise
• Goofy's Playhouse
• Mickey's House and Meet Mickey
• Minnie's House
• "it's a small world"
• King Arthur Carrousel
• Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough (Alternate Experience)
• Pixie Hollow
• Disneyland Monorail
• Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage (alternate experience)
• "Honey I Shrunk the Audience"
• Innoventions
• Starcade
• Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters

Additional rides that you can go on as long as you can transfer from the wheelchair in to the ride seat:

• Fire Engine
• Horseless Carriage
• Omnibus
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Splash Mountain
• Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes
• Indiana Jones Adventure
• Gadget's Go Coaster
• Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin
• Alice in Wonderland
• Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
• Casey Jr. Circus Train
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• Disney Princess Faire
• Mad Tea Party
• Matterhorn Bobsleds
• Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
• Peter Pan's Flight
• Pinocchio's Daring Journey
• Snow White's Scary Story
• Storybook Land Canal Boats
• Astro Orbiter
• Autopia
• Space Mountain
• Star Tours

Did I miss anything?  Any other tips for guests with Disabilities?

-Katie

Wordless Wednesday - The View from the Top of Mickey's Fun Wheel

(Image taken by Katie)

Giveaway time! Family 4 pack of tickets to Disneyland

The Holidays are in full swing and Kids and Mice has an amazing giveaway to celebrate the season. We are giving away a family 4 pack of tickets to Disneyland to  one lucky reader. Want to know how to enter?  well here is how.

First things first-This giveaway ends 12/31/09



Here's how to enter:



Mandatory First Entry:



•1 Entry for leaving a comment letting us know  which is your favorite Disneyland ride and why.

Additional Entries:


•1 Entry (each) subscribing to the Email Feed of Kids and Mice, following through Google, RSS Feed Subscription or any other form of feed.


•1 Entry for following Kids and Mice on Twitter

•1 Entry for Tweeting about this giveaway. Be sure to come back and say that you have, to gain the extra entry.

•1 Extra entry per day when you leave another comment.
 
Winner will be selected using random.org
 
Good luck !!

*****Quick UPDATE:  We've now added the email subscription link, so you can count that as an extra entry now too, just be sure to comment about it.  We're loving all your stories about what rides you love! 

Thanks!     
 - Katie

Wordless Wednesday - Holidays at Disneyland

Two of my favorite signs that the holidays are here at Disneyland...

-Katie

Innoventions

Last week the kids and I decided to head out to Disneyland on what was a very busy day. I love visiting Disneyland and yes, even on a busy day. One of the keys to enjoying the Happiest place on earth on a busy day is to head to the attractions that are the least visited. We decided to check out the Jedi Academy and then head over to Innoventions.

Innoventions, is located in Tomorrowland, next to Pizza Port and across from Tomorrowland Terrace. You enter through one of four themed doors to experience a vision of the near future. The kiddos and I walked right up and did not have to wait longer than two minutes to walk in through the doors.

The first floor and your fist stop on your walking and self guided tour is the house of the future. We loved exploring every inch of this area. My kiddos were particulary facinated with one of the kids bedrooms that featured a mirror of the future and which they became obsessed with.

 

They also loved the table of the future that featured a touch screen plate setting. It was a huge hit with the fam!

After we explored the fist floor we headed upstairs to catch Honda's robot attraction and my daughter wanted to play with the different video games and stations. My parents were with me and they loved checking out the different health exhibits and also the video games.

It is a great place to let the kids unwind and take advantage of the air conditioned surroundings. We spent 45 minutes minutes exploring and it can take anywhere from 15 minutes to a couple of hours. It's a great place to visit on a busy day or if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle.

Wordless Wednesday at California Adventure

Happy Holidays!

Santa Claus and Reindeer at Big Thunder Ranch Disneyland

Yes, the holidays are here and Big Thunder Ranch at Disneyland is a mandatory stop during the holidays.  If your kids haven't seen real reindeer up close and personal, be sure to make a stop in to Big Thunder Ranch (behind Big Thunder Railroad).  You'll also be able to stop in to get pictures with the Disneyland Santa Claus (our favorite in Southern California and the only Santa Claus we visit in our household!).  It's all free and if you time it right you won't have a long wait. 

You can bring your own camera or have a photo taken on the PhotoPass system.

Small World Holiday

I love Disneyland during the holidays.. Who am I kidding? I love Diseneyland pretty much any day of the year but especially during the holidays. I think my absolute favorite thing about Disneyland during the holidays is the tranformation of Small World to Small World Holiday. I absolutely love it and waited last year almost an hour to ride it.

If you are planning on heading to the parks during the next couple of weeks and you want to visit Small World Holiday,  I would either go very early or head towards the end of the day(about 45 minutes after fireworks). I personally love heading there at the end of the day, when it is alive with color, lights and a show every time the clock strikes 15,30,45 or the top of the hour.

Not only is Small World Holiday an incredible ride, it is one of the best spots to catch the firework show and watch the snow fall. Small World Holiday is definitely worth the wait!

Turkey Time at Disneyland

What happens to the Presidentially pardoned turkeys?  Well, if you've walked through Big Thunder Ranch in Disneyland's Frontierland around Thanksgiving time in the past few years you know they now go to the Merriest Place on Earth - Disneyland!

I spoke with a Disneyland cast member at the ranch yesterday and she confirmed that the turkey is set to arrive today with their entourage (which could be considered the highest trained security team a turkey could ever dream to have).  It's been reported that the plane it arrives on is temporarily named "Turkey One".

Pop on over and say hi to "Courage" the official White House Turkey "pardoned" by President Obama earlier today!

-Katie

Finding Nemo Submarine Adventure

We've loved this ride since the first day it opened.  Scratch that, since before it was even announced it was going to be there.  I can remember when Finding Nemo first came out in theaters and was a smash hit, thinking that it would make the perfect ride in the (at the time) vacant lagoon in Tomorrowland at Disneyland.  We watched and waited in anticipation for the ride to be completed and yes, you may have guessed it - we waited in line for 3 1/2 hours on the opening day to be some of the first people to ride it.  Yes, then we went back a couple days later and waited another 3 hours.  The kids loved the ride that much.  It really is a cute ride, even after 3 1/2 hours of waiting in line.

It's great for families with kids of all ages (only thing to note is there is one short scene where the lights go out and there's a pretend electrical issue - this could scare some smaller children).  Be prepared to climb down the very narrow curved staircase to enter the boat.  There is also a non-moving special viewing area for handicapped guests.

The technology used is state of the art and is actually tough to figure out how they make certain effects work.  For those curious, there are silk screens with images/videos projected on to them to give the effect of the actual characters moving around and swimming with you under water blended with actual underwater scenes.

We've now been on this ride dozens of times since it opened, but one time that stands out in my mind as just really neat was the time that the fireworks were just beginning as we were loading in to the submarines.  It was a Disney Magic Moment.  Riding Finding Nemo at night time is also a different experience than during the day because in the beginning, the lagoon is lit up with colorful lights and it adds to the magic of the ride.  If you haven't been on the ride at night, try it, you'll see what I mean!

-Katie

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

One of our family favorite rides at Disneyland is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  You have to be over 40 inches tall to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the castmembers will check any children close to that height several times (use the Baby Switch passes if you have young children). We love this ride because it is a lot of fun and doesn’t have big drops. You mostly experience a lot of g-forces as you go down several sudden small drops then around the curves. You have one lap bar per row, so I always wrap my arm around Kyle (who is a little smaller) because during some of the sudden drops younger kids bounce up an inch or two. By wrapping my arm around him it solves the problem completely. Do remove any hats- I have seen quite a few almost blown away.  Good to note that one adult can sit with two children in one row.

Our biggest tip about this ride is to be sure to make use of the Fastpasses. You rarely have to wait more than an hour after picking up your Fastpass and in that time you can go ride another ride. Fastpasses are distributed throughout the day unlike Space Mountain. When you are about to enter the queue line to use your Fastpass- get another set of fastpasses. You can do this as soon as you are 1 minute in to your return time window. You’ll be able to get two rides in a very short time no matter how long the queue line is.

Have you ever heard of the “Goat Trick” on this ride? I’m not sure where it really started and I don’t think I actually ever heard of it anywhere before I figured it out, but the first time I heard a reference to “The Goat Trick”, there was no question I knew what it was! Now be very careful not to over think this one, it really is quite simple, just follow a few simple steps the next time you are on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and you’ll soon be sure to be in on the trick!

As you begin to climb hill number two (this is the long climb with the snakes and turtles on the left), position yourself comfortably in the left corner of the seat so you are at an angle looking out the right side of the train. Be sure to stare at the Billy Goat on the raised area on the right and look at it absolutely as long as you can, literally until you can’t see it anymore. You’ll end up really dizzy and disoriented by the end of the turn and it’s just lots of fun.

We highly recommend sitting in row 15 (or close to it), because the ride is more fun that way. Sitting too close to the front of the train, makes for a much less thrilling ride in our opinion. As you crest the hills you are left slowly going over them while the back of the train finishes the climb. You can ask a castmember to seat you at the back of the train, you may have to wait for the next train, but it only adds a couple minutes at the most. Well worth the wait if you ask my kids.


Have you tried the Goat Trick? Post a comment about it!

-Katie

Picking Rides for Kids and Babies at Disneyland

Going to Disneyland is a magical experience for the whole family and not just the older kids. Juggling the wants of older kids to ride rides and babies is always tough. One of the questions that I am frequently asked is what rides are okay for babies. We started taking our kids well before their first birthdays, so I got pretty good at knowing what my boys were comfortable on. Be sure to read about the baby care centers here, they are a lifesaver when you're at the parks with babies!



Here’s a list of ones that I think are fine to take babies on…



Disneyland Railroad: Great for all ages. A great way to give the kids “down-time” and still ride a ride.


Small World: Great for all ages. Nothing scary at all.


Storybook Canal Boats: Great for all ages. Just plain cute.


Finding Nemo Submarines: Great for all ages. One small scene where the lights briefly go out and there’s a loud sound, but should be fine for most.


Alice in Wonderland: Great for all ages.


Tiki Room: Great for all ages.


Jungle Cruise: Great for all ages.


Winnie the Pooh: Great for all ages.


Casey Jr. Circus Train: Great for all ages.


Peter Pan: Great for all ages.


Pirates of the Caribbean: Mostly great for all ages. You know the temperament of your kids. Don’t take them on this if they are skittish or have a tendency to get spooked. There are two small drops, but as long as you are holding on to them, it’s fine. I’ve seen newborns sleep through the ride in their mother’s arms but I’ve also seen one year olds cry from the moment they got in the boat to the time they get out of the boat.

For when you want to tackle some of the "big" kid rides, be sure to read up on the Rider/Baby Switch program here. 

-Katie

The Merriest Place on Earth is back!!

I absolutely love the holidays and it is my absolute favorite time of the year at the Disneyland Resort. From now through Jan. 3, 2010, the holidays shine more brightly than ever at Disneyland. The holiday season is in full effect and this holiday season, you will be able to enjoy the return of special holiday versions of “it’s a small world” and Haunted Mansion, along with the beautiful holiday décor, “A Christmas Fantasy” parade and a nightly snowfall on Main Street.  California Adventure will also be celebrating the season with  beautiful decorations and the return of the Electrical Parade on Dec 18th.

I can't wait to head to the park tomorrow. I want to hear from you. Do you love the Resort during the holidays? What is your favorite thing about Merriest Place on Earth? Do you think it's too crowded? We would love to hear from you!

Aracely

Winner of Disney Bucks!

I'm a little late, but better late than never. Thank you all for entering and for your wonderful suggestions and comments.

The winner of the Kids and Mice $50 Disney bucks is.....(selected by Random.org) True Random Number Generator






Result:

19

Powered by RANDOM.ORG
 
comment #19 which is... Erin said...


This sounds great! we just got passes so we can take our little one. i will join your facebook page too. I would love to hear about some of the more "hidden" aspects to the resort. things you might not know about just walking in and riding the rides.



Email me at mom@daytrippingmom.com with your info and stay tuned for another fun giveaway. I have two passes to Disneyland to giveaway! Details coming soon!

Disneyland MouseWait App for the iPhone

I’m the proud owner of an iPhone (and iPod Touch) and whenever I find an App that makes my life easier, I rave about it to anyone who will listen… but when it’s one that makes your day at Disneyland far more productive, well let’s just say it’s priceless! The best part is this one really is a free App and its called Disneyland MouseWait by app316.com (direct link to iTunes store here).

You can get real time waits for all the rides at Disneyland and California Adventure (as entered by other park guests). I love that it tells you what time the wait was posted at so you can make an estimate as to how accurate it still is (i.e. if a Parade has just ended you know a ton of people are going to be making their way to all the rides and will cause an increase in waits). I’ve used this App many times to plan out what rides have the shortest waits so when you head to next ride you don't find out the wait is too long (my husband hates waiting in line, let’s just say it was the boys and I that waited in line for 3 ½ hours on the day the Finding Nemo Submarines opened! I knew there was no way my husband would wait in that line…)

I’ve used this handy App many times trying to figure out how crowded the park is. We frequently head to Disneyland for dinner and a few rides).


One thing that sets this App apart from the other wait time Apps is that this one has far more features than I have seen on the others (I have several now). There are blackout date calendars, live chats and park hours. You can automatically post Facebook status updates, Tweets on Twitter and monitor real time discussions about the parks in a number of ways. You’ll just have to play around to find all the hidden jewels this App has to offer!

More information about the App can be found here.

The reliability of the App is dependent on guests entering accurate wait times, so the more people use the App – the better!

I’m anxious to hear if any of you are also using it!

-Katie

Pizza Port at Disneyland and Introduction to Katie!

I was more than a little excited when Aracely asked me to blog over here on Kids and Mice (you may recognize me from OCMomActivities). I think it’s because I’m about 95% obsessed with Disneyland (the other 5% of addiction goes to CoffeeBean & Tea Leaf). We are huge Disneyland fans around our house and go on average of once a week if not more! I’m a working wife and mom of two amazing boys (Brett is 7 and Kyle is 6). Over the years I’ve learned lots of fun tips and tricks about Disneyland and am thrilled to have the opportunity to share them with you! Enough about me - I’ll just dive right in…





The Pizza Port in Tomorrowland is one of our families’ favorite places to eat dinner. There are great options for the entire family at a reasonable cost and we love sitting in the outside eating area at the back (near the entrance to Space Mountain). They have a great selection of fresh salads, excellent pizza (by the slice or whole pizza) and super yummy pastas.

Brett and Kyle love getting the kids spaghetti (with sauce & meatballs on the side). Awhile ago they switched to using whole wheat pastas, which I love. Each plate comes with apple slices and carrot slices and a drink. They also have kid sized pizza and chicken & rice for toddlers. For the adults they have wonderful alfredo pasta, penne pasta and spaghetti.


I always get a fresh salad. My favorite one is posted below (Starfield of Greens), but they have caesar salads, oriental chicken salads and several other choices. As you can see it’s made with real salad greens and super sweet tomatoes and has an Italian Vinaigrette dressing. I love it!

My husband always orders the pizza, below is a picture of the BBQ chicken pizza that is so good! They also have Hawaiian pizza, pepperoni, cheese pizza and other favorites by the slice or whole. Be sure to grab some of the amazing focaccia bread & dipping sauce…

What I absolutely love about eating there is that we as a family of four can eat there for $25 (using the 15% AP discount)!


What’s your favorite thing to order at Pizza Port?

What to do when everything is too busy at Disneyland

Visiting Disneyland is always fun, except when it is super busy. I hate waiting in lines... well really, I don't know anyone that likes waiting in one. After many visits, I have discovered that I can  have fun with my kiddos, even on the busiest holidays.

• One of the first things that I like to do on a busy day is catch a ride on the Disneyland Express.  It's the perfect place to people watch and you can get a pretty good idea of how truly busy the park is by riding it all the way around. We love riding the train and the kids and I like to point to the different attractions, hidden Mickey's, characters, etc.. 
• Another favorite attraction on a busy day is to catch a show at the Tiki Room. Not only is this show timeless and fun,  it is the perfect place to rest and cool off  on a hot summer day.
• I love having the kiddos enjoy the play areas in the park. Tom Sawyer's Island and Tarzan's Treehouse are perfect for  the older kids, while the play area in Toontown is a big hit with the little ones.
• Head over to Tomorrowland and explore Innoventions. There are a variety of activities for the entire family to enjoy. You will find everything from Dance Dance Revolution Stations to building and viewing your own fireworks show.  
• Take the Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough. You will be able to enjoy the story of Sleeping Beauty, told by a series of illustrated storybook pages and 3D animation scenes. It's a must visit if you have a princess fan in the family! 
• Sit back and enjoy Honey, I Shrunk the Audience 3D show. This air conditioned show is the perfect place to sit down and catch a breather.

There are so many other things to do on a busy day that I think I will write a second part to the post. I want to hear from you. What is your favorite thing to do at Disneyland  on a busy day?

$50 in Disney Bucks!

To officially launch kids and mice- we are doing a giveaway. All you have to do is let me know what you want to would like to discuss as an annual passholder on Kids and Mice and that's it! Winner will be selected at Random. You can leave multilple entries for

• Leaving a comment (1 entry) 
• Become a follower of Kids and Mice (1 entry)
• Become a fan on Facebook of Kids and Mice (1 entry)

You have until Friday, November 6th to enter.
Good luck!

Disneyland Resort Annual Passes- Which one is right for you?

I was chatting with a good friend yesterday about annual passes. He is looking to buy passes for his family and was asking for my opinion. Which pass should I get? I say it depends on your financial situation, how often are you planning on heading to the parks and location.

I have had the Premium Pass for over a decade. It works for my family for a number of reasons. We live about a 20 minute drive from the park, we have quite a few family members that live outside the area and like to come down to Disneyland during the holidays, we are big Disney Geeks, we hate crowds and we love the freedom it provides of visiting any day of the year without restrictions.

Here is the scoop on the Premium Annual Passport:

• 365 consecutive days of admission to both theme parks.
• 10% merchandise discount at select locations throughout the Disneyland® Resort
• Exclusive benefits at select Downtown Disney® District locations
• Free annual parking pass for the Mickey & Friends parking structure. ($79 value)
• 10-15% dining discount at select Disneyland® Resort restaurants
• Special rates at Disneyland Resort Hotels

The Premium Passes are very expensive. The pass is $429, however you can use the payment plan option, guests will pay for the cost of a 1-Day, 1-Park ticket - $72-upon purchase and will pay the remaining amount over the next 12 months, with no finance charges applied

If you don't want to splurge on the Premium- I highly recommend the Deluxe Annual Passport. Most of my friends and family have this pass.

Here is the scoop on the Deluxe Annual Passport:

• 315 days of admission. Most Holidays and some peak season Saturdays are blocked out.
• 10% dining discount at select Disneyland Resort Restaurants
• Special Rates at Disneyland Resort Hotels
• Parking is NOT included- $79 for parking.

The Deluxe Annual Passport, is a little pricey at $289 . However it does offer many admission days and if you plan on using your pass frequently, it could be your best option. As with the Premium Pass, you can use the payment plan option and you will pay for the cost of a 1-Day, 1-Park ticket -$72-upon purchase and will pay the remaining amount over the next 12 months, with no finance charges applied

The other two options are more affordable options but have many blackout dates.

Here is the scoop on the Southern California Annual Passport:

• 227 days of admission. Most of these days are off peak season. All Holidays and Saturdays are blocked out.
• 10% dining discount at select Disneyland Resort Restaurants
• Special Rates at the Disneyland Resort Hotels
• Parking is not included -$79 for parking pass
• This pass differs from the Southern California Select in that Sundays are allowed. The pass is $194, and as with the other passes you can use the payment plan option. You will pay for the cost of a 1-Day, 1-Park ticket - $72-upon purchase and will pay the remaining amount over the next 12 months, with no finance charges applied

The least expensive of the passes is the Southern California Select Annual Pass. Here is the scoop on the pass.

• 176 days of admission. This is a weekday pass only! All Holidays, weekends and most peak times at the park are blocked off.
• 10% Dining discount at select Disneyland Resort restaurants
• Special Rates at the Disneyland Park Hotels
• Parking Pass is not included
• The pass is $144 and as with the other passes you can use the payment plan option. You will pay for the cost of a 1-Day, 1-Park ticket-$72- upon purchase and will pay the remaining amount over the next 12 months, with no finance charges applied

My friend decided to purchase the Deluxe Annual Passport since he wants to bring his kiddos down on Saturdays. I want to hear from you. What pass do you have? Do you love it? Use it often?

Extended Halloween Hours

During the month of October you can enjoy extended Halloween Hours at the Disneyland Resort. This week you can head over to the park as early as 8am on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. You can also head over as early as 9am Monday thru Thursday and stay until 9pm on these days. There will be nightly firework shows.


Hours at California Adventure will be limited due to Mickey's Trick or Treat.

Seaworld's Halloween Spooktacular

Halloween is definitely one of my favorite holidays. I love decorating, the costumes and of course the treats! If you love costumes and treats, you might want to check out Seaworld's Halloween Spooktacular.

Halloween Spooktacular is taking place every weekend from now until November 1st. Your kiddos can dress up and trick or treat along sea inspired pathways in Seaworld's own Candy Garden. The sea lion and otter stadium celebrates with a specially themed Halloween Show and Sesame Street Bay of Play features Countdown to Halloween featuring Count Von Count.

The kiddos can come in costume and enjoy a fun day at the park. The best part is that Halloween Spooktacular is included with general admission. If you have an annual pass/fun card, make sure to take advantage. We hope to head out next weekend for a day filled with sea life and treats!

Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort

I love Halloween. it has to be my favorite time of year. The crisp weather, fun decorations, candy and costumes- It can't get better than that! Halloween Time is in full effect at Disneyland Resort from now until November 1st.

Some of the fun happenings at the Disneyland Resort include:

• Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy with haunting music and new visual effects
• Haunted Mansion Holiday- My absolute favorite! Enjoy the Haunted Mansion as it transformed into the Nightmare before Christmas.
  
• Main Street Pumpkin Festival- check out the hundreds of pumpkins and meet your favorite Disney Character in their Halloween Costume.
  
• Big Thunder Ranch Halloween Roundup- Meet Woody and Jessie, make fun Halloween crafts, watch a Disney Artist create pumpkin designs
• Mickey's Trick or Treat Party at Disney's California Adventure
  
• And an all new AMAZING Halloween Firework Extravaganza! You can catch the firework show every night during Halloween time.

Still not convinced? Here is a little sneak peek of the Halloween Firework show courtesy of the Disneyland Resort.


I'm going to be hitting the resort at least twice during the next couple of weeks to keep you informed and take pictures of the festivities. Hope you can all make a visit soon!

Mickey's Trick or Treat Party

We had a blast at Mickey's Trick or Treat Party at Disney's California Adventure last Friday night. This annual, special ticketed event happens throughout October on the following nights: 8, 9, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30 and 31.

This unique party lets adults and children alike dress up and trick-or-treat inside DCA. The kids loved getting to pick up candy at 25 Treat Stops located throughout the park. There was some terrific candy, including Ghirardelli chocolate! There was also healthy treats like apple slices and Craisins to be had.

My daughter was fond of the princess photo locations, while my son seemed to favor the Disney villains. The kids rocked out at Candy Corn Acres just inside the Sun Plaza, where they were able to dance to all the top 40 hits.

The Pacific Wharf area became Pirate’s Wharf, which featured a photo location, craft area and games. The Hollywood Pictures Backlot also had dancing and characters to meet. All the favorite rides and attractions were also open for the event which ran from 6:30 PM to 10:30 PM.

Tickets purchased in advance are $32 most days, while tickets purchased on the event day are $39. For Oct. 30 and 31, all tickets are $42. If you are an annual passholder you can purchase tickets for $26. Special Passholder Discount are available for these Dates: October 8, 15, 21, 22, 28



And don't forget that now through Dec. 19, 2009, you can save $400 when you book a 4-Day/4-Night Disneyland Resort vacation package, featuring either Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disneyland Hotel or Disney’s Paradise Pier. Each of theses packages includes four-day park hopper tickets and includes one Magic Morning admission per person. Mickey's Trick or Treat Party tickets must be purchased separately.

Fun for all! (note: this is not our family!)