Family Time at Disneyland

I recently did a search on my Google Photos account and discovered that I have over 8,000 photos taken at the Disneyland Resort!  The boys were 5 and The Pea was 7 on their first visit, so we have been going there for 15 years. Gosh, we have had some great times at the Happiest Place on Earth. Once they get older, it gets more and more difficult to organize a trip with the kids. Their schedules are all over the place, it gets more expensive (gosh, teenage boys do eat a lot!), and quite frankly, they'd rather visit with their own friends than their parents!  

So when the opportunity arises to go back to the Disneyland Resort with the entire family, you don't think twice, you just take it.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland

If you are a Star Wars fan (and who isn't??), you simply must visit Star Wars Land at Disneyland or Disney World! The level of attention to detail is simply amazing, and just walking around the place is an experience. You really feel like you have stepped into a galaxy far, far away. Every little corner is crammed with machinery, landscaping, equipment, and characters from the movies.

DIY Mickey Ears Safari Hat

We're going to Disneyland and I'm so excited! We don't get to go as often as we did in years past, so every visit is a blessing... and an occasion to plan Disney-themed outfits! For this visit, I'm going with a Jungle Cruise theme: khaki shorts, collared short-sleeved shirt, and sun hat. But of course it has to be a Mickey ears hat! Check out my Mickey ears "safari" hat. I took an old hat and sewed some Mickey ears on them. To make the Mickey ears, I traced my Minnie ears onto cardboard and onto 4 pieces of black velvet cloth with about 1/2 inch allowance. Then I sewed the cloth together, turned the ears inside out, stuffed the cardboard circles into the ears to stiffen them, stuffed the ears with stuffing, then sewed them shut. Easy peasy! Okay, maybe not so easy. But with patience and a bit of sewing know-how, anyone can sew Mickey ears onto a hat. Jungle Cruise, here I come!

Trading pins at Hong Kong Disneyland

There are six Disney parks around the world -- Anaheim, Orlando, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shangai -- and each one is unique in its own way. One of the things that makes each park unique is the merchandise. When we visited Hong Kong Disneyland, I had a great time browsing through the shops and checking out what each one had to offer. Naturally, as pin trading enthusiasts, we paid special attention to the trading pins. We just couldn't miss the opportunity to discover and collect some one-of-a-kind pins! Hong Kong Disneyland's pin selection did not disappoint. Here's the rundown on the beautiful and unique trading pins we found at Hong Kong Disneyland:

2017 Disneyland holiday trading pins

You know you're a Disney geek when you can spend a full day inside a Disney park without getting on a single ride. There are so many other things to entertain you: the shows, the parades, the shopping, the dining experiences... and the pin trading.

If you like Disney characters and memorabilia, you'll love Disney pin trading and collecting. Half the fun is shopping for bright, shiny, new pins, and the other half is trading pins. You can trade with other pin collectors, or you can trade with cast members around the park. We started collecting and trading pins in 2012, and have been enjoying it ever since.

Disney releases new pins year round, but I have a soft spot for the holiday pin trading, because Disney's holiday pin designs are so stinking cute (click here to view some of Disney's holiday pins from past years).  Also, I love the fact that you can't get these pins at any other time of the year. Here are some of the cutest Disney holiday pins that I ran into this year:

Celebrate the holidays with Disney's Viva Navidad street party

 

Parades are one of the most popular attractions at the Disneyland Resort. Every day, people line the sidewalks of Disneyland Park's Main Street USA to stake out good viewing spots. It's not unheard of for people to get settled 60-90 minutes before the parade begins, taking turns with family members to get food or go to the restroom. We've done this many times, but now that the kids are older, they prefer to take advantage of decreased attraction wait times during parades. Besides, they've seen all the current parades anyway... or so we thought. At our most recent Disneyland visit, we discovered one of the resort's best-kept secrets: Disney California Adventure's Viva Navidad Street Party. It's festive and fun, and you can arrive with just five minutes to spare and still get a great viewing spot!

Saying goodbye to the Hollywood Tower of Terror

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror has always been my favorite ride at the Disneyland Hotel. No matter how many times I ride it, I always come out with my hands shaking and my throat raw from screaming. So I had mixed feelings when Disney Parks announced that the ride would be getting a Guardians of the Galaxy makeover in 2017. They'll be keeping the elevator-drop mechanism, but completely redoing the exterior as well as the ride visuals and sound effects. I've been through enough ride closures and openings to know that whatever they come up with will be nothing short of Marvel-ous, but I do feel a twinge of sadness at the loss of my favorite ride.

Les Signes de Toilettes de Disneyland Paris

If you want evidence of Disney's attention to detail, look no further than their theme park restroom signs. Their restroom signs are always clever and witty, and they always match the theme or decor of their surroundings. It has been a while since I've posted photos of Disney restroom signs, because I think I've posted all of the ones around the Disneyland Resort, and I haven't been to any other Disney Park in a while.

We recently visited Disneyland Paris for the first time, so I got to experience the pleasure of finding and photographing new restroom signs all over the park (much to the chagrin of my family, and to the confusion of the other park visitors!). We only had 1 day in each of DLP's 2 theme parks (Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park), and I wanted to spend most of it on rides, not on finding restrooms, so this list is by no means complete. However, I think I've got enough samples to convince me that the tradition of beautiful and clever restroom signs is alive and well at Disneyland Paris. Check out the photos below and see if you agree with me!

Trading pins at Disneyland Paris

One of my favorite things to do at a Disney park is trade pins. They're the perfect souvenir because they're small, inexpensive, and long-lasting. They're a lot of fun to trade, even for casual traders like me. My pins would be of no interest to the serious pin trader who owns dozens of binders of rare pins worth thousands of dollars, but many Disney park cast members wear lanyards filled with pins, and they are happy to trade any pin you want with them, up to two pins per day. Most of the pins sold in the parks are sold in all parks, but there are some pins that are exclusive to each park. So when we planned our first-ever visit to Disneyland Paris, I was determined to carve out some time to browse, buy, and trade pins.

12 ways Disneyland Paris differs from Disneyland California

Disney has six theme parks around the world -- Florida, California, Japan, Paris, Hong Kong, and now Shanghai. Disney parks are not a "once-you've-seen-one-you've-seen-them-all" kind of thing. All parks stay true to the Disney brand, and many experiences will be the same. The Disney characters are the same, many of the rides are the same, even whole areas are the same. In all parks, you'll enjoy immaculate surroundings, friendly cast members, an immersive experience, and attention to detail. But each park has quite a few things unique to the park, and to the culture of the host country, so each park will give visitors a unique experience. That's why I want to visit all the Disney Parks around the world before I die!

Frozen Live at the Hyperion -- experiencing Frozen in a new way

Being a parent has many benefits; one of the more unexpected ones is having a convenient excuse for watching Disney's Frozen more times that I can remember. To be honest, I may have watched the movie more times than the kids have! What can I say? Elsa's coming-of-age story, the power of sisterly love, and Anna-Kristoff's sweet, goofy romance really resonated with me.

After watching Frozen half a dozen times in the movie theater and countless more on tv and DVD, I thought I had finally gotten the Frozen Fever out of my system. Then Disney had to go and come up with a stage version for the Disneyland Resort and invite me to the premiere performance.... and now I find myself obsessed with Frozen all over again!  Frozen: Live at the Hyperion opened at Disney California Adventure on May 27, and it has given Frozen lovers like me a chance to relive the Frozen story in a totally different way.

Top 7 Experiences at Star Wars Launch Bay

The Force has Awakened! Star Wars 7 has opened, and it is well on its way to becoming a billion dollar movie. If you don't know about The Force Awakens, you must either be living on a rock or have just woken up from a coma. It was been the talk of the town (of the world, actually) for the past few weeks, with people lining up in droves to see the movie. We didn't have the courage to brave the crowds to see the movie on opening weekend, but we are beyond excited to see it!

Star Wars is everywhere, not just on late-night reruns and toys, but on clothing and food and all kinds of merchandise. At the Disneyland Resort, Star Wars has taken over Tomorrowland by way of Season of the Force, a series of limited-time experiences such as Star Wars-themed food, a Space Mountain overlay (Hyperspace Mountain), and a gigantic exhibition called Star Wars Launch Bay.

Disneyland Holiday Trading Pins: 2015 releases

The kids and I have been into Disney pin trading and collecting for a couple of years now. Two years ago I made the mistake of not buying the limited edition Mickey's Halloween Party pin. I saw the $15 price and cheaped out. Of course, since was only available at the Disneyland Resort during Mickey's Halloween Party in 2013, the pin is now selling for $30 on eBay. It would have been the perfect memento of my visit, and I've regretted my decision ever since.

After that episode, I make it a point to buy a pin every time I visit a Disney park (and thanks to the Disney Visa card, I can  redeem points for Disney dollars to treat myself and the kids to a small souvenir each time we visit). There are so many pins available at the parks, it's always tough to choose, but I pay special attention to seasonal pins because they're only available at certain times of the year, and they change every year (at least the limited edition ones do).

If you love Disney pin trading or if you're curious about what all the fuss is, you're going to love the rest of this post. If the idea of spending $15 on a pin (and buying dozens of them) mystifies you, then please accept this photo of the beautiful holiday candy apple display as a reward for reading this far! You may not like collectible pins, but everyone loves candy apples, right?

Season of the Force: Star Wars Eats and Sweets

photo credit: Disneyland News

With preparations for the new Star Wars-themed land at the Disneyland Resort, excitement is spreading all across the galaxy! Construction for the new 14-acre land is set to begin in 2016, and guests will have to wait a few years before Star Wars Land actually opens, so young Jedi will have to exercise a lot of patience. Fortunately, Disney Parks is making the wait easier with Season of the Force, a limited-time Star Wars themed experience in Tomorrowland. Not only do park guests get to enjoy new Star-Wars themed attractions, exhibits and merchandise, they also get to eat Star Wars-inspired food and beverages.

That's right, foodies and Star Wars fans! You no longer have to travel to a galaxy far, far away to get some Cantina grub. Disneyland's Tomorrowland Terrace has been transformed into the Galactic Grill, with a completely new menu featuring Star-Wars inspired dishes with clever names and delicious ingredients. Redd Rockett's Pizza Port and Tomorrowland food carts also have their own set of Star-Wars inspired dishes.

Top Five Holiday Traditions at the Disneyland Resort

The Disneyland Resort is always crowded during the holidays, and for good reason. No, it's not just because everyone is on holiday. It's because Disneyland has the ability to create special holiday experiences that turn into family traditions. Their imagination and creativity and attention to detail transform park attractions that you can enjoy any time of the year, into completely different. Here are my five favorite Disneyland holiday traditions (I have enjoyed four of them, so I can personally vouch for them, and I've heard so many great things about the fifth one that I've placed it on my bucket list!).

13 Reasons you'll love Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort

Fall is here, and it's once again Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort! This really is my favorite time of the year to visit. I've already written about why I love fall at Disneyland so much.  This year, I'm just going to bombard you with gorgeous photos of the resort, because a picture is worth a thousand words. Here are 13 reasons (all photographic!) that you should go:

10 Things on my To-Do List for the Disneyland Diamond Celebration

There's never enough time to do everything I want to do at the Disneyland Resort. Next week I'll be there during their 24-Hour Celebration, but even with all that extra time in the parks, there's no way I can experience all the special events and celebrations they have planned.  I have the full list of 24-Hour/Diamond Celebration happenings and goings-on over at Bonggamom Finds, but I have to prioritize and decide which of them I really want to do.

So, after much agonizing, I've come up with a Top 10 List of things I have to do during our visit to the Disneyland Resort next week.  I'm not talking about eating a Dole Whip Float -- that's something I do on every visit.  These are things I'll only get to do during the 24-Hour event and during the Diamond Anniversary Celebration.  Without further ado, here's my list:

Five Educational Experiences at the Disneyland Resort

The Pea and I just got back from a trip to the Disneyland Resort!  Her middle school band participated in Disney's Performing Arts Program, and I went along as a chaperone.  She and her bandmates had the experience of a lifetime. They went backstage to record soundtracks to some of Disney's most beloved movies, and they went onstage to perform at Disney's California Adventure.  In between, they went around the parks with their friends. It was the best of education and entertainment combined!

Going to the Disneyland with the Middle School Band

This is a picture from The Pea's first 6th grade concert.  She's been playing the flute since 5th grade, and she liked it so much she decided to stick with band throughout middle school.  Band is a big commitment; it takes up 2 precious electives every year, and it requires time for practice as well as concerts.  Band isn't the most glamorous choice of middle school electives either; the stereotype of the band nerd is alive and well even today.

I'm really proud of The Pea's commitment to band. She's getting all the benefits of a musical education, and she has made a really great group of friends, who are secure enough and self-confident enough to ignore the stereotypes and proudly call  themselves band nerds.

Ways to save time at the Disneyland Resort

Many Disneyland and Disney World posts are about ways to save money.  That's not surprising -- Disney vacations don't come cheap, and it makes sense to save wherever you can.  That being said, however,  I think the most scarce (and hence, valuable) commodities you have while on vacation is time.  Vacations never last long enough, and vacations at the Disneyland Resort seem to fly by in the blink of an eye.  If you're like me, and want to make the most out of every second you spend at the Disneyland Resort, here are some tips on how to save time while you're there: