Southern California: Adventures by Disney

Are you interested in going to Disneyland, but would also like to see more of Southern California?

Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood

This Adventures by Disney vacation is for you! This vacation includes tours of Hollywood as well as the Disneyland Resort. Read on for more information.

General Information

This adventure lasts 6 days and 5 nights. The minimum age is 4 (as for all Adventures by Disney vacations), and the suggested age is 5 or older. The adventure begins and ends in Los Angeles, and includes 5 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 3 dinners, as well as all included excursions and park passes.

Disneyland Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Itinerary

Day 1:

• arrival
• check in to a hotel in Hollywood
• welcome dinner

Day 2:

• private guided tour of Hollywood in an open-air vehicle
• visit to the Jim Henson Company (not open to the public)
• lunch at the Tam O'Shanter, one of Walt Disney's haunts
• free time in Hollywood

 Day 3:

• Walt Disney Imagineering Tour
• visit to Walt Disney Studios and the Walt Disney Archives (including lunch in the commissary)
• check in to the Grand Californian Hotel and Spa
• Disneyland Resort welcome dinner
• evening at Disneyland Park

Grand Californian Hotel Room

Day 4:

• breakfast in Disneyland Park
• VIP visit to Disneyland Park
• private ride on the Lilly Belle Victorian parlor car
• visit to Circle D Ranch
• afternoon and evening in Disneyland Resort

Day 5:

• character breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen
• VIP visit to Disney California Adventure Park
• afternoon in Disneyland Resort
• farewell dinner
• VIP viewing of World of Color at Disney California Adventure Park

World of Color

Day 6:

• character breakfast at Storytellers Cafe
• departure

Adventures by Disney Service

Remember that all Adventures by Disney vacations include:

• 2 dedicated Adventure Guides who travel with you for the duration of the trip
• transportation within your vacation
• luggage service
• complete VIP treatment!

Cost

The cost of the land portion of the trip varies depending on the age of the traveler and the date of the vacation. Children's prices currently range from $2499 to $2699 and adult prices range from $2629 to $2939.

Conclusion

After researching this trip, I think this may be the best way to experience Disneyland! I'll be sure to post again if I get to travel on this trip.

Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Park

What do you think?

Disney California Adventure: Disneyland's Second Theme Park

When Disneyland Park opened in 1955, Walt Disney's theme park legacy began in Anaheim, California. This historic park was followed by the creation of Walt Disney World Resort, beginning with the Magic Kingdom theme park in 1971 and followed by the openings of Epcot in 1982, Disney-MGM Studios (now Hollywood Studios) in 1989, and Animal Kingdom in 1998. Also at Walt Disney World, River Country (Disney's first water park) opened in 1976 (to be closed in 2001), followed by Typhoon Lagoon in 1989 and Blizzard Beach in 1985. Internationally, Disney opened parks in Tokyo in 1983, Europe in 1992, an Tokyo in 2001.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the Disney theme parks' expansion is that Disneyland Park did not truly become Disneyland Resort until 2001, with the addition of a Downtown Disney area and a second theme park called Disney California Adventure. Disney California Adventure opened in February of 2001, offering another park for Disneyland guests to experience the type of attractions that Disney parks are known for. This post will focus on attractions; information on dining and shows will be covered in later posts, so stay tuned!

Overview

Disney California Adventure is composed of 8 districts, arranged in a similar spoke pattern to other Disney theme parks:

• Buena Vista Street
• Hollywood Land
• "a bug's land"
• Cars Land
• Pacific Wharf
• Paradise Pier
• Grizzly Peak
• Condor Flats

 Buena Vista Street

Guests walk down Buena Vista Street upon entrance to Disney California Adventure. This district is designed to resemble the Los Angeles of the 1920s. Several dining locations and shops can be found here. Guests can also ride the Red Car Trolley up Buena Vista Street to Carthay Circle, or all the way into Hollywood Land near the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

Red Car Trolley

Hollywood Land

Hollywood Land was inspired by the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1930s. Attractions include:
Disney Junior - Live on Stage!, Muppetvision 3D, Animation Academy and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (similar to the attractions of the same names at Hollywood Studios), as well as Turtle Talk with Crush (also found at Epcot). Unique attractions include:

• Sorcerer's Workshop: interactive activities exploring character animation
• Monsters Inc. Mike and Sully to the Rescue!: a taxi cab ride through Monstropolis
• Disney's Aladdin - A Musical Spectacular: a Broadway-style stage show

Monsters Inc. Mike and Sully to the Rescue!

"a bug's land"

In this district, guests can see the world from a bug's perspective. Here, guests familiar with Walt Disney World will find the show "It's Tough to be a Bug!", also found at Animal Kingdom. Other attractions include:

• Flik's Fun Fair: a play area for children
• Francis' Lightning Boogie: a fun spin on a ladybug's back
• Flik's Flyers: a ride on a hot-air balloon made of leaves
• Tuck and Roll's Drive 'Em Buggies: a bumper car attraction
• Princess Dot Puddle Park: a water play area
• Heimlich's Chew Chew Train: a ride in search of caterpillar snacks

Heimlich's Chew Chew Train

Cars Land

This district and all of its attractions are completely unique to Disney California Adventure (for now). The following Cars-themed attractions are found here:

• Mater's Junkyard Jamboree: listen to Mater's music while getting pulled by tractors in a tea-party-like ride
• Luigi's Flying Tires: float around on a spare tire
• Radiator Springs Racers: race on a track using the same technology as Epcot's Test Track

Radiator Springs Racers

Pacific Wharf

This district is inspired in part by San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, and consists mostly of dining and shopping locations. Attractions include a Bakery Tour and Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar, where guests can see constructions projects being completed within the park. Since the latest expansion (Cars Land) was completed in June of 2012, the future of Blue Sky Cellar remains to be seen.

Paradise Pier

Coastal boardwalk areas inspired this district, where the attractions resemble popular amusement park rides. These attractions include:

• California Screamin': a high-speed roller coaster
• King Triton's Carousel: a carousel with an undersea theme
• Toy Story Midway Mania (similar to the attraction of the same name at Hollywood Studios)
• Games of the Boardwalk
• Mickey's Fun Wheel: a ferris-wheel ride
• Silly Symphony Swings: a wave-swinger attraction
• Goofy's Sky School: a smaller roller coaster
• Jumpin' Jellyfish: a parachute-jump-style ride
• Golden Zephyr: a rocket-ship ride
• The Little Mermaid - Ariel's Undersea Adventure (a similar ride of the same name is now part of the New Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom)

California Screamin'

Grizzly Peak

This district evokes memories of California's wilderness and national parks. There are two attractions here: Redwood Creek Challenge Trail (a playground area) and Grizzly River Run, a whitewater raft adventure.

Grizzly River Run

Condor Flats

A tribute to California's flight history, Condor Flats is inspired by airfields of the 1940s to 1960s. The main attraction here is Soarin' Over California (known as "Soarin'" at Epcot).

Soarin' Over California

General Information

Guests to Disneyland Resort can purchase a Park Hopper Pass to allow entrance to both Disneyland Theme Parks.

The Grand Californian Hotel has its own private entrance to Disney California Adventure for guests of the Grand Californian Hotel.

Grand Californian Hotel Room

Though Disneyland Park has many similarities to the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, Disney California Adventure is a park with most attractions entirely unique to itself. In fact, several of the crossover attractions started in California and were then recreated at Walt Disney World in Florida.

What do you think? Are you ready for a Disney California Adventure? 

Planning in Advance for Disney: Why It Matters!

Many questions I hear about Disney center around planning time.

For example:

• How far in advance to I need to plan for a Disney vacation?
• Why plan in advance?
• If I wait, can I get a better deal?

Cinderella's Castle at the Magic Kingdom

Read more to find out the answers to these questions, as well as other planning advice.

How far in advance do I need to plan for a Disney vacation?

The answer to this question depends on 2 things:

1. How particular are you about getting what you want when you want it?
2. Which Disney destination are you visiting?

If you are very particular about your plans for your trip, you should plan as far ahead as possible. By planning ahead, you will have your choice of accommodations, as well as dining reservations and activities. If you have your heart set on popular dining locations and activities, it is imperative that you plan well in advance so that you will have the opportunity to participate in those experiences.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

If, on the other hand, you are willing to take what you can get, you can plan the day before if you like. By planning last minute, you will only have the options available based on what is left after other have booked. This can be a fun and adventurous way to travel, if you are open to trying new things. However, you do need to understand that there are certain reservations that are unlikely to be available the later you plan (more on this later in the post).

Coronado Springs Resort

Different Disney destinations require different levels of planning time:

• Disney World: If you are going to Disney World, my advice is always to book your trip at least 7 months in advance. This gives you a month to decide which reservations you would like to make before those dates become available to reserve experiences.
• Disneyland: Disneyland is a bit more flexible than Disney World, as reservations for dining and other experiences at Disneyland are available up to 60 days in advance.
• Disney Cruise Line: Reservations for shore excursions and signature dining experiences can be made up to 75 days in advance for first-time guests on the Disney Cruise Line. Because these reservations open up to 120 days in advance for repeat guests, it is very important to book your Disney cruise at least 3 months in advance, so that you will have time to decide which experiences you would like to reserve.
• Aulani: Aulani does not have the same restrictions on reservations as other Disney destinations. You can book a year in advance or wait until the last minute. Because Aulani is relatively new, it remains to be seen what the most popular experiences will be, and how far in advance they will need to be booked.
• Adventures by Disney: Adventures by Disney only offers certain trips on certain dates, with limited availability, so it is very important to book as far in advance as possible.

Stones of the Brave in Scotland (Adventures by Disney)

 Why plan in advance?

A main advantage to planning in advance is getting your preferences rather than taking the leftovers. However, there are other advantages as well:

• Payment plan: All Disney destinations have a deadline for final payment. The further in advance you plan, the more you can spread out the cost so the pain in the pocketbook isn't as obvious. If you book after the final payment deadline, full payment is due at the time of booking. You might be surprised at how little it costs to reserve a Disney vacation!
• Availability: Especially if you are travelling during times when almost the entire USA is on school break, options can decrease very quickly. These times include: the week between Christmas and New Year's, the month of July, Easter week, and Thanksgiving week. Presidents' week in February and the months of June and August are also busy, but since some schools are in session, the crowds are a bit lighter.
• Special experiences: Certain experiences book very quickly. If you want to eat at Cinderella's Royal Table (in the castle) at Disney World, or get a princess makeover at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, these reservations fill up extremely quickly, especially during peak travel times. Also popular are the dinner shows like Hoop-de-Doo Revue and Spirit of Aloha. The Disney Cruise Line has signature dining restaurants and shore excursions that have limited availability as well.
• Magical Express: Disney World's free transportation to and from the Orlando International Airport must be reserved at least 2 weeks in advance.

Disney Wonder in Alaska

 If I wait, can I get a better deal?

Actually, you can get the same deals whether you wait or not!

One special perk of doing a Disney vacation is that Disney will adjust the price of your vacation to reflect new discounts! They will not do this automatically; someone needs to call and ask for the adjustment to a specific reservation.

An excellent reason to use a Disney Vacation Planner is that we keep track of the discounts for you, make the calculations, and ask for the adjustments that will get you a better deal.

Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland Park

Why wait?

I hope that this post has helped to answer some questions about planning for Disney vacations.

I think the best question from me is: What are you waiting for?

Grand Floridian Resort

Disneyland Park: Disney's Original Theme Park

Don't forget about the world of magic in California! There's nothing like the original.

The Disneyland Resort has come a long way from Walt Disney's original theme park. At the time considered a large undertaking, Disneyland has undergone several expansions. The resort now includes 2 theme parks, a Downtown Disney area, and 3 Disneyland resort hotels. This post will focus on the Disneyland Park.

Disneyland Park is the only Disney theme park that Walt Disney himself lived to see realized. The park opened on July 17, 1955. Walt Disney's opening day speech is still one his most famous quotes. See a video of this speech below:

 

The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World was designed after the original Disneyland Park, so frequent visitors to Disney World will recognize the hub layout of the Park. There are a several differences in lands and rides. See a map of the Disneyland Park.

 

Sleeping Beauty Castle

The main entrance to Disneyland Park opens onto Main Street, USA with a view of the Sleeping Beauty Castle (in comparison to Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom). The Disneyland Railroad has several stops within the Disneyland Park.
 

Disneyland Train Station

There are four lands at Disneyland that have the same names and themes as the Magic Kingdom: Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland. However, each of these areas contains some differences:

• Adventureland: In addition to the original Tiki Room and Jungle Cruise, Adventureland at Disneyland also includes Tarzan's Treehouse (instead of the Swiss Family Treehouse) and Indiana Jones Adventure (which is a ride as opposed to the show at the Hollywood Studios in Disney World). Lovers of the Dole Whip will be pleased to note that this delicious pineapple concoction is also sold at Disneyland Park.

Indiana Jones Adventure

• Frontierland: Visitors to Frontierland at Disneyland Park can ride on the Sailing Ship Columbia in addition to the Mark Twain Riverboat. Disneyland's Frontierland also includes the Pirates' Lair on Tom Sawyer Island and the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Entertainment and dining options include the original Golden Horseshoe Saloon (soon to stage a tribute to the original Golden Horseshoe Revue) and the Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue.

Sailing Ship Columbia

• Fantasyland: This land seems to have the most differences with the Magic Kingdom. Rides that are the same include: King Arthur Carousel (different name), Casey Jr. Circus Train (different name), Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Peter Pan's Flight, Mad Tea Party, and it's a small world. Disneyland's Fantasyland also hosts the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. However, there are several differences. There is a Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough, as well as Pinocchio's Daring Journey, Snow White's Scary Adventures (recently closed at Magic Kingdom as part of the new Fantasyland), Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (closed at Magic Kingdom years ago to be replaced with Pooh), Alice in Wonderland, Pixie Hollow (where you can meet the Fairies), Matterhorn Bobsleds, and Storybook Land Canal Boats.

Matterhorn Bobsleds

• Tomorrowland: Similar attractions to Magic Kingdom include: Space Mountain, Autopia (different name for the Speedway), Astro Orbiter, and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters (different name). Also found are: Innoventions and Captain EO (at Epcot in Disney World), and Star Tours - The Adventures Continue (at Hollywood Studios). The Jedi Training Academy is also here (at Hollywood Studios). Different attractions include the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and Starcade (game arcade).

Finding Nemo's Submarine Voyage

Disneyland Park is also home to 3 differently named lands, though some of them have similar themes to current or former Magic Kingdom lands, and there are many of the same attractions.

• New Orleans Square: This land is similar to Liberty Square in Magic Kingdom. The attractions here are similar to attractions in the Magic Kingdom: Haunted Mansion Holiday and Pirates of the Caribbean (found in Adventureland).
• Critter Country: This land is home to Splash Mountain (in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom) and the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (found in Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom). A unique attraction is Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes.

Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes

• Mickey's Toontown: This land is still alive at the Disneyland Park, though it was demolished at the Magic Kingdom in favor of the new Fantasyland expansion. Here you can meet Mickey at his house, as well as visit Minnie's House, Goofy's Playhouse, Donald's Boat, and Chip and Dale's Treehouse. Rides include Gadget's Go Coaster and Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin.

Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin

As you can see, the Disneyland Park includes many of the favorites found at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom (and a few from other parks). However, there are many attractions that have been discontinued at Disney World that can still be found at Disneyland. In addition, there are several attractions unique to the Disneyland Park that make this park worth the visit.

This post only covers the adventures found at the Disneyland Park. There is still another world of magic found at Disney's California Adventure. Disneyland Resort's second theme park and other areas of the Disneyland Resort will be covered in future posts.

So stay tuned, and as always...have a magical day!