Best Photo Spots in California Adventure

Hi and welcome to the companion list of the best photo spots in Disneyland, and today we are covering California Adventure park.

1- In front of Carthay Circle Restaurant
a short walk down Buena Vista St. when you first enter Disneyland will find you at the Carthay Circle Restaurant. This is a great piece of Disney history as its design and name are based on the movie theatre where Snow White was first shown, the true start of Disney films.

2- Walt and Mickey Statue on Buena Vista St.
I love this statue, where Walt looks like he's just arrived in Cali, Mickey and his suitcase in tow and his coat over his shoulder.

3- In front of the Hyperion
The Hyperion is a huge theatre where they used to perform the Aladdin show for many years. It is now home to a Frozen stage show, which I haven't had the opportunity to see for myself. We won't get into the debate about the show changing, as I know there are people that both love and hate Frozen now making its way into so many places in the parks.

4- At the end of Buena Vista St.
Here, right next to the Hyperion, you will find an illusion painting that makes it look as if the street continues for a long distance, making it a good photo op!

5- On Route 66 in Cars Land
If you can, take this photo at night! The bright neon of this street at night is incredible- it feels like you have stepped right into the Cars movie.

6- The walkway next to Radiator Springs Racers
they did an awesome job recreating the landscape of this ride and there are plenty of awesome photo spots along this walking path.

7- Cove Bar at Paradise Pier
If you're wanting the best view of Paradise Pier in your backdrop, snag yourself a seat at the Cove Bar. Not to mention, they have some of the best food and drink this side of the park. (did somebody say cocktails?!)

8- World of Color Viewing area
This area will get you a great photo of Mickey's fun wheel during the day! Not to mention there isn't a lot of foot traffic on these boardwalks, ensuring you can get an uninterrupted photo.

9- Entrance to Paradise Pier
At the start of the boardwalk there's a great photo op- as there is a sign for Paradise Pier! At night, its even lit nicely, making it a good photo spot both day and night.

10- Under the replica San Fran bridge
this one's hard to miss- as you will see it right as you come into the park!

11- Bridge entrance to Pacific Wharf
This is another great spot thats well lit at night- great for a photo both day and night!

12-In front of the Bear at Grizzly River Run
Pretty self exploratory- great shot to take in front of a huge wooden bear statue! A great way to get a "before" shot before getting on Grizzly River Run.

13-In front of Ariel's Undersea Adventure
The building for this ride is gorgeous! You can get a good photo under the giant dome or in front of the beautiful glass windows on the side.

14- The exit of the Art of Animation building
this is a cute little photo op because the wall reads "... and they all lived happily ever after" a very sweet and very Disney sentiment.

15- Inside the main room of the Art of Animation building
This room is breathtaking, showing a panoramic of images and video from different classic Disney films, accompanied by a song from the film. It changes about every minute or two and besides photos its the perfect place to relax and take a break.

Photos you need to take in Disneyland

Hey all! I'm back with some more info on Disneyland, and today I'm covering good spots to get your photo taken in the park. We will cover some of the biggest ones as well as some lesser known areas.

1- the classic, in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle
The only problem is, it can be hard to get this photo depending on the time of day. There's always a lot of people crowded around here trying to get this opportunity. For a fresh take, try taking the photo closer to the bridge and from a lower angle, or even go back into the garden where the Walt and Mickey statue is- it will be less crowded here and you may even get more of the castle in your shot!

2-On Main ST, USA
Try getting this photo at either the busiest or least busy time of day! Other people won't ruin the shot, it will just show how this truly is the happiest place on earth. Get yourself in the middle of main st to pose.

3- The fire hall on Main ST
When you first enter the park and go through the tunnel, you will be at the tail end of main st in a plaza. On the west side you will see the fire hall- the location of Walt's private apartment! He used to turn the light on in the top window so that workers of the park would know when he was visiting.  This is an excellent opportunity to take a photo- since Walt's passing, they always leave he light on in his apartment- symbolizing that he is with the park in spirit.

4- the flowers at the entrance to Disneyland
This is another classic- here you will see the flowers have been grown into a design, which is usually the shape of Mickey's head! Its a great photo opportunity, but I recommend doing this later in the day so you aren't trying to wait in line or beat a crowd of people to the punch. This is actually also a great place to find a couple of characters to take photos with- Mostly Disney Princesses. This is the place I actually found Ariel and had one of the best interactions with her.

5- Finding Nemo lagoon
This lagoon is so pretty- and if you love Finding Nemo, you can get a shot of yourself with the seagulls from the movie. You will also have plenty of time to take this photo if you're waiting in line- this ride can have long wait times during the day!

6- Entrance to Tomorrowland
Here at the entrance to Tomorrowland, there is a rather large ride called the Astro Orbiter, which is complete with a sign for Tomorrowland!

7-The Sword in the Stone- in front of King Arthur's Carousel
A few times a day, there is an event involving the sword in the stone- otherwise, its a great place to take a photo, and try your hand at removing the sword! You can also get a shot of the carousel in the background.

This photo is a young me on my first visit to Disneyland- still one of my favorite photos from the trip!

8-At any of the Disneyland Railroad stations
You usually have to wait for the train anyway- so take some time to stop and pose in front of the station!

9- Toontown Entrance
Since the entrance to Toontown is under a tunnel, this is a great spot to get some photos taken . Above the tunnel there is a sign for Toontown as well as a population counter that's a little wacky!

10- Mickey and Minnie's homes
If you're having trouble getting a photo with Mickey or Minnie, go through the tour of their homes in Toontown and if you're lucky Mickey or Minnie will be waiting at the end to take a photo with you! The line can sometimes be long, which also leaves you plenty of chances to take photos inside their homes.

11- Around the gag shop
Toontown is full of silly photo opportunities, such as bending jail bars, weights stuck in the ground, and gas pumps that are actually fish tanks! Take a minute to wander around here and take a silly photo or two- it's never to busy to get a few in.

12- Eating a Dole Whip
a Dole Whip is without a doubt a quintessential element of any Disney trip. Dole Wips + Tiki Room= Happiest day ever! You can get a Dole Whip while waiting for the Tiki Room- this area is full of Tiki statues and will make for a great photo.

13- The Rivers of America in New Orleans Square
The front paths closest to Rivers of America usually aren't too crowded- and if you catch this right you can also get the Mark Twain Riverboat or the Pirate ship in the background!

14- The stairs in New Orleans Square
Tucked away in the shops of New Orleans Square, there is a set of stairs! You can't ascend them all the way, but you can get a nice photo here as well as a break from some of the crowds. The odd time you may also find Tiana here.

15- Club 33
Club 33 is more well known than it used to be. If you don't know what Club 33 is, its an exclusive restaurant inside Disneyland, where only members of Club 33 can eat. Members include mostly the wealthy or families that have had a membership for a long long time- the waiting list is quite long to get in the club and the club fees per year are quite hefty. Regardless, you can find the entrance to Club 33 hiding in plain sight next to the Blue Bayou Restaurant.

These are some of the best photo spots in Disneyland- be sure to look out for my guide for California Adventure as well as a future guide to finding Characters for photos.

Disneyland Diamond celebration and ride tips

If there's one thing to know, it's that any crowd forecasts or ride closure expectancy calendars will not necessarily be accurate for this year at the Disneyland Park.They planned refurbs to take place before the 60th celebration was underway to ensure that maximum rides could remain open for the remainder of the year. Therefore, you can safely go any time of year and assume that the rides will be open.

Of course, there are often ride closures during the day. What you have to remember is that these rides are on all day, almost every single day. There is bound to be some mechanical issues or a problem every now and then. What I recommend in this case is that if the line is short, stand in line for a little while. When we went to Disneyland in June 2 years ago, Splash Mountain's line was constantly a few hours long. Which makes sense because of the weather. However, one day, the line was unusually short. So, we overheard that the ride was closed down. I told my husband that we should wait in line as it probably would not be long, as I could hear that they were already doing testing within the ride. And to our surprise, within ten minutes the ride was functional and there were only about 20 people ahead of us in line!

And of course, I always recommend getting fast passes for the busiest rides of the day. Matterhorn doesn't have fast pass option, so I always recommend making a beeline for that ride first thing in the morning. Finding Nemo also doesn't have a fastpass, so I always make that my second ride of the day to ensure shortest lines for both.

If you're a big fan of Indiana Jones, I highly recommend getting a fast pass for this ride. It routinely has some of the longest wait times in all of Disneyland Park. Another good option is to try and get in line during a parade or other show when the lines are destined to be short. Of course, other big fast pass musts are Radiator Springs Racers, Space Mountain, and Tower of Terror. And during the hot months, add Splash Mountain and Grizzly River Run to that list.

In hot seasons, I recommend avoiding waiting in line too long in Jungle Cruise. It is an all outdoor queue, and can get extremely hot when packed full of people. Same goes for Toy Story's midway Mania. If you can, I would ride these in the early morning or evening when the heat is not as severe outside. In fact, riding jungle cruise during the fireworks can be an awesome experience!

If you're looking for a quick way to cool down, I can always suggest Pirates. It's refreshing and relaxing and even if the line is long it usually moves quite quickly. Same goes for the Haunted Mansions. These rides are designed to take a large amount of people better than any ride.

The best rule of thumb is that if there are some rides you absolutely want to do that day, then get up and get to the park as early as you possibly can.

During the 60th anniversary, it's going to be a little more tough to predict how busy it will be. But you can bet that any long weekend and the Christmas season will be busier than ever, so avoid these times at all costs. September is generally a low season month and it is another reason I chose to go at this time. I have only experienced Disney at high volume times so I will be interested to see the difference. If you are debating between Christmas and Summer, I vote summer. While it can be quite hot, the lines are significantly shorter than in the Christmas/New Year's window. Any time this year will be special because of the Diamond Celebration,

Disneyland vs. Walt Disney World

Hello all, taking a break from my updates on travel to Walt Disney World to bring you an ultimate comparison list between Disneyland and Walt Disney World! I hope this list will not be biased as to my opinion, and I also hope this list helps you choose which park is best for your next visit.

Without further ado, we will start with some general points about each resort:

when using Disney Resort shuttle:
1. WDW includes the fee of the resort shuttle in your package, at Disneyland, you have to pay for this service (it is worth it either way, as I could never hope to navigate California on my own)

2. Travel time from Orlando International airport is significantly shorter than travel from Los Angeles International (LAX is the cheapest to fly into if you are from Canada, in my experience)  That said, I recommend trying to arrive in LA when rush hour traffic is not present.

general resort pros and cons:
3. WDW has tons of on site park hotels set for each and every budget, while Disneyland only offers three, and all are on the high end (at least 200 dollars a night) But there are also many good neighbor hotels very close to Disneyland resort and you are still able to walk to Disney from many of these options.

4. The weather at Disneyland is much more mild than in Florida. Disneyland is much more comfortable during the summer months, as they do not have daily rain as WDW will.

5. There is more travel time involved in a WDW trip. There are almost no hotels within walking distance of a park, and they will not be within walking distance of each park. We never went back to the room or freshen up to have a nap because it felt too tedious to wait and take another 15 minute bus ride. With Disneyland, we could take a five minute walk back to our hotel.

6.WDW offers an amazing, all encompassing Dining Plan. Disneyland now only offers pre bought vouchers for Character meals. If you're not a big eater, however, I wouldn't say you even need the dining plan. each meal includes entree, drink, and dessert, and my husband and I struggled to eat that much food three times a day, and we really felt like we were wasting money when we turned down dessert at more than half of our meals or weren't able to finish our food.

7.FAST PASSES!!! Disneyland allows you to have one fastpass at a time, and to get said fast pass, you have to physically go to the ride and get your fastpass, to return an hour or so from that point. In Walt Disney World, however, there is a new thing called magic bands! Magic bands are amazing and Disneyland should really look at implementing it's technology as well. Magic bands allow you to use their app or website to pre book THREE fast passes for your day, and keep track of them on the app as well. Not only that, but they hold your park entry, dining reservations, dining credits, and you can even make charges to your room/credit card with the band! This makes your day so much easier as all you really need is a device that can use wifi and your magic band and you are set for the day, no need to worry about forgetting to get fast passes or your park tickets.



Park differences:
1. Disneyland is more compact, with more rides and attractions in a smaller space. This makes it a little easier to get around and you don't have to go to four different parks just to get to all your favorite rides.

2. That said, places such as Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom did not have much for exciting rides. On average, they have about 2-3 rides that you won't want to miss.

3.The themes of each WDW park are very well done and it feels like you are in a whole new place each time. Especially Animal Kingdom, where you can see tons of wonderful animals as well as different areas reflecting places such as asia, africa, and the like.

4. The castles: Disneyland's castle is the Sleeping Beauty castle. It is pink and the centerpiece for the entire park. It is significantly shorter than the Matterhorn, which is slightly to the right and behind it. WDW's castle is Cinderella castle. This castle is white and is significantly larger than Sleeping Beauty's. It is a wonderful thing to behold, and there isn't really anything in the skyline that is bigger than it.

5. Toon Town and Cars Land: These are two major areas of the the Disneyland parks that are great for kids. If your kids love cars, they are sure to love it. The recreation is amazing and walking down route 66 feels like you just stepped into Cars the movie. As for Toon Town, it is an amazing place to find the main characters of Disney if you don't book any character meals. This is a very unique place in Disneyland and I love it for it's quirkiness, and of course Daisy's Diner pizza.



Ride differences:

If you've only been to one of the parks, you might not know that each of the park's rides are slightly different. Some are the same, such as Peter Pans' Flight, Snow White, and all the main Fantasyland rides.  But now i'm going to tell you my opinion on which park has the better ride of each one that I noticed a difference in:

1. Pirates of the Caribbean
This one is hands down the most important to me. It is my favorite ride and I could never get tired of it. Disneyland wins this battle hands down. Not only does the Blue Bayou restaurant overlook the start of the ride, which is really cool, but this version has way more drops than WDW's counterpart, which really only has one compared to Disneyland's 3!

2. The Haunted Mansion
This is my second favorite ride. In this instance, WDW's version of the Haunted Mansion wins. The queue for the WDW haunted mansion is immerse, with many activities to do while you wait for your turn on the ride. Once inside, the elevator ride is much the same, though I hear in Disneyland you actually descend, whereas in Disney World the ceiling goes up and you stay in place. There are quite a few more rooms in the Haunted Mansion in WDW, including the library, the staircase room, and the attic. I loved each of these rooms so much and I hope that one day they make their way into Disneyland.

3. Jungle Cruise
ah, Jungle Cruise. Nothing like lame dad jokes to really make you laugh. I always enjoy when you get a cast memeber with a few jokes of their own- it really refreshes the trip. Much of each jungle cruise is the same- except for the fact that Disney World does not have the 'piranhas' like Disneyland, and Disney World also boasts and impressive ruins cave, complete with spiders, tigers, and treasures abouding. Disney World also happens to win this one for me, due to the addition of the ruins. However, I find smaller children might not appreciate this addition.

4. Finding Nemo
The WDW version of this ride is found in Epcot, named a little confusingly so I was not sure if it was actually there or not. It is connected to the aquarium, and once you make your way through the ride you end up in the aquarium itself. Most of the ride details are the same, but Disneyland takes the prize on this one. In Disneyland, you get into an actual submarine in a little lagoon and make your way around, viewing the events through your own little porthole. This is much more fun in my opinion.

5. Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters vs. Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin:
I found it much more enjoyable in Disneyland. The gun was easier to fire and the way it was designed seemed to be much easier on the eyes than it's WDW counterpart. Though it has a different name, this ride is basically the same in each park.

6. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror:
Once again, very similar. The difference is in WDW you are moved forward in a hallway before you drop. That and they are programmed to drop a different number of times and from different heights each time, therefore your experience in WDW should never be the same twice. I have to say Disneyland wins this one for me because I didn't really like the feeling that we moved through a corridor before plummeting to our doom. It's a marvel how it works, but it makes me nervous!


7. Last but not least, the Train!
I'm talking about the train that takes you around the parks. WDW's is literally just about getting from point A to point B, and in Disneyland there's something to see in between every stop on the way! The best part: Dinosaurs! They have a HUGE dinosaur scene between Tomorrowland and Main ST. and it is well worth riding the train at least once. Disneyland wins this one, hands down.

I didn't notice a significant difference between Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, Ariel's Undersea Adventure, or Autopia, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.



Rides at One park that aren't at the other:

Disneyland exclusives:
1. Cars Land- all rides here are present in California Adventure.
2. Matterhorn Bobsleds
3. Monsters Inc. in California Adventure.
4. Alice In Wonderland
5. California Screamin' in California Adventure
6. Casey JR. Circus Train
7. Flik's Flyers in California Adventure
8. Gadget's Go Coaster in Toontown, also something you can't find in WDW
9. Golden Zypher in California Adventure
10. Goofy's Sky School in California Adventure
11. Heimlich's Chew Chew Train in California Adventure
12. Indiana Jones Adventure- arguably one of the best rides for adults.
13. Jumpin' Jellyfish in California Adventure
14. Mickey's Fun Wheel in California Adventure
15. Mr Toad's Wild Ride
16.Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin
17.Storybook Land Canal Boats: another amazing ride

Walt Disney World exclusives:
1.Advanced Training Lab- Epcot
2.The Barnstormer- Magic Kingdom
3.DINOSAUR- Animal Kingdom
4.Expidition Everest- Animal Kingdom
5.Gran Fiesta Tour- Epcot
6.The Great Movie Ride- Hollywood Studios
7.Kilimanjaro Safaris- Animal Kingdom
8.The Magic Carpets of Aladdin- Magic Kingdom
9.Mission: Space
10.Primeval Whirl- Animal Kingdom
11.Rock 'n' Rollercoaster- Hollywood Studios
12.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train- Magic Kingdom
13.Spaceship Earth- Epcot
14.Test Track- Epcot
15.PeopleMover- Magic Kingdom
16.Triceratop Spin- Animal Kingdom
17, If you're looking for Malestrom, it's gone. It's to be replaced with a Frozen themed ride!

I actually didn't expect these lists to turn out so close! But here we have them, with the aide of each park's website. I didn't include rides that are basically the same with different names. This isn't a total list of everything different, but I will certainly write a part two for people who want! So suck all this information in and really think about which park is best for you and your family/travel companions. While I loved both, Disneyland will always be #1 for me.

-Sarah

Going to Disney World - Part 2!

So, on our second full day at the parks, we decided to make our way to Animal Kingdom! I got fast passes for Expidition Everest, Dinosaur, and Killimanjaro Safari! We started our day off by making our way to the safari, because I hear that this is the busiest attraction.

A lot of people seemed to have the same idea as a few dozen people were ahead of us and also headed for the safari! Thankfully we didn't have to wait long as we got there right around park opening. The great thing about the buses is that I firmly believe there isn't a bad seat on it. This experience was far beyond the level of going to a zoo to see animals. Here, you could see the animals had tons of space to roam freely, and it was exhilarating to take a trip trough their home instead of staring at them in cages. The best thing about the safari is that there are so many animals you have a chance to see something new every time you go.

From there, we decided we would take in the sights around the park before having some lunch in Dinoland U.S.A. The themeing at Animal Kingdom is quite unique and itr really did feel like we were in another place.  We had lunch at restaurantosaurus as my husband is a HUGE fan of dinosaurs. We both got the mac and cheese hot dog. It was prerty good, but I felt it could use a bit more flavor.

                                                              Mac and Cheese Hot dog.

                                                    Restaurant interior.


Then we rode dinosaur, which was scary but fun! (I don't recommend this for the little ones that sxare easily) as most of the dinosaurs are harmless, but one dinosaur in particular is quite large and 'chases' after you, even blowing air in your face!  However, despite its age, dinosaur lovers will feel transported in time and abosultely love this  ride.

                  Dinosaur's line up was quite long after lunch- this one is worth getting a fast pass for!


We had a few more hours before expidition everest (which I was sure I would back out of, as roller coasters of that level terrify me) so we took the train to the Rafiki area. It was neat as there are some scientests actually working there on different thinga, and through glass windows they can see you and comminucate what they are working on and answer your questions. This is when the rain really began to pour. Ideally, we should have hid out at the rafiki building, but we did not expect it to rain ao long. We made our way back to the train starion, getting soaked in the process.  The train is in open air but is thankfully covered, so we remained relatively dry on our way back. Thunder and light ning was starting and our expedition everest fastpass was approaching. We ducked into a store which was aboslutely packed.

                                     Needles to say, my husband got a little soaked in the rain!

That's the one problem with animal kingdom: there is almost nowhere to hide from the inevitable rain.  Every single store was packed, so we made our way from store to store until the rain passed. We headed for expedition Everest, but it was still not in service due to lightning being close. I really appreciate their concerns for patrons safety on the outdoor rides, and we decided to wait in the fast pass line for them to start up again. An hour later, we were able to ride. I was extremely nervous. I would say I had fun, despite screaming my face off the entire time. Though I don't think I could ride it again, I'm proud to say I did and didn't chicken out.

After this, we decided to see the last showing of festival of the lion king, which had to be my favorite show in the entirety of Walt Disney World. There's circus acts, amazing singing, and Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa all make an appearance! This show is truly phenomenal and I cannot recommend it enough if you're making a visit to animal kingdom.

                                          Hands down one of the best shows in Disney World!

We finished out day off with dinner at the rainforest cafe. It was our first time eating there, and I was afraid it would be overrated, sacrificing good food for theming. I was pleasantly surprised to say I really enjoyed my meal and the staff despite feeling quite ill that evening!

Without further ado, here are some recommendations for Animal Kingdom:

1. Pack a good raincoat and don't wear runners (summer)
2. Make your way to killimanjaro safari right away
3. Check the festival of the Lion King showtimes and make sure you see one!
4. Ride expedition everest, even if you're a little scared.
5. Get a great adult drink in Dinoland U.S.A if your day has been hectic!
6. Take the time to walk the trails around the safari. There are some great animals you can see there, including gorillas!

Going to Walt Disney World

Hello all! This is a long overdue post on my trip to Walt Disney World.

I first noticed the great prices for Walt Disney World sometime around this time last year. They do a great deal of 30% off hotel during the summer months, as it is not their busy season. It goes without saying that Florida is warm year round, and the summer exceptionally so.

Being the person I am, I always love to save money, especially on a trip. So I booked for the Caribbean beach resort for the month of July! It was surprisingly affordable and included a meal plan for a great price. I planned for 6 full days spent in the parks with one travel day on each side of that.

If you're going in the summer, I highly recommend getting some comfortable sandals. Don't take the cheap old navy ones, because by the first day I could tell they weren't cutting it for me. I actually purchased some in the park (Roxy brand) and I loved those flip flops. extremely comfortable, and when it rains you don't find yourself wearing wet sneakers for hours.

I'm going to say right off the bat that if you have a weak stomach or body that is affected by weather changes, I don't recommend going in the summer. The weather is highly unpredictable (which we knew, what we didn't know is that dealing with that would leave me feeling ill at least half the time we spent there.) It rains AT LEAST once a day. There was not a single day we were there that it didn't rain. So make sure you bring raincoats that will keep you somewhat dry once the sky opens up and begins to pour, as it will.

So, when we arrived to the airport, we were escorted to a bus that would take us to our resort. They try to put people on a bus who are going to resorts somewhat close to one another. We were one of the first stops and it was a very short drive. Despite travelling all day, we were still very excited at it was both our first time at Disney World. We checked in at the front desk, and then were told it was best to wait for a bus to get to our room.

Disney's Caribbean beach resort is one of the biggest hotels on Walt Disney World property. It has several clusters of buildings all named after places in the Caribbean. We ended up in the Aruba section, which was located right across the lake from the food court and main pool. It was actually close enough to walk to and from the front desk in my opinion, but others might prefer a bus. However, someone spotted us waiting and said we had just missed a bus, so one of the maintenance van drivers kindly took us directly to the Aruba area. This unexpected hospitality definitely lifted our spirits after a long day of travel.

I love that the rooms in Caribbean beach open right up into a walkway. It was nice to not have to take an elevator or navigate hotel hallways and walk straight into our door. Shortly after we arrived, someone delivered the package I had picked out for my Husband's anniversary gift. They had him sign for it, since I had included some Bailey's for the coffee and hot chocolate he would surely be having during mornings spent there.

Here's a photo of what his gift contained- pictured on the lovely Finding Nemo bedspread!

Once we got that all sorted, we headed for the parks right away. Even though I had not slept in quite some time, I was much to excited to spend the rest of the night in the hotel room. It started to get very stormy once we arrived, but we still took some photos and were too excited to be concerned. It did drizzle a little that evening, but no heavy rain and no lightning!

                  This is me attempting to look awake after not sleeping for 23 hours!
                           (I was too excited to sleep the night before our flight!)
This night was by far the latest we stayed at the park on our entire trip, and I have to say the best part of the night was watching the fireworks while riding Big Thunder Mountain! Seriously guys, it's one of the best views for the fireworks!

Cinderella castle as viewed from somewhere around Tomorrowland- by far the most peaceful place to view the castle. I'm sorry- my iPhone photos definitely don't do the castle justice!

We then returned to our hotel and had a little rest on a hammock on the beach at our resort- which was a beyond perfect way to end the day! Then I had a wonderful sleep- we didn't worry about what time we had to be up as we were returning to the magic kingdom- going there the night before helped us have our bearings and I wasn't concerned about missing out on time spent there!

I had done some sluething and found a way to make lunch reservations at Be Our Guest Restaurant, which I had heard was pretty busy most days! It was magical and I really loved the re-creation of Beasts castle and being able to eat there was nothing short of amazing. I hear that soon they are opening up fast pass reservations for lunch and they will be much easier to get, so keep your eyes peeled for that when booking your own trip.

While the main ballroom was beautiful, it was very crowded and noisy, so we took a look at the other rooms. The study was by far my favorite, but there was nowhere to sit, so we came to the music box room. This room was the emptiest and the quiestest, but oh so beautiful!

They slowly rotate to a quiet music box song!

There were cute little canvases all around the room depicting Belle and Beast's adventures, it was a really lovely touch. 

What happens next is truly amazing. You keep a rose token on your table, and your food finds you! Someone brought the food we had ordered on a cart, while there is soft drink machines in each room so you can get drinks at your leisure. My husband had the pot roast- which was positively divine. I'm not a vegetarian, but I had the vegetarian quiche. It wasn't my favorite, but I really loved my desserT, A strawberry cream cheese cupcake! Not too sweet, it was perfect for me.

cute little photo of my perfect cupcake!

I have to say, that while I love Disneyland more, Walt Disney World really has perfected their fastpass system. Booking three fast passes for the day really made getting onto the busier rides much smoother and much more enjoyable! It was a very hot day, and of course it did rain that day, but it wasn't for long and didn't invade on our fast passes. This by far was probably our best day in the parks.

Dole Whip floats are required on hot days!

We once again finished our day with a swim in our 'island's' private pool and a lay in a hammock complete with yummy adult drink. Having a pool in each area of the hotel was great for us- we were able to take a swim no matter what time of night it was, and the pool was never full of kids like the main pool was! So if you like to swim but don't enjoy crowded swimming pools, this hotel is for you.

This post is getting quite long, so keep an eye out for the post on the remainder of our days in the parks!

Disneyworld Magic Bands and Making Reservations

Since we are staying on Disney property when travelling to Disney World, we will be receiving Magic Bands. To my knowledge, since we live in Canada, we will receive our travel documents by mail and our Magic Bands when we check into the Caribbean Beach Resort.

Magic Bands are still fairly knew to Disney World from what I know, and based on my information about the technology, I really hope that someday they can also incorporate this into Disneyland.

Magic Bands are worn on your wrist and can be customized by choosing your color and adding a name. I have also heard that they sell certain accessories for them in the park! I'm looking forward to seeing these as you get to keep your magic band, and should you visit Disney World again, you are able to use the same magic band!

Magic Bands are all-encompassing and are your room key, your park ticket, and also hold reminders for events in the park, your dining reservations, fastpass plus, dining plan, and can be attached to a card and used for purchases around the park! You couldn't ask for better convenience in a Disney park!

So far, we have only made a few dinner reservations based on which parks we know we want to visit first. As of now, we haven't decided if we want to make more reservations or just play our days by ear. I know we are visiting at a very busy time, especially with the discounts and it being summer, and we are concerned about getting the most out of our table service credits. We are mostly hesitant for two reasons; one, you have to put your credit card on file and you are charged a fee if you don't show, and 2, we aren't sure how busy which park will be on which day and exactly where in the park each restaurant is.

We are definitely giving Liberty Tree Tavern and Rainforest cafe a try. The very day we booked our trip I attempted to book a spot at Be Our Guest restaurant, but it was already completely unavailable. I have heard rumors that you can use a fast pass reservation for a lunch time at Be Our Guest restaurant, and I'm still hopeful that we will be able to use a selection for this.

Fastpass Plus is something that will only be available to people with Magic Bands, and I believe also exclusive to people staying at the resort. Fastpass Plus allows you to make three advance Fastpass selections, from 60 days before your trip onwards. Two of the parks have tiered selections, where different rides and experiences are sectioned into groups where you may only choose one from each group. You are also not permitted to make two selections for the same ride. Once you have used your three fastpass plus selections for that day, you are able to go and make one new fastpass reservation at a time, as a normal guest would do. Most, if not all sites have recommended making your fastpass selections for the afternoon, when the park will be busiest and you will encounter the longest lines.

It also suggests that if you happen to have made a fastpass selection for a ride that turned out to not be busy, to not use your fast pass and instead change it to make use of it somewhere else. If this ever occurs on my trip, I will document it and report back.

All in all, I believe Magic Bands will make our trip that much more pleasant. Don't be afraid to ask any other questions in the comments. If I don't have an answer, I can surely find one for you!