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.

Dining Events in Disneyland- everything you need to know

Hey guys!

So this week, we booked our dining reservations. The first few times I went to Disneyland, we had no dining reservations and did not even eat at a sit down restaurant. However, I have to say, since doing so, that it is definitely worth it to book at least one fancy lunch or dinner while in Disneyland. You are on vacation, after all!

Along with standard dining reservation, Disneyland also allows you to make dining reservations that include premium fast passes for Fantasmic! in Disneyland park and World of Color in California Adventure. From what I am aware of, the Fantasmic! Dining package is fairly new, as it was not in place when I was at the park 2 years ago. But I am really happy to see they have started a fast pass system and look forward to seeing what it will be like this time around. Previously, you just had to find a spot to stand/sit in New Orleans Square and hope you got a good view and someone wouldn't be shoving you over to see.

For Fantasmic! You are only able to book a dinner, and the time you eat will decide on which showing of Fantasmic your fast pass will be for.  The two showings are 9:00 and 10:00, so if you have dinner before 6, it's guaranteed you will be getting the 9:00 passes, With the Fantasmic! Dining option you have two restaurants to choose from:

Blue Bayou Restaurant, at $61.00 per adult and $23.00 for children ages 3-9
Dining starts at 4 pm and includes a starter, entree, non alcoholic drink, and dessert. It's a Prix-Fixe menu, but I'm pretty sure it's almost all the same options you get otherwise. Based on the prices of their dinner this is actually a very good price, depending on what you are planning on eating. Not only do you not have to worry about picking up Fantasmic fast passes, but you also get a great three course meal for almost the same, if not less what you would be paying to eat at the Blue Bayou anyways.

Blue Bayou is in high demand and it is always recommended that you make reservations if you want to eat there, whether fantasmic or not.

River Belle Terrace,at $41.99 per adult, $21.99 per child ages 3-9
If you're bringing kids, the price for children is not much different. River Belle Terrace is also a buffet style meal, so it all depends on whether you would like a fancy meal or something more casual such as this.

We decided on Blue Bayou purely for the atmosphere. I feel that even if the food isn't perfect, its something everyone should experience at least one time in Disneyland. However, I was planning to book our Fantasmic! meal on a Tuesday, but it just wasn't popping up, even when I waited until less than 60 days before I wanted to eat there. We called to discover that they do not do fantasmic shows during the week in their slower seasons. So if you are planning to go in the fall or any slow season, make sure you have a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday in the park, as those are the only showing days.



Now for World of Color. With World of Color, you have your choice of three restaurants. Two offer lunch or dinner, and one only dinner. The lunch option will most certainly get you into the first showing of World of Color. Once again, menus are Prix-Fixe but include a starter, entree, non-alcoholic drink and dessert. Here are the options:

Ariel's Grotto: DINNER ONLY $45.35 Adults and $23.75 children ages 3-9
Ariel's Grotto has mediocre food at best, and the service is not the best, as they are constantly busy. I can only recommend this option if you or your children REALLY want to meet all the Disney Princesses, as this is the easiest way to meet Snow White, Belle, Aurora, Cinderella, and of course, Ariel. Other than Ariel, whom you must meet and take a photo with before you are seated, each princess makes the rounds during dinner and will come to your table to chat, take photos/ sign autograph books. If this is a must for you, then choose this restaurant.

Wine Country Trattoria: Lunch $32.39 adults $20.50 ages 3-9
                                            Dinner $45.35 adults  $23.75 ages 3-9
Speaking from experience, Wine Country has amazing food and good service. This is a great choice for your party whether it includes children or not. This is the option we chose, and we chose to go for lunch. We also chose this option for our World of Color dining when we went to Disneyland two years ago. Lunch is very reasonably priced. We also found that it wasn't super busy, and it's also nice and tucked away, so if you're wanting a little quiet and a great view of the park, this one's a winner.

Carthay Circle Restaurant: Lunch $42.13 Adults $19.44 ages 3-9
                                           Dinner $63.73 Adults $21.60 ages 3-9
This is by far the most expensive option for World of Color and the only one I have not eaten at myself. However, if the menu itself and the look appeals to you, go for it! The blurb suggests that the food is the flavors of Southern California.

All in all, I feel that if you are going to book a more expensive dinner, or were planning to eat at one of these restaurants anyways, it is certainly worth it to make it a Dining Event reservation and get a little extra. It saves the stress of remembering to pick up your own Fast Passes, and you get much better viewing areas then others do. There are tiers within the restaurant options, with the most expensive options being closest to the action. So prepare to get a little wet!