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.

Halloween in Disneyland - September 2015

Hello all! We are still planning out our trip to Disneyland this September, and as we do so,more events are popping up!

Last week, Disneyland finally announced their dates for the Mickey's Halloween party in 2015! The very first party falls when we will be in the park, and we decided we will attend!

If a Halloween party falls on a day you go, you have a couple options. You can just get a regular day ticket/park hopper, but the park will close around 7 to non- Halloween ticket holders. You are still free to visit California Adventure park.
Your other choice is to purchase a ticket for the party, which generally goes from 7 pm - midnight. However, they allow entry up to 3 hours before the party, meaning you can enter the park at 4 p.m.! The price for the tickets increases as it gets closer to Halloween, but based on what's included, I feel that it will be worth it.

So, for the purchase of a ticket, here's what you get this year:

-Early entry into the park (so you get 4pm to midnight in the park!)
-Complimentary parking
-Lots of characters only present during the party! (If you love Villains, this party is for you!)
-Access to almost all rides (I'm not sure which ones will be closed for the party, but I will update as soon as I can figure out that information. I'm pretty sure the biggest and best rides will remain open,and I'm mainly hoping to ride Indiana Jones and Jungle Cruise a few times that day.)
-Special Halloween Screams fireworks (These will only be shown during Mickey's Halloween party, regardless if you are there close to Halloween and not at a party.)
-Trick or Treat stations- stocked with both candy and "healthful" treats. Which I assume to be dried fruit or something of the like.
-Paint the night parade (which I believe is also what they do on regular nights during the 60th anniversary)
-Dance Party with characters from Monsters U!

Another important thing to note as that there is NO SMOKING in the park WHATSOEVER during the event. However, they will be allowing exit and re-entry for those who need to smoke. I find it quite interesting that they wouldn't just leave the designated smoking areas as they are, but I'm sure they have their reasons.

I'm not going to be trick-or-treating myself, but I will definitely be dressed up for this event. We have decided to go as Ariel and Eric, with my husband's mom as Ursula, with a little twist! (Which is extra funny, as my husband was terrified of Ursula growing up.) Being that Halloween and dressing up are two of my favorite things, I could not be more excited.

A couple things you need to consider with your costume:
1. COMFORT. You want to be able to make it from 4pm to midnight in this costume. That means you might want to re-think wearing high heels, uncomfortable makeup, or tight/restricting clothing.
2.CHILD FRIENDLY. If you're an adult, you need to make sure that your costume will not frighten children, and also covers your body appropriately. It's better not to risk it if you are unsure of your costume choice, as if your costume cannot be altered, you WILL be denied entry, even though you paid. Also, cannot drag on the ground, for obvious reasons.
3. NO WEAPONS that can be mistaken for the real thing. I assume foam swords and nerf guns would be acceptable. Though, another thing to consider is that you might not want to be toting something like that around the park all night long.
4. MASKS are okay, as long as they aren't obstructing vision. I was actually surprised at this, as I figured masks would be a no-go. I wouldn't be wearing  a mask for comfort reasons, but to each their own!
5. If you dress as a Disney character, you cannot pose for photos with other guests or sign autographs. This one is most likely because they don't want people mistaking you for a cast member, whom are properly trained for those sort of interactions. They have an image they wish to uphold.

Though, I feel that if you're going to a Disneyland Halloween party, wouldn't your first choice be to dress as a Disney character? Maybe that's just me.

As we had already purchased a 5 day ticket plan when we booked our trip, this now means that we will also be able to go to the park the first afternoon we arrive, which it will be my first time doing so in Disneyland! I'm actually kind of glad, because then we can see the fireworks, or possibly ride some of the busier rides during fireworks. At first, we planned to visit Uva in Downtown Disney for dinner on the first night, but that plan may change as we will want to maximize our time in the park.

But I'm rambling. This leaves us half the day on Friday to go shopping or just relax if we wish. Then we will enter the park as soon as we can and make the most of our last day in Disney by enjoying a Halloween Party! Sounds pretty great to me!

Also, you will be given wristbands to identify that you are a Halloween party guest. Anyone not found to be wearing one after 7 pm will be escorted from the park. Make sure yours is visible at all times!

Mickey's Halloween party tickets for Disneyland go on sale July 29th to the general public, and can be purchased at Disneyland's website. This is recommended as you save money by buying in advance!
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/tickets/events/