Minnie's Breakfast at the Plaza Inn

We decided that a character breakfast was a must-do on this trip to Disneyland. There are several to choose from, but we went with Minnie - well, because it's got Minnie right there in the name! And though expensive, I thought it was totally worth the money - a great experience!

First of all, the food. It was a breakfast buffet with tons o' choices and the food was deeeelish! Mercy, to have a plate of that bacon right now...mmm! There are also Mickey shaped waffles, a huge hit with the kids, tons of fruit, eggs, bacon/ham/sausage, hashbrowns, lots of drink choices...really, very very good.

The characters were lots of fun, and most of them came by more than once. We saw Minnie, Tigger, Pooh, Eyore, Captain Hook (who was hilarious) and the Fairy Godmother. They were all adorable and fabulous with the kids.

Overall...highly recommended!

When You're Going To Meet Minnie, It's Important To Wear The Right Outfit

I think this one will do just fine!

Maya even drew a picture to give to Minnie. I can't remember now if she actually ever gave it to her, but she was was very excited about it!

The Lowdown on Disneyland Guides

I'm a guide-reading type of girl. I like to know what I'm getting myself into. And I like to know everyone's opinion on everything. That's not to say I don't take it with a grain of salt - I do, for sure, but I just think more information is better. So there are my Disneyland guidebook picks.

The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland. This, unsurprisingly, is the "unofficial" look at Disneyland (it's not just a clever title...). It offers lots of advice, "touring plans" (which are really only necessary if you're there in the busy season) and ratings by age for each and every ride. It tends, a little bit, to look on the negative side. Perhaps on the "realistic" side. In fact, it sort of freaked me out before we went the first time, with its descriptions of the crowds and lines and the mania. But it has lots of good information and I highly recommend it if you're a first time D-land visitor.

Birnbaum's Disneyland is the "official" word on Disneyland - they sell these guidebooks in the giftshops. I think it's a great guide. It describes each ride, picks favorites, describes the dining options and shopping. It's very thorough and super-helpful. And being the official guide of Disneyland it does, of course, accentuate the positive. Which. Nothing wrong with that.

So those are my favorites. If you're as anal retentive as I am with your vacation planning, you might want to pick them up. Plus, they make great light reading when you're reliving your trip weeks and months after you get home. Or maybe that's just me.

Disneyland Guide: Critter Country

Chris skipped town this week and took all of our Disneyland pics with him on his laptop! So since I can't inundate you with vacation photos, I will instead be giving you my completely biased blow-by-blow of Disneyland's different "lands". Starting with Critter Country...

There's not a whole bunch o' stuff in Critter Country, but not to worry, people - it's quality all the way!

• Splash Mountain: I may have mentioned our love for Splash Mountain? Perhaps? Best ride in the park, in my opinion. If you don't sit up front, you won't get too wet. (Unless you're Maya. In which case, you'll get soaked no matter where you sit.) The songs are infectious, the sights will make you grin and the drops (yes, dropS, plural!) are exciting - especially that last plunge. You have to be 40 inches to ride, so Masey just missed the cutoff. If you have little ones in your party, you can do a "baby swap" (everyone stands in line - someone stays behind with the baby while the rest of the party rides, and you swap when they get back) or you can partake of the other goodies Critter Country has to offer. Such as...
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: This is a classic Disneyland indoor track ride that takes you through a day (and night - a fun dream sequence!) with Pooh. There's not much to any of these track rides, but I adore them and the kids like 'em, too. And the line is almost always short. After you've done that you might want to...
• Meet Pooh & Friends: Pooh, Eyore and Tigger were out greeting guests in Critter Country every day we were there. The lines were a bit long, but it's a good way to kill some time while the rest of your group rides Splash Mountain. Or if greeting Pooh isn't up your alley, maybe you'd rather grab a treat at...
• Pooh Corner: This gift shop is full of Pooh memorabilia + all of the other Disney goodies you can find throughout the park, but the real draw is the candy and bakery counter. (Thanks to those who tipped me off to that!) I wanted one of everything. Must do's? A Tigger tail, for one. That would be marshmallows on a stick, dipped in caramel and covered in orange cream. Holy guacamole! That's goodness. I also enjoyed my Mickey-shaped turtle. Next time, I'm getting a Mickey krispie treat, complete with chocolate dipped ears. Oh my goodness, oh my goodness.

Critter Country is also home to Davey Crockett's Explorer Canoes, which were not in season on our trip. They looked kinda sorta fun, but I'd probably skip it since I could have a similar experience here at home on the lake.

Bottom line? Don't miss Critter Country! If you don't sing Zippity Doo Dah, your vacation is null and void.

(In my humble opinion, of course.)

{Photo from here.}

The Disneyland Trifecta: How To Start Your Day At D-Land

We started off our first day at Disneyland by going on 3 rides that epitomize Disneyland...

First, Maya's favorite ride {and mine}, Splash Mountain. Once you're singing "Zippety Doo Dah", you know you're at Disneyland. We must have ridden this 5 or so times in all. We LOVE Splash Mountain!

Next up? The Haunted Mansion! This was closed last time we were here, so this was our first go 'round on it. I have to admit, I liked it, but I thought it was a little scary for the kids. We only went on it once.

And finally, Pirates of the Caribbean. Such a classic. A little "Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a pirate's life for me", a few flume drops in the dark - some pillaging and plundering. What's not to like?

It was a fun way to start our day in true Disneyland style.

{Photos from here, here and here.}

Everybody Loves A Parade

Nothing brings out the kid in me like a Disneyland parade! I was as awestruck as the kids, waving to all the characters. It's rather amazing, and not to be missed!

{Of course, if you're there for several nights, parade time is also prime time to catch rides in Fantasyland with super-short lines!}

Mouseketeer + Cotton Candy

Mason looked like the ultimate Mouseketeer climbing on the corn dog truck! And we all ate more than our fair share of cotton candy!

Disneyland Guide: Main Street USA Favorites

I love me some Main Street! So much to see, so much to eat, so much to buy! Here are some highlights:

• Town Square is a great place to see characters. They seemed to be out constantly. And I noticed that characters would be out for a set amount of time, then go in. Crowds would disperse, but lo and behold, a few minutes later they were back. So if you just miss a character, you'd be wise to sit and wait it out for a few minutes. You just might get a "fresh" Pluto or Goofy or whoever, without the long wait in line.
• The shows they put on in front of the fire station are hilarious and lots of fun! Maya got to direct the band with Chip & Dale, my Dad did a fashion show with Cruella and I got to be the "flames" in one number. {Photos to come.} Most of the shows we watched featured several characters, so they're really worth checking out.
• Make sure to meander into the "Walt Disney: The First 50 Years" gallery. There's a movie, too, but I figured my kids would never last. But the gallery is fun to see. I especially loved the Walt & Mickey "photo mosaic" - it was amazing!
• Just down from the gallery is the Mad Hatter. Be sure to stop in here to buy your ears and have them embroidered. Just beware: they don't do nicknames! (Interesting information, I thought...)
  
• On the left side of Main Street (facing the castle) you'll find the Emporium - which has one of every souvenir you can imagine! Great stuff!
• Just down from that there's a bakery, ice cream shop and candy store all interconnected. Mmm mmm mmm. Amazing stuff to be had there!
• On the right side of Main Street is the silhouette shop where we had our silhouettes done last time we were there (which began silhouette mania in my world). That, in my opinion is the coolest souvenir of all. And not outrageously priced.
• Near the end of Main Street on the right you'll find the little red wagon, where you can get yourself the best corndog in all the world. Oh mercy, mercy me. So delicious.
• Just behind that is the baby care center - perfect for changing diapers, nursing babies, etc. And the little ladies that work in there are dressed like the most adorable little nannies you've ever seen. Soooo cute.
• You can ride a double-decker bus, horse-drawn car and other old-fashioned vehicles up and down main street. How nostalgic is that?
• At the very end of Main Street, just in front of the castle is the coolest-ever statue of Walt & Mickey. It was a favorite of mine...

Of course, there's lots on Main Street, those were just a few of my favorites. It's a happy place to be, that Main Street!

{Photo from here.}

Mason's Girlfriend

Mason completely flipped his lid for Minnie. He was head over heels. And Maya was rather enamoured herself!

{This is "Lunar New Year" Minnie. Either she or Mickey were in the town square most of the day greeting guests...}

Oh, That Donald Is a Rascal!

We loved Donald! How he managed to portray himself as crusty and cranky without being able to talk is beyond me and pretty impressive, I'd say! My favorite part was when he pointed to Maya & Mason's Mickey ears and then made the "crazy sign" by twirling his finger around his ear. Then he pulled their hats over their eyes. Classic!

Down, Doggie, Down

Watching Pluto hit the deck after tripping over a wheelchair was one of those horrifying-at-the-time but hilarious-in-retrospect moments. Fortunately, the kids missed that one. And I was too shocked to take photos of Pluto sprawled out on Main Street. We did hunt him down later for a photo with the kiddies.

Disneyland In February: Weather = Perfect; Crowds = A Little On The Large Side

My oh my, what wonderful days. We had gorgeous weather on our trip. I was in jeans and short sleeves all week, with a sweatshirt in the evening - perfect! Much better than our sweltering September trip. The trade off? The crowds! Maybe this week was an exception, but it was busy busy busy, much more so than September. It was a great reminder that summer visits to D-Land are out of the question for me.

Of course, the crowds do sort of add the excitement of the hustle and bustle there heading up to Cinderella's Castle, don't they? Oh, and lines. They add to those, too.

But really, is there another view like that one? The view up Main Street to the castle takes my breath away every time.

Character Stalking 101

Maya is a pretty aggressive character stalker. If a character is already out and a line has formed, she's good and waits patiently in it. But if she's there when a character comes out, she's all over them. She runs up, hugs them, grabs their hand and walks them to wherever they need to go. Which means we end up being first in line. :) It's a pretty awesome strategy, and makes for some very cute photo op's.

Maya especially loved Chip & Dale even though I don't think she even knows who they are. She kept giggling and saying that Chip & Dale were her boyfriends. Hey, she could do worse.

Travel Tip: Spongebob + Suckers

Nothing guarantees a smooth {and fuss-free} flight better than a laptop + Spongebob DVDs and a purse full of suckers.

{That is a travel tip + an illustration of my excellent parenting skills all in one...}

3 1/2 Hour Delay = Not A Good Way To Start Your Vacation

$100 travel vouchers per person help soften the blow, though. I'm already dreaming about how to spend those bad boys...$100 will get you to Disneyland! {And it's not like you really want to come back anyway...} We also managed to spend the $10 per person food vouchers the airline used to pacify us...mostly on water, which we schlepped to Disneyland, since we'd paid for and scarfed down our breakfast tacos long before "slight delay" even entered the picture.

Flight delays aren't all bad. They're the perfect opportunity to get some extra snuggles with your Mama. Or play Uno with your Grandpa.

Welcome, Welcome!

Thanks for joining the fun over at our new travelblog! As you might guess, I have lots and lots to say about our Disneyland trip! But first. I have a mountain of laundry to do. And a million blogs to read. And a thousand e-mails to return. {I'm only exaggerating slightly...}

But I'll be back soon with all the details you may or may not want to know...

{Painting by Thomas Kinkade. Check it here. Order one for me while you're there...that means you, Chris.}