-
Why I love the HoJo Anaheim
As a local to Disneyland I don’t find myself staying at the hotels nearby too often. When I do find myself looking for a place to stay near the parks, I regularly pick the Howard Johnson Anaheim! (often referred to as HoJo Anaheim) I’ve come to love this property over the years and find myself recommending it to so many people. Here’s why it’s one of my favorites: Disney themed rooms (that look out at the parks!) In Building 1 and 2 at the HoJo Anaheim they’ve renovated their rooms to have a fun Disney theme. These updated rooms have a lot of fun touches of Disney flair that make…
-
More Reasons to Visit the Disneyland Resort This Summer!
Disneyland Resort just announced some great perks for those staying on property this summer! Here’s what you can expect… Summer Pool Parties! From July 1 – August 31, 2022 you can expect some fun pool parties at the Grand Californian and Disneyland Hotel pools. Early park entry. Beginning on August 8, 2022 Disneyland Resort hotel guests will have 30 minutes early entry to Disneyland or California Adventure. You’ll definitely be able to beat the crowds in the morning! California Adventure Access from Paradise Pier. The new entry way from Paradise Pier to California Adventure is officially open now so you can make a quick entrance to the park. Hotel Activities.…
-
Top 10 Items For Your Disney Vacation!
Packing for a Disney vacation can be exciting but also a bit stressful at times. Thankfully you can always count on Amazon to get you everything you need at the last minute! If it wasn’t for Amazon I would be completely lost on how to get everything I needed at the last minute. In fact – for our last trip we ordered groceries from Amazon Prime Now that were delivered to our hotel room while we were out in the parks. We decided to take another trip to Walt Disney World (our second trip ever!) in May so I started to think about all the things I need to get together…
-
Haunted Mansion Accessories for Every Fan
Lately I’ve been in a Haunted Mansion type of mood. I’m not quite sure what inspired this latest feeling – maybe I’ve been riding the ride too frequently or maybe Randy has been talking about it a lot (he used to work Imagineering on that attraction a long time ago!) Either way – I’m totally all about Haunted Mansion Inspiration in my style right now. Something about all the purples and blacks just makes me happy. I’ve been doing a lot of shopping on Etsy lately while trying to find some fun outfits to go with the Mouse Ears I make in my shop AdventurelandEarsCo. Below you’ll find a roundup…
-
Maximizing your MaxPass FastPasses
In my previous post, I talked a bit about why I think MaxPass is the only Disney Upgrade that’s worth it. Today, I’ll be sharing some of my tips and tricks to maximize the value you get from your MaxPass purchase. With that — let’s get onto my tips for getting the most FastPasses out of your day. Start Early This is generally true of Disneyland, but the earlier in the day you start booking your FastPasses, the easier it is to get them. If you look at 10 AM, you’ll often see return times just an hour or two ahead for almost every ride. If you wait until mid-afternoon…
-
The Low Down on MaxPass
About a year ago, Disneyland decided to join the 21st century by letting you book FastPasses online (via their mobile app). This feature is known as MaxPass and is available as an add-on to any ticket or Annual Pass. MaxPass has the unique distinction of being the one Disneyland up-charge experience I recommend for ANY visitor to purchase. So what does MaxPass include? MaxPass includes 2 different, but super useful features. Let’s take a look at each one. Mobile FastPass Booking The first half of MaxPass is the ability to book FastPass return times from the Disneyland mobile app. While all Disneyland tickets include the ability to book FastPasses by walking…
-
Disneyland Railroad Tender Ride – Disneyland Hidden Gems
Are there any Disneyland Railroad fans out there? I LOVE riding on this opening day attraction every time I get a chance. I always do the Grand Circle Tour — getting on at Main Street Station and going all the way around the park. Perhaps the most unique way to experience the Disneyland Railroad is by riding with up front with the engineers. Yes — you can actually do that — but only on certain runs. Here are my thoughts on this unique hidden gem of Disneyland. Once you’ve boarded the tender, you’re sitting just a few feet from the fireman and engineer aboard one of the Disneyland’s finest iron…
-
Mark Twain Wheelhouse – Disneyland Hidden Gems
While it’s hard to miss the Mark Twain, with its signature steam whistle, as you walk through the west side of Disneyland, many people don’t know it houses one of my favorite “hidden gem” experiences at Disneyland. Like most of the Disneyland’s hidden gems, this one is “hidden” in plain sight. The Wheelhouse of the Mark Twain is a very unique way to experience a Disneyland Attraction: from the vantage of the ride operator! For most rides at Disneyland, you’re not allowed to peek behind the curtain and see a bit of how the attraction works. On the Mark Twain, the wheelhouse provides you with not only the opportunity to…
-
All 61 Disneyland Attractions in 1 Day!
What is Blackout Bingo? Exactly what it sounds like — doing everything in Disneyland in a single day. For us this means all 61 attractions listed in the park map — if it is listed in the official Disneyland Park Map as an attraction, we have to do it during our Blackout Bingo day. Randy began attempting this challenge by himself about 12 years ago — before the Disneyland app existed — hence the paper park map being the authoritative list. There are many different varieties of this challenge people have attempted. Ours is one of the most complete and difficult challenges. On August 12, 2017, there were 61 attractions…
