[SPEAKER_00]: And welcome to very amusing.
[SPEAKER_00]: You're one stop shop for the story secrets and shenanigans of a popcorn field theme park journalist I'm crazy myself and listen.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, I don't have to think I'm in adult, but let me tell you how my day has gone I ran all of the errands I had to run.
[SPEAKER_00]: I really left them for the last minute for a leave town But I bam bam bam bam bam bam blue through the mall in one hour, which is a record for someone with ADHD like me
[SPEAKER_00]: And then, I came home and I worked on this episode for hours and hours.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'd already been working on this one a lot because it isn't Disneyland Guide.
[SPEAKER_00]: There is a lot there.
[SPEAKER_00]: I worked on it a ton and I had the itch to be like, just record this later.
[SPEAKER_00]: You've got to Disneyland to drive back and record it tonight and I stopped myself.
[SPEAKER_00]: I went, you know, I really should finish my work before I do anything fun.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I chose to app about Disneyland instead of going, which I guess for most people would be like yeah, girly duh.
[SPEAKER_00]: But for me, I have impulse control problems, and I really convinced myself just how good Disneyland is in this episode, and especially after our part bringing into
[SPEAKER_00]: weeks ago, I have Disneyland on the brain.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is on top of my noggin and I want to go so bad.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a little cold out today.
[SPEAKER_00]: I got those new Zara sweater vests.
[SPEAKER_00]: I can't wait and yet I stayed home and made the responsible choice.
[SPEAKER_00]: And now I am itching to go back in a few weeks.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I hope that listening to this episode will set you up for success under a future Disneyland trip, whether it is a meeting it or it is in the future.
[SPEAKER_00]: I never really considered myself a Disney land girly until that park ranking and it really like little light bulb like oh Wow, I guess I am a Disneyland girl forever.
[SPEAKER_00]: I thought it was a Disney world girly Transplanted to the West Coast living here, but my heart was in Florida and while I do love Florida I am really really starting to love Disneyland in a big big way
[SPEAKER_00]: I hope this episode helps you a lot.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't want to waste any more of your time leading up to it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I am between trips I just went to a wedding and you know, I don't know where in Cadena, point I guess in California It was lovely the wedding was fantastic and I got to stop in oh San Juan, Kepti Strano a beautiful little downtown area, and then I am going to Dallywood by the time you hear this my bucket list trip that I wanted to do forever and ever and ever and ever and It's finally going to be an episode next week
[SPEAKER_00]: So stay tuned for that and stay tuned for this one all about Disneyland I'll see you on the other side
[SPEAKER_00]: Hello and welcome back to the very amusing guide to Disneyland.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is your one-stop shop, as we say here, for everything you need for your first or 500th trip to Disneyland.
[SPEAKER_00]: The very first Disney park that is right here in Southern California.
[SPEAKER_00]: We have done a bunch of guides in the past, but this, this one is different.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know that like galaxy brain, meme online, where you're just like, ah, like all the lights coming out, you're like firing on all cylinders?
[SPEAKER_00]: I had that.
[SPEAKER_00]: I had a moment where I was like, what if we reorganized the best advice that we've had in our scatter guides and just made a whole new one and updated regularly.
[SPEAKER_00]: So they exist as these like reliable pieces of audio, kind of like a book or a website guide, but without the pesky task of reading.
[SPEAKER_00]: The plan is to have guides like this for all of the parks, including international ones, that is the big goal.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we are going to begin that process with my hometown Disney park.
[SPEAKER_00]: Basically, this is kind of going to be the podcast equivalent of that, you know, the famous story where like Disney's contemporary resort in Florida has the A-frame building and those modular rooms are supposed to be like swapped in and out and then the building settled so they couldn't pull them out.
[SPEAKER_00]: Apparently that story is not real, but
[SPEAKER_00]: That's what this is, if it worked, if it worked.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I guess it is a bad omin' because the saying goes, the intended to swap them in and out and if that was true, which apparently it isn't, then this would mean that I wouldn't be able to update the podcast.
[SPEAKER_00]: But let's just instead consider the podcast's next update to be a character overlay.
[SPEAKER_00]: But you know, one, everyone actually loves.
[SPEAKER_00]: Here, we are going to set you up for Disneyland's success, whether you're going this December or sometime this decade.
[SPEAKER_00]: The goal is to update these more regularly, like every six-ish months.
[SPEAKER_00]: Instead of having a bunch of random different guides floating around, to make sure that you have the most up-to-date info no matter when you're going.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like how cool would it be to update these with holiday info if anything new in huge changes or ride openings or closures?
[SPEAKER_00]: It would be rad and so convenient and helpful for your travel planning and that is the goal.
[SPEAKER_00]: Before I inadvertently disparage myself deeply,
[SPEAKER_00]: I want to say the other guys I have about Disneyland are great and will play into this one of course.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you're looking to dive deeper on my favorite Disneyland food or visiting with a baby and toddler, stuff like that, I recommend all of those episodes, all of which will be conveniently located in the show notes of this one.
[SPEAKER_00]: But we're starting off on a new foot forward, which is to help make it easier for you to plan trips with our podcast very amusing.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we are starting that with Disneyland Resort.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, in this episode, we're going to tackle everything from how to skip the lines on rides without spending extra money, and what food I demand you mobile order while you were at Disney.
[SPEAKER_00]: But a hot tip straight out the gate.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you want to jump around and just hear about my favorite rides, or the best coffee, or my rant about a certain restaurant that has done me wrong, I recommend listening to this episode on Spotify.
[SPEAKER_00]: They have these automatic
[SPEAKER_00]: So with that, let's go into it.
[SPEAKER_00]: To bring everybody up to speed, let's just very, very quickly discuss the lay of the land here.
[SPEAKER_00]: Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California is a set of two theme parks, three official Disney hotels, and a downtown district all walking distance from each other.
[SPEAKER_00]: Disneyland and Disney California Adventure are the two theme parks, which charge separate daily admission or offer a park hopper ticket to visit both within a day.
[SPEAKER_00]: both Disney and Disney California Adventure are located across for each other, which makes traveling around Walt Disney World to its fourth theme parks in comparison, kind of make it feel like you're flying between European countries.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you are used to those Florida parks, please know that Disney Land is sooooooooooooooooooo much smaller in scale than other Disney parks, because it's primarily visited by locals, and is often thought of as having more of a regional, theme park resort experience.
[SPEAKER_00]: The biggest draw here is it's charm.
[SPEAKER_00]: There really is so much to experience within such a small space.
[SPEAKER_00]: But the flip side of that is that sometimes everything can feel a little busier because of condensed walkways and popular spaces can feel more crowded than they actually are.
[SPEAKER_00]: But Disneyland is not just jam packed with people.
[SPEAKER_00]: What I love about Disneyland is that it's jam packed with attractions too, particularly in fantasy land, which offers these really vintage homegrown, historic, classic attractions, like Mr. Toad's wild ride, or Pinoque's daring journey, or even Alice in Wonderland, all of which you can pretty easily hit in relative succession without putting in much effort or much planning.
[SPEAKER_00]: The magic and history of Disney's early theme park days is actually visible everywhere here.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are loads of these sweet details, even idiosyncrasies that you only start to notice once you visit frequently.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like the Main Street Cinema playing in homage to the legendary composers of some of Disney's most iconic music, or guests riding the sailing ship Columbia, a full-size replica of the first American ship to travel around the world.
[SPEAKER_00]: Truly, it's gigantic.
[SPEAKER_00]: or even people paddling through the rivers of America on Davy Crocket Explorer can news, which I will never do.
[SPEAKER_00]: I did not come here for an upper body workout, but to each their own.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's also the lit lamp in the window of Walt's apartment up above the fire station where he actually used to stay, because keep in mind, this is the first and only scene park Walt Disney ever got to visit while it was operational.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are even more like a homie community oriented aspects that regular tend to lean into, like the pin trading hub and you're the entrance to Frontierland, or those perfectly situated rocking chairs on Main Street's porch.
[SPEAKER_00]: Or even how, in the before times, the Royal Swing Big Band Ball would bring swing dancing to the park every Saturday night for a glorious slice of life that felt more like a mirage than reality.
[SPEAKER_00]: And one I pray we eventually get back.
[SPEAKER_00]: But if you're like me, you're here for the rhymes, the characters, the entertainment, and the food.
[SPEAKER_00]: So let's get into what to do and how to actually accomplish it on your visit.
[SPEAKER_00]: Starting, of course, with tickets.
[SPEAKER_00]: These days, you're either going to get a deal or... ...a-not.
[SPEAKER_00]: Multi-day tickets are fixed pricing.
[SPEAKER_00]: Currently, a two-day adult ticket is $335 and three-day is $425, but single one-day tickets are sold at seven different tiered price points, which is just a bunch of mumbo jumbo for saying you might get lucky and you might get real birds.
[SPEAKER_00]: One day ticket prices currently range between 104 to $201 based on the dates selected.
[SPEAKER_00]: That means the same ticket.
[SPEAKER_00]: Just depending on what day you want to visit for one day tickets only can fluctuate over $120 depending on when you're going.
[SPEAKER_00]: I am regularly asked.
[SPEAKER_00]: When is the best time to go to Disneyland?
[SPEAKER_00]: And because of this, my honest answer is whenever it's cheap, quiet, and unlikely to be boiling hot.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are still ways to save money on tickets, more on that in a second, but I'm out here trying to find when is most comfortable too.
[SPEAKER_00]: The best time to go is when it works for you in your schedule
[SPEAKER_00]: and even on busy days you can get a lot done, but I really take a multi-faceted approach to pinpointing the best time to go, because after the pandemic, in my opinion, a lot of the old data that we used for predicting what crowds would be like is kind of gone out the window, and I just feel there aren't as many historical data points to pull from as there once was.
[SPEAKER_00]: Still checking a crowd calendar before you go, actually checking multiple is what I recommend, because they will flag things you might not take into consideration, like conventions, run Disney events, and even certain school breaks.
[SPEAKER_00]: Because of that, when you were trying to select your dates for a future Disneyland trip, I recommend using multiple crowd calendars, which you can easily find online, but really focusing on Disneyland's own calendar.
[SPEAKER_00]: Their one day ticket prices
[SPEAKER_00]: kind of the best signal in sign that you can look for for how busy the park might be.
[SPEAKER_00]: Specifically, try to find when there are tier zero or tier one days.
[SPEAKER_00]: Those days are not only likely to be less expensive, but less crowded too.
[SPEAKER_00]: My top recommendations within those guidelines are going to be to visit during January and February when crowds are low, whether is heaven, and Disney California Adventures Lunar New Year Festival is happening, which is my personal favorite, I've obsessed with it.
[SPEAKER_00]: But also, do you seek out those tiny little pockets, say, between
[SPEAKER_00]: Halloween and Christmas time celebrations where they have lower price tickets, especially the very first days in early September, and between those when none of those festivals are running in the early days of November.
[SPEAKER_00]: Also, late January, right afterwards.
[SPEAKER_00]: That is when weather will likely be mild, things will be chill, and you can kind of if you're lucky have your run of the park.
[SPEAKER_00]: Another thing about crowd calendars, make sure to check them for the reasons I mentioned, but also because they tend to be really good indicators of which annual passes are allowed within the park.
[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes a day can be super busy for a reason you wouldn't know as a visiting guest, say it's the first day that magic keys are allowed back in the park and things like that will be best reflected on a crowd calendar.
[SPEAKER_00]: The other best time to visit is when you can take advantage of a huge Disneyland ticket promotion, which has been popping up more frequently these days.
[SPEAKER_00]: Disneyland currently has a California resident ticket offer for visits between January 1st and May 26th, 2026.
[SPEAKER_00]: That is all early winter and all of spring break.
[SPEAKER_00]: With these tickets, you can visit both Disneyland and California Adventure for as low as 83 dollars per person per day, starting at just 249.
[SPEAKER_00]: Or as low as 117 bucks per person per day for a total cost of $351 for tickets with lightning lane multi pass included.
[SPEAKER_00]: That is a wild deal for California residents.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you're new to very amusing, you probably haven't heard me say this before, but while the headlines are always blurring about ticket price increases,
[SPEAKER_00]: all of which is true.
[SPEAKER_00]: I too am yelling about it.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're charging 40 bucks for parking at Disneyland Resort right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: That is too much.
[SPEAKER_00]: All of that aside, there are ways to still save money.
[SPEAKER_00]: We're seeing more of these discounts than we kind of have in years.
[SPEAKER_00]: So if you're thinking about planning a trip, I genuinely recommend reaching out to my travel partners at MEI Mouseman Travel, who are up to date on all of it and can hook you up with the best available
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, back to regular tickets.
[SPEAKER_00]: Disney Land Resort admission gives you access to one park per day.
[SPEAKER_00]: Both cost the same, but you can pay for a park hopper upgrade to visit both parks in one day or across the duration of your multi-day ticket.
[SPEAKER_00]: With park hopping, you'll have to select an advance which park you'll visit first, since park hopping is only allowed after 11 a.m.
[SPEAKER_00]: each day.
[SPEAKER_00]: But if you're showing up later, showing up after 11 a.m.
[SPEAKER_00]: is park hopping worth it?
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, it really depends.
[SPEAKER_00]: Disneyland is the big show here and you should prioritize that above all.
[SPEAKER_00]: But Carsland is so sick and only exists in California Adventure.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you are here for a longer amount of time, the upcharge is less of a burn or you've never seen it before and are curious and want to do everything, it is worth it.
[SPEAKER_00]: But if you're only here for one day, there is plenty to do with Disneyland.
[SPEAKER_00]: Almost too much to do with Disneyland in a day, so it's not totally essential that you visit both.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, here are a few things that not everybody is going to tell you.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you are visiting Disneyland Resort in August through October, please keep in mind that Disney California Adventure will close at 6 p.m.
[SPEAKER_00]: on evenings where they have Oogie Boogie Batch.
[SPEAKER_00]: That is typically Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday nights.
[SPEAKER_00]: But guests for that separately ticket event can
[SPEAKER_00]: Usually enter the park around 3 p.m.
[SPEAKER_00]: So you will see a shift in crowds earlier in the day.
[SPEAKER_00]: But the park is usually less crowded the morning of those days because people know that.
[SPEAKER_00]: So make sure to factor this into your planning whether it benefits you to go early and then park up over.
[SPEAKER_00]: Or if you want to select your one day on a day where there is not an ohebooky bash.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you are park hopping, you might want to start your day at DCA and move to Disneyland later, not vice versa.
[SPEAKER_00]: Kids under three are free at Disneyland Resort and as a toddler mom, let me tell you, as hard and challenging as it is to bring a squirmy, where me little child to the park, you should do it sooner than later.
[SPEAKER_00]: Why?
[SPEAKER_00]: Because you're kind of making money by taking your kid before they are three years old.
[SPEAKER_00]: There is soooooom much advice I have for you if you are bringing a baby, a toddler, anything in that area so please refer to our baby and toddlers guide which is linked in the show notes but do know if you're kind of you know you have a two and a half year old you're kind of like should be go to Disneyland go now because you are putting possibly hundreds of dollars back in your pocket by taking them before their third birthday when you actually have to pay for many things for them.
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, that's enough with boring admission stuff.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's get into the real reason why you're here.
[SPEAKER_00]: Because of all the cool things you can do.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you were going to Disneyland for the first time, or even for a matter of hours, there are a few key rides that you should plan to go on.
[SPEAKER_00]: In the end of Jones Adventure, Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad are major players here.
[SPEAKER_00]: As is Haunted Mansion, even more so when it has its nightmare for Christmas overlay in the fall and winter, which personally I love, and even pires at the Caribbean, which these things aren't key for a full day at Disneyland Park.
[SPEAKER_00]: But it doesn't mean the little rides here aren't worth going on too.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you were a Disney World person and you're visiting the California Parks for the first time, you are going to be absolutely blown away by it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Disneyland is packed with these blasts from the past quaint and quintessential little rides, which you can easily jam in without having to worry too much about lines.
[SPEAKER_00]: Dumbo is quainter here, mad tea party is so much cuter here as well, truly is so much cuter.
[SPEAKER_00]: And there are noodles of these cutesy, tiny little attractions from 1955 that exist nowhere else in this iteration, like storybook land canal boats, and the Casey Junior Circus train
[SPEAKER_00]: But the charm really exudes out of every and any experience here at Disneyland.
[SPEAKER_00]: From the narrow walkways of New Orleans Square or the banked turns aboard Matterhorn Bob's Leads, it is all just kind of inescapably sweet.
[SPEAKER_00]: But personally, most of my favorites are not in this classic lineup.
[SPEAKER_00]: Snow White's enchanted wish is going to be one of them.
[SPEAKER_00]: And one of the rhymes that I kind of demand you go on when you're there.
[SPEAKER_00]: The thing is everyone's going to tell you to go on Mr. Toad's wild ride.
[SPEAKER_00]: But you absolutely should.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's cool.
[SPEAKER_00]: You go to a place I can't say aloud without my podcast having bad language.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I think Snow White in particular is a really good...
[SPEAKER_00]: beacon for blending Disneyland's past in future, which is why I want to specifically highlight it as a perfect example of what we should work off when we are updating classic Disneyland Dark Rides with modern updates and seeming.
[SPEAKER_00]: It retains its old charm, but it has a little new magic to it, and I just think they did an incredible job when they did this ride.
[SPEAKER_00]: The next, of course, duh, is Radiator Springs Racers at Disneyland California Adventure.
[SPEAKER_00]: Even 13 years after it opened.
[SPEAKER_00]: And this ride is an absolute must do, especially if you've never gone on it before.
[SPEAKER_00]: Since we're already a DCA, I'm also gonna say, yeah, gotta go on Guardians of the Galaxy mission breakout.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you're gonna go on one thrill ride where you at Disneyland Resort, it's gonna be this one.
[SPEAKER_00]: This ride simply put his nowhere else and unlike Tower of Terror, which it originally was, this one was reimagined at this park into a brand new ride.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Imagineers reworked the elevator ride system, so you're not just plummeting downwards, but also soaring upwards.
[SPEAKER_00]: Mission Breakout is UNTAPS!
[SPEAKER_00]: And if that's a problem for you, which it is for many, I understand.
[SPEAKER_00]: I recommend bringing a lot of water when you go on this, or even consider writing it in the morning on a light or empty stomach before you've had a bunch of Disneyland treats.
[SPEAKER_00]: Basically, pack drama mean because I genuinely think it is worth taking in order to see this ride first hand.
[SPEAKER_00]: And at this point, I think anyone listening to very amusing or who has knowledge of Disney Parks has heard of Star Wars Rise of the Resistance.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I see this day!
[SPEAKER_00]: Gotta say, it's one of the most show-stopping things Walt Disney Imagineering has dreamed up in recent memory, and it always delivers.
[SPEAKER_00]: It uses the same trackless technology as rise of the resistance in Remy's Ratatooie adventure and Mickey Mini's runaway railways so many rides use this trackless technology that first debuted at Tokyo Disneyland.
[SPEAKER_00]: But here it is used in a completely different way.
[SPEAKER_00]: Putting you in these adorable little Pixar-inspired cars that move in dance and spin in unison to completely different songs.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you.
[SPEAKER_00]: truly dance like you're in the car and it dances, it is so cute, it is delightful and I always hop off board so happy once I do it.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's an absolute sleeper hit with not too bad of a weight in the line so I cannot recommend it enough.
[SPEAKER_00]: And personally, as a local, I've been spending a lot of my time at rides that are less popular just because they're easier to get on board.
[SPEAKER_00]: As the parks trend towards being busy at a more regular basis, I've been finding myself leaning into things like the many adventures of Winnie the Pooh, which is nobody's favorite ride except for maybe a couple for your old, silly symphony swings, the only swing ride that Disney has, and even bonsters think Mike and
[SPEAKER_00]: out of ease.
[SPEAKER_00]: The newest experiences at Disneyland Resort at the time of recording this episode are the introduction of the Walt Disney Audio animatronic figure.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, a robotic Mr. Disney to a new show on Main Street, and the addition of the Sherman Brothers' verse to the end of it's a small world.
[SPEAKER_00]: Both of which were tied to the 70th Anniversary Celebration, which kicked off
[SPEAKER_00]: new rides are coming to Disney California Adventure specifically, which will welcome new Marvel, Cocoa and Avatar attractions in the coming years.
[SPEAKER_00]: But that's a ways off.
[SPEAKER_00]: So for now, we're basically enjoying a bit of calm before the storm, which in these parts is actually pretty good.
[SPEAKER_00]: because there are a lot of rides here.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are a lot of things to do.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we can't talk about rides without talking about how to skip the lines for them.
[SPEAKER_00]: Because believe it or not, there are more ways to skip the lines here than just throwing money at the problem and buying lightning wagons.
[SPEAKER_00]: The first way to skip the lines is, of course, with single rider.
[SPEAKER_00]: The single rider line is a separate queue that traditionally offers a shorter weight than what's posted, since you will be pulled in to sit with other parties and fill empty seats.
[SPEAKER_00]: You are a single rider, and I get it.
[SPEAKER_00]: You're here to make memories with the people you came with.
[SPEAKER_00]: But single rider is a tool that you should have in your toolbox on any Disney Land Resort Trip, because the sheer number of attractions that offer it is incredible.
[SPEAKER_00]: At the time of recording this, single writer is offered on 10 different Disney Land resort attractions, many of which are not just thrill rides, but lightning lane-enabled rides.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you're traveling with a group, family or friend that doesn't mind splitting up a little bit, not everything just on some stuff, in order to get more done in your day, I highly recommend utilizing this for one or more rides simply to get more out of your time.
[SPEAKER_00]: Currently, single-rider lines are open on attractions like Space Mountain.
[SPEAKER_00]: Tiana's value adventure, in credit coaster, radiator springs racers, web slingers, and soren, but the offerings can and will change at any time.
[SPEAKER_00]: Make sure to check the single-rider services page listed in the show notes for more.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can find that on Disney Lens website and never feel weird about asking cast members at the entrance if a ride currently offers single-rider or if that queue is open and functioning.
[SPEAKER_00]: proof of why, Indiana Jones Adventure just added single writer, but it's not listed on the website, so things really can change unexpectedly.
[SPEAKER_00]: Another way to skip lines is with Buddy Pass.
[SPEAKER_00]: Buddy Pass is this cheat code for those in the know for how to quickly board a participating ride with a noticeably shorter weight.
[SPEAKER_00]: You have to have a party of one, two, or three, meaning that you fit inside a row and be okay with riding in the back row of a vehicle.
[SPEAKER_00]: Buddy Pass is currently offered on the many adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and it's straight up rocks.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is also offered on Monsters Inc.
[SPEAKER_00]: Mike and Sully to the Rescue, but please note that that ride very sadly will be closing permanently in early 2026 with no closure date yet unnounced.
[SPEAKER_00]: To get a buddy pass, simply ask the cast member at the ride entrance if buddy passes offered.
[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes you'll have to come back and try and later it just totally depends.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if it is being offered, they will hand you a little slip of paper and direct you towards the ride exit.
[SPEAKER_00]: You will wait there in line or possibly not at all to quickly board the attraction.
[SPEAKER_00]: This thing, this buddy pass is basically a gift from the heaven whose days are numbered.
[SPEAKER_00]: So use it while the get-in's good, and then, of course, there is lightning lane.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jeannie Plus paid fast pass whatever you want to call it, or whatever it has been officially called, more truthfully.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is what you will most likely be prompted with and worry about prior to your arrival.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are two different products for sale here.
[SPEAKER_00]: Lightning Lane Multipass and Lightning Lane Single Pass.
[SPEAKER_00]: And when we talk about Lightning Lane, we are almost always talking about Lightning Lane Multipass.
[SPEAKER_00]: Multipass is a single payment around $34 a day per person to skip the line on multiple rhymes within a day.
[SPEAKER_00]: Lightning Lane's single pass is a single payment to skip the line on a single ride, and is often reserved for Disneyland's most in demand attractions.
[SPEAKER_00]: The prices for this single pass can fluctuate greatly, like truly between $10 and over 30, but on average, expect to spend somewhere between 20 and 30 bucks per ride.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you are wondering, should I buy Lightning Lane Multipast?
[SPEAKER_00]: Do I need Lightning Lane Multipast?
[SPEAKER_00]: Please note that I have a much more chill approach to Lightning Lane than I used to, especially for Disneyland Park specifically.
[SPEAKER_00]: There is so much that you can do a Disneyland Park without it, legitimately.
[SPEAKER_00]: Nearly all of the fantasy land rides don't even offer it, meaning an equal playing field for everyone, which is on a level
[SPEAKER_00]: Like you can low-key jam your day full of attractions with moderate, shorter lines without paying for a single upgrade.
[SPEAKER_00]: But my local preference is aside.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you want to get the most out of your day and save time while doing it, purchasing lightning lane for your Disney Land trip is not a bad idea.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you're going with a small child, you really don't need it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like I said, most of the rides in fantasy land, princess meat and greets mini house, so many of those quintessential experiences don't offer lightning lane anyway.
[SPEAKER_00]: But for most for many trips, it will have a positive impact.
[SPEAKER_00]: Disneyland is a tight footprint.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a lot going on, and it's, again, easier than it Disney World to ride a bunch of stuff in one day.
[SPEAKER_00]: But lightning-leam really does help you do that with the more in-demand rides.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you're going on a weekend, if it's going to be crowded, if you're going for one day, if this is a family trip with a lot of people who want to get on these rides and they're testing your sanity and they're worried about standing in line with them and then complaining about it.
[SPEAKER_00]: If it's hot, if it's summer, if it's winter, you're probably going to want to do multi-pass.
[SPEAKER_00]: Basically, if you're going to Disneyland and you want to do as much as possible, you're probably going to want to do multi-pass for your one day ticket, or at least part of your multi-day trip.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you're going in November and December to see the holiday overlays on hunting mansion in small world, and you only have one day to do it all!
[SPEAKER_00]: It is definitely something I recommend.
[SPEAKER_00]: That said, I don't think you need it on every day of your trip.
[SPEAKER_00]: That advice is more Disney world-based, but it also applies here.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's really easy, still at Disneyland, to split up your lightning lane rides on one day and prioritize the more casual goings on other ones.
[SPEAKER_00]: The ride, you know, the rides that don't offer it, the experiences that are more easy to get into.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that can put a significant amount of money back in your pocket.
[SPEAKER_00]: But it will adjust the way that you end up purchasing your lightning lights.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, you can buy lightning lane with your tickets for $34 per day per person, pre-arrival.
[SPEAKER_00]: And historically, it doesn't really sell out.
[SPEAKER_00]: I used to be very chill about this truly until a week ago, and advice people to just decide later by at that morning.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, it doesn't really sell out.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's fine.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, well, fresh off price increases.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm kind of like buying an advanced dude.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you're going for one day and you're getting it or you want it for the whole trip, just buy it in advance.
[SPEAKER_00]: They raised the prices two bucks, so now it's $34, and it was $34 pre-arrival.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I just feel like there's a lot of weight there, where it's like, oh, I wonder how much it could fluctuate in person.
[SPEAKER_00]: I just would not put it past them to in the future, depending on what you listen to this.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would not put it past them to potentially charge much more day up.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, if you can buy it at the price they currently have it, because again, you never know.
[SPEAKER_00]: But no matter when you purchase your Lightning Lane multi-pass with your tickets, weeks in advance, or even while you're sitting on the tram, on your way into the park from the parking garage, no matter if you buy it in advance or day of, you cannot book a Lightning Lane of any kind until you scan into a theme park.
[SPEAKER_00]: If only part of your group is there, keep this in mind.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you have stragglers in your family or in your friend group, keep this in mind.
[SPEAKER_00]: If only part of your group is there, only the people who have scanned in can book.
[SPEAKER_00]: Make sure to emphasize this to your sleepy friends because they will blow it for you.
[SPEAKER_00]: because here's the deal.
[SPEAKER_00]: If we're spending this money to go to Disneyland Resort, we want to squeeze every dollar out of it without panicking about it.
[SPEAKER_00]: And to do that, it's not going to require plotting and planning and waking up at 4am the book stuff like with Disneyland.
[SPEAKER_00]: You just need two things to get the most out of what you spend on your trip.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I will tell you what those two things are, after this break.
[SPEAKER_00]: [♪ INTRO MUSIC PLAYING ELECTRONIC MUSIC PLAYING ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC E
[SPEAKER_00]: welcome back.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now when I left you, we were talking lightning lane multi pass, and I was saying that there are two things that I recommend you do to get the most out of what you are spending.
[SPEAKER_00]: Those two things are one, no one advance which two rides you want to book first, and two, get inside the park as early as you can.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now let's break that down.
[SPEAKER_00]: My first recommendation.
[SPEAKER_00]: No witch two rides you are booking first.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is an anecdotal.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is something that I, a person who visits Team Parks, a lot, has learned in the process of doing this myself.
[SPEAKER_00]: And generally speaking, I like to prioritize one popular ride, and then the one I want to do the most as my top two choices.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you are familiar with using lightning lane multi-pass at Disney World, you know that there are a handful of rides that stand out as the ones that are most in demand and trickiest to get a lightning lane return time for.
[SPEAKER_00]: However, at the time of recording this, there really isn't that situation at Disneyland.
[SPEAKER_00]: Guardians The Galaxy Mission Breakout has been selling out return times first and in the morning, so I would prioritize that if skipping the line for that one is a must, but otherwise, you're pretty flexible in what you are able to do.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you are curious about what to prioritize, as you're
[SPEAKER_00]: you know, popular ride choice, your more in-demand ride choice, possibly at a busier time of year or whatever is closest to the time that you are traveling, I recommend heading to thrilldata.com to dig a little deeper and see basically which lightning-ling times have run out in recent days and weeks prior to your trip for each attraction.
[SPEAKER_00]: The other one, just choose the one you want to do most.
[SPEAKER_00]: I find it this way when you get a ride in that you really, really want to do, that's kind of the only thing that matters even more so than a ride being quote unquote popular.
[SPEAKER_00]: And why do I recommend only doing two in advance and that's scheduling out in order every single ride you want to return to you?
[SPEAKER_00]: Because the day starts to splinter off to another path at that point.
[SPEAKER_00]: You pick one, you hop in the line, you go to your second and then it's like, do we want an early lunch or do we want to go on a coaster?
[SPEAKER_00]: Is it hot?
[SPEAKER_00]: Do we want to be an air conditioning?
[SPEAKER_00]: To me, after that second lightning lane is booked, that's when the demand of the day really start to take shape and this way you can prioritize your day more seamlessly.
[SPEAKER_00]: I like to go into a theme park with a hit list of everything I want to do so I don't have to think about it in the moment, which if your brain works like me, my fellow neurodivergent folks, hello great to see you, but you can feel all of that out while you're hopping in line.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I will give you my full go to schedule the end of the episode, do not worry.
[SPEAKER_00]: But being able to hit something you really want to do and getting a popular ride done before like 11 30 AM is a great feeling, and that's you up for success.
[SPEAKER_00]: And my second recommendation for Lightning Lane Multifast, again inside the park as early as you can.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, that doesn't always mean pulling up to Disneyland Resort, the second the parking garage opens.
[SPEAKER_00]: It just means get to Disneyland as quickly as you are able to.
[SPEAKER_00]: Because the sooner that you're in, the sooner you can start booking these lightning lanes.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I'm not saying this to you.
[SPEAKER_00]: Trust me, with the, it's like the youthful brain of no responsibility.
[SPEAKER_00]: My own doggy daycare doesn't open until 7 a.m.
[SPEAKER_00]: I have a toddler who will only wear about three different dresses and nothing else.
[SPEAKER_00]: I myself as an expert can never get to the parks quote unquote early enough.
[SPEAKER_00]: But that's why I emphasize getting there is early as you can because it will make the difference.
[SPEAKER_00]: Consider bringing breakfast with you and eating it on the way, or once you're in the park.
[SPEAKER_00]: Mobile order coffee at the Starbucks in downtown Disney to grab it on your way in, instead of spending time in the drive through crunch on your drive to the resort.
[SPEAKER_00]: Use the Pixar Piles parking lot hack, which I outlined in my other Disney land episodes, which I've linked in the show notes.
[SPEAKER_00]: pack your bags and car and water bottles the night before, have everything ready to go, because truly, saving a few minutes here and there, it really does add up.
[SPEAKER_00]: And getting in and booking sooner means that you can likely get more done while paying the same price as other people who also have lightning-lay moldy paths.
[SPEAKER_00]: And while we're going to deep dive into lightning lane gimmicks and hacks in this episode, there are some things I want to flag.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can modify and occasionally catch a better time.
[SPEAKER_00]: I find that to be too much work, so I don't do that too often, but do know there are these unofficial drops of official lightning lane return times later in the day.
[SPEAKER_00]: Those are kind of called lightning lane pop up availability and I would check thrilldata.com again to look deeper into that and spot the trends of what time extra lightning lane return times may appear within your app to book rides that were previously, quote unquote, sold out.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now that!
[SPEAKER_00]: Woooo!
[SPEAKER_00]: He's all for Lightning Lane Multibass.
[SPEAKER_00]: As I mentioned, Disneyland also has Lightning Lane's single pass that all the carc purchase to skip the line on individual in demand attractions.
[SPEAKER_00]: This used to be a big deal, like a real, whoa planning stressor, but things have thankfully calmed down.
[SPEAKER_00]: At the time of recording this episode, Disneyland only has two attractions currently even offering single pass, radiator springs racers and rise of the resistance.
[SPEAKER_00]: Should you pay for it?
[SPEAKER_00]: Truthfully, I feel like at this point in time, it's really personal preference.
[SPEAKER_00]: Rise of the Resistance has been open for almost six years.
[SPEAKER_00]: Time is wild, by the way.
[SPEAKER_00]: I had to fact-check that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Six years!
[SPEAKER_00]: And these two rides are basically now classic.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're not early morning
[SPEAKER_00]: To volunteer to pay that much for person for one of these, truly comes down to how long the posted wait time is, how busy the parks are, are you willing to stand there?
[SPEAKER_00]: Is it essential for your trip?
[SPEAKER_00]: And if it is, feel free!
[SPEAKER_00]: And if not, you can wait it out.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, these rides will be here.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're not hot and in demand anymore.
[SPEAKER_00]: And most importantly, they have standby cues, which hasn't historically always been the case.
[SPEAKER_00]: So totally feel it out, depending on your own wants and needs on your trip.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you don't call it either of these rides, you will still have an excellent time.
[SPEAKER_00]: And, of course, the final way to skip lines is by utilizing early morning entry, which lets Disneyland resort hotel guests spend an extra 30 minutes in the park before the rest of guests are allowed in.
[SPEAKER_00]: Only, oopsies, they're ending that starting January 5th, 2026.
[SPEAKER_00]: Devalling a wing your own hotel product to make yourself less competitive with the surrounding hotels and offer a single, measly, lightning-lay multi-paths option in its place?
[SPEAKER_00]: Couldn't be me.
[SPEAKER_00]: But please keep that in mind for future trips to Disneyland Resort and future hotel bookings.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you require disability access service or perhaps have used it in the past, please note that the entire process has changed drastically.
[SPEAKER_00]: We will be doing a full episode in the coming months all about accessibility, it does need theme parks, so stay tuned for that, please.
[SPEAKER_00]: And until then, look online for more information about the new onboarding process on the Disneyland website and a lot of very worthwhile and honest feedback across the internet.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's not great.
[SPEAKER_00]: And one last thing, if you're exploring the idea of a VIP tour, please make sure you also look into Lightning Lane Premier Pass.
[SPEAKER_00]: It doesn't give you the full range of VIP access, but it basically grants you entry whenever you want to all Lightning Lane-enabled attractions throughout Disneyland Resort.
[SPEAKER_00]: depending on your group and your style of visiting, this may be preferable to you than splurging on a guide.
[SPEAKER_00]: There is very limited availability, it goes on sale a week in advance, but pricing kind of starts around $400 to $450 per person admission not included.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's a chunk of money, I get it.
[SPEAKER_00]: But considering it is less than the starting cost of one hour of a VIP tour, which by the way is $500-$800 per hour, seven hour minimum, and always tip your guides, it is worth noting for a splurgy trip.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's basically all you need to know about rides and getting on them.
[SPEAKER_00]: So let's talk about everything else.
[SPEAKER_00]: Disney Family Resort is packed with so many other experiences.
[SPEAKER_00]: One is that allow you to learn how to draw realistic renderings of Edna Mode at animation Academy or explore many houses cartoonish, comb kitchen or even do activities like zip lining and high line walks at a full force at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you've never heard of these, honestly, I'm not surprised.
[SPEAKER_00]: We're all busy yapping about the food so much, which we'll get into, don't worry, that the charming little bits often fall by the wayside in the larger conversation of rides and fireworks and food.
[SPEAKER_00]: Disneyland itself though is a park that feels alive.
[SPEAKER_00]: Simply trot down past the snowwhite little fountain and the castle side walkway or climb up the vertigo inducing walking path inside the castle.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, you can go in the castle and nobody talks about it.
[SPEAKER_00]: And you will just be imbued with whimsy.
[SPEAKER_00]: Live entertainment, too, is so easy to take in here.
[SPEAKER_00]: I really do love this park!
[SPEAKER_00]: Multiple marching bands perform throughout the day, and whether you see the dapper dance, singing a capella on Main Street, or a group of pirates setting up shop in the middle of adventure land to plunk out some tunes.
[SPEAKER_00]: You will experience so much just by being here.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we may no longer have a show in the Hyperion because Lord, what is going on there?
[SPEAKER_00]: We just have a whole frozen musical.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was long and it was great and they just joined it!
[SPEAKER_00]: I want my probably still show back.
[SPEAKER_00]: But...
[SPEAKER_00]: entertainment still remains this ever as I have a lot of experience.
[SPEAKER_00]: The updated Disney Junior Show, the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse live show, Slaps in DCA, it is so good, and even the storytelling and royal theater, this quaint little performance with artistic retellings of beauty in the beast and tangled, is so sweet, and honestly, so small time that it's wild this still exists currently.
[SPEAKER_00]: Please don't take it away, please don't take it away as you can tell I'm damaged, but it's the type of thing that you go to and you're like, wow!
[SPEAKER_00]: a glimpse of old school Disneyland.
[SPEAKER_00]: And seasonally, you'll get some special shows.
[SPEAKER_00]: I have run rumors, casting rumors that a new show is on the way, so hopefully some of this will change soon.
[SPEAKER_00]: But even as the portion that I mentioned of their entertainment program that is lacking, there is always music.
[SPEAKER_00]: There is always something to see and do, and there are characters, honestly.
[SPEAKER_00]: Everywhere.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is what a theme park is supposed to be.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can go to their designated mean green locations, but you don't even have to.
[SPEAKER_00]: Characters roam free at Disneyland like they are guests.
[SPEAKER_00]: They have set meanary times, of course, but
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, you can catch Mickey and friends in the front of both parks, and Tune Town where Mickey and Minnie have official meet and greet spots, but Disneyland is magical.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is so magical because you will, a hundred percent, see a character roaming around without doing any planning.
[SPEAKER_00]: Period!
[SPEAKER_00]: And the same can often apply for princesses.
[SPEAKER_00]: Take my recent experience, for example.
[SPEAKER_00]: We were waiting in line for the official princess meet and greet, and I noticed that Anna, a frozen was just holding one outside next to the queue just to separate one and you could walk up and say hi to her.
[SPEAKER_00]: Because of that, I popped on the line, love my family there, I got back in line.
[SPEAKER_00]: We got to meet four princesses within 25 minutes, and we got to meet everyone my daughter wanted to meet.
[SPEAKER_00]: huge personal win.
[SPEAKER_00]: That can't really happen elsewhere.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can also see characters and parades, cavalcades, even nighttime entertainment, which I'm gonna say it is a little bit of a mixed bag, no matter when you're listening to this.
[SPEAKER_00]: I am recording this episode in the middle-ish of the 70th celebration, which runs through summer 2026.
[SPEAKER_00]: But multiple seasonal events, including Halloween, Winter Holidays, and Lunar New Year can shift the offerings.
[SPEAKER_00]: And depending on when you go, you can get a handful of different experiences.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is truly a wide array of what you're going to get.
[SPEAKER_00]: Plainly put Disneyland has an array of daytime and nighttime entertainment options.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are daytime parades and cavalcades, which are similar, but more low-key.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's also a nighttime parade, paint the night.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's the nighttime, quote-unquote, Castle Show, which I would call the fireworks show, except that some nights, it has projections, and some nights, it also has fireworks.
[SPEAKER_00]: If there is one thing that you take away from this episode,
[SPEAKER_00]: have it be the fireworks are not guaranteed every night here at Disneyland Park.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are also two waterfront shows.
[SPEAKER_00]: There is a world of color, the flagship show, a Disney California adventure, and then there's fantastic.
[SPEAKER_00]: The other nighttime spectacular within Disneyland's park.
[SPEAKER_00]: And let me say, there are nights when they are firing on all cylinders.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can get huge fireworks in front of the castle of Disneyland, you can get a waterfront spectacle with fantastic, you can even get a nighttime parade, which is a killer lineup of entertainment.
[SPEAKER_00]: But, it doesn't always shake out that way, and I don't have saying this on the record, but I'm not currently loving the version of Phantasmic we have right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: The dragon, in the show for lack of a better word, a copfire and was destroyed in 2023, and has not returned in the same jaw-dropping fashion, and the updated show doesn't really do it for me.
[SPEAKER_00]: But the entertainment line up that you will experience on your visit to Disneyland Resort really depends on when you go, especially at the time of the year that this guy is coming out.
[SPEAKER_00]: Case in point, paint the night, the night time parade, it's returned earlier this year was huge news.
[SPEAKER_00]: But the last day to see it at Disneyland Resort in 2025 is November 9th.
[SPEAKER_00]: It should return in early January when holiday festivities end, but that's kind of how it is.
[SPEAKER_00]: Things are changing over a lot in the holiday season.
[SPEAKER_00]: So always, always check the show times before you travel to Disneyland.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I say that with the warning that they don't come out too far in advance.
[SPEAKER_00]: With the 70th anniversary in holidays, lasting, truly overlapping and lasting half the year, the entertainment schedule is whack-a-do, so be warned that if fireworks are essential to your trip, know that one, they may not happen every night, and two, winds can be really strong throughout Southern California, and it can cause the fireworks chose to be canceled from time to time.
[SPEAKER_00]: When it comes to seeing this nighttime entertainment, particularly fan Tasmic in Disneyland fireworks,
[SPEAKER_00]: Prepare to get there early.
[SPEAKER_00]: You gotta commit time or you gotta commit money.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're often dining packages available for purchase that guarantee of viewing area for parades for nighttime entertainment, either with the purchase of a quick service meal or as part of a dining reservation at select Disney restaurants.
[SPEAKER_00]: These are called, you guessed it, dining packages, and you can find all details for those on the Disneyland website.
[SPEAKER_00]: I have never purchased one of these, the grab and go meals look very sad to me, and the dining packages themselves are a little splurgy for me as a local, but I want to make sure you are aware of the different options that are available to you.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are many, many, many reviews of these online.
[SPEAKER_00]: I will plop some in the show notes so you can see firsthand what's what if you are looking to book one of these.
[SPEAKER_00]: People regularly ask me, where should they watch fireworks from a Disneyland?
[SPEAKER_00]: And there's weirdly a lot of options.
[SPEAKER_00]: Personally, the chaos of being by the castle is often too much for me.
[SPEAKER_00]: But Disneyland plays projections there on its a small world and from the rivers of America where you may already be watching Fantasmic.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can steer there for the show and watch the fireworks with having to move that rocks and I love to do that if I am doing both.
[SPEAKER_00]: Viewing fireworks in front of it's a small world used to kind of be my go-to, easy to be a pretty ideal spot.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you really didn't want to like camp out for a while, which I never want to do.
[SPEAKER_00]: But paint the night has made that area busier.
[SPEAKER_00]: However, a new option has appeared.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can also see fireworks from Star Wars Galaxy's Edge with a different soundtrack in a totally different field.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's called Fire of the Rising Moons, and you can check that out on select nights again when fireworks are offered.
[SPEAKER_00]: Last thing about nighttime entertainment, worlds of color kind of quietly still offers a virtual queue for reserved viewing spaces at DCA.
[SPEAKER_00]: That costs no money, no money at all, and the virtual queue opens at 12 p.m each day in the Disneyland app.
[SPEAKER_00]: To be eligible to join this virtual queue, you have to be scanned into either Disney California Adventure before noon, or be scanned into Disneyland with park hopper admission before noon.
[SPEAKER_00]: Getting this isn't really dire though.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've had luck seeing worlds of color just showing up just like popping in the sign and just getting a spot last minute.
[SPEAKER_00]: And to be honest, I've often regretted every time I've had a great view of clothes because when you're that close, you can get wet and it's cold in these parks that night.
[SPEAKER_00]: How we did rides, we did entertainment, and now it is time for food.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, Disneyland dining.
[SPEAKER_00]: The first thing you gotta know about eating a Disneyland is that essentially none of the food here is gonna be bad.
[SPEAKER_00]: From snacks to quick service restaurants where you order a counter to table service restaurants with waiters, there are more fresh and seasonal options available here than almost any other theme park and existence.
[SPEAKER_00]: So with the littlest effort, namely, just listening to this podcast,
[SPEAKER_00]: Things like, everywhere in America, have gotten pretty pricey a lot more than when I last put together our most recent Disneyland Guide.
[SPEAKER_00]: Currently, a flavored popcorn scoop at the cozy cones is 7 bucks, a churro is 7 bucks, a soda is 5 bucks, soft service 629, and I am indeed listing all these out loud so I can recoil and horror and track it for when I update this episode in 6 to 8 months time.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm sorry, adult with is 7.29?
[SPEAKER_00]: You should at least get a buck off for the amount that melts between it being poured and you taking your first bite.
[SPEAKER_00]: We have done a lot of reporting about food at Disneyland here at very amusing and have a few fantastic episodes about it.
[SPEAKER_00]: If I may say so myself, all of which I have linked to in the show notes.
[SPEAKER_00]: But this is the ultimate guide to Disneyland.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm going to give you the lowdown on the top snacks, drinks, restaurants, and dining experiences while you are visiting Disneyland Resort.
[SPEAKER_00]: But before we get into that, let me just spout off on a few important things.
[SPEAKER_00]: The big game at this resort is gonna be seasonal food.
[SPEAKER_00]: Disneyland goes huge with seasonal food.
[SPEAKER_00]: There is always something new and special to try even if you go weakly.
[SPEAKER_00]: Disney California Adventure often has food festivals within the park, but even more than that, nearly every dining location will often have a surprise little of the moment snack, drink, dessert, or meal available.
[SPEAKER_00]: Especially during all of the seasons now, honestly, your best fan on knowing what's worth getting is
[SPEAKER_00]: Which ever social media platform is your preference.
[SPEAKER_00]: Truly, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram.
[SPEAKER_00]: Basically, if there is new food that came out within the past week, there will be people reviewing it online.
[SPEAKER_00]: You need not look far.
[SPEAKER_00]: But for me, my all-time faves, I'm gonna let you know about all of them.
[SPEAKER_00]: Similarly, there is always one like big food trend happening at Disneyland Resort, back before the pandemic it was Dol way of donuts and Mickey shaped stuff, then it was flavor Churros, then it was Buryod, that was fun, it was everywhere, it was great.
[SPEAKER_00]: But right now, at this moment, I feel like the most invogue item across the park is funky flavored cold brews.
[SPEAKER_00]: They have launched, I think, four of them, in the time from when I started outlining this episode, to finishing it, truly.
[SPEAKER_00]: They have got so much fun, flavored ice coffee right now, and it's always changing, so make sure, again, to check social media for the lineup, check Disney Park's blog for their foodie guides, which are more comprehensive than you might anticipate.
[SPEAKER_00]: And last thing, at a time, alcohol was not sold inside Disneyland Repart Park.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was only a California adventure, but that time is over.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can now drink at table service restaurants at Disneyland, and inside August Cantino within Star Wars Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland Park, which no longer requires reservations.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can also, as usual, freely drink throughout Disneyland California adventure.
[SPEAKER_00]: Woo!
[SPEAKER_00]: All the important stuff out of the way.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now we're going to talk about my absolute favorite foods, iconic eats, and my recommended dining locations no matter what kind of trip you are trying to have.
[SPEAKER_00]: But to give you the little lay of the land, here's some breakdown of how it works from a season local.
[SPEAKER_00]: You're going to want to use mobile order here at Disneyland Resort, and you're going to want to use it often.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, Disneyland sells food at three types of locations, carts, quick service counters, and full sit-down restaurants.
[SPEAKER_00]: Those quick service counters can be anything from like a window in a building that they'll shove a bag of Mickey-shaped venues through to actual cafeteria-style, whole-detray restaurants.
[SPEAKER_00]: and a lot of them, but not all of them, a lot of them offer mobile order.
[SPEAKER_00]: I always, always, always, recommend placing orders well in advance because you do not get charged until you pick them up.
[SPEAKER_00]: You're basically just laying down the intent of possibly wanting to eat it, even though on your end, it will look like you're getting charged, yell, won't, until you pick it up.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can always amend the time for later if need be based on what's available,
[SPEAKER_00]: you will save truly so much time of waiting in line by using mobile order early in the day and scheduling your food for later on.
[SPEAKER_00]: Those table service restaurants sit down restaurants, take reservations 60 days in advance, but if you can't find what you want, which happens all the time stuff goes so quickly, there are two things you can do to get your butt in the seat where you want to eat.
[SPEAKER_00]: one, check the app constantly for availability, but especially even then 24 hours of when you want to die there.
[SPEAKER_00]: You now only get charged for not using a reservation within two hours, so in that 24 to two hour range, you will see possibly more availability than you have leading up to your trip.
[SPEAKER_00]: And my second tip.
[SPEAKER_00]: Use the mobile-dine walk-up availability function within the app.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is basically a geo-targeted stand-by-weight list that you are only eligible for if you are physically in the vicinity.
[SPEAKER_00]: But my little tip.
[SPEAKER_00]: Ooh!
[SPEAKER_00]: My little tip!
[SPEAKER_00]: to not only use that mobile-dine walk-up availability function, who doesn't line up, but also to go up to the person working there and say, hey, I saw that the weight is this or hey, I noticed that the weight list is full.
[SPEAKER_00]: If we're around the area, we're two people, we're three people, we're four people, we'll take whatever.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you have anything, do you think it's worth waiting?
[SPEAKER_00]: Always talk to them and just see.
[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes you'll check and they'll be like, we're so busy and you're about totally cool.
[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes, which is happening to me, and in-demand places, I go and ask, and they're like, oh, the way this is full, but like, no one's currently standing there, and they have an open two-top, and you nab it.
[SPEAKER_00]: So always, always, always ask the wonderful cast members of the front and be kind to them, because they work very hard, and we love cast members here, and very music.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, this is what you've probably been waiting for.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to tell you my favorite items in the order that I mentioned, cards, quick service, and sit-down restaurants.
[SPEAKER_00]: When it comes to card snacks, you're either a popcorn person, a chose person, or a Mickey bar person.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's my belief, none of the wrong answer, but you kinda just instinctually choose your fighter.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm a popcorn girlie, and I grab it wherever it seems freshest or I seem hungriest.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I gotta tell ya, there is nothing like a Disney Parks popcorn.
[SPEAKER_00]: AMC could never, you have never experienced perfect butter flavored popcorn, which is like, isn't even really made with butter.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's so good, and you gotta get one if you were in the parks.
[SPEAKER_00]: Just know there's an endless rotation of tourist flavors and dips and they change all the time.
[SPEAKER_00]: So check the app, the park's blog is the menus to catch them all because there are so many options out there.
[SPEAKER_00]: Other iconic cart foods I have to tell you about includes pickles.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh yeah, bags of pickles, people just love getting these little stands.
[SPEAKER_00]: Not a pickle person, but to each their own.
[SPEAKER_00]: Chimey Chonga's, I am not the Lord's toughest soldier when it comes to my stomach.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that one is off my jacket in my elder age.
[SPEAKER_00]: But the best thing you can get in my opinion is a Disney land corn dog.
[SPEAKER_00]: They are sold in multiple locations and they are available for mobile order, getting it at the little red wagon on Main Street is the most iconic in my opinion.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I prefer to get it there, but it is hand dipped.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is as fresh as a hot dog products could be, and it is truly heaven.
[SPEAKER_00]: And vegetarians, there is a cheese-only version available at corn dog castle at DCA, which is wild, whoo, that thing is a trip, and you can still like partake in me dipped fun.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, jumping ahead to quick service.
[SPEAKER_00]: Where is the bulk of the food that I eat at Disneyland Resort?
[SPEAKER_00]: Bread bowls are king.
[SPEAKER_00]: Soup season is huge here.
[SPEAKER_00]: And there are no, there's no limit to the variety of ones you can find.
[SPEAKER_00]: Corn Chowder, I've had curry, clam chowder, bra broccoli cheese, chili.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like there's so many different things you can eat now with bread bowls around Disneyland Resort.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it is a must if it is chili out, just take part in it, enjoy.
[SPEAKER_00]: it's really something special.
[SPEAKER_00]: Speaking of soups, jolly holiday is home to the ideal casual lunch, a grilled cheese with tomato soup and a Matterhorn macaron for dessert.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's nothing like it.
[SPEAKER_00]: That place always is like perfect outdoor tables alongside mainstream, view the castle.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's really the spot where a casual lunch is concerned in my opinion.
[SPEAKER_00]: For the protein head and your party skewers at Bangle Barbecue are going to be in the move, you can grab them individually or kind of make a meal out of it with a plate of rice.
[SPEAKER_00]: That is like the easiest straight shot of protein you can find in these parks.
[SPEAKER_00]: That is where I always recommend to people.
[SPEAKER_00]: And one of the more
[SPEAKER_00]: popular foods in the area of the park, kind of a little further away.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Monkey Crystal is now available for quick serve this pick up in New Orleans Square, but honestly, I am over it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm over it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm over the days of Monkey Crystal, and it used to be special, and I really believe there's better food at Disneyland, and I'm done with this one.
[SPEAKER_00]: The two other quick service restaurants I want to call out are Rancho Del Zocalo where I more often than not in eating lunch and Plaza Inn whose plates of fried chicken and home-style food will fill you up if you are super hungry.
[SPEAKER_00]: These two do not have mobile order but they are absolutely worth visiting regardless.
[SPEAKER_00]: One of my favorite desserts ever, ever made by Disney, is the Choco Smash candy bar at Pimm's Test Kitchen and DCA.
[SPEAKER_00]: The thing is a behemoth, it's delicious.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's like a homemade Snickers bar, but it's so big that you can easily share with people I've even brought at home.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is excellent and I can't recommend it enough.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I've regularly just going straight to Harvard Galley at Disneyland and getting their warm cookies.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're known for their chocolate chip cookies served as a half dozen or a baker's dozen, which I love because you can share them with friends.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can bring them home easy, peasy pie, but their seasonal cookies are also worth checking out.
[SPEAKER_00]: If it is a flavor you are interested in, they are probably just as delicious and a little more festive than the standard ones.
[SPEAKER_00]: But if you're going to Disneyland, you're probably craving one thing, and that thing is dole whip.
[SPEAKER_00]: Dole whip, along with other similar flavors, pineapple is the default flavor of dole whip, but they have other fruit flavors of dole whip.
[SPEAKER_00]: They are all available in Adventureland at Disneyland.
[SPEAKER_00]: But note, if you are looking for some soft serve, like a little twist, a little chocolate, little vanilla, you're not going to find it at Disneyland.
[SPEAKER_00]: You have to head to DCA.
[SPEAKER_00]: I get like one to two panicked texts a year from friends and family who are trying to find it at Disneyland and can't, so just know what it means if you want soft serve, get it while you're at DCA.
[SPEAKER_00]: Mickey bars, they're uniform, anywhere you go, they are the same.
[SPEAKER_00]: But if you want a special ice cream treat,
[SPEAKER_00]: Clarebells at Disney California Adventure has hand-dipped ice cream bars.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're not making shapes, but they are customisable in our pretty great.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are ice cream scoop shops throughout, but they're like, there's something like E.D.s and dryers, which isn't really something I would write home about personally.
[SPEAKER_00]: but there is a full gear Adele location, also located at DCA.
[SPEAKER_00]: Don't forget, you can mobile order from candy shops for your caramel apples and marshmallow ones, and the iconic, but is actually now probably more famous than the other treats.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Choro Toppy.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is, as good as people say, and is also the best thing to bring home for someone.
[SPEAKER_00]: It packs really well.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's easy to throw in a bag.
[SPEAKER_00]: It'll crumble a little but not too much, and it is so, so delicious.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now we're drinks are concerned.
[SPEAKER_00]: The cold brew black calf and galaxy's edge is the go-to.
[SPEAKER_00]: Even if seasonal coffees are currently giving it a run for its money.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is excellent.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's got a little cook-a-puff on top.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's creamy.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's sweet.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is like exactly what you want from a fun tasty theme park coffee.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can grab it at docking base 7, but do be sure you check their opening hours since this is a kind of coffee treat you'll have to get later in the day, most likely.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can also get flavored Coca-Cola drinks at Refreshment Corner in Disneyland, they can add a little cherry, a little vanilla, and even though it is a cart food, it's not a quick service location, the poison apple freeze is fantastic.
[SPEAKER_00]: For when you want something that isn't caffeinated but can like cool you off really nicely on a hot day.
[SPEAKER_00]: And last but not least, we gotta be talking about our sit-down restaurants.
[SPEAKER_00]: The most famous ones are of course, one's like blue by you at Disneyland, which is inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is so special that you get a view of it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, the candlelit tables.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, it's so romantic.
[SPEAKER_00]: And Carthet Circle, which is like a straight-up legit, really nice restaurant inside Disney California Adventure Park.
[SPEAKER_00]: The best restaurant in Disneyland Resort is Napa Rose, which is in the adjoining Grand California hotel, but it is currently under refurbishment and no opening date has been announced at the time of recording this podcast.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think of blue by you and Carthase Circle is kind of special occasion restaurants personally, but Carthase Circle's lounge is a great spot to also have on your radar.
[SPEAKER_00]: The menu here is small, the portions are small, the prices are high, but it's fine.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's all good because the cocktails are exceptional.
[SPEAKER_00]: They are exceptional!
[SPEAKER_00]: Truly,
[SPEAKER_00]: Truly the best cocktail you will probably have at Disneyland Resort until Navarro's is full flight like if you're gonna leave Go to Navarro's, but if you're here Carthus circle lounges the place to be to get a noise cocktail and even if you don't drink They have this rose pedal soda that is not alcoholic and is so refreshing if I'm ever there with friends I will often order that midday just to have like a little a little something a little treat
[SPEAKER_00]: But my current favorites sit down restaurant raining for like two to three years in a row at this point is Coronation Cafe at Disneyland.
[SPEAKER_00]: They have seats alongside Main Street.
[SPEAKER_00]: They've got fried pickles!
[SPEAKER_00]: They have a big burger but I love to swap in a veggie burger patty.
[SPEAKER_00]: They have a menu of Walt's favorites.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's just like a great range of food in this kind of cute semi-exclusive setup because there are at very many tables.
[SPEAKER_00]: The inside seats are sad.
[SPEAKER_00]: I request outside and wait for it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I will not sit inside.
[SPEAKER_00]: It just feels little like waiting room lobby, but outside to be just in that location on Main Street to be eating a fried pickle to me is a Disneyland highlight.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, Cafe Orleans used to be my go-to spot, and this is why you can't always trust guides, because any guide that wasn't updated in the past few years will probably tell you to go here and they are wrong!
[SPEAKER_00]: It's waterfront views in New Orleans Square were heavenly, but they removed their palm-free, their perfect seasoned french fries for truly absolutely no reason.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would have paid $30 for an order of these.
[SPEAKER_00]: Their margins could have been huge.
[SPEAKER_00]: They could have been huge, but they're not the same.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I have not been back since trying them once.
[SPEAKER_00]: I went back and I was like, oh, give it a shot.
[SPEAKER_00]: Have not been back since trying them in over three years.
[SPEAKER_00]: If I am a Disney California adventurer, the main restaurant I usually end up at, similar situation.
[SPEAKER_00]: Note a cafe or leans, yes to Carnation Cafe.
[SPEAKER_00]: Over at DCA, I would've told you before you got to go to Lamp Light Lounge, you got to go to Lamp Light Lounge.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, pack it up boys because they changed the beloved potato skins and I simply cannot recommend it here any longer.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't usually say like getting a big portion of the kid's mac and cheese is great, but they not have an onion blossom on the menu, so I really don't know what in the fast casual is going on here.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would never, ever have said this before, but I'm gonna send you not here, but upstairs to lamplight lounge boardwalk dining.
[SPEAKER_00]: The names so confusing, but this is essentially a patio upstairs that is operated as a completely different restaurant.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is walk up, it is easy to get, like it's casual, it's you don't have to make any fair and reservations in advance.
[SPEAKER_00]: But this is the OG spot for Disney Land Foodies, gaining in for me, from long ago, from long before an Instagram, for having a secret drink menu and the beloved lobster nachos.
[SPEAKER_00]: And the reason I'm going, hmm, don't go to LeBlanc lounge.
[SPEAKER_00]: Head straight upstairs is because the Lobster not shows are no longer sold downstairs at LeBlanc lounge.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's what we hope came there for.
[SPEAKER_00]: So again, that place is getting axed, and you gotta head here instead.
[SPEAKER_00]: They've got an array of small plates, they've got a full bar, but really you're here for the not shows and you're here to vibe out.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is one of the few iconic Disneyland foods that really holds up.
[SPEAKER_00]: Even if I did spend a few years preferring them with steak, I am back to Lobster, and I am back to swearing by them.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's kind of the majority of the food I'm getting while there.
[SPEAKER_00]: Again, there is no limit to the endless amount of youngies that you can get here, but as a local, I'm kind of in my bag if I'm getting anything on that list.
[SPEAKER_00]: A quick little, a quick little note about downtown Disney as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is located just outside the parks.
[SPEAKER_00]: Right, um, any admission is not required.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can just show up and they have loads of restaurants, including Dintai Fong.
[SPEAKER_00]: They have Salt and Straw Ice Cream.
[SPEAKER_00]: They have a balanced point brewery.
[SPEAKER_00]: Triletylists goes on and on and on and on.
[SPEAKER_00]: same and even additional products from what they sell inside the parks.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can get more of those caramel popcorn here.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can get candy to take home.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can get all the sweets that you need, just grab and go.
[SPEAKER_00]: But there are also a bunch of new locations on the way, including a portals, huge, a sick looking steakhouse and pearls roadside barbecue.
[SPEAKER_00]: A restaurant that I will be talking about regardless of if the food is good for obvious reasons.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you
[SPEAKER_00]: While you are at it, while you're in downtown Disney, be sure if you have time to shuffle past over to the Disneyland Hotel and do not sleep on the famous The infamous Trader Sands.
[SPEAKER_00]: Great food, great teaky drinks and a fantastic outdoor patio vibe, even if the themed interior is typically what people come here for.
[SPEAKER_00]: I love to catch up with friends and family and sit outside by the torches and just chop on sackies on a poo-poo platter, have a drink or haven't got alcoholic drink, I went last time asked for a shelter with all the fruit they could stuff in it, heaven, it really is a fantastic experience.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, trade for Sam's, Loki kind of removed advanced reservations recently.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's a little more unpredictable to visit than it previously was, but walk over, give it a shot, and hopefully you will be handsomely rewarded.
[SPEAKER_00]: which brings me to Disneyland Hotel.
[SPEAKER_00]: They operate three of them and I'm just going to speak in generalizations here this morning, the episode.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're pretty pricey.
[SPEAKER_00]: They are quite expensive.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are deals that are promotions, head to most ventrevole.com.
[SPEAKER_00]: Those are new things to reach out because, again, any eye mouse and trevole is on top of the discounts you really have to be on top of it for these because they are a little bit scattered.
[SPEAKER_00]: But they are kind of wonderful.
[SPEAKER_00]: There is that judicic quah about staying with Disney while you are a Disney.
[SPEAKER_00]: And they all have significant benefits to staying there.
[SPEAKER_00]: Some of which are being torn away, again, changing the benefits, the top of the gear, not obsessed with it.
[SPEAKER_00]: But Grand California has a dedicated entrance to Disney California Adventure and out another door you pop right into downtown Disney.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it is deliciously convenient to stay there.
[SPEAKER_00]: Disneyland Hotel, great pool situation, is home to Trader Sam's and there really is something to say about staying within the bubble.
[SPEAKER_00]: It really is somewhat magical.
[SPEAKER_00]: The third hotel Pixar place is a recently re-themed hotel across the street from Disney's Grand California.
[SPEAKER_00]: I have not personally stayed at yet.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is something that I want to stay at.
[SPEAKER_00]: And again, while I mention they have stripped away perks without lowering prices, if you can get a deal, if you can get a discount in one of these hotels, it is kind of nice to see with Disney.
[SPEAKER_00]: That said.
[SPEAKER_00]: And again, they took away the parks.
[SPEAKER_00]: That said, there are many, many, many nearby hotels, which cost much less and are similarly convenient.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're often called good neighbor hotels, quote unquote, by Disney themselves.
[SPEAKER_00]: But many of them, most of them actually are literally walking distance.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if they're not, they have easy transportation.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've stayed at the West in Anaheim, the JW Marriott, both of which were fine.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've also stated the Anaheim Hotel, which I really liked in a general sense, even if the rooms at that point, this is a few years ago,
[SPEAKER_00]: but the rooms were really giving motel, but to be frank with you, as a local eye, I am not your best source on this.
[SPEAKER_00]: I rarely stay in a hotel by Disneyland.
[SPEAKER_00]: So please refer to other Disney news outlets or reach out directly to any iMouse fan travel who can help you with everything on your trip.
[SPEAKER_00]: Again, there is no shortage of hotels in the area.
[SPEAKER_00]: I want to make sure you are set with the knowledge you need.
[SPEAKER_00]: So even if a Disney hotel that you were hoping for is not available,
[SPEAKER_00]: And, for my final bit of advice, I want to leave you with my ideal kuku bananas person final schedule.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now this is when I would text to a friend if they were going to Disneyland, they listen to podcasts, they'd be like, don't forget this, this is how you should structure your day, Bing, Bing, Boom.
[SPEAKER_00]: go.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, in advance, I would typically make one, like late, depending on how long I'm staying, I would make one sit-down reservation.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is not necessary.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can absolutely do the walk-up weight list, but I would usually make one.
[SPEAKER_00]: If I was going with family, if this is like a big trip for one, is to make sure I had something on the books.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can always cancel it up to two hours before without getting charged, just keep that in mind.
[SPEAKER_00]: But be data.
[SPEAKER_00]: You are going to want to get there as early as possible for you.
[SPEAKER_00]: Prepare an advance, pack the car, just try to get out the door as early as you are able to.
[SPEAKER_00]: mobile order Starbucks at downtown Disney once you arrive, but check when you're in the garage because sometimes it can be up to like a 30 minute wait to pick up your coffee, it usually isn't, but just make sure to check before you kind of head down to the tram or head to walk.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now speaking of, you can take a tram from the parking lot from Mickey and friends, from Pixar pals.
[SPEAKER_00]: There is another parking lot where we're not going to get into that today.
[SPEAKER_00]: There is a tram that you can take into Disneyland, but I like to walk especially when I'm with the
[SPEAKER_00]: When you walk, you do pass right by the Monterail entrance, which is convenient if lightning lanes are your priority.
[SPEAKER_00]: Because you are closer to that than you are to the main gate, and therefore you can scan in, and you can book your lightning lanes as you are walking up to the Monterail before you have actually even entered the park.
[SPEAKER_00]: It can save you truly 15 to maybe even 25 minutes, depending on how long the lines are at the main gate, but
[SPEAKER_00]: I do think you miss a little bit in the magic of walking right into Disneyland and seeing the characters and seeing the castle, so it just depends on which way your trip is going.
[SPEAKER_00]: Once you scan in, wherever you are, wherever put up a park you're going to, you're going to book your first lightning lane immediately.
[SPEAKER_00]: And remember, that's either going to be something that's very in demand, or something that is really important to you that you want to make sure you get on that day.
[SPEAKER_00]: Once you are boots on the ground, you booked that lightning lane.
[SPEAKER_00]: If the return time isn't immediately, go get in line or even if it is.
[SPEAKER_00]: Go get in line for something you don't want to wait longer for later.
[SPEAKER_00]: That is whatever strikes your fancy.
[SPEAKER_00]: That could be Space Mountain.
[SPEAKER_00]: It could be Astral Orbiter.
[SPEAKER_00]: It could be heading straight to Tune Town to maybe go to Minnie's house.
[SPEAKER_00]: All of our priorities are different, but something you want to do that you don't want to wait in an afternoon line for, make sure to do that at this point in time.
[SPEAKER_00]: Ride that ride.
[SPEAKER_00]: Head to what is likely your first lightning-ly multi-pass choice and around now, start placing your mobile orders for meals and snacks and foods for the rest of the day.
[SPEAKER_00]: I even like to place an order for, say, true road toffee that I can pick up when
[SPEAKER_00]: Again, you do not get charged unless you pick them up, and it really is just easier this way.
[SPEAKER_00]: After you ride your first lightning lane, multi-pass enabled ride, book your second.
[SPEAKER_00]: And from there, let the day just roll out.
[SPEAKER_00]: You will know what you want to do from there.
[SPEAKER_00]: You will know what rides you want to do.
[SPEAKER_00]: You don't have to stress as much here at Disneyland as you would at Disney World.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I hope you have a absolutely wonderful time.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, please keep in mind, this episode is being published in October 2025.
[SPEAKER_00]: We will be updating it likely spring 2026, but please, please, please, please make sure to check the Disneyland website if there's anything that your trip is really hinting on that you want to make sure it's still accurate.
[SPEAKER_00]: Things change constantly at Disney Parks.
[SPEAKER_00]: change is kind of the only constant in these parts, so please make sure to check and have a wonderful, wonderful trip.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you have any planning questions, any food questions, any questions at all, reach out to our Churros hotline at 747 Churros and I'm happy, so be on happy, like truly it is the pleasure of my life, to be able to make sure you have a great trip.
[SPEAKER_00]: I hope this was helpful, I hope this was enjoyable, and I'll see y'all in Disneyland.
[UNKNOWN]: I was just listening to your most recent whirlwind episode and at the end you said
[SPEAKER_01]: episode.
[SPEAKER_01]: And as soon as I listened to that one, I've wanted to come in, but I didn't.
[SPEAKER_01]: So now you've got me said nobody called in, I'm giving a call.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I agree with a lot of what you said.
[SPEAKER_01]: However, I think that you really forgot how bad Samaroleans in Disneyland is.
[SPEAKER_01]: It is like a
[SPEAKER_01]: trip mall where there's like no store's left and it's just a ghost home so I think for sure it should not have gotten a five for five because the vibe in frontland in Disneyland is so bad.
[SPEAKER_01]: It obviously still would have won, doesn't make a big difference but I think you could really put out about my land and you were just thinking about all the good stuff that
[SPEAKER_01]: So I wanted to call in and remind you that it does have that law and it probably should have gotten a four.
[SPEAKER_01]: All right.
[SPEAKER_01]: Thank you.
[SPEAKER_01]: Thanks for the podcast.
[SPEAKER_01]: Bye.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_00]: First of all.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for this call.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is going to keep me honest because this is indeed a pro Disneyland episode.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, they've done multiple pro Disneyland episodes and Rachel, you are not wrong.
[SPEAKER_00]: Tomorrowland, it Disneyland is a problem.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's like the big thing all of us talk about before every D23 expo were like, oh
[SPEAKER_00]: Are we finally gonna give it tomorrow land redo and we never do it has not come we need it so bad And they haven't announced it which means that if we ever do get one it's going to be years light years away Even but the reason that I just kind of glossed over it is because for me personally And this is just me and I know this is not applied to everyone probably not the majority of people
[SPEAKER_00]: But for me, it's like the scent of nostalgia there keeps me going.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like the vision of what it once was, actually makes me more hopeful for the wind than to look down upon it for the mishmosh that it actually is.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like I fully and I'll admit and you are getting me doing that admit this.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I appreciate you.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like I fully have blinders up for like the wreckage that is the old and inventions building.
[SPEAKER_00]: Star Wars launchbait like whatever you want to call it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm just like I've even recently been to that DVC lounge and I was like really this this is what we're using this space for and I realized it doesn't for me it doesn't hurt as much because I have never seen Disney Lance tomorrow land thrive.
[SPEAKER_00]: I never saw a rocket rugs.
[SPEAKER_00]: I didn't see I mean it's a Jason but I never saw Skyway buckets.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know of a functioning people mover like
[SPEAKER_00]: The only experience I've had seeing this area of the park in really good shape was truly from old movies of Disneyland's early days.
[SPEAKER_00]: So to me, I'm like, oh wow, we can still kind of imagine what it was because I didn't experience that middle chunk where it was cool and then everything just got kind of ripped out.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, I appreciate you.
[SPEAKER_00]: I thank you for calling about this because you are right, but at the end of the day, I gotta say, while I would agree that it does need to be dinged a little bit of points for vibes, there is still nothing better than steps away encountering a gaggle of characters.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like the fact that right outside of this, you can just hang a right and go walk towards fantasy land with like matterhorn on your right.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can walk walk walk
[SPEAKER_00]: Many different characters the amount of care.
[SPEAKER_00]: I can think of 10 characters.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've seen now that walk way off the top of my head and like that magic to me outweighs The kind of mess that tomorrow land is right now I don't want to call on.
[SPEAKER_00]: I almost called it a worse word than mess, but just you know I'm not so great area that could use some extreme improvement and updates which I hope I hope at a future D23 we do get so
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you Rachel for calling.
[SPEAKER_00]: You are right and I appreciate this.
[SPEAKER_00]: I appreciate this.
[SPEAKER_00]: I will keep this I will keep this in mind Especially because we're going to talk to you 23 and a handful of months.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh my lord, and this will absolutely be top of the list for things that I really really hope they have.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for calling and wow.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, to have seen Disneyland in the heyday.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh man, that would have been good.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you all so much for listening to this very special Disneyland guide episode.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can rate your view and follow very amusing on Apple podcasts and rate and follow us on Spotify.
[SPEAKER_00]: I love, I love to see little comments come in, I appreciate your ratings, and if you have done this already and you have to hear this every week, I want to thank you, yes you personally, for just being on top of it letting people know about the show, it really has a huge impact, and I thank you all of you who have already done it.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can give us a call, literally whenever at 747 Charles, I have a lot to catch up on, I will get to it, I assure you, I love hearing from you, it's really nice.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's so funny that as a millennial, I don't like to pick up the phone ever, like, having to call to make a doctor a play, which I've had to do a lot lately and just call like, oh, calling a pharmacy, but be like the Charles hotline is my one of my, one of it's not my favorite parts of the podcast of making it, and I love seeing the little
[SPEAKER_00]: You've got a voicemail, and I get to read the transcript, and I get to listen to it later, and it's just bliss, and I think all of you for calling in and sharing It's like a basically like a it's like a mini podcast.
[SPEAKER_00]: You send me and then I send you a mini podcast back It's like pen pals.
[SPEAKER_00]: I love it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I love it, and I thank you to all of you called and if you haven't called again If you're nervous about it, which again is the millennial understand you can always go Blah and hang up and call back.
[SPEAKER_00]: I will only listen to the most recent one I will only listen if you're like play this one.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's all I will listen to.
[SPEAKER_00]: Don't worry
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a safe space.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you were planning a trip to Disneyland Disney World, uh, Universal Disney Cruise Line Royal Caribbean Adventures by Disney, anything, everything, please reach out to MEI MouseFan Travel.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know them, you love them, they're keeping us informed about discounts.
[SPEAKER_00]: Then goodness for that backing segment, because I would not know about so many of these discounts.
[SPEAKER_00]: and I work with them and they make the podcast possible and I'm so grateful for them and they are powering a music producer that they are making it happen.
[SPEAKER_00]: I had a call earlier today about it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm very very excited and I hope you are too and hopefully we'll do more of them in the future.
[SPEAKER_00]: So please, if you're planning a trip, they will help you out for free.
[SPEAKER_00]: They will handle the Go.com web platform in Garbage website.
[SPEAKER_00]: for you, for free.
[SPEAKER_00]: Reach out to them in mousefandtravel.com slash amusing, and if that link doesn't work, sometimes it's a little tricky on my own, and just let them know that me or my podcast sent you there.
[SPEAKER_00]: I love them.
[SPEAKER_00]: They love the show.
[SPEAKER_00]: We love to work with them, so please support our podcast by booking with MEI Mousefandtravel.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can follow me at Carly Waisel, and join the fobably at facebook.com slash group slash Carly Waisel.
[SPEAKER_00]: Subscribe to my Instagram 99 cents a month.
[SPEAKER_00]: At Curley Waysout if you're listening to this a day it comes out I am currently traveling and we'll be doing a travel Q&A which I do after every trip that is just available to subscribers.
[SPEAKER_00]: Again, it is truly like 99 cents at this point compared to everything else costing a whole lot of money.
[SPEAKER_00]: I feel like I priced it as low as possible and I hope that you get 99 cents worth of fun.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that's what I provide and I hope it shows through.
[SPEAKER_00]: I love having that feature on Instagram and I would love for you to be a part of it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thanks so much for listening.
[SPEAKER_00]: See you real soon!
[SPEAKER_02]: And that's just two ways of doing it.
[SPEAKER_02]: But when you text me, I was so excited but you did say one stipulation, no leggings for the fancy restaurants.
[SPEAKER_02]: So I was very excited, of course, yes, I did text like the housewife of a foreign county because I wanted to dress up and I figured if nobody this must be really special.
[SPEAKER_02]: So as soon as we got to the hotel,
[SPEAKER_02]: I went in my room.
[SPEAKER_02]: My own room, I started singing, I started dancing around, I was so excited.
[SPEAKER_02]: I love sharing the room with you, but my own bed and my own bathroom putting all of my stuff everywhere was like heaven for me.
[SPEAKER_02]: I was so excited I loved it.
[SPEAKER_02]: So we went to the Venetian Shophouse, which was the greatest play I have ever had, and like melted in my mouth.
[SPEAKER_02]: The whole experience, it was so relaxing, it was kind of like a speakeasy,
[SPEAKER_02]: beautiful background music and the best way to the martini of my god, even though we're doing half, we have the mac and cheese with hot and delicious and great.
[SPEAKER_02]: And we did go to Disney Springs at 10 p.m.
[SPEAKER_02]: We got Infect Gideon's line, got her cooking wences, our butts were closed once shopping.
[SPEAKER_02]: It was so much fun shopping with you.
[SPEAKER_02]: And the next morning we ended up at Epic Universe for my first time and seeing everything from the Harry Potter
[SPEAKER_02]: Paris of the old days was absolutely so special.
[SPEAKER_02]: I really loved it.
[SPEAKER_02]: I was so excited.
[SPEAKER_02]: And the old time candy store was so fun.
[SPEAKER_02]: And by the way, I do love the AI baby.
[SPEAKER_02]: I do love to get baby anyway.
[SPEAKER_02]: When we went to do our own then, I think we called the dark, the dark more dark universe.
[SPEAKER_02]: I went back to the Harry Potter candy store.
[SPEAKER_02]: And I bought the softest butter bear gummy bear that I ever had.
[SPEAKER_02]: They are so good.
[SPEAKER_02]: And I also bought this cute carnival container and it was filled with these jelly bean jelly bellies and there were flavors like, I can't know.
[SPEAKER_02]: You let me know that it was like air wax and wham I said, it was so sick thing.
[SPEAKER_02]: But they did have a picture of the ones that I could eat.
[SPEAKER_02]: So they had a phone call to the sausage, and they said, you try it.
[SPEAKER_02]: But you could not chew it.
[SPEAKER_02]: You had to spit it out.
[SPEAKER_02]: It was hysterical.
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay, my favorite ride of course was the only ride for me.
[SPEAKER_02]: And that was the ocean ride and it was so relaxing and lit up at night.
[SPEAKER_02]: It was so fun, but the best ride was the carousel ride at night.
[SPEAKER_02]: It was on another carousel level.
[SPEAKER_02]: Everything was lit up, the lights were on, it was dark out, it was great, put the horses spin.
[SPEAKER_02]: That was so much fun, I loved it.
[SPEAKER_02]: But the monster makeup experience was so much better than I expected.
[SPEAKER_02]: I ended up loving it and we had so much fun together and meeting that Jeremy said,
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm so much sure, but I'm so much to say, so please let me say it.
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay, meeting as you really face right inside with everything.
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay, you could see he was so handsome, even with the green makeup.
[SPEAKER_02]: He was so cute.
[SPEAKER_02]: And then he asked me in a surprising sound voice.
[SPEAKER_02]: Where are your bolts?
[SPEAKER_02]: And I looked at him and I was like, ah, I put him in shock.
[SPEAKER_02]: He was so cute.
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay, next day went to animal kingdom.
[SPEAKER_02]: And it was the fiery, oh my god, it was epic.
[SPEAKER_02]: The zebra's, I could have touched him out my window and we were like only like three people on this little truck.
[SPEAKER_02]: It was amazing.
[SPEAKER_02]: So I did ask the driver about the cheetah who was the fastest animal in the whole world.
[SPEAKER_02]: I said to he like this, I said he wanted to because there's only like a couple rocks there and he said he's very fast and if you wanted to, he probably could.
[SPEAKER_02]: five minutes per person, five minutes per store and I couldn't believe it.
[SPEAKER_02]: And I had so much fun, I had the best time, I loved store and but the favorite was my three boxes of Canadian maple popcorn.
[SPEAKER_02]: I was afraid that the food was a closet and I wouldn't get enough in your magic.
[SPEAKER_02]: Anyways, we closed all the parts and stores we closed Gideon, we closed Zara, we wrote it to the end of epic universe.
[SPEAKER_02]: We closed animal kingdom and closed episodes.
[SPEAKER_02]: I had the best time ever.
[SPEAKER_02]: I love you so much, Carly.
[SPEAKER_02]: I love you so much, Pearl.
[SPEAKER_02]: Bye-bye.