Cali Adventures

A few days in Anaheim meant a visit to Disney's other park: Disney California Adventure.

I was very impressed with the theming of this park, and how it ties in with the state it is situated in. It is similar to Disney's Hollywood Studios in WDW, with similar rides and theming, however, being a stones throw away from Hollywood itself made it feel more relevant (if that made any sense). 

My favourite part of the park was Paradise Pier. This is unique to this Disney park and was my favourite place to hang around (and take good Instagram photos).

Let's not forget that my favourite chocolate shop in the world is there (yep, you guessed it: Ghirardelli). Simply walk in, claim your free sample of chocolate, then cross over to the bakery opposite for a free sample of bread! Who doesn't love a good freebie!

The shops and restaurants around here are themed around the San Francisco piers, so it kind of felt nostalgic and like I was revisiting the places I had already been to on this trip.

Paradise Pier is home to a very cool ride, California Screamin', which is a fast rollercoaster that launches you across the lake and sends you flying upside down!

California Screamin'

Also situated here is Toy Story Midway Mania, which is the same as the one in DHS. I really like this type of ride but hate the long queues it has so try and ride this early, because it is so worth it!

Disney California Adventure has some other really cool rides that I would recommend riding. First up is the Grizzly River Run. 

Rapids and I don't really mix, so it was no surprise that I was the one that got the wettest on it! Thank god for Californian sunshine!

The aftermath of Girzzly River Rapids

Around the corner is Soarin' around the World. This beauty of a ride is a Disney classic and will blow you away. I don't want to spoil it but I will say it is a calm, gentle ride where you can sit back, relax and enjoy the experience.

Over on the Sunset Boulevard strip, you will see the looming The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. This is also a Disney classic, and I was so glad I got to ride this before it turns into a Guardians of the Galaxy themed ride. This also attracts long queues so FP it!

I said this is my DHS blog post, but I really recommend taking the time to walk down the Buena Vista Street to take in the detail here. It really is like being transported onto a movie set and there are shops and restaurants situated along the street. Also, the street entertainment is abundant here and is a great way to break up the attractions.

Buena Vista Street

If you head straight to the back of the park, you will enter Cars Land. You will literally be transported into the Cars movie, the set is that amazing! I was really impressed and even got to see the one and only Lightning McQueen. Plus, it is home to the arguably the most popular ride in the park: Radiator Springs Racers.

Word of advice, join the single rider queue if you want to save time!

The good thing about this park is that it has a show for you to take a nice (air conditioned) break from the heat. At this time, it happens to be Frozen: Live at the Hyperion. Now I am a big fan of Frozen but even I am a little overwhelmed by how much of this film we are bombarded with. It's a big film which I haven't been able to escape since it was released. However, I just could not miss seeing it onstage.

As this is the only show there, it is popular and will attract a big queue up to 90 minutes before it starts! If you want a decent seat, get there early!

I started queuing about 45 minutes before and was told that I had a slim chance of getting in. I was actually a little disappointed at the thought of missing it as I knew this was my only chance to see it whilst being here. Luckily, I managed to get in by the skin of my teeth, and I am so thankful that I did because it was one of the best shows I have ever seen.

I am a big fan of musicals and I have seen some great ones, but this was something else! To have such a talented cast sing the well-known songs was really magical, and the set design was even more amazing! As a member of the audience, you really are transported to Arendelle and it is so much more than a corny, karaoke version of the film. Only Disney can recreate Frozen and do it with justice.

People of all ages will love this so if you really want to see, you will be glad to hear that you can get a FP for it! It will be 60 minutes of enjoyment of the incredibly popular film.

All that was left was to watch the night time show at Paradise Pier. As it got dark, I took the opportunity to see the different lands with the lights on after reading recommendations. Cars Land is especially good to see in the dark because it looks amazing the neon lights, and you can get some great photo's.

The finale of the day was watching World of Colour. 

This is where classic Disney movies are projected onto the fountains in front of the Mickey Ferris wheel, and it is the icing on the cake for a day spent in Disney's California Adventure.

This also uses FP, so get one for a guaranteed good view.

After standing for god knows how long, it was time to say goodbye to my time spent at Disney. I was really glad to get back to my hotel room and crash on my bed. This day had been the perfect ending to the most perfect trip, and I am so lucky to have been able to travel all this way and visit a place that I love and have dreamed of visiting for so long.

Until next time!

WDW Guide: Disney's Hollywood Studios

The next in my series of WDW park guides

So this may just be my favourite park. Although Magic Kingdom is the mother of all disney parks, Hollywood Studio's doesn't fall far behind in my opinion.

There has always been something about the Hollywood theming that intrigues me and genuinely excites me.

As soon as you pass through the turnstiles, walking down fake Hollywood boulevard brings me the same excitement in my stomach that walking down Main Street USA does when you first see the castle.

The array of attractions, shops, restaurants and shows are what makes this park. I could easily spend a whole day here although many people say it can be done in half a day.

I think to appreciate the true beauty and effort that went into the making of this park, you need to spend a day where you can look at the incredible theming of the merchandise shops, the street actors, the themed restaurants, even down to the queuing areas of the attractions.

Some of the big name attractions are here, including Rock 'n' Rollercaster, which is a high speed upside down coaster that cruises to the soundtrack of Aerosmith.

Then there's The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, where you plunge up and down in a haunted elevator.

There's more for the kids, including the ever so popular Toy Story Midway Mania.
These top 3 I thoroughly recommend getting fastpasses for, as the queues can be long. I queued two hours for Toy Story! Luckily, it was worth it.

There are lots of little attractions that celebrate animation and Walt's creations, as well as famous movies and the big film franchise of Star Wars. These can offer a welcome break inside AC and away from the heat.

Another must-do of this park are the shows. Much like Animal Kingdom, these rival broadway musicals.

The best is Beauty and the Beast! It is so beautiful and captivating that I could see it over a hundred times and never get bored. Similarly there is Voyage of the Little Mermaid which retells the classic story.

For the more masculine side, there is the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show featuring high speed car chases and stunts, as well as the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. This was the first time seeing it for me and I was completely surprised at how funny and clever it was! Make sure you see this.

Indiana Jones

Parade wise, it changes so do check the schedule for when you visit, but whilst I was there it was all about Frozen. Seriously, there were Frozen themed parades, fireworks, dance parties, drinks, cupcakes, the list goes on!

Frozen fever!

Frozen Dance Party

Olaf Cupcake

After all the excitement of the attractions and shows, eating is easy here as there are so many quick service outlets that provide a variety of food for all types, and there are some unique table service meals perfect for a break from all that walking.

I tried the 50s Prime Time Cafe which offers great food as well as incredible service from the waiters and waitresses.
Basically, it transports you back to the home-cooked meal days where you would sit at a table each evening with the rest of your family, be told off for not eating your vegetables or having your elbows on the table, and they even give you homework to do while you are waiting for the food. This was such an amazing experience and really makes the time you are waiting for you food go by quickly.

I had the delicious salmon entree with warm apple crisp for desert which reminded me of my mum's home cooked apple crumble!

To end the day in this fantastic park, there is only one night time show to see, and that is Fantasmic. You will be blown away by this, not as good as Wishes, but just as mind-blowing and great for all the family.

Make sure you arrive in good time to get a good seat.

My only decent photo of Fantastic