{ My Disney Story }

Happy Thursday! 
Today I am talking all about how my love and passion for Disney got started, grew, and took me on this amazing journey that has lead me to where/who I am today!

Many people can remember their very first trip to a Disney park, as it is a memory that will last a lifetime. How they felt, what they thought about the castle, how excited they were, etc... I personally do not remember my first trip to Disneyland, or the second, third, fourth, tenth... and that's OK. I have lived in Southern California my whole life and have been visiting Disneyland ever since I was a kid... For me, every time I enter the park it feels so familiar yet so undiscovered. When I step onto Disney property, I feel like I am home, however I know there is so much unexpected magic in store. 

When people find out that I have an annual pass and that I have had one my whole life, they always ask if I ever get tired of it. I have to be careful sometimes that I answer that question without too much sarcasm or attitude 😄. No. I certainly don't ever get tired of going to Disneyland. If I ever do find myself getting tired of Disneyland I know that I need to explore some new things and refresh my perspective. With so much going on at the parks, I have found that there is always something new to do or learn. Now there is an exception. If it is WAY TOO HOT or SUPER CROWDED I will become a little annoyed and want to leave earlier or not visit certain days, but besides that, I know that I am very blessed to visit as often as I do and I take full advantage of that. 

So as a kid, I stuck mostly with what the whole family wanted to do and we would all go to the parks together. Usually we would go at night for a few hours during the school year and then during the summer, pick days (like my birthday!) to go all day. Now that my brother and I have gotten older and have changing schedules, our visits are more random but actually more often. More recently we have loved going to Disneyland and California Adventure just the two of us, splitting up and doing the rides we want, and then meeting back up to eat, hang out, and talk about what we have been up to. 

These past few years we have both been increasingly interested in Disneyland history, news, and facts. Watching youtube videos has become one of my favorite things to do when I am not at the parks and want to keep up with all things Disney. Some of my favorites include Sprinkle Me Disney, Fresh Baked and Stuff, Justin Scarred (Randomland and Live Fast Die Poor), Mr.CheezyPop, Oh Yeah TV, Thingamavlogs, Super Carlin Brothers, Subway Mouse, and Magic Journeys. All of these channels are so incredible and put so much love and hard work into every video! They are all amazing! I can't thank them enough for the knowledge and fun that they have provided to me throughout the past few years. Learning more and becoming more interested in all things Disney has definitely led me to where I am today.

Thanks for sticking around this long (Sorry these was so much info today) but I hope you enjoyed learning about where my Disney journey began and where I am now. I hope to continue writing more about Disney in the future. Have a magical day!

{ Your Opinion & Disney }

Hello and happy Easter weekend!

Lately I have been thinking about ways that I could share more about my disney obsession, tips, tricks, and history, and decided that I would share it all here on the blog! I can't wait to talk to you more about one of my favorite subjects DISNEY! Wahoo! I have plenty of ideas about things that I want to discuss, but I would love to hear your opinion as well! Let me know in the comments below some disney topics, questions, etc. that you would like me to write about. Thanks everyone and be on the lookout for some fun Disney posts coming soon!

{ A Day At Disney: Part 3 }

Disney after dark!

I always think that Disney is even more magical after dark! I like to save a spot on Main Street and watch the second show of the Soundsational Parade at 6:30pm. After, we can go on a few more rides like Astro Blasters and Pirates of the Caribbean. I have to go off on a quick (hopefully) Astro Blasters tangent... Stay with me. I love this game/ride! Very fun and interactive. Great for crowded days because the line is always less  than 20 minutes. Believe it or not, I am actually GOOD at this game as well! That always helps! I managed to max-out the game with a point total of over 999,999 one time, but have never been able to do so since. How did I manage to do that? I have NO IDEA! Luck honestly... and a very sore hand afterwards! There are however a few secrets that I can share with you that can add some serious points to your score.

First off. Try out your gun on the wall when your cart first starts to move. This way you will be able to get a feel for the position of your laser and adjust accordingly. 

Next, only try and hit diamonds (second highest points) and triangles (highest point value). Don't even waste your time on the circles and squares. Unless you really want to. Remember it's ok to be picky!

Secondly, try and sit on the left side of the cart. The right side will make it much more difficult to get the same amount of points.

Lastly (the best secret of all), Zurg has a hidden target located in the middle of his chest. It is worth 50,000 points! It may be hard to find but it is worth it.

image source

Now if you can't find the hidden target or the triangles or too hard to reach, that's ok! My tip to you... Just keep shooting! Don't you dare stop! For every 6 shots (without even hitting a target) you will receive 100 free points! Look at that! Everyone can be a winner! Let me know if any of these tips were helpful for improving your score. 

image source

Now on to dinner options. My family has always loved going to Redd Rockett's Pizza Port located next to Space Mountain. They serve a variety of pizza, pasta and salad. Delicious and good for the whole family! While we love going here (also a fabulous secret place to watch the fireworks show) we recently found another favorite stop for dinner. The Plaza Inn at the end of Main Street, on the corner of Tomorrowland's main hub entrance. They have a wonderful variety of comfort food for everyone to enjoy. Our go-to is the Chicken dinner which comes with 3 large pieces of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and a biscuit. We are a family of four and can split this meal feeling stuffed afterwards. At only $16 it is a great value!

image source

Thanks for having a Disney day with me!

{ A Day At Disney: Part 2 }

On the last post I discussed delicious breakfast options with you that are sure to start your morning off on the right foot... Guess what today is? Afternoon activities!

California is known for its great weather, but during the afternoon (especially during the summer months) you may need a break from the sunny skies to cool off indoors. So what do you do? Shows are a great activity during the afternoon. Grab some lunch and watch a nearby show. The Enchanted Tiki Room is a fabulous option! Make sure and grab a Dole Whip while your at it!

image source

You can also watch a show at the Golden Horseshoe. Hilarious and interactive! Sit close to the front and you too may become apart of the show! All sorts of ice cream floats and sundaes available as well.

image source

If you aren't in the mood for a show or don't mind the weather, you can always grab a treat at one of the many food carts located all across Disneyland. I recently discovered that Toontown also serves some delicious treats such as individual pizzas, frozen yogurt and slushies!

I do have a favorite that hasn't been mentioned yet... 

Village Haus in Fantasyland. My brother and I love to go there and take a quick break from running around the park to enjoy their burgers and fries. Yummm! Hits the spot!

image source

Next up on the series... Disney after dark!

{ A Day At Disney: Part 1 }

Wahoo! A Disneyland day in review! It gets me excited just thinking about it! Tuesday night my family and I enjoyed a quick trip to Disneyland. It was crowded because of  spring break crowds but we didn't mind. We got a chance to do some different activities, such as going to see the goats (new babies included, so cute!) the train and watching the Soundsational Parade... lots of fun!

So at first I was thinking about posting a list of Disneyland secrets... Then I got to thinking that there are a TON of those available already. What was something a little bit different that I could share with you? Well, I decided to share what a typical day at Disneyland looks like for us. Some of our go-to restaurants and rides, as well as some tips (and maybe even some secrets included as well). I began writing this post and it seemed as though it would never end! So I am going to break up this post across a couple of days in order to make it less daunting for you to read through.

Generally our favorite day of the week to visit Disney is on Sunday. Of course if we know that both my brother and I are available on a Tuesday before my dad's next chemo, that is a great day to go as well. (Weekdays are usually a bit less crowed). So let's say we go on a Sunday... We will either go in the morning from the time they open to about noon, or we will choose to go in the evening, about 5 and stay till 10. 


image credit

For the morning trip I unfortunately can't tell you much about breakfast ideas (since we live so close to Disneyland, we just eat before we leave the house). I can however tell you a few ideas based on recommendations I have heard around the block. Everyone should be plenty familiar with a little company known as Starbucks... (If not, you really need to run and find one... fast!) Yummm! They have two locations to choose from. One on Buena Vista Street in California Adventure (which is a lot bigger and less crowded) and one in on Main Street in Disneyland itself. You could also check out The Carnation Café for a great variety of options. Jolly Holiday Bakery for what else? Delicious bakery items of course! Last but not least the River Belle Terrace, which offers Mickey Mouse Pancakes.

One note about stopping for breakfast that you may want to consider... Early morning is the BEST time to go on rides! If there are a few of the "bigger" or more crowded rides that you are wanting to ride, I would definitely recommend going on those first. You could always go on a few rides and then enjoy a later breakfast when lines become a bit longer.

Hope that helped! Be sure and stay tuned for more Disney to come!