PhotoPass
by southofla
Just started at Disneyland is Disney's Photpass service. This is similar to the same thing that has been in Florida for a while, but with some enhancements.
The first time you go to a Character locations or any where they have Disney Photographers you will receive a Card similar to a Credit Card. Each card is individually numbered and will hold all of your photos. After you have your card then each time you go to another location you just hand them the current card and they add photos to the same card.
Anyone who remembers the old method when they gave you a piece of paper for each photo you now only have to carry one card around for your entire visit. This card is plastic and waterproof which is also a great enhancement especially if you want to go on some water rides.
You still have the option to purchase photo while in the park, but you now have the ability to log on at home and order them from there also. They also give you the ability to share your photos to other people.
The downside is that this is not permanent storage, they will expire from the card after about 30 days. But this is usually more than enough time once you get back from your vacation to look at the photos.
Valuable Planning Tool
by Camping_Girl
The second time I ventured to Disneyland, I purchased the book "The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland" before I went. I think you can find this book at pretty much any book store or from an online book store. I ordered it online from Amazon and paid roughly $15 CAD for the 2007 version. You can sometimes find used copies of older versions on Amazon for less than that, or maybe you can even find a copy at your local library. This book is a really great planning tool. It contains information on Disneyland, DCA, Downtown Disney and Universal Studios Hollywood. It describes every ride and show in every park, gives the general age ratings for each ride and show, suggests the best time of day to go, and also has some great information about the park in general, hotels in the area, public transit and general costs for a day in the park. There is also a map of each park in the book.
The book does a really good job of explaining how the Fast Pass system works, and they offer 1 and 2 day suggested itineraries for each park. They even have a different itinerary for people going to the park with children vs without.
We followed their suggested 2-day itinerary and we were at the park the week before Christmas, which is a really busy time for Disney! We rarely waited in line more than 30 minutes, and we saw everything we wanted to see and then some. We were able to do every ride we wanted to, and even had time to go back and do our favorites multiple times. It really is that good.
When you consider the money you will spend on a trip to Disney for you and your family, I really think that $15 or $20 for a valuable planning tool is money well-spent.
Dias de los Muertos at Disneyland
by malianrob
Disneyland celebrates Dia de los Muertos in Frontier land. This is more of a Mexican holiday that remembers those who have passed. The actual day os on November 2nd. Disneyland celebrates Dia de los Muertos for a few weeks and they have face painting and other celebrations going on.
Buy your film at home
by b1bob
Dress for the season. You'd think it would be warm all the time in southern California, but it can be cool and damp in late May. Therefore, watch the weather report and dress accordingly. Wear comfortable shoes because you're going to do some tall walking. Sunscreen is in order for the summer. 35mm camera (nothing fancy), but please buy your film at home because it costs a fortune in the park.
Crystal Cove State Park
by Camping_Girl
We set out one afternoon along Harbour Blvd, heading for Huntington Beach. Somehow... we ended up in Newport! We eventually saw the signs leading to Crystal Cove State Park and we decided to pull in here. We paid our $10 entry fee (we were in an RV, I'm not sure if it's less for a car) and headed towards one of the parking lots shown on the map.
As we left the parking lot and rounded the building which houses the bathrooms, we were rewarded with an amazing view of the ocean. We hiked down the hill and found ourselves on a beautiful beach with very few people on it. The views were breathtaking.
This beach is completely undeveloped, there are no restaurants or stores along it. We walked down the beach and found tide pools in the rocks at one end. Our kids were fascinated with the variety of crabs and other sea creatures that we found here.
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Angels
JumpingTwins with their cousin, Disneyland Anaheim
me in front of main street
the arch
