Disneyland, Anaheim

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Our absolute favorite ride in Disneyland was Pirates of the Caribbean. It was so cool. Definitely worth the wait in line. Plus, you get to sit down and get inside out of the heat! Indiana Jones was our second favorite. We also loved the Haunted Mansion, very amusing. Splash Mountain was so much fun, but we didn't get to finish the ride. The ride broke down, when we were about forty feet from the top of the final descent. Yes, we got stuck in Splash Mountain. lol. But after we were escorted off the ride and through the back alleys of DL, the Disney folks gave us all a re-admit pass, good for any other ride in the park, which got us right to the front of the line of any ride we wanted, except Indiana Jones. Splash Mountain is a great ride, make it a must do while you're there. Try to get there by 10:00 am, after that, the line-ups are insane!

In Tomorrowland, our kids (and my silly husband!) just loved the Buzz Lightyear ride - did it 3 times! Space Tours is really funny. The Thunder Mountain Railroad (roller coaster) was another really popular one with our kids.

In Mickey's Toon Town, everyone loved the Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin. My husband still talks about it.

It's a Small World is hokey, for sure, but I think it is still such a neat ride (one of the original ones). Our 14 year old daughter rolled her eyes and looked bored through the whole ride, but our 11 year olds were still young enough to find it all quite entertaining. Just do it. lol.

There are lots and lots of rides at Disneyland. We only had 2 days and b/c of the huge line-ups, we never made it to the Matterhorn or Space Mountain. But we had so much fun there anyways. Next time we go, we'll plan for a quieter time of year so there are less people there and we will definitely spend more time there.

I can't wait till next time!

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The best time for autographs with famous Disneyland characters is early in the morning. You want to get to the park when it opens. As soon as you enter the park, there is a small souvenir shop which sells autograph books and pens. I'd recommend you buy these for your kids right away. Then, watch as you walk a little further along, right at the top of Main Street USA, to your right. There is a Madhatter store and past that there is a big wall. At the far end of this wall is a small door. Many characters come and go thru this door, so it is a good spot to catch Mickey and others for autographs and pics.

Another spot we saw several characters coming and going was in Mickey's Toon Town.

The map you get when you enter the park also shows you where each character's "house" is located in the park. After about 9:00 am, all characters proceed to their houses and do pics and autographs there. We waited in line for about 30 minutes to get to see Mickey at his house, but we weren't interested enough to do this at each character's house. The other autographs and pictures we obtained as we roamed throughout the park.

These autograph books make a great souvenir (about $6.50 each) for the kids and will be one thing they will probably keep all of their lives. Plus, if you go back to visit another year, they can take the same book with them - there's plenty of pages in the book.

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You have to see the parage, why? Mickey Mouse and his pals are tuning up and getting ready to jam like never before as they ride down Main Street, U.S.A. on a colorful cavalcade of floats — creating an atmosphere that can only be described as...soundsational! Adding to the fun, each float has its own unique musical style, like crowd-pleasing Bollywood and South American rhythms. Mickey leads the way at the head of a syncopated drum line. Live musicians and energetic dancers amplify the fun with twinkling cymbals and steel drums. Best of all, you're encouraged to join the celebration for a giant jam session! In addition to Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto and Chip 'n' Dale, Characters from some of your favorite Disney films are along for the ride, including:
The Little Mermaid
The Three Caballeros
The Lion King
The Princess and the Frog
Aladdin
Peter Pan
Mary Poppins
Plus, before the final note is played, the Disney Princesses make an appearance, including Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Belle and even Rapunzel!

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Who doesn't love a rollercoaster. This one to me is a classic. The whole family loves riding this one and it never disappoints at all. Twist through desert canyons, dash under creaking mine shafts and venture deep into pitch-black caverns overrun with screeching bats. Rumble past falling boulders, gushing waterfalls, playful wildlife and abandoned mining settlements, as you weave through burnt orange rock spires, arches, canyons and windswept gorges. Just when you think your adventure is at an end, an unseen force seems to push you forward up and over the next hill.

Located in Frontierland.

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This place is a combination of many things. It has a petting zoo and the cabin is where there are many childrens activities, such as coloring. It was cute to see grown men coloring with their kids. There was even a beautiful paint horse that anyone can pet and love. They also have a restaurant, chuckwagon style. A great place to eat and relax too.

Located in Frontierland.

We spent 3 days in Disneyland and had a really good time. Although it is filled with kids and kids things adults alike can have so much fun! We went on every ride there and our personal favorites were Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, The Indian Jones ride and the Matterhorn. The park itself is filled with beautiful garden areas and cute shops and of course rides. We found the map easy to follow and when we had to ask for directions the staff were very friendly and willing to help out. I highly reccommned the Churros (like long straight donuts - you can get them from the carts located all over the park) and we loved the Gumbo we tried in the French Quarter. There are many different restaurants and cafes in the park with different themes and all of them have substantial menus. The shopping mainly consists of gifts and souveniers, clothing with disney logos and camera film etc.. We found each shop to be unique and yet most of the shops stock similar items to each other. There is a great view of the park from Tarzans Tree House and The disney railroad takes you all around the park. I suggest maybe doing that first to get your bearings and riding it from land to land as the stations are located near all the main attractions for each land. We went to the Fire works display on a Saturday night which were amazing. It was magical and the music was beautiful. The street parade was very pretty and the floats have the most amazing detail to them. The atmosphere in the park is contagious. Everyone is excited and happy to be there. It really is a magical experience.

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All over the park you will see tucked in all the corners of the park the characters our children love to take pictures with. I noticed that they kids want the characters to sign an autograph books, which is kind of comical since the costumes may have these huge gloves or paws to try to sign with. Much less be able to see the book:) I was able to a picture of my boys with the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. Cute cute cute!

Character Greetings~Collectible autograph books are available to fill with famous signatures.
Disney Princesses at Disney Princess Fantasy Faire
Goofy, Pluto and Pals in Mickey's Toontown
Mickey Mouse at Mickey's House
Minnie Mouse at Minnie's House
Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen at New Orleans Square
Rapunzel and Flynn Rider
Tinker Bell and Her Fairy Friends at Pixie Hollow
Winnie the Pooh & Friends in Critter Country

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Enter the crisp launch bay as it orbits a nearby planet. The bay welcomes you with its sweeping overhead lights and shiny metallic interior as imposing machinery captures your attention from above. Once you and your fellow space travelers are scanned and prepared by the control crews, board a sleek shuttle rocket and receive a safety check in the cockpit. Blast Off! Once secured for take-off, your shuttle then enters the power generation room and the airlock is activated. Energy transfers from the power globes to your shuttle to prepare it for launch. As the universe dissolves before your eyes, Mission Control counts down…Five…four…three…two…one…zero…! The galaxy implodes before you, spiraling into a black hole! Hang on tight as your space craft dips and careens at supersonic speeds. The onboard sound system is the first of its kind!

Located in Tomorrowland

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Board shining ships with gleaming gold fins that hearken back to space ships from classic science fiction films. Painted red, blue, gold and silver, your sleek space ship sails high and low — all at your command! Control your altitude by pulling or pushing a lever inside the ship. Ride around a fascinating kinetic sculpture inspired by real centuries-old astronomical designs. With the precision of a finely tuned watch, the orbs dance with universal grace as you zip past these circling satellites!

Located Tomorrow Land.

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Indiana Jones Adventure is neither a roller coaster nor a typical slow-speed attraction like the Haunted Mansion. You'll board a 12-person troop transport for a fast-paced thrill ride that realistically simulates driving fast over rough terrain. The experience is truly unique...and truly exciting. I will have to admit this is one of my favorite rides now..awesome!