
Here is the
second part of my notes from Disneyland. For part one of Disney tips,
go
here.
Magic Morning - worth it, but kind of painful if you're
overtired and cranky. This is the one hour early admission on certain
days for resort guests and those purchasing a Disney vacation package.
That morning we were really tired and had to drag the kids out of bed,
which is painful for any sleep-deprived parent. We race-walked to the
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage once the gates opened, only to find the
ride closed due to a technical issue. If I could have teleported back to
bed, I would have. The upside is that we got to ride on the Matterhorn
and all of the Fantasyland rides with very little wait. When we did
eventually ride on Nemo later that afternoon, I almost fell asleep when
the submarine got dark. I was that tired.

Parade and fireworks seating - I mentioned in the last post that
Disney gave us VIP seating for the fireworks (at the Main Street
Railroad station) and the parade (on the hub, facing Tomorrowland). Both
we're amazing and highly recommended, but hey, what can you do? My
parade and firework watching plan from our first trip with Clover still
stands. For the evening parade, get there a little early and sit on the
hub-side, on the curb, facing Tomorrowland. This is essentially where
our VIP seats were. As the parade is about to start, Disney crew will
ask that you move back, so you're feet are off the street - the
performance gets close to the curb - but you'll still be in the front
row. As soon as the parade ends, move along the hub, about 40 degrees,
so you are facing the castle. Grab a bench seat, once they open up, and
camp out. Have someone get dinner and bring it back, take turns going on
rides...whatever it takes because once the fireworks begin, you will
have excellent seats. Not to mention, Clover took advantage of the space
and napped on the bench during her first trip. We woke her up just
before the show began.
Let the kids buy a glow toy as it starts to get dark. They can be
annoying, but the kids love them. The amount of joy is worth the $10.

But!
Before you buy, make sure it will fit into your suitcase, if you're
flying home. We made that mistake, but luckily the grandparents were
with us and they were driving home. Or else I would not have wanted to
attempt to carrying on two light up, plastic sword/light sabers, testing
airport security.
Speaking of airport security, don't buy a balloon that you want to
keep if you're flying home. The airport screeners were already in a bad
mood, but when they spotted a balloon with a family in line behind us,
the TSA people did not hide their disgust. It didn't look like fun for
anyone.
Food recommendationsA kid's meal is large enough to feed an
adult.
The frozen lemonade with a shot of cherry is addictive.
Seriously, you will seek it out each day, it's that good. Buy it from a
booth in Fantasyland where is was slightly cheaper than other locations.
It was maybe 30 cents cheaper, but when you're buying three frozen
lemonades and a frozen apple juice (Rocket's preference), it add ups.
You can bring in snack food, which we pulled out when waiting in a
long line. Also, we brought in our refillable water bottles. While we
didn't bring them into the park, I brought individual-sized milk drink
boxes from home and chilled them in the hotel refrigerator for Rocket to
drink at bedtime and when he woke up, in keeping with his milk routine
at home. We had brought a sippy cup for him, but it was taken from our
stroller while we dined at Goofy's Kitchen. We assumed it was nabbed by
another child, but I regret leaving it out.
Eat at Rancho del Zocalo in Frontierland for a break from the
standard park fare. It's decent Mexican food, and the portion size is
large enough to share if you're trying to save money.
A bag of
saltwater taffy is dessert for a family. Also, it fills the time while
waiting for fireworks.

The Mickey and Minnie caramel apples are really good (sold at
Marceline's Confectionery in Downtown Disney and also on Main Street, I
believe). Unfortunately they've downsized their caramel apple menu since
our last trip, but these tasted like giant M&Ms. Over caramel. On
an apple. So good. We brought some home as a thank you for our dog
watchers, but if you want to eat it there, they will cut it for you, if
you ask.
Character meals - so worth it, if you want to relax while getting
face time with the characters.
Goofy's Kitchen - My mom insisted we
have a character meal featuring the "big" characters. The characters are
all quite large, I responded. "Not, big,
big," she clarified. What?
"Not those squirrels!" Chip and Dale? They're chipmunks. "Chipmunks and
squirrels are the same thing!" Um, no, they're not. "Whatever! I want
the real characters, like Mickey." So off we went to Goofy's Kitchen and
guess who was there?

The squirrels!
We went to Goofy's Kitchen on our Magic
Morning day, heading into the park at 8 a.m., staying for almost two
hours, by which time everyone was hungry and we jumped on a Monorail to
make our reservation time. Goofy's Kitchen is a short walk from the
Disneyland Hotel exit of the Monorail and we made it from deep inside
the park to the restaurant in a matter of minutes. Goofy's Kitchen was
decent, but it felt rushed. I'm glad we went, but I don't need to go
back.
Storyteller's Cafe - We didn't go into the park on our check out
day, so we had breakfast at Storyteller's Cafe as a way to extend the
Disneyland experience. It was perfect. We were relaxed because we
weren't in a hurry to get into the park, and the restaurant was quiet. I
had wanted the reservations for about 8:15 a.m., but was only given the
option of 7:40 a.m. (early!) or 9 a.m., which was going to make us a
little rushed to get to the airport. We picked 7:40 a.m. and is was a
great call. When we arrived, there weren't many other diners, allowing
the characters spend to a lot of time with us, posing for pictures and
horsing around with the kids. Storyteller's is in the Grand Californian,
and like the hotel, the restaurant has a woodsy theme, including the
characters. By this meal, Chip and Dale had won my mom over and she may
have learned the difference between a chipmunk and a squirrel. At a
minimum, she now knows there is a difference. Telling Chip and Dale apart
is much more difficult.
In essence, that was our trip. It was amazing and exhausting. When
we got home, Kevin said, "So, when are we going on a Disney cruise?!"
Rocket would have to be duct taped into a life jacket for me to allow
that boy on a boat and waterway larger than the Small World ride. Oh,
and speaking of It's a Small World, here's a helpful tip Clover would
suggest I pass along: shout out the names of all identifiable countries
while on the ride. We were on a boat with our family and another family
of two boys and their mom and dad. Clover shouted all the countries
during the ride, then as ride finished and the boat left the building,
she said to me, "Wasn't it great that I called out the names of the
countries?" Yes, I said. "I think it was helpful for the other kids to
hear," she modestly added while motioning to the boys in the row in
front of us, both of them older than Clover. Their mom shook with
laughter. Always helpful.
Disclosure: We paid for the entire trip, but Disney provided us with
VIP seating for the fireworks and a parade and for that, we are
grateful. Except for my dad, who while sitting in the VIP parade section, said, "If you're so great, couldn't you have gotten us passes to get to the front of the [ride] lines?" Ah, family vacations.