Friday Favorites

"Adventure is waiting.
Let it open your eyes!
Imagine and see
What wonders can be.
Each journey can hold a surprise!"

World of color is an amazing show held at Disney's California Adventure. Designed by Walt Disney Creative Entertainment, this show has over 1,200 fountain nozzles with 1,200 individually controlled underwater LEDs, one for each nozzle. It includes lasers, lights, with a water spray backdrop screen similar to the ones used in Fantasmic! at Disneyland. There are three viewing options:

1) Get a fastpass. Fastpass tickets are available at the Grizzly River Run fastpass distribution area. There are three sections, blue, red, and yellow. Blue is the best section overall, though red and yellow each have their own little sections within that offer a good viewing spot. The earlier you get to the fastpass distribution area, the better chance you get the blue section.

2) Purchase a World of Color Picnic Meal. There are four picnic choices for adults: All-American, European Antipasto, Taste of Asia, and Mediterranean Vegetarian. There are two picnic choices for children: Junior All-American Box and Lunchbox Classic, which include a souvenir World of Color light-up bracelet. All picnic meals include dessert, choice of beverage and one reusable World of Color commemorative tote bag for every 4 picnic meals ordered. Picnics may sell out and are only available for pre-order when displayed on the calendar. With the picnic you get a reserved viewing ticket for either the first or second showing of World of Color. The World of Color Reserved Viewing section in Paradise Park is the preferred location to see this nighttime water spectacular. Though you will receive a spot, reserved viewing is first come, first served, so get there early! Order online to purchase.

3) World of Color Dinner Packages with Reserved or Preferred Viewing. A full-service prix fixe dinner at Ariel's Grotto or Wine Country Trattoria includes tickets to a Preferred Viewing section at Paradise Park. A World of Color lunch is also available at Wine Country Trattoria and includes tickets for Reserved Viewing. Upon receiving your meal, tickets indicating the location of your viewing, show time and the time you should return will be issued.Choose from a variety of menus items, enjoy a great meal, and then make your way to either the Reserved or Preferred Viewing sections. Purchase a special dinner package or pre-packaged picnic meal and secure your tickets for World of Color. For pricing and other inquiries, please check out the official site.

Photo credit to Michael Greening

Wordless Wednesdays

*if any of these are your photos, feel free to let me know so I can give you credit!

Tuesday Tips

How to have fun at Disneyland in the rain.

1) Wear a poncho. This is key. Sure you'll look extra touristy but hey, ponchos are a life-saver when walking around the park in the rain. You could bring your own or purchase one in the parks. You can buy the traditional Disney Parks one with Mickey Mouse or splurge on a more fashionable one that gives you the appearance of everyone's favorite mouse or his girlfriend.

2) See a show. Captain EO is back and playing in Tomorrowland, and the broadway-style performance of Aladdin runs up to four times a day in California Adventure. That’s four opportunities to enjoy 40 minutes of rain-free, indoor Disney fun. Take advantage!

3) Stick to indoor rides. Indiana Jones, Space Mountain, Enchanted Tiki Room, the Haunted Mansion, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, and Tower of Terror are just a handful of the rides the Disneyland Resort has to offer.

4) Enjoy a sit down meal. We're always on the go trying to fit in as many rides as possible and tend to grab a turkey leg or churro to satisfy our growling tummies. Take the time to head on in to one of the many inside locations to sit and enjoy some good food.

5) Shop til you drop! Go ahead and linger in the many shops of the Disneyland Resort. World of Disney in Downtown Disney, Emporium at Disneyland, and Greetings from California at Disney's California Adventure are just some of the shops the grace the resort. Go ahead and shop til you drop!

Sunday Spotlight

At the Main Street Cinema you can catch a flick starring Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and the rest of the gang in this vintage movie house that plays some of Walt Disney's classic animation shorts. Main Street Cinema continuously runs Mickey Mouse cartoons, all in black and white, on six different screens. Those none of the toons were released as silent films, they are all projected without their soundtracks, with the exception of Steamboat Willie. The films shown in the cinema are:

• Steamboat Willie (1928)
• Traffic Troubles (1931)
• The Dognapper (1934)
• Plane Crazy (1928)
• The Moose Hunt (1931)
• Mickey's Polo Team (1936)

Friday Favorites

My most favorite thing to do as a whole is character hunt. While on my Walt Disney World College Program and even now when I go to Disneyland, I spend a great deal of my time doing this, because not only do I love meeting characters, but it's something you can do by yourself on solo trips to the parks and with a group of people. Bring both your Photopass card with you as well as your own camera, because let's face it, who wants to spend tons of money on pictures that could have easily been taken with your own camera? However, Photopass CMs tend to get really good interactive pictures with their own cameras and take a lot of them at that, so having a Photopass card is really convenient. Don't forget your autograph book and pen either!

My favorite character(s) to meet over and over: Mickey, Goofy, and Chip n' Dale
The character(s) I was most excited to meet: Jafar, Pocahontas, and Max
Characters I still want/need to meet: Peter Pan and Wendy, The Mad Hatter, the Fairies, Jack Skellington and Sally, Foulfellow, Maleficent, Tarzan and Jane, Kenai and Koda, Genie and Abu, and The Tweedles.

Favorite character memories:

1) I am a HUGE and I mean HUGE fan of Fantasmic!. During my time in Walt Disney World, I tried my hardest to get a picture of Mickey doing a certain pose that he only does once in Fantasmic! and only in Fantasmic!. The lighting was always too dark to capture this pose on film, so I was determined to ask Mickey himself at a Meet and Greet. I went to EPCOT's Character Spot to see him. When it was my turn, I briefly told him how I loved him in Fantasmic! and that it was my favorite thing at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Then I asked him if he could possibly do me a favor, and it might sound weird, but could he please do the pose with his arms behind his back that he does in the beginning right before it goes to the water screen? AND HE DID IT. I was so excited! I know it sounds strange, but it really made my life.

2) The best place to see a lot of characters in one spot (and it's a good variety too!) is definitely in the Animation Building at Disney's Hollywood Studios. I was on a character spree one day with a friend of mine and we ended up in line to see Captain Hook and the Evil Queen from Snow White. The line cut off happened to be when we were next, so the Character Attendant explained that they had to leave. Then she said the best words I think I've ever heard at Walt Disney World: "The Queen of Hearts and Jafar will be out next." Jafar. Jafar. He is my FAVORITEEEEE villain. I mean, he's great! I'd never met him before so I was super excited. Jafar and The Queen came out and I started fangirling like crazy. The Character Attendant looked at me, and my friend explained how in love I was with Jafar. Finally Jafar made it over to his spot and the Character Attendant grabbed my hand and led me over to Jafar, telling him "I think we've found your biggest fan." His interaction with me was sooooo great. Definitely a highlight of my program!

Wordless Wednesdays

*if any of these are your photos, feel free to let me know so I can give you credit!

Photo credit to Gregg L Cooper

Tuesday Tips

A lot of people wonder where the prime photo spots are around Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure. Here are the best spots, in my opinion, to take pictures. (This also includes "on ride photo ops.)

MAINSTREET U.S.A./HUB/SLEEPING BEAUTY CASTLE

• in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle
• in front of the entrance of Disneyland
• in front of the Partner's statue
• in Snow White's Grotto
• on Main Street

MICKEY'S TOONTOWN

• absolutely everywhere in Toontown is a good photo op!

FANTASYLAND

• around Wonderland
• in front of "it's a small world"
• with Monstro
• in a teacup
• around Pixie Hollow
• flying on top of Dumbo
• in Mr. Toad's car
• pulling the sword from the stone
• riding a horse on the carousel
• in front of the Matterhorn

NEW ORLEANS SQUARE

• in the Court of Angels
• anywhere among the buildings
• in front of the Rivers of American and/or the Mark Twain

TOMORROWLAND

• in a ride vehicle from Autopia
• fighting alongside Jedis
• helping Buzz defeat the evil Emperor Zurg
• in a rocketship traversing the galaxy

ADVENTURELAND

• on a boat riding down the rivers of the world
• rubbing a magic lamp

FRONTIERLAND

• with a Native American

CRITTER COUNTRY

• being thrown into the Briar Patch on Splash Mountain

MOUSELLANEOUS

• in the Lilly Belle on Disneyland Railroad
• eating a Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar

DISNEY'S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE

• with Hopper from "A Bug's Life"
• all around "A Bug's Land"
• after entering the Twilight Zone
• in front of a plane
• with Paradise Pier in the background