Disneyland and beyond

The highlight of my trip is always Disneyland. I never visit southern CA without going there. It's just one of my favorite places to visit. Just going into the park makes you feel younger and gives you a sense of magic as you walk through the different themed lands.

Quick Tips:

At Disneyland, learn how to use the FastPasses to save time standing in line. Check out other area attractions like Knott's Berry Farm, but only after you've seen Disneyland for the first time.

Best Way To Get Around:

Once you're at the Disneyland resort, you can get to and from the parking garage via tram. They are highly organized in getting people around on their property. If you're staying at the Disneyland Hotel, use the Monorail to go to the park and avoid walking through Downtown Disney.

As far as getting around from attraction to attraction, driving is the best way to get around to save time standing in line. Check out other area attractions like Knott's Berry Farm, but only after you've seen Disneyland for the first time.

I've stayed at the Disneyland Hotel many times. It's a great place to stay because it's so close to Disneyland. The monorail station that takes you directly into Tomorrowland Monorail Station is close by. Also, the ESPN Zone and the Rain Forest Café are close by.

The hotel has been there for many years, so it has an older look to some of the rooms. The pool area is very nice and there are hotel gift shops on site. There is also a beautiful site for wedding ceremonies.

Best Things Nearby:
We didn't really do anything close by, but there is a restaurant next door. There are also some fast food places, like Taco Bell, close by.

Best Things About the Resort:
-Being able to use your RCI points
-Covered parking spaces available
-Putting green

Resort Experience:
The resort was being remodeled when we visited. We didn't spend a lot of time at the resort because our day was spent at Disneyland. We loved the mattress we slept on. It must have been brand new because it was so comfortable!

It was also very quiet and the guy who checked us in asked us if we'd prefer the back of the resort where it's farther away from the pool and quieter in general. That was very nice for us because we were not traveling with children.

Some kids did wake us up by playing too early outside on the putting green. But it wasn't that bad.

We stayed in a one bedroom deluxe. It was impressive with everything in good working order. There was a stereo system, and VCR in the living room. The bedroom also had a television. There was one bathroom and it was connected with the bedroom so if we would have had other guests, they would have had to go through our bedroom to get to the bathroom. The kitchen had everything you'd need for cooking including dishes. There was a fridge with ice trays, and a microwave. Another nice feature was that the front desk had video games and VHS tapes for rent (VHS tapes for $2.00 for 24 hrs.) But knowing that the room had a video gamem system (can't remember what kind!) and a VCR, we would know we could bring our own next time.

There were lots of activities scheduled, but we didn't participate in any of them. They were all geared towards children.

The only bad thing about staying here is having to drive to Disneyland. We are annual pass holders, so parking was free for us, but otherwise you will have to pay to park in the parking garage.

The resort was easy to find from the highway.

Here is some more info from their resort information packet: 1 bedroom sleeps 4 people 2 bedroom sleeps 6 3 bedroom sleeps 8

Shuttle service is offered for a "minimal fee." Checkout time is 11a.m. No pets are allowed.

Just also to add: We stayed in unit 403 which was located near the very back of the resort. As I mentioned earlier, this was nice because it was far away from the more active part of the resort. The mini golf green was right outside our patio. Our unit was also on ground level which we usually prefer. There was also a small "jungle gym" for kids a few doors down in front of unit 401.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

If you missed out seeing characters in the park at Disneyland and you want lots of fun photos for your album, don't miss Goofy’s Kitchen. The buffet-style food is creative and not as good as some of the better buffets in Las Vegas; however, the character entertainment makes up for it. Characters make personal visits to your table where you have a private meeting to take photos and have them sign autograph books. The waits for tables are long, so call ahead and make reservations. This is a great place to eat after a long day of walking around.

My fiancé and I ate there and were very disappointed. We weren't sure what to expect and don't usually eat in fine dining establishments. We were shocked at how expensive it was and what the serving portions were like. We felt hungry after paying a huge bill.

My fiancé ordered stuff crab and there was hardly anything stuffed in it. We don't plan to return to this place.

We love to eat here and I eat here every time I visit Disneyland. You walk in, grab a tray, and choose from many different salads, pasta dishes, or pizza. Serve your own soda and also French bread is available. Take your tray, pay, and then seat yourself. There’s outdoor dining available. My favorite dish is chicken fusilli. Children's plates are also available.

This is one of the best and most economical places to eat within Disneyland. Disneyland has always had this reputation of having overpriced food of poor quality, but this place beats the bad reputation.

The Rain Forest Cafe is a fun dining experience. The cafe is two stories and is completely decorated to make you feel as if you are dining in a rain forest. From time to time, the lights dim and small "tropical storm" takes place. Animals, like butterflies and gorillas, are placed around the rooms and move to look life-like. There are also many aquariums full of exotic fish that children will love.

You really pay for the atmosphere in this place. The food is average. I suggest the Volcano for dessert if you are traveling with a group. I suggest calling ahead during busy lunch/dinner times of the day. If you go at an off time, you can get seated right away. The cafe does serve breakfast and has a children's menu. There is a bar downstairs so alcohol is served. The menu contains a wide variety of food, including specialty salads, seafood, steaks, burgers, pastas, and more. A lot of the dishes are livened up with a jungle theme, so be sure to read menu descriptions.

Of course, like every other attraction, there is a gift shop attached.

Location: the Rain Forest Cafe is located right next to the Downtown Disney monorail station, which is steps away from ESPN Zone and the Disneyland Hotel. If you are in Disneyland already, just take the Monorail from Tomorrowland to Rain Forest Cafe. If you are not going to Disneyland, you can park in the Downtown Disney parking area.

We travel to Disneyland many times throughout the year, and this was our 1st trip there to use our RCI points. Don't miss some of the attractions that go a little unnoticed like "Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln" or the "Enchanted Tiki Room." Make sure to buy a pineapple whip at the tiki room and visit the many shops along Main St. USA.

Toontown can be ignored unless you are with small children. Adults will appreciate New Orleans Square, Main St. USA, and thrill attractions like Matterhorn Bobsleds.

Space Mountain is closed for renovations and Big Thunder Mountain RR is still closed to the tragic accident that happened last year.

FastPass Information: When you get your admission ticket, put one person in charge of everyone's ticket once you are in the park. Have that person be in charge of getting a fast pass for the most popular attractions. The fast pass acts as "holding your place in line." The fast pass will tell you when to come back and then you can enter the fast pass line. If you opt against the fast pass, you'll end up in the "stand by" line which looks smaller, but moves slower because of all the other people who chose the fast pass (thus opting for the line holder ticket.) You can't hold more than one fast pass at a time so beware of that. You can obtain another fast pass once the current one you have is valid. So for example: If your fast pass for Splash Mountain is good between 1-2p.m., and you got it at 11a.m., you can't get another fast pass until 1p.m. In that case, I'd get a fast pass for a near by attraction like the Haunted Mansion BEFORE you go to Splash Mountian. That way, you are waiting for one ride while riding another.

Two attractions have holiday makeovers. Beginning October 1st, the Haunted Mansion becomes "Haunted Holiday Mansion" and it is decorated with the Nightmare Before Christmas theme. It's really amazing the way it's transformed. The other attraction is "It's a Small World Christmas." Again, like the Mansion, the attraction is transformed into a completely new look and is a must see.

One more piece of advice: Bring comfortable shoes and plan to walk a lot. Take a break in the afternoon for a nap or a swim.

We enjoyed our day, but decided that Knott's Berry Farm has more to offer for smaller children with the exception of a few bigger thrill rides. Some of the thrill rides include: GhostRider (a rough wooden rollar coaster), and Xcelerator. My fiance went on the Xcelerator. I was too chicken! But he really liked it and said, "It looks worse than what it is!" The ride basically shoots you out at super fast speed and then you go up this steep incline and go down a drop that is straight down!!! That's basically the end of the ride after that.

There was a funny Wild West stunt show that was fun for all ages. The Mystery Lodge was kind of a let down, but again, smaller children may enjoy it. The stagecoach ride is really neat, too.

The whole park has a completely different atmosphere than Disneyland. It's a lot less crowded, but summers are busy because summer camps bring large groups of children.

Smaller children will love spending time in the "camp snoopy" area which is themed with the beloved "Peanuts" characters such as Charlie Brown, Linus, and Snoopy.

As far as the surrounding areas of Knott's Berry Farm, there is an "admission free" area that includes mostly gift shops and the famous chicken dinner restaurant. On Sundays, it takes forever to get a table so there is also a "take out" option a few doors down. Don't forget to order "Boysenberry Juice" instead of a normal soda.

Disneyland CA Adventure (DCA) is the second theme park built in Anaheim. It is located right across from the Disneyland Main Gates. It opened in 2001 and has improved a little each year since its opening.

This year a new thrill attraction is opening: the Tower of Terror. This attraction is already open in Disney World; however, I've never been on it.

DCA is inspired by the many features of the great Golden State of California. Different areas of the park are modeled after different areas or features of CA, the state. For example, Paradise Pier depicts a place like Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk complete with carnival style games and a roller coaster that is supposed to look like the old time white wooden roller coasters. Another area depicts Hollywood and here you can see a live show of Aladdin. It's like seeing a Broadway show in LA or SF. Then there's the animation studio where you can see how the animated movies come to life. You can visit the soundstage of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and play a mock game for prizes. There's an area that depicts CA's agriculture and this is where you can see the Bug's Life 3-D film. The park is really an amazing tribute to the state.

For a veteran Disneyland fan, it is hard to have the same feelings visiting this park. I have a long history of visiting Disneyland and you can feel that Disneyland has more of a special feel because it is the original park that Walt Disney envisioned. DCA earns a little more of my affection each time I visit and I know eventually it will start to have some of the same charm and character that Disneyland has.

If you're going to Anaheim for only a few days, get a park hopper pass and you will probably end up spending more time in Disneyland, but do take some time here in DCA and see some of its main attractions.