Disney with Dad-Part Two

Beds were very comfy, and each had two pillows--one fuller and one flatter for those who have a pillow preference.

The room also had two "beach" towels that you could take down to the pool and spa, a packet of tissues, and two soaps. Shampoo is not given, but you can go down and get some free from the front desk, where we were also able to get a hair dryer.

Rooms were kept nice, but our housekeeper could've paid a bit more attention.

The pool area had lots of kids, but that's to be expected. The pool itself is a little strange--it's 3 feet deep at each end and 5 feet in the middle. The spa says it seats 10 but could fit at least 12 or 14, depending on the size of the individual. It was nice and hot inside the spa, and the pool was warm.

The pasta was excellent; I had a pasta chicken dish that had the perfect amount of chicken in it, and it wasn't skimpy.

The area is nice and the service attentive, but it was overpriced (of course, what isn't at Disneyland?), and tastier meals can be had for cheaper within the park.

The ice cream was good, and this place serves the largest ice cream cones in Disneyland (it's a fact--just ask the Omnibus drivers). Also, candy smells are pumped out into the air over the store.

The Gibson Girl is open one hour after Disneyland closes.

Speaking of characters, find out which one you are! In the Animator's Workshop, I'm Mulan, and Jason is Cogsworth. You know, the clock in Beauty and the Beast. His thoughts on that? "I'm a freakin' chronometer!"

Don't miss the Aladdin show! Show up early to get seats, and get reserved seating if at all possible. I know, it's a long wait, but seriously, I would pay for the show. It's kept fresh and up-to-date, and it's amazing.

While just relaxing, we checked out the Mission Tortilla Factory Tour (wins hands-down for cutest video, and if you've never had a fresh tortilla, you are missing out!) and the Boudin Bakery Tour (interesting as well). There are lots of opportunities to sit or walk in air-conditioned comfort, stop in and check things out.

We ordered two bottles of wine and a fruit and cheese platter. It was not overly expensive for Disneyland.

The wine was great (sorry, I don't remember what we had, but it was a chardonnay and a merlot most likely) and the platter was interesting. The cheese was interesting: blue cheese, parm (interesting choice), and smoked Gouda. It came with crackers. The grapes were okay, but half of them were rotten on the vine. It doesn't make for an appetizing snack.

It was a nice place to sit and relax with a glass, and there's even a little movie you can watch with beautiful shots of wine grapes.

I had a salad, which was pretty darn good for a place that mostly served burgers and other quick takeaway fare. The salad had chicken and bacon in it, and a good amount of it, too.

Jason had a wild blue yonder burger, which had bleu cheese and barbeque sauce on it. It was very flavorful and a surprisingly good portion. It really filled him up, which is a hard thing to do. Steve also had this burger.

All of us shared an order of onion rings, and we were so full that we couldn't finish them all.

It is excellently themed, and it's located next to Soarin' Over California.

Jason isn't big on roller coasters, so the day was a disappointment in his eyes. There weren't huge crowds, but it was very hot, and the lines for the water rides were about three times as long as everything else.

Knott's is a great place, but for adults, it’s way overpriced, even with the $10 online discount, but it's the experience you pay for.

Check out their website at knotts.com. If you buy online, you can save $10 on adult tickets.

We were disappointed that you couldn't get the traditional chicken dinner at lunchtime, but you can get a chicken dinner lunch.

The food was great. I had the chicken fried steak and three others had the fried chicken lunch. Everyone found the veggies good and the potatoes to their liking. My dad had the hamburger, which he said was okay, but not something he'd get again there. The boysenberry drink was different and refreshing. The soup was excellent.

They had dessert, but we were stuffed after eating up all the delicious little biscuits, which just kept coming. We slathered them with Knott's Berry Farm jam and popped them into our mouths.

The restaurant is open every day except Christmas. Breakfast is served from 7am to 11pm, lunch is from 11am to 4pm (Monday to Saturday), and dinner is from 11am to closing. Brunch is served Sundays from 9:30am to 2pm. If you have a group of more than 12, you can make reservations, and a 15% gratuity is added to reservations.

Note: The restaurant is not inside Knott's Berry Farm, but it is part of the larger complex. Parking can be free.

I had a yummy berry tartlet, sort of like a muffin. I passed on the fresh-squeezed orange juice because I couldn't justify the $4 price tag. Jason had coffee and a blueberry muffin with a delicious almond flavor. Then, because the line slowed up, due to a family with three kids taking their own sweet time, we were faced with the most tempting pile of bacon. We had to order some.

Outside on the patio, we devoured the bacon with our fingers. It was pricey, as our total was about $12, but so worth it. Now I know why all the locals rave about La Brea Bakery.

It was pretty full, but after the concert, things cleared out a little. Drinks were served until 1:30am, and no last call was called out. Drinks were good and a little on the pricey side, but not too bad.

My biggest complaint that night was that there was no coffee--they said they ran out. Big bummer for my hubby, who loves an Irish coffee; plus, he was the designated driver and was getting a little tired.

Bar eats, especially fries, were good (and fries were cheap at $2). Chicken strips had a definite kick to them and were tasty and served on top of fries. The eats were cheap and plentiful.

It was karaoke night, and there was no dancing--the music was very, very loud, and the mikes needed to be adjusted; for some good people, they were too soft, and for the loud and bad, they were really loud.

Bridget, of course, had french fries, corn, and cinnamon rolls, all of which she enjoyed.

There was your typical salad bar, three hot bars (pizza, nachos, veggies, potatoes, and meat), a dessert setup (cakes, serve-yourself ice cream with toppings, cobblers), and a bar with a couple of different types of salads and Jell-O.

The bathrooms were reasonably clean, and so was the rest of the restaurant. The night we were there, there were several families celebrating high-school graduations. There were a lot of kids running around without parents paying attention to them, but the noise level was reasonable.

I got general restaurant hours at their website (I used hometownbuffet.com): Monday to Thursday 11am to 9pm, Friday 11am to 9:30pm, Saturday 8am to 9:30am, and Sunday 8am to 9pm