Day 6: Disney

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Day 6

Despite being utterly exhausted from the long day in California Adventure yesterday and with tired feet, excitement levels are still high. California Adventure was a lot of fun yesterday but today is my favourite - Disneyland. After breakfast in the hotel we get the ART outside straight to the park.

Walking up Main Street towards Cinderella's Castle is my favourite. As you enter the park there is a plaque overhead which reads 'Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy.' Walt Disney knew what he was doing!

Main Street has all our favourite characters walking about for pictures and autographs as well as being lined with shops. The shops are mixed variety - food, jewellery, clothes, toys, art, cinema and arcades. Right at the entrance/ exit is the Disneyland Railroad which takes you around the park with stops for you to get off and on.

The park is split into 4 lands - Adventure, Frontier, Fantasy and Tomorrow. The name of each land is reflected on the rides and attractions available.

Adventureland: Indiana Jones - usually busy ride in a truck passing snakes, mummies and of course Indi! Quite a rough ride.
Jungle Cruise - board a safari boat with funny skippers and take in the wildlife on offer in Adventureland.
Within Adventureland is New Orleans Square home to Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean.
Haunted Mansion closes in September to prepare for the Halloween/ Christmas decorations. If you are visiting during this time you are in for a treat! The Mansion is decorated as Nightmare before Christmas and the efforts gone to are beyond impressive.
Pirates of the Caribbean is also very popular and queues can be quite long. The ride is timid apart from two small drops and you will not get wet! As you glide through the water keep your eyes out for Jack Sparrow himself!

Frontierland: This is a land you should get fast passes for early in the day. Thunder Mountain is continuously busy and there is nothing more satisfying than skipping the crowd standing under the hot sun! 2 boats you can ride here are Mark Twain riverboat and Columbia Sailing Ship. They just do a lap of the water but a nice way to see the park from a different perspective and get some sun whilst you relax. At night the spectacular Fantasmic is shown in the same waters and is an amazing show. As with Adventureland, Frontierland has another area within it - Critter Country. Again, fast passes here for Splash Mountain are advised as the queue is consistently long. Outside the Winnie the Pooh ride the characters can be found for photos. You can also take to the water in canoes and have a bit of fun around the park.

Fantasyland is behind Cinderella's Castle and home to Mickey's ToonTown. Here there are a multitude of rides for young children to enjoy as well as the chance to meet characters such as Disney Princess's. Take a walk through the Castle to reach it. Popular rides include everyone's favourite - It's a Small World as well as the Teacups and Matterhorn Bobsleds. This ride is quite rough and bumpy but also very popular so advisable to go first thing in the morning.

Tomorrowland is futuristic and lots of fun. Don't miss Space Mountain, this ride is prone to long queues so again I would fastpass it. Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters is worth the wait and similar to the Toy Story Mania ride in California Adventure. Disneyland Monorail is also worth a visit.

Food: Similar to my other blog on California Adventure, the maps will let you know where to find certain foods and restaurants. My recommendations - turkey legs from a stall near Cinderella's Castle and Baked Potatoes from New Orleans Square. Character meals can also be organised.

Parades: A list of parades and shows can be found with maps at the entrance, so make sure to lift one. If you're planning ahead there is plenty of information on the website including times. Get there early to get a seat on the sidewalk to enjoy the parade passing. An ice cream from Gibson Girl is the perfect snack to enjoy the parade. Popcorn and cotton candy will be sold with soft drinks along Main Street as you wait. Due to the location of the parades, just before they start staff will close the street so it is sidewalk access only.

Fastpass: Fastpass distribution can be found by the entrance to attractions you wish to skip the queue of. It is easy to use - insert your park tickets into a machine and then receive your fastpass. There will be a clock or sign at the attractions telling you what time to come back at with your ticket, make sure you don't miss it queueing for another ride! You cannot have more than one fastpass at a time and they are only valid for one turn on the ride.

Despite the time you will inevitably spend standing in queues with hundreds of other people, one thing is for sure - everyone will have a massive smile on their face whilst waiting! There is something seriously special about Disney and regardless of age, it really is as magical as they say 😊

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