Page 37 - Explore Magazine Autumn 2018

followed by It’s a Small World. Amelia got excited at
seeing New Zealand showcased.
The Fantasyland Theatre was a good chance to have
a rest from the heat with a song and dance, and
when we walked out of the Theatre we found we had
timed it perfectly to see the street performance of
all the cartoon characters and themed floats. In the
sweltering heat, we found a shaded area from where
we could watch proceedings and then felt it was a
good time to go back to the hotel for a swim.
Day two at Disneyland started with our inclusive
Character Dining experience at Ariel’s Grotto
Restaurant in the Disney California Adventure Park.
We had a priority queue and early access into the
park and when we arrived, with Amelia dressed in her
costume, we met Ariel who autographed our signing
book and posed for a photo. At breakfast we were
seated outside and five Disney Princesses came to
our table individually for autographs and photos.
We spent the day enjoying many rides, entertaining
shows and magical experiences at Disney Resort
California, followed by an evening outdoors with
the World of Color light and water show. It was a
symphony of music projected over the water with
water jets and backdrops of classic Disney stories.
Day three was a rest day. We enjoyed a late breakfast
followed by a day to enjoy the Disney Resort Hotels’
pools as our hotel key cards gave us access to the
other properties’ facilities. On our last day at Disney
Resort our tickets entitled us to an early entrance
and we used this to get more character signings and
make our way to the other end of the park and see
everything else left on the list. I think Amelia will never
forget Splash Mountain or Critter Country.

TOP TIPS FOR VISITING DISNEY RESORT CALIFORNIA

 Download the Disney App. It’s a great app with an  Buy a Fastrack ticket early in the day to the 8.15pm World
interactive map of shops, dining, entertainment, facilities of Color evening show and eat beforehand.
and attractions, Disney Fastpass, information about queue  There’s an off-peak firework show during weekends at
times, character location times, and much more. Disney App 9.30pm (check the seasons).
enabled us to easily navigate the park, although please note
that there isn’t Wi-Fi coverage everywhere in the park.  Pre-book for Character Dining at 9-9.30am. Character Dining
gets entry priority vs the main queue. Check the location of
 Pack Disney costumes. This helps avoid children wanting to the restaurant beforehand as well.
purchase costumes at Disneyland: the average price there is
around US$60.  Off-season Mondays and Tuesdays are quieter days with
fewer queues.
 Let Disneyland know on arrival if you’re celebrating a child’s  Try and have a rest day.
birthday – then all the characters will make an extra effort to
notice them throughout the day. After researching options, I chose Disney’s Grand Californian
 Wear comfortable shoes, with Jandals as a back-up. Hotel & Spa for Anaheim accommodation because for me it
 Pack a spray bottle for water, or a fan, and an umbrella for rain was all about convenience, especially since we were travelling
or shelter. Water costs around US$3.50 a bottle in the park. on our own and once in a lifetime. The hotel gives easy and
convenient access to Disney California Adventure Park and
 Take a backpack with a change of kids’ clothes. Disney Downtown, early admission with Extra Magic hours,
 Buy or take a book for character signing. Disney Character Dining, discount vouchers and much more.
 Try to get character signing and photos done in one day, or The hotel has a classic, high-ceilinged wood and stone décor.
use the Disney PhotoPass Service. It felt like we were in a story book – in fact it has a restaurant
called Storytellers Café.

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