Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Plaza Inn Restaurant with Minnie and Friends

Character Dining - Minnie and Friends



There are few better ways to start your Disneyland experience then to join Minnie and her friends for breakfast. Much like I suggest Blue Bayou for dinner, I absolutely encourage you to spend a morning with some of your favorite characters. Plaza Inn is just the place to find them!!

This is another restaurant you will need to make a priority seating (reservation) appointment as soon as you know you're going. Minnie is ever so popular and we'd hate for you to miss out on seeing her and perhaps her closest friend Mickey. 

Along with Minnie are many characters you won't usually find in Disneyland. I've seen Captain Hook, Chip and Dale, Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, and more. These friends of Minnie's aren't usually hanging around the park anywhere else, so here's your chance to see them! 



Like most character breakfasts, Plaza Inn offers a buffet with your choice of different breakfast items, from cold cereal to hot Mickey waffles, Omelette station, pastries and much more. 

I tend to schedule my Minnie and Friends breakfast near the later side of the serving times. This way I get more of a brunch and can save a bit of money by combining breakfast and lunch. It sometimes works, sometimes not. But we try regardless to save money were we can. Those souvenirs don't come free.

Included with your meal is a Photo opportunity. They take your picture prior to being seated and without any characters. Just a sign. I tend to skip purchasing this picture. But get lots of ones inside with all of our Disney friends.

Most days the weather is nice enough to eat out on the patio. Sit under one of the umbrella's and enjoy the sun on your back while you eat and spend time visiting with a multitude of characters. 

Make sure you have your autograph book out and ready to go. Everyone of the visitors to your table will hang out a bit, sign your book and take pictures with you. We tend to get a few pictures with each. A couple of my son only, then maybe one or two more with all of us. Sometimes these become great Christmas Card pictures.

When booking your next trip (with DisneyDaniel of course) to Disneyland, keep Plaza Inn on the list of places to eat!

I hope you find this information fun, new and worthwhile. Contact DisneyDaniel to day to book your first, next or best Vacation!

Daniel is a self-proclaimed Disney Geek, Disney Vacation Planner and a Disneyland Specialist. When he's not adding to the plethora of Disney Trivia in his head, you can find him on his Facebook Page and/or Follow him on Twitter





Saturday, February 23, 2013

Paradise Pier Hotel

Paradise Pier


This is the one resort at Disneyland I haven't stayed at, yet. I've eaten at PCH Grill here and really enjoyed the Mickey and Friends breakfast buffet. I've spent time in the resort as well. Just haven't made it to a room to sleep... It'll happen soon enough.

With that said, I can certainly share some of the benefits of Paradise Pier! For starters it's the least expensive of the three (3) Disneyland Hotels. Least expensive being relative of course...

It's one of my favorite themes of the three as well. Bringing back the California beachfront boardwalk hotels. This resort is slightly closer to the parks then Disneyland Hotel too. Which I can assure you is important late at night when you're tired and carrying a kid or two back to your room. 

The coolest part of the hotel is the rooftop pool! Including a Californian' Streamin' Waterslide!! At night you can head up to the rooftop pool for an unobstructed view of the parks fireworks show. They even pipe in the music for you to enjoy the whole experience!!


In addition to the cool pool, the cool PCH Grill, the kids can go to a Beach Themed "special screening room" to watch Disney Movies and TV shows! Every time you see a TV or screen in a Disney resort you can be sure there will be a few kid's watching the classic cartoons. This screening room just takes that idea and enlarges it!

Right outside of your hotel you will find Downtown Disney. There is a plethora of great restaurants and shops available to you. Including the largest Disney store on the West Coast, World Of Disney! If you can't find your Disney item here, it's likely it doesn't exist anymore... Sorry for that spoiler...

The Paradise Pier hotel has been renovated fairly recently. The updated rooms still offer contemporary memories and signature Disney Service in a Boardwalk inspired room.

I hope you find this information fun, new and worthwhile.

Contact DisneyDaniel today to book your first, next or Best Disney Vacation!
Daniel is a self-proclaimed Disney Geek, Disney Vacation Planner and a Disney Specialist!

When he's not adding to the plethora of Disney trivia in his head, you can find DisneyDaniel on his Facebook Page and/or follow him on Twitter

Check out DisneyDaniels NEW Pinterest Page

email: daniel@destinationsinflorida.com

Disney World, Disney Cruise, Disneyland, Disney Hawaii, and Adventures by Disney Specialist
Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure Specialist
Orlando Travel Consultant
Southern California Travel Consultant

Destinations in Florida Travel is your PremEAR Disney World and Orlando Vacation Planners – Top 2009 Disney Destinations Sales Performer and 2010 & 2011 Universal Studios Travel Agency Partner of the Year




Friday, February 22, 2013

Glow With The Show!

Mickey Ears with IR Technology!


This has to be one of the coolest new things to come along at Disneyland in awhile. I am one of those geeky people who tend to buy a new pair of ears every time I visit a Disney Park.

I'm also what you'd call an early adaptor of technology. This combination seems to have set me up to be unable to resist the temptation of the Mickey "Glow with the Show" Ears... 

Check this video to see what I mean:



Not surprisingly I've already made plans that I will be purchasing a pair right after I get my Radiator Springs Racer FastPasses... 

Just one more reason I can't wait until April! 

And one more reason you should visit Disneyland soon! Contact me for the most magical vacation planning available!


I hope you find this information fun, new and worthwhile.


Disney World, Disney Cruise, Disneyland, Disney Hawaii, and Adventures by Disney Specialist
Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure Specialist
Orlando Travel Consultant
Southern California Travel Consultant

Destinations in Florida Travel is your PremEAR Disney World and Orlando Vacation Planners – Top 2009 Disney Destinations Sales Performer and 2010 & 2011 Universal Studios Travel Agency Partner of the Year


Wednesday, February 20, 2013

More Disneyland Secrets!

Secrets of Main Street, USA


You may recall that recently I wrote a piece called "Disneyland Secret Rooms" in which I highlighted some of the off limit areas of Disneyland. I left that post with some hints of other secrets at Disneyland. Well I've made you wait long enough...  "Here we gooooo...."

When you first enter the park the ground is red brick. Walt wanted you to feel like you were entering on a red carpet, being treated like royalty. Also he added the tunnels to walk through so that once you came through them you would feel you were entering a completely new world. I'd say he hit it right with the tunnels. Thankfully he was talked out of walking through curtains... Imagine the disarray that would have caused.

This one may be well known... When you are standing at the end of Main Street, USA and looking towards the castle, Disney Imagineers used "Forced Perspective" to make the castle appear larger than it is. Essentially it's a trick where the buildings get smaller the further down the street you go... Forcing the Castle to appear larger. Disney has used this same "trick" in every theme park they've created. 



Speaking of Main Street, USA, did you know the names on the windows above the shops are real people? Most of them are Imagineers who were essential to fulfilling Walt's Disneyland Dreams. You'll see UB Iwerks up there as well. UB was the first one to join Walt Disney at his new animation studio after he left Universal... UB Iwerks is also the co-creator of Mortimer Mouse... Now affectionately known as Mickey! Many many more Imagineers and other key Disney people are immortalized on these window panes as their own proprietors of which ever shop they now "own". UB Iwerks shop is above the Main Street Bakery and he has a Stereoscopic Camera Shop.

Those Imagineers and Walt sure did come up with some amazing tricks to get us visitors to do the right thing. For instance the only place in the park that has a black street is Main Street... Why? Black gets hotter than any other color which in turn makes you want to move towards the castle and not create a bottleneck along Main Street... 

Have you noticed that if you stand on the sidewalks of Main Street the trees block your view of the castle? And vice versa if you're on the street? Here's why! It was decided if you were on the sidewalk the best way to get you into the stores was to block the view of the castle and surrounding park... Just as if you're standing in the street, the trees block the stores and will not distract you from moving along towards the castle. No wonder they are called IMAGINEERS!

Here's one most people don't consider but will have a "D'uh!" moment when you read this. You never hear the sounds of Anaheim which is right outside the gates. Guess what else you don't get from Anaheim...???  The smell. Yup Disneyland has what are called Smellitzer's around the park. They shoot a plume of scent some 200 feet in the air at just the right second and then fans suck it back out so as to not take away from the next smell. You never knew it happened, but you also aren't smelling car exhaust or any other city smells. Most people know the instance of the citrus smell when Soarin Over California? That's one you could hardly miss, but many more exist through out the park to give all your senses access to the magic! How bout some fresh baked cookies on Main Street, USA? Yeah you probably thought they were being baked right then...  

One last tidbit about Main Street USA for you. The Gas Lamps along the street were 150 years old when purchased in 1955 and mostly come from Baltimore, MD. They were being sold for scrap at the time and were purchased for $1 per pound. Disneyland used to have a cast member dress up as a 19th Century lamplighter and light the lamps at dusk everyday... Now they stay lit day and night.


I hope you find this information fun, new and worthwhile.

Daniel Mullarkey

Disney World, Disney Cruise, Disneyland, Disney Hawaii, and Adventures by Disney Specialist
Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure Specialist
Orlando Travel Consultant
Southern California Travel Consultant

Destinations in Florida Travel is your PremEAR Disney World and Orlando Vacation Planners – Top 2009 Disney Destinations Sales Performer and 2010 & 2011 Universal Studios Travel Agency Partner of the Year





Thursday, February 14, 2013

Disneyland Event Schedule

What's Happening?? When's it Happening??


If I had a nickel for every time...  oh never mind. Let's just say that I get asked a lot about Disneyland events and when are they happening... It gets overwhelming to me to try and keep all these things in my head, so I'm putting them here for my own sanity. And well you get to know too! It's a win win as they say...

I'm starting with the annual biggies for you and then we can touch a little on the lesser ones and even perhaps discuss unofficial events.

January: 

  • New Years for sure! Special Entertainment and extended hours.
  • Tail end of the Holiday Celebration! You can still catch the lights, the decorations and the entertainment for a short time into January every year. Plus you can do it with fewer lines! 
  • Three Kings Day - Big Thunder Ranch Arena - Showcasing Western and Mexican Heritage
  • Tinkerbell 1/2 Marathopn Weekend - Lots of great prizes and prices for participants
February:
  • New Orleans Bayou Bash
  • Mardi Gras
  • President's Day Weekend - Busiest Weekend of the Winter 
  • Lunar New Year
  • True Love Week - I wonder which week that is...
  • Valentine's Day - Mickey and Minnie sitting in a tree...
March:
  • St. Patrick's Day - Luck o' the Irish lads
  • SIGNin' in the Street - Celebration of the creativity in the deaf community
  • Easter Sunday - Nothing special planned but it's a holiday none the less
April:
  • Disney's California Food and Wine Festival! Get your food and drink on!
  • Spring Break! Parks are getting busier
May:
  • Cinco de Mayo - Ole!
  • Mother's Day - Flowers for all Mom's and special dining options
  • Disneyland Grad Nights
  • AIDS Walk Orange County - Walk through both parks before they open to support HIV/ AIDS organizations
  • Beginning of SUMMER! Bring your bathing suits!
June:
  • Summer continues through Early September - Crowds are getting heavier now - Nights are getting longer
  • More Disneyland Grad Nights
July:
  • Celebrate America - July 4th
  • Orange County Fair
  • Summer Continues on - Expect heavy crowds but longer park hours
August:
  • Yup - SUMMER!
  • D23 Expo
  • Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend
September: 
  • Summer is winding down - kids going back to school...
  • Halloween Time starts
October:
  • Halloween decorations are up, Haunted Mansion is converted and Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy is running!
  • Haunted House Building workshop at Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney
  • CHOC (Children's Hospital of Orange County) Disneyland Resort Walk - 5K
  • Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party on select nights - Separate Ticket required
November:
  • Last few days of Halloween decorations, rides and Special Fireworks
  • Thanksgiving Day - Variety of Dining choices
  • Christmas Season has arrived and decorations have gone up!
December:
  • Christmas Time!
  • Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party
  • Candlelight Processional
  • TUBAChristmas in Downtown Disney - Exactly what it sounds like - Tubas on parade
Unofficial Days at Disneyland:
  • Gay Days - Changes yearly
  • Dapper Days - Unofficial but always fun - Put on your Sunday Best for an evening and stroll the park - Generally occurs in February
  • Taste of Downtown Disney - Changes yearly
  • Bats Day in the Fun Park - Goth gathering at the parks - Around May
  • Festival of the Whales at Dana Point - Street Fair - Around March
I hope this gets you started on helping to plan your visits. If you love food and wine, you now know to head down in April to get in on that! If you prefer the magic of Christmas, well you can figure out when to go...

I also get asked a lot about the best time to visit Disneyland. Well on a weekly basis Tuesday through Thursday are always the slowest days of the week. I can't really tell people what's the right time for them. If you travel during the time from January through May then it's slower periods (except President's Day Weekend). With parks being slower they are also reduced hours and have fewer of the special entertainment throughout the parks. 

If you want to spend upwards of 16 hours in the park, see every parade and every entertainment option, your best bet is to go in the Summer. You'll maybe hate the lines but you'll love all the extra entertainment options available. 

I promise to write more soon and include an updated chart that even shows rankings of slowest to busiest weeks at Disneyland (1 to 52).


I hope you find this information helpful and fun.

To find out more about me please visit my profile page: DisneyDan

Daniel Mullarkey

Disney World, Disney Cruise, Disneyland, Disney Hawaii, and Adventures by Disney Specialist
Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure Specialist
Orlando Travel Consultant
Southern California Travel Consultant

Destinations in Florida Travel is your PremEAR Disney World and Orlando Vacation Planners – Top 2009 Disney Destinations Sales Performer and 2010 & 2011 Universal Studios Travel Agency Partner of the Year


Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Mickey Mouse!

The Big Cheese!


"I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing-that it was all started by a mouse." - Walt Disney

Mickey Mouse has to be the most famous rodent to ever enter the world. And at 85 years old he sure has aged well. He has also entertained and delighted generation after generation of kids, adults and families. 

Mickey's beginnings are truly exceptional. Especially considering how Universal Studios could have owned him had Charles Mintz been more open to negotiating with Walt Disney. At the time Walt Disney worked for Universal and they owned Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. When Disney asked for an increase in budget for the popular series, he not only was denied the request but was told he'd have to take a 20% budget cut. I think we can all see that was a pretty poor decision... Walt Disney fulfilled his commitment to Universal Studios until his contract was up. He then left the studio and most of his employees who had already signed on to stay with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. 

A key animator stayed loyal to Walt Disney and was a major part of Disney Studios, Ub Iwerks. In addition to Ub Iwerks, a young apprentice artist, Les Clark and Wilifred Jackson joined the small studio and got to work.

Ub Iwerks was tasked with coming up with a new character ideas. After many many tries that were all rejected by Walt. Although some of them came along later like Clarabelle Cow and Horace Horsecollar. Walt Disney had the idea for a mouse character. Ub Iwerks created a new mouse character and he was named...

"Mortimer Mouse"

No Seriously, Mortimer Mouse was his name. Fortunately, for Walt and really the rest of us who love Mickey, Walt's wife Lillian suggested that was a terrible name and convinced him to change it. Phew... I imagine that had Mickey remained Mortimer, we would not have any idea who he was in today's world. I think you probably all agree.

So Mickey Mouse was "Born" in early 1928 in a short test screen called "Plane Crazy". His official debut and generally what most Mickey enthusiasts call his "Birthday" is November 18th, 1928 with the release of "Steamboat Willie". 

For but a few twists of fate and truly poor business decisions Mickey Mouse may never have come to be. And as Walt Disney himself said in Disneyland, October 27th, 1954: "I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse."  

Mickey Mouse got his signature white gloves in 1929 with the release of The Opry House. Since that time Mickey is rarely seen without his gloves. When he's not wearing his signature read shorts with yellow buttons you can bet he's wearing something else red. Like in this picture from my favorite Mickey of all time, Sorcerer Mickey:



Some Mickey Facts: 

  • Mickey's First speaking role was in The Karnival Kid released in 1929
  • Walt Disney voiced Mickey Mouse until 1946 when running the studio took too much time
  • Mickey was in Black and White films from 1928 to 1935
  • Mickey began color films in 1935
  • Mickey did a special color film strip for the 1932 Academy Awards but was not released to public
  • The Mickey Mouse Club began in 1954 - with a re-emergence of public love for Mickey Mouse
  • Mickey's last regular installment film was The Simple Things in 1953
  • Mickey has been nominated 9 times for the Academy Awards
  • Mickey has only won one Academy Award for Lend a Paw, 1941
  • First Cartoon Character to have a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame - Received Star in 1978
  • Mickey has met every President of the United States since Harry Truman, with the exception of Lyndon B. Johnson.
  • Mickey has his own land in Disneyland, Disney World, Tokyo Disney and more Disney parks around the world
  • Mickey now has two new video games that showcase the mischievous side of Mickey, Epic Mickey and Epic Mickey II
  • Mickey's comic strip ran for 45 years, having started in 1930, drawn primarily by Fred Gottfredson
  • Mickey worked for Uncle Sam during World War II doing propaganda films with Donald and other friends
  • Every election in the United States has votes for Mickey Mouse written in - Mickey for President!
I know I mentioned in the quick facts above about the propaganda films but I have to share this special film request from the department of treasury. In 1942 the Secretary of the Treasury, Henry Morgenthau, Jr. asked Walt Disney to create a film to make Americans accept the payment of income taxes. Walt Disney created "The New Spirit". In this film, Donald Duck deals with income taxes and shows their benefit to the American War Effort, reaching 26 million people. In a poll regarding the film 37% admitted that the film helped make them willing to pay their taxes. Walt Disney also made a book for children encouraging them to purchase War Savings stamps. When I first consider this my first thought thinks of the times we live in today and how that would never fly. Mickey would lose half his fans in one ad. But let's remember that in the 1930's and 1040's all Americans were contributing to the war effort. We were Americans first and we supported the men fighting overseas however we could. Walt Disney was doing his patriotic duty to his country. As Disney still does with their Military Service discounts (see my blog on Honoring our Heroes - Disney Style)

Mickey Mouse has been a part of all our lives whether we like or not for the last 85 years and there isn't any sign of him slowing down. I hope that my children's children's children enjoy Mickey as much as I do. 

Keep the love showing for Mickey Mouse - The Big Cheese!

I hope you find this information helpful and fun.
To find out more about me please visit my profile page: DisneyDan

Daniel Mullarkey

Disney World, Disney Cruise, Disneyland, Disney Hawaii, and Adventures by Disney Specialist
Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure Specialist
Orlando Travel Consultant
Southern California Travel Consultant

Destinations in Florida Travel is your PremEAR Disney World and Orlando Vacation Planners – Top 2009 Disney Destinations Sales Performer and 2010 & 2011 Universal Studios Travel Agency Partner of the Year


Monday, February 11, 2013

Disney Parks Blog Repost


Through a Photographer’s Lens: Hunting for Hearts at the Disneyland Resort

posted on February 11th, 2013 by Paul Hiffmeyer, Chief Photographer for Public Relations, Disneyland Resort

Valentine’s Day is almost here, which got me wondering how many photos of hearts from around the Disneyland Resort I could find in our photo archive. Well, it turns out I found a lot and in this post I’d like to share a few with you. You can find lots of hearts throughout Mickey’s Toontown – do you know where else you can find hearts at the Disneyland Resort?
Hearts at Mickey's Toontown at the Disneyland Resort Hearts at Mickey's Toontown at the Disneyland Resort
Check the Disney Parks Blog Facebook page later today for more of the hearts that I found at the Disneyland Resort and keep an eye out here on the Disney Parks Blog for more hidden treasures in this new series, “Through a Photographer’s Lens.” Some of images I’ve taken during my 11 years here at the Disneyland Resort – and some of those I will take in the future – may not have a specific Disney focus, but they are still unmistakably from Disneyland. They can be anything from architectural details to animal life, and I’m looking forward to showing them to you in this monthly series.

Follow the Disney Parks Blog here: Disney Parks


I hope you find this information helpful and fun.
To find out more about me please visit my profile page: DisneyDan

Daniel Mullarkey

Disney World, Disney Cruise, Disneyland, Disney Hawaii, and Adventures by Disney Specialist
Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure Specialist
Orlando Travel Consultant
Southern California Travel Consultant

Destinations in Florida Travel is your PremEAR Disney World and Orlando Vacation Planners – Top 2009 Disney Destinations Sales Performer and 2010 & 2011 Universal Studios Travel Agency Partner of the Year

Description: ollow Me on Pinterest