Disneyland Trip - Day 2, Disneyland

Alright, so I've shared a bit of the fun we had at California Adventure.  On our second day, we went to the Disneyland park. I have to say I was both looking forward to it and dreading it. The last time I was in Disneyland (in 2007), the crowds were horrendous.  It was fairly crowded this trip as well, but wasn't nearly as bad.

The first ride that we just had to ride was the Indiana Jones Adventure.  Both my Mom and Bean had really been looking forward to it because they had never ridden before. They both loved it! Next, we walked over to New Orleans Square and rode Pirates of the Caribbean.  Bean especially enjoyed comparing the Disneyland version to the one in Disney World. After the ride, we wandered past a bit of construction to the Mint Julep Bar. It's kind of hidden around the back corner of the French Market Restaurant.  We got a bag of 6 Mickey beignets, which were absolutely delicious, just like the ones I make at home. (I use a recipe I got from Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. Don't worry, I'll share it soon.)

Next, we headed back to Indiana Jones to use our fast passes.  Then, we wandered over to the Haunted Mansion. At this point, the lines were starting to get a bit longer and the sunburn I'd acquired the day before was starting to hurt, so we decided to stop for lunch. We couldn't find any place that suited all of us, so Mom and I decided to try the skewers at Bengal Barbecue. The chicken skewers and veggie skewers were fantastic and very affordable. Bean decided on pizza for lunch, so we headed for Fantasyland and the Village Haus Restaurant. I don't know if it was just too busy or if they just lost my order, but the service was terrible and I had to wait over 20 minutes for my food. I was very disappointed, but at least the pizza was good. Next up was the first of several trips through "it's a small world". This was the first time I'd ridden since they added the additional Disney characters like Ariel, Woody, and Peter Pan.  They were so cute! I just loved them.

Next, we went to Mickey's Toontown, where we played in Chip and Dale's Treehouse and Donald's Boat. Bean really enjoyed all of the little interactive touches in Toontown. (I remembered several of them from a visit with my cousin in 1998. She used to work at the Gag Factory, so she pointed out all the good stuff!) We grabbed fast passes for Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin, but it broke down just as we were heading in and was closed for at least an hour, so we ended up skipping it.

At this point, I remembered that I wanted to go to Innoventions before it closed, so we grabbed some Mickey Ice Cream Bars and made our way to Tomorrowland. Innoventions was actually very uncrowded,  which was great, and very air conditioned as well, which was a wonderful break from the heat.  I had three goals in Innoventions and we managed to meet all three. First, we got the chance to check out all of the Iron Man Tech in the Stark Industries exhibition. Bean especially liked the armor with battle damage. Then we viewed the Treasures of Asgard before being transported via the Bifrost to meet Thor in Odin's throne room. Thor was fantastic, and very good with kids (and grown up kids, too. Every woman in the group in front of us had to have an autograph and photo. It was hilarious!) Finally, we waited about 20 minutes to meet Captain America: The Living Legend and Symbol of Courage. He was absolutely amazing. The family in front of us had three little boys who all wanted separate photos.  He was very accommodating and even suggested a different pose for each kid. He was great with Bean and even told her to be sure to come back and tell him if she noticed any trouble in the park. She talked about meeting superheroes the rest of the day! While in Tomorrowland, we got fast passes for Star Tours, then headed back across the hub to Adventureland again.

We were just starting to get hot and tired again, so we headed for the Enchanted Tiki  Room. I don't know why, but I love the Tiki Room. The Disneyland version has a great pre-show that introduces several of the tiki gods that was quite cool. I would have liked to get a Dole Whip, but the line was seriously long, so I had to skip it. After leaving the Tiki Room, we stopped in one of the shops in Frontierland.  It had the most hilarious shirts, including one that used mustaches to define emotional states. I loved it!

Then it was on to New Orleans Square in search of dinner. I wanted soup from the Royal Street Veranda. It took me a while to decide between the clam chowder (which I'd had before) and the steak gumbo, but I eventually chose the gumbo. It was good, but man was it spicy! Thank heavens the sourdough bread bowl toned it down. Bean had the pasta and marinara sauce from the French Market Restaurant, so we sat outside and listened to the Royal Street Bachelors, who were quite good.

After dinner, we headed over to Fantasyland to ride Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. It was finally time for our fast passes, so we walked back to Star Tours, which is always a favorite for Bean and I. Then we rode The Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. Admittedly, I creamed Mom and Bean, but we all had fun. While waiting in line for the Astro Blasters, we noticed a tiny Periwinkle fairy behind us, so our next stop was Pixie Hollow. It was so sweet with all of the tiny fairies in their elements, and although Tink had gone for the evening, Bean loved having her photo taken in front of Tinker Bell's giant teapot house.

By now, it was getting dark, but we headed back to New Orleans Square to ride Pirates one more time. The second time we'd ridden, we'd gotten ridiculously wet, but Bean convinced us to give it another go.  So of course we got sopped again! We decided to avoid the crowds watching Fantasmic! and catch a few more rides before heading out for the night.  As we walked past the Haunted Mansion, we noticed there was no one there, so we decided to check it out. We walked straight in, boarded the elevator with just four other people, and each rode in our own Doombuggy. (I got number 13!) This was the first time Bean had ridden alone and she thought it was awesome! After the Mansion, we headed along the Rivers of America to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. It's obviously a little kid ride, but so cute to ride in the beehives. On our way out, we stopped to rid the Jungle Cruise, because it's one of my Mom's favorites. It was ridiculous, as usual, but a great way to end the day. That was our last ride at Disneyland.  Bean kept wanting to ride the Matterhorn, but every time we checked, the line was clear around the mountain, no joke. So, we didn't make it on, but that just gives us a reason to go back, right? After grabbing some popcorn and cocoa for the walk back, our trip to Disneyland was over.

We had a great time in California,  and I'm really glad we went. California Adventure was definitely my favorite park, but I love some of the rides that can only be found in Disneyland. Honestly, the strangest part for me was how compact Disneyland is. I'm so used to the Magic Kingdom in Florida that I had forgotten you can stand in line for Indiana Jones and listen to the Jungle Cruise on one side and Tarzan's Treehouse on the other. We crossed the entire park half a dozen times, but didn't feel like we'd walked that far because everything is so small. It was crazy, but fun nonetheless.

Shutterfly Autograph Book

Yesterday, I shared one of my favorite Shutterfly photobooks. Today, I'd like to share one that I made to use as an autograph book. Bean took this one a few years ago during Star Wars Weekends at Hollywood Studios and got great interactions with all of the characters because of it. They all wanted to find a photo of themselves before they signed. It was wonderful! She had a great time telling them about her favorite trips and when she'd met each of the characters before. I will definitely be making another for our next trip!

Autographs - An Adventure in Collecting, Part 5 EPCOT

EPCOT is a great place to collect autographs. The lines are generally short and there are many opportunities to meet characters at this park. There are a few character Meet'n'Greets in Future World and several in the World Showcase. And if you're a Disney Visa cardholder, don't forget to take advantage of the special Meet'n'Greet in Innoventions. Not only will your family get a private session with some of the characters, but you'll also receive a free 5x7 photo from the session.

Characters that can be seen on normal days:
Mickey & Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto
Chip & Dale
Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie*
Alice
Mary Poppins
Mulan*, Mushu*
Belle, Beast*
Snow White, Dopey
Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger, Piglet

Characters that are sometimes available:
Governor Radcliffe
Marie
Baloo
Donald Duck in 3 Caballero's clothes*, Jose Carioca*

* = only at this park

There are also some special event characters that you can meet at Christmas, only at EPCOT, and sometimes they do sign autographs. They also tell stories about the winter customs of their countries. The stories are very interesting and help children learn about other culture's customs without realizing they are learning. I would recommend getting to each storytelling early and standing as near the front as possible. Depending on when you go, you may be the only family waiting for a storyteller, and you may be chosen to help with the story. (Bean was chosen to help La Befana by holding her broom!)

The special Christmas storytellers are:
Nowell the Lumberjack (Canada)
Father Christmas (United Kingdom)
Pere Noel (France)
Taarji (Morocco)
Daruma Doll Seller (Japan)
Santa & Mrs. Claus (American Adventure)
Hanukkah (American Adventure)
Imani (American Adventure - Kwanzaa)
La Befana (Italy)
Helga & the Nutcracker (Germany)
Monkey King (China)
Sigrid & Julenissen (Norway)
Los Tres Reyes Magos (Mexico)

Autographs - An Adventure in Collecting, Part 4 Animal Kingdom

Collecting autographs at Animal Kingdom is a lot of fun. At this park, most of the characters, quite appropriately, are animals. This has been one of our favorite places to meet characters because the lines are usually very short. Often, we've had to wait one minute or less. Sometimes we just get to walk right up to the characters with no waiting. When traveling with impatient kids, that's a real bonus. At Animal Kingdom, there are several places to meet characters. Several are available right after you enter the gate, and there are always characters at Camp Minnie-Mickey.

Characters that can be seen on normal days:
Mickey & Minnie Mouse, Donald & Daisy Duck, Goofy, Pluto
Chip & Dale
Baloo, King Louie
Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger
Lilo & Stitch
Flik
Pocahontas, Governor Radcliffe, Meeko
Rafiki, Timon
Terk
Jiminy Cricket

Characters that are sometimes available:
Koda* & Kenai*
Brer Bear & Brer Rabbit
Thumper* & Miss Bunny*
Princess Atta*

* = only available at this park
Tomorrow, last but not least, EPCOT!

Autographs - An Adventure in Collecting, Part 3 Hollywood Studios

There are many opportunities to collect autographs at Disney's Hollywood Studios. For some characters, this is the only park where you can meet them for photos and autographs. The lines in this park are generally shorter than at the Magic Kingdom. At Hollywood Studios, I would recommend seeing Prince Caspian, the Incredibles, Playhouse Disney characters if you have little kids who enjoy the shows, Lightning McQueen & Mater, Mike & Sully, and the characters from UP. I haven't been to the Star Wars weekends yet, but I've heard that there are a lot of great characters to meet at these special events, as well as some of the actors who performed the roles in the movies. Most of the characters at Hollywood Studios are in special, themed areas specific to the character and are available throughout the day. Then there are rotating characters at the Magic of Animation building. These characters vary and may change multiple times throughout the day. As a result, you never know who you're going to get, but that can be fun if you have the time.

Characters that can be seen on normal days:
Mickey & Minnie Mouse, Sorceror Mickey, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto
Chip & Dale
Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Green Army Man*
Prince Caspian*
Power Rangers Green*, Yellow*, Pink*, and more*
Elastigirl*, Mr. Incredible*, Frozone*
Genie
Playhouse Disney: Handy Manny*, Jojo & Goliath*, Annie*, Quincy*, Leo* & June*
Indiana Jones* & Marion* (after the stunt show)
Lightning McQueen* & Mater* (they can't sign autographs because they don't have hands!)
Mike Wazowski* & Sully* (they can't sign autographs because Roz won't allow extra paperwork!)
Russell*, Mr. Fredrickson (Carl)*, and Dug* from UP

Characters that are sometimes available:
Belle
Mulan
Mary Poppins & Bert, Penguin
Villains: Captain Hook & Mr. Smee, Cruella DeVille, Frollo, Governor Radcliffe, Jafar, Prince John, the Sheriff of Nottingham, Queen of Hearts, the Snow Queen, Evil Queen
Tweedle Dum & Tweedle Dee, the White Rabbit
Rafiki
Snow White & Dopey
Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore
Pinocchio, Gepetto
Lilo & Stitch
Max
Pocahontas & Meeko
Suzy & Perla (the Mice from Cinderella)
Marie

Characters that are only found during Star Wars Weekends:
Chewbacca*, Ewoks*, R2-D2*, Jawas*
Darth Vader*, Boba Fett*, Stormtroopers*, Darth Maul*, Clone Troopers*
Jedi Mickey*, Stormtrooper Donald*, Vader Goofy*, Leia Minnie*

* = only available at this park
Tomorrow, on to Animal Kingdom.

Autographs - An Adventure in Collecting, Part 2 - Magic Kingdom

When collecting autographs at Disney World, there are several ways to go about it. The first time I went to Disney World, I got the autograph of every character that had a fairly short line. That worked fairly well, but the next time I went, I wanted to try for different autographs. I would like to eventually collect one from every character, but that takes a bit of planning and a lot of time spent waiting in line.

When starting your autograph collection, it's a good idea to hit some of the spots where characters are always available. At the Magic Kingdom, I would recommend Mickey in the Judges Tent in Toontown and the Princesses in the Toontown Hall of Fame. The Fairies are also in the Toontown Hall of Fame, but often have a wait of up to 1 hour. However, with Toontown closing sometime this year to make way for the new Fantasyland expansion, these locations will probably change.

As you walk around the park, you will probably see lines for characters at what seem to be random locations. Many of the characters are available at the front of the park, just after walking under the railroad station. Sometimes, you will be able to meet unexpected characters here, such as mice from Cinderella, Pinocchio & Gepetto, Mary Poppins & Penguins, and others.

With a little planning, kids should be able to narrow down a list of which characters they absolutely have to see. I would suggest only visiting characters at Magic Kingdom which can't be found at other parks. If you plan to visit all four parks during your stay, there's no reason to try to meet all of the characters at the Magic Kingdom as the lines for characters are usually shorter at the other parks. For the Magic Kingdom, I would recommend the Princesses, Buzz Lightyear, Stitch (although he can also be found at Animal Kingdom), and Mickey. If you can catch them, try to see Tweedle Dum & Tweedle Dee, the Mad Hatter, and Alice near the Teacups.

At certain times of the year, additional characters can be spotted at the Magic Kingdom. During Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, in addition to Mickey and the gang sporting Halloween costumes, you can meet the Queen of Hearts, White Rabbit, Playing Cards, and more from Alice in Wonderland. Sometimes, you can even meet all 7 Dwarfs at the same time, a real rarity. At Christmas, Scrooge McDuck can often be found near his nephew Donald's Tree Lot and Mickey and the gang often sport winter garb, which is fun to photograph.

Characters that can be seen at the Magic Kingdom on normal days:
Mickey & Minnie Mouse, Donald & Daisy Duck, Goofy, Pluto
Chip & Dale
Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet, Darby* (from the new Tigger & Pooh Super Sleuths)
Lilo & Stitch
Buzz Lightyear, Jessie*, Woody
Cinderella, the Mice Suzy & Perla, the Fairy Godmother*, Lady Tremaine*, Drisella*, Anastasia*
Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)
Tinker Bell*, Iridessa*, Rosetta*, Fawn*, Silver Mist*
Captain Hook and Mr. Smee
Ariel*
Aladdin, Jasmine
Baloo, King Louie
Peter Pan* & Wendy*
Tiana* & Prince Naveen*

Characters that are sometimes available:
Alice, Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum, the Mad Hatter*, the White Rabbit*, the Queen of Hearts
Brer Bear, Brer Rabbit
Mary Poppins & the Penguins
Merlin*
Marie (from Aristocats)
Max
Meeko
Prince John, the Sheriff of Nottingham
Terk
Rafiki, Timon

Characters that can be seen only during Halloween or Christmas:
Scrooge McDuck*
Snow White, Dopey, Doc*, Sleepy*, Sneezy*, Grumpy*, Happy*, Bashful*
Bullseye*
Villains: Cruella DeVille, Frollo, Jafar, Maleficent, the Evil Queen from Snow White
Tarzan*, Jane*
Prince Charming*
John Smith*

* = only available at this park

The list is ever-changing, but this is a good starting point to help you plan out your autograph hunting. Tomorrow, Disney's Hollywood Studios.


**UPDATE**
There are two new characters to see at the Magic Kingdom: Tiana and Prince Naveen from the Princess and the Frog. They can be found behind the Christmas shop on Liberty Square. For now, they can be difficult to catch, we had to try three times before we could finally meet them. However, they may be moving to a more permanent location in a few months.

Autographs - An Adventure in Collecting, Part 1

One of my favorite things to do at a Disney park is to collect autographs. I didn't start collecting autographs until I was in my 20's, but the cast members and characters have never seemed to mind that I wasn't a child. My first autograph book was a home-bound stack of pastel papers, cut into 4x6 pieces. I removed the autographed pages when I got home and used them in my scrapbook.

When I went to Disneyland in 2007, I purchased a Disney Pirates of the Caribbean autograph book. It has plain, white pages inside and a skull on the cover. I have used it on multiple trips, marking each autograph with the date and park where it was collected. To use the autographs in my scrapbook, I scan each autograph and print it out sized to fit the appropriate page.

My favorite autograph book is the newest one. It is a Cars autograph book which is spiral bound so that it lays completely flat, unlike the Pirate book which is book bound. It has a pale background and Cars characters around the edges. It is much easier to use because it is flat and can be opened to a blank page and then handed to the character, preventing any fumbling for a blank page.

There are several Dis-Signers on Disboards that have designed some truly awesome autograph books that can be printed out and bound in any way you like. The pages have the characters image and name and a place for them to sign. The only problem with these pages, is you either have to plan out which characters you want to get autographs from, or you have to print all of them out and shuffle to the correct page for each character to sign.

An absolute must for collecting autographs is a pen. I've tried regular ballpoint pens, sharpie markers, and felt tip pens. A good ballpoint is your best bet as the others bleed through the thin paper of most autograph books. While the cute Disney pens are fun, they aren't always reliable. A regular ballpoint, preferably on the fat side to help characters with gloves to get a good grip, decorated with a few stickers if the kids think it's too boring, will give you the best results.

A few of the characters can't sign autographs due to costuming issues: King Louie can't close his hands to hold the pen, however, Buzz Lightyear has a stamp that he will use on autograph books. I would recommend having an autograph book for each child with their name and an "If found, please return to" label with the name of the hotel where you will be staying. That way, if a book is lost, it may be returned.

Finally, don't forget to bring your camera. While the autographs are great on their own, kids enjoy them more if they also have a picture of themselves with the character to go with it. And don't avoid a character just because you already have an autograph. The first time we saw Koda from Brother Bear, he was by himself. The second time we saw him, he had Kenai with him, so we got autographs again so that we could get both bears. As they both signed on the same page, it was fun to have the two different autograph pages.

Also, one trip we saw Belle 3 times on the same day at EPCOT. She was in the exit area for the Mickey and friends Meet'n'Greet. No one else stopped to see her, so we got to spend 5 minutes alone with Belle. Bean loved it! Later in the day, we stopped to see Belle near France. We were hoping to catch her with the Beast, but he was busy "cleaning the castle." About 10 minutes later, the Beast came back out, so we saw him with Belle again. At this point, Bean said, "How come I keep seeing you today?" and Belle said, "Because I enjoy seeing you SO much!" and gave her a hug. It was wonderful!