Favorite Places to Eat at Disney's California Adventure Park

     I wrote about our favorite places to eat at Disneyland, now I will tell what our favorite places are in Disney's California Adventure Park (DCA). The price range is about the same as Disneyland. Some places are a little more costly but not compared to places you might eat outside the park. Taste Pilot Grill, Award Wieners, Cozy Cone, Flo's V8, Pacific Warf Cafe, Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill and Ghirdelli's are our favorite places to eat when we are at DCA.

     Taste Pilot Grill is now called Smokejumpers but will always be Taste Pilot to us. The atmosphere has changed but the food is pretty much the same. They have some of the best burgers I've ever tasted. They also offer an excellent condiment bar where you get a delicious barbecue sauce along with all the other burger fixings. Their fries are good here too but sure not as good as when we first started eating here in 2003. back then they have the seasoned waffle fries and they were the best fries ever! I really don't know why the got rid of them but know we miss those fries a lot!

     Award Wiener is a great place to get a delicious hot dog. We go there when we are not real hungry because even though their dogs are yummy they only give out chips so you tend not to fill up as well as when they serve fries. When we first started going to the park they had fries and we sure do wish they would bring them back.

    When we are looking more for a snack than a meal or just a small meal, Cozy Cone is the place to go. Cozy Cone has a fritz pie in a delicious bread cone. They also have Chili Con Case but it is not my favorite. We go here a few times each visit to the resort. Cozy Cone also has a delicious soft serve ice cream and some delicious Churro bites.

     For a nice meal that is on the healthier side we go to Flo's V8 Cafe. It is still counter service but delicious food. The meals are a bit more expensive than the other restaurants but here you get meat and two vegetables. We always walk away full. The atmosphere is a lot of fun whether you eat inside or out. The outside seating area looks on to Radiator Springs Racers or you can just chill out on Route 66..

     Pacific Warf Cafe is where we get soup in a bread bowl. We love to eat here and take our food to the large eating area. You can also get food at Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill and sit in the same area. There is something for everyone in the Pacific Warf eating area. The bread bowl I like to get is clam chowder. I don't care much for sour dough bread but it is good with the soup. I keep hoping someday they will use regular bread too. I love the chicken dinner at Cochina's. With that you get chicken and a vegetable or two.

     There are times when we really are not all that hungry or actually are not hungry for a meal. So then we go to Ghirdelli's for an ice cream dinner. We usually get a sundae or one scoop of ice cream with toppigs. It is a wonderful way to end a magical day in the parks or a magical afternoon or any magical time.

     No matter where you eat in DCA the food is delicious and you leave feeling fueled. Then you are ready to enjoy the rest of your day or head back to the room for a restful night


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Special Memories With a Special Cast Member

     We have had many cast members make our visits to Disneyland and California Adventure Park special, magical and memorable. They not only do their job by meeting the needs of the guests but go above and beyond making each guest feel important and loved. Those remarkable cast members love their jobs and it shows. I only know the name of one cast member who made special memories for us because we met up with her two years different years and we remembered her.

     This cast member is Paula and she works in Fantasyland. In 2006 while we were waiting to ride on Casey Jr. Paula joked with my youngest son who was nine years old at the time. She told him that he was a monkey and made us all laugh. Later we saw her at the Carousel too and she made us laugh once again.

     Several years later in 2011 when my son was fourteen years old we were waiting to ride Casey Jr and the cast member working there was joking and telling the kids they were monkeys, she was incredibly funny. I remembered her from 2006 and we visited with her telling her that she had joked with my son back when he was only nine years old. He remembered her too which she thought was very special.

     Paula was a lot of fun and we went back to see her the next night when she took a picture with my son. Meeting such a fun cast member two different years was a special adventure to us all and I believe it was magical for her to have us remember her unique sense of humor and wonderful personality. She said it made her feel great knowing that she helped make our visit to the Happiest Place on Earth a fabulous experience.

     Other cast members are special too and I will share those experiences too but felt this one needed its own spot to shine

Our Favorite Places to Eat at Disneyland

     Dining at Disneyland is fun just because it is Disneyland. The restaurants are a lot of fun and add a special magic to the entire experience. Many people say the prices are way out of line but in reality there are many place to eat that are no more expensive than a meal at McDonald's. Disneyland has many different places to eat. Some of our favorites are Redd Rocket Pizza Port, Plaza Inn, Golden Horseshoe/Stage Door Cafe, River Belle Terrace, Cafe Orleans and we used to love Blue Bayou.

     I will start with The Blue Bayou, The Blue Bayou is a fancy dining restaurant and requires a reservation because they are so busy. The atmosphere is a lot of fun since it is located in the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. The service is excellent and until the last two years we thought worth the high costs. We have gone there every year since 2006 but after last year will never go again which is sad. Their menu has changed and the food is not as good as it used to be.Well except for their gumbo, it is out of this world!  We've experienced the atmosphere so it is time to leave this wonderful restaurant behind and enjoy our memories of the Blue Bayou. I will write about our memories of this beautiful restaurant later on.

     Redd Rocket Pizza Port is located in Tomorrowland and is a great place to go for pizza or pasta. They also offer salads which we don't eat often because well, who wants salad when you have pizza and pasta. Pizza Port is a counter service restaurant where guests can watch them prepare some of the food. All of their food is very affordable and delicious. Seating is inside the restaurant and outside too. Our favorite place to eat is actually by the entrance to Space Mountain. We eat at Pizza Port several times when we visit Disneyland. The atmosphere is futuristic and a lot of fun.

     For character dining at its best, The Plaza Inn near the entrance to Tomorrowland is the place to be. It is a buffet style restaurant and the food is absolutely delicious. The atmosphere is super fun. Disney characters come by your table for photo ops and to interact with you. It’s a little on the pricey side, but it is so much fun. It is another magical experience. Do make sure you ask to be seated on the left side, for some reason the characters go there most often.

       The Golden Horseshoe in Frontierland is another of Disneyland’s counter service restaurants. They offer chicken and fish strips. We used to go for the entertainment but Billy Hill and the Hillbillies are no longer there so we just go for the food which you can also get at the Stage Door Cafe located to the right of the Shoe. They offer the same food except also offer hand dipped corn dogs and funnel cakes that are to die for.

       The River Belle Terrace is a wonderful place to eat breakfast. They offer many different meals including Mickey Mouse pancakes. It is a counter service restaurant but the food is always delicious and fresh. River Belle is an elegant restaurant. You can sit inside or outside and watch the Mark Twain sail the waters on the Rivers of America.

     Our new discovery in 2015 was Cafe Orleans. Because of our love for The Blue Bayou gumbo we decided to try Cafe Orleans. We had heard they serve the same gumbo and well, they do! Oh how excited we were to find out favorite food at a lot cheaper price. You can also get just a bowl of gumbo and it is a good helping too. We tried their Monte Cristo as well and found it to be delicious too. Cafe Orleans is now one of our favorite places to eat at Disneyland. We will eat there several times each trip I am sure.

     There are other places to eat at Disneyland but the ones I have mentioned are our favorites.  Dining at Disneyland is fun just because it is Disneyland. The restaurants are a lot of fun and add special magic to the entire experience.

  

     

Toddler Plays "Drums" With Mad T Party Band and Nathan's Blooper

     I am sure by now everyone who follows me knows how much I love the Mad T Party Band. They are amazing and have really helped me through some depressed moments lately. Just watching the video I took and videos others have posted makes me smile. Sometimes I really need that pick me up.

    On July 7, 2015 when we stopped by to have our nightly dose of T we noticed this adorable little toddler just really getting into drumming with the band while they played. He had what looked like pencils and he was really watching the Cheshire Cat play. I imagine this little fellow's dad plays the drums or they spend a lot of time at the T Party. Either way I just had to record him playing.

     I noticed some of the band members where smiling at him and I am not sure what happened to Nathan in this video but he got tickled and could barely introduce the Catterpillar and was laughing and could not sing the first few lyrics of the song. It was funny and what makes live performances fun.

     I hope you enjoy this video as much as I enjoyed recording and sharing it.

     Toddler Plays Drums With Mad T Party Band

My Grandma's Last Disney Year: Disneyland's 50th Birthday

     I recently wrote about being at Disney's 50th birthday celebration and also the 60th. What I forgot to mention was that the 50th was also my grandmas last year with us at the parks. Grandma going to Disneland with us the last few years of her life was so special for all of us.

     Grandma had to use a wheelchair because of her arthritis but none of us minded pushing her along. My oldest son was only 10 at the time and he always wanted to push her. We joked about it because one time my mom let him and he ran her into things. It was funny really.

     We didn't usually sit and wait for the firewroks but that year we did. We waited in front of the castle for hours and well, it was worth it. The show was amazing.

     This year for the 60th we waited for a long time at the end of Main Street closest to Central Plaza. We didn't wait on the curb like the 50th but we did wait a long time. The show as just as spectacular and I am sure grandma would have loved it.

     Grandma left us before the Electriccal Parade left DCA so she didn't have to be sad for that loss. She would have loved the new Paint the Night Parade too.

     Our last year with my grandma at Disneyland was special just like any time we spent with her. Just like Disney's birthday, our time with her was golden. She sparkles like the diamond of the 60th in our hearts.

2005

2015

Mad T Party at DCA

     A couple of years ago I wrote an article about The Mad T Party at Disney's California Adventure Park (DCA). My thoughts of the party were negative at the time. I did not like it because they served alcohol and I figured that the entire party was just a big drunken party.

     In 2014 however we learned once again that we should check everything out that Disney has to offer. If it is at Disney Resort, it is most likely good.

     It was by accident that we discovered the fun of the T Party and the amazing Mad T Party Band. We had just gotten off Tower of Terror and had to use the restroom. We went to the one by the T Party. When we came out there was dancing and other things going on. The music was fun so we decided to stop and watch. Then all of the sudden we heard a band playing and knew the songs. We went to check them out and well the rest for us is history.

     We still don't like that they allow alcohol but the people there do not get drunk and it is still a lot of fun.

     We fell in love with the Mad T Party Band. We made sure to go to every show we could. Then this year we looked forward to our daily dose of T.

     The shows run 6-6:30, then from then on the half hour until the last show at 9:30. Each night there are different people playing the parts of the Hatter, March Hare, Door Mouse, Alice, Cheshire Cat, caterpillar and the White Rabbit is DJ for the times the T Party Band is not playing.

     Of course we do have our favorite's and look for them to be on stage each time we watch the show.  In 2015 we tried to make it to most of the shows. We even gave up riding on attractions to see the T Party Band. That is how much we love it.

      It has been around 3 weeks since our last night of T and well, I must say I miss it terribly. We now follow many of the members in their other endeavors and truly enjoy all they do.

     So until next year when we get to have our daily T, the pictures and video from our visit will have to do. Here are some of the video's I took with my camera. Next year I am taking an actual video camera.

     All the Small Things 
     Everybody Talks

Ant-Man Preview at DCA

     I am late getting this blog out but hopefully I can reach a few people who have not had the chance to watch Ant-Man at DCA before it leaves on August 3, 2015.

     This year while on our Disney vacation we walked by one of our favorite attractions, It's Tough to Be a Bug only to find that it was gone, in its place was a premier of the movie Ant-Man. We were very upset. I mean why would Disney remove an attraction for a movie preview?  We thought, really Disney, who wants to pay all this money to see a movie preview? I took a picture and was going to write about how upset we were about this.

     One day while at Disney's California Adventure Park (DCA) I told my mom and aunt that we needed to see Ant-Man preview, I mean as a writer how can I write about something I haven't seen.  So we went to see the Ant-Man premier.

     I am so glad we went to see the premier because it was a lot of fun. They did not just have a movie premier, it was an attraction just like Tough to Be a Bug is an attraction. Disney used the effects of the room for the new attraction and well, we loved it a lot!  We loved it so much that we had my son go the next time and we looked forward to watching it again.

     This experience reminded us that we must try everying that is Disney because most of the time it is great and we will love it. I am so very glad we tried the Ant-Man premier and actually wish it would be there next year even though I love Tough to Be a Bug.

    If you have the chance in the next two days, go and see Ant-Man where Tough to Be a Bug lives before it retires.