Annual Events at Disney and Universal Studios

Any vacation is sure to be special, but your trip can be extra magical if you are visiting during one of Disney or Universal's annual event celebrations. My trip in mid/late September will overlap with the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival and Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Disney World, as well as the Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios. I had originally hoped to catch the Food & Wine Festival but never dreamed I would be able to plan for ALL of these spectacular events! So what else do the parks add for fun? I'll give you the lists and general schedules below. Please remember that the exact dates usually aren't announced until 6-8 months beforehand and may vary from year to year. For the purpose of this blog, I will only be focusing on events that extend beyond just one weekend.

Disney World

New Year's - Chinese New Year

• Dates: January-February
• China pavilion at Epcot celebrates Chinese New Year with acrobats and extra activities

Club Villain

• Dates: January - March
• New in 2016, extra ticket required for the event

Mardi Gras

• Dates: February or March

Atlanta Braves Spring Training

• Dates: Spring, varies each year
• Held at ESPN Wide World of Sports

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

• Dates: March - May
• Focus on gardening, topiaries, and special food offerings

Star Wars Weekends

• Dates: May-June
• Note: Star Wars Weekends not being held in 2016 due to construction

Gay Days

• Date: Usually first week of June
• Visit GayDays.com for more info

Halloween - Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

• Dates: September-October
• Halloween decorations can usually be seen starting the end of August through early November
• Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is held on select nights and requires an extra ticket

Epcot International Food and Wine Festival

• Dates: September-November
• Wine, beer, and culinary offerings in conjunction with classes and concerts

Christmas - Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

• Dates: November-January
• Christmas decorations can be seen from early November to early January
• Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party is held on select nights and requires an extra ticket

Universal Orlando

Mardi Gras

• Dates: February-April
• Parade, beads, and concerts offered on select nights
• Admission is included with park admission

Halloween Horror Nights

• Dates: September-October
• NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN!
• Halloween Horror Nights are held on select nights and require an extra ticket

Christmas

• Dates: December-January
• Suess Landing celebrates "Grinchmas" at Universal's Islands of Adventure
• Macy's Holiday Parade and Mannheim Steamroller at Universal Studios
• All in-park activities are included with park admission

Disneyland

Diamond Celebration

• Dates: May 22, 2015 - September 5, 2016
• Disneyland turns 60! Special decorations, parades, fireworks, and World of Color offerings

Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival

• Dates: April-May
• Celebrity kitchens, beverage seminars, and culinary demonstrations

Halloween - Mickey's Halloween Party

• Dates: September-October
• Mickey's Halloween Party is held on select nights and requires an extra ticket

Holidays at Disneyland

• November-January
• Specialty decorations, parades, and attraction updates included with park admission

I've personally experienced Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival, Star Wars Weekends, Diamond Celebration, and Holidays at Disneyland. I highly recommend these events because they add an extra bit of excitement to the trip and provide an opportunity for special souvenirs. 

Star Wars Christmas and Diamond Celebration pins from Disneyland

Customized Christmas Tree Ornament (can be purchased at both Disney World and Disneyland)

I'll be sure to report back after my trip in September to provide my experience at the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, and Universal's Halloween Horror Nights. Until then, look for my next post where I will be discussing the Disney Rewards Visa cards and perks! 

Part One: Disneyland Diamond Celebration and Christmas Festivities

I'm back from my annual trip to Disneyland and excited to share news of all things Disney in Southern California! This post is a detailed overview of my latest trip to Anaheim, complete with mini-reviews of Blue Bayou and Wine Country Trattoria restaurants as well as the Tropicana Inn & Suites hotel.

First, I have to say that early December is the perfect time to visit Disneyland. The weather was fantastic (70 degrees during the day and lower 50s at night) and the crowds were the lowest I've seen since my first visit six years ago!

Our flight was super early on December 8th - 5am with a two-hour layover in Dallas before finally arriving in Orange County. The first task on the list was to grab a burger from In-n-Out because being a Midwesterner is hard and animal-style fries are my coping mechanism. We had dinner plans with local friends that evening but the hotel boasted an early check-in option so we figured we could get our room before 4pm without any problems. Optimism was our first mistake. The agent at the front desk plastered a fake smile on his face as he took my name and number and said he would text me when our room became available. Remember when I said check-in was at 4? Well that text came at 3:45pm, a whole whopping 15 minutes early. I don't know about other travelers but I would have preferred hearing the truth instead of being fed false hope. I even called for an update at 1pm and got the same vague promise that I had heard earlier. We filled most of those hours with a stroll through the GardenWalk and a stop at Downtown Disney but we were afraid to stray too far in case the text came through. Alas, we finally got to our assigned room and settled in.

I chose Tropicana Inn & Suites because of its proximity to Disneyland's pedestrian entrance but the accommodations looked pretty nice based on the pictures. See for yourself:

We reserved a standard king room and received a semi-secluded location with a balcony. The room was clean and comfortable but we quickly noticed that there was a horrible noise coming from the room next door and it sounded exactly like a squeaky room service cart that was being pushed down a hallway. We pondered the issue and finally determined that the noise was the sound of the pipes and hot water heater (the room didn't have a number and appeared to be the size of a maintenance closet). We tested the theory by taking showers and stumbled upon yet another inconvenience: the water switches between hot/cold every 20 seconds. We would have requested a new room but we had already unpacked most of our belongings and needed to leave to meet our friends. Official review: Tropicana Inn & Suites, though very close to the parks and clean, the parking situation is a nightmare and the staff is not helpful for accommodating guests before 4pm. The noise and shower issues detracted from the experience. I do not recommend this hotel.

Now, to the stuff you came here to read! The first park day was spent at the original 'happiest place on earth': Disneyland. The combination of holiday and Diamond Celebration decorations made for a stunning theme. There was garland and ornaments and tinsel and diamonds everywhere. The castle was breathtaking with all of its adornments and the huge Christmas tree on Main Street was a sight to behold! Even more exciting (for the geeky couple that we are) is that Tomorrowland had been temporarily transformed into the Season of the Force and many changes had been made to our most beloved attractions. Most notably, Captain EO was replaced with Path of the Jedi (warning: do not view this attraction if you have not seen Star Wars and would be upset with spoilers) and Space Mountain was changed to Hyperspace Mountain, an intergalactic mission to investigate an Imperial Star Destroyer stationed near Jakku (a planet from the new "Star Wars: The Force Awakens").  Also, the lower level of Innoventions was invaded by Star Wars props and models as well as meet-and-greet areas for Darth Vader and Chewbacca. Even the food offerings were updated for special Star Wars-themed fare but our cravings were of the Cajun variety. Good thing we had reservations at Blue Bayou!

Here's where my neurotic planning paid off: Blue Bayou almost always requires a reservation and this trip was no different. Several families at the hostess stand were turned away with an explanation that the next open seat wouldn't be available until 10 days later. I almost couldn't believe it but then we were seated and I soon forgot all about the formalities of Disney dining customs because Blue Bayou transported me to a dimly-lit back porch of a large home in Louisiana. The backdrop of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride was hardly a nuisance because the setting was perfect. We started with a salad and gumbo and my partner ordered the Louisiana Lemonade - a mysterious concoction of lemonade, Sprite, mango, and raspberry flavors. Our entrees didn't disappoint, either. I played it safe with my favorite MonteCristo sandwich and he ordered the flat iron steak, which ultimately ended up being the best thing we ate during the whole trip! We will be making a trip back to Blue Bayou on future vacations.

The afternoon held plenty of other holiday ride enhancements, including the Nightmare Before Christmas installments for the Haunted Mansion and lost holiday cargo on the Jingle Cruise (otherwise known as the Jungle Cruise). Haunted Mansion broke down while we were riding it, which made us late for the Christmas Fantasy parade. Oh well. There's always next year I guess. The rest of the day was nothing short of magical, though, as the sun began to set and the holiday lights were turned on. it's a small world, a spectacular holiday attraction in itself, lit up the park and became the backdrop for our fireworks location. We stared at the sky and sang beloved Disney songs at the top of our lungs, ending with "Let It Go" as fake snow fell from the sky. I was a prisoner to the moment but we hardly had time to waste because we wanted to get a good position for the Paint the Night parade. I'll admit here that I'm not much of a parade fan but this one completely changed my perspective on the issue. Just take a look at all of the colors!

That's it for the first half of our Disneyland 2015 experience. Read on to the next post for Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney details!

Let's go to....Disneyland!

Disneyland was the first Disney park I ever visited and the same can be said for many people from older generations. Opened in 1955, it was the world's first taste of Walt's vision and it remains a popular destination for travelers. This year is incredibly special because it is Disneyland's 60th anniversary and the folks at Disney have constructed an amazing Diamond Celebration with three re-imagined nighttime shows to commemorate it!

Can you believe that over 700,000,000 visitors have passed through the turnstiles at Disneyland? If you're reading this post then you're either part of the number or are at least interested in adding to it. I tell all of my friends that Disneyland is the perfect destination for anyone that is new to the Disney parks.

What I find most convenient about Disneyland is that it is composed of two distinct parks: Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure. The layout of Magic Kingdom in Florida is pretty similar to the original Disneyland in California, which makes it a great starting point if you've never visited the park previously. Disneyland also utilizes the FastPass system, but they still use the old system of pulling tickets at the individual attractions so it takes a little more planning to make sure you can skip the lines on your favorite rides. I'll devote an entire post to make this topic more clear.

The park on the right is Disneyland, complete with Sleeping Beauty's castle as the focal point. The park on the left is the newer Disney's California Adventure. The beautiful lagoon and Paradise Pier hold a special place in this park and serve as the gathering location for the World of Color show after dark. World of Color is, hands-down, the BEST Disney show I've seen in the USA. I took my younger brother to Disneyland in 2014 (his first Disney trip ever) and he walked away exclaiming that World of Color was the best part of the whole trip. I'll go into more depth regarding the shows and attractions in my next post. Nestled between the two parks is the Downtown Disney District, which is a major dining, shopping, and entertainment destination.

Disneyland tickets are similar to Disney World in the sense that you can choose between one-park-per-day tickets or add the parkhopper option. Switching between parks at Disneyland is much easier than Disney World because the park entrances are a very short walk from one another. In order to save money, I still purchase a one-park-per-day ticket because I typically like to devote a full day to each park. For any veteran of Disneyland, a two-day single park ticket should do the trick. If you intend to fully immerse yourself in the Disney environment and want extended options to enjoy your favorite attractions, a three-day parkhopper ticket is the perfect fit AND it will give you access to one Magic Morning (early access to the designated park one hour before opening).

If you plan to enjoy additional theme parks in the Southern California area, the Southern California CityPass could save you money. It includes a three-day parkhopper ticket to Disneyland, admission to Sea World San Diego, and LEGOLAND. The individual purchase of these tickets would cost you $451 for an adult and $428 for a child under the age of 10, but you'll pay $329 and $286, respectively.

Tickets to Disneyland can be purchased through aRes Travel at a discounted rate. I've used this service and they are very reliable. They also offer package deals if you would like to visit Universal Studios Hollywood (which is slated to open a Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2016!)

That's it for the introduction to Disneyland. I'm excited to share information on the FastPass system next!