180 Days!

Hurrah! We've finally reached the 180-day mark on this vacation planning journey so let's all breathe a collective sigh of relief. The hard stuff is done! Now it's all fun and games. In this post I'm going to share my plan for securing dining reservations, as well as discuss the new restaurant set to open at Animal Kingdom! We'll end the post with an overview of Universal Orlando dining options and the very cool new Willy Wonka-inspired eatery.

First up, dining reservations. Disney opens the dining portal 180 days before the date of arrival but a little-known secret is that a Disney resort booking qualifies you to make dining reservations up to 189 days before your trip - that could essentially put you ahead of other people arriving the same day but not staying on property! The steps to securing these early reservations are easy: log into the My Disney Experience section of the Disney World website, then select the first day of your itinerary and add dining reservations. The remainder of your trip (up to 10 days beyond your date of arrival) should become available for you to book dining reservations on those days, as well. There are a few restaurants that you should absolutely prioritize when making your selections because they will book up quickly:

• Cinderella's Royal Table Character Breakfast (Magic Kingdom - full prepayment required)
• Victoria and Alberts (Grand Floridian Resort)
• Be Our Guest (Magic Kingdom)
• California Grill (Contemporary Resort)
• Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue (Ft. Wilderness - full prepayment required)
• Mickey's Backyard BBQ (Ft. Wilderness - full prepayment required)
• Spirit of Aloha Luau (Polynesian Resort - full prepayment required)
• Le Cellier (Epcot Canada Pavilion)

In almost all cases, a credit card is required for booking but will not be charged unless the reservation remains unused or isn't canceled more than 24 hours in advance. Also, I highly recommend that you take the time to book the restaurants you really want to visit for multiple days in case there are changes in your itinerary. Here's an example of my itinerary below:

• Friday 9/16/16: Dinner at California Grill (Contemporary Resort)
• Saturday 9/17/16: Lunch at Wave of American Flavors (Contemporary Resort)
• Sunday 9/18/16: Dinner at Hollywood Brown Derby (Hollywood Studios)
• Monday 9/19/16: Lunch at Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzera/Dinner at Le Cellier (Epcot)
• Tuesday 9/20/16: Dinner at Tiffins (if it's open) or Yak & Yeti (Animal Kingdom)
• Wednesday 9/21/16: Lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern/Dinner at Be Our Guest (Magic Kingdom)
• Thursday 9/22/16: Lunch at San Angel Inn (Epcot)
• Friday 9/23/16: Lunch at Flying Fish Cafe (if it's open - Disney's Boardwalk)

Unfortunately, it can be rather difficult to nail down an itinerary 6 months in advance because Disney doesn't always update their park schedules that early. I definitely recommend using a crowd calendar to get an idea of which park to visit each day (this option at TouringPlans is reliable). I've decided to book ALL of my restaurant choices for each day of my trip so that I can be assured of my dining plans regardless of any changes.

The Disney dining portal opens at 6am EST and the phone reservation system is available at 7am EST. I recommend logging into the My Disney Experience section of the Disney World site before 6am EST to prompt your first, and most important, reservation so that you can hit the 'find a table' button as soon as the portal is open.

Now is a great time to discuss Tiffins, the new signature restaurant opening at Animal Kingdom later this year. While there still isn't an estimated opening date, the theme sounds quite wonderful and the menu preview, as reported by Disney Food Blog, looks delicious! Currently, there are only three major options for sit-down dining at Animal Kingdom (Rainforest Cafe, Tusker House, and Yak & Yeti) so the park is overdue for some fresh tastes. 

(photo courtesy of Universal Orlando)

If you're anything like me, the mere thought of Willy Wonka gets you all giddy inside. The original movie and the re-imagined 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' created a sense of wonderment that can only be described as 'child-like'. I am so glad that Universal Studios announced the addition of The Toothsome Chocolate Factory because it will be a wonderful escape for the often cluttered CityWalk area. If you're unfamiliar with the Universal Orlando resort, CityWalk is a dining/shopping/entertainment area that is open to the public and must be traversed to reach the actual theme parks. While it has several wonderful dining options already, The Toothsome Chocolate Factory promises a fun, new experience that everyone can enjoy. Like Tiffins, it is slated to open later this year but does not have a date yet.

Dining at Universal Orlando is a bit less rigid but can be an organizer's nightmare. Many restaurants are available for reservations via Universal's website, however there isn't a predefined window in which you should book. For example, at this moment Mythos is only booking through April 10, 2016 but Bob Marley - A Tribute to Freedom has openings through June 13, 2016. Thankfully I've never witnessed any difficulties with obtaining reservations for the restaurants I wanted to visit at Universal Orlando but I recommend checking back often to see when your options are open.

Stay tuned because my next post will explore the fun annual events at Disney World and Universal Orlando, including expectations for my most anticipated visit to (finally!) see the Epcot Food & Wine Festival later this year!

Walt Disney World Travel Planning Update

Thanks for joining me on my vacation planning journey! I've got quite a few updates to share today. My trip is a little over 6 months away and that means several more travel options have become available for booking.

I stalked the Allegiant Air  website for weeks and noticed on February 18 that they had quietly released their autumn schedule. With previous knowledge of early sales in past years, I felt pretty confident that the prices would likely spike in the next month or two so I quickly performed a precursory search of plane tickets from my local airport to Orlando (both MCO and SFB) and found that the big airlines were charging upwards of $500 roundtrip while Allegiant was offering flights for about $100 each way. Take note: if you've never flown with a low-cost carrier such as Allegiant, Spirit, or Frontier, there are a couple of things to know upfront. They will nickel and dime you for everything - seat selection, priority boarding, and carry-on bags are all offered at a premium. I weighed these options with the total cost of a flight through one of the bigger airlines and determined that Allegiant was still cheaper, even with the additional cost of seats and bags. The outcome is that I paid about $250/person for roundtrip tickets with moderate seat selection (middle of the plane seats) and one checked bag between two people. I've learned that you can easily count a backpack or large purse as a 'personal item' and can cram plenty of items in those bags to make the large checked suitcase a little less packed for the trip to Orlando. Gotta leave room to bring souvenirs back!

With the extension of the airline schedule, I decided to move onto my second task of comparing car rental prices. I am flying into Orlando Sanford Airport (SFB) so a rental car is absolutely necessary for my trip. I am a huge fan of Dollar Rental Car agency (see this blog post for my reasons) so I usually start with their website, Expedia, and Orbitz. Feel free to use whichever agencies or travel sites work best for you. The most important part of booking a rental car is to look past the base rate to the grand total. I noticed that Expedia had a deal to get a SUV rental through Alamo for $295 but Dollar had a special city rate offer to get a Mid-Size car for $235. I didn't have to put any money down on this selection plus there is free cancellation if I find a better deal later on - but $235 for 10 days (fees and taxes included) is a pretty good rate. Booking a rental car is probably one of the easiest parts of planning a trip but be prepared for the items you'll need at the counter (ID and credit card at the minimum) and the sales pitch you'll have to endure for optional insurance and fueling costs.

Next up: park tickets. There was quite a frenzy a few days ago about Disney's announcement of tiered pricing. This can be a major issue for big families traveling during peak seasons but it can also provide savings if you're traveling during a slower season. This is where touringplans.com has really saved me a lot of money because they have a ticket calculator to help travelers find the best deal online for Disney tickets. Just plug in the information (# of adults and children, optional parkhopper selection) and it will show you the reputable sites and prices. Currently, I'm looking to purchase a 5-day single park per day ticket for 2 adults and the price is $641.50 on OfficialTicketCenter.com. Please note, tickets purchased through Undercover Tourist or Official Ticket Center can be used in conjunction with the My Disney Experience app or online to provide you early access to Fastpass+ selections.

If you're keeping track of the pricing so far, this is how much my trip has cost:
Disney's Contemporary Resort (7 nights travel agent pricing): $1,800
Best Western Orlando Gateway at Universal Studios (3 nights hotels.com secret pricing): $255
Allegiant roundtrip airfare for 2 adults: $480 (and $150 credit back from my Disney Dream Rewards)
Dollar car rental for 10 days: $235
Disney World park tickets (5 day single park for 2 adults): $641.50

*Estimated* Universal Studios 3 day park-to-park tickets for 2 adults: $400
Grand Total: $3,811.50 - $150 statement credit from Disney Rewards Visa card = $3,661.50

The only things left to buy are food, souvenirs, and activities. If I didn't have the travel agent pricing on the Contemporary Resort, I probably wouldn't be staying in deluxe accommodations and I would be paying half that total for a moderate or even value level Disney resort. But as an adult that is still a kid-at-heart, I'm going to take this year to enjoy the Contemporary so I can report back on whether this hotel is worth the price.

To end this blog post, I wanted to take a moment to share the great services I've used on the Touring Plans website. For $12.95/year, I have access to their membership options that allow me to browse the Disney resorts and see the view from specific rooms. With this tool, I was able to find my room type at the Contemporary and select the exact room number that I would like to request for check-in. Requests aren't always guaranteed but Touring Plans makes it easy by faxing a written request to the hotel for you so that a real person receives the request instead of an automated computer system. Again, this won't guarantee that you'll get the room you want but it significantly increases the odds. I was lucky enough to find out that the room I've booked is one of only THREE in the whole resort and they're all located in the same area. Just look here at what Touring Plans showed me:

Not only do I get a sample view from the room, but it also provides the walking time to the lobby and nearby transportation (monorail, buses). The website also offers tools for itinerary planning and dining options. It's a great deal for only $12.95 per year! Check it out!

Orlando: International Drive = FUN!

Welcome back to my personal Orlando planning journey! Today I'm thinking about my trip itinerary and how to fill the 'free' days I've built in. Here's what the days look like:

Friday, September 16: Arrival at Disney's Contemporary Resort

Saturday, September 17: Free Day - Explore the Contemporary Resort and Surrounding Areas

Sunday, September 18: Disney's Hollywood Studios

Monday, September 19: Epcot

Tuesday, September 20: Animal Kingdom

Wednesday, September 21: Magic Kingdom

Thursday, September 22: Free Day - Disney Springs, Mini Golf, Water Sports, Pool Day, etc.

Friday, September 23: Epcot's Food & Wine Festival (if scheduled) or International Drive Free Day

Saturday, September 24: Universal Studios

Sunday, September 25: Universal's Islands of Adventure

Monday, September 26: Departure

I assure you that I will be giving a much more in-depth rundown of my itinerary once I know if the Epcot Food & Wine Festival will cross my schedule, but for now I want to show you what you can do with a free day on International Drive.

For anyone that hasn't been to Orlando (or those that need a refresher), here's the map of Orlando and the locations of the parks:

SeaWorld isn't on my itinerary but I've listed it on the map for reference. Now, a closer view of International Drive:

And the black line basically traces I-Drive so that you can get an idea of the areas it touches. It's a tourist's dream! Along this busy road you'll find restaurants, shopping, go-karts, mini-golf, movie theaters, museums, and pretty much any other fun recreation you could ever want. I'm going to list some fan favorites below (** denote personal recommendations):

Mini Golf

Congo River Golf

Volcano Island Miniature Golf

Hawaiian Rumble Adventure Golf

Lost Caverns Adventure Golf

Pirate's Cove Adventure Golf ** 

Like most mini-golf locations, you can score a free game with a hole-in-one!

Museums

WonderWorks - family/children's science center

Ripley's Believe it or Not! - odd and rare spectacles **

World of Chocolate - a dessert and coffee bar with an optional historical chocolate tour ** 

Titanic The Experience - artifacts and re-creations of the ship

Madame Tussauds - wax museum of celebrities and historical figures

Miscellaneous FUN

King's Bowl - bowling alley

Monkey Joe's - indoor playground for kids

Artegon Sky Trail - rope course and zip lines

Hard Knocks at Pointe Orlando - laser tag

Rebounderz - trampoline playground

America's Escape Game - small group challenge

CSI: The Experience - identify evidence and solve a crime

iFly Orlando - sky diving wind tunnel

Magical Midway - go karts and midway games

The Orlando Eye - 400 ft observation wheel

Escapology - 60 minutes to solve the puzzles and escape the room

I could list the restaurants but there wouldn't be enough space here to give each option adequate attention. I will say, however, that there are some honorable mentions that I just can't leave out:

• Hash House a Go Go
• Maggiano's
• B.B. King's Blues Club

Sage Fried Chicken and Banana Vanilla French Toast at Hash House a Go Go - the portions are huge!

And of course there are plenty of chain options such as Bahama Breeze, BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse, and Applebee's, as well as quick service stops like McDonald's, CiCi's Pizza, and Panda Express. There are meals to fit any budget!

No matter what your plans look like, you can be sure that there is no shortage of options on International Drive. Some places might be pricey so be sure to check out coupons on the visitor's site before you go, as well as the transportation options via the I-Ride Trolley if you prefer not to drive. Been to Orlando lately? Let me know your favorite stops!

Disney World Dining Plans

As promised, I've completed the calculations and options for the dining plan and have concluded that it does not work for my trip. I will follow that up by saying it could, and probably does, work for many other families and is especially advantageous if obtained for free as part of Disney's slow season booking special.

I'll show you exactly how I came to this decision for my party but first, a quick rundown of the dining plan options:

There are three dining plan options for 2016 that I will cover (all items listed are per person, per day). There are two more dining plan options but they include flexibility for recreational activities, such as golf, and are more expensive than those listed below -

Quick Service Plan ($42.77/person/night)

2 quick service meals

1 snack

1 refillable resort mug for length-of-stay

Standard Dining Plan ($61.82/person/night)

1 quick service meal

1 table service meal

1 snack

1 refillable resort mug for length-of-stay

Deluxe Dining Plan ($111.73/person/night)

3 meals (quick service or table service)

2 snacks

1 refillable resort mug for length-of-stay

The Standard and Deluxe allow for entree/beverage for breakfast, entree/dessert/beverage at quick service lunch/dinner meals, and appetizer (Deluxe only)/entree/dessert/beverage at table service lunch/dinner meals. 

Snacks for all plans include single-serve items found at most carts located around the parks, including bottled beverages, chips, a piece of fruit, or single-scoop of popcorn. Unused quick service meal credits can be traded for three snack credits; all three credits must be used in one transaction (for example, trade in one quick service meal credit to buy an apple, a cookie, and a bottle of water at a snack cart.)

The itinerary for my trip revolves around one or two snacks per day, one quick service meal, and one table service meal. I also purchase the refillable resort mug with the length-of-stay option because it's very handy to have after a long day at the parks. I normally do not purchase a meal for breakfast because a quick stop at the sundries shop yields a box of granola bars as the more economical option. Within these parameters, the Standard Dining Plan likely fits my needs best but will cost a total of $865.48 for two people. Before looking up the restaurants covered by the Dining Plan, I decided to make a mock itinerary for the trip and pick out the restaurants that piqued my interest most. It looked something like this: 

Location		Options		Type
Contemporary Resort		California Grill		upscale restaurant
		Wave of American Flavors		breakfast buffet
Magic Kingdom		Be Our Guest		upscale restaurant
		Ferrytale Wishes Fireworks Dessert Cruise		dessert
		Liberty Tree Tavern		dinner buffet
Epcot		Teppan Edo		hibachi
		Tutto Italia Ristorante		upscale restaurant
		Le Cellier
		Illuminations Sparkling Dessert Party		dessert
Downtown Disney/Boardwalk		Flying Fish Cafe		seafood
		The BOATHOUSE		surf and turf
		Boardwalk Bakery		dessert
Hollywood Studios		50s Prime Time Cafe		cheaper option
		Fantasmic Package - Hollywood Brown Derby/Hollywood and Vine		upscale restaurant
		Symphony in the Stars Galactic Dessert Party		dessert
Animal Kingdom		Tusker House		upscale restaurant
		Yak & Yeti		upscale restaurant

What I soon found was that a few of the restaurants on my list do not accept the dining plans; this would largely affect my visit to Epcot because Teppan Edo and Tutto Italia Ristorante are two such options. Additionally, I found that some places are considered "signature restaurants" and would require two of my table-service credits (California Grill, Flying Fish Cafe, Le Cellier, and Hollywood Brown Derby). This problem automatically devalues the Standard Dining Plan and almost forces the selection of the Deluxe Dining Plan. Always one to select quality first, I decided to conduct my full calculation using the Deluxe Dining Plan and found that the total cost of all meals, snacks, and refillable mugs would only add up to $1,516 for two people whereas the plan would cost upwards of $1,560 (tips are not included either).

Another discovery I made while adding up my calculations is that the Deluxe Dining Plan requires a lot of eating to become useful. It allows for three meals per day - or two meals if your itinerary includes a signature restaurant - and each meal includes at least an entree or beverage and, in most cases, a dessert and/or appetizer. Add on two additional snacks and a day at the parks is hijacked by meals and snacks. I estimate that around 3-4 hours of my day would be spent eating if I utilized a dining plan option. It goes without saying that time is valuable, especially at Disney World, and planning around Fastpass+ options, events, shows, parades and meals/snacks can quickly turn a vacation into a job.

In conclusion, I can now say with full confidence that the Disney dining plan options will not work for me. Even utilizing the Standard Dining Plan, two adults can easily dine for less than $120 most days and any extra money saved from eating cheaply on any of those days will just mean extra money in my pocket rather than given to Disney in the form of a pre-paid meal. I urge you to do the math yourself and determine if this option works for your trip before handing over hundreds, even thousands, of dollars in the name of convenience. 

Happy New Year! Looking Forward to 2016

While most people are making resolutions to eat less, I'm making plans to eat more - at Disney World! My December Disneyland trip is behind me and it's time to start looking toward the next big stop, which will be Disney World in September. My goal with the blog this year is to share each step of the planning process with you and give additional advice along the way.

Let me start by showing you a checklist of what I've completed already:

Disney's Contemporary Resort booked (dates: 9/16-9/23) and deposit ($200) paid
Best Western Orlando Gateway hotel booked (dates: 9/23-9/26) with no deposit required

Disney's Contemporary Resort was available to me at a special discount through the Disney travel agent rate.

I found the Best Western hotel on a "secret" price deal through hotels.com - the fine print indicates that the $254.45 is for a King bed suite and includes all resort fees and taxes. This hotel is located 1.3 miles from Universal Orlando.

I also took the plunge and applied for the Disney Premier Visa card. The perks include 1% back on all purchases and 2% back at gas stations, grocery stores, and most Disney locations. The rewards are offered in two forms: as a statement credit toward airfare purchased on the card or as Disney Dream Reward Dollars. For a frequent Disney traveler, the Disney Dream Reward Dollars can be added to a reloadable card and used, dollar for dollar, at the parks. I received my Disney Premier Visa in October and have been using it for all of my daily purchases in order to accumulate rewards for my trip! I will be writing a blog post dedicated to the Disney Visa card options in the near future.

So let's re-cap: Disney World hotel, Universal Orlando area hotel, and Disney Premier Visa card. Yup, those are the three things I've accomplished so far. I am currently creating a spreadsheet of dining options for each park, complete with prices of the options we would most likely choose, so that I can compare the cost of the Disney dining plan with the actual cost of the meals we would eat. I'm still on-the-fence about the Disney dining plan for couples. I absolutely see the value in using it for families because it offers snack options and fast dining but I'm a bit of a foodie when I visit the Disney parks and I don't like to be restricted with the options of where I can eat. I'll give an update on my progress with this task in the next month or two.

Nine months prior to the Disney World vacation is what I consider the "grey zone". There isn't much I can do at this point because airline schedules haven't been released, which also means most car rental agencies don't have updated pricing available either. I can't make dining reservations for Disney until 180 days (6 months) so I'm stuck in planning mode for a while longer. I'm taking this time to read reviews on restaurants and the new additions to Disney World and Universal Orlando. I am super excited to see progress on the Pandora expansion at Animal Kingdom and try out the new Skull Island: Reign of Kong experience at Universal's Islands of Adventure! Stay tuned for more planning updates :)

Part Two: Disneyland Diamond Celebration and Christmas Festivities

Santa and his reindeer in Disney California Adventure's Hollywood Land

The second day of our Disneyland vacation was dedicated to Disney California Adventure (DCA), the most recent park in the Disneyland resort area. I've read in various places that DCA has pretty extensive holiday decorations and they did not disappoint! The Christmas tree on Buena Vista Street was so big that I couldn't fit it into a picture. Most surprising, though, was Cars Land. I was incredibly impressed with their ability to make the Christmas decorations also Cars themed, which doesn't seem like an easy task. 

We were also lucky enough to finally obtain Fastpass tickets to Radiator Springs Racers. I've always resigned myself to the single-rider line (which usually has a 20-30 minute wait) but was happy to find that at 10:30am we were able to get a Fastpass for 6:35pm. I am also not a huge character meet-and-greet fan but I noticed that the lines to see Lightning McQueen and Mater were not nearly as long as I've seen them on previous trips. 

We enjoyed lunch at the newly redesigned Smokejumper's Grill (formerly known as Taste Pilots Grill), which is home to my favorite chicken sandwich on the planet. We also picked up a Diamond Celebration cupcake at Fiddler Fifer and Practical Cafe, which was promptly devoured.

Orange cupcake with chocolate crunchy pearls, mixed berry filling, cream cheese Bavarian mousse, blue buttercream trim and a chocolate diamond

Although lunch was delicious, we were most impressed with the World of Color dining package at Wine Country Trattoria. I've previously dined at Ariel's Grotto for the same package (not recommended) so I was hesitant to corner us into a package deal again, but Wine Country Trattoria won me over. I started with the Skywalker Pinot Noir (because of the name, duh) and a scrumptious salad with goat cheese and figs. 

Our entrees included the filet mignon with herb-roasted potatoes and sauteed green beans and Osso Buco with polenta and asparagus.

Filet Mignon

Osso Buco

We definitely left the restaurant feeling very full so we had to walk off some of the meal. It was during this stroll that we stumbled upon one of DCA's holiday celebrations, the Disney Viva Navidad Street Party! It's a festive parade of dancers, a float with the Three Caballeros, and a mariachi band. Whatever holiday you celebrate this time of year, you can't deny the happiness that accompanies every Disneyland event. 

The Three Caballeros in the Disney Viva Navidad Street Party

Finally it was time to wind down our night and we did so by securing our seats in the World of Color wet zone. There are two World of Color shows right now, Winter Dreams and Celebrate! (for the Diamond Celebration) but we were only able to stick it out for the Winter Dreams show because the temperature was dropping and it was starting to rain. 

As the picture indicates, there was a lot of Olaf in the Winter Dreams show, which disappointed me just a bit. I love "Frozen" as much as the next Disney fan but I feel the original World of Color offering is a more inclusive mix of Disney favorites.

We ended our trip with a relaxing day at Huntington Beach and Balboa Island (Newport Beach) and dinner in Downtown Disney at Rainforest Cafe. We had adequate time to browse the shops and even picked out the first authentic Disney Parks ornament for our new Christmas collection. Downtown Disney is also decorated for the holidays, complete with carolers, but the festivities don't come alive until the evening. Here I've attached a picture of Olaf's Frozen Ice Rink although it was closed at the time that I took the picture:

It was a quick five-day turnaround but I think it gave us plenty of time to enjoy all that Disneyland has to offer. Feel free to share your experience in the comments!

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!