On our second trip to Galaxy’s Edge, we were finally able to make it into Oga’s Cantina. When we got to travel to Batuu during the cast member previews, the line was so long (and no reservation system was in place yet) that we didn’t even get to wait in the line, that’s how long it was. So we knew on our second trip, it was our number one priority, and luckily by the time we went for round two, the reservation system was in place. While I was super thrilled to be able to see Oga’s and experience it for myself, I felt the whole thing was a little lacking in some of the Disney magic I’ve come to know and love. So here are my honest thoughts, the pluses and minuses of visiting Oga’s Cantina in Galaxy’s Edge.
The good stuff: The interior of the space is absolutely awesome. Batuu truly feels like a different planet, and Oga’s is themed beautifully, with no detail left behind. None of this is surprising. It’s one of the things Disney does best. It’s worth a trip just to see the intricate details of the space.
So it took two tries, but Matt and I were finally able to check out the new Ballast Point Brewery in Downtown Disney earlier this week. We popped in last week, but the place was so packed you couldn’t even get to the bar. For our lunch this week, we made a reservation, and though it was not as crowded as last week, the place is still hopping, so if you want to actually eat there, I suggest booking a time for a guaranteed seat.
Now, a couple of things I will say right off the bat. I was a server for seven years, and during that period I worked an opening of a new restaurant, so I know how hard it is and how tricky it can be figuring out a new system. So I understand that there a few kinks to work out. We experienced quite a few kinks during our lunch, but the best thing I can say is that they were mostly handled well by the staff. But to start, it took twenty minutes from the time we checked in for our reservation until we were sat at our table, and I don’t know how much longer it would have been if I hadn’t checked back in with the hostess at the twenty minute mark. There seemed to be a lot of confusion when it came to checking people in and getting them to their tables. But after the long wait we were taken to a great table with a view overlooking Downtown Disney.
It is once again Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort (officially, as of today). And of course the most important part of Halloween is the food, and of course, Disneyland has come out with some awesome new Halloween treats, along with bringing back some of our favorites from past years. There is A LOT I want to try this year, and there are some returning items that are just too good to pass up. I’m organizing my most anticipated eats by park and including some pics from the Disney Parks Blog to entice you!
Festival of Holidays is back at California Adventure, and last week Brianna and I ate our way through a whole bunch of it. We will be discussing the Festival in detail on next week’s podcast, but for now, here are some of my preliminary thoughts.
In general, the Festival is much more appealing to me personally than last year’s. There are more food choices that aren’t quite as adventurous as last year, and the drink options seem to be much better (read stronger, and real alcohol) than the previous Festival. I actually bought the AP Sip and Savor pass this year because I am planning on trying way more items than I did last year. Here’s what I’ve had so far:
This is the pomegranate margarita. I actually bought this at Bayside Brews, but they also have a version at one of the Festival booths. It was yummy, and strong, and didn’t taste like a pre-made margarita, so win.
We sampled both offerings the Winter Sliderland booth. This is the turkey with cranberry sauce and stuffing, and it tasted like Thanksgiving on a bun. I am not a huge fan of Thanksgiving turkey, but it was so moist and flavorful. This was Brianna’s fave.
I preferred the ham slider with pineapple relish. This was available last year and I loved it then and I love it now. The ham is so yummy, and the combo of the ham with pineapple is delish.
This might be my favorite new offering this year, the pomegranate mule. It was ah-mazing. Seriously, such a yummy cocktail, and it tasted strong, so bonus. The rosemary is the perfect addition.
We of course tried the mac and cheese from the Holiday Duets booth, and it was just okay. It was a little bland and needed some salt for sure. It would have been vastly improved with a kick of spice like jalapeno, or just something a little more flavorful. But I do think this is a bigger portion than last year so that’s good.
The mac and cheese, pomegranate mule, and these adorable cookies are all at the Holiday Duets booth. I mainly got these cookies because they are so stinking cute, but they also tasted yummy!
And we obviously had to try the mimosa flight from the Making Spirits Bright booth. They were all delicious, but my favorite was the white cranberry. I would drink that all day ery day.
I still have quite a few items to try before the Festival ends. Have you checked out the Festival yet? What should I try next?
On Wednesday night, I was invited to attend the grand opening press event for the newest in Anaheim entertainment, the Fifth Rooftop Bar and Lounge, which is atop the Grand Legacy Hotel (where Matt and I will be staying next month for my birthday trip to Disneyland). The Fifth is the only rooftop bar in Anaheim, which is crazy because it is definitely an awesome place to have a rooftop bar, as you have amazing views of the Disney parks. That is the main selling point of the Fifth, the incredible views, but they also have some tasty beverages and small bites.
Here is their menu of specialty cocktails…
…and their champagne cocktails. Any bar that has a separate menu for champagne cocktails is okay by me!
My Disney bestie Brianna accompanied me to the event and she sampled the That Old Rye. I am not a whisky/bourbon girl so it didn’t sound appealing to me, but Brianna liked it (though apparently it was a little sweet for her liking). I had the Champina, which tasted like a pina coloda with champagne in it. And yes, it was as delicious as it sounds. The only problem is I could have easily had ten of them before realizing I was all of the sudden drunk. I didn’t actually do that…this time.
While we enjoyed our cocktails, we took in the amazing view of both Disneyland and California Adventure. There is a glass wall up around the edge of the bar so the views are pretty unobstructed.
The Fifth also offers some small bites to snack on. We tried the tater tots, and they were pretty yummy.
The main event of the evening was the Disneyland Forever fireworks viewing. The Fifth has an amazing view of the show. Honestly, I don’t even think you get a view like this if you are at one of the hotels on Disney property.
The only downside to watching the fireworks from the bar is that you don’t get the music (though they did have a DJ playing it at the event, I’m not sure if that is a nightly occurrence). But you get to enjoy a cocktail while you watch, so that definitely makes up for the lack of music (in my mind).
In general, I was very impressed with the ambiance of the bar, and the cocktails and food that we tried. The main downside for me was that there were quite a few kids in the lounge area. I understand the clientele for a hotel in the Disneyland area is going to be families, but for me, if I am going to be hanging out at a place that brands itself as a bar, I’m expecting to be able to enjoy some adult conversation. The Fifth has some large lawn type games set up, which would totally be fun to play as an adult with friends, but with kids around, they were the ones playing them, and rather loudly. The service was also a little bit on the slow side, though I think that is to be expected at any new bar or restaurant. Everyone on staff was very friendly and helpful when you were talking to them and ordering.
Since we already have plans to stay at the Grand Legacy in July, we will definitely be making a trip up to the Fifth again. I’m hoping they will have tightened up on service at that point, but really we will be going there for the drinks and the fireworks. At this time, it looks as if the Fifth is only going to be open to hotel guests staying at the Grand Legacy, though that could definitely change as the bar becomes more popular. I will be sure to include my thoughts on my second trip to the bar in July!
Hey y’all! I hope if you have only learned one thing about me it is that I love Disney and drinking. I guess that’s sort of two things, but you know what I mean. So I obviously seriously love drinking at Disneyland. It’s interesting as someone who grew up going to Disneyland because before California Adventure opened, there was no opportunity to drink in the park. And since Downtown Disney is also relatively new (not really, but in terms of my youth), there was no booze in your Disneyland trip unless you were going to one of the hotel restaurants or bars. So to now have plenty of opportunities to imbibe while at Disney is awesome, to say the least.
I digress. One of my favorite places to drink at Disney is Hearthstone Lounge at the Grand Californian. I love this place because they have great drinks, some yummy appetizers, and lovely air-conditioned seating. During the summer in particular, Hearthstone is a great place to relax in the middle of the day when the heat is at its peak. There is lots of seating, I have never had a problem getting a table, and it is nice and cool. It is also one of the few places you can find a TV at the resort, so if there is a big game on, you can head to Hearthstone to check the score. And now for the goods! Here are just some of the delicious offerings from Hearthstone…
Hello Disney friends! Tomorrow I am going to be embarking on my annual Disneyland field trip, just me, a couple of teachers and 150 of the best students at our junior high. Since the majority of my trips to Disneyland are with Squirt for just a few hours, prepping my bag for this all day excursion is a little bit different than my norm. But I am certainly no stranger to all day trips to the Happiest Place on Earth so I figured I would take this opportunity to show you what goes inside my bag for an all day trip with no kiddlet in tow.
