Disneyland and California Adventure are both totally decked out for the 60th Diamond Celebration (which began May 22nd and does not have a definite end date at this point). A lot of the decor was put up in stages so you may have seen glimpses of it along the way, but I figured I would share some of the final details with you so you can see how it all came together!
The flags in the esplanade…
The entrance to California Adventure…
One of my faves, Carthay Circle…
The Disneyland entrance at night…
And during the day…
The bridges leading into the park…
And of course, the castle…
Finally, the castle at night…
More castle pics can be seen here. Most of the castle decor was completed before the actual 60th debut, the final touch was the 60th circle plaque.
There are, of course, tons of details around the park especially for the 60th, these are just some highlights and some of my favorites! Make sure you check them all out in person if you get the chance!
Oh man. This past Friday, I was lucky (or stupid) enough to spend my day celebrating the kickoff of Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration. The parks were both open for 24 hours, and while I had no intention of staying the whole time, I wanted to spend as much of my day as possible at the Happiest Place on Earth. I knew this was an event the hubs would have no interest in attending, so I grabbed my Disney bestie Brianna (she went to the preview event with me) and we headed down to Anaheim on Thursday night. We both agreed that we had no interest in getting in line for Disneyland at 10 pm Thursday night in order to be able to witness the rope drop the following morning at 6 am, so we slept in and headed over to the parks at about 8:30.
Here we are waiting for our ART shuttle, I’m wearing my blue DIY Minnie ears. Brianna doctored up her silver ears she already had with some blue rhinestones and a new bow.
Our main goal for the day was to find a way to see all three of the new shows: the Paint the Night parade (running at 8:50 pm and 1:00 am), the Disneyland Forever fireworks (showing at 9:30 pm), and World of Color Celebrate (showing at 9:00 pm, 10:15 pm, and 3:00 am). We knew we would never make the 3:00 am World of Color (we’re old), so we were shooting for the 10:15. We thought (haha) we might be able to make it in time after the fireworks if we ran from Disneyland to DCA. Since we knew we need a WOC Fast Pass, we headed to DCA first. We did have Carthay Circle lunch reservations for the WOC dining package, but they told us when we made the reservation that they couldn’t guarantee which show time we would get, so we thought we might stalk the Fast Pass distribution just in case. While we were waiting, we found this awesome Wilderness Explorer…
The cast member at the Fast Pass distribution told us it would be awhile until they were handing out tickets for the 10:15 show, so we walked around and explored a bit. They had some awesome photo ops up all around the park. I loved this one, despite the fact that we had no intention of staying up all night.
While we were wandering around the park, we stopped in at Carthay and they told us we would have no problem getting a 10:15 WOC pass with our lunch, so with that, we headed out of DCA and into Disneyland. We took a ton of pictures of all the new decor (check back soon for that full post!) and of course had to get the requisite castle pic…
This was probably my favorite of all the photo ops they had in the parks. Here we are scaling the Matterhorn!
After our Matterhorn pic, we needed to head back over to DCA for our lunch reservation. It was about 12:45 pm when we were walking down Main Street and there were already tons of people camped out for the parade (that was going to be starting EIGHT hours later!). The majority of the spots along the front of the route were already taken or being saved. Even though we didn’t quite accept it at that point, we began to realize that our three show plan might not be coming to fruition. So we drowned our sorrows in some delicious food and drinks at Carthay Circle (full review to come).
After our huge and yummy lunch, we decided to head back to our hotel for a little break. We were walking out of DCA at about 3:30 pm. At that point, the entire esplanade was packed. New admissions were not being allowed at Disneyland, and security bag check was at a stand still until the esplanade was cleared. The catch 22 for us was that we needed to rest in order to be able to make it through the night, but by leaving and trying to re-enter the park at a later time, we risked not be allowed back in. While we had really hoped to see the first Paint the Night and the fireworks, it looked like we were going to be out of luck. So we headed back to our hotel, took a quick nap, and prepared for the cooler night weather. And started to accept that these would be our plans for the remainder of the evening…
We knew it was going to take probably two hours to get through security and get back into DCA before World of Color, so we left our hotel at 6:30 pm and took the shuttle back to the parks. The lines for security were the absolute longest I have ever seen (and I have been there on capacity days before, including previous 24 hour days). We joined the end of our line, which wrapped all the way around the shuttle drop off area, and prepared ourselves for a nice, long wait (I may or may not have come prepared with wine in my travel mug…). About an hour and half later, we had made our way almost to the security bag check area. Unfortunately, that’s when things started to get a little crazy. A cast member told us that the check point we were waiting for was an exit only and that the only way to get into the park was to go to the check point all the way to the left (we were currently on the far right). This created a huge surge of people (all of whom had been waiting patiently in a nice, organized line up until that point) pushing and shoving their way across to the left. I have no idea who decided this was the way to handle things, but I can assure you, it was a terrible decision. And it didn’t get better from there.
So we were stuck in the middle of this huge crowd, fighting to get through the bag check tents. No one was in line and there was a lot of pushing. After a couple of minutes of everyone just standing there in a clump, the cast members let everyone through WITHOUT CHECKING ANY BAGS. I know bag checks at the resort are mostly useless, but come on. One, bag checks would have been a good way to slow down the flow of people heading into the esplanade. Two, in crowds that large, you need to check bags. Who knows what kind of weapons people could have been bringing in. This decision to let everyone in caused the huge horde to push through up to the front gates of DCA…
It was absolutely one of the most terrifying crowd experiences I have ever been in. There were no cast members directing people, no lines, no order, and zero communication. At one point (once we had actually gotten into DCA) I heard an executive cast member say to another CM in a joking manner “I knew people liked us, I didn’t think they liked us this much!” Um, really? You KNEW there were going to be record-breaking crowds, there just wasn’t enough preparation. Guests were put in a very unsafe situation and the poor cast members working the front lines were left to deal with the wrath of some very angry (and rude) people. After a very smooth and enjoyable morning, it was extremely frustrating to be put in this situation. I mean, we expected serious crowds. We left ourselves TWO HOURS to get into the park. We were not naive about the situation, but apparently some of the Disney higher ups were.
Eventually, we got in. At that point, we were so happy to be out of the mob, we didn’t really care where we went next. We swung by the Mad T Party, but as you would expect, it was packed and the last thing we wanted to do was be swept up in another crowd, so we found a bench and parked it until it was time to go take our spots for WOC. We had been hoping to head over to Disneyland in time for the 1:00 am Paint the Night, but by the time WOC was over, it was clear that was not going to happen. Despite no longer being at capacity, Disneyland’s gates remained closed to all guests. Pictures from the live feed showed a fairly empty park, but the gates would not reopen until 3:00 am. So we used our Radiator Springs Racers Fast Passes and decided to call it a night. Here we are waiting for the ART at the end of the night…
All in all, I have some mixed feelings about the whole day. I loved being able to be a part of a historic day at the parks, but I am disappointed that things were not more organized and handled better. You cannot tell me (or anyone) that they didn’t expect a crowd as big as what showed up. They knew it was coming, they just did not have a proper plan in place to deal with the crowds. Or if they did have a plan, they did an absolutely terrible job communicating it to cast members and guests. I truly enjoyed my morning at the parks, and I LOVED WOC (more on that soon), but I am really bummed that I didn’t get to see the parade or the fireworks. Also, out of our entire day, we only spent about 45 minutes in Disneyland, the rest of the time we were in DCA. I am really looking forward to spending some quality time in Disneyland in the next couple of weeks so I can actually experience all the 60th has to offer. I’m just hoping there will be a slightly smaller crowd there when I do so.
Anyone else brave the crowds? What was your experience like? And, don’t forget to check out my current giveaway, going on now!
The Disneyland 60th Kickoff Event is almost here! I cannot even tell you how excited I am for Friday. I have been doing a lot of crafting and prepping for the event and I wanted to share some of my preparations with you! I am going to do my best to make it through as much of the 24 hours as I can, but no promises as to how long I am actually going to be able to hang. Mama ain’t twenty any more. But I want to give myself the best possible chance of making it through the day and to do that I need to be comfortable and prepared.
Comfort: Here is what I am planning on wearing to the day of event.
I am sticking with my old standby comfy jeans, a royal blue T-shirt, a white cardigan, my 60th Minnie ears, and these fabulous earrings from Femme De Bloom. The weather has been ridiculous here in So Cal lately, so I am going with a lightweight cardigan to give a little warmth. It’s light enough that I can easily throw it in my backpack if the day warms up. I will be starting the day in my Nike flip flops because I’m a Californian and that’s how I roll, but I imagine I will be switching over to my Skechers Memory Foam sneakers at some point. Chances are I will need a sweatshirt for night time weather and chances are pretty damn good that I will be buying a 60th one when I get to the park.
Preparation: Here’s what I will be bringing with me to the park.
Snacking is going to be a must throughout the day and while I will certainly be indulging in some of the special 60th treats, I am bringing my own goodies too. Goldfish crackers are a Disneyland staple for me and you can’t go wrong with white fudge pretzels. Because I will be bringing you all the highlights of the 60th, I’m bringing a notebook and pen to write down everything I want to tell you guys. Obviously I am bringing my camera and I will probably rock the tourist look of backpack and camera bag. The standard sunglasses, chapstick, hair tie, and bobby pins are musts for me, along with Aleve and a mini first aid kit (mostly for the bandaids). I also invested in a portable phone charger, since I will be Instagramming and Tweeting all the live long day. And of course, my wallet, since I will be spending money on all the merch. Not pictured, but I will also be bringing three or four water bottles since staying hydrated is going to be key in lasting through the day. (P.S. I made the 60th themed backpack the same way I made this Mickey messenger bag.)
I will be leaving for the celebration tomorrow afternoon! Make sure you are following along on the journey with me on Instagram and Twitter!
Rancho del Zocalo is one of my favorite restaurants to eat at in Disneyland. In fact, since I so rarely eat at Disneyland, it is probably the only quick service restaurant I eat at on a regular basis (most of my eating happens at California Adventure). In my opinion, this is one of the best values for your money that you can get at Disneyland. The food is tasty, the portions are good-sized, and the drinks are refillable. Can’t beat that!
Rancho del Zocalo is located in Frontierland, right in between Big Thunder Mountain and the shooting gallery, and features a variety of Mexican entrees.
This is the standard menu, there is a good mix of options for everyone in the family.
The actual food is located inside this gorgeous Spanish style building. There are different stations where you can order your food, which is nice as it cuts down a little on the line. While you wait, you get to take in some of the stunning decor, like this awesome chandelier.
One of my favorite dishes is the Hacienda Ceasar Salad. It used to come with chicken, now you have the option of chicken or carne asada.
This is the Red Chile Enchilada platter with carne asada…
And this is the platter minus the meat…
One of the best parts about Rancho del Zocalo is the beautiful patio. There is ample seating, plus the benefit of gorgeous views.
Overall, if you are looking for a quick service restaurant in Disneyland, you can’t go wrong with Rancho del Zocalo. It’s the number one place I recommend to people and one of my favorite places to eat!
Obviously I knew I had to make myself some super special ears for the Disneyland 60th anniversary celebration kickoff on May 22nd. I thought about them for a long time and eventually ended up designing them around the bow that was attached to our swag from the 60th reveal party. Not going to lie, I LOVE how these came out. Seriously. I can’t wait to wear them next week! If you want to make a set of your own, here’s how to do it!
1. Gather supplies: blue adhesive glitter foam, ear template, single rhinestones, “bling on a roll”, E6000 glue, a blue headband, super blingy bow (again, this one was already in existence for me, but you could easily make your own). With the exception of the headband, which I found at JoAnn, all of my supplies are from Michael’s.
2. Trace the ear template onto the back of the foam and cut out.
3. Glue rhinestones onto the ears. You could make a pattern of some sort, but I went with the random sprinkling look. These rhinestones were already sticky on the back, but I used E6000 glue as well to make sure they stay in place.
4. Remove the backing from the foam and attach the ears to your headband.
5. Place the “bling on a roll” around the edges of the ears. Again, this is already sticky on the back, but I used additional glue to make sure they stayed in place.
6. Attach the bow to the center of the ears. You can use the E6000 for this, or hot glue if you prefer (hot glue dries a little faster so it is somewhat easier to use).
And now you have a super blingy, custom pair of ears! Seriously cannot wait for next week. Anyone else attending the kickoff on the 22nd?
Here are links to the supplies needed for this craft…
The Disneyland 60th celebration is just a few days away! I don’t know about you, but I am counting down until the big day! If you have been in the park recently, or you follow any Disneyland peeps on Instagram, I am sure you have seen the 60th decor is already in progress. The castle has been getting the diamond treatment for a few weeks already, and it seems like every time I go, there is new sparkle added. I thought I would go ahead and share some pictures from my most recent trip for those of you who are in need of a little bling. I will be attending the 60th kickoff on May 22nd, so make sure you are following me on Instagram for live updates!
The hubs and I ran our third annual Never Land 5k this past weekend, and despite some very unwanted but much needed rain, we had a pretty good run! This was my first time running the race not pregnant, so it was obviously much easier on me this time around. Here is our race recap!
We arrived at the park bright (well, actually dark) and early at around 4:15 am. It was sprinkling a little as we waited outside the front gates to be let into the park. The nice thing about our Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum costumes is that the bill of the hat protected my glasses from the rain! As you can see, the hubs was super excited to be up so early and hanging out in the cold.
We were greeted on Main Street by these awesome pirates. These guys deserve a raise for being in character literally before the crack of dawn. This is also probably the best shot of our full costumes (which we got a ton of compliments on).
We were herded down in front of the castle to wait for the starting call. The nice thing about the 5k is that there are no assigned corrals, placement is first come first served. We’ve always been in the first group to start the race, which in the past meant we didn’t get paced out with my slow pregnant waddle. This time it meant we could actually stop for pictures and still finish in plenty of time.
We were treated to a short fireworks show and a fairy who shall not be named flew down to christen her running weekend.
And then we were off! The first leg of the race was through Disneyland. We started by the Matterhorn and went through to Fantasyland. They had some cool projection effects on “it’s a small world” (a preview of the new fireworks show, perhaps?).
Throughout the run, we were instructed to help Peter Pan find his lost shadow so we saw several of these projections throughout the course. They told us to crow every time we saw one. I refrained from that, given that I was out of breath most of the time.
Mile One was near Big Thunder…
After that, we made our way toward California Adventure. In between the parks was where we hit Mile Two…
And Mile Three was right in front of Toy Story…
By the time we got to the finish line, the rain was coming down pretty good, so we got our medals and snack packs and hit the road. Looking back, I’m bummed we didn’t get a picture at the finish line, but we did get this gem on the shuttle back to the hotel…
All in all, it was definitely my best race. I did actually do some running, so that is one more of my goals I can check off the list. I have quite a bit of training to complete before I tackle the Disneyland 10k in September, but this was some good motivation for me to keep up my running schedule. I think the hubs and I both felt good about our finish, and as a bonus, when we got back to our hotel, Squirt was still asleep and he stayed in bed until 9:30! A successful run in the books, plus a nap, equals a good morning for this mama.
