Non-Ride Activities at Disney's California Adventure

My favouriote non-ride activities in DCA as of February 2024

1.    Sh-Boom
If you're a Disney fanatic, you might know about the Lighting Ceremony, a little-known event at DCA. Though it's not advertised on the app, you can ask a Carsland cast member for more information to experience it for yourself. At dusk each evening (google when dusk is for that day), a special ceremony takes place in front of Flo's V8 Cafe where neon lights around the land are lit for the evening. A unique song is played, and you can watch as each building comes to life with light. 

2.     Redwood Creek Challenge Trail

       At the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, you'll find an exciting climbing area that offers plenty of activities for kids of all ages. Climb up lookout towers, run across swinging bridges, slide down slides, crawl through tunnels and explore the tree-lined paths for additional fun discoveries. This area of the park is ride-free, giving our tadpoles the opportunity to spend hours playing.

3.     Discover Your Inner Artist at the Animation Academy
The Animation Academy is an exceptional, interactive attraction that offers an opportunity for visitors of all ages to unleash their creativity and learn to draw beloved Disney characters. This unique experience provides a fun and imaginative break for guests, where they can fully appreciate the art behind Disney's animated masterpieces. Experience the Thrills of the Avengers Campus

4.     Avenger's Campus
From Spider-Man's gravity-defying stunts to the Avengers' impressive feats of strength, there's no shortage of excitement at the Avengers Campus. Witness the heroes in action during live stunts and training sessions, or simply indulge in some of the Campus's delicious food and snap a photo with your favorite hero.

5.     Mickey's PhilharMagic
If you're looking to cool off and take a break in Disney California Adventure, don't miss out on the 4-D film! Join Donald Duck on an adventure as he dons Mickey's iconic Sorcerer hat, leading to a fantastical journey with music and appearances from beloved Disney characters. Find it in Hollywood Land.

6.     Disney Junior Dance Party
Bring your toddlers and preschoolers to Disney California Adventure, where they can dance and sing along with Mickey, Minnie, Doc McStuffins, Vampirina and Timon to the beats of their favorite Disney Junior tunes. Your little ones will have plenty of space to move around and enjoy a variety of delightful surprises throughout the party.

7.     Turtle Talk with Crush
Looking for a show that's both fun and educational for your little ones? Look no further! This adorable show features Crush, who interacts with the audience and engages young viewers. Parents, you can take a breather while your kids are entertained. Just keep in mind that Crush can see you too and might poke fun at those who are distracted by their phones in the back!

Non-Ride Activities at Disneyland

Here are my favourite non-ride activities at Disneyland as of February 2024.

1.     Discover Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island

Tom Sawyer Island is a thrilling adventure-themed attraction located in the Frontierland area of Disneyland. The Island is inspired by Mark Twain's iconic characters, such as Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. To access the island, visitors can take a raft across the Rivers of America.

Once on the island, guests can explore various interactive elements that capture the spirit of Tom Sawyer's adventures. This might include caves, bridges, and other exciting features. For a unique experience, head to Pirate's Lair, a Walt Disney-designed area filled with trails, caves, bridges, and pirates – you might even run into Captain Jack Sparrow! While there are no rides, it's a perfect spot for kids to jump around and enjoy simple pleasures while pretending to be Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, or other classic characters.

2.     Discover the Enchanted Tiki Room

The Enchanted Tiki Room is a timeless Disneyland attraction located in Adventureland. As one of the original Disneyland attractions that opened in 1963, it is officially known as "Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room."
This musical show features a cast of animatronic birds, flowers, and tikis. The birds, including José, Michael, Pierre, and Fritz, take center stage in this tropical paradise-themed theater. Their lively performances of various musical numbers make for a memorable experience.
What makes this attraction unique is the use of Audio-Animatronics technology, a Disney invention that allows for realistic movements and coordinated audio. A delightful blend of humor, music, and special effects makes the show a must-see for visitors of all ages.

3.     Walk Through the Sleeping Beauty Castle

Experience the timeless tale of Sleeping Beauty comes to life in an immersive and interactive adventure. The enchanting journey invites visitors to create their own path through a tapestry of intricate details and visual storytelling, adorned with the signature touch of Disney's timeless charm. Every step unfolds a new chapter of the beloved tale, through the magic of classic Disney storytelling and artistry that conjures a whimsical world. It's an experience that delights both the young and the young at heart. [warning, it is a little dark inside, but not too bad]

4.     Free Disneyland's Pixie Dust Experience

Want to add a little magic to your day? Visit Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, located in Fantasyland, just behind Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Ask any Disneyland Cast Member to sprinkle you with a little pixie dust, and you'll be glowing with sparkle for the remainder of the day. This delightful experience isn't just for kids; adults are welcome to enjoy this enchanting freebie too.

5.     Tomorrowland Terrace Dance Party

Disneyland is hosting lively themed dance parties at Tomorrowland Terrace for all guests to enjoy. This runs most nights from 7:00 pm to 10:30 pm.

6.     The Adventureland Treehouse

The Adventureland Treehouse is a unique living space crafted by a family using natural resources and creativity. Visitors can explore the different levels, including a music den, nature room, astronomy loft, and art studio. The treehouse also features a waterwheel that powers the family's gadgets and inventions, making it an exciting destination for families.

7.     Toontown
Explore Mickey and Minnie's houses, create candy in Goofy's house, check out Donald's boat and Goofy's backyard, and have a picnic on the lawn. It's an excellent spot for toddlers and young children to run around and let loose. With buttons to push, talking mailboxes to listen to, boxes to open, doors to pull, and countless photo opportunities, including the Dog Pound jail, there's so much to explore. Take a seat in a toon car, meet some of the beloved characters, and enjoy all the goofy details that Toontown has to offer.

8.     The Silhouette Studio
Step back in time with the Silhouette Studio, an attraction that perfectly complements the classic theme of Main Street, U.S.A. The skilled artists at the Studio offer guests a cost-effective souvenir that will serve as a cherished keepsake for years to come. Each guest's head is outlined on black paper, resulting in two copies of the artwork.

9.     Main Street Cinema
Experience the magic of Disney's early animation history. The museum showcases vintage posters and memorabilia from Disney's earliest days, along with beloved classics like "Steamboat Willie" and "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". Six separate movie screens ensure you won't miss a thing, and it's a must-see for any Disney fan looking to understand the foundation of Disney's legacy.

California Ride Share Experience

My ride share experience in California!

Upon arrival, we took a taxi from the John Wayne Airport to Candy Cane Inn. The taxi driver was old, and it was the least enjoyable ride we took. With a tip, it cost $70USD($98.05CAD). I believe I only tipped $10.

When we took Lyft from Candy Cane Inn to John Wayne Airport $35.22USD($47.37CAD), big difference…

We went to Universal Studios Hollywood for one of the days. The day before I checked the approximate cost on Lyft and on Uber. Lyft was roughly $50USD and Uber was roughly $60USD.

We were picked up at 8:30am and got there at 9:47am. The fee including a $20 tip was $69.68. I tipped high as they drove for over an hour!

On the way back from Universal Studios Hollywood, I tried to order a ride at 6:30pm(on a Friday) and it was rush hour!! I checked Lyft and almost had a heart attack with the insane prices. 

I switched to Uber and found one for slightly cheaper and jumped on it. $89.96USD with a $25 tip as we were in the car for closer to 2 hours!

As someone who lives where they don't have these ride share options, my tip if you find yourself in that situation is to find something to do for an hour and wait.

Super Nintendo World - Universal Studios Hollywood

 

Friday, January 13, 2023

This is the day all my dreams came true! The funny thing is, had we not missed our flight and rescheduled our trip by a day we would not have come to Universal Studios Hollywood and been a part of Super Nintendo World’s opening!!

The land opened for technical rehearsal on January 12, 2023, without any notice!

The land is amazing. It’s small but there is so much detail that it is absolutely perfect.

We got a picture with Mario and Luigi, who talk unlike normal characters. Princess Peach also makes appearances. I haven’t heard of any other characters yet; however, I hope they have a Yoshi.

Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge ride… I have mixed feelings about it. If it was just me riding it, it was amazing! However, my daughter was just barely over 40” and there were a number of problems…   

1. When they measure the children’s height they have a piece of the castle sticking out right under the line so that they can’t lean against it. It makes it extremely hard to tell which kids are actually 40”.
   
   
2.  The ride probably should be for 42”+… not because it is a crazy ride but because it is very hard to see over the steering wheel to enjoy the ride and the headpiece!
   
   
3. The headpiece… it was fine for me, but I was there with my 11-year-old twins and my 3-year-old. One of my twins has a very small head and my 3-year-old has a decent size head. Neither of them could keep it on during the ride. My 11-year-old was in the row in front of me losing her S*** the whole ride.

All that aside, it was an amazing ride and 2/3 of my children wanted to go again(not the 11-year-old that had issues).

We didn’t try any food, but it looked pretty cute.

Review of Candy Cane Inn

Welcome to my blog! Today I am reviewing the hotel we stayed at while visiting Disneyland.

I’m a single mom of three girls who were 11, 11 and 3 years old during this trip. We stayed at this hotel from January 8, 2023, until January 14, 2023.

We were supposed to check in on January 7, however, there was a printer issue at our local airport (Comox Airport), and we missed our flight! I made sure we were there early… but the line was very long when we got there and did not move for a long time. We had our bags on the belt to get checked in when they announced they were closing the gate. I guess you can never be TOO early.

I called Candy Cane Inn in a panic while the west jet worker tried to find us a new flight. Unfortunately, we live on a small island (Vancouver Island) and it wasn’t possible to leave later that day. Thankfully, Candy Cane Inn was able to adjust our stay by one day and I didn’t have to pay any extra fees.

We arrived at approximately 2:00pm. Our room was available early and we were able to drop out stuff in the room and run off to the park… and by run, I mean walk two seconds to their trolley!

They have a trolley that runs every hour. It leaves the hotel on the hour and leaves the park 15 minutes after the hour. The first trolley leaves at 7:30am which gives enough time to rope drop. The last trolley leaves the park at 45 after the hours on the last hour the park is open.

We were at the park for four days and we only walked to the hotel one time. Every other time we were able to coordinate our plans easily with this schedule. The walk took less than 10 minutes. It was really quick, and we probably could have walked more but we were saving our feet for the parks.

The hotel had just opened from an extensive renovation. The rooms were brand new, very modern, with a tiny hint of Mickey.

They provide a free extended continental breakfast. Fresh delicious donuts, croissant sandwiches, bagels, apples, oranges, bananas, yogurt, cereal, hard-boiled eggs, cheese and more. Since then I've seen they got a waffle maker!

The staff were super friendly.

There is a hot tub and a kiddy pool the same size as the hot tub. There is also a decent size pool which I did not use because even though we are from British Columbia, it was a little too chilly.

The price though!!!!! Our room was $ 199 USD a night. That is one of the cheapest in the area and it has way more perks than most of the hotels around there.

I will most definitely stay there again.

https://www.candycaneinn.net/

1747 S Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92802, United States

Crystal Cove - Tofino

Crystal Cove is located just outside of Tofino, on Mackenzie Beach.

This was my first stay at Crystal Cove. We stayed in a Rain Forest cabin during the week. The log cabin is loft-style and has a catwalk that shares two hot tubs between five cabins. Upon booking, I was a little bummed that we did not have our own private hot tub. We were the only ones staying in the Rain Forest cabins, so we ended up having two hot tubs to ourselves.

The cabin has one queen bed upstairs and a bedroom behind the kitchen with bunk beds. It has one bathroom, a fireplace and a small kitchen.

The best part of Crystal Cove is that it is on one of my favourite beaches in Tofino, Mackenzie Beach.

https://www.crystalcove.ca/