Sharing some adventures from our journey to San Diego, a few of our favourite SD eating places and family-friendly actions, and a visit to Disneyland with Dance the Magic!
Hello hello! Completely satisfied Wednesday! What’s happening as we speak? I’m headed to the ladies’ faculty this morning, catching an F45 class, and placing the ending touches on podcast episode #100!! It is going to go dwell subsequent week and yesss there’s a giveaway.
For as we speak’s submit, I needed to share a recap of our journey to San Diego and Disneyland! Our final journey to Disneyland was fall 2019, so we have been thrilled to be headed again. (We’ve been to Disney World a few instances because it’s reopened, however it was our first journey again to Disneyland.)
Right here’s somewhat recap of our journey, plus a few of our fave spots.
Disney and San Diego recap
Once we discovered that Liv’s dance workforce was going to be performing within the Disneyland parade with Dance the Magic, we knew we have been IN. We additionally figured we might sandwich a San Diego journey together with it, because it’s a simple flight to San Diego (an hour from Tucson) and hire a automotive to drive to Anaheim. We have been so glad to be again in SD!!
We went straight to Tiki Port, who welcomed us with probably the BEST acai bowl I’ve had in my life. (And I’ve had many, many from Tiki Port.) The man making them was really an artist; I had chocolate chips, acai, granola, fruit, AND peanut butter in each single chunk.
(That is the Drifter with peanut butter. Should you go to San Diego, get it! You received’t remorse it.)
We additionally made a cease on the seashore so the ladies might moist their ft (aka their garments and full our bodies), to the lodge to vary, Belmont Park (the place they rode experience after experience) and OB Noodle Home for dinner.
The subsequent morning’s breakfast was at Nice Maple, which is considered one of our favourite breakfast eating places.
This avocado stack had arugula, avocado, balsamic discount, and perfectly-cooked salmon.
We additionally shared maple bacon donuts with our entrees.
After breakfast, we performed on the waterfront park for some time after which headed to the New Kids’s Museum, the place the children had a blast trying out the entire reveals. It adjustments each time we go to, and it’s really a children’ dream come true. We bought Tender Greens to-go for lunch, and hit the street the Anaheim!
Our first cease in Anaheim was the lodge to drop off our baggage after which straight to character eating at Goofy’s Kitchen!
Whereas we’re at Disney, I all the time attempt to guide one “actual” (sit-down) meal every day. It’s sometimes lunch, as a result of everybody will get the prospect to sit down down and refuel. We bought very fortunate with reservations this journey and I used to be in a position to guide Goofy’s Kitchen, Tortilla Jo’s (Downtown Disney) and Blue Bayou (Pirates of the Caribbean) whereas we have been there!
(Lunch at Blue Bayou. Salmon, rice, veggies, and we shared a chocolate cake for dessert)
Goofy’s Kitchen is a buffet with the whole lot you could possibly ever need, a ridiculous dessert choice, cocktails, and the characters come to every desk dancing to music whilst you twirl your serviette above your head. It’s the whole lot.
The remainder of the weekend was spent using rides,
(P rode the Incredicoaster 3 instances… our daredevil little one, lord assist us)
consuming ALL of the Disney treats
(my faves are the M&M rice crispy and the chocolate peanut butter sandwich, which is sort of a large amped up Reese’s)
and watching Liv and her workforce carry out within the parade!! It was the primary Dance the Magic efficiency since they’ve reopened and I had full-body chills your complete time. It was SO wonderful, so magical, and the entire studios did such an unbelievable job. The streets have been fully lined with spectators and everybody was clapping and cheering. I heard there have been about 600 complete dancers and so they marched down the parade route, dancing to “Zero to Hero” from Hercules.
Lining as much as head into the park earlier than the parade:
I’ll always remember it.
As a part of Dance the Magic, we have been additionally in a position to attend a VIP breakfast in California Journey, which began at 5:30 Sunday morning. Ya’ll know me and the way a lot I LOVE my sleep, however I rallied and made it occur. It was actually cool to experience some rides earlier than the park was open and to observe Liv run round with all of her dance pals who’ve turn out to be like household.
Some Disney questions I figured I might chat about on this submit (and issues I used to be questioning about myself earlier than our journey):
Was it crowded?
After studying some issues on Instagram and different weblog posts, I anticipated it to be PACKED, particularly because it was a weekend journey over excessive season. As somebody who’s used to strolling shoulder-to-shoulder with full strangers down Important Avenue, I believed it was pretty. It felt very very open and never too crowded in any respect. They’re nonetheless utilizing a reservation system to restrict capability, so you must guide reservations for every day you’ll be within the parks. (You want a ticket earlier than you possibly can guide reservations however can discover the calendar on-line to see what availability appears like.)
What have been the character interactions like?
The characters have been nonetheless separated from park company utilizing some kind of barrier, and you could possibly stroll in entrance, take an image, and discuss with them. Apparently that is altering on the finish of the month, and character hugs will likely be again! P LOVES hugging the characters, so this makes my coronary heart glad.
What are the present masks guidelines?
Masks weren’t required outdoor and really useful indoors. Most company weren’t sporting them.
What’s the new Genie+ system? Are there Quick Passes?
Disney has performed away with Quick Passes. Beforehand, you could possibly guide as much as two rides at a time, and when you completed these, you could possibly guide new ones all through the day utilizing the app. Prior to now, it was additionally free. Quick Passes are gone, and so they’ve launched two new paid choices: Genie + ($20 per individual per day) and Lightning Lane for premium points of interest (which you’ll solely use with the paid Genie+ and it’s an additional $12-20 per experience, per individual).
With Genie+ you may have the flexibility to guide time slots for among the extra standard rides (like Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones, Incredicoaster, and so on). It’s $20 per individual per day and we discovered that it was DEFINITELY price it. We didn’t purchase it the primary day since Liv was doing parade apply for a lot of the day, and the strains have been very lengthy. I used to be chatting with a solid member and so they informed me that they must push via the Lightning Lane folks first as a result of they paid for a spot. So which means if the Lightning Lane line is lengthy, and also you’re within the Stand-by line, they received’t allow you to transfer till the Lightning Lane is shorter.
The second day, we did Genie+ and it was completely price it. We hardly waited for longer than 5 minutes for every experience, and ended up doing about 19 rides that day. You possibly can’t guide Lightning Lane passes for among the newer or premium points of interest with out paying an extra price (like Star Wars Rise of the Resistance, Radiator Springs, Net Slingers, and so on) and that is the place I’ve combined emotions.
Let’s say you need to do Net Slingers, Radiator Springs, and Rise of the Resistance in someday. It’s a must to have Genie+ to even have the flexibility to guide these rides ($80 for a household of 4) and also you guide Lightening Lane with the paid price for every of those ($48 for Net Slingers + $48 for Radiator Springs + $80 for Rise of the Resistance). This comes out to an additional $256 for a household of 4, simply to experience these 3 rides, along with your park tickets. It simply appears like an enormous cash seize to me.
I’ll say that Genie+ is completely price it if you wish to experience a number of rides, and to be strategic on the premium points of interest. We ended up paying $80 to do Rise of the Resistance and it was in all probability the best experience I’ve ever skilled (and I do know nothing about Star Wars lol).
This journey genuinely felt like a trip and it was such a blast to get away and benefit from the weekend. Spending time with our household is my favourite factor ever, and I’m wanting ahead to extra adventures this summer time. 🙂
So, inform me pals: any holidays on the radar for this spring/summer time? What’s your favourite place to go to with children?? Additionally, fave Disney deal with?!
xo
Gina
