Showing posts with label haunted mansion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label haunted mansion. Show all posts

Monday, July 28, 2014

Happy Place Hodgepodge - May and June 2014

As much as I've hesitated to say it, I suppose the truth must come out. Right now I, Days in the Park, Chad if you prefer, am basically without an Annual Pass. Well, that's not entirely true. I have a Pass, it's just blacked out right now until the middle of August so, for all intents and purposes, I'm a Pass-less Annual Pass-holding blogger. Say that five times really fast!

That being the case, pictures and trips out to Disneyland have been few and far between over the last couple of months, which has left me scrounging a mite for things to write about and digging for pictures to put up for you loyal readers!

I was going through things last week and stumbled across a few that I had trapped in the bowels of my phone which I realized I had never posted! Hooray for old age and forgetfulness!! And with that, another "Happy Place Hodgepodge" is born! These were taken over the course of several visits during the end of May and middle of June when I made my last trip to The Parks before my blackouts began.

I also managed to spend some time in Downtown Disney earlier this week and took another load of pictures to share with everyone, and those will make up another hodgepodge for later in the week, so if you're enjoying these posts, keep checking back and I promise another one really soon.

I hope that you enjoy them as much as I enjoy taking them. The Park is so full of wonder and things to see and experience that sometimes you just never feel like you can do enough. But maybe, if I keep trying and putting these up, I'll manage to fill the same hole in someone else that looking through them again fills in me while I can't go myself.

Enjoy!

One of my absolute FAVORITE things to do every trip is just to ride the Disneyland Railroad. Grand Circle tour of Walt's Magic Kingdom, anyone?

The Mighty Ducks WERE a Disney-owned team at one point; what else would I be rocking on Main Street?!

Even trains need a little water sometimes - Disneyland Railroad, New Orleans Square Station

Pioneer Chili Cheeseburger - Hungry Bear Restaurant, Critter Country

"Honey, I'm home!" - The Haunted Mansion, New Orleans Square

Look everyone, it's Amy! Four years of friendship and still going strong! #DisneylandFriendsAreTheBestFriends

I get a chance to spend time with some amazing people at Disneyland, and my friend Brittany is one of them! If you see her (and she'll probably be at the Mad T Party), tell her I said hi!

Because what else are you going to chant at 3am in the morning when you're high on Mickey Mouse Chicken and Waffles?!

See?



Friday, June 14, 2013

My Disneyland Trips Aren't Complete Without...

Welcome to those of you joining me from "Disney Babies Blog" and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 2nd stop on our Magical Blogorail.

I have a confession to make before we even get started. This month we've been charged with coming up with something (attraction, food, show, whatever) that, if left out of our Disney trips, leaves our time in The Parks feeling rather incomplete. For me, there's one little item in particular I feel this way about, and I've written about it before but it's been quite some time since I've done so. So, in the interest of time and getting it out there again, I've decided to redeliver it to you, our loyal readers, in a very slightly altered format. I think it's still good though, and worth a look-see. Phew! Now that that's out of the way...

Everyone seems to have something that they absolutely have to have anytime they are present inside a Disney Park. Fortunately, most people can relate to my article today because in my case, it involves something from the foodservice industry of Disney. For me, no trip inside Disneyland Park (since Disney California Adventure Park doesn't have them) is complete without a classic, the Mint Julep in New Orleans Square.
Typically, people fall into one of two categories when they think of the Mint Juleps at The Park:
  1. The "They taste like glorified mouthwash" camp and
  2. The "They're the best!" camp
So, originally, I wasn't really sure whether I initially wanted to try the little concoction or not.  But having done so I can proudly say, "They're the best!", with all the enthusiasm I can muster.


So first things first.  What exactly is the Mint Julep in should you so desire one?  The Park describes it as "A refreshing mint drink with a hint of lime flavor", which is actually what made me hesitant to try one in the first place, and is surely why many people fall into the "glorified mouthwash" camp.  I figured the mint would more than overpower the lime in the drink, and thus be exactly like drinking mouthwash.  But after having had several of my own, I tend to think it's more of "A refreshing lime drink with a hint of mint flavor".  In all of the ones I've had, I've never felt the mint was too overpowering; it's always been light and refreshing, which is just what I'm looking for, especially on a hot Southern California day. That said, I know it's probably still not for everyone (different people have different tastes and buds), but if you're on the fence because of the mint, I have to encourage to try it for yourself and see what you think.  It just may surprise you like it did me!

And you can see exactly how it's served up, complete with a lime, lemon, a few mint leaves, lots of ice, and a cherry on top!  Delicious!


Now that you know what the Mint Julep is, I suppose you might be wondering where exactly to go to get one.  Luckily for you, I know the answer!  One place you can find it should you get a hankering for one is Cafe Orleans in New Orleans Square.  If you're going to be eating at that restaurant, it will definitely compliment your meal and with free refills, you can't go wrong.  That said, my favorite place to grab one is at the Mint Julep Bar itself, also in New Orleans Square.  It's located right next to the dining patio for the French Market restaurant.  In fact, if you are taking the Disneyland Railroad from Main Street USA to New Orleans Square, you'll most likely see the bar as soon as you de-board.  It's practically right in front of you across from The Haunted Mansion.  The drink itself will run you only $2.99 (a steal!) and is well worth the money. Sometimes you pay an amount for a drink and feel ripped off a bit, but I've never felt that in this case, and I'll usually order one and either park myself at a nearby table, or wander off into Critter Country, happily sipping away.

Really wanna go nuts?  Feel free to polish it off with an order of Mickey-shaped beignets too and feel those sugar energies soar!  A 3-pack will run you $3.99 and a 6-pack will run you $6.99.  But who doesn't love little fried Mickey heads with confectioner's sugar on top?



And there you have the Julep!  Again, I know that a lot of people probably don't or wouldn't like these little beauties, but if you've never tried one, they come with my highest recommendation and are firmly at the top of the list where it comes to my favorite "In-Park" treats.

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is "Ideally Disney".

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ Disney Babies Blog
2nd Stop ~ Days in the Park
3rd Stop ~ Ideally Disney
4th Stop ~ A Disney Mom's Thoughts
Final Stop ~ Capturing Magical Memories