In Part 1 we reserved an inexpensive, off-site room, had breakfast at Denny’s, printed our Disneyland tickets, took the train to Toon Town, rode Gadget’s Go Coaster, and collected character autographs. We have saved so much time & money, that it is time to splurge.
Tip 6 – Eat Lunch at the Big Thunder Mountain Ranch
All you care to eat bbq ribs & chicken served with sides of coleslaw, baked beans and corn bread for $15-$29 per person. They open at 11:30am; go early and reservations are not needed. If you’re planning a later lunch, make reservations online. A $10/fee is charged for cancellations or no-shows.
The food is delicious! The meat falls off the bones of the ribs & chicken. The sauce is tangy and sweet. Our kids upgrade to root beer floats with whipped cream and sprinkles. We dine under the canopies while serenaded by live performers. BONUS: The “owner” of the ranch will sign your autograph book.
Tip 7 – Press Coins
For $1.25 you can create a Disneyland keepsake, a pressed quarter! The toy store in front of It’s A Small World has a quarter machine. Your choice of 3 Disney characters will be pressed onto your coin. BONUS: Download a free pdf of Disney coin press machines at Park Pennies (dot) com.
Tip 8 – View The Parade
Best place to view, the Main Street Train Station! Go early, plant yourself, and relax while you wait for the parade to travel right before you. We have fought the crowds along Main Street, had horrible non-existent views and sore shoulders from hoisting the kids. It’s best to position yourself above the crowds, and be eye-level with many of the performers. BONUS: Here’s a little video I put together with footage Tom shot.
Tip 9 – Visit Disney District
Friends of ours from the Anaheim area invited us to dinner at Disney’s Blue Bayou inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Yes, it was a fabulous, unforgettable experience. But the one thing they advised was to park at the Disney District. The first 3 hours of parking are FREE; 5 hours are free with validation from participating locations. There are many restaurants and shops within walking distance to the main Disney entrances (Disneyland and California Adventure). We stopped for lemonades at Catal Uva Bar. People-watching al fresco was devine!
Tip 10 – Create A Memory Magazine
If you can create pdfs, you can make a magazine of your Disney memories for around $5.00! Visit Magcloud to upload and order. Templates are available. Minimum 20 pages. I use photoshop to create my pages, save them as pdf files, and combine my pages in Adobe Acrobat. Twenty pages plus perfect bind is $5.00/publication. Additional pages are 20 cents (must increase by 4 page sets). BONUS: This is so much cheaper than snapfish or any other album-making site, you can afford copies for the whole family (grandparents, aunts and uncles included).
40 pages, published 6/8/2013
• Where is your favorite place to dine in Disney?
• What is your favorite Disney souvenir/collectible?
Comment By: Ingrid
November 11th, 2013 at 8:57 am
Ah….I wanna go. Love Disney World FL. I think I need a return trip. Thanks for the info on the $5 book making. That’s quite the deal.
Comment By: Jean
November 11th, 2013 at 9:19 am
You’re welcome! I love Magcloud! Affordable and quality products. Have fun!
Comment By: Ron
November 11th, 2013 at 9:26 am
Jean, you are such a WEALTH of knowledge! What a super post!
My mouth was watering looking at the first photo of you sitting down in front of that delicious-looking meal! I love corn bread. And that coleslaw looks heavenly!
Great video clip too! There’s nothing quite like watching a Disney parade!
Thank so much for sharing the info. on Magcloud because you’re right, it’s much cheaper than Snapfish or Blurb.
I can’t think of my favorite place to eat in Disney, but I do know that I love many of the restaurants inside Epcot.
And my favorite Disney souvenir would be Mickey Mouse ears.
Thanks so much for sharing this post, Jean!
Excellent!
Comment By: Jean
November 11th, 2013 at 11:27 am
Thanks, Ron! Good choices, the corn bread and coleslaw! Yum!
I can see you creating a magazine with your photos. What a great coffee table book that would be!
Mouse ears – of course! The selection is great, but there’s nothing like the traditional (retro) ones.
Thank you for swinging by!
Comment By: Jayda
November 11th, 2013 at 10:54 am
This looks like so much fun! I’ve never been to Disney Land or World, but once we have kids, we will definitely be making that a priority! Also, I love that it’s snowing on your blog 🙂
Comment By: Jean
November 11th, 2013 at 11:41 am
You will LOVE Disney!! So will your children. My hubby went for the very first time last year. It was his and the kids’ first visit, and it was so special.
Thanks, Jayda! The snow is compliments of wordpress plug-in “Let It Snow”. 😀 You are getting the real deal though!
Comment By: catherine gacad
November 11th, 2013 at 12:55 pm
what?!?! that BBQ at big thunder mountain ranch has me wanting to book a flight NOW!
Comment By: Jean
November 12th, 2013 at 8:56 am
Yes, delicious BBQ at Disney! Nice to sit down and enjoy a real meal while at the park.
Comment By: Rach
November 11th, 2013 at 3:41 pm
FUN! Looks like you guys have a great time when you go. 🙂
Comment By: Jean
November 12th, 2013 at 8:54 am
Thanks, Rach! We do love Disney, and it’s only a 4 1/2 hour drive for us.
Comment By: Luisa Doraz
November 11th, 2013 at 9:36 pm
I am so happy to see you all smiling. Disneyland is on my list next year! You did such a great job with this cute post. 🙂 Have fun.
Comment By: Jean
November 12th, 2013 at 8:53 am
Luisa, you are going to have a wonderful time! I foresee smiles all around. 😀
Comment By: Luisa Doraz
November 12th, 2013 at 10:06 am
I will be sure to smile often. 🙂
Comment By: elle sees
November 12th, 2013 at 4:54 am
is #9 the same thing as downtown disney? i’ve not been to DL since ’08. that’s a great tip i’d not heard of!
Comment By: Jean
November 12th, 2013 at 8:53 am
I had to google it, but it looks like, yes, Downtown Disney and Disney District are one in the same!