Jim Cuthbert

The first time I went to California was in 1975. (yes, just a kid). Since then I have been back countless times, always including a visit to Disneyland. On this last whirlwind of a trip I visited Disneyland, California Adventure, Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Studios, and Medieval Times. All were fantastic!

This time was a short trip with just one day at The Magic Kingdom. I flew down with Allegiant Airlines on a Sunday and returned the following Thursday. Just not enough time. If you are considering going down, don't cut it short. “7 Days Are Not Enough”.

I flew into Los Angeles Airport. The transfer took about 45 minutes. I was expecting longer. The last time I was there it took over an hour. Traffic – ha. We were transferred by Karmel Shuttle. They were great. There are a number of options for transfers to the Anaheim area. I found that Karmel probably works best as they take you right to the hotel. The Disneyland Resort Express also can do the transfers however they use the Disneyland Hotels as their hub so everyone goes there first and then onto your hotel. Basically, if your not staying at a Disney Resort Hotel it will take you longer.

I stayed at the Wyndham Anaheim Garden Grove. They are located right across the street from a Target Department Store so that came in handy to purchase water, snacks, and trinkets to bring back home without breaking the bank.One quick note here. You are probably aware our exchange rate isnt great against the US dollar. When in California try not to consider the exchange rates on your smaller purchases. Pricing is what it is. If you can though, avoid using credit cards on the smaller stuff. You credit card company usually charges a “service fee” to do currency conversion.

The hotel room at the Wyndham was excellent. The rooms come with a coffee maker and small fridge. Rooms were cleaned daily and staff were great. If your renting a car in California keep in mind that most of the hotels charge to park and it can get pricey. Being inherently cheap myself, I don't even bother.
Quite a number of the hotels in the Anaheim/Disney area also charge a nightly resort fee that you pay locally.
This resort hotel had a nice pool ( a little small), restaurant, snack/coffee bar, and business center. If your a big WiFi user, enquire at the hotel your at. Some include it as part of the nightly resort fee, some do not. At our hotel the transfers to/from Disneyland were included. You just had to show your room key. They use the ART system (Anaheim Resort Transit) It's excellent and very convenient. Its a dedicated transit system in the Anaheim area that takes you both to Disney and other sites (Outlets at Orange, Amtrak Station, Knotts)

My first day in Anaheim was visiting a few of the hotel properties to see what they have to offer. Having been to the Anaheim area many times before and stayed at quite a few hotels I would advise you to think about what you want in a hotel before getting a quote.

Later in the day we went to the Outlets at Orange, a big shopping area with quite a few discount and outlet stores. Lots to do there. Be warned though. I really put my credit card to good use there! You can also get a coupon book for discounts there as a visitor from Canada. Just go to the Customer Service Centre with your passport.

My next day was exclusively reserved for the Disney Experience.

First things first. One day at the Disneyland Resort is no where near to enough. If your going to make the journey here, make sure you are going to be at the Disneyland Resort for at least 3 days! There is just too much to do!

 We started off going to Chip ‘n Dale’s Critter Character Breakfast at the Grand Californian’s Storyteller’s Cafe. It was excellent. Food was great and plenty of it. The one thing I did notice at the resorts is they are very aware of potential problems from food allergies and special needs so don't be afraid to ask. Chip 'n Dale visited each of us for a while as well as other characters from Critter Country. It was just amazing how well they staff and characters handled the children. This is an experience you MUST DO, no matter how old you are. They also have other options for character meals around the area. Goofy's Kitchen (Disneyland Hotel), Ariel's Grotto (California Adventure), Main Street Plaza (Disneyland), and PCH Grill (Paradise Pier Hotel)

I have done them all in the past and each one has it's own unique experience. You don't need to do them all, BUT you do need to do one!
As far as purchasing the breakfasts I would advise to do it before you go. With the exchange rates it works out a better deal for you to book it in Canada. I would also suggest to get a meal time booked in advance. I can do this for you.

After the breakfast it was off to Disneyland!

This year Disneyland is celebrating it's 60^th birthday and has celebrations planned all year round. When you go into the park (both Disneyland and California Adventure) they have a map of the park as well as a daily schedule you can pick up from one of the cast members (that's what they call the people working there). Make sure to pick it up. There's so much to do and see the guide will definitely help you.

You can also see whats going on for the days your visiting by clicking here:

This time when I went I decided to purchase a Disney PhotoPass+. The reason I bought it was that I only had a short amount of time there and didn't want to worry about carrying a camera. With the PhotoPass there are professional photographers who know all the best shots to take at most of the major picture venues at Disneyland and California Adventure. They take your pictures and scan the photopass. When you get home you can then view and order them. I chose to get an unlimited photo package called the PhotoPass+ If you order it on online you can save quite a bit of money. You have to do it at least 14 days prior to your visit but it lets you get unlimited pictures up to 14 days from first use. I wasn't a 100% sure if this was a good idea but thought I would give it a try. It includes the pictures they take of you on some of the thrill rides too. (Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror, Space Mountain etc). I ended up talking with a couple of people in the park who were there with their families and they were thrilled with it! A grandmother I talked to said she bought it online and had been using it with her family and in the two days they had been there the photographers had already taken over 300 shots of them.

When I got home I looked at my photos and was able to edit them, even add in a frames!

Totally worth the money to capture the “magic moments” here. Also, you get everyone in the photo since there is no family member stuck taking the picture! You may notice there are not that many pictures here from Disneyland. That's because I ordered my photos to be delivered by mail on a CD (included in price) rather than download them off the internet. Once they arrive Ill post them.

Disneyland and California Adventure was just fantastic. Be prepared to do a lot of walking! The parks don't look all that big from the maps but trust me when I say, wear a good pair of shoes and keep hydrated. Food and drinks in the park are “tourist” pricing and they discourage you bringing in your own. But it's California, your at Disneyland! Who cares!

If you have kids who need strollers, Disney has them for you! If your staying at a Disney Hotel and have brought your dog, never fear, they have a walking service that will take magical care of your pet while your at the parks.

The lines at some of the rides can be long. If you can, get a Fastpass to them. I heard people talk about how they got a “special deal” and others how they got the “Fastpass” added on from their travel agent. NOT. Fastpass is a service that Disney provides to all people at the park. On the maps of the park (remember I said to get one on entry) they show rides that use the Fastpass service. Basically, you walk up to the ride you want to go on and look for the Fastpass area. You go up to it, put in your ticket, and it prints out a return time ticket for your to come back and go on the ride. Be sure to get your original ticket from the machine as when you leave. This saves you tons of time at the park, especially at the extremely popular rides. Some of the rides run out of Fastpass tickets early so try and get into the park and choose your ride quickly. Ask a cast member about how it works if you are unsure. I would say the biggest lines show up at California Adventure for some of the thrill rides so try and get to them first. (Carsland, Soaring, Tower of Terror)

I also found that later in the evening when some of the big show events are going on is a good time to get on some of the most popular rides as the crowds are at the shows.

Whether you are age 9 or 90 there is tons to do in the park and to be quite honest I cant begin to describe all there is to do. I suggest you visit the park site to get planning ideas.

Shows: The two biggest shows are the World of Color in California Adventure and Disneyland Forever Fireworks Spectacular. You cant get to both shows in one evening but each is a must see! I attended the World of Color – Celebrating Disney's 60 years. If you have ever seen a Disney show you will come away from this with a tear in your eye. Fantastic.

I didn't get to see the fireworks but I did manage to see a little bit of it from the street the next night. I'm going back at some point this year. I have to, just to see the fireworks!

Parades: Both California Adventure and Disneyland have their famous parades. After the World of Color show I went to Disneyland and watch the “Paint the Night” parade. It had Mickey and all the gang, singing, dancing, and a spectacular floats coming down the street all lit up. You couldn't help but find yourself moving to the music and singing of the parade. Even though it's in the evening be prepared for your kids (all ages) to come back to life and dance their way back to the hotel.

There is just way too much to tell you on Disneyland. If I can give you one piece of advise that would be PLAN. Travel Counsellors like myself and others who have been there can be a valuable tool. USE US!

Well that's enough for the moment on Disneyland otherwise you'll be reading for hours.

The next day I went to Huntington Beach. If you've ever seen a California Beach Movie or heard a California Beach Song this is what it's all about. You can walk here for miles, visit an ecological reserve, shop, dine. Everything. I had to opportunity to visit a few hotels there and if you want a place to unwind, relax, or just take in a Spa Day I would suggest having a look. Click here to look at this great resort there.

After Huntington Beach it was off to Knott's Berry Farm. Knott's Berry Farm was the “original” theme park. It's a bit of a combination of old Wild West and Roller Coaster Heaven. If you have teens they will lose their mind here with some of the rides. Click here to have a look at the park. Just down the street from the park is Medieval Times Restaurant/Show. If you've never taken in a show like this, you need to. Knights, horses, sword fights. Kids love it. I was really surprised at how much they got into the event. Very exciting!

The last day in California I went to Universal Studios. If you were here years ago let me tell you, it has changed. It's not just a tram ride anymore. It's a combination of movie magic and thrill rides you won't forget. On the day we were there the lines tended to be a bit longer and with the nice hot hot weather it was great to have the “front of line” pass. This pass is more than the regular entry price but completely worth it. It gives you the opportunity to go right to the front of the line for a ride. Most people by the look of it just went with the regular admission but with Harry Potter themed rides opening up early next year I would say the Front of the Line pass is going to be the way to go, especially if you only have the day there.

Don't forget to take the tram ride. It takes about 45 minutes to do it but gives you a real treat as it takes you past famous movie lots plus a few “extras' thrown in. Don't forget to visit the Universal CityWalk just outside the main gates of this park. It's full of famous restaurants and gift shops that are worth having a look through.

You can drive to Universal Studios yourself and park (pay of course) or you can get a transfer there with one of the tour companies. (LuxBus)  Biggest advantage of the transfer is they do the driving and take you right to the main entrance of the park!

When to visit California.

Anytime is great but during the holiday season (Christmas) I found it best. During Halloween the parks all dress themselves up in the theme and if you like that time of year will be thrilled with it! If you concerned with crowds avoid the highest season (summer). Spring is really wonderful there, especially if your from the west coast as you can fly down and cruise back on one of the ships heading up to BC to to do the Alaska Cruise Season (April & May)

All in all, my last trip to California was great! If you are thinking about going, whether by yourself, with family, as part a group, school etc give me a shout. I will help you plan out the trip of a lifetime!

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