Child(ish) Millennial goes to…
Disneyland
Trip Details:
2/11-2/14
Two adults
Flights: Delta Seattle to LA $237 (paid full price for one, used Skymiles for the other)
Hotel: Hilton Anaheim $998 for 3 nights
Can I be honest? Just for a sec? I am north of 30, and I LOVE DISNEYLAND! It is just the greatest place I can think of to continue to visit over and over again. There are very few places in this world that bring such unbridled joy. I will forever be chasing the (un)natural high I experienced the first time I successfully rode the Indiana Jones adventure and my sense of humor is largely based in dad jokes ala The Jungle Cruise. So many of my best memories are set against the backdrop of this magical place, and it seems appropriate to begin another new adventure right here.
Disneyland is the physical manifestation of The Child(ish) Millennial ideology. A place where fact and pain and the ugly sides of life are suspended and replaced with dreams and magic and possibilities. I was at Disneyland in 2018 when I interviewed for a dream job, which is a story for another time. I was at Disneyland in 2019 when the other half of my soul asked to make our unbreakable vow together. And I’m at Disneyland now, launching this project that will likely go down in flames, much like our current economic and climate crises. To be surrounded by so much beauty and majesty, holding hands with my human, and journeying down this rabbit hole, it's a dream and a nightmare and I invite you along for the wild ride ;)
Disneyland is one of those places that just continues to capture my joy every single time. I planned this particular jaunt with less than 2 weeks notice, which is why I paid a higher price for flights than I normally would, but when the husband says ok, I wasn’t going to let him sit on that decision for too long and change his mind! We got in late Tuesday night because work, and then up and to the park first thing Wednesday. If you plan on making it on to Rise of the Resistance, be in line 30 minutes before opening as the digital ride queue opens at exactly park open, you have to be physically inside Disneyland, and the ride fills up for the day within the first few minutes. I am a firm believer in Disney MaxPass, which at the time of writing costs $20 per person per day. Not only do you get unlimited photopass downloads from rides and the strategically placed photographers all over both parks, you can make fast pass selections from your phone in either park!!! Can you imagine!!! No more running around to get physical passes and wasting valuable ride/food time!
I love a Disney vacation because it is the perfect balance of planning and “winging it”. I always make a few dining reservations before I go, just to make sure I can get into the must eat places *cough Lamplight Lounge cough*. The rest of the time, I just like to wander. I don’t like to rush. I know some people love to strategize their ride plans and food breaks to maximize their time, and that’s awesome! I’m just not one to rush for anything except Dole Whip. I’m a sucker for the old school rides, and I always like to hit those first. Jungle Cruise is my ever and always when it comes to Disney rides, and that’s always at the top of my list. If you are wandering around adventure land, and feeling put out by the length of the line on Indiana Jones, I highly recommend a quick journey through the three longest rivers in the world while listening to the best jokes that have been told over and over for 50+ years. While you’re there, you also have quick access to two of the greatest hidden gems of the Disney food world, according to me. The Bengal BBQ, across the walkway from both the Jungle Cruise and Indiana Jones, sells meat and veg on sticks at very attractive prices ($3.99-$6.99ish) , and that is just about the most perfect thing to enjoy on a sunny Southern California day, but if you go to the right after exiting the Jungle Cruise, you’ll also find one of the newer additions to the Disney Parks food extravaganza called The Tropical Hideaway. Not only is the a new and even sneakier way to get your Dole Whip (in different flavors as well as the OG pineapple) they also sell delicious Bao Buns and other Southeast Asian treats at about the same price as Bengal BBQ.
While we’re on the subject of food at Disneyland, I know for those casual Disneyland vacationers, the food seems really expensive and hard to manage, and in some ways, it is, but if you’re going, you might as well go. I usually sprinkle in some fast casual and some seated dining options while there, and I tend to eat during “off” times, 1) because I don’t usually eat during “normal” times anyway, and 2) because if people are following their routines (because they have small humans) they are probably in food lines during food times, leaving ride lines open, and in ride lines during not food time, meaning I can get food much more quickly. Win-Win! I have enjoyed a fair number of Disney dining options, and can not recommend these next few highly enough. I already mentioned them earlier, but hear me out.
Lamplight Lounge: located just at the top of the bridge in Pixar Pier, this is my GOAT of Disney dining options. I went for the first time in 2019, and was amazed, awe inspired, awakened, ALIVE with love for this place. It is in Disney’s California Adventure, which means they serve beer, wine, and some pretty delicious house cocktails, but the food. THE FOOD! I had the Carna Asada Roll (an ultra rare New York strip steak sushi roll) (($17)) and was in absolute HEAVEN! It reminded me of a Tokyo Cowboy roll, but with the added spice of chilies, and was just perfection. The husband enjoyed the MASSIVE plate of Lobster Nachos ($21) so much he had them again when we went back this year. Would that I had thought I was going to be starting this project and had taken pictures. I guess I need to go back, for research, obviously.
Bengal BBQ and Tropical Hideaway: I include these together because they actually are located a stone's throw away from each other, and it’s nice to have options for a quick bite. I first encountered Bengal many many years ago during a family trip to Disneyland and have been hooked ever since. The Safari Skewer (bacon wrapped asparagus)(($4.99)) was my downfall, and I’ve been happily drowning in saliva thinking of it ever since. By this point, I’ve tried all their skewers and have yet to find something I didn’t like, which is a surprise to me because I don’t normally like sauce on any of my food, and they do give you a saucy meat. I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself. The Tropical Hideaway offers 3 flavors of Bao for $5.99 each as well as lumpias and PB&J mochi (which I would have tried had I known it existed)
Whatever your dining preferences, Disney can accommodate. Not only is their app super user friendly giving you all the menus at a glance (which I used while writing this), they also have just so many amazing options.
It’s almost midnight, and I’m starved for some Disney in my life, so until next time...