Join us this week as we hear all about Dana’s recent trip to Disneyland to experience the 60th Anniversary celebration!
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Podcast Episode 65: Disneyland 60th Anniversary Trip Report
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Tag Archives: carsland
Imagineer for the Day- Hollywood Studios
Hollywood Studios is in a transition period and I am sure the attractions that are in progress will be wonderful but if I were in charge here is what I would do, if I was an Imagineer for the day with no budget in mind.
Pixarland- A land filled with the characters and scenes from some of the best films. I personally love Monsters Inc and Monsters University and would love to see a dedicated area with over the top theming straight out of Monstropolis. Wall-E and the scene where he and Eva and whirling around space with a fire extinguisher. And a new addition, a dark ride based on Inside Out.
Carsland- Of course this could have been added to my Pixarland but I would love to see what they have in California in Florida. I think it could be a huge draw for more crowds.
Star Wars Land- I would love to see more Star Wars in the park! Permanent meet and greets with popular characters would be pretty amazing. Of course I would love to see some new attractions based on the classic episodes for the greatest appeal.
Updated stage shows- So many of these shows can use some fresh meat. I think the Little Mermaid show can leave forever, since there is an attraction in Magic Kingdom. Same with Beauty and the Beast. And I wouldn’t be sad to see Lights, Motor, Action! go be replaced by a Carsland attraction. Changing one of these shows to a Disney Junior show starring Sofia the First or Jake and the Neverland Pirates with full sized characters, similar to the traveling productions.
There is my take on Imagineer for the day in Hollywood Studios. If you missed the first for Animal Kingdom you can find it here. Leave a comment and tell me what you would do if you were in charge of Hollywood Studios!
California Adventure with Cars, Monsters, and Mickey!
We started the next morning early at California Adventure. This park has an Extra Magic Hour, just for resort guests unlike Disneyland’s Magic Morning, which is for anyone with a 3-day Park-Hopper.
We got to see the newly-created Buena Vista Street without a mob of people, and it was absolutely breathtaking. 
We immediately went to Carsland. Craig and my sister, Jessica, went to Radiator Springs Racers. Anthony and I had breakfast at Flo’s V-8 Cafe. After we enjoyed Carsland with minimal crowds. While Jessica and I rode Radiator Springs, Craig brought Anthony to Bugsland.
Once we finished with those lands we went over to the Monster’s Inc. ride. This was so much fun. You ride through Monstropolis in a taxi car and experience the story of Monsters Inc. My son is a huge Monsters fan so we rode this two or three times. Then we met Sully!
After our morning we went over to the Paradise Pier Hotel for Mickey’s Surf’s Up Breakfast. The buffet was far superior than the Plaza Inn. There weren’t as many characters, but we had amazing characters here too.
Daisy and Minnie loved Anthony. They came up and sat right next to him in our booth. Daisy was full of hugs and Minnie helped Anthony eat his breakfast and drink his milk. Each one spent 5-10 minutes with us. We were one of the last customers in the restaurant which I think is what resulted in so much time spent with Anthony.
After our meal, we headed back to the Disneyland Hotel and everyone took a nap! After nap time, it was time for our date night!
Craig and I had dinner at Carthay Circle restaurant–which was outstanding. The bread, appetizers and entrees didn’t disappoint. Our waiter was outstanding he was full of tips and information and was a true Disney fan, which is always a treat.
After our dinner we headed over to Disneyland and had Dole Whips for dessert.
We then rode the monorail from Tomorrowland into Downtown Disney and walked the short way back to our hotel.
This is Part 4 of my trip report to Disneyland. To read the other posts, click here for the Table of Contents.
Carsland: Shopping and Dining in Radiator Springs
Once you’ve met all the Car Celebrities, ridden all the rides, had your cone from the Cozy Cone, it’s time to shop! And shop you can! Carsland has plenty of spots to find unique souvenirs.
My favorite store was Radiator Springs Curios which is filled with traditional souvenirs from the town like magnets, keychains and shirts. Additionally you can find your Carsland collectibles like pins and Vinylmations here.
Across the street from the Cozy Cone Motel is Sarge’s Surplus. If you want to buy a cone or tire-shaped hat: this is your store. There is also a lot of Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater merchandise.
In addition to the Cozy Cone Motel, there are two other dining options in Carsland.
Flo’s V8 Cafe is Radiator Spring’s quick-service location. This is a 50’s style- diner and I was able to grab a quick breakfast here the morning we rode Radiator Springs Racers. The food was basic: eggs, bacon, and potatoes but all were cooked well and had great flavors.
If you are in need of a quick, healthy snack then Filmore’s Fill-In is the place for you. Fresh fruit, healthy snacks and bottled water, fruit and sodas are available.
Radiator Springs has rejuvenated California Adventure and is a must-do for any Disney fan, especially if you have a Cars movie lover in your family. This is the last post in my series on Radiator Springs. To read past posts, see the links below.
Carsland: Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree and Luigi’s Flying Tires
While Radiator Springs Racers is the crown jewel of Carsland, it’s not the only ride in this section of the park. There are two more attractions that are great for those not yet tall enough for Radiator Springs Racers.
Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree
This attraction is similar to a “whip” carnival-type ride but with the magical Disney touches it is so much more.Tow Mater went and found some of his tractor buddies and built up this square-dancing party in a junkyard! There are 22 mini-Maters and no two are the same they all have different expressions. Once you are on board you swing to songs sung by Mater himself.
There is a height requirement of 32 inches, luckily my son made it because he is a huge Tow Mater fan and this wound up being his favorite ride in all of Disneyland. We rode it at least twice.
Luigi’s Flying Tires
This attraction is a museum and a ride it seems. You walk through Luigi’s showroom and his office as you are queuing up for the ride. It’s fun to see how proud he is of his tires and look into his office! Once you are on the tire you have to shift your weight in the direction you would like to move, there are air vents that help propel your tire into the air. This ride also has a 32-inch height requirement.
The premise for this attraction is good however they don’t really explain it, so if you knew nothing about it then you spend half of it confused as to what to do. Of course my husband and Anthony were able to move all around, while my sister and I tried but barely moved at all. It’s almost like a fancy form of bumper cars! I would rank this as my 3rd favorite out of three rides in Carsland. We will definitely ride it again but it wasn’t nearly as fun as Radiator Springs Racers or Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree.
One warning: If you have a little boy who is shorter than 32 inches, I would wait to visit until he is taller if you can. The boys love Carsland but I did see some disappointed toddlers who weren’t tall enough for these rides.
This is part 3 in my series on Carsland in Disney’s California Adventure. Click on these links to read the rest of the series:
Part 1: Radiator Springs Racers
Part 2: Cozy Cone Motel
Carsland: Cozy Cone Motel
Nestled right in the middle of Carsland is the Cozy Cone Motel. Like everything else in Carsland, you feel like you are right in the middle of the movie.
In the courtyard in front of the motel’s office passersby can enjoy the cone fountain and parked right in front is either Lightning McQueen or Tow Mater. They take turns driving in and it is where fans can meet these two celebrities. Both of the Cars move, drive, and talk. They are tons of fun and my 2-year-old son was addicted to this area. We met the Cars each time we were in Carsland.
In the back of the Cozy Cone’s office is Sally’s Cozy Cone Motel Quick-service dining area. There are five Cones and each one has its own theme.
Any item that can be is served in a cone:
- Cone 1: Churros
- Cone 2: Ice Cream Cones
- Cone 3: Cone Queso: chili, eggs, and chicken “cone-coctions” all with cheese
- Cone 4: Cone-coctions: Pretzel bites and Red’s Apple Freeze (frozen apple juice with a hint of toasted marshmallow flavor, and passion fruit-mango foam)
- Cone 5: Popcone: Flavored popcorn served in a cone
We had ice cream from the Ice Cream Cone. It was good soft-serve and we all enjoyed it as the end to a fun night in Carsland.
This is Part 2 in my series on Carsland, to read Part 1 on Radiator Springs Racers, click here.
Dole Whipped 