I reached inside Oogie's bag of tricks and pulled out a name.

The lucky winner of two tickets to see Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas" in 4-D on Halloween, courtesy of the El Capitan Theatre is...

Kristen "Rotten O" Nelson!

Congratulations! I know you and Harry will have a wonderful time!

Labels: Disney, drawing, El Capitan, Halloween

I have the privilege of offering my readers a very special discount for “Beauty and the Beast Sing-a-Long” at the El Capitan Theatre!

Labels: Beauty and the beast, Disney

Labels: Disney, El Capitan, Theatre

The magic of Disney never ceases to amaze me. We went to Mickey's Trick-or-Treat Party at Disney's California Adventure Park on Friday night and it was incredible!



Our fun began as soon as we came in to Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and a little girl was screaming with joy across the lobby because she thought I was one of the Disney Princesses. I have never been more flattered. We all received quite a few compliments on our costumes as we headed for the gates, which helped to build our cheerful mood for the evening. There is something magical about walking around in public wearing a silly costume that just makes people lower their guard. Everywhere we looked children and adults alike had big smiles on their faces. Total strangers were going out of their way to talk to each other. Music and laughter filled the air. It was just pure fun and I couldn't wipe the grin off of my face.

Our boys were some of the lucky few who received special Mickey Mouse pumpkin buckets and flashlights when we arrived so they were feeling like VIPs as we toured the Treat Trails. The staff working at the treat stops seemed to be having a great time as they passed out huge handfuls of candy to the kiddos. They even offered a few treats to Mom and Dad. There were also nutritious snack options (apple slices, fruit leather, etc.) for the more health conscious guests. The lines were fairly short because this is a special ticketed event and the park limits the number of guests.

There are lots of fancy Disney character photo stations all over the park and those lines weren't ridiculously long either. I really enjoyed the gathering of Disney Villains in Candy Corn Acres. The Bowler Hat Guy from Meet The Robinson's stood next to me as I prepared to take a photo of my family and just as I snapped the picture he stepped right in front of the camera then sauntered off. He is a dastardly villain indeed!

We had such a good time pointing out the elaborate decorations and other guest's costumes to each other. There has probably never been a larger gathering of glittering fairies, pretty princesses and Clone Troopers in one place. Even with the abundance of Star Wars characters, Cole was the only Obi-Wan Kenobi we saw that night. He had a tiny lightsaber and pointed it in warning toward a few small Darth Vaders as they walked past him. It's so cute when the kids get into the character of their costume.

Drew and Noah's costumes were a BIG hit. It's surprising how many people know and love the Jabbawockeez. All over the park people were pointing them out and giving them compliments. When someone would excitedly call out, "JABBAWOCKEEZ!" Noah would thump his chest and toss up peace signs at them. It was hilarious! Noah's confidence grew with all of the positive attention. By the end of the night, he was doing arm waves and showing off his robot dance moves whenever he heard music. Coley also enjoyed the the festive music and, as bashful as he can be, was caught dancing more than once.

At the end of the night, as they headed for the gates with candy buckets almost too heavy to carry, the boys agreed that this was one of the best nights of their whole lives. It just doesn't get any better than that!










What are you waiting for? Order your tickets online.

Value-minded vacationers have plenty to celebrate this fall with a special travel offer: savings of $400* at the Disneyland Resort in Southern California. From Aug. 12 through Dec. 19, 2009, guests will save $400 when they book a 4-Day/4-Night Disneyland Resort vacation package, featuring Disneyland Resort hotel accommodations – Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Paradise Pier – and park hopper tickets. The offer is valid for arrivals Aug. 23 through Dec. 20, 2009. Pricing starts as low as $87 per person, per day, at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel.

Labels: Disney, Disneyland, Halloween

We are super excited to go to Mickey's Trick-or-Treat Party on Friday! I'm so excited I probably won't be able to sleep tonight. I'm such a kid! If you happen to be there tomorrow and see a princess in pink flanked by a tiny Obi-Wan Kenobi and two Jabbawockeez (from America's Best Dance Crew) say "boo"!

Disney's website info:
Dress up and trick-or-treat in the ultimate Disney neighborhood! Excited Guests wear their Halloween best and make Disney's California Adventure® Park their playground at this amazing party! Treat yourselves to a night of fun with friendly, costumed Disney Characters and such delights as trick-or-treat stations featuring Ghirardelli chocolate, live music, entertainment and more on select dates throughout October. Save on ticket costs with advance purchase of select dates.

Ticket Prices and Event Dates*

Advanced Purchase Ticket Prices
$32 Regular Admission Price for These Dates — October 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29

Day-of-Event Ticket Prices
$39 If Purchased and Used on These Dates — October 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29
$42 If Purchased and Used on These Dates — October 30 and 31

Ages Two and Under: No Charge

Special Annual Passholder Rates

Event Times
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday — 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Friday and Halloween Night — 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Mickey's Trick-or-Treat Party promises not-so-scary fun for the littlest trick-or-treaters as well as adults! Throughout the spookiest month of the year, Disney's California Adventure® Park hosts an exciting event where Guests experience Disney's unique spin on Halloween.

Don't miss out on:
* Memorable Disney Characters decked out in colorful costumes
* Trick-or-treat stations offering both candy and healthy treats
* Live entertainment for getting into the groove — alongside some familiar faces
* Festive crafts perfect for the whole family
* Spooktacular activities befitting the evening's spirit
* The wondrously gigantic candy corn in Candy Corn Acres
* You'll also enjoy complimentary parking for one vehicle at the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure. Larger vehicles may require an additional fee.


Photo stolen from MouseInfo.com.

Labels: Disney, Disneyland, Halloween

Drew surprised me for my 40th birthday with a party at Club 33 in Disneyland. We have celebrated many birthdays at the Club but I certainly wasn't expecting to walk into a room full of friends and family. He even flew my brother in from Washington! I cried my head off. I was totally overwhelmed with excitement. After lunch, we ran all over Disneyland and California Adventure Park. I think we rode just about everything that day. Here's a few photos of the merriment. Please excuse the lack of make-up as my tears washed it away.

Labels: birthday, Club 33, Disney, Disneyland

Disneyland re-opened the It's A Small World ride today!! They did a lovely job with it too. The new characters blend right in and do not distract from the original beauty in any way. They have regrouped some of the scenes, but never for a moment does it feel like that old magic is gone. This was always my favorite ride as a child and I was worried about the changes ruining my memories, but that is not the case. It's perfect! It just seems as though the colors are more crisp and the sound is more clear. The addition of some classic Disney characters enhance the whole attraction.




Disneyland Press Release


As you may know, our family had a sneak preview last weekend. If you look carefully at the video below you will see the back of our heads in the first two rows of the boat going under the Asian arch and dragon kite (right after the flying carpet scene). It's just the back of Drew (white shirt and blue sweater vest in second row) and I (white shirt in front row of boat). Ha Ha! I know that it's slly to be excited about seeing the back of our heads on the video clip, but it was thrilling to be a part of the magic!

Labels: Disney, Disneyland, Small World

The classic attraction “It’s A Small World” at Disneyland celebrates peace and honors humanity with a joyful boat ride around the globe.

For the first time, guests will be able to see the child dolls dressed as selected Disney characters, in countries where their stories take place.

Originally created for the 1964 New York World's Fair, "it's a small world" has more than 300 Audio-Animatronics® figures.

You can spy such globally recognized landmarks as the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower and Big Ben.

The attraction has wheelchair access and handheld captioning is available.

A stylized sun or moon (“There is just one moon/And one golden sun …” ) appears somewhere in each region (some have both sun and moon.)

The design of the new characters replicates the bold yet childlike designs that were created by Disney Imagineering art director
and color stylist Mary Blair, who was honored as a “Disney Legend” posthumously in 1991.


“It’s a Small World (After All)” Lyrics
It’s a world of laughter
A world of tears;
It’s a world of hopes
And a world of fears.
There’s so much that we share
That it’s time we’re aware

It’s a small world after all.
It’s a small world after all,
It’s a small world after all,
It’s a small world after all,
It’s a small, small world.

There is just one moon
And one golden sun
And a smile means
Friendship to ev’ry one.
Though the mountains divide
And the oceans are wide,
It’s a small world after all.

Labels: Disney, Disneyland, Small World

Disneyland invited some OC mom bloggers, like me, to bring the family for a preview of the newly renovated "It's A Small World" ride!! This Saturday at 9am, we will be cruising through the rooms of the world singing our happy song. We were asked to ride four or five times in a row because they will be doing some promotional filming. I am thrilled because it has always been one of my favorite rides. (I am one of the few people who never gets sick of the song.) We haven't told the kids yet. We plan to surprise them on saturday morning. You know how hard it is for kids to sleep the night before going to Disneyland. I only hope that I can sleep! I am beyond excited!!

By the way.... don't ask.... I can't share any details until after 10am on February 5th. It's all very hush hush! : )

Labels: Disney, Disneyland, Small World

We took the boys to Disneyland just because we wanted to see the Haunted Mansion decorated in the Nightmare Before Christmas theme. It was a beautiful day and the Mansion didn't disappoint, neither did the corn dogs. Oh, how I love Disneyland corn dogs! The boys really enjoyed climbing all over Tom Sawyer's Island, watching the light parade and the Buzz Lightyear ride. The fireworks were incredible but I didn't get any photos. In my book, there is nothing better than a day at Disneyland.

Labels: Disney, Disneyland, Halloween

As many of you know, our family loves Disneyland! Well, I am excited to share that our little family has been given our own gallery at DisneylandClub33.com. You can view our family gallery here. Sadly, I didn't take out the camera on most of our visits. I think it's a nice thing that our boys will get to look forward to the gallery updates after each visit. It's a great site!

Drew and I try to get to Disneyland whenever possible. Unlike many of the locals who go to Disneyland after school for play dates, our children only go to Disneyland on their birthdays. We are trying to maintain the magic for them as long as possible. It saddens to me to hear Noah's first grade classmates who are already bored with the happiest place on Earth. Going to Disneyland should be a MUCH bigger deal than going to the park, but that is just my personal opinion.

Enjoy!

Labels: Club 33, Disney, Disneyland

Labels: birthday, Club 33, Disney, Disneyland