This post may contain affiliate links, please see the privacy policy for details.
Guess where I just got back from?! Hint: It’s the happiest place on Earth! Yes, yes, yes -a Disneyland trip! Did you know that Disneyland in Anaheim, CA is the OG of Disneyland parks? (Fun fact, it opened for the first time in 1955!) Walt Disney himself wandered around this very park to ensure happiness for all! Isn’t it funny how even talking about Disney can put just about anyone into a happy and excited mood? Well fellow Disney enthusiast and my close pal, Annika, and I hopped on down to Anaheim to experience Disneyland like never before.
Disneyland Resort is comprised of two different parks – Disneyland (where all the magic happens) and Disney California Adventure, where you can find all of your fav Pixar characters! We had the luxury of attending both and truly living our best lives. There is magic to be discovered around every corner at Disneyland – come see what we found!
Our trip started with us staying at the incredible Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. They took such great care of all of us and it was really an unforgettable experience! With their award-winning dining and easy access to Disney’s California Adventure Park, everything came with ease and beautiful excellence. The only fun isn’t just the rides at the parks, but at the hotel! With spectacular views of firework shows, parades, and shows, there is really something for everyone to enjoy. The kiddos will love the character dining they offer at their restaurants – I mean, who doesn’t want to enjoy their breakfast with Princess Tiana?!
On the first day of our Disneyland trip, we were allowed early access to Disneyland to see all of the magical content we could capture! With the park usually bustling with happy kids and excited parents, I was really grateful that we were able to take a few quick snaps before the rest of the park opened. We were able to finally seize the opportunity to take back the Galaxy by confronting Storm Troopers at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. By the way – they were terrified of my elite Jedi training and proceeded to back off. 😉
A huge thank you to Brooklyn for the amazing images from this Disneyland trip and for hanging with Annika and me.
My Disneyland Trip – The Food
We had the really cool chance to chat it up with an actual Disney chef who prepares sweet treats and new plant-based meals on the daily at the Resort! Disney isn’t just a park where you can buy churros and Dole whips – I mean you should totally get those because they are essential to any great Disney trip. But they also offer fine dining in both parks and resorts! Plant-based foods are growing on their menus and are serving a broader audience so everyone can enjoy! For my celiac friends, it is easy to eat gluten free at Disneyland!
Gluten Free Options I Tried this Disneyland Trip:
- Caramel apple
- Rice crispy
- Gluten free vegan waffles from Storytellers Café
- Harvest Market “Paella” from Napa Rose (I added chicken)
- Dole Whip
- Vegan gluten free ice cream from Salt & Straw in Downtown Disney
- Tacos from Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante
Disney Parks now have a lot of plant based options, too, which is really great.
For the rest of the first day, Annika and I ran around the park going on all the fan-favorite rides like the Matterhorn, Space Mountain, and Indiana Jones! All of this was before we sat to watch the amazing light show provided – Fantasmic! Where “daring heroes and epic villains do battle on a grand scale in a jaw-dropping nighttime spectacular,” starring our favorite Mickey Mouse.
For your entertainment…a photo of me because I am not a huge roller coaster fan lol. Even though I am not a fan, no Disneyland trip is complete without it!
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
My highlight of the Disneyland trip was visiting the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge! The new Star Wars Land is beyond cool, especially if you are HUGE STAR WARS FAN!
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is more than 14 acres and the largest single-themed land in Disney Parks history, packed with immersive storytelling that lets you to live your own Star Wars adventures. You will be transported to Black Spire Outpost, a village on the planet of Batuu. You definitely need to check out the two attractions – Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.
Check out my comprehensive guide to Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Or you might also like 80 Magical Disney Instagram Captions for Your Disney Trip, or First Time at Disneyland – Everything You Should to Do.
Our second day of this Disneyland trip was all about exploring all the entertainment that Disney California Adventure had to provide for us. We were able to have Fast Passes for the best rides in all the park – Radiator Springs Racers (um hello, Cars!), Guardians of the Galaxy, and the interactive 4-D experience of Soarin’. In the afternoon, the incredible Mulan’s Lunar New Year show started where the whole street was lined with the magic of honoring family, friends, and the excitement of a fortune-filled new year!
That night was the theatrical and mystical “World of Color” at Disney California Adventure. Water jets shot up in the sky, dancing along with the music and all the amazing colours of the perfectly timed pyrotechnics. All four elements weave together to create one fantastic show.
My Top Tips for a Magical Disneyland Trip
Take full advantage of the Fast Passes for the rides that offer them! They help you get through the line quicker so that you have more time to enjoy everything that you want to explore or rides you want to go on! Also look up MaxPass – it is a new digital way of allowing you to book a FastPass on your smartphone!
Stay at the Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa! Not only is it in the center of all the fun chaos of both parks and the shopping district of Downtown Disney, but you can also cop amazing deals for park hoppers when you stay here. Not to mention, you will have the best seats in the house when it comes to viewing parades and events. AND it is home to Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and the newly developed Avengers Campus!
I will have more Disneyland travel blog posts coming soon. Thank you to Disney for my dream vacation to Disneyland.
Disneyland is for everyone – especially those who are a kid at heart. It reminds you of a simpler, happier, and more magical time when there were really no worries at all! And did you know that from now until February 16th 2020, Canadian residents can save 20% on theme park tickets when they purchase a 3-day or longer Disneyland Resort theme park ticket?! This value option is a great way to experience new magic. For more information about this special ticket offer, visit Disneyland.ca/tickets.
You Might Also Like
You can find blog posts about my previous trips to Disney here, here and here!
This post has been sponsored by Disneyland. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support me.
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
The pictures are stunning! And now I need to visit disneyland for sure.
I’ve never been to Disneyland but it sounds like you guys had a blast.
This sounds like a wonderful trip! We’ve been to Disney World in Florida and we always have the best time. I would love to take my kiddos to Disneyland and California Adventure- I think Cars Land would be our favorite!
Looks like you had a wonderful time – and that mini-pop looks delish! Such great energy to you photos!
Wow, it does indeed look magical! I would love to go to Disneyland, everyone has been except for me. I hope to make it there one day.
Disneyland is truly the happiest place on earth. Especially to kids and kid’s at heart, we can experience so much fun here.
There’s really something magical about this place. It never fails to bring a smile.
I love Disneyland! It’s my goal to visit all Disney parks, so far I have only visited the three parks in Asia. I am currently planning my trip to Disney World and I can’t wait
It looks like you had such a wonderful time. You look so beautiful and happy. This blog post definitely inspires me to visit Disneyland soon. I haven’t been there for years. It is an incredible place. The last time I went there, I went there for Independence Day (July 4th) and they put on one of the best fireworks displays ever. Amazing blog post.
Love this! It looks like you had so much fun!