Disney Cruise Line – Holiday Cruises
It’s never too early for holiday shopping and I can help you give the perfect gift this year!
Now is the time to book YOUR holiday cruise with Disney!
Itineraries now available through January 2019.
Stay up to date with all Disney Destinations as well as other travel destinations!
Like my Facebook Page | Follow me on Pinterest | Follow me on Instagram
Disneyland Resort | Walt Disney World Resort | Disney Cruise Line | Aulani ~ Disney Hawaii Resort & Spa | Adventures by Disney | Other Destination Vacations
You might be interested in
Rivers of Light is staged in the middle of the Discovery River, with seating split in two sections: on the shores of Asia in front of Expedition Everest, and along the banks of DinoLand U.S.A. in front of Finding Nemo—The Musical. All of the seats in Asia – half of the show’s 5,000 seats – are reserved for Guests with FastPass+. The other half of the seats, on the DinoLand side, are for those booking the Rivers of Light dining packages (available at Tusker House or 
At Magic Kingdom Park, in my opinion, the best spot to view the fireworks from is the hub in front of Cinderella’s Castle. “Disney’s Celebrate America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky” is a spectacular celebration of freedom with a dazzling stage show and an astonishing fireworks display choreographed to music! The park stays open late so after fireworks you can plan to enjoy dinner at Be Our Guest Restaurant or Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen – remember to make your advance dining reservations!
Both Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot will also offer Independence Day fireworks and celebrations only on July 4th. Each park will display their normal “Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular Fireworks” and “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” and each will include the addition of an all-American grand finale celebrating the United States of America. Epcot’s Independence Day fireworks display is typically at 10 pm and Disney’s Hollywood Studios is typically at 10:15 pm so you would not be able to experience both… 
In my opinion, the all-American grand finale at Epcot is simply AMAZING (I may have even cried a little)!! And, – if you are lucky enough to experience a little bonus pixie dust – once the Epcot fireworks end, depending on where you are viewing from, stick around for a bit because you just might be able to clearly see Disney’s Hollywood Studios fireworks display, which is also spectacular!
And even though Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park does not offer any special Independence Day festivities, don’t skip a visit to this park – it also offers exciting experiences to explore. Many store and restaurant fronts have been refurbished and you can enjoy a quick service lunch at Harambe Market. Harambe Market is an outdoor marketplace with African-inspired street food at four walk-up windows and plenty of shaded seating. Offerings include Grilled Chicken Skewer and Sausage Fried in Curried Corn Batter, both come with a light Roasted Broccoli and Tomato Salad. Also offered are ribs and a beef kabob flatbread. 
Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen is a Table Service dining experience and does require advance reservations. When it’s time for your dining experience, your Skipper Server will greet you and gave you a quick tour of the restaurant before seating you at your table. The theming of the restaurant is unique and it is much larger than expected, with three separately themed dining areas. The service is up to Disney standards and the menu offers a variety of distinctive selections, including African, American, Asian, and Latin cuisine. Currently the lunch and dinner menus are the same with an 11:30 am opening time for lunch and dinner beginning at 3:00 pm.
And, of course, a family favorite is the Skip’s Mac & Cheese, consisting of Spiced Ground Beef, Pasta, and Béchamel Sauce served with Broccoli. You will find the meals to be very delicious and perfectly prepared! 
And, if you are like me, you can’t ever pass up dessert, especially with the delicious selections offered… I chose the Kungaloosh! OH MY… This African-inspired Chocolate Cake with Caramelized Bananas served with Cashew-Caramel Ice Cream topped with Coffee Dust was oh so absolutely delicious and was actually very light. Just enough for one (okay, maybe two)! 
The Disneyland Resort has 2 parks; the original Disneyland and California Adventure Park, the Downtown Disney District and 3 resorts on property – Paradise Pier Hotel, Disneyland Hotel and Disneyland’s Grand Californian. It is an easy resort to walk and explore and the weather is always beautiful in Southern California. And both Disneyland Park and California Adventure Park still use the paper FastPass system for “skip the line” access to many attractions.
Disneyland, the original Disney park, offers many magical attractions and experiences – some of which you can also find at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida (such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Peter Pan’s Flight and Pirates of the Caribbean) and some experiences only offered at Disneyland (such as Alice in Wonderland, Chip ‘n Dale Treehouse, Finding Nemo Submarine voyage and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride). The castle at Disneyland is Sleeping Beauty’s Castle and, of course, there are many Character Meet & Greets as well as nighttime fireworks, including select nights for Fantasmic!, and the Disneyland Monorail which will transport you around the parks and Downtown Disney District area. 
And don’t miss Star Wars Launch Bay if you have a Star Wars fan in your party! 
There are many great dining venues at Disneyland too, both quick service and table service. We chose table service dining at Blue Bayou where your experience includes a view of the boats passing through on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Blue Bayou was a magical dining experience with delicious food and exceptional service.
California Adventure Park was added as a second park at Disneyland in 2001. This park is a little more spacious, also offering many magical attractions and experiences – some of which you can also find at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida (such as It’s Tough to be a Bug, Monster’s Inc., Soarin’ Around the World and Toy Story Midway Mania!) and some experiences only offered at California Adventure (such as Radiator Springs Racers, Mickey’s Fun Wheel, Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree and California Screamin’). You can also find a statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.
The highlight of your experience at California Adventure Park is Cars Land! In Cars Land you will find meet & greets with Tow Mater and Lightning McQueen and you can dine at Flo’s V8 Café. In addition to Flo’s v8 Café, there are many quick service and table service dining experiences at California Adventure Park, all with a little something different to offer.
We reserved the World of Color Dining Package. I highly recommend the dining package for World of Color and you can choose from three restaurants for this experience; Wine Country Trattoria, Carthay Circle Restaurant – both offer lunch or dinner for the World of Color Dining Package – and Ariel’s Grotto for dinner only. Ariel’s Grotto also offers breakfast and lunch but both dining times are character dining experiences and do not include the World of Color Dining Package.
And if you want a quiet place to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the parks, but still enjoy the magic of Disney, be sure to check out the Alfresco Tasting Terrace at California Adventure Park, where you can relax on the patio overlooking Radiator Springs as you tour the wine country with an expertly chosen flight. Or pair a glass with an assortment of delicious Italian-inspired appetizers. They also offer beer tastings for those who prefer beer over wine – or try both!
During our Disneyland Resort vacation, we also explored the Downtown Disney District area which offers shopping and dining as well as fun entertainment. The Downtown Disney District is free to enter with a parking fee, but if you dine at one of the participating restaurants you can get your parking pass validated for free parking.
There are many dining experiences and it was hard to choose but we narrowed it down and experienced lunch at ESPN Zone with dinner at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen where we dined New Orleans style on the balcony. The food was delicious and I would recommend both for your visit.
If you are planning to experience Disneyland Resort in California for your next vacation I recommend at least 3 days so that you can experience all of the magic!!