Page 19 - AAA Every Day – AAA Hudson Valley – July/August 2020

Where to Stay
The three Disneyland Resort properties are the Grand Californian Resort and Spa, The Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel. Since the California resort is much smaller than
its Florida counterpart, one great thing is how much closer the hotels are to the action. The Grand Californian has its own entrance into Disney California Adventure Park. The next closest to the magic is the Disneyland Hotel, accessible from the Downtown Disney area. Upon my arrival at the Disneyland Hotel, I was greeted by Chip and Dale in the lobby. This hotel is full of great details, including the extravagantly themed guest rooms. One standout feature of my hotel room was that the headboard was illuminated by fiber-optic fireworks and it played a lullaby version of “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes.”
If you are looking to go but don’t want to stay at a resort property, there are several Good Neighbor Hotels in decent proximity.
Dining
The first evening of
my trip was spent experiencing The World of Color Dining package at Wine Country Trattoria. Guests can
choose from this or two other participating
restaurants – the Carthay Circle Restaurant or the
Storytellers Café. The World of Color nighttime spectacular takes place at Pixar Pier in Disney
California Adventure Park, where music, colorful animation and water collide for your entertainment. Additional dining experiences during my stay included a lunch reservation in Downtown Disney at Tortilla Jo’s featuring savory Mexican cuisine and a Character Breakfast at Goofy’s
Kitchen in the Disneyland Hotel. A highlight of this breakfast experience was enjoying Mickey-shaped pancakes and waffles while Goofy, Minnie,
Pluto, Chip and Dale interacted with
the crowd. At the Disneyland Hotel, Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar makes for a tremendous Polynesian themed setting to lounge and relish in a relaxing ambiance. I treated myself to one of their famous Dole Whips and enjoyed it fireside.
Extra Magic Hour
and Morning Magic
Disneyland Resort Hotel guests can enjoy an Extra Magic Hour at one of the theme parks each day of their
stay. On select days of the week, Disneyland Park will open an hour early and on the other days, Disney California Adventure Park does the same. Guests will need to show their room key along with their admission ticket for early morning entry. Good Neighbor hotel guests receive only one extra hour of magic only at Disneyland Park and which they can redeem
once on their trip. However, this “Morning Magic” is only available on select days and in combination with a three-day (or more) park ticket.
FastPass
Unlike the 60-
day advance
FastPass+
planning that
Walt Disney
World guests
are used to,
Disneyland
visitors need
to be inside of
the theme parks to activate their FastPasses for the day. Depending on availability, guests can choose a new FastPass after they’ve redeemed one, or every 90 minutes, whichever comes first. Keep in mind, to get on Rise of the Resistance in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge you need a Boarding Pass, which is unique to this attraction
and you cannot use a regular FastPass. The boarding passes are
available either inside the park or digitally
via the Disneyland App.
All photos: ©Disney
JULY/AUGUST 2020
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