A staple for us at Disneyland are the Mickey shaped beignets. If we’re going to rope drop, we’re getting beignets. If we’re waiting for Fantasmic, we’re getting beignets. If we’re just in the mood, we’re getting BEIGNETS! You get it. When we saw that the Disney Parks Blog had released the recipe for these beignets, we couldn’t wait to try it and bring a little magic (and comfort) to our home… and kitchen!
If you want to try it yourself, you can find the recipe here!
Since the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Cody has been wanting to build a lightsaber in Savi’s Workshop. For Christmas this past year, we all decided to chip in and gift him the experience of building one. We were just as excited as he was if I’m being honest… We made a reservation using the Disneyland App and waited patiently for our passes to no longer be blocked out from the holiday season. Longest 2 weeks of our lives!
When it came time to build the lightsaber, we needed to check-in with one of Savi’s gatherers in front of the workshop. We were told to be vigilant as storm troopers would frequent this area looking for any “rebel scum”.
While you’re waiting you get to pick your lightsaber build; Peace and Justice, Power and Control, Elemental Nature or Protection and Defense. Cody chose Protection and Defense with a blue kyber crystal.
And now the real fun begins… building your lightsaber! This is not just a simple lego build, this is an EXPERIENCE. It gave us chills especially when Yoda surprised us with some words of wisdom.
This is an experience we will never forget. May the force be with you, always.
Took some polaroids while we were in the parks yesterday. I had originally got this film back when we were celebrating Mickey’s 90th but kept saving it for a “special occasion” but every time you go to Disneyland is a special occasion right? Is that cheesy?? maybe. But we had a lot of fun capturing our day through these polaroids. I wish I would’ve stocked up earlier because it was just so much fun to shoot with! Luckily I found some online so I ordered a few more packs to bring with me during the holiday season! #AllAboardDisney
It’s not news that Disneyland always delivers on themed celebrations ESPECIALLY when it comes to the food… but for Haunted Mansion’s 50th Anniversary they really outdid themselves. We’ve tried a lot of foods in the past but this particular celebration has to be our favorite one that we’ve seen tasted so far.
Let’s talk about souvenirs first. We originally were only going to get the popcorn bucket but then FOMO took over and we opted to complete the collection with the beignet holder and sipper cup. We’re crazy (we know) but these three hitchhiking ghosts make for the perfect Halloween decoration and we are very much our mother’s daughters when it comes to decorating the house for aaaallll the holidays. Now on to the food!
River Belle Terrace
The sliders were very tasty and packed with flavor but THAT CAKE…it is one of the most delicious things we’ve had in the parks. A bold statement but we stand by it. We went back again just for the cake and the cast member serving us said we weren’t the only ones there having cake for lunch. Breaks our hearts that this delicious treat is only here for a limited time.
Churros
Both churros were yummy but if we HAD to choose a side… we’d be team Bride!
Mint Julep Bar / Royal Street Veranda
These two are our top picks for drinks offered with this celebration. We’ve gone back maaaany times for these specialty drinks… we might have some separation anxiety when they finally depart from the parks…
Harbour Galley
The brew was good but the real star of the drink was the vanilla cream. We tried mixing it to get some of that flavor in the rest of the drink but it didn’t really work so we continued to drink off the top (hence the cream moustache). The Seafood Boil was flavorful and spicy and it was fun to see it come in a boiling bag but we thought that for the price, there should have been a little more.
Rancho del Zocalo
I don’t know why we haven’t spent more time eating at Rancho del Zocalo but it is quickly becoming one of our favorite places to go. These tacos were impossible to eat with your hands but the fry bread yuummm.
Pooh Corner / Hungry Bear Restaurant
There is nothing too complex about the first treat. It’s a chocolate-covered rice krispie treat. It’s cute AND it’s delicious. As for the Dead-Cadent Funnel Cake, it is a little more complex with its flavors and that’s why we love it. The brownie smothered with the white chocolate raspberry ice cream with whipped cream to top… we couldn’t think of a more perfectly dead-cadent sweet!
The French Market
How fun is this cake?!? and it tastes good too! Channeling our inner Mary Berry, this cake wins for great flavor and presentation.
We are SO happy to have the Main Street Electrical Parade back at Disneyland. Last night was the first night of its return so we headed to the park to get some dinner and grab a spot for viewing. With the return of the parade, Disneyland has released some Main Street Electrical Parade themed merchandise and treats! By the time we got to the parks, a lot of the treats were sold out so we’ll have to come back to try some of the deliciousness! The Main Street Electrical Parade is only here for a short time with two shows a night until September 30th. Hurry to the parks, you don’t want to miss it!
If you’ve been keeping up with our Instagram, you already know how we feel about Galaxy’s Edge… spoiler alert: we LOVE it. While visiting the planet of Batuu, we got to taste a little (maybe a lot) of what the galaxy had to offer so we put together a list of all the food we tried while at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
DOCKING BAY 7
There was a lot to like at Docking Bay 7. We’ve eaten here for breakfast and lunch but haven’t had a chance to try the dinner menu yet so I guess we’ll just HAVE to go back! The breakfast here was delicious, the Bright Suns Morning consists of a three-cheese egg bite, pork sausage, purple potato hash and a mini mustafarian lava roll. The pork sausage gets a 10/10 from us, it was SO yummy. We enjoyed 2 out of 4 of our lunch plates. The Felucian Garden Spread and the Roasted Endorian Tip Yip Salad were in our favor, the Smoked Kaadu Ribs and Yobshrimp Noodle Salad were not. The ribs were difficult to eat and it was hard to see if there were bones in the meat (there were) and the Yobshrimp Noodle Salad left Cody hungry for churros. I know Cody’s always hungry for churros but he said the meal wasn’t great and we trust him. Our overall favorites; Moof Juice, Roasted Endorian Tip Yip Salad, Felucian Garden Spread, Bright Suns Morning, Batuu-Bon.
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dessert:
RONTO ROASTERS
When you have siblings, you’re expected to have some disagreements, we certainly do (Blue Milk vs. Green Milk) but something we can all agree on is that the Ronto Wrap and the Tatooine Sunset are the best things we tried in Galaxy’s Edge! The Moof Juice from Docking Bay 7 wasn’t far behind but there is just something about the Tatooine Sunset… it’s refreshing yet sweet and very delicious. The Ronto Wrap was filled with roasted pork, cole slaw and grilled pork sausage, what’s not to like??
MILK STAND
Like I mentioned before, we are not in agreeance about the milks from the Milk Stand. Courtney liked the Green Milk while Cody and I preferred the Blue Milk. Something we all preferred to these milks was the Blue Bantha drink from Oga’s Cantina… but more on that later! Despite this being a milk stand, there isn’t actually any dairy in these drinks. They are both plant-based using coconut and rice milk which we think gives it that sweet taste. These were fun to try but I don’t think we’ll be having a craving for them any time soon.
OGA’S CANTINA
We were lucky enough to be able to visit the cantina twice and while we thoroughly enjoyed the decor, music and drinks, it was very crowded and we felt rushed each time. Once you get into the cantina, there is a 45 min time LIMIT and a 2 drink MAXIMUM. As you can see, we tried a lot over our two visits. Our favorite drinks were the Outer Rim, Blue Bantha and the Cliff Dweller. Bonus is the Cliff Dweller comes in an adorable Porg mug and the Blue Bantha has a cookie on top!
There are two options for food during lunch and dinner. We loved Oga’s Obsession (Jello with popping pearls) but we couldn’t get on board with the Batuu Bits. While they looked the part, we thought it was a weird combination. Chocolate and fish in the same bite? No thank you!
Non-Alcoholic:
Alcoholic:
Snacks:
That’s about it for our food guide! ‘Til the Spires!
Not too long ago in a galaxy far, far away…
Three siblings came together to journey to the Galaxy’s Edge on the planet of Batuu.
We still can’t get over our time in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. We had so much fun eating all the food, riding the Millennium Falcon and making a droid (Kenzie has never felt more motherly). It’s been a long time coming so we were well-versed on all the details about how to gain access to Galaxy’s Edge. One way to ensure your admission into the new land was by booking a stay at one of the 3 Disney hotels. We decided to stay at the Paradise Pier hotel as it was the most cost effective for us. After booking our room, we received our reservation for Galaxy’s Edge!…the 8am-12pm time slot on Sunday. In each of the Disney hotels, there is a Galaxy’s Edge reservation desk where you can make changes to your reservation and ask cast members any questions that you may have before entering the park. Once we got settled into our room, we headed into the park to look at all the opening day merch. This merch is located at the Star Trader shop in Tomorrowland. Courtney picked up an AP exclusive shirt from there and then we headed back to the hotel to get some shut eye… we had an early morning ahead of us!
If you had the 8am reservation, they were opening the park at 6am to allow enough time for everyone to check in and get their wristbands at the Launch Bay in Tomorrowland. Experiencing Disneyland in the wee hours of the morning is still so magical! After check in, we grabbed some breakfast at the Galactic Grill before lining up between Finding Nemo and the restaurant. Then we eagerly waited for the cast members to escort us to Batuu.
At 7:45a two rows of cast members escorted us to Galaxy’s Edge. You could feel the excitement and energy from everyone as we walked over and got our first glimpse of Galaxy’s Edge. It was a feeling like no other! Our first stop was Oga’s Cantina. There was a two drink maximum (not minimum) so we ordered a few things and shared.
After Oga’s Cantina we headed to Docking Bay 7 to have our second breakfast of the morning. We ordered the Rising Moons Overnight Oats, Bright Suns Morning,the Mustafarian Lava Roll, Moof Juice and Phattro. Everything about the Docking Bay was amazing. The food, the decor, even the silverware and plates. You really felt like you were transported to another planet.
Our next stop was Dok-Ondars Den of Antiquities. The store was filled with unique goods like rare crystals and jewelry, you can even buy the lightsaber of a famous Jedi…so many great finds! Kenzie was tempted and almost walked away with a Nabu head piece.
After some shopping, we hopped in line for the Millenium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. We found that if you waited about 2 hours into the reservation, the wait was only about 20 mins. If we’re being honest, even if we had to wait longer we wouldn’t have minded. The queue was filled with so many great details; there was always something to look at! I don’t think it could ever get old. This ride was an UNREAL experience… pulling that lever to take us to light speed…magic! Thankfully we had Cody who was a fantastic co-pilot and Kenzie as our gunner. We passed our mission and didn’t have too much damage to the ship. The ride is VERY interactive, it was something we really loved about it. Your outcome was based on how well you did on the ride.
Post Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run…
While waiting in line for Smuggler’s Run, we mobile ordered the Blue and Green milk from the milk stand. Kenzie and Cody liked the Blue milk, while I much preferred the Green milk…more for me I guess! While we enjoyed our milk we roamed around the spire and even ran into Kylo Ren and a few stormtroopers.
Next up the Droid Depot! If you have a spare $25,000 you can buy your very own R2D2. If you don’t have that kinda change lying around, you can choose to build your own droid for $99! Kenzie decided that was going to be her splurge and so she created her own little droid baby. She picked all the parts at the conveyor belt, brought it to the building station and with Cody’s help her droid came to life. Welcome to the family BB Ben!
Now it was time for Cody and I to do some shopping, so we headed over to the market. We picked up some popcorn at Kat Saka’s Kettle (which is something else we disagree on) I loved the sweet and spicy mix while everyone else wasn’t sold on it. We continued to wander through the shops and Cody got to pick out his own Jedi robe (NOTE: you’re not allowed to wear it inside Galaxy’s Edge) while I bought the cutest Chewbacca and Yoda plushies.
After working up an appetite from all the shopping we decided to head back to Docking Bay 7 with BB Ben in tow. These droids are interactive and communicate with other droids nearby as well as react when they are in certain parts of the land. BB Ben got really talkative when we got to Docking Bay 7. It’s so much fun seeing them interact!
Sadly our time had come to an end. As we were exiting, we passed by some kiosks that were selling rebel merchandise, we even ran into Rey and Chewie! While we did a lot in these 4 hours, we felt like our time in Galaxy’s Edge was rushed. We never wanted to stay too long in one place in case we wouldn’t get the chance to do something else. A perfect example would be me scarfing down a wrap from Ronto Roasters and feeling sick almost immediately after doing so… don’t get me wrong, the wrap was DELICIOUS, it was just consumed too quickly. We had such a great time and we didn’t want it to end sooooo we made another reservation at the Disneyland hotel for this weekend!
Til the Spires!
With Spring Dapper Day coming up this weekend, we decided to (finally) post our first Dapper Day experience at Disneyland! We had so much fun getting all dolled up and going into the park. We made a whole weekend out of it and booked a room at the Disneyland Hotel. Since the Dapper Day expo was taking place in the hotel they were offering discounts on rooms if you purchased your expo tickets ahead of time.
Once we checked in we went downstairs to check out the expo. We got there just in time to watch the San Andreas Sisters perform and we LOVED seeing everyone on the dance floor!
We then roamed around the exhibit hall to look at all the vendors and found a couple of shops that we really loved. Leo found a hat shop that had so many great options he couldn’t decide on what hat to get and ended up leaving empty-handed. The pressure was too much! Kenzie, on the other hand, walked away with an adorable Mickey fascinator by Hat & Mouse.
The next day we got up bright and early to have breakfast with Minnie & her friends at the Plaza Inn.
That moment when you see your favorite character…
After breakfast, we met Cody back at the expo to get our tintype photographs done. We saw this booth set up the day before and put our names down to get a portrait done. Jason Madsen, the photographer is great and if you’re ever in the Los Angeles area, he frequents the Melrose Trading Post so you can grab your tintype photo there too!
Voila! The final product!
We headed back into the park to walk around, grab a bite to eat and take some pics of our Dapper Day attire. Kenzie had an outfit change because she said “wearing a dress is hard work”.
We had so much fun on our first dapper day. Can’t wait to do it again soon!
Happy Valentine’s Day from the Happiest Place on Earth! This year, Disneyland did a scavenger hunt in search of Minnie’s secret Valentine’s Day cards that she’s hidden for Mickey and all of her friends. This was such a cute little activity to do in the parks…some were harder to find than others which let Kenzie’s competitive side really show but we had a lot of fun with it!
We celebrated our victory of finding all the Valentine’s Day cards with some Valentine’s Day desserts! A chocolate tamale and frozen strawberry horchata…YES PLEASE.
We LOVE visiting the parks during the holiday season, it just doesn’t feel like Christmas until we’ve been to Disneyland! Every year we watch the Christmas Fantasy Parade… we typically grab a snack (popcorn, pretzel, churro. What’s your vice?) and mosey on down Main Street to find a spot for viewing. There were a lot of new foods to try this season, so we did our best and tried as much as we could! Lots of peppermint and eggnog treats were consumed… You can see more of our Christmas at the parks below!
The gingerbread cookies in the parade are just as cute as the ones at Red Rose Tavern!
The look of love…and an eggnog mustache. We weren’t kidding when we said that we consumed a lot of eggnog treats. We tried the Holiday Frozen Eggnog from Red Rose Tavern, the Eggnog Latte Cheesecake from the Jolly Holiday Bakery and these Churro Bites with Eggnog Gelato from Hungry Bear.
Now on to one of our favorite treats from this past holiday season. We found out about these Churro Sundaes from the Golden Horseshoe during their last run for Halloween. We were sad that we didn’t have more time together SO when we found out that they were making a comeback for the holidays, we were first in line. We loved this one so much that we decided to recreate it at home! (you can see how we did that here)
The best part about this sundae is the caramel filling inside of the churros. A very sweet surprise…as expressed by Courtney below.
Cody loves going into the Penny Arcade to look at all the sweets. Also, can anyone actually eat a beignet without getting it all over the place?? We loved these Candy Cane Beignets at the Mint Julep Bar.
Kenzie is an avid affogato consumer, so when we found out that schmoozies was putting a holiday twist on their affogato she HAD to get it…even if it was cold and raining.
Some of our favorites from the Festival of Holidays this year.
We’ll miss you Christmas!! Until next time…
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