ILoveRides

Avengers Campus is a brand new land at Disney California Adventure (DCA) that brings the greatest Marvel super heroes to life! An all-new ride: “Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure,” joins fan favorite: “Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout,” immersing guests in their favorite Marvel stories. There are new shows and character interactions, delicious themed foods and drinks, and tons of fun and unique merchandise offerings. Last week TPR was invited to preview the new land, so check out our report below to join us on the adventure! We’re at DCA for a preview of the brand new Avenger’s Campus! First up, let’s head straight to the new ride - Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure! Here’s the entrance area. WEB (aka The Worldwide Engineering Brigade) is a new organization that sets the stage for this attraction. We’re invited to the WEB Open House where they’re showcasing super-powered technology created by the world’s brightest young inventors. Web fluid is SUPER sticky, VERY strong, and has REALLY long range. Noted! Some web fluid sprayers sit in the queue, with webs sprayed on the building behind. There’s lots of signage throughout the queue that invites guests into the story line. Here, we learn about the ride vehicle: the web slinger superpowered autonomous vehicle. The vehicle allows anyone to sling webs like Spider Man! Here’s the entrance to the WEB Open House. Similar to Haunted Mansion, there are 2 pre-show rooms to help with capacity. You’ll be guided into either the right or left room to experience the pre-show. Here’s the pre-show room, one of the labs at WEB. There’s lots of inventions and fun stuff sitting around. Roar! Billboards with all sorts of science line the walls. We spoke with Casey Ging, the Art Director for the attraction, and he said these billboards were his favorite thing he worked on. You can learn the actual real science of spider bots and web flinging! Peter Parker welcomes us and introduces the web slinger vehicle that we’re here to help test. He also shows off the spider bots they’ve invented, with a neat self-replicating feature. Unfortunately the spider bots get stuck in self-replication mode and keep self-replicating. Again, and again, and again. This might end badly! As the spider bots keep replicating they begin taking over everything. This sounds like a job for Spider Man! But he needs our help! He asks us to head to the web slinger vehicles - together we’ll team up to stop the spider bots and help save Avenger’s Campus! The doors open and we head past these lockers towards the slinger vehicles. Here are the web slingers! Ooooh, ahhhh. Bonus points to Disney for making the vehicles 2-sided, which should double the capacity of the attraction and make wait times shorter (yay!) Once inside, we pull down the lap bar and we’re off! Time to sling some webs! There are several scenes, all bursting with spider bots to shoot! Eat my webs, spider bots! Spider Man swings through the scenes as well, helping us get all the spider bots! Thanks Spider Man! Great work! There are lots of fun scenes from around Avenger’s Campus. If you look just over the quinjet you can see the top of "Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout" in the background. In-between game scenes there are some web covered sets. Spider Man swings down at the end to congratulate us on a job well done! Strike a manly pose! We did it! The scoreboard displays all the stats, including your individual total and the vehicle total. This is the exit hallway as you leave the attraction. The scoreboards display the top scores of the hour and the day, and highlight the most recent additions to the board so you can easily see if you made it to the leaderboard. We got 2nd place for the hour! We’ll have to try again for #1! A few spider bots may have escaped our webs. This one waves bye as you leave the attraction. Thanks for visiting WEB Open House! Next up we’ll check out Pym Test Kitchen, the main restaurant at Avengers Campus. At PYM Test Kitchen, they utilize the revolutionary shrink-and-grow technology of Pym Particles to shrink and grow foods. In the main entrance area you can see pretzels being shrunk and grown before your very eyes! There’s signage on the wall explaining the concepts behind the restaurant. The imagineers played with scale throughout the whole restaurant. These giant ketchup and mustard bottles are from “Bountiful Valley Farm,” a nice nod to the original farm area that occupied this space when DCA first opened. The soda comes from giant cans overhead. Everywhere you look there’s oversized theming. Adjacent to Pym Test Kitchen is Pym Tasting Lab, featuring an oversized beer can, where you can order some delicious adult beverages. Even the bar taps are fully themed! But let’s get to what you’re really here for: the food! The “Not so Little Chicken Sandwich” would qualify as a great “Meat Monday” item. But for those who celebrate “Meatless Monday,” they’ve got you covered as well. The “Impossible Spoonful” is a vegan meatball and pasta dish that’s every bit as filling and delicious as the real thing! The Atomic Fusion Pretzel takes the standard amusement park pretzel to a whole new level. It’s loaded with buffalo chicken, hot sauce, ranch dressing, blue cheese crumbles, celery, and dill-pickled carrots. A cast member I spoke with said the “PB3 Superb Sandwich” was their personal favorite item. It’s a warm PB&J with banana and candied bacon on Pym Particle bread, served with a micro banana smoothie and crispy potato bites. For those who want a more traditionally flavored pretzel, the “Quantum Pretzel” weighs in at 453.8 grams and comes with a cheese-beer sauce for dipping. Wash it all down with some Pingo Doce! Or if you want to avoid the calories, you can even get Pingo Doce Zero Sugar! I tried both variations, and both were superb! The “Pint-Sized Pints Mini Beer Flight” from Pym Tasting Lab features four mini beer steins served on an enlarged ruler that can be kept as a souvenir. There are also several beer cocktails served at Pym Tasting Lab that looked delicious, and the beer cocktails are poured using a reverse draft system that fills the glasses up from the bottom! How cool! The Shawarma Palace cart is another great food option that offers hand-held savory wraps. From Disney: “Fans may recall that after the Battle of New York, the exhausted Avengers took Tony Stark up on his offer to try the food at the “shawarma joint” about two blocks from the battle zone. There at Shawarma Palace, the Avengers discovered their new favorite food. The Avengers loved the food so much that they invited the Shawarma Palace crew to open a food cart at Avengers Campus.” Shawarma Palace offers “New York’s Tastiest,” filled with chicken shawarma and garlic spread, and served with coconut yogurt-tahini sauce and pickled vegetables. The “Impossible Victory Falafel” is a plant-based falafel and cauliflower wrap with garlic spread and hummus, also served with coconut yoghurt-tahini sauce and pickled vegetables. I tried this one and it was great! The yoghurt-tahini sauce is fantastic, and it can be drizzled on the wrap or eaten as a side! Defeat your thirst with “Iron Man’s Infinity Gauntlet!” This awesome souvenir can be purchased at Shawarma Palace and comes with your favorite Coca-Cola beverage! After all the food, you may or may not have room for dessert. But if you do have room, you’re in luck, because there are several great desserts available at Avengers Campus. This is the “Choco Smash” candy bar from Pym Test Kitchen. It’s a giant candy bar consisting of peanuts, nougat, caramel, and chocolate brownie covered in dark chocolate. It’s huge, and could easily be shared by several people. The “Cosmic Cream Orb” is a crispy cream puff with whipped raspberry cheesecake mousse - available at Terran Treats, a food cart near Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout! Also at Terran Treats is the “Sweet Spiral Ration.” This is a spiral churro with unique colors and flavors that will change seasonally. Now that we’re stuffed, let’s check out the merchandise! The “Web Tech Power Band” with various attachments is the star of the show because it changes your abilities on the Web Slingers attraction. It’s so cool that you can buy a toy that actually changes how you’re able to experience a ride! You get different powers depending on which attachment you purchase. Additionally, the attachments have fun playability features in the real world - they either sling string webs or float balls in mid-air. I love that these are fun in both the real world and the virtual world of the ride! This is WEB Suppliers, the main merchandise location for Avengers Campus. Let’s check out the inside! This is the best place to get Spider Bots and other WEB merchandise! The walls are themed with science drawings just like the ride! There are also lots of fun items sitting around the store. Here’s a potato gun that’s a reference to Harley’s invention in Iron Man 3! Snacks for Tippy Toe, the squirrel companion of Doreen Green. They had a table set up outside to show off more of the awesome merchandise. The spider bots come in different variants, and if your friends or family get one too you can battle with each other! There are lights on the controllers that indicate how many lives you have left. This attraction vehicle toy was pretty neat! There are lots of new pins and patches. Use the Gamma Goo kit to make your own glow-in-the-dark slime! Avengers Headquarters is where you’ll see live shows starring your favorite super heroes! This will also be the site of a future E-ticket attraction where you will board a Quinjet and head to Wakanda, fighting alongside the Avengers. I can’t wait for that! There’s a full-size Quinjet sitting on the roof! This is the only place in the world you can see a real, full-size Quinjet! There are lots of photo ops throughout the land as well! Next we’ll check out the Ancient Sanctum. Here you can see Doctor Strange in a show with some magic and mystery! They say this area comes to life with magical energy at night. I imagine it’s beautiful after dark when everything lights up! There’s another great photo op in this area that’s a neat illusion! Over at Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout, a cosmic disruption has caused splashes of space remnants to warp the ground around the attraction! There’s lots of colorful space goop all over! It’s a fun new addition to the otherwise boring pavement. If you look closely you may even find some hidden mickeys! I was able to spot 3 of them, but I heard there may be even more! Guardians isn’t brand new, but since it’s also part of Avengers Campus (and an amazing attraction), let’s take a ride! Just inside, the Collector’s prized possessions are on display. Cosmo is always our favorite! A portrait of The Collector hangs in the entrance. Due to Covid, the pre-show with Rocket isn’t running right now, so you just walk through this room. But we took a few moments to admire some of The Collector’s artifacts on our way through. We're almost there! We always say “Hi!” to Harold, the old yeti from The Matterhorn that The Collector has snapped up for his collection. New plexiglass has been installed in the ride vehicles to allow for higher capacity. Here we go! Guardians is always so much fun! It’s a musical, special-effects-filled free-fall ride with unpredictable drop sequences that change depending on which song you get! And of course, all your favorite characters from the Guardians of the Galaxy movies are there! After the ride you exit through The Collector’s Warehouse, where lots more Marvel merchandise is available. This is a great place to get Marvel clothing items. Pin collectors should check this store out too! Groot fans will be in heaven here. This Groot attaches to cords, cables, or wires, such as your headphone wires! We love the Guardians themed plush toys! And the Groot Loungefly backpack may just be a “must have” item. That concludes our first look at Avengers Campus! This was a small media preview that showed some aspects of the land, but we weren’t able to see many of the characters and shows during our visit, so know that there’s MUCH more to see and experience when you visit. We hope you enjoyed this taste of Avengers Campus as much as we did! We’ll end with this final image of the entrance area - which is no longer closed off because the land is now OPEN! Be sure to check it out for yourself! Thanks to Disney for inviting us to check out Avengers Campus, and thanks to you for checking out our report!

Last night TPR attended the Knott's Scary Farm 2019 Announcement Event where we learned everything that's in store for Scary Farm 2019! They announced so much! Here are the highlights: NEW MAZES: - Wax Works - Origins: The Curse of Calico NEW SHOW: - Puppet Up! Uncensored RETURNING MAZES: - The Depths (There's a new elevator show scene.) - Shadowlands (This will be the last year for Shadowlands.) - Dark Entities - Dark Ride (A surveillance room and a gift shop exit scene will be added this year.) - Pumpkin Eater - Paranormal Inc. - Special Ops: Infected (This will be the last year for Special Ops. A convenience store scene and a meatpacking warehouse scene will be added this year.) RETURNING SHOWS: - The Hanging - Conjurers: Magic and Mirth - "Awaken the Dead" dance party - "Halloween Hootenanny" ride overlay for Timber Mountain Log Ride SCARE ZONES: - Ghost Town Streets - Carnevil - Forsaken Lake (Larger footprint this year) - The Hollow NEW PINS: - There are special pins to commemorate the mazes that are retiring this year. ART SHOW: - "Into the Fog" art show featuring Scary Farm themed art. SCARY FARM SEASON PASS: - $100 + tax/fees. - $90 + tax/fees if you have an annual pass. (Prices valid through Sept. 15 or while supplies last) For all the photos and more details, check out our full report below! And be sure to leave a comment with what you're most excited about for Scary Farm 2019! On with the report... We're at Knott's Berry Farm to find out all the details for Knott's Scary Farm 2019! Scary Farm fans who were lucky enough to get a ticket began filling the theater. The always-hilarious Jeff Tucker came on stage and welcomed everyone to the event! He quickly ran through the returning mazes and shows (posted above) before getting to what's new for 2019! New for 2019: Wax Works! Knott's even did performances for each of the announcements! Wax Works will be based in an abandoned wax museum where former plastic surgeon, Dr. Augustus Scratch, will show off his life-like creations. Perhaps they're a little too lifelike... Puppetteers from the Jim Henson Company will bring to life the all-new show, "Puppet Up! Uncensored" in the Charles M. Schulz Theatre. Puppeteers will mix puppetry and improv comedy on-stage while screens on either side of the stage will show the hilarious results! This audience-suggestion driven show should be neat! It's like "Whose Line is it Anyway?" meets "Sesame Street," with a little bit of mature humor thrown in for good measure! The final new maze announcement is Origins: The Curse of Calico! We love that this maze ties in to the Ghost Town history of the park! After Sarah Marshall is found guilty of witchcraft she's brought to the gallows, but just before she's hung she casts a spell that puts a curse on the whole town! This maze keeps the character of the Green Witch alive, and there will be a new flying effect in the maze that they promised will blow people away! The show is over, so now it's time to party! They had tons of yummy food. And creepy desserts! Check out this cake! Can you believe that's a cake? Knott's always has a cool ice-sculpture too! It's tradition! We got a preview of some of the 2019 merchandise! Here's the "Wax Works" shirt. A shirt for the new "Origins" maze. Or maybe cockroaches are more your thing? Pumpkin purses for the ladies! (Or men, we don't judge!) We also got a preview of the "Into the Fog" art show! There are lots of neat pieces. The originals and prints will be for sale at the event! How cool is this Hanging diorama? Knott's Scary Farm 2019 promises to be an amazing event! An impressive roster of returning favorites joins two new mazes (Wax Works and Origins: The Curse of Calico) and a new show (Puppet Up! Uncensored). As usual, it's looking like Scary Farm 2019 will be a "can't miss" event! Thanks to Knott's for inviting us to this announcement event, and thanks to you for checking out our report! Scary Farm runs select nights from Sept. 19 - Nov. 2. What are you most excited for?

Unfortunately the boysenberry hummus was the only vegan "food" item . To be 100% honest, I wouldn't recommend the festival to vegans. It's a shame, because it seems like some simple changes like taking the meat out of the chili recipe (or replacing it with Beyond Meat) could easily create more options so that all guests could have a great time. But at the end of the day, I get it - they're in business to make a profit, and it's much easier for them to make items that appeal to 95%+ of their guests than to try to cater to that last ~5% who are vegan or have food allergies. For the vegans who still end up going nonetheless, I'd recommend: - The Boysenberry and Basil Lemonade is great. - Last year they were able to make the Boysenberry Boba with non-dairy milks such as almond and coconut milk, but I don't know if they're still doing that this year. You'd have to inquire at the park. - Keep an eye out for little boysenberry treats at some of the stores and stands. For example, in past years the boysenberry licorice was vegan (and delicious!). If they still have that this year I'd recommend it! I’m pretty sure the Boysenberry Cotton Candy is vegan too. - There are some vegan options that aren't related to the Boysenberry Festival. The Chicken Dinner Restaurant has a special vegan menu with a few ok options. I haven't been super impressed with any of them, but they’ll get you by! You can also get alcoholic drinks there, if you’re into that sort of thing. - If you’re willing to leave the park, I’m sure you guys can find other restaurants outside the park that would have vegan options. Carl’s Jr. is 1 mile away - they recently added a Beyond Meat burger that can be veganized. - Trust me on this if you’re willing to drive a bit. After you’re done at the park and have had dinner, drive 15 minutes to: 14241 Euclid Street C115, Garden Grove, CA 92843. It’s a vegan ice cream shop called “Hug Life” - you will both love it! And just to clarify so there’s no confusion, I think the staff in charge of food at Knott’s are all great. They’ve always treated Brittney and me with respect, been very responsive and helpful to us, and have even gone above-and-beyond for us at some of the media events. I do think the vegan options are few and far between at the park, but I think it has a lot to do with the realities of trying to run a profitable amusement park - not that the staff are doing anything wrong. Unfortunately this is an industry-wide issue with no easy solution.

The 2019 Boysenberry Festival at Knott’s Berry Farm is now here! For those who don’t know, the Boysenberry Festival is an annual celebration where Knott’s honors the boysenberry, a fruit that played an important role in turning Knott’s into the giant amusement park it is today. The festival includes entertainment, live music, a wine and craft brew tasting garden, an art show, and lots of other family fun. But most importantly, the festival features over 75 one-of-a-kind boysenberry inspired foods and drinks - allowing guests to experience the boysenberry in all its glory! Knott’s invited us to a preview tasting event to show off some of the awesome deliciousness that’s available at this year’s festival, so check out our full report below to see what’s available! But I have to warn you, these photos may make you start salivating! The festival runs from March 29- April 28, 2019 - so pick out your favorite items below, make a plan of what you want to eat, and prepare to come hungry! On with the report… We're at Knott's Berry Farm to check out all the awesome food that you can get at the Boysenberry Festival starting now through April 28, 2019! Before we dive face first into the food, let's take a quick look at some of the merchandise! This year you can actually buy canned boysenberries! What better to make pies with? Maybe cobbler kits are your thing? If you don't feel like baking anything, just go for some boysenberry jelly beans in a jar. Mmmmm, boysenberry caramels! Get your boysenberry pies out of the oven with a boysenberry potholder! Just be careful not to spill anything on your boysenberry apron! A whole range of boysenberry sodas are available! Mugs are always a popular souvenir. The event shirt this year is great! If you forget to put on your boysenberry apron and you end up spilling boysenberry all over yourself, clean up by taking a bath using these boysenberry bath products! For the first time ever, Yogurtland is teaming up with Knott's to offer a special flavor - Boysenberry Pie! You can get this at Yogurtland, and while you're there don't forget to pick up your special discount coupon for the Boysenberry Festival! (To clarify: the Boysenberry Pie frozen yogurt is only available at Yogurtland - it won't be available at Knott's) Special frozen yogurt + special discount coupon? Yes, please! Sign me up! Moving on to the food you can get at Knott's (and there's a LOT!) ... here's the Boysenberry Elote getting dusted in boysenberry deliciousness! Boysenberry and Lemon Hummus. Boysenberry Salmon over Mixed Greens. Challenge yourself to eat the entire 2' Hotdog on a Boysenberry Bun! Boysenberry Pulled Pork Tostada. Boysenberry Chili in a Boysenberry Bread Bowl (Note for vegans/vegetarians: While in the past Knott's has had vegetarian chili, this version for the Boysenberry Festival contains meat) Boysenberry Sausage. Boysenberry Jerk Chicken Wings. Boysenberry Habanero Baked Mac-N-Cheese. Boysenberry Jambalaya with Chicken and Sausage. New this year is the massive "Berry Beast" which is a crispy pork tenderloin sandwich covered in bacon wrapped onion rings, jalapenos, grilled onions, and drizzled with boysenberry BBQ sauce. Boysenberry Flank Steak with Boysenberry Cream Cheese. White Chocolate Bosenberry Cheesecake. Boysenberry BBQ Chicken Skewers with Boysenberry Aioli. Are you tired of reading the word "Boysenberry" yet? Too bad, because there's tons more boysenberry stuff to come! This Boysenberry and Basil Lemonade was really delicious - probably my favorite drink this year! Although I expect the returning Boysenberry Boba to be more popular, since it's super Instagram-friendly. Boysenberry Tart. Boysenberry Sugar Cookies. Boysenberry Frosted Cookies. Boysenberry Lime Tart. If you haven't found something you want to try yet, you must just not like boysenberries! Boysenberry Macaroon. You can't get much more classic or historically accurate than a Knott's Boysenberry Pie! It's a timeless classic that never gets old! It's seriously amazing how many creative and delicious boysenberry items they've come up with. Check out these Boysenberry Cinnamon-Sugar Chips with Boysenberry Ice Cream. Even though I listed a ton of the food items, there's still plenty more! Over 75 total! So suffice to say, there's something for everyone! In addition to the food there's a Wine and Craft Brew Tasting Garden located in the Wilderness Dance Hall. Dozens of wineries and breweries are participating. There are lots of good options! The "Tied Up In Knott's" art show returns again this year as well! Here's a preview of some of the pieces! Who doesn't love Brutus? Lots of different rides are represented. There's lots of love for past attractions as well. TPR favorite Jeff Tucker pays homage to Knott's Beary Tales with his piece. Brittney was drawn to all the cute pieces! Another awesome Beary Tales tribute! Kindom of the Dinosaurs gets some love too! Check out this piece made from laser etched wood! This one was Brittney's favorite because it was 125% cute. Lots of different mediums are used, from digital to hand painting to sculpture. Some pieces are more cartoon-like, while others are photo-realistic. There were so many great pieces of art that it's hard to pick a favorite, but if I had to choose I'd go with "Citizens of Calico" by Richard Wallace shown here on the right. This is just a small sample of what's available, to see them all you'll have to attend! The originals are all for sale, and prints are available for many of them! Brittney says, "Ok, you've seen enough! Time for you guys to go so I can dig in and try all this awesome food!" Do you want to become an "official taste tester" like Brittney? Then don't miss the Knott's Boysenberry Festival! The festivities run from March 29 - April 28, 2019. Get your hands on all the delicious boysenberry treats you've seen here, plus enjoy tons of entertainment and family fun! Don't miss it! Thanks to Knott's for inviting us to attend this mouth-watering preview event, and thanks to you for checking out our report!

In September 2009 I took a trip to the east coast to ride Big Bad Wolf at BGW before it closed for good. I stopped at SFA and KD on the trip too - it was my first time visiting any of those parks. Here's a screenshot of what I posted to Facebook after the trip... Note the caption!

Such unexpected news. This coaster was in my top 5... I’m really sad to see it go.

The Disneyland Resort has 2 special celebrations going on right now! Disney California Adventure (DCA) is ringing in the new year with a Lunar New Year Celebration in honor of 2019, the year of the pig! Now through February 17 there are special shows including Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession, plus lots of other entertainment, merchandise, and tons of delicious Asian-inspired cuisine! Additionally, at both parks the “Get Your Ears On” celebration is in full swing in honor of Mickey and Minnie’s 90-year legacy. This celebration brings special shows to Disneyland including the all-new Mickey’s Mix Magic, plus both parks get tons of celebration themed merchandise and food! There’s lots to experience right now in both parks, so check out our full report below to see all the new awesomeness! We’re at The Disneyland Resort to check out the 2019 Lunar New Year and “Get Your Ears On!” celebrations! Even the monorails are dressed up for the festivities! First up we’ll head in to DCA! 2019 is the year of the pig, and Disney is celebrating with The Three Little Pigs! You can see these new characters during Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession (covered later in this report). Let’s check out some of the food and merchandise! For “Get Your Ears On” there are tons of Mickey and Minnie themed things to eat including this insane “Share Your Ears” Cheeseburger available at Smokejumpers Grill. The Cozy Cone Motel has a special Birthday Hat Macaron. Starting February 19 The Plaza Inn will have Celebration Cake which consists of red and yellow cake with raspberry and lemon filling. The Mickey Mouse Club Hat Dessert is available at Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe. It has a chocolate truffle mousse dome with vanilla bean crème brûlée center. Schmoozies! has this delicious looking Mickey Cookies ‘n’ Cream Shake. It’s a tough choice between the Mickey and Minnie Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes - both available in Mickey’s Toon Town. How cute is this Mickey Mouse souvenir sipper? There are celebration themed bags and shirts. A Mickey 90th hat. There’s a limited release mystery pin collection. Chef John State walked us through all the Lunar New Year food offerings. There’s way too much to cover everything here, but we’ll give you some of the highlights! This Mickey Chinese Hot Dog Bun is available from Prosperity Bao and Buns. Also available at Prosperity Bao and Buns is the Char Siu Pork Bao with Chinese BBQ pork, pickled red onions, and jalapeño. Vegetarians and vegans have some options this year as well! For vegetarians, among the options is a Vegetable Egg Roll and Chilled Sesame-Garlic Noodles, topped with cilantro-cashew sauce and toasted peanuts. This is available at Longevity Noodle Co. For vegans, there’s a Crisp Tempeh and Stir-Fry Vegetables (shown above) which includes steamed rice with orange sauce, served family-style with house-made soup at Paradise Garden Grill. We had this and it was great! Vegans can also have the Stir Fried Vegetables and Pineapple with Soy Protein (not shown) available at Lucky 8 Lantern. The Steamed Short Rib Shumai looks tasty! It has spicy Korean sauce, sriracha-mayonnaise, and cucumber salad. This is available at Red Dragon Spice Traders. Macarons have become dessert staples at The Disneyland Resort, and this Purple Yam Macaron with Crème Fraiche has to be one of the fanciest ones I’ve ever seen them offer! It’s available at Red Dragon Spice Traders. There are some great drinks to wash all the food down with too! This is the Orchid Spritz (non-alcoholic), available at Longevity Noodle Co. Our favorite drink was the Raspberry Lychee Chai Tea (non-alcoholic), available at Red Dragon Spice Traders. There’s a bunch of Lunar New Year themed merchandise available. You can give money to your loved ones in these traditional red envelopes adorned with Disney characters for some added flair. A red Lunar New Year shirt with gold accents. What better way to celebrate the year of the pig than with a piggy bank? A keychain with Mickey holding a lantern. Red and gold mugs with Mickey and Minnie. We headed to Paradise Gardens Park where Brittney and Duff Duff (that’s what she calls her Duffy purse) eagerly awaited Mulan's Lunar New Year Procession. Here comes the procession! The Three Little Pigs are prominently featured in the show. My favorite part is always the dragon! It’s so majestic! And scary! This fan dance is really beautiful. The vibrant colors of the costumes come to life when the sunlight hits them. Mulan and Mushu are the stars of the show! The procession has 40 performers! There’s lots going on the whole time. We liked the new location in Paradise Gardens Park too. It’s much easier to see, and more people are able to get a great view of the show. The ribbon dancers take advantage of the entire performance area. This year the show ends with a burst of loud firecrackers as the finale! After the show Brittney met with Pluto in his Lunar New Year garb! We then watched Dat Nguyen perform in Paradise Gardens. He’s always a crowd favorite. Dat Nguyen is a talented musician who plays several different instruments during his show. Afterwards Brittney sipped on a Vietnamese Iced Coffee. I got a picture with Mickey in his Lunar New Year outfit! The food booths look great with their new decorative, light-up signage. A few more photos of the merchandise. These lanterns light up! Of course there are ears! This Mickey plush holds a little pig! New banners adorn the walkway. The entrance to Paradise Gardens looks great! It has red accents and hanging lanterns. You can make a wish for the new year on Mickey-shaped cards. Then hang your wish up on the wish wall! Next we head over to Disneyland where Mickey’s Mix Magic is about to begin! This brand new projection show can be seen on Main Street, the water screens on Rivers of America, and the facade of It’s a Small World. Fireworks occur with the show on select nights - you can check the entertainment schedule to see which nights will have fireworks. Luckily for us, it’s a fireworks night! We watched the show in front of It’s a Small World. The entire facade is used as a projection screen for the show. Fireworks! An animated DJ Mickey spins a playlist of remixed Disney songs. There are some less common songs like “Ev’rybody Wants To Be A Cat” from The Aristocats, as well as songs you might expect like “Let it Go” from Frozen. The Haunted Mansion segment was my favorite! There’s a projection of the pipe organ from the ballroom scene in the mansion. And some grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize. Here’s a photo from the Frozen segment. Let it go! Let it go! There are some animations from Wreck it Ralph. Mickey gets a big smooch from Minnie at the end! Congrats on 90 years you two! And of course, if you see the show on a fireworks night, there’s a grand finale that lights up the entire sky! After Mickey’s Mix Magic we headed to the brand new Tropical Hideaway! This wasn’t part of the media event, but I wanted to check it out because I've been excited for this since it was announced, and it’s finally here! It turned out really great! This new quick service restaurant is located in the space that formerly housed Aladdin's Oasis. In my opinion, it’s the perfect use for the fairly small space. The design of the restaurant fits perfectly into the theming of Adventureland, nestled between The Jungle Cruise and The Enchanted Tiki Room. It interacts perfectly with The Jungle Cruise, using the existing jungle backdrop to add to the theming and make the area feel spacious as you watch boats returning from their trips through the jungle. And it provides a new themed area to enjoy Dole Whip (more on that in a second!), while shortening the line and lessening the crowds at the Dole Whip stand in front of The Tiki Room (if you’re a Dole Whip fan, I'm sure you know that line can get very long!) There are lots of little details all around the restaurant, and you can tell that a lot of thought was put into the environment. Unfortunately the magic carpets aren’t for sale! The aged floor tiles add to the feel of the restaurant. But what makes this place so, so, so great is that there’s Dole Whip! And you’re no longer limited to just pineapple flavor! There are floats, swirls, and loaded whips with pineapple, orange, and raspberry flavors available! Brittney and I get Dole Whip every time we visit Disneyland, and I can say with certainty that we’ll be getting it at this location from now on! The new flavors are awesome! There are also some unique food items available if you’re feeling hungry! In addition to what’s shown above, you can get Sweet Lumpia that has cream cheese, pineapple, and Dole pineapple dipping sauce. Who’s hungry? My favorite idea with the restaurant was to include Rosita, a talking Tiki Room bird, to entertain guests. In The Tiki Room, Jose always asks “I wonder what happened to Rosita…” but it never gets answered. Now, after all these years, we find out she’s right outside! This is the perfect bridge between The Tiki Room and The Jungle Cruise as well, as she tells jokes and one-liners just like a Jungle Cruise skipper. There are Jungle Cruise boats moored beside the restaurant. I just love how the existing ride was used to open up the environment and make the relatively small restaurant space feel much more expansive. Definitely check out The Tropical Hideaway on your next visit! It’s a wonderful and under-rated addition to the park! Back on Main Street there’s a Valentine’s Day photo op. Heart decorations adorn the lawn in front of Main Street Station. “Get Your Ears On” banners line Main Street. Of course the Minnie ones have polka-dots! Sleeping Beauty Castle is being refurbished right now so that it looks in tip-top shape when Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens later this year. Let’s check out some of the “Get Your Ears On” merchandise! Brittney loved these special 90th celebration Tsum Tsums. She stacked them up into a pyramid for the photo because she believes that Tsum Tsums should always be stacked! There are lots of shirts. Mickey’s 90th mugs - I like the 90 on the handle! This bag celebrates Mickey over the years, and has even more Mickeys on the back! These 2019 shirts are hot off the press! Food-themed merchandise is a big trend right now. Here are some donut ears. A Mickey-pepperoni pizza purse looks too tasty to wear! A donut bag to match your donut ears! Brittney is all about these food plushies. The dole whip, while not new, is still her favorite! Minnie’s “Rock The Dots” merchandise is featured front-and-center in some stores. Over in the World of Disney store there’s a big “Get Your Ears On” display. Purple merchandise is all the rage right now too! These Small World themed bags are unique! These 3d art displays were cool too! You can build a 3d scene from The Mad Tea Party, Splash Mountain, It’s a Small World, or Haunted Mansion. We had an awesome day at The Disneyland Resort checking out the Lunar New Year Celebration and “Get Your Ears On!” The Lunar New Year Celebration runs through February 17, 2019! Get Your Ears On doesn’t have an end date set yet, but we’d recommend visiting by February 17 so that you can see both celebrations! Thanks to Disney for inviting us to check out the festivities, and thanks to you for reading our report!

After undergoing an extensive redesign and remodel, Naples Ristorante E Bar officially showed off their brand new look on Tuesday with a grand unveiling ceremony, and TPR was there to check it out! The restaurant now has several distinct dining areas, from the main downstairs dining room with a fire-themed mosaic glass tile mural and three new wood-burning pizza ovens, to the outdoor bar and patio which is the perfect place to enjoy a drink under the always-sunny Southern California skies, to the airy and spacious second floor seating area and balcony with views of the promenade below. The beautiful redesign is paired with a delicious new menu by Chef Umberto Ribelli of Milan, bringing authentic Italian favorites such as wood-fired Neapolitan pizza and hand-crafted pasta, paired with an extensive wine list and bar menu. Naples has always been one of our favorite places to grab a bite to eat or a drink while taking a break from our time at the theme parks, and the renovation only improves on the already great restaurant. Check out our full report below for a taste of what’s in store at the newly renovated Naples Ristorante E Bar! It’s time to check out the newly renovated Naples Ristorante E Bar! Who’s hungry? Disneyland Resort Ambassador Justin Rapp welcomed everyone to the event. Brent Davies, General Manager of the Downtown Disney District and Jillian DeKunder, Director of the Operating Participants Department congratulated The Patina Group on the restaurant, and thanked those involved in the renovation. Frank Moreno, Vice President of Operations for The Patina Group, said they can’t wait for everyone to see the new decor and taste the food! Two special surprise guests, Chef Mickey and Chef Goofy, appeared to help with the ribbon cutting ceremony! Chef Goofy brought several kitchen tools, and decided the giant pizza cutter would be the best tool to cut the ribbon with. The ribbon was pulled tight, and Frank Moreno had the honor of cutting, or more precisely, slicing, the ribbon! On the count of 3 the slice was made as confetti burst into the air! I spy Mickey in a flurry of confetti! Everyone posed for a few quick photos outside the restaurant. Then it was time to go in! Brittney was super excited and super hungry! We were walked upstairs to the newly renovated 2nd floor, where it feels spacious and airy with sunlight dancing through the space. Live music filled the air and set the festive mood for the reception! Let’s kick this party off with some bubbly! Waiters and waitresses were walking around with trays of passed hors d'oeuvres. There were lots of foods to sample and snack on! Tray after tray of delicious food kept leaving the kitchen. There was a huge assorted cheese platter. Fancy breads. All sorts of salads. Cesare Salad. Mixta Salad. Pesto Pasta Salad. Fresh Mozzarella Salad. There were too many delicious things to try! Brittney was impressed by this giant cheese wheel. It’s the size of an actual car wheel! Chefs were making pizzas right in front of us. Don’t those look AMAZING!? Drool! Brittney pigged out on the Bruschetta. They even made us vegans a cheese-less pizza so we could join in on the fun! I wish I could have live music at every meal! Out on the balcony you get a great view overlooking the promenade below. The open-air design with heaters and fans above should make it comfortable to sit here no matter what the temperature is. A fountain along the back wall provides ambiance and the sound of trickling water. The chandeliers look like hundreds of fireflies hovering above you! How magical! We enjoyed taking in all the little details. The pattern of the floor tiles is modern and striking. Some of the art along the walls. The wine-holding hand is totally the TPR hand! The candleholders on the tables are fancy as well! We loved our table right along the windows. There’s beautiful lighting and it feels like you’re a bird perched above the hustle and bustle of all the people walking and shopping down below. Dessert time! It’s a tough choice between the Fruit Tart and the Lemon Meringue Tart. Maybe we’ll go with Cheesecake instead. On second thought, let’s have 1 of each! We covered the food. We covered the desserts. What’s left to cover? Oh yeah, the drinks! It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it! There’s an extensive wine list with something for every palate and every meal. Red and White Sangria. The Moscow Mule Flight was delicious, interesting, and photogenic. You get three unique, Italian-inspired mules: Sicilian, Naples, and Venetian. We totally recommend this! You can also get a Moscow Mule in a copper cup if that’s your thing. Or there’s a Sangria Flight for those who prefer fruited wines! The Caramel Martini is bursting with creamy, caramel-y deliciousness! As night began to fall and the drinks began to set in, the glow from the chandeliers became even more magical. We went out on the patio to admire the sunset. The sky was bursting with color, as if it too was celebrating along with us. Back inside, the room transitions beautifully to night. The warm glow of the lights, the warm food in our bellies, and the warmth from the alcohol all add up to a cozy, wonderful way to spend an evening! Order The Rocket if you want to have some fun mixing the drink yourself! One more round because it’s our job to find you the best drinks on the menu, and it’s a job we take very seriously! From left to right we have The Apple Pie on the Rocks (LOVED this!), The Poinsettia with rosemary, and The Caribbean Hurricane. There are so many awesome drinks - Naples should definitely be on your list if you’re looking for drinks at The Resort! On our way downstairs we decided to take the elevator. There’s a cool photo mural on the back of the elevator. Or if you take the stairs you can admire all the metal detailing. Downstairs is the main dining room, with a fire-themed mosaic glass tile mural , infinity chandelier, three wood-burning pizza ovens, and lots of seating. Outside on the ground floor, the downstairs patio is perhaps the most popular place to sit. There’s an outdoor bar that glows from within. And they can make pretty much any drink you can dream up. Upstairs is more intimate, private, and cozy - a great date spot! The downstairs bar is more in the center of the action. It’d be a great place to hang out with friends or make new ones over some drinks! We’ll end this report where your Naples adventure will begin, at the welcome desk! The friendly staff are waiting to find you a table! We had an awesome time experiencing the newly renovated Naples Ristorante E Bar. From top to bottom, inside and out, the restaurant has been completely redesigned to bring delicious Italian food and drinks with modern flair to Downtown Disney. Thanks to Naples for throwing such an awesome event and inviting us to attend, and thanks to you for checking out our report! The newly renovated Naples Ristorante E Bar is now open at Downtown Disney in Anaheim, so be sure to check it out on your next visit to The Disneyland Resort!

Brittney and I will start this one off by saying “Merry Christmas!” It’s December 25, and for your Christmas present we have a special holiday report from Knott’s Merry Farm! Knott’s is completely decked out right now for the holidays. Every area of the park - from The Boardwalk, to Fiesta Village, to Camp Snoopy, and of course Ghost Town - is covered in holiday decor. There are holiday shows and entertainment to watch, tons of delicious food to eat, and lots of neat holiday merchandise to browse. We attended their media night to get a taste of what’s in store for the 2018 holiday season - check out our full report below for all the details! We’re at Knott’s Merry Farm to check out the Christmas festivities! Right after entering we were greeted with a beautiful floral holiday photo backdrop. Ghost town looks great! There are vibrant red and white poinsettias all throughout. Lights, wreaths, and garland adorn all the buildings. There’s a warm glow throughout the whole town. The Calico Saloon looks festive as well! A simple wreath is all a steam engine needs to look the part. Everywhere you look are awesome details! The Christmas Crafts Village transforms Ghost Town into a festive marketplace where you can purchase unique gifts from dozens of local artisans. There are booths set up all over the town with things to buy. We always enjoy checking out the hand-knitted items at Miss Doolittle’s! These Christmas tree hats are awesome! Bows, bows, and more bows. Moving around town we saw tons of other items that would make great gifts. Here’s a robot ornament. Who doesn’t love robots? Ornaments for everyone in the family! Did you know that Rudolf’s nose was really a golf ball? When the holidays get too stressful, you can take to drinking with one of these custom flasks! After all the drinking you’re sure to work up an appetite. There are lots of delicious snacks to be had! If you start swearing during your drunken stupor, they offer soap to rinse your mouth out. We “soap” you have a merry Christmas! Let’s purchase all of these and go snowman bowling! If you know any jewelry lovers, there were several booths with necklaces and rings! Pick it today. Paint it today. Take it today! There are some Christmas figurines that you can paint and take home. But rather than the Christmas ones you should totally go with the sensually posed lamb. We couldn’t possibly cover everything that's for sale in the craft village - you’ll just have to go and explore for yourself! Inside the permanent stores there are lots of holiday items to be had as well. Snoopy lovers will have no shortage of items to browse through! Let’s head over to Calico Square for the tree lighting ceremony. Look behind you Brittney, the show is starting! The ceremony began with carolers singing and playing bells on the saloon balcony. The Peanuts characters were joined by dancers for a performance, followed by a burst of confetti! Cherie Whyte, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, and Tim Klega, Area Supervisor of Knott’s Berry Farm Show Development, welcomed everyone to the event. Over 600 members of the Boys and Girls Clubs in Orange County were present in the audience! The Mayor of Calico came out to introduce a special guest - Santa! Santa brought a special present which was opened by 2 children from the audience. Inside the present was a giant glowing light. They hung the light on the tree, the entire tree lit up bright, and snow began falling from the sky! Christmas is officially here! After the tree lighting ceremony we headed to the media reception where they had a selection of holiday food on display. Here are the holiday egg rolls. Turkey Dinner Bites. Holiday Turkey Pizza. Turkey Poutine. Tons of festive “DoughKnott’s” Holiday Crepes mmmmm. Peppermint Churros. Peppermint Cheese Cake. Holiday Danish. Holiday Macaroons. Yule Log. Which cupcake would you get? More “DoughKnott’s” because they look delicious, and you can never have enough! There was also a table showcasing more of the holiday merchandise. The gift baskets and mugs are super cool, and really reasonably priced. For $12.99 you get a Knott’s mug filled with treats and a commemorative pin. Some parks would charge that price for just the pin! For $19.99 you can get a gift basket with a Snoopy or Brutus plush, the commemorative pin, and tasty snacks. Kudos to Knott’s for not just making great merchandise, but also making sure it’s affordable! I love the Knott’s Merry Farm beanies! New this year are “Snow and Glow” lanterns that glow along with the snow show in Ghost Town! Knott’s found an old employee magazine from the 1960s in storage and decided to make some special items using the cover art. How neat! We love how they always find cool new ways to honor the park’s history. The even had the original magazine on display, and opened it up for us to take a peek! “Hey Bill, there sure is a lot of thoughtful and reasonably priced merchandise here.” “I couldn’t agree more, Henry.” (Serious question - do these guys have “official” names? I’ll go with Bill and Henry for now!) Next we headed to the Calico Mine Stage for "It’s The Merriest Christmas Show Ever, Charlie Brown!” The show has lots of dancers. And of course lots of fun with the Peanuts characters! Impressive moves! Schroeder plays some tunes while we wait to see if Snoopy will make it home in time for Christmas. Lucy leads a dance number. Snoopy made it! Yay! You can’t have a Peanuts Christmas show without Snoopy! At the end of the show snow falls from the sky as Snoopy and Charlie Brown say goodbye to the crowd! The Charleston Circle Fountain has new beautiful Christmas decorations this year. We love the light-up swans! Let’s check out the decorations over on the Boardwalk! There are trees floating in the water by the Pier. Hangtime has a special music and light show that plays intermittently. Here’s Brittney rocking out and playing her air guitar with the show! The giant light bulbs and trees on Coasters Drive-In look great! All the game booths have holiday prizes. Brittney spotted a prize she wanted - a mini polar bear squishy - so she decided to play and give it a shot! Perfect aim! It’s looking good! Success! She won! Woo hoo! The polar bear squishy belt toy thingy has been successfully acquired! Fiesta village has a Mexican Christmas theme. Feliz Navidad! Meet the Calico Christmas Cactus! It’s both cactus-y and christmasy all at once! Mr. Snowman is having a fiesta! A Christmas kangaroo with maracas? Brittney votes yes! Next up, Camp Snoopy. The forest-y decorations are adorned with wooden ornaments. There are also holiday themed projections lighting up the pathways. Brittney spotted another plush toy she wanted, so she had to play! The funny thing is you’re actually guaranteed to win this game, and we learned later that the plush actually costs more than the price of the game if you buy it elsewhere in the park! Snoopy plush secured! Ahh, the sweet feeling of success. The store windows are decked out for the holidays! Back over to Ghost Town, I hope you brought your Snow and Glow lantern because the show is about to begin! Look up! It’s snowing! It’s quite a blizzard! It snows all throughout Ghost Town. Brittney twirled and twirled and twirled in the snow. She danced around with her Snoopy and her polar bear while the snow fell. It was pure happiness. What a magical way to end the night! On the way out we stopped for one last picture in front of the giant Christmas tree. We had an awesome night! Knott’s Merry Farm is such a charming So Cal Christmas tradition! There’s so much to see, do, and eat - it’s a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays! In addition to everything we covered in this report, there’s so much more that wasn’t part of the media event this year - The Calico Saloon Christmas Show, A Christmas Carol/The Gift of the Magi, Merry Christmas Snoopy ice show (One of our favorite amusement park shows!), A Peanuts Guide to Christmas, and Santa’s Christmas Cabin all return as well! You’re going to want to spend the whole day there, because there’s so much to do! Merry Farm runs through January 6, 2018 so you still have time to check it out! Thanks to Knott’s for inviting us to attend, and thanks to you for checking out our special Christmas Day report. We hope you have a very merry Christmas and lots of happiness in the new year!

Thanks for the kind words! I had to go to Google Translate for the last bit Happy holidays to you too!

... Continued from above! Disney always has some of the coolest merchandise. Let’s check it out! The store windows are filled with holiday items. So much holiday stuff! Brittney is handing you a countdown to Christmas calendar, fresh out of the oven! These hats were neat and had references to Small World Holiday and Haunted Mansion Holiday. You can never have too many socks! One final park hop! This time to check out Small World Holiday’s facade at night! This ride looks so magical during the holidays. All the topiaries are covered in thousands of glowing lights. Lights everywhere! Every 30 minutes throughout the night there’s a special holiday show projected onto the Small World facade. The show uses projection mapping technology to bring the facade to life! There’s lots of holiday imagery! It’s a really fun show, and it’s definitely nice to have entertainment while waiting in line to ride! Finally, let’s head back to Main Street where the warm glow of Christmas lights puts you instantly in the Christmas spirit. Garland, ornaments, and lights line the balconies of the buildings. The ornaments on the giant Christmas tree are enormous! Each ornament is as big as a human head! Due to high winds, fireworks had to be cancelled on the night we were there. We’ve seen them many times before though, and can confirm you’re in for a treat if the weather cooperates on your visit! But even if the weather doesn’t cooperate, the good news is that you’re still in for some Disney magic! Disney has a special show that plays in the event that fireworks are cancelled, and like magic it begins to snow all down Main Street while projections light up all the buildings. Watching snow fall on Main Street always gives me goosebumps. It’s so magical! What a way to end the night! Walt and Mickey proudly stand in front of the snow covered castle, and as cliche as it is to say, I think Walt would be proud. The parks really look beautiful right now. We had such an amazing day and night taking it all in. Oooooh, ahhhh. Disney magic, plain and simple. Holidays at the Disneyland Resort is one of the best ways to celebrate the holidays. Whether it’s your first time experiencing it or you make it an annual tradition like us - there’s so much to eat, see, and do that it always leaves you wanting more. Thanks to Disney for inviting us to attend, and thanks to you for checking out our report! Holidays at the Disneyland Resort runs through January 6, 2018, don’t miss it!

The Holiday Season is in full swing, and as usual The Disneyland Resort is the perfect place to celebrate the holiday festivities. This year both parks are overflowing with holiday cheer. Among the highlights at Disney California Adventure (DCA) are the “Festival of Holidays,” where you can experience a wide variety of cultural foods and entertainment, and “Season’s Speedings” at Cars Land with “Mater’s Jingle Jamboree” and “Luigi’s Joy to the Whirl” musical ride overlays. Across the esplanade, Disneyland welcomes back all the classics that have become Southern California holiday staples: “Haunted Mansion Holiday,” “Small World Holiday,” “A Christmas Fantasy Parade,” and “Believe...In Holiday Magic” Fireworks. Disney invited us to come experience all the holiday magic at the resort, and we can’t wait to share it with you below! On with the report… We’re at The Disneyland Resort to check out all the Disney Holiday magic for 2018! First up we’ll head in to DCA where the Festival of Holidays brings tons of delicious food to the park. They had a food table set up so we could photograph some of the delicious holiday desserts! The Alien Macarons from Pixar Fest have received a holiday makeover! There’s definitely something for everyone! The Funnel Cake Fries look DELICIOUS! Candy Apples are equal parts beautiful and tasty. Souvenir popcorn buckets are all the rage right now, and the 2018 Holiday ones are some of the coolest ever! You can even get decorations for your straws! Pluto looks super warm in his holiday sweater! It’d be a tough choice between this popcorn bucket and the alien popcorn bucket. But Holidays at The Disneyland Resort isn’t ONLY about the food! There’s tons more to see and do! And since Brittney has a clinically diagnosed addiction to taking character photos, we obviously had to take a picture with Mickey in his winter attire! Get ready, there’s going to be lots of park hopping today! Notice the snow overhead as we pass through the turnstiles to enter Disneyland. The lawn in front of Main Street Station is covered in vibrant red poinsettias. Our Mickey and Minnie plushes said they wanted to take a photo in front of the gorgeous sight! A photo behind the scenes! Shhh, don’t tell Brittney! Have you ever felt lambs ear? It’s a fuzzy plant. Brittney has never met lambs ear that she didn’t want to touch. But more importantly, Brittney has never met a character in holiday attire that she didn’t want a photo with! Wow! Now THAT’S a Christmas Tree! There are holiday decorations everywhere you look! Everybody’s smiling and happy! Is there anywhere better in the World to be? A wintery Sleeping Beauty Castle draws guests forward down Main Street. Mr. Turtle (Yes, we named him) basks in the So Cal winter sun, admiring the decorations on Sleeping Beauty Castle. Mr. Turtle had trouble choosing a favorite decoration on the Castle , but he narrowed it down between this giant wreath… … and the snow-capped peak. He also quietly pondered to himself what the top pointy part of the castle is called, because it’s certainly not called a peak. We left Mr. Turtle to ponder life’s challenging little questions and headed over to New Orleans Square to check out our favorite ride overlay, Haunted Mansion Holiday! The movie that inspired this ride overlay, Nightmare Before Christmas, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year! Xmas is here! And so is Halloween for that matter! We step inside and are instantly surrounded by an eerie glow. Jack has clearly made lots of changes to the mansion! New portraits line the walls. And Zero can be seen flying in the halls. Madame Leota hosts a holiday seance. Breathe deep! The smell of fresh cookies fills the air as we encounter this year’s incredible (and real!) gingerbread house! Each year Disney makes a brand new gingerbread house for the ride, and this year’s is one of the best ever! It actually moves as it’s attacked by that hungry spider! (And yes, we named the spider too. It’s “Mr. Spider” for those wondering. See a trend?) Brittney loves Oogie Boogie and insisted that I include his photo in the report. I love the Hatbox Ghost and I insisted that I include his photo in the report. Everyone loves Jack Skellington and everyone insisted that I include his photo in the report. Yep, even Sally insisted that Jack’s photo be included. After Haunted Mansion Holiday we ate at Hungry Bear Restaurant where you can catch a view of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge rising up behind the Rivers of America. It’s hard to believe that in less than a year this new land will be open! But it’s not hard to believe that in less than a few minutes after eating Brittney wanted to take more holiday character photos! We then headed across the park to It’s A Small World Holiday. Mid-century modern inspired holiday decorations adorn the queue and outdoor areas. Once inside, we head straight to the North Pole! Santa appears to be making his list and checking it twice! (Spoiler alert: Mr. Turtle made the nice list. Mr. Spider didn’t because he stole and ate the entire gingerbread house.) The holiday decorations add another layer of awesomeness on top of Small World’s iconic scenes. Holiday music and sound effects perfectly intertwine with the Small World theme music! In fitting with the spirit of the ride, holiday celebrations from all different cultures and locations around the world are featured! Just looking at these photos has made the music get stuck in my head again! Gifts for Santa from under the sea! Who knew that sea creatures celebrated the holidays too? This is Mr. Serpent. Yep, we named him. And yep, he’s on the nice list. I’m liking that raffia mustache! The Ho Ho Holidays are almost here! The grand finale room is bright and festive! There are white holiday lights all around. The ride ends with a wish for Peace on Earth. Brittney just wishes for more holiday character photos. And boy did her wish come true when as a special media perk she was allowed to stand with Goofy on a float from the Christmas Fantasy Parade! You can really appreciate the details of the float when you see it up close! More on the parade later! Let’s hop back over to DCA. The DCA tree is a nice complement to Disneyland’s. Different, but also impressive. But Brittney doesn’t care about trees when there are character photos to be had! We stopped in at Carthay Circle Theater where there’s a special holiday drink on the menu. It’s called “The Sleigh Ride,” and it includes a light-up Mickey snowflake glow cube. The drink has gin, vermouth, lime juice, and lavender liqueur - delicious! Mmmmm, pasta! The only thing Brittney likes more than character photos is food! The Festival of Holidays brings delicious food and lots of cultural entertainment to DCA. Here Blue13 Dance Company celebrates Diwali with traditional dances. Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Street Party in Paradise Gardens Park is a ton of fun! There are folklórico dancers… Appearances by Mickey and Minnie… Donald Duck, Panchito and José Carioca dance to the music of mariachi and samba musicians. Minnie says hi! We love the giant mojiganga puppets that dance along to the celebration! As night began to creep in, so too did hunger, so we headed to the Festival of Holidays booths to grab some small bites. We loved the Pumpkin Soup with Maple Cashew Cream. And for dessert, a Vanilla and Cranberry Trifle! Yum! While we ate we watched Mostly Kosher, a band that honors Hanukkah with an eclectic blend of musical styles from klezmer and jazz to Latin and rock. Back over to Disneyland, it’s time for A Christmas Fantasy Parade! The parade kicks off with some marching soldiers! Mickey and Minnie look festive and cozy in their holiday sweaters! Chip and Dale are making sure that letters to St. Nick are properly delivered. Skiers carve a path through the parade route. Brittney insisted that the cute snowmen make it in the report. I always feel like my 6 foot tree at home is going to fall over just from the weight of the ornaments, yet somehow Disney manages to safely drive a ginormous tree covered in snow and ornaments all over Disneyland. TPR loves Frozen! Hi Elsa! These storybooks introduce each of the acts of the parade. Hey look, it’s the float that Brittney got to stand on earlier! And Goofy is waving - he must have spotted Brittney! Belle and The Beast are looking very dapper. Santa’s Toy Factory is always one of my personal favorite floats. Even the wheels are themed! How cool! The float pops toys out the back, ready for Santa to give away on Christmas! There are lots of dancers. And not only human dancers, the reindeer get in on the fun too! It wouldn’t be a Christmas parade without Santa! And there’s good news - Santa has decided to forgive Mr. Spider for eating the gingerbread house and he put Mr. Spider back on the nice list! I told you there’d be lots of park hopping today! Let’s head Back over to DCA to check out Cars Land. On the way we admired Carthay Circle Theater which is adorned with a giant holiday wreath. Season’s Speedings! A look down Route 66. All the decorations are Car themed, of course! Car parts make up the garland and wreaths that are strung over the roadway. Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree is now Mater’s Jingle Jamboree. The ride has a musical overlay for the holidays. Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters also has a musical overlay, turning it into Luigi's Joy to the Whirl. I love the names of the two ride overlays! Near the exit to Luigi’s is the famous Radiator Springs Horn-O-Plenty. The residents of Radiator Springs are all dressed up as well! Mater’s hat looks great! I’ve heard of a white Christmas and a blue Christmas, but never an orange Christmas. The Cozy Cone Motel is here to change that! After checking out Cars Land we headed back to Buena Vista Street to see some of this year’s holiday merchandise. On the way we couldn’t help but marvel at DCA’s tree all lit up. The Red Car Trolleys are in the holiday spirit as well! (Report continued below...)

She didn't get it, but only because she's pretty much maxed out on cute stuff. Her office is where all that stuff ends up going and it's pretty much filled to the brim with Hello Kitty and unicorn *EVERYTHING*.

... Continued from above. Next up, The Hanging! This show is a hilarious no holds barred assault on pop culture’s most infamous moments of the past year. It’s a Scary Farm tradition! This year we get to hear from U.R.A.N.U.S. Who’s ready for a hanging!? As always, there are stunts and special effects! Lots of humor. Hangtime makes a cameo… As it goes head-to-head with The Incredicoaster! Hi Bieber! Bye Bieber! Who wants to do the Tide Pod Challenge? A baby shark doo doo doo doo doo doo Harvey Weinstein So who gets hung? Is it Harvey Weinstein? Or maybe Rosanne Barr gets the noose? Or perhaps it’s Logan Paul? There’s only one way to find out! Go watch The Hanging! The Timber Mountain Log Ride overlay, “Halloween Hootenanny” returns this year as well. There aren’t any scare actors this year, just decorations and sound. Back to the mazes, here’s Special Ops: Infected! You grab a gun and get to shoot zombies! After years of doing this, Brittney is a zombie shooting master! Go! Go! Go! They pop out when you least expect it. Even from above! The Chuck-E-Cheese room is awesome! Keep an eye out behind you! Take the tunnel! Yes Brittney, this abandoned subway car with blood spattered windows looks like the PERFECT place to take cover. I love the subway car scene! Hopefully the zombies don’t drink any toxic sludge. Oh no, they did! We survived thanks to Brittney’s shooting skills - now on to The Red Barn! We immediately encounter someone in need of help! There are some projection effects. Who wants to walk through the dead swinging bodies? Anyone? Anyone? *Crickets* Ahhh! This is definitely a creepy barn! The giant animatronic horse is awesome! Oh no! The fog is starting to fade, which can only mean one thing - our awesome time at Scary Farm is coming to an end. One last scare to end the night! Knott’s Scary Farm 2018 was great! New mazes, new shows, and a new scare zone join some of our favorites from previous years to make an event that shouldn’t be missed! Scary Farm is open through Halloween - 8/31/18 - so go check it out! Thanks to Knott’s for inviting us to attend, and thanks to you for checking out our report!

... continued from above. I don’t know how we keep managing to survive, but hopefully our luck doesn’t run out as we enter the other new-for-2018 maze, Dark Entities! This maze is awesome! It feels like you’re on a space station - but unfortunately things start to go horribly wrong! An extraterrestrial mutation has invaded the station, and it’s on the prowl for new hosts! “I will save this patient!” There are some cool smoke and light effects in this portion. It’s too late for the crew, but hopefully we can save ourselves! Watch out for extraterrestrials! I’m never getting on a space ship again! Phew, we made it out alive! On to the next maze, Paranormal Inc. In this maze you get to be in the audience watching a live taping of a TV show about paranormal activity. But - you guessed it - things don’t go to plan! “You’re all going to die!” The ghost bursts through the wall and flies overhead! This book has a neat projection effect. Blood spatters appear as the spirits write on the pages. This year there’s a brand new ending to the maze! It was a nice change. And you still come face to face with a giant monster! It’s time to check out Ghost Town Streets! Ghost Town Streets was the first-ever scare zone, and in my opinion it’s still the best! You never know who you’ll run into! Or what you’ll run into! Half-human, half-animal monsters prowl the streets. It’s a simple formula: Lots of fog + Darkness + Monsters = Scary. It never fails! You can just barely make out the creepy silhouettes of monsters lurking in the fog. Over in Calico Square there’s another giant Jack-O-Lantern display. Giant spiders have covered the Calico Saloon in webs. If you’re lucky you might catch the mini “burlesque” pop-up show on the saloon balcony. Calico is great as always, but lets escape the scariness for a bit... We’ll take refuge in the Birdcage Theatre to watch, “Conjurers - Magic and Mirth.” It’s fitting that there’s some bird magic in the Birdcage Theatre! Different magicians will be performing throughout the Scary Farm run, so if you go you’ll probably see someone different. But all of them should be great! There was lots of comedy... Some shocking moments... Some literally shocking moments... And of course, lots of great magic! How’d he do it?!? Magic is always fun - we definitely recommend checking out this show! The venue is intimate, the magic is wonderful, and it’s a great place to sit down and take a break from all the running away from monsters! We ventured out into the fog again on our way to the Charles M. Schulz Theatre. There’s a new Knott’s Scary Farm projection on the Pony Express tunnel. We made it! Time to watch “Hacks! Cutting Room Floor.” Apparently this show used to be in the Birdcage Theatre many years ago (I never saw it there personally), but now it has moved over to the much larger Charles M. Schulz Theatre. You may get embarrassed before the show begins! Horror! Bad hygiene! Turd children from hell! The show is really funny. It’s similar to “Whose Line is it Anyway?” in that there are several improv skits. In each skit an audience member is called up to assist. Here, the cast members have to move any body part that the volunteer touches! In this skit the volunteer is making sound effects for the actions of the cast. Brittney got called up on stage! She got to go to space! Lots of silliness ensued! Go Brittney! So that’s Hacks! If you like improv, you’ll enjoy this show! Afterwards we checked out some of the merchandise that’s for sale. Here’s this year’s main event shirt. Brittney of course prefers the Spooky Farm shirt because it’s “cute.” Maybe buttons are more your thing? Don’t go too crazy! There’s even an art show titled, “Into the Fog: A Scary Farm Tribute!” It’s located in the Bizarre Bazaar / Nautilus Merchandise Store. There are almost 40 pieces by 35 artists from across the country. Each art piece pays tribute to Knott’s Scary Farm in its own unique way. Even if you aren’t purchasing something, it’s a cool exhibit to check out! Up by the entrance we spied this glow merch. Who doesn’t love glow merch? Brittney’s “cute” alarm is going to be going off again. There are lots of choices for everyone!

There’s a chill in the air, the fog has rolled in, and shrieks of terror can be heard in the night - it can only mean one thing - Knott’s Scary Farm is back! 2018 marks the 46th year of Scary Farm, and Knott’s isn’t resting on its laurels - there are new mazes (“The Depths” and “Dark Entities”), new shows and entertainment (“Hacks! Cutting Room Floor” and “Conjurers - Magic and Mirth”), and a new scare zone (“Forsaken Lake”) to keep the event fresh and exciting. We were there on media night and are happy to bring you our biggest report ever - 222 photos of Scary Farm awesomeness and a 45 minute video with walkthroughs of every 2018 maze! So grab some popcorn, turn down the lights, and try not to scream too loud (Don’t worry, we won’t judge you). Here it is, Scary Farm 2018... Our full video of every 2018 Scary Farm maze: [youtu_be] [/youtu_be] Lets dive right in! As the opening draws near, Monsters appear - and they look hungry! The Monsters attack as the rope drops and guests stream in! Scary Farm is officially open! It isn’t even dark yet, but things are already getting scary! First up we headed to the media reception in Fiesta Village. Knott’s always makes an awesome ice sculpture for the party! And of course there’s lots of yumminess. Too much to choose from! Mr. Watermelon says “Boo!” Knott’s is known for their food, so they always go all-out! There was a new pumpkin soup this year that was delicious. There were Dia De Los Muertos decorations throughout the reception area. Go-go dancers from the new “Awaken The Dead” dance party entertained the crowd. I hope you saved room for dessert! Time to wash it all down with some boysenberry beer! Mmmmmmm! But enough partying - we have an event to cover! First up we’ll check out the brand new scare zone, “Forsaken Lake.” Gothic decorations now surround the lake underneath Silver Bullet. And creatures have emerged from the murky waters. They want to bury you in a watery grave! No thank you! We narrowly escaped the creatures of Forsaken Lake and began heading towards The Boardwalk. On the way there, we passed a ghostly train conductor guarding his train. The Charleston Circle Fountain has been overrun with an enormous display of giant Jack-O-Lanterns. This looked great! There are lots of mini shows this year that you may stumble upon as you explore the park. In this show, medicine man Dr. Dillard Marsh shows off Mother Hurlbut’s Hellacious Elixir. Here come the clowns as we enter the CarnEVIL scare zone! Hangtime features spooky red lighting during Scary Farm. If you’re afraid of clowns, this is the part of the report you’ll want to skip! Some of them are silly... Some of them are sad... And some of them are downright scary. They’re always happy to point you in the wrong direction. Restroom is up there! But mostly they probably just want to kill you in your sleep. Moving on, lets check out some mazes! First we’ll hit Shadow Lands! It’s as if we’ve been transported to Japan! The environment and sets in this maze are great. I love the “feel” of it. (But maybe that’s just because I love Japan so much!) There are lots of great scares! And several scenes where you don’t know who’s real and who’s fake! Giant monsters are always awesome! Be careful, you may have to fight off demon samurais! Next up is one of my favorite mazes, Dark Ride! I love the concept of this maze, and it’s executed so beautifully. You get to journey through an abandoned carnival ride! Everything is run down and there are mice in the rafters. Watch out for bugs! You walk the path of the ride and see some of the awesome dark ride scenes... You also get to go into the “backstage” parts of the ride to see the maintenance rooms and control rooms for the ride, all the while encountering carnies, homeless people living in the ride, clowns, and lots and lots of dead bodies in the rafters. There’s an impressive finale in a grand room with lots of props, characters, and action! This is definitely a “must see” maze! Next we walked through “The Hollow” scare zone on our way to Pumpkin Eater! Here you encounter the souls of fallen soldiers and local farmers that have escaped their shallow graves! On to the next maze, Pumpkin Eater! In this maze you must survive the wrath of the murderous 7-foot tall creature who’s on the prowl within the dark confines of the haunted town he once terrorized. Into the giant pumpkin we go... Dead people line the walls of the pumpkin as Brittney pushes her way through the enormous dangling pumpkin seeds. Ahhh! This pumpkin is infested with giant insects! Gross! We narrowly escaped certain doom by navigating our way out through the field of corn stalks. Next up - Trick Or Treat: Lights Out! You’re given a flashlight to find your way through, but the flashlight can go out at any time! Brittney rings the doorbell and we’re let inside. There’s a staircase covered in Jack-O-Lanterns in the entryway. Didn’t your parents warn you not to go inside stranger’s houses? Hold on tight to your flashlight, it’s the only light you have! There are lots of creepy props and Monsters hiding in the darkness. I wouldn’t want to go down into that basement! Your light even turns into a blacklight during the maze to reveal things you couldn’t otherwise see. Be careful, The Green Witch is lurking in the darkness! Moving on, lets check out The Depths! This maze is brand new for 2018! The Nightwatch Mining Crew has mysteriously disappeared, and village rumors suggest they’ve been taken by the creatures that lurk inside the underground caves hidden below the seaside shores. A lighthouse warns of the dangers ahead. You follow in the mining crew’s footsteps as you enter under a “Warning Active Mine Area” sign and journey into the depths! Lots of creatures hide beneath the surface! I think I might’ve found one of the missing miners. Can someone check his pulse? This room is really amazing... A giant sea creature attacks from all directions! Maybe the captain can help us! Ahhhh, shark! Run!!! (Report continued below...)

Yes, and yes! I'm a pretty big fan of MaxPass. In my opinion the included photo downloads are worth the price alone, and it makes searching for and obtaining Fast Passes so easy. You can see all the Fast Passes that are available, what the return times are, and reserve the one you want - regardless of which park you're currently in. And not having to walk to the ride to reserve a Fast Pass is a huge time saver, especially if the ride you want to reserve is in the opposite park!

Halloween Time at The Disneyland Resort is back for 2018! Both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure (DCA) are filled to the brim with Halloween festiveness, and TPR was there to check it all out. Some of the World's best attraction overlays return once again: Haunted Mansion Holiday, Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, and Guardians of the Galaxy - Monsters After Dark. There’s amazing Halloween theming at DCA’s Cars Land Haul-O-Ween and Plaza de la Familia, and at Disneyland’s Main Street and Zocalo Park. And this year Disney pulled out all the stops with tons of impressive food and merchandise offerings at both parks. Check out our full report below to join in and see everything that the Disneyland Resort has to offer for Halloween 2018! We’re at The Disneyland Resort to check out Halloween Time at both Disneyland and DCA! First up is Disneyland! These Disney-themed pumpkin decorations greet you as you enter the park. The giant Mickey Jack-O-Lantern is the perfect photo backdrop. At Halloween Time you can meet all the Disney characters in their Halloween costumes! Halloween Time signs are up all over Main Street. Here’s one more photo of the iconic Mickey Jack-O-Lantern. Carved pumpkins circle the Partners statue in front of the Castle. Over at Haunted Mansion Holiday I met up with some special guests! In celebration of 25 years of Nightmare Before Christmas, and the 18th year of Haunted Mansion Holiday, Jack has once again decked the halls! Haunted Mansion Holiday is the best ride overlay in the world - if you haven’t seen it, you MUST see it! The Nightmare Before Christmas theming perfectly integrates with the existing Haunted Mansion spookiness. Stained glass windows shatter as the room stretches! Santa Claus Jack appears to wish everyone Happy Holidays! The blacklight art in this room really pops! The images in the portrait gallery switch between Christmas and Halloween as Zero flies by each image. Hi Jack! Spiders have built some holiday webs in front of the busts. Your sleigh awaits! The loading area is so impressive! It’s such a cool backdrop and intro to the fun to come! Once in your sleigh you encounter Zero flying through the halls. Some gifts get opened a little early. Madame Leota is having a Holiday seance. Every year there’s a brand new gingerbread house in the ballroom celebration scene. This year’s is ridiculous - maybe my favorite ever. It actually moves as a giant spider grabs onto it! So cool! Don’t forget to breathe deep and enjoy the gingerbread smell! Poor Stevie! These toys don’t look too friendly! I would buy all that gift wrap if they sold it! It’s Jack! And Sally! The singing busts are now singing Jack-O-Lanterns. Such great decorations! Oogie Boogie has been waiting for you! Next up let’s head to Frontierland to check out Zocalo Park, a tribute to Dia de los Muertos. There are lots of lovely flowers and decorations. It’s a nice, relaxing place to spend some time! Now over to Tomorrowland where things aren't relaxing at all because a ghost has taken up residence inside Space Mountain... You know what that means - It’s time to check out Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy! There’s eerie green lighting in the loading area. Here we go! As you enter the mountain the green lighting and sound effects make it clear that this isn’t a normal space flight! The ghost galaxy makes its first appearance (and attack!) when you’re on the main lift hill. You then race through space trying to stay safe from the ghost! So much fun! Let’s make the park hop over to DCA! Oogie Boogie and bats tower over the entrance. Disney had a merchandise table set up for us to see some of the awesome Halloween items available this year. Boo to you mugs! You can get a picture with the real version of this car in Cars Land, and then take home a plush version of it as a souvenir! You can even get ornament versions of the Halloween cars! I thought this Halloween 2018 shirt was really well designed. Simple, but fun! The Halloween Mickey ears are great too! But lets be real, I’m just here for the candy! Would you prefer a Jack Skellington light-up necklace or a Guardians of the Galaxy - Monsters After Dark shirt? Perhaps a villain bracelet is more your style? Some costumed characters you can take home. Over to Cars Land where I was greeted by some special guests at the entrance to the land. I love Mater's Halloween costume so much! The residents of Radiator Springs love Halloween, and they’ve set up spooky car-themed Halloween decorations all over town! Hocus Spokus is a must-see film! There are so many neat decorations! I love how Disney interpreted Halloween within the Cars universe. Even Stanley gets in on the fun. We’ll be back to see Radiator Springs at night - so for now let’s go check out the most important part of the report… The food! Or more specifically, the desserts! There is SO MUCH cool stuff to eat this year. They even made a guide that’s included with the map to help you locate all the delicious Halloween food and treats, so keep an eye out for that! This Oogie Boogie popcorn bucket is improved over last year’s version. It makes a great souvenir once you’ve eaten all the popcorn inside! “Spoke-y” Cone Macaron with candy "cone" inside! The Sweet Potato Hand Pie tastes like Fall! There’s mummy themed stuff. Bat themed stuff. The coolest candy apple ever. Too many popcorn buckets to choose from! Rice crispy treats with awesome designs. The spider parfait just screams Halloween. The Mickey Mummy Macarons are possibly too cute to eat. There’s SO MUCH amazing stuff this year - way more than I can cover here. Definitely check out the food guide that comes in the map to find the Halloween yumminess that calls to you. Brittney loves the Halloween Mickey ears! Here she is showing them off in front of the Headless Horseman statue in DCA! It’s drink time! We dropped in to Carthay Circle Restaurant for some drinks and light food downstairs. Carthay is always my favorite place to eat at the resort - it’s more expensive than most restaurants there, but it’s a much more relaxed, upscale environment with some seriously amazing food and drinks. For Halloween they also have this special drink - The Poison Appletini. This drink pays homage to Snow White with a bobbing poison apple glow cube in a delicious mixture of apple whiskey, liqueur, bitters, and cranberry juice. Creepy and delicious! Nom, nom, nom. Next let’s check out Plaza de la Familia in Paradise Gardens. Here are some of the performers from “A Musical Celebration of Coco.” Brand new this year is the Miguel puppet character. I got to hold his hand in the photo! Guests can write thoughts of loved ones and attach them to the wall of memories. Brittney is tying on her card! There’s some great live Mariachi music as well. Here’s the entrance area as night falls. And now that it’s night, let's head back over to Cars Land to see how spooky everything looks! Spooky indeed! The purple and green lights on the rock-work and throughout the land accentuate the Halloween decorations perfectly! There are so many neat decorations! And lots of photo ops too! We took a photo with Stanley! Then we hopped on Radiator Springs Racers to check out the Halloween rock-work up close! After enjoying the nighttime sights in Cars Land we headed over to the Incredicoaster and took a ride! It was our first night ride on this, and the effects look even better at night! Ok, back to Halloween stuff… Our final stop is Guardians of the Galaxy - Monsters After Dark! This Halloween overlay takes place right after the events of the standard ride. The generator is out, the cages are open, and the creatures are loose. But unfortunately someone left Groot in the ride! And you guessed it, Rocket is hatching a plan to save him - but he needs our help! Red lights emanate from the entrance area. Everything is going haywire now that the generator is out and the cages are open! This overlay has new lighting, new pre-show scenes, and new music and video on the ride. Rocket appears to tell us his plan. Unfortunately Groot was left behind… There are creatures roaming all throughout the building, so rocket is putting us on a gantry lift to distract them while he rescues Groot. What could possibly go wrong? Getting ready to board the lift… We’re now seated. The eerie red emergency lighting is very unnerving. Here we go! There’s Groot! Hopefully Rocket gets him before the monsters do! Does Groot get saved? Does everyone escape safely? You’ll have to ride to find out! Sadly our amazing day has come to a close, but we had such a great time checking out Halloween Time at The Disneyland Resort! There’s awesome Halloween themed attractions, entertainment, food and drinks, and so much more for guests of all ages. The spooky fun runs through October 31, 2018, so don’t miss it! Thanks to Disney for inviting us to attend, and thanks to you for checking out our report!

We were told that normal guests could request it, and if it was available they’d be allowed to sit there. I don’t know if there are any restrictions beyond this, but we weren’t told of any. I’m guessing that availability will be VERY hard to come by once word gets out - so my advice if you’re interested would be to visit ASAP (and probably call in advance of your visit if your heart is set on it). I will say though, the room itself didn’t have any windows, so I much prefer the open-air experience of the normal restaurant for dining. But for drinks, sitting out on that balcony would be really nice!

... continued from above! We had an amazing view of Paradise Pier, but Brittney was much more excited about the front row view of passing ducks. Here’s the restaurant menu! And here’s the drink menu! This is one of the nicest drink menus I have EVER seen! There’s so much great art in it - it was really exciting just flipping through the pages taking it all in! Which one of the drawings should we order and bring to life? Decisions, decisions! The drink coasters say Lamplight Lounge on one side, and each one has different Pixar art on the back. A coaster and a coaster - a match made in heaven! Here come the drinks! On the left we have “Open Ocean with a Splash” - a frozen cocktail made with Bacardi Raspberry Rum, Bols Blue Curacao, Liquid Alchemist Orgeat (Almond), agave nectar, and fresh lime juice! On the right is “Server Room Chill” - A fizzy cocktail with Plymouth Gin, Aperol, agave nectar, and ruby red grapefruit juice. Both of the drinks were really great, but “Open Ocean with a Splash” was the winner for us - totally recommended! And here comes the food! First up is the Ratatouille, veganized with tofu! It was so yummy, and it’s such a uniquely Disney item that you won’t find at many other restaurants! Remy would be proud! Next up is the Impossible Burger. This off-menu item is available upon request, and it’s great as well! We had one more round of drinks! Brittney loved “Open Ocean with a Splash” so much that she got it again. Wanting to venture into uncharted waters, I tried “Final With a Fix” - tequila, raspberry liqueur, Cointreau, fresh lime juice, agave nectar, and a dash of Del Maguey Vida Mezcal. Another really beautiful, delicious, thought-out drink! I’m beginning to see a trend here! I loved relaxing here and pigging out on food and drinks while taking in the amazing views of Paradise Pier! And Brittney loved relaxing here and pigging out on food and drinks while taking in the amazing views of passing ducks! We even saw Gertrude and friends heading over to take a ride on the Incredicoaster! When we were about to leave our waitress offered to give us a tour of the restaurant which we gladly accepted. This display of lighted Pixar balls is what you see at the bottom of the main staircase. On the other side of the Pixar Ball wall is a really special booth. The table has hundreds of Cars toys underneath the glass. How fun would it be to eat here and admire all the amazing details of the cars? Up above the same booth are shelves filled with a selection of Pixar toys! On the walls of the restaurant are all sorts of Pixar movie memorabilia and artifacts. There are movie posters from around the world, and behind the scenes photos and props all over. You could probably spend hours looking at everything! For example, this photo is from when the Pixar artists took a research trip during the making of Coco. It’s neat for guests to see these behind the scenes items, and it’s an awesome way to honor the creators of Pixar magic! We were then led to the back for a very awesome and unexpected surprise. I thought for a moment we were going to tour the kitchen, but instead we were taken to this interesting looking door. Our waitress spun the handle around and around until the 3 lights in the window lit up, unlocking the door! Inside this mysterious space was a private room with a dining table and framed sketches lining the wall. It turns out you can actually request this private room and if it’s available they’ll let you eat there! There’s even a lounge area in the room. But the best part of the room is yet to come... there’s another door beside the lounge area that you can open... And it opens up to a private balcony looking out at the Incredicoaster’s launch track! What a view! You can literally sit out here and drink drinks on your private balcony while watching coaster trains go by! It’s like Disney geek and coaster geek heaven! We TOTALLY have to come back again and try to do this sometime! And the icing on the cake? There are 2 special drinks - 1 alcoholic and 1 non-alcoholic - that you can only order from this room! We didn’t get a chance to sample them today, but if they’re anything like the rest of the drinks we had, they’re going to be amazing! What a neat space! We LOVED Lamplight Lounge. In fact, I’m just going to say it - I know the Incredicoaster is billed as the “star” attraction of Pixar Pier, but for me, the Lamplight Lounge was actually my favorite new addition. Everything felt very considered, and the food, drinks, and service were totally on point! Definitely make a reservation here if you’re visiting the pier! As the sun began to fade we headed over to Pixar Pal-A-Round. The experience is pretty much the same as it was on Mickey’s Fun Wheel, but all the gondolas have been Pixarized (Pixarated? Pixamatized?). There are swinging gondolas and stationary ones. Brittney doesn’t like the swinging gondolas, so I distracted her as we walked in so that she wouldn’t notice I chose the swinging side - because lets face it, everyone (except Brittney) knows the swinging gondolas are the best, right? She wasn’t very happy when she found out! She’s okay as long as we aren’t swinging. But once the gondola starts rolling and swinging she loses it! One more shot of the new Pixificated gondolas. I would hate to have been the graphic designer tasked with making Pixar Pier’s initials (PP) look good! I do like the subtle heart though, well done! There’s also a Pixar Ball water feature that you can spin around to your heart’s content. Lets take one last look at the Incredicoaster as the evening lights begin to turn on. The entry arch looks wonderful lit up. Here’s the view underneath the entry arch. For those who are into all the Instagrammable walls at Disneyland, this is being billed as a unique photo spot as well! I like the lighting! The queue has signs explaining who the characters are - so even if you haven’t seen the movies you should get a good idea of what’s going on. (But if you haven’t seen the movies, you should! They’re great!) Here’s Elastigirl’s sign! The mid-century looking station is a huge improvement over the old California Screamin' station. One last jump for the Incredicoaster, this time with some friendly passing cast members! (Thanks guys!) Here’s a shot of the new billboards as we headed off the Pier. We found our special moment at Lamplight Lounge! Where will you find yours? “The adventure is down there!” It sure is! But if Brittney isn’t careful she’s going to be going up! The Pier at night is lovely. It has all the charm of a California beachside boardwalk amusement park. This is what you see as you leave the Pier. We had an awesome time checking out Pixar Pier! We then watched Paint The Night, but we’ll include those photos in Part 2 of this report since we watched it on night 2 as well. Instead, we’ll skip now to Together Forever - A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular. We made it to Disneyland just as the show was beginning and Buzz Lightyear was flying over the castle. Ahhh, fireworks! That Mickey balloon was especially enjoying the fireworks - he had an amazing view above the crowd. Does anything say “Disney Magic” more than fireworks? If you remember our Pixar Fest report - we watched the fireworks from Main Street for that report. This time we were much closer to the Castle. The show gives different experiences depending on where you watch it. For example, we couldn’t see the inflatable characters on Main Street this time, but we had a better view of the projections on the castle. Over at the Rivers of America, they use the Fantasmic effects and water screens as part of the show - we haven’t seen it there yet, but it sounds like another great spot to watch it! Check out the lasers shooting out of the Castle! So many neat effects! Giant fireballs are always impressive! It’s a bird, it’s a plane - nope, it’s the giant balloon from Up! You get a great view of this when you’re near the Castle! What is this firework effect called? A fan? A wave? Whatever it is, it wouldn’t be a Disney fireworks show without it! Here are a few more photos to oooh and ahhh at! Oooh! Ahhh! Here comes the finale! So many fireworks! It’s like staring at the sun! After the fireworks we headed to Pirates of the Caribbean. You may remember that we checked this out in our Pixar Fest report because they were about to make some big changes to the ride. Well, those changes have now been made, so lets see what was done! Right after the piano is the first major change. The fog screen projection effect has been removed, and the original voice of Paul Frees once again narrates the dark cave. There’s a new scene inset into the cave with a skeleton holding a treasure chest. As you pass by, the skeleton comes to life! It’s a neat little effect, and my favorite change that was made. The ship battle scene was extra foggy on the day we rode. I don’t know if that’s the new norm, or if it was just extra foggy in there that day, but it was neat! It made it feel more like you were out in open waters. Here’s the biggest change, the brand new scene to replace the bride auction! Instead of auctioning brides, stolen goods are now being auctioned off. That clock looks heavy! There are lots of references to the old scene. The auctioneer now says, “Strike your feathers, dearie. Show them your flock.” instead of, “show ‘em your larboard side.” And the redhead is still there, but now she’s a pirate named Redd. Overall, most of the ride is just the same as before though. And whether you support the changes that were made or not (it was quite a controversial topic!), there’s no disputing that Pirates is still among the best attractions in the world! And most of the original iconic scenes still remain! Including perhaps the most famous scene, the dog with the key! After Pirates we joined up with a rowdy bunch of green aliens and we all took the monorail out of the park. Sadly, today is over. But never fear! We’ll be back for tons more fun in Part 2 of this report! Still to come: More Pixar Pier, Pixar character meet-and-greets, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge construction pictures, the Paint the Night Parade with a new Incredibles float, and a love story about popcorn! Stay tuned for all of that! In the meantime, thanks for checking out part 1 - and don’t forget to check out Pixar Pier which is NOW OPEN at DCA!

Pixar Pier is now open at Disney California Adventure (DCA)! Formerly Paradise Pier, this newly reimagined land brings 4 Pixar-themed “neighborhoods” to the pier: Incredibles Park, Toy Story Boardwalk, Pixar Promenade, and Inside Out Headquarters. Incredibles Park houses the standout attraction of the pier, the Incredicoaster! This re-theme of the original California Screamin’ roller coaster adds a storyline and theming to the attraction. As the coaster begins, baby Jack Jack escapes, and you get to race alongside the Incredibles as they try to capture him and bring him home. Character figures, lighting, music, and special effects have all been added to bring the story to life. In the Toy Story Boardwalk neighborhood you can check out Midway Mania and ride Jessie’s Critter Carousel (opening in 2019). Pixar Promenade houses the Pixar Pal-A-Round - a Pixar inspired re-theme of Mickey’s Fun Wheel, as well as newly reimagined boardwalk games and a stage for music acts and character encounters. Inside Out Headquarters will house Emotional Whirlwind, an Inside Out inspired re-theme of Flik's Flyers from Bug’s Land (opening 2019). TPR was invited to a 2-day event to preview this newly re-imagined land and experience all the Pixar awesomeness that the Resort now has to offer. There was so much to see that we broke the report up into 2 parts: Part 1 [ Below ]: Pixar Pier Preview Day! The food, merchandise, Incredicoaster, Pixar Pal-A-Round, and an awesome dinner at the Lamplight Lounge! Plus as a bonus: Together Forever – A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular fireworks at Disneyland, and a look at the new changes to Pirates of the Caribbean. Part 2 [ Coming Soon ]: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge construction, more Pixar Pier, Pixar character meet-and-greets, the Paint The Night Parade with a new Incredibles themed float, and a popcorn love story! Keep reading to join us for part 1 and see everything that Pixar Pier has to offer! On with the report... Part 1! We’re at the Disneyland Resort to check out Pixar Pier! We’re all checked in and ready to go! Right off the bat we got to meet Edna Mode, sweet! Covering media events has its perks! We each got a bag with special ears, a giant Pixar Pier towel, and a stuffed animal. Brittney got Wall-E and I got Eve! So cool! We grabbed some snacks before heading into the park. Check out the custom Pixar Pier napkins! Disney always thinks of everything! This may be the prettiest event lanyard we’ve ever received. It had multiple pages with maps and info, plus along the side there were tabs for free food items! Inside DCA Pixar Pier was roped off since it was still closed to the public... But no worries, you’re with TPR so you can come in with us! First up, lets head to the revamped Lamplight Lounge (formerly Ariel’s Grotto) to check out the new food items at Pixar Pier. Here’s the menu for the Lamplight Lounge. But who wants to read? Lets look at pictures instead! There are burgers... Lots of delicious meaty things... The lobster nachos were always popular, so good news: they’re still on the menu! My suggestion - to feel like you’ve entered into a Pixar movie, get the Ratatouille! Spinach salad... Potato skins... Even the kids food items looked fancy! Angry Dogs has the pissed-off-hot-dog market cornered. Poultry Palace has the regal-fried-chicken market cornered. These bubbly drinks were all the rage. A dried ice compartment in the bottom creates bubbles that float to the top, causing the cherry pearls to dance around! There were both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions of these, so the whole family can join in the fun. All gimmicks aside, the drink itself was delicious as well! Incredible drinks deserve an Incredible straw! And incredible meals deserve incredible desserts! Fresh, warm, fluffy donuts with dipping sauce? Yes, please! Or maybe you’re like Jack Jack and cookies are more your thing? Our dessert of choice would have to be the lemon soft serve from Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats. It’s like Disneyland’s famous Dole Whip, but in an equally delicious lemon flavor. We’ll talk more about this later when we give it a taste! Next we’ll head over to Knick’s Knacks to check out the merchandise! There’s tons of new merchandise for Pixar Pier! We definitely liked the Pixar Fest Camp Shirt. Edna Mode glasses will turn anyone into a great fashion designer! No capes! There are lots of cute keychains. Oooooooh! They have everything you need to dress up as Mr. Incredible and then run around the house trying to keep baby Jack Jack’s powers in check! These could be yours! (If they weren’t mine) This oversized alien hair accessory totally looks like something you’d see at Tokyo Disneyland. Q: How do you think it attaches to the hair? A: A claw! Find your perfect partner with Wall-E and Eve ears! When they’re side-by-side they match up to form a heart image in the ears! Take home a friend of your own. Or have a ball with one of these Toy Story footballs. In the words of Eeyore, “It’s not much of a tail, but I’m sort of attached to it.” Blow bubbles to infinity and beyond with this Buzz Lightyear Bubble Blower! Race you to the scare floor! Brittney was wearing alien earrings, so when she stepped outside to get ice cream I bought this awesome necklace to match. Shhhh, it’s a surprise! I would’ve stayed longer but the store was overrun with rats. Time to try the soft serve! Surprise! Brittney loved the necklace, but almost dropped her soft serve while showing it off! You can get plain cones or cups of lemon, chocolate, or vanilla soft serve. But the specialties menu is where you should really be looking! This is the, “Pixar Pier Frosty Parfait” and it’s not a want, it’s a need. As you work your way to the bottom the blue raspberry swirl and yellow lemon soft serve melt together into green syrupy heaven that can only be described as a “must try!” Have we really gone almost 50 photos into this report without talking about the Incredicoaster?!? That all changes now! Here’s the massive Incredibles-themed arch that welcomes guests to the Incredibles Park neighborhood. And here’s the sign for the coaster. I love Jack Jack in the “O.” I can’t wait anymore, lets ride! In this intro scene before the launch, Jack Jack’s unpredictable super powers start showing themselves, and he escapes! It’ll be up to us and the Incredibles to get Jack Jack back! Dash counts down and begins to race after Jack Jack as the train launches. You can see his footsteps in the water alongside the train. The new water effect is really cool, and adds a lot of visual interest to the launch. On more look at Dash’s footsteps in the water! Into the first tube, we see Dash narrowly avoiding Jack Jack’s laser eyes! There’s Jack Jack! Out of the tube and around into the next lift hill... Wheee! Near the top of the lift hill we enter the second tube. Inside we see Helen (AKA Elastigirl) using her stretching powers to grab Jack Jack. But Jack Jack just laughs it off as he phases in and out of the tunnel wall. If you want Incredibles merchandise, they’ve got you covered! Mr. Incredible then smashes through the tunnel wall with a cookie, hoping it’ll attract Jack Jack. Breathe through your nose here, it smells like cookies! (Funny story - Brittney was screaming out, not breathing in, so she had no idea there was cookie smell in the tunnel until I mentioned it after the ride!) Down we go! The coaster then curves around, revealing one of my favorite views at the resort! Into the loop we go! Woo hoo! After the loop, it’s up and into the final tunnel. Inside the final tunnel Jack Jack lights himself on fire! Violet then makes a forcefield protecting riders from the flames. As you burst out of the tunnel you can see Violet overhead creating the forcefield. The coaster then turns around again and heads towards the airtime hills. As you crest the airtime hills you realize that Jack Jack has multiplied and there are Jack Jacks everywhere! There’s one final scene that the cameras didn’t capture at the end of the ride, so it’ll have to be a surprise for when you ride the coaster yourself. But suffice to say there’s a “BIG” finale! (and a happy ending!) As you exit the ride there’s cool mid-century style art lining the walls. Don’t be a dummy, go ride the Incredicoaster! It looks like a family of water dummies is enjoying their ride! The handles on the water dummies look like eyes in the photo! Brittney was so excited for the Incredicoaster that she jumped for joy! Lets check out the rest of the Pier! Midway Mania is awesome as always. Here’s Poultry Palace. Buzz Lightyear has switched to Spanish mode at Señor Buzz Churros. Here you can get traditional churros, or if you prefer a little twist on the classic try the spicy churros! Angry Dogs! The boardwalk games have been re-done! You can try your hand at horse racing. Or try tossing the candy corn into Heimlich’s mouth. No Brittney! Don’t eat the candy corn! I gave the game a try, and ended up with an embarrassing 0 points! Brittney gave it a try and totally showed me up by getting 3 in! That’s a winning score! Unfortunately it was a “free play” they were offering for media to try out the game, so she didn’t actually win anything. But here’s what Brittney would’ve won had it been a real game! We love the Heimlich! There are lots of new Pixar characters that you can meet! Frozone is a ton of fun! The Pier is now officially open, but some elements such as Jessie’s Critter Carousel and Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind are still under construction and will be opening next year. The old billboards have been replaced with new Pixar inspired billboards! Keep our Pier clean! Next we headed over to Lamplight Lounge where we had an RSVP for a special preview dinner. The Lamplight Lounge is a restaurant that honors Pixar and the people who bring their stories to life. Above the staircase that descends to the restaurant is this large chandelier. There are lots of sketches hanging from the chandelier. Pixar inspired art adorns the lobby walls. After heading downstairs we come upon the indoor part of the restaurant. The indoor section is nice, but my favorite section is where they happened to seat us - right on the water with an amazing view of Paradise Pier! Best seat in the house? I think so! (Report continued below...)

The restraints feel a lot like the B&M ones too. They’re super comfy for a looping coaster.

No joke, he was the inspiration for the report! I'm glad it came through! I've been telling Brittney since they announced the ride that "Get Pitted" guy should be involved in the marketing of the coaster. I really think Knott's missed a great opportunity to do that!

Cowabunga! Knott’s Berry Farm’s brand new roller coaster, HangTime, is now open - and we’re amped! This custom Gerstlauer Infinity Coaster shreds through 2,198 ft of track, 5 inversions, and a beyond-vertical 96 degree drop - making it the first dive coaster in Cali! HangTime completes a multi-year renovation of the boardwalk area, where it fits beautifully into Boomerang and Riptide’s former locations. Brah, the fact that Boomerang finally got replaced with something much less painful and way more fun is just dank! The T-bar harnesses on Hangtime are extremely comfortable, even in rough surf, and are among the best harnesses I’ve ever encountered on a looping coaster. Hangtime also has a far-out color-changing lighting package with lights placed along the entire length of the track. The lighting illuminates the night sky, giving a cool, modern glow to the entire area. Overall, Hangtime is a bodacious addition to Knott’s. It’s the right scale for the park, it looks great, it anchors the boardwalk area, and it’s a blast to ride! We dropped in for the grand opening festivities, so check out our full report below to join in on the fun and see everything this new coaster has to offer! Aloha! Grab your hula hoops and surf boards because we’re at Knott’s to check out the grand opening of HangTime! The Charleston Circle Fountain was filled with HangTime beach balls. Get brain-freeze with the HangTime milkshake made with blue soft serve ice cream! You can get your hands on these at Coasters Diner. Waiters were carrying around all sorts of hors d’oeuvres (and I’ve never written the words “hors d’oeuvres” before, so hopefully that’s spelled right!). Tables were set up all throughout the boardwalk. Here’s one of the awesome beach-themed centerpieces. In typical Knott’s fashion, there was no shortage of food. Or drinks! Boysenberry Wine has become our go-to drink of choice at Knott’s Berry Farm. It’s delicious! Surf’s up! Check out those surfing themed cupcakes! Definitely go with a blue one to pretend you’re riding the waves! There it is! HangTime! We can’t wait to ride! New seating areas have been added with a perfect view of HangTime. So if you’re a sissy, this is where you can sit and sulk while your friends go ride the coaster and become cooler than you’ll ever be. Check out the HangTime sign! We LOVE the sign! The surfer, the cool font, the vintage looking surfboard behind it all - Bro, it’s totally tubular! But not as tubular as that first drop is going to be! It looks so rad! But alas, HangTime isn’t quite open yet. There’ll be a grand opening ceremony later once the sun sets and the surf picks up. So in the meantime, lets enjoy some tunes from the live band, Ride The Tide! Brittney is kind of excited! It’s not every day you get to ride an awesome new roller coaster! When is that pesky sun going to set already!? Oh well, I guess we’ll just have to head over to the Boardwalk BBQ and pig out while we wait - it’s a tough life, I know. Brittney is asking the chef, “Can you please put less meat in my meat?” After copious amounts of food, drink, and merriment with friends we headed over to Xcelerator! There’s nothing like waiting for the sun to set with some awesome Xcelerator ERT! HangTime may be opening right next door, but that doesn’t make Xcelerator any less dope! As the last hints of sunlight faded away, we paddled out to the HangTime stage to catch the opening ceremony. Snoopy popped on stage with some of his buds to perform a preview number from the upcoming summer show, “Beach Blanket Beagle.” The preview looked great, and we can’t wait to see the show this summer in the Charles M. Schulz Theatre! Knott’s VP and General Manager, Jon Storbeck, then came on stage and introduced the big kahuna, HangTime, to the crowd. He then announced that HangTime was officially open! The lights came to life, the ride car crested the top of the lift hill, and fireworks burst into the sky as surf music filled the air! Awesome! Radical! Gnarly! Sick, bro! Forget HangTime, it’s confetti time! It’s OFFICIALLY OPEN! Yay! We grabbed our neoprene and headed towards the entrance. One more quick photo before going in. Check out the sign at night! The lighting is great. The station has a California beach shack vibe to it. Here are the brand spankin’ new trains, or should I say surfboards? The surf leash, err, harness is super comfy, whether you rail grab or hang loose! A view of the train from behind. They waxed up the boards and sent them on their way! There’s a ground swell, and at 150ft this giant wave is a tow-in! The lift hill is every bit as fun as the rest of the ride. If you’ve never been on a vertical lift hill before it’s an awesome experience. Cresting the wave! And then you get to just hang out up there and contemplate whether you’ve made the right decisions in life! But before you know it, the wave breaks and you drop in! And then it’s all loops and twisty fun! Get pitted! Once you’re tubed in the loops you’ll notice that they’re taken nice and slow so you really do get hang time in them! Carve a clean line through the outside break, then drop into the airtime hill! Careful not to wipeout! Photos never do a coaster justice as much as videos do, so check out our videos from HangTime! First up, here are our day and night reverse POVs: [youtu_be] [/youtu_be] Now for the forward POVs! Looks great, right?: [youtu_be] [/youtu_be] Wait a minute, is that Tony Hawk riding in the front row? It IS Tony Hawk, and Brittney got to meet him too! He's a legend, so that's pretty epic! Over by the HangTime stage a hula hoop dance party had gotten under way. The live band kept the tunes flowing. Since I can’t hula hoop for the life of me, here are some photos of the babelicious Knott’s dancers showing how it’s done! Can YOU hula hoop? Brittney can! Shaka! Neck hula hooping? Ok, now she’s just showing off! But enough with the hula hoops, lets get back to what we’re all here for! It’s about to drop! HangTime is so pretty at night! Up into the Sky Cabin we go to get a view from above! Look how bright HangTime is and how the track all lights up! It’s so neat! I feel like this could become a standard in the industry. To compare, here’s Xcelerator at night. See what I mean? Those lights on HangTime really make it pop! Who would love to see some track lighting on Xcelerator too? It’s fun in the day, but this is definitely a coaster you’ll want to ride at night. Look at all the happy people! Everyone seemed to be having an awesome time. So much better than Boomerang! SOOOOOOOO much better! Here’s a nice overview shot where you can really get a feel for how neat it all looks. It’s definitely an eye catching ride! Up it goes! And down it comes! HangTime is NOW OPEN at Knott’s Berry Farm, and we’re stoked! Be sure to take a safari to Knott’s this summer to check it out! Mahalo to Knott’s for throwing such a gnarly party, and Mahalo to all you surf bunnies and broskis for checking out our report! Aloha Spirit to all!

The only one I can think of off-hand that might be bigger is the Cars Land opening report, but that got broken up into 3 separate parts! I usually try to keep them shorter, but I really wanted to show stuff like Pirates and the train in this one, along with the full day of enjoying Pixar stuff!