Visit California: Ballast Point Brewing Company

During our visit to Disneyland Resort, we went to Downtown Disney one day to have lunch at Ballast Point Brewing Company.

This family-friendly eatery offers a nice selection of shareables, sandwiches, burgers, salads, and mains.

BP Beer Battered Fish & Chips

Nachos Al Pastor

The BP Beer Battered Fish & Chips were delish!  The fish was was fresh and flaky, and the batter was light and crisp.

The Nachos consisted of braised pork belly, chipotle beer cheese, Pico de Gallo, pickled Fresno chilies, queso fresco, and micro cilantro.  The pork was seasoned well and really made the appetizer memorable.

Kids Cheeseburger

Kids Crispy Battered Fish

Kids Corn Tortilla Quesadilla

Kids meals are just $10, and include an entree, side, drink, and dessert.

Both the service and food were great!

Ballast Point Brewing Company
1540 S Disneyland Dr #201

Anaheim, CA 92802
(714) 687-9813

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Visit Disneyland Resort: Disney California Adventure Park

I was really excited to return to Disney California Adventure Park for three main reasons: Pixar Pier, the Incredicoaster, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission-BREAKOUT!

All of these attractions did not exist the last time I visited!

At Pixar Pier, rides were re-imagined to represent popular Pixar films or characters.

Pixar Pal-A-Round

Jessie's Critter Carousel

Incredicoaster is one such ride.  It's the same thrilling ride as before, but now it's with a fun Incredibles twist!

Some rides got into the holiday spirit, such as Mater's Graveyard JamBOOree, Luigi's Honkin' Haul-O-Ween, and Guardians of the Galaxy, which converted to Monsters After Dark.

I was a tiny bit scared going into Guardians of the Galaxy: Monsters After Dark, especially after seeing a sign cautioning that young kids will get scared, and the castmembers with fake blood on their uniforms, but it turned out to be a fun, thrilling ride with a few scary surprises.

We couldn't get enough of our "usual" favorite rides, such as Radiator Spring Racers, Toy Story Midway Mania!, Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!, and Grizzly River Run, on which we got DRENCHED like never before (we were smart the next time, and wore ponchos).

Disney California Adventure Park was decked out with festive Halloween decor.

Character sightings were plenty, and some were even dressed up in costume!

To make the most out of your visit at Disney California Adventure Park, I highly suggest getting the Disney MaxPass.

And no matter what time of year you visit, you can find all sorts of yummy eats and drink, but Halloween time is definitely a fun time to visit, with all the seasonal treats to indulge in!

Other new changes we experienced from our last visit included the Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind ride, Soarin' Around the World, Games of Pixar Pier, and the Plaza de la Familia, a seasonal event based on Coco, which runs through November 3.

Whether you're strolling along Pixar Pier, finding your way through Pacific Wharf, or cruising through Cars Land, there is magic to be found every where you turn at Disney California Adventure Park!

Mahalo to Disneyland Resort for the complimentary tickets.

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Visit Disneyland Resort: Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

The one thing I was most excited about during our recent visit to Disneyland Resort was Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.

We were at Disneyland Resort for just three days, but we made it a point to visit every single day.

Stepping into a galaxy "far, far away" on the planet of Batuu was quite surreal.

From the stunning vistas, down to the restrooms - the attention to detail was amazing.

Always be on the lookout while at the Galaxy's Edge, as you may come across Chewbacca in the middle of a mission, or find a Resistance Spy nearby.

Throughout Galaxy's Edge you can shop, eat, and play, as well as experience the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.

On this ride, you buckle up in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon on a mission, and you're assigned one of three roles - pilot, engineer or gunner.

There are six players to each mission, and it is such a thrilling ride!  

We got to ride this attraction three different times, and each time I was given a different job.  Of the three, I thought the pilot was the hardest.  I did much better at engineer and gunner.

The longest wait we felt we could tolerate was 40 minutes, but it did seem to go by pretty quickly.

Regardless of whether or not you want to try Smugglers Run, you should at least take a walk through Galaxy's Edge.

It's just something you must experience first-hand.

I'm so excited for the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance attraction to open up in January!

Thank you to Disneyland Resort for the complimentary tickets.

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Visit California: Grand Legacy At The Park

Whenever we visit Disneyland Resort, we stay at the Grand Legacy At The Park.  Technically, my most recent stay was actually my first visit, because our previous visits were when the hotel was still under the former brand (Ramada Maingate at the Park).  My last visit was during renovations, and to see the transformation a few years later was exciting.

The new lobby building is so much more "grand" than the previous lobby.

We had two connecting rooms (two bathrooms are a must for our family), which gave us plenty of space to unwind after a long day at Disneyland Resort.

The recently-renovated rooms included a microwave and mini-fridge, and air conditioning units nicely cooled down the rooms as we encountered 90+ degree temperatures outside.

This Disney Good Neighbor Partner Hotel is less than a five-minute walk away to the main entrance to Disneyland Resort, and is conveniently located near numerous eateries and shops.

Although the hotel no longer serves a complimentary breakfast, they do offer complimentary Snack Bags, which come with water, fruit, granola bar, and cheese and crackers.

Also, the charge for parking is higher than before, but they do run parking promos from time to time.

The Grand Legacy At The Park offers complimentary Wi-Fi, and on-site you'll find a pool, restaurant & bar, and laundry facilities.

The hotel has a variety of accommodation types to suit parties large and small, and it is definitely an ideal hotel for families.

The Grand Legacy At The Park's convenient location, comfortable accommodations, and friendly service are just a few of the reasons why our family keeps returning.

Grand Legacy At The Park
1650 S. Harbor Blvd.
Anaheim, CA 92802

Mahalo to Grand Legacy At The Park for the media discount.

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Visit California: Disneyland Resort Eats + Halloween Time Foods

I love visiting Disneyland Resort during Halloween, primarily because of all the fun foods and drinks available during that time of year!

During our recent visit, we visited some of our favorite spots, as well as some new ones, to indulge in a lot of food and drink, including many Halloween Time treats.

Candy Corn Cotton Candy* (Disney California Adventure Park)

S’mores Churro (Disney California Adventure Park)*

Edy's Strawberry Fruit Bar (Disneyland Park)

Frozen Minute Maid (Disneyland Park)

Pumpkin Spice Churros (Disneyland Park)

Hungry Bear Restaurant

Kids' Power Pack

Honey-Spiced Chicken Sandwich

Crispy Fish Sandwich

Haunted Mansion 50th - Dead-Cadent Funnel Cake*

Candy Palace Kitchen

Goofy's Glaciers

Minnie Witch Crispy*

Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor

Cookies & Cream

Cookies & Cream, Cookie Dough, Strawberry

Senor Buzz Churros - Cinnamon Super Galaxy Churro

Senor Buzz Churros - Caliente Churro

Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta

Kids' Cheese Pizza

Anti-Vampire Chicken Pizza*

Pepperoni Pizza

Pumpkin Cheesecake*

Cozy Cone Motel

Bacon Mac 'n' Cheese

Slow Burnin' Mac 'n' Cheese Cone*

Smokejumpers Grill

Bacon Cheeseburger

Green Apple Spell Lemonade

Clarabelle's Hand-Scooped Ice Cream

Vampire Mickey Ice Cream Bar

Spider Silk Macaron Sandwich

Alien Pizza Planet

Kids Cheese Pizza

Kids Space-getti with Meatballs

Delicium 639*

Mega Pepperoni

Garlon Bread

Award Wieners

Rest in Peace-Strami Fries*

Kids' All Beef Mini Dog

Galactic Grill

Loaded Fleet Fries

Blood Orange Slush*

Kids Chicken Tenders

Fried Chicken Sandwich

For a complete list of festive foods and drinks, click here.

For added convenience, many of the eateries allow mobile ordering from the Disneyland Mobile App!  Simply submit your order, along with the time frame of pick-up.  When you are at the eatery, simply notify them via the app, and when your order is ready, the app will advise which window to pick up you order at.  So easy!

*Seasonal offering

Mahalo to Disneyland Resort for the complimentary tickets.

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