Who else can’t wait for the new Disney-Pixar Monsters University movie?

Monsters university

Monsters University opens June 21st and it will be THE big movie we take our boys to see this summer! Monster’s Inc Mike and Sully to the Rescue is one of their favorite rides at Disney California Adventure.

Mike and Sulley to the rescue Disney California Adventure

 Seeing Sulley and his friends in Mickey’s Costume Party cavalcade last year was definitely one of the highlights of the parade!

Monsters Inc

Starting May 24th, Mike and Sulley will be making new appearances at Disney California Adventure. The Monsters University dorms are being recreated in Hollywood Land!

Monsters University

Image courtesy of Disney Parks

Plus Mike and Sulley will be sharing their Monsters University pride while leading the Pixar Play Parade each day!

Disney California Pixar Play Parade

Image courtesy of Disney Parks

Don’t forget to check out the latest Monsters University Trailer.

Who wants to visit Mike and Sulley at Disney California Adventure?

Disney Guest Feature

Are you singing yet? I am :)

Disney In The Desert is looking to feature other bloggers just like us (we know you’re out there!) – Disneyland lovers from near and far that are trying to bring the magic of Disney to their homes. Qualifications? We have just a few…

  • You love Disney, but don’t live down the street from the park.
  • When you’re not at Disneyland, you spend your time planning your trip back.
  • You spend more time than your kids counting down the days until your next Disneyland vacation.
  • Your favorite blog posts… are the ones you write about Mickey.

To be featured, just fill out the form here and we’ll get your post up ASAP! We want to highlight your favorite things about the parks at Disneyland Resort and your favorite posts that you’re written about Disneyland.

Ready, Set… Go!

Be Our Guest: Karen Heffren

KarenBlog

Name: Karen Heffren

If you had just two hours to visit Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, what would you do? Well since I am dreaming here – I would LOVE to dine at Club 33. I would sacrifice everything else on that visit for a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Club33-Disneyland

Where is your favorite place to eat in the parks? Do I have to pick just one? Hungry Bear Restaurant is tucked away at the back of Disneyland, there is plenty of seating and entertainment – Watch ducks or the Mark Twain cruise by. At Disney California Adventure our favorite is the Pacific Wharf Cafe, the soup in bread bowls are awesome! White Water Snacks at the Grand Californian is also a family favorite – a hidden treasure that is rarely busy and just steps outside California Adventure!

Do you have a favorite Disney post (or two!) on your blog that you would like featured? Yes! Mickey’s Halloween Party and  Peter Pan And The Neverland Crew (Halloween 2012).

Mickeys-Halloween-Party

What’s your favorite ride at DL or DCA? My favorite ride at Disneyland is Splash Mountain. My favorite ride at Disney California Adventure is the Tower of Terror. I guess I am a big fan of the “drops”!

twilight-zone-tower-of-terrorImage Courtesy http://disneyland.disney.go.com/

Tell us about your favorite Disneyland or Disney California Adventure memory. Peter proposed to me in front of the castle – definitely one of my favorite Disneyland memories.

Who is your all time favorite Disney character? Daisy Duck

How do you keep Disney magic in your home? Disney movies and Disney shows (yay for Disney Jr) make it easy. We also attempt crafts or baking with a disney twist, talk about our favorite Disneyland Resort rides and trips and of course plan new ones!

So… will you be our guest?

The first thing a child will ask at Disneyland is to see Mickey Mouse. The second thing he will ask is to buy something! Give your wallet a rest by making a few plans and purchases before you ever step foot into the magic. You will save your budget and your sanity!

Disney Souvenirs Cheap

1. T-shirts — If you’re sure you’ll want a new T-shirt, try to find it before you go. T-shirts at Disneyland start at $25! I bought all six of the T-shirts (above) for my family at the Disney Outlet in Tempe for under $60. And I found ones that coordinated! Walmart has a surprisingly good selection of inexpensive shirts in child and adult sizes. Another place to try is a consignment store. If you’re crafty, you could try making your own custom Disney shirts. Or Google “tie dye Mickey shirts” for instructions on making colorful Mickey heads (great for keeping track of your kids!)

2. Shiny pennies to smash — Pressed pennies are, hands down, my favorite inexpensive souvenir. They are available almost anywhere you travel and make a great collection for a child. Collect sets of one penny and two quarters ahead of time, and you won’t be standing in line to get change from a store! Check the Internet for tips on using pantry ingredients like cola, vinegar, or ketchup to shine the pennies.

3. Pins to trade — Trading pins can be a fun experience, but the price can be overwhelming! If your goal is to trade with cast members rather than collect rare or exclusive pins, an assortment from eBay can reduce your cost to a dollar or two per pin. I’ve also had good luck buying grab bags of pins at Mouse Pins Online. Buy a lanyard along with the pins and you’ll be ready to trade with the first cast member you meet!

4. Autograph books — Every store at Disneyland will sell you a generic book to get a character’s signature. If you want something that stands out, make a cute custom autograph book from a spiral notebook! Karen has a great tutorial on making adorable Disney autograph books for her boys. If you’re lacking the time — or the crafty gene — plenty of Etsy sellers can make you the autograph book of your dreams. Don’t forget a big Sharpie for Mickey to hold!

Disney Souvenirs Cheap

5. Glow sticks and light-up toys – Every evening, Disneyland pulses with whirling lights, fiber optics, and glowing swords. Each tempting toy could be your child’s — for a hefty price tag. Target, Michael’s, and the dollar stores are good sources of inexpensive magic. They sell glowing wands, packages of glow sticks, and spinning toys for very little money. Watch your kids’ eyes light up when you pull them out while waiting for fireworks, World of Color, or Fantasmic!

6. Activity books — The car ride or plane trip can seem awfully long when you’re little. Create an activity book full of Disney coloring pages, activities, and games to keep kids busy on the way and at the hotel. Spoonful has an entire section of Disney-themed pages to print, or search the ‘Net for “Disney activity pages” or your favorite character. The booklet you make could be stapled together, or spiral-bound for more durability.

7. “Tinkerbell” gifts — Some parents coax good behavior by hinting that a certain fairy might leave an especially well-behaved child a little treat on her pillow. If you want to try this, buy small stocking stuffer-type items ahead of time from the Target Dollar Spot, party section, or dollar store.

None of these ideas mean that you won’t be purchasing some special souvenirs while you’re on your trip. But the budget savings are obvious; so is the time you won’t spend rushing around at first for autograph books, matching shirts, or lanyards. Additionally, I have been amazed at the difference in a child’s behavior when she walks into a theme park already wearing a crisp new T-shirt and holding a small treat. It’s magic you can make on your own!

Jack and I are huge fans of the caramel apples at Trolley Treats in California Adventure – did you know they’re made on-site? They sell chocolates, candy, and even ice cream over on the other side of the store at Clarabelle’s… but we can’t resist the caramel apples.

Caramel Apples at Trolley Treats

Make sure to ask for a knife so you can cut the apples – it makes eating (and sharing) much easier! Last time we went in, the gentleman who rang us up didn’t know where the knives were. We had to tell him to look in the drawer under the cash register :)

Caramel Apples at Trolley Treats

Obviously, Goofy is a fan, too! He hangs out around Trolley Treats a lot!

Caramel Apples at Trolley Treats

What is your favorite place to shop at the Disneyland Resort?

When we headed to Disneyland last fall, our trip was full of many firsts for our family – including our first experience with Mickey’s Halloween Party!

Mickey Mouse Autograph Books

Another first we experienced with the boys was getting Disney character autographs!  You can buy autograph books in the park, order custom ones from etsy or make your own! I wanted cute, custom ones that didn’t cost a fortune! Check out the Easy DIY Disney Autograph Books I made!

Easy DIY Disney Autograph Books

The most important part of the project is the “right” blank book to use. I found these great books at the 99 Cents Only stores last fall.

IMG_9424

You can’t beat 99 cents! However, I only bought them because they met some important criteria.

  1. They were spiral bound. If the binding on a book is tight it will prevent the books from opening fully and easily and that makes it hard for Mickey Mouse to sign!
  2. The pages were thick. This is important because sharpies  will bleed through thin pages.
  3. The size was right. They need to be small enough for the boys to carry but big enough for the characters to easily sign them.

Easy DIY Custom Disney Autograph Books 2

I don’t have any fancy craft equipment or skills but I still managed to customize the autograph books simply with stickers. I raided my random scrap booking stuff and the boys sticker collection, so it didn’t cost me anything!

Then I coated the covers with a couple of thin layers of mod podge (letting them dry in between in each layer). Don’t worry it dries clear! The mod podge created a nice protective layer over the stickers!

DIY Custom Disneyland Autograph Books

When we returned home, I added cute paper and a few pictures from our trip to complete the pages. The boys really love seeing the pictures from each encounter next to each autograph, it really cements the memory for them! We have plenty of pages left  in the books so we will be able to use them on our next few trips.

Looking for more ideas, Disney Mentor just posted a fun round up of  more DIY Disney Autograph books!

What do you think? Do you like my Easy DIY Disney Autograph Books?

 Easy DIY Disney Autograph Books

Disney On Ice Treasure Trove is coming to Phoenix!

Hit the ice with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald and Goofy as they embark on a fun-filled treasure hunt for some of the most popular Disney films ever. Families can expect to get tangled up in the Walt Disney Studio’s 50th animated feature with Tangled stars Rapunzel and Flynn, and enter the worlds of other favorite Disney princesses including Tiana, Cinderella, Jasmine, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Mulan, and of course, the one who started it all, Snow White. Youngsters of all ages will enjoy setting sail with Peter Pan, the always sassy Tinker Bell, and the cantankerous Captain Hook & his pirate pals on an adventure beyond Never Land and trekking the wilds of Africa with Simba, Nala, Pumbaa and Timon as they discover the true meaning of the ‘Circle of Life.’ And no one wants to be late to a very important date with Alice & the Mad Hatter as they march with the Queen of Hearts’ Army of Cards. Highlighting eight Disney movies and more than 50 Disney characters featured, Feld Entertainment’s Disney On Ice presents Treasure Trove has a magical story for every generation to relive!

Disney On ice TreasureTrove

Disney On Ice Presents Treasure Trove at U.S. Airways Arena

  • Thursday, April 11 - 7:00 PM
  • Friday, April 12 - 10:30 AM & 7:00 PM
  • Saturday, April 13 - 11:30 AM, 3:30 PM & 7:00 PM
  • Sunday, April 14 - 1:00 PM + Spanish Language Performance at 4:30 PM

 Save  $5 off with code PUMBA

  • Good on all shows
  • Not valid on VIP or Front Row Seating
  • No double discounts

The code can be used at www.Ticketmaster.com or at the US Airways Center Box Office.

DOI

We are giving away a family four-pack of tickets to the opening night show – Thursday, April 11!

To enter:

Mandatory 1st entry

Leave a comment telling us if you ever been to a Disney On Ice show and which one! (If not, just leave a comment saying no!)

Optional 2nd entry (after completing the entry above)

All verified email subscribers get a 2nd entry – leave us a second comment letting us know you do! Not a subscriber yet? No problem, go subscribe here!

This giveaway ends on April 4th at midnight and we will select the winner using random.org.

Disclosure: The giveaway prize is being provided by Feld Entertainment. 

If you’re heading to Disneyland Resort this weekend to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, don’t forget to wear green!

Disneyland Resortimage courtesy Downtown Disney

From 11am – 10pm this Friday and Saturday (3/16-3/17) many businesses in Downtown Disney will have special entertainment and offerings for those of you in green! 

Green drinks at restaurants, Irish music being played over the music system, and special scavenger hunts for the littles will be going on throughout the weekend. Some businesses in Downtown Disney will also be handing out green beads and hats! Head into Build-A-Bear and you’ll get to make one of these limited edition Lucky Clover Bears:

Disneyland Resort

image courtesy Build-A-Bear Workshop

So… who is heading to Disneyland?