Dear Adventure Avenue,
I recently got the amazing opportunity to go to Disney California Adventure’s Touch of Disney with my uncle. It was breathtaking to experience a Disney park after months of confinement. The last time I went to the parks was a couple weeks before the world shut down – you can read about that here.
The Parking Situation
The Touch of Disney tickets say Mickey and Friends Parking doesn’t open up until 11:30; however, that is not entirely true. They will open it a little before that time. We were able to cruise right in at around 11:20!
Park Entry
After passing the temperature screening, the sniffing dog, and walking through the metal detectors, we power walked to the main gates. We wanted to get into the park as soon as possible to get over to the Lamplight Lounge and check to see if they had any walk up reservations (spoiler alert they didn’t).
The walk took about 15 minutes. We were lucky as it was a cool day and the path was mostly shaded. We had almost no wait to get into the park. There were only two people in front of us. At the park gate, we received our dining card and park ticket for the day.
We were greeted by a Disney music sound track made specially for Touch of Disney. All the songs had lyrics and a twist that helped contribute to the magic of the event.
Food for Lunch (or Brunch)
After checking the Lamplight Lounge and finding there were no reservations, we decided to get the foods we both wanted to try. For my uncle that was the Chili Cone Queso from the Cozy Cone Motel in Cars land. With mobile ordering, there was no need to wait in line! As my uncle got his food, I placed an order for my Monte Cristo sandwich at Smokejumpers Grill in Grizzly Peak.
After we both received our food we ate in the lovely shaded Redwood forest. This location was by far our favorite place to sit, eat, or just relax. It had less people, shade, and was all around a serene place.
I loved the Monte Cristo sandwich and the jam that came with it. This was very filling, and definitely worth the price of $10.99.
Avengers Campus and other sightings
After lunch we walked around the park to really take in our surroundings. We of course checked to see if we could see into the new Avengers Campus. It is blocked off from the Hollywood side with ropes and various other barricades. On the other side was a big green wall, but you can make out an Avengers “A” (Hey! Like me!) and a Stark sign.
There is a Falcon and Winter Soldier photo opportunity in addition to the Wanda Vision one. I suspect that the area where the Monsters Inc. ride is will one day become part of Avengers Campus as well. I saw a sign that looked a little like Black Panther.
More Food – Well more like dessert
I wasn’t hungry yet as my Monte Cristo was so filling, but my uncle wanted to try the Carrot Cake Funnel Fries. I thought to myself, “That sounds pretty gross”. I mean it is Carrot Cake – not my favorite cake flavor. But when that plate of Funnel Fries came over, they smelled like cinnamon-y goodness. My uncle graciously got me a fork and let me try one of the fries. Delish! To me it tasted like a mochi churro. Highly recommend!
Character Sightings
Keep your eyes peeled for characters! I spotted Goofy first overlooking the Pacific Warf. He was on the side of the Boudin Bread building. (The Boudin restaurant is sadly closed along with the Asian cuisine Quick Service next to Boudin).
Next we saw Lightening McQueen in Cars Land right next to the entrance to the Radiator Springs Racers ride. Mater was also over in Cars Land on the scenic path out and into the Pacific Warf.
As we were walking out of Pixar Pier, we saw Sadness looking very sad.
We made our way to the water walkway across from the Ferris Wheel. There we were able to see Mickey Mouse over at the chair spinning ride. We were super excited about Mickey because he saw us from across the water and waved at us! Later in the same chair ride area we saw glimpses of Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck! Pluto was spotted above the Carthay Circle restaurant.
Food for Dinner
My uncle and I both had dinner at the Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill. I mobile ordered the Bengal Beef Skewer and my uncle ordered the Tacos de Papa (plant based offering).
My uncle ordered something to drink separately and that was ready first. Then my Beef Skewers were ready.
When my uncle went up to get his tacos, the lady gave him an extra taco plate for “waiting so long”. We think it was because he went up twice so it seemed like he was waiting a while. Whatever the reason, we both lucked out: He got an extra taco and I got to try a surprisingly good plant based taco. It was the perfect dinner.
Nighttime Light Time
Dusk is best spent in Cars Land if you’re in the mood for a little light show. When I went on March 26, the light show in Cars Land started at around 7:07 pm which is right around sunset.
After enjoying all the neon lights popping on during the street, we headed over to the walkway across from the Ferris Wheel to enjoy the wonderful changing lights.
I love how the lights are reflected into the water making a sort of symmetrical photo.
Last Snack Stop
The Cozy Cone Motel ended up being my last stop for a dinner dessert. I was going to try the churro with Horchata sauce, but the stand was closed.
Tip: Get all your snacks BEFORE 7pm because some of the booths close (some also don’t have mobile order).
Heading out of the Most Magical Place on Earth
We took in the last bit of magic as we walked out towards the front gates. The beautiful pink flowered trees sparkled with lights around the fountain. The music still played until 8 pm when our radio host for the day came on and told us it was time to go home.
The trek back to the car seemed longer than on the way in. Perhaps it was the fatigue of having walked over 8 miles that day or the sorrow of leaving such a wonderful time. Either way, I look forward to another day spent at Disney.
Sincerely,
A
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