DID YOU KNOW...?

Did you know that there’s a brand new Starbucks at Disneyland? That’s right, Disneyland’s first Starbucks opened in June of this year, housed on the California Adventure campus on Buena Vista Street, and it is absolutely delightful.

The other dames and I made our way there for the first time on Sunday, when we were in dire need of our morning caffeine fix and knew that Disneyland had the remedy. So we headed over to California Adventure first thing, and found the Starbucks in the location of that old "Bur-r-r-Bank" ice cream train.

Needless to say, the Starbucks is a vast improvement.

You walk in to discover every detail of a vintage coffee shop, complete with beautifully framed black and white photography on the walls, and the delicious crisp voices of Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald on the overhead speakers. Of course, the very first Starbucks didn’t open until 1971, but with this one, Disney provides the illusion of a cute ole’ coffee shop whose legacy has survived much longer, as if the descendant of a more charming grandfather and the husky smell of his tobacco pipe.

If you know me, you know that coffee is one of the surest ways to my heart. I mean, obviously, any woman with a Starbucks ornament on her Christmas tree is a true, unwavering fan.

So I couldn’t be more charmed to welcome Starbucks to Disney’s California Adventure, in all its sepia glory. After all, Espresso + Vintage + Disney = The stuff dreams are made of. 

Nice to meet you, Disneyland Starbucks. I think we’re gonna get along great.

HOW TO MAKE A DISNEYLAND BIRTHDAY SPECIAL

Breaking News, breaking news! We have a birthday in the house! That’s right, over the weekend one of our very own earned another ring around her trunk (tree humor, anyone?). Which one of us, you ask?

THIS ONE...

ALSO KNOWN AS

THIS ONE...  

BUT MOST COMMONLY KNOWN AS

THIS ONE...  



Happy Birthday, Melody! And as she has done so many times before, she spent her special day at the Happiest Place on Earth with her sweetie, and this time with reservations at the new Carthay Circle Restaurant in California Adventure (fancy!)



From little cuties in strollers to older cuties on foot, there are always people celebrating birthdays at the Disneyland Resort. So if you ever think about doing so, here are my top five tips on How to Make a Disneyland Birthday Special:

5. Go early. No, seriously. GO EARLY.

I know most of us would rather sleep in on our birthdays, but getting there at or before opening is crucial to beat the crowd rush and the long lines, particularly for Fall and Early Spring-born folks, whose birthdays correspond with shorter days at the resort due to earlier park closing times. Plus, the more hours you’re awake, the more hours we’re celebrating you!

4. Get a Happy Birthday button.

Stop by City Hall, just inside the park on Main Street, as soon as you enter, and tell the cast members inside that it’s your birthday for a super cute and free Happy Birthday button!

Not only will you feel special wearing it, but cast members and other park guests will wish you Happy Birthday everywhere you go! *Note: You can also get a “First Time Visit” button, a “Happy Anniversary” button, or even a “Just Graduated” button. And if there’s no specific button that matches your celebration, don’t worry. There’s a more basic “I’m Celebrating” button as well – Disney’s got all their bases covered!

3. Do Dinner Somewhere Special.

Make reservations at one of the nice places at the resort you always wanted to try. Check out this couple, who were high rollin’ enough to host their vintage anniversary party ON THE VERANDA OF THE TOWER OF TERROR (I can’t even express how much I envy them!), for example.



But if you’re not rolling quite as high, other great options are:

Blue Bayou, housed inside the Pirates of the Carribean Ride, for the charm of a warm Louisiana evening...



Carthay Circle (pictured far above), on California Adventure’s new Buena Vista Street, for the style of a glamorous vintage cocktail party...

Or Napa Rose, inside the Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, for the elegant aftertaste of a really good glass of wine.

2. Watch the fireworks!

Perhaps one of the most notable Disney attractions, the Main Street USA fireworks show (displayed just above Cinderella’s Castle) is SO fantastic! This isn’t your run-of-the-mill Fourth of July snap, crackle, and pop either. Disney always has a way of inserting a little extra magic in the music and presentation to make things more memorable. I won’t spoil the show for those that haven’t seen it, but it’s a great way to end your special day with a bang!

And lastly...

1. Ride Your Favorite Ride. Over. And Over. And Over.  

Because it’s your birthday. And you can. :-)