After Disneyland, we crossed over to Disney California Adventure with Halloween decorations.
We hadn’t done the Bakery Tour before, so did it this time:
We also noticed a NPS-style Ornament Valley sign we hadn’t seen before:
Grizzly Peak:
Waterfall:
Watching people on the Grizzy Peak ride:
Halloween decorations:
We went to Magic Key Terrace for dinner:
Cars Land neon:
We visited Disneyland with Halloween and 70th anniversary celebration decorations.
Train station:
Marching band:
Daisy Duck:
Trolly:
Goofy:
A selfie in front of the castle:
We did the Pirates ride:
Lunch:
Jungle Cruise ride:
Falcon:
Chewy:
Castle:
Jenn’s teacup giggles:
Fire engine:
Disneyland had an “interactive park experience” called “Key to Disneyland”, where you buy a big plastic key, go around several locations in the park, and stick the key into keyholes, to unlock lights on the key, and ultimately unlock a secret compartment on the key, with a special collectable pin inside. Jenn loves collecting things, so was keen to do it:
The unlocked special pin:
Disneyland 70th anniversary:
Not sure what it says about us that it’s worthwhile to have a summary post about theme parks, but here we are.
Again, you can also see the attractions from 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021. And you can see all of the attraction-related blog posts via the exploring category, with the earliest posts at the top, or the latest posts at the top, or more specifically the theme park category (with earliest or latest posts at the top).
Disney World: Magic Kingdom After Dark:
Disney World: Hollywood Studios:
Disney World: Hollywood Studios After Dark:
Disney World: Epcot After Dark:
Disneyland halloween: [This link won’t work until later.]
Disney California Adventure halloween: [This link won’t work until later.]
Disneyland Christmas: [This link won’t work until later.]
Disney California Adventure Christmas: [This link won’t work until later.]
Fun times.
We visited Hershey’s Chocolate World in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
We did the Create Your Own Candy Bar experience, where you choose components for a bar; here are Jenn’s selections:
My selections:
Selfie:
Production line:
While the chocolate is drying, you design your packaging:
Production line:
Our packages:
Then we did the free Hershey’s Chocolate Tour, a ride showing what goes in to producing chocolate bars:
Dinner in the food hall:
Dessert:
Hershey’s Largest Candy Store:
Extra-big Kit-Kat (which we didn’t buy):
We did buy a lot of stuff, though:
Kissmobile:
My custom candy bar:
Jenn’s custom candy bar:
A fun experience.
We visited Epcot within Disney World during their After Dark special event.
This was unique in that it was the first time we’ve driven to a Disney World park; previously we were staying inside the bubble at the Fort Wilderness campground, but we did this visit when back at TTO.
Epcot parking entrance:
The After Hours info:
We thought it a little odd that the map cut off halfway around the lake… but later found that they blocked off that, which was disappointing; we enjoy walking around the lake:
The Spaceship Earth globe:
Spaceship Earth ride:
Lime dole whip snack:
Luminous show:
Looking towards France:
Ratatouille ride:
Minnie Mouse:
Looking across the lake:
Mexico pavilion:
Norway pavilion:
Frozen ride:
Selfie:
The Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind ride had a somewhat long wait; it seemed like it was going extra slow:
Definitely the least fun of the three After Dark experiences, between not being able to go around the lake and longer lines. But still enjoyable.
We visited Magic Kingdom again, during regular hours (and on Valentine’s Day).
Train station and train:
Castle:
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure:
Ferry to Tom Sawyer Island; a generally boring area, but we had to visit it, as it will be going away soon, to be replaced with a Cars-themed land:
The river and riverboat will also be going away, unfortunately:
Pirates of the Caribbean ride:
Snack:
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ride:
Video:
It’s a Small World ride:
The traditional picture of the massive New Zealand representation:
Tron Lightcycle Run ride:
Video:
Snack:
Carousel of Progress ride:
A new activity is making a custom tiara from a selection of frame styles and crystal colors, which Jenn did:
Jenn with her new tiara:
Haunted Mansion ride:
No one poses like Gaston:
We had dinner at the Be Our Guest restaurant on Valentine’s Day:
We visited Epcot within Disney World.
Chalk art:
During the Festival of the Arts they have special food booths, and some dishes to collect stamps for a prize, which Jenn enjoys doing. Here are all of the things we ate as part of that:
The prize last year was a plastic glass that Jenn still uses; the one this year was a rather unpleasant rice cake thing (at top, on the collection booklet); disappointing:
Another collection thing that Jenn did was the World Traveler Passport, where she got a stamp and handwritten message from each of the world pavilions, from someone from each country:
Mexico pavilion:
Frozen ride:
Germany pavilion:
Italy pavilion:
Japan pavilion:
Morocco pavilion:
United Kingdom pavilion:
Living with the Land ride:
Paint by numbers:
Flowers:
Guardians of the Galaxy ride:
Spaceship Earth ride:
A custom video based on our answers:
Journey of Water:
We enjoyed the Magic Kingdom After Dark so much that we booked a couple more, starting with Hollywood Studios After Dark.
We had to experience Muppet-Vision 3D one last time — it will be shutting down in June 2025 and replaced with a Monsters, Inc land:
Dinner in Galaxy’s Edge:
Smuggler’s Run ride:
We got to be pilots, for the first time; we’ve been engineers and gunners in the past:
Galaxy’s Edge:
Blue milk:
Rise of the Resistance ride:
Toy Story Land:
Alien Swirling Saucers ride:
Slinky Dog Dash ride:
We enjoyed free Mickey bar ice cream:
Toy Story Mania ride:
Runaway Railway ride:
Star Tours ride:
Sunset Boulevard:
Rock’n’Roller Coaster ride (did not enjoy this one; very rough):
Tower of Terror ride:
Video:
We did all of the rides that were open during the special event, even ones we normally skip (like Star Tours and Rock’n’Roller Coaster).
Hollywood Boulevard:
A fun night.
We also visited Hollywood Studios in Disney World.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge area:
Oga’s Cantina for lunch:
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride:
Toy Story Land:
Spinning Saucers ride:
Slinky Dog Dash ride:
Toy soldiers drummers:
Some food:
Toy Story Mania scores:
Hollywood Tower of Terror ride:
A video:
Pandora store for a couple of charms for Jenn:
The Brown Derby for dinner:
After spending several hours at Animal Kingdom, we went back to our coach to rest for a few hours, then headed out again to Magic Kingdom, for a special “After Dark” visit, where we (and hundreds of others) could enjoy the park after closing hours, with pretty much no lines for any of the rides, and “free” popcorn, ice cream, and beverages.
We timed our arrival well, and with some help from the ferry boat skipper going extra slow, we were able to see the early evening fireworks from the boat:
A posed photo in front of the castle:
Side of the castle:
Little Mermaid ride:
“The backside of water” on the Jungle Cruise ride:
Pirates of the Caribbean ride:
Riverboat and castle:
Haunted Mansion ride:
An amusing Haunted Mansion pic:
Castle selfie:
Later fireworks and light show:
Teacups ride, with Jenn’s giggles:
Peoplemover ride:
Space Mountain ride:
Tron ride:
A video with us:
Heading out, with a mostly empty Main Street:
A magical experience.