All-nighters at Disneyland are tough, but TouringPlans is here to help you. I’m happy to announce that we will be having three meets during the Monstrous 24 hour event on May 24!

Meet #1: Good Morning Meet
10 AM to 11 AM – Pacific Wharf seating area – Disney California Adventure
We will all meet in the morning at provide you with some snacks (bagels, danishes, muffins, fruit) to fuel up for the day.

Meet #2: TouringPlans Hospitality “Lounge”
4 PM to 5 PM – In a to be announced hotel room – Grand Californian Hotel
For 1 hour on Friday we will open up the TouringPlans staff hotel room for our friends so they can come and relax before the madness of that evening begins. We will provide soda, water, and snacks as well as some nice prizes for those in attendance. This isn’t a traditional meet; we’ll have the room open for two hours, and people can come and go as they please. The room number will be announced in Disneyland Lines Chat and on our Twitter account.

Note: We don’t foresee this being a problem, but we may turn away people if the room becomes too crowded. Please check the TouringPlans Twitter account at the time of the meet.

Meet #3: Midnight Meet
12 AM to 1 AM – Jolly Holiday Bakery – Disneyland
Join us at Jolly Holiday Bakery, where we will provide coffee or hot chocolate. Disneyland should be in full-on insanity mode at this hour; if for some reason the hub becomes gridlocked (like it did during the leap day 24-hour event), this meet will be moved to a lower traffic area. Again, please check Disneyland Lines chat and the TouringPlans Twitter account at the time of the meet.

See you on May 24 at Disneyland Resort!

Pull an All-nighter with TouringPlans at Disneyland on May 24! is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

Starting May 9 for reservations on or after June 24, 2013, Disneyland Resort will charge a $10 per person fee to no-shows for dining reservations. We confirmed with Disney that this rule will apply to all Table Service restaurants in Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Downtown Disney, and the three resort hotels. The fee will also apply to cancellations at Bibbidi Bobbidi  Boutique in Fantasyland.

A valid credit card will be required when making reservations. Guests must cancel at least 24 hours in advance of their reservations to avoid the new fee. Disneyland Dining may be reached at 714-781-3463 or dine@disneyland.com.

Disneyland Resort Implements Cancellation Fees for Dining and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

Loyal TouringPlans readers, I am here to tell you that you don’t have to eat hamburgers or chicken fingers when you visit the Disneyland Resort. There was a dark period in the 1990s and early 2000s when food at the Happiest Place on Earth took a turn for the worst and many of the park’s counter service dining locations served bland, overpriced, mass-produced slop. Thankfully after a series of menu revisions over the last few years, most of Disneyland’s eateries have some delicious options. Today I will share some that you must try on your next trip.

Plaza Inn Specialty Chicken
Plaza Inn – Main Street USA, Disneyland – $13.99

Disney’s description: “Three pieces of chicken, fried to a golden brown, seasoned with distinctive herbs and spices, served with mashed potatoes, buttermilk biscuit and mixture of vegetables”

What I’m about to say may be controversial to Southern California theme park goers: In my opinion Plaza Inn’s fried chicken can go toe to toe with Knott’s Berry Farm’s fried chicken. I know it sounds crazy but this is one of Disneyland’s most popular entrees for a reason. The chicken pieces are gigantic and juicy, but still have a nice crisp crust on the outside. Included in the meal is a breast, thigh, and leg, along with mashed potatoes and green beans. The included biscuit is nothing to write home about but tastes great when drenched in honey from the condiments stand. Don’t be scared by the relatively high price tag. This meal is huge and is big enough for most people to share, but you probably won’t want to.

Fried Green Tomato Sandwich
Hungry Bear Restaurant – Critter Country, Disneyland – $8.49

Disney’s description: “Cornmeal crusted fried green tomatoes layered with two slices of fresh heirloom tomatoes, topped with havarti, rémoulade, jicama-mango slaw and served on a multi-grain roll. Served with sweet potato fries or zesty slaw.”

I’m not going to lie, I was a bit put off when I first heard of this sandwich. How good could a theme park fried green tomato be? Very good! The sandwich is served on a fresh multi-grain roll and packed with fresh vegetables and a slice of cheese. The jicama-mango slaw is good but not overpowering, it adds just the right amount of sweetness to the sandwich. The fried tomatoes are thinly breaded and not greasy. The sandwich is also served with sweet potato fries which some people aren’t a fan of. I love sweet potato fries and they are a lot better than the bland french fries Disney serves at other counter service locations. What I love about this meal is that it’s filling but I don’t feel like I ate a heavy meal. Perfect for those hot summer days in the park where you don’t want feel bogged down by a big lunch or dinner.

Mediterranean Skewers
Paradise Garden Grill – Paradise Pier, Disney California Adventure – $11.49

Paradise Garden Grill is one of the new eateries that opened as part of the revamped DCA last year. It hard to believe that this location was once a McDonalds! Disney transformed this location into one that offers some of the highest quality food available in the park. At Garden Grill guests may select their choice of skewer (grilled steak, lemon-oregano chicken, vegetable, or beef kefta) and then select a sauce (Moroccan chili, chimichurri, tandoori-spiced yogurt, or tzatziki . The combination in the picture above is lemon-oregano chicken with chimichurri. My personal favorite is beef kefta with Moroccan Chili, but I’ve tried all the different skewers and sauces and they’re all delicious. The meat they use is high quality and perfectly cooked. If you can’t decide which one of the excellent sauces to order, you may ask to try all of them on the side. Unfortunately Paradise Garden Grill doesn’t appear to be very popular. Perhaps the menu sounds too exotic for the average theme park guest. Don’t let that scare you away from trying one of the resort’s best counter service restaurants.

Sourdough Bread Bowl
Harbour Galley – New Orleans Square, Disneyland – $9.29
Royal Street Veranda – New Orleans Square, Disneyland – $9.29
Pacific Wharf Cafe – Pacific Wharf, Disney California Adventure – $9.29

Bread bowls at the Disneyland Resort have been sold for as long as I can remember and have created a large following of fans over the years. It’s not surprising that because of this they are offered in three different locations in the two theme parks. The soup served in the bread bowls come in several different varieties. In Disneyland you can find clam chowder, vegetarian gumbo, steak gumbo, and broccoli and cheddar cheese. Over in DCA you can find tomato bisque, broccoli and cheddar cheese, and clam chowder. You really can’t go wrong with any of them. All of the soups are thick and served hot. Perfect for a cold day. The bread bowl is thick and freshly made daily. My only gripe with the bread bowls is that the soup serving sizes seem to shrink each year while the price goes up. Luckily the bread bowl is still huge and pretty much a meal itself. Buy your bread bowl at Harbour Galley and then make the short walk over to Hungry Bear Restaurant’s seating area for a beautiful view of the Rivers of America while you eat.

Brioche French Toast
Flo’s V8 Cafe – Cars Land, Disney California Adventure – $7.99

I debated whether or not to include a breakfast item on this list. Everything else on here is served from 11 AM until the various counter service restaurant closing times but the Brioche French Toast is served only from park opening until 11 AM. It’s just too good to leave off. The Brioche French Toast is made up of a giant piece of French toast, covered in lightly salted caramel, with a banana on top. It’s hard to even classify it as French toast because to me it tastes more like bread pudding. It’s incredibly good, but keep in mind you’re basically eating a gigantic dessert for breakfast. If you’re fine with that then go nuts. Heck, order two.

Do you have any favorite Disneyland counter service entrees? Post them in the comment section below.

Want to see the most up-to-date Disney menus on the internet? Check out our dining sections for Disneyland and Walt Disney World where all menus are checked for accuracy at least every 90 days.

5 Must Try Counter Service Food Entrees at Disneyland Resort is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

The new Iron Man exhibit opened in Disneyland’s Innoventions this past weekend. The new exhibit did something we have not seen in over a decade: it actually brought crowds to Innoventions!

The centerpiece of the booth is the Mark 42 Iron Man suit.

All of the other Iron Man suits are lined up on the outer wall of the exhibit.

Up-close pictures of two Iron Man suits.

Screen-used props on display.

The only interactive element in the exhibit is called “Suit Up.” Guests can have the Iron Man suit virtually added to their bodies using a television and Microsoft Kinect technology.

Here a guest is seen with the Iron Man suit being added on screen. The line for this attraction is not long in length, but the wait time was high. A Cast Member said the wait would be about 60 minutes.

Images from Iron Man 3 on display along the outer wall.

The Stark Industries logo on the outside wall of the exhibit.

Iron Man signage added to the Innoventions entrance archway.
The banners on the outside of the Innoventions building have been changed to advertise the new attraction.

Iron Man Tech Presented by Stark Industries opens along with the rest of Innoventions daily at 11:00 AM. The exhibit is currently scheduled to run through September.

Pictures: Iron Man Tech Presented by Stark Industries opens in Disneyland is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

It’s time for another TouringPlans meet at Disneyland! We will gather in the Big Thunder Jamboree area and meet some Long Lost Friends as a group. Afterwards we’ll gather at the tables inside the Jamboree to eat treats from the Long Lost Friends food cart. Look for Guy in his cranberry-colored TouringPlans shirt.

The meet takes place Sunday, April 13, at 2:00 PM!

See you there!

Join us for a Long Lost Friends Meet this Sunday at Disneyland! is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

The latest Limited Time Magic offering started today at Disneyland. Long Lost Friends Week brings back characters who aren’t frequently seen in the parks for meet and greets. The Disneyland version of Long Lost Friends Week takes place in Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree located off of the trail behind Big Thunder Mountain. Characters are available to meet and greet from 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM daily until Sunday, April 13. Five sets of Long Lost Friends characters stay out for 30 minutes a time. After those 30 minutes, another five sets of characters appear. It’s also worth mentioning that these characters do not sign autographs. Their handlers give out pre-autographed cards after your group finishes taking a picture.

Characters appearing during Long Lost Friends:

Scrooge McDuck and Ludwig Von Drake from DuckTales. This was arguably the most popular meet and greet when I was in attendance.

Mushu and Ping (a.k.a. Mulan) from Mulan. I don’t normally take pictures with characters, but Mulan is one of my favorite Disney movies, and if I’m not mistaken I don’t think Fa Ping has ever been offered for a meet and greet. I got a picture with her and had a hilarious interaction. She asked me my name, and when I said Guy she responded with, “Oh, Guy! Well I’m definitely a guy as well!”

Friar Tuck, Robin Hood, Prince John, and the Sheriff of Nottingham from Robin Hood

Fauna, Flora, and Merryweather from Sleeping Beauty

Clopin, Esmeralda, and Frollo from Hunchback of Notre Dame

Governor Ratcliffe, John Smith, Pocahontas, and Meeko from Pocahontas

Lilo and Stitch

Jane Porter and Terk from Tarzan

Fiddler Pig, Fifer Pig, Practical Pig, and The Big Bad Wolf from Three Little Pigs. One of the pigs was missing due to a wardrobe malfunction.

Also making an appearance were Peter Pan, Wendy Darling, Mr. Smee, and Captain Hook from Peter Pan, but I was unfortunately unable to get a photo of this group.

A nice detail is that each group has its own custom backdrop for taking pictures.

There was a good sized crowd when the area opened this morning. Each meet and greet had a 15 to 20 minute wait.

After 30 minutes a new group of characters parades out.

The Long Lost Friends are then introduced by a cast member.

Wave goodbye, Scrooge!

Photo Report: Long Lost Friends Week Begins At Disneyland is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

Do you like hunting for Easter eggs? What about Disney Easter eggs? What about not getting to keep the eggs after you found them? Well, you’re in luck, for only $4.95 (plus tax) you can participate in a Disney Easter egg hunt in Disney California Adventure and Epcot. I’m not going to lie: when this was first announced I tilted my head in confusion, kind of like my dogs tilt their heads when I sing Britney Spears to them. At first I thought it was strange to pay to participate in an Easter egg hunt where you don’t get to keep the eggs. But then as I sat at my computer for 5 minutes, I realized that A) At the very least this is a chance to obtain what will become yet another piece of obscure Disney ephemera for my collection, and B) Len said he would pay for it. Weighing those two factors, I promptly decided I was all in.

Before I get started, this is the map you get after you hand over your $4.95. I have to say it’s pretty fabulous. The same artwork from DCA’s guide maps is used. The map is surrounded by eggs with brief descriptions on where you can find an egg. After you find an egg you take the corresponding sticker and attach it to the map. If for some reason the egg hunt overwhelms you and you can’t finish, you can still obtain the same prize as everyone else.

The maps can be obtained at Elias & Co on Buena Vista Street in DCA. See the Vinylmation logo? The prize for completing (or not completing) the hunt is a Vinylmation key chain 2 pack.

When you’re done you bring your map to this table. Different Vinylmation key chains are hidden under each one.

This was the key chain I ended up with: Goofy and some abstract design. Not too bad for for $4.95. I did read on Twitter that these exact same Vinylmation key chain packs are available at the Disney-owned outlet stores in Orlando, 3 for $10. Overall it was a fun little diversion. I saw a few dozen people also running around with the maps today, and I’m sure this busy spring break week there will be many more. These sorts of promotions are very popular with the locals who are hungry for anything different to do in the parks (I know because I am one). Also, I imagine that kids would love hunting for character eggs. The Easter egg hunt at DCA and Epcot run March 18 to 24.

Next up I’ll show you the locations of all the eggs. If you plan on doing the Easter egg hunt, you might want to skip the next 10 pictures.

**Spoilers!**

Pluto egg at Award Wieners. Because he’s a dog and they serve hot dogs, get it?

Minnie Mouse on Hollywood Boulevard.

Dale at the Tower of Terror Fastpass area.

Chip near the Tower of Terror entrance.

Lightning McQueen at Radiator Springs Curios in Cars Land

Mater egg at the entrance to Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree.

Goofy egg at Goofy’s Sky School.

Donald Duck egg near Silly Symphony Swings.

Daisy in Pacific Wharf. I’d like to point out that this egg was surrounded by dozens of angry bees. Basically this is my worst nightmare. Heroically I did manage to take a picture of the egg before running off like a little girl.

Mickey Mouse egg on one of the Carthay Circle Restaurant balconies.

Limited Time Magic Review – Disney Character Easter Egg Hunt is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

At some point in the late 1990s Disney started to aggressively market its stable of princess characters. Before that, princess products were pretty much limited to whatever new animated princess movie the company was promoting for that year. When the Disney Princess line became one of the most profitable brands in the company, their presence in the theme parks also began to grow. In 2006 the princesses were given a dedicated spot in Disneyland called “Princess Fantasy Faire.” It quickly became one of the most popular attractions in the park, commanding wait times of over 90 minutes or more on busy days.

Unfortunately, Princess Fantasy Faire was installed inside the Fantasyland Theater. This brought the end to live stage shows, which had been a part of the park since the Fantasyland Theater opened in 1987. During the 2011 D23 Expo Tom Staggs, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts,  announced that the princesses would receive a new permanent home in 2013. The new Fantasy Faire replaced the Carnation Plaza Gardens area near Disneyland’s hub, so if you’re familiar with that area, you know how small it is. But Disney still managed to pack it full of details. Now I’ll walk you through the four major focal points of the new Fantasy Faire.

The Courtyard

This is the center of Fantasy Faire. It is where you will find entrances to the Royal Hall and Royal Theatre, as well as access to Fantasyland, Disneyland’s hub, and Frontierland. This is area is beautiful and packed with details.

The stone Rapunzel tower is in the center of Fantasy Faire.

The skyline of Fantasy Faire. Notice the wall from Sleeping Beauty Castle on the right.

The building on the left houses the entrance to Frontierland. Also notice Figaro the cat from Pinocchio sitting near the window.

A closer look at Figaro. Most of the time he is sleeping, but every once in a while the chirping bird in the cage will wake him up.

Another great detail, Cloplin’s Music Box. It features characters from the Disney movie Hunchback of Notre Dame. When the crank is turned, the display is animated, and the song “Topsy Turvy” plays.

Royal Theatre 

 The Royal Theatre features a small stage show with abridged reenactments of either Tangled or Beauty and the Beast. The stories of the two films are played out on stage by Rapunzel or Belle and their prince counterparts, along with two other performers that provide the singing. There are benches for seating in the back, and floor seating in the front, where parents are encouraged to sit with their kids.

Tangled was the performance during my preview day. Here you can see Rapunzel being introduced.

Key moments from the movie are acted out on stage. Here you can see Flynn Rider be knocked out with a frying pan after he enters Rapunzel’s tower. Overall, the Royal Theatre show was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. The performers are talented, and the show keeps a brisk pace. Some parts got a lot of laughs from the adults as well as children, and everyone in attendance seemed entertained. The seating area is relatively small; I recommend getting there at least 20 minutes early to guarantee a spot.

This theater is in the same location as the old Carnation Plaza stage, where legendary performers like Louis Armstrong and Buddy Rich once performed. Thankfully, the original dance floor was saved during construction (seen above).

Royal Hall

The Royal Hall is the new place to meet and greet Disney Princesses. It replaces the current Princess Royal Walk over by “it’s a small world.”

Guests will be able to meet three princess after waiting in the lengthy queue.

The inside of the meet in greet is very nice, although it is a bit small once you get inside.

Ariel inside of the Royal Hall.

Cinderella inside the Royal Hall.

Fairy Tale Treasures is the very small shop located inside Fantasy Faire.

The shop is nice, a definite improvement over the merchandise carts over at the old Princess Fantasy Faire.

More details inside Fairy Tale Treasures.

The usual assortment of princess merchandise is for sale inside Fairy Tale Treasures.

An army of Pascals inside Fairy Tale Treasures

Maurice’s Treats

Maurice’s Treats is the food cart located inside Fantasy Faire.

The cart offers some new Disney treats! I tried the Strawberry Twist, Cheddar Garlic Bagel Twist, and Boysen Apple Freeze drink. The Strawberry Twist was good, but a tad overpriced in my opinion. The Cheddar Garlic Bagel Twist was awful: hard as a rock and absolutely flavorless. Some have suggested that it was just dried out from sitting under a heat lamp, but at $4.19 I’m not going to take the chance again. The Boysen Apple Freeze continues the trend over extremely sweet frozen drinks Disney started with Red’s Apple Freeze from Cars Land last summer. As usual, it as foam on the top.

The Strawberry Twist which was good but not great. There are better pastries available a short walk across the hub to Jolly Holiday Bakery.

Final Thoughts

A lot of hard core Disneyland fans were against the idea of the Carnation Plaza Gardens being removed. I do miss that quiet area of the park, but at least it was replaced with a beautifully themed mini-land. While Fantasy Faire does not appeal to me personally, it’s impossible to deny the popularity of meet and greets. Disney took an area that was used during a very low number of hours of the week and turned it in to another attraction that will draw plenty of guests, albeit one that doesn’t cater to very many demographics. Another plus is that the Fantasyland Theater is now free to host stage shows again, which it will starting this summer. The new Fantasy Faire officially opens March 12.

Review and Photo Tour of Disneyland’s New Fantasy Faire is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

I’ve been with TouringPlans for a little over 8 months now. During my time in the parks I ride most attractions dozens of times a week while I collect wait times. But would you believe that there are still a few attractions that I have never taken the time to experience? Recently I decided to change that and experience three attractions that I’ve never done. What are the attractions? Three of Disney California Adventure’s finest: Operation Playtime, Wilderness Explorer Ceremony, and The Happy Camper. Not exactly E Tickets, but it’s better than sitting at home, right?

Operation Playtime

This show features four random Green Army Men from the Toy Story series of movies. The Green Army Men have traveled to Paradise Pier to find new recruits for Andy’s toy box. Their recruitment process requires volunteers from the audience to make loud noises and jump up and down while the other three Green Army Men drum rhythmically. The drummers remind me of the old Trashcan Trio that used to play in Tomorrowland years ago, except this time they are themed to a movie. This show is a quick diversion. I’m not saying it’s bad, but I can’t imagine anyone going out of the way to see it. While I was watching, most people who stopped to watch just happened to be walking by when the Army Men parked their jeep. Yes, jeep. Operation Playtime does not take place in any traditional venue. The Green Army Men’s jeep enters the park through the same gate the Pixar Play Parade uses for its daily performances. It then travels past Silly Symphony Swings, Goofy’s Sky School, and Jumpin’ Jellyfish. The jeep finally parks in front of the Golden Zephyr, and the show is started. Should you take time out of your day to see it? If you have kids in your group that need to let off some steam, then absolutely. Groups without kids may find some enjoyment when the Green Army Men start drumming. Either way, if you choose to watch the show it won’t take much time out of your day. The duration of the show is around 9 minutes.

Wilderness Explorer Ceremony

The Wilderness Explorer Ceremony takes place on a small stage located inside of the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. The story of the show is that you have completed all of the challenges found in Redwood Creek and you have been accepted in to the prestigious Wilderness Explorers. The show stars a scout leader who teaches the audience the Wilderness Explorer oath and official call (Kaw! Kaw! Rah!), along with Russell from the movie Up. Unlike Operation Playtime the entire audience is encouraged to participate in this show. Kids are asked to sit in the front row, while adults sit in the upper rows. The venue for this show is very small, holding fewer than 50 people. The 8 minute show is very simple, consisting only of the the oath and call I describe above, and then the introduction of Russell. It’s worth noting that this is the only way to meet and greet the costumed Russell character. After the show is finished you can line up and take a picture with him near the stage. He does not sign autographs.

The Happy Camper

I had seen The Happy Camper dozens of times while making my rounds through DCA but never took the time to sit and actually watch him. Now that I finally have, I’m happy to say that he is a talented performer. Unfortunately there is not much room to sit and watch him do his thing. Your choices are a bench located to the right of his stool or in the middle of a crowded walkway. I guess that the point of The Happy Camper is to provide atmospheric entertainment and not a traditional show. That makes sense considering he plays for 30 minutes each set! I did sit through, and enjoy, his entire set. While I was watching him it became clear that he’s a big fan of interacting with the guests that are passing by. I must have heard him sing happy birthday at least 10 times to random guests with birthday buttons. His set list (when he wasn’t singing happy birthday) consisted of traditional camp fire songs and folk music, and is all performed solo on his guitar and harmonica. If you do want to give The Happy Camper a try, he plays near the entrance of Grizzly River Run.

None of these attractions are headliners, but they are a few of the live entertainment options that make the Disneyland Resort so great.

Some Green Army Men, Wilderness Explorers, and a Happy Camper is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

As we mentioned earlier today, the Dapper Dans in Disneyland and Magic Kingdom are singing pop hits from boy bands of the 90s.

We now have video from one of the first showings at Disneyland today.

The Dapper Dans will sing boy band songs today until March 3.

Disneyland show times:
Daily – 9:30 am, 10:30 am, 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, 1:35 pm, and 2:30 pm

Magic Kingdom show times: 
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday – 9:00 am, 9:45 am, 11:05 am, 11:45 am, 1:00 pm, 1:50 pm, 2:35 pm, 3:35 pm
Thursday - 9:00 am, 9:45 am, 11:05 am, 11:45 am, 1:00 pm, 1:50 pm, 3:35 pm
Friday, Saturday - 9:00 am, 9:45 am, 11:05 am, 11:45 am, 1:00 pm, 1:50 pm, 2:35 pm, 3:35 pm, 4:45 pm

Video: Dapper Dans The Original Boy Band Sings Pop Hits is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.