Multnomah Falls Lodge Brunch

We had wanted to try the brunch at Multnomah Falls Lodge before, but it was extra motivation that this is the 100th anniversary.

The lodge itself embodies every type of rock found in the Columbia River Gorge, and the dining room was very pleasant and festive.

Well, it was probably more festive given the time of year we visited.

While the lodge has different menus depending on when you are there, we specifically wanted to try the brunch buffet. 

(Also, is it really a lodge? The sign says restaurant and lounge, and there is a gift shop, but apparently no lodgings. Tradition.) 

 There was a good selection of warm foods, including a carving station.

There were also various pastries and desserts.

One of the most impressive things to me was the selection of beverages that came with the buffet, including hot chocolate.

Even the $10 fee for bottomless mimosas is probably a good price, though that option is outside of my area of expertise.

I know there are fancier buffets, but they can also be much more expensive. This was a reasonable deal in a beautiful setting. 

We found the food good and the staff considerate. It was also nice to be able to visit quietly, though it was not a particularly crowded day, which is probably not always true.

One previous attempt failed because the parking lot was full. This is more common during the regular hiking season, but this day was cold and sunny and there were at least some hikers.

It may be good to have shuttles or other ride services as a backup plan.

COVID: Again, it was not crowded during our time there, so distancing was easy. That is not guaranteed.

Accessibility: There are various places with steps, but there is nothing that does not have alternative access available. 

Do expect to have to use the underpass from the lot. The distance is not lengthy, but you are unlikely to be able to park right there. 

https://www.multnomahfallslodge.com/

https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/columbiarivergorge/recreation/multnomah-falls-lodge 

Disneyland: Halloween and new attractions

 

Even with things that were hard about this trip, and us not being likely to go at Halloween again, I did still love the decorations.

There was lots to look at and fun options like doing a pumpkin scavenger hunt:

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/events-tours/plutos-pumpkin-pursuit 

There were also some rides that were changed for the holiday. 

Two that I was able to try this year were Mater's Graveyard Jambooree and Luigi's Honkin Haul-o-ween, both in Cars Land.

In that case, in addition to the decorations, they change the music to something that is both Halloween and cars-themes, like a purple fender bender instead of a purple people-eater.

Decor may be best in Cars Land anyway.

As it is, I really wish that for Halloween the Haunted Mansion would stay the same, because it is perfect for that holiday and I am not a big fan of The Nightmare Before Christmas. 

That being said, there were some changes that were amazing.

Well, consider it one ride overhaul and one completely new ride.

I only have pictures from the line, because in both rides they advised not having anything in your hands and I am a rule follower.

Tiana's Bayou Adventure is adorable, working in the changes between human and frog size and giving us lots and lots of Louis, as it should be.

I told my sisters that they better have Ray's grandmother with her walker, and they did.

Then Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway honored their history in the line, previewed where things were going with a cartoon feature that broke the fourth wall and allowed you to step through it, then kept being surprising and fresh.

When I was getting ready to go, I saw that there were going to be things related to The Emperor's New Groove and Big Hero 6, neither of which I had seen.

I watched them very close to when we left, so Big Hero 6 was pretty fresh in memory when we watched a feature about Walt Disney and saw interview footage with Bob Iger. I thought he looked a lot like Alistair Krei. Coincidence?

Regardless, while I have concerns about some of the things that happen corporate-wise and with the movies, and certainly pricing is going up, Disney parks are still really good at creating magical experiences.

COVID: This has all been said in the previous posts, but Halloween is pretty crowded. That is getting to be true for any time of year. 

For the specific rides, the Runaway Railway is indoors so I masked for that. Tiana's Bayou Adventure is partially in and outdoors. I just kept the mask on for that. The two Cars Land rides are both outdoors, but the lines can be pretty crowded and indoors for part of Luigi's line. 

Accessibility: Disney is pretty good about accommodating various needs on rides, but check the information on specific rides, link shown for Tiana's Bayou Adventure:

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/attractions/disneyland/tianas-bayou-adventure/ 

 

Don't go chasing Halloween foods

Yes, in my head that is playing to the tune of "Waterfalls" by TLC.

When we canceled the trip last year, part of the disappointment was that there had been Halloween foods that we were interested in trying. 

Both Knott's Berry Farm and Disney have special holiday foods that they publicize them with blogs and events that bloggers are invited to. (Not me, but that's okay.) 

Some of the items we were interested in were back. It wasn't the main point of the trip, but it was still exciting. This ended up being an area of great disappointment, for the most part.

Having looked over both menus and read feedback for two years now, some themes emerge.

Disney tends to alternate between adding fall flavors -- like pumpkin and apple -- or hot and spicy (like Loaded Buffalo Chicken Onion Rings).

They may also do some movie tie-ins. This year there were a lot of sippers and things related to The Emperor's New Groove.

At Knott's there seems to be more decor than flavoring, as well as a tendency to sometimes bring in unusual ingredients, like frog legs (which I have no picture of, because I was not going to order those).

Sometimes the disappointments were minor. For example, maybe a display photo of a fall salad looks great, but in the plastic takeout container it loses some of the luster and has too much kale.

Usually it was fine, but not something to make returning next Halloween essential.

The Disney food was generally better, but that has tended to be the case all along, including for their non-seasonal food.

The biggest disappointment was a float at Knott's that had Orange Fanta, Dole Whip, and candy corn.

It did not look like the photo, including not seeing any candy corn. Okay, fine. Those were more of a garnish and I still thought that the combination of Orange Fanta and Dole Whip would be good, only the Fanta tasted kind of off. It turns out that the candy corn were all in the bottom of the cup. I think them soaking in the Fanta is what caused the flavor to be off. 

The second biggest disappointment was dropping the Boo-nuelo in Downtown Disney.

The smaller, packaged-rather-than-fresh Spider Bunuelitos have greater structural integrity.

 Halloween can be lots of fun. 

Thematically appropriate food can be a part of that fun, but it is probably best not to focus on it or travel for it. That could leave you disappointed.

 

Just enjoy the ride.

COVID: The various parties and attractions do make it an extra busy time of year. Southern California weather means that a lot is still being done outside, but exercise caution.

Accessibility: The only way this really differs from the normal park information is that there may be different allergens, as well as that there will be more spicy foods around. There are enough different choices that it should not be a problem.

You can still see the Disney Halloween food blog, but the Knott's site has switched to Knott's Merry Farm.

https://disneyparksblog.com/dlr/disney-eats-disneyland-halloween-foodie-guide-2025/