Disneyland - Fantasy Faire

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/entertainment/disneyland/fantasy-faire/

The Fantasy Faire is an expansion of Fantasyland focusing on princesses. This is a place where there are times scheduled for meeting various princesses. There is some live entertainment as well, but the real focus is the princesses.

This combines two trends. One has been having specific places and times for characters, with less random wandering of the park. There is a spot for Pooh, Tigger, and Eeyore in Critter Country, and a space on the way to It's A Small World that I have seen host Disney villains around Halloween and couples around Valentine's Day.

Those are open spaces that get used, but there has also been some creation of new spaces, like a room to the side of Village Haus that has hosted Rapunzel before and Anna and Elsa now.

Sometimes, those spaces get designed specifically to create a certain experience. So before you meet Thor, you can view the Treasures of Asgard. In ToonTown, can see the houses of Donald, Goofy, Minnie, and Chip and Dale, and you wind through Mickey's house before meeting him.

Fantasy Faire is more like the ToonTown experience. You see the castle where the princesses live, and they have their own nooks. Your time there can be integrated with princess makeovers at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, where the children can be part of a procession.

I am not the market for this, but there are people who would eat it up.

Disneyland - Innoventions

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/attractions/disneyland/innoventions/

There are ways in which keeping Tomorrowland futuristic has always been a problem. The last time we visited it, the way it was set up, where you could view new products, kind of made sense, but it was also annoying, feeling too much like a sales pitch.

Now that there is a Tomorrowland movie coming out, they may simply re-brand to that. For now, there are three things going on at Innoventions.

Two of them are character meet and greets, both based on Marvel films. So you can stand in line to meet Captain America or Thor. I had thought about doing both, and then decided not to. (We almost never stand in line for characters.)

There are fairly cool displays around the line, and other Avengers-related displays as well. Probably the most impressive is the row of Iron Man suits.

The Marvel displays blend pretty seamlessly into the future displays, because Tony Stark is all about the futuristic technology and also there are video games. I was not drawn to many of them, but a lot of people were trying out different applications and seemed to be enjoying themselves. There is still a the element of corporate sponsorship, especially with Siemens and Honda, but it feels less obtrusive because it is more self-directed.

There was one aspect of the display that may be underrated, but I appreciated it. In showing the home of the future there were a lot of connected devices, but there was also a lot of seating, and air conditioning. So the World of Tomorrow can be a wind down for a moment.

Disneyland - Big Thunder Ranch Petting Zoo

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/attractions/disneyland/big-thunder-ranch-petting-zoo/

My love for animals is pretty consistent. I am always glad to see animals, always want to touch them, but am also likely to worry about them.

We would sometimes see references to a petting zoo without it being there, so I think there was a gradual buildup and acclimatization before it became what it is today, and I suppose it may change again.

We saw goats, sheep, a horse, and donkeys. One of the biggest letdowns with a petting zoo is when the animals aren't that interested in being pet (or fed for some attractions) because they get too much contact.

There was a little of that here, but not as much as you might think, because they seem to rotate the animals. We looked around on our way between Frontierland and Fantasyland once, and then came back later to pet animals. It was a different horse when we came back, and the donkeys were gone. There are pens where the animals can be seen but not touched, and other areas where they can be touched. They do get rests. Other animals mentioned as being at the ranch that we did not see include cows, pigs, turkeys, and even reindeer at times, but we did not see these.

(Also, the horses always have a handler, which I'm sure is a safety issue, but is good for the welfare of the horse as well.)

This does not guarantee that every animal is longing for attention, but at least one goat moved to be closer to me, and I felt good about that.

Disneyland - Mickey and the Magical Map

We don't generally go to a lot of shows. We did our first time in California Adventure, because it was really hot and we were looking for ways to get out of the sun, and it was fine, but we're more into riding rides.

I first started to get interested in the Fantasyland Theatre when I saw that they had a Snow White show, though it was not playing when we were there. Later it changed to Mickey and the Magical Map, and the key thing that made me feel that we needed to make an effort to see it was finding out that King Louie was in it. My sisters love him.

They also love Junior, so not only was his appearance a nice surprise, but this shot is a good example of the way they incorporate animation into the show, which is also live action.

Animation and performers take you to various locations for musical numbers. There are also special effects, like bubbles and confetti.

The premise is that apprentice Mickey was trying to finish creating a map, and the last blank spot is trying to escape being painted, so it uses the map to transport itself, and Mickey pursues. You may not remember the sorcerer whom Mickey was apprenticed to as being a mapmaker, but that's how it goes.

In the end, Mickey has sympathy for the spot's desire to not be painted over, but leaving it there is what makes the map magical, so it all works out, and becomes time for a splashy musical number.

It was fine. The shows aren't our thing, but they did a good job with it, and attending shows can build in a rest break.

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/entertainment/disneyland/mickey-magical-map/

Disneyland - French Market Restaurant

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/disneyland/french-market-restaurant/

The French Market restaurant is another one that was new to us. We had thought about checking it out before, because this is one of the restaurants where you can get live entertainment. We were there fairly late, and only for a snack. We wanted to try two things that were new to us: the mint julep and the beignets.

Both can also be purchased at the Mint Julep Bar, which is quick services instead of sit down.

We're more likely to go back for the beignets than the mint julep. We tried both regular and pumpkin varieties (the pumpkin is seasonal), and they were good, though I had thought they would be more melt in  your mouth. I don't really have any basis for comparison though, for how they would be in, for example, New Orleans. It does seem appropriate that after The Princess and the Frog that you can get beignets in New Orleans Square. I think the beignets are better than the fritters, which are also an offering in that area.

We also have no basis of comparison for the mint julep, alcoholic or otherwise. This version is non-alcoholic. We didn't love it either. The first sip was really strong and pungent. After that it was better, whether because the palate adjusts or the stronger flavorings sit on top, I don't know.

The primary flavors were mint and citrus. It probably would be refreshing on a hot day, but so are lots of other things.

Those don't sound like glowing reviews, but we tried these for curiosity, and that's a reasonable thing to do.

Disneyland - Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/disneyland/big-thunder-ranch-bbq/

The most expensive place we ate on this trip was at the Big Thunder Ranch BBQ.

Yes, that is knowing that eating in the park is expensive in general. We did not eat at Blue Bayou this time, but I believe it would still have been the most expensive. It can still be a good value.

We went for the lunch buffet. That includes unlimited ribs, chicken, coleslaw, beans, and cornbread. There were free refills on drinks. The dinner buffet adds corn on the cob and sausage.

You are paying for atmosphere and entertainment. There is music and singing and the cast members do a good job of including the children. The decor is great. Even the little touches like the drinks being served in Mason jars was a nice touch. It gives you the feeling of a ranch.

You are also getting a lot of food, and the food is pretty good. The meat was tender and flavorful. I was especially impressed with the chicken breast, as I often don't like white meat, but this was good. And they will keep bringing it, so it is possible to get your money's worth, if these food choices work for you.

It was not ideal for us. I am the only carnivore in my family. Between them my sisters had three pieces of meat, so we really only had one bucket, even though we could have had more. (I thought of it as my chance to stock up on protein.) I do not like baked beans or coleslaw, so I did not try those. They were reported to be okay. We all had cornbread. (It was fine, but mine's better.) We did not get the full value of the meal.

That doesn't mean that other people wouldn't, so that's something to consider when going. You can sit down, be entertained, and eat as much as you want, with them bringing the food to you. That can be a great experience. It is going to be more expensive, and one of the places where it is appropriate to tip.

I am glad we tried it once, but we probably won't do it again just because of the factors I've already mentioned.

If you do go, it is additional money to get the desserts, but those are pretty good values because they are huge.

Disney California Adventure - Lucky Fortune Cookery

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/disney-california-adventure/lucky-fortune-cookery/

This is my new favorite.

The first time we ate at the Pacific Wharf, you have one space with a lot of tables surrounded by room for three restaurants. One was the Pacific Wharf Cafe, where you can get Boudin Bread Bowls. There were also signs for a Chinese restaurant and a Mexican restaurant, but for a long time they weren't open.

Both are running now. We have still not tried the Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill but part of that is that I ate at Lucky Fortune twice.

I love Chinese food, but that is not really what this is. However, I also like rice bowls pretty well, and that is what you have here.

The bowls come in cardboard takeout containers. You do get chopsticks and a fortune cookie.

There is rice, and your choice of beef, chicken, or tofu for your protein. Then you choose your sauce: Mandarin Orange, Spicy Korean, Teriyaki, or Coconut Curry.

My sisters had the Teriyaki chicken, and didn't think it was that great. I had the Coconut Curry chicken, and I liked it so much that when my sisters went to Award Weiners on a different day I bought my lunch at Lucky Fortune and carried it all the way to Hollywood Land to eat with them. I really liked it.

I knew it would have made sense to try one of the other sauces, but I wanted the Coconut Curry again. I really liked it. I bet it would be good with beef.

There is always that tug between trying something new and sticking with the things you like, but this time trying something new really worked out.