When you think of Disneyland you probably think of magic. That’s because they have a great PR team. Also, magic. Christmas brings to mind similar thoughts, but with more sugarplums. See where I’m going here?

The holidays at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, CA are as magical as you could possibly hope for. Whether it’s meeting Santa in person, seeing your favorite Disney characters dressed in their holiday best, or catching the festive parade, fireworks and other events, there is Disney-wrapped Christmas fun throughout the resort (that includes Disneyland, the Disney hotels, Downtown Disney and Disney’s California Adventure).

But that’s not all! Read More »

The holidays are in full swing at the Disneyland Resort, and magic is in the air!

Santa Mickey and Minnie Claus are ready to make your holiday wishes come true — or at least help you enjoy a churro. They’re givers.

Tune in next week for more holiday fun from the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World.

This post is part of UpTake’s Friday Family Series. If you would like to see your family vacation photo here please submit it via the contact link in the sidebar, subject line: Family Photo.

Photo: Whit Honea

The Walt Disney Family Museum is located within the beautiful confines of San Francisco’s famous Presidio. They found a pretty nice spot. Breathtaking, really.

In fact, one of the best exhibits in the museum isn’t an exhibit at all. It’s a window. As you are walking from one of the many rooms to the next there is a hallway with nothing but a bench and a view. The Golden Gate Bridge sits on the other side. That experience alone may be worth the price of admission. Hence the picture above.

So what else do you get for your ticket? Quite a bit. There are family movies, personal letters, awards (including the famous Snow White Oscar), behind the scenes footage and a level of detail that some may find overwhelming and others will recognize as the way Walt would have wanted it.

I was traveling alone in San Francisco (stayed at the awesome Crescent San Francisco Hotel) and having a family of Disney fans at home I was reluctant to visit the museum by myself. I’m glad that I did. While there are plenty of interactive activities throughout the winding maze of the museum, few of them are designed to hold the attention of young children — especially those that can’t accept the fact that this Disney attraction doesn’t twirl, fly or hug them for pictures. There are no churros. I’m sure that my boys would have had fun, but it would have come at a price, that being my chance to stroll leisurely through years of Disney history. Read More »

This is a big weekend for Halloween parties and pumpkin picking. Are you ready for the big night?

Towns across America will be having carnivals, hayrides and fall festivals. Check your local listings for some fun weekend staycations in your area — or better yet, take a drive up the freeway and see what’s cooking in another town!

Our area, luckily, includes Disneyland. They do Halloween right.

This post is part of UpTake’s Friday Family Series. If you would like to see your family vacation photo here please submit it via the contact link in the sidebar, subject line: Family Photo.

Photo: Whit Honea