Is a Character Breakfast at Disneyland Worth It?

It was August 2025, and we were headed to Disneyland — but for the first time in my life, this wasn't a penny-pinching trip. We'd had two hard years as a family. I'd finally landed a good-paying job, we'd dug ourselves out of debt, and we were more than ready for some carefree time together.

So, for the first time ever, I booked a character breakfast.

I wasn't sure either of my kids would even be into it. I remembered hating character breakfasts myself as a kid. But I had a hunch my then-2-year-old would love it.

We chose the Mickey's Adventures breakfast at Storyteller's Cafe — $59 per adult, $36 per child (free under age 3). That's a steep price for breakfast, but we went in prepared to have a good time no matter what.

My Disneyland philosophy is simple: happiness here is what you make of it. The lines might be long, plans might fall apart, but there's joy to be found everywhere — even stuck waiting in line. With the right attitude and the people you love most, almost anything can be fun.

The Breakfast

We arrived, got seated quickly, and had just enough time to order drinks — coffee for my husband and me, apple juice for the kids — before the characters started making their rounds. First came Chip and Dale, then Pluto. And then, turning the corner, Mickey and Minnie.

I assumed the breakfast would be the highlight of the trip for my almost-3-year-old. I had no idea my 9-year-old would be the one who had the time of his life. He lit up with every character, asked for a photo with each one, and actually cried when breakfast was over and it was time to pay the bill and go. My daughter had a great time too, of course — but watching my son experience something so purely magical made the whole thing worth it, for me.

Let's Talk About the Food

There's a lot of it. Honestly, though, I'm not sure we got our money's worth on food alone — my daughter was too distracted to eat much, and my son was too busy scanning the room for the next character. The spread included a bagel bar, fresh fruit, Mickey waffles, sausage, bacon, eggs, cereal, oatmeal, pastries — basically anything you could want. Everything we tried was delicious, and the Mickey waffles were a standout. A cast member kept our drinks flowing the whole time — coffee, juice, water, soda, tea, whatever we asked for.

So, Was It Worth It?

All told, we spent a little over $200, tip and all.

Was the food worth $200? No, not even close.

But the character time? That's another story. We booked an early slot — 7:45 a.m., which works great when your kids are early risers anyway — and for the first 40 minutes, we practically had the characters to ourselves. Chip & Dale, Pluto, Goofy, Minnie, and Mickey all came back to our table multiple times. I walked away with hundreds of photos from that one breakfast, most of them with my kids just beaming.

So was the character experience worth it? Absolutely, yes.

Tappi Books Review: Is the Screen-Free Interactive Play Pen Worth It?

If you've been scrolling through screen-free toy recommendations, you've probably come across Tappi — the interactive book system that promises all the engagement of a tablet with none of the screen time. I received a Tappi set to review last December. My daughter had just turned 3 at the time and was entering a stage of life where I wanted her to have some independent play options… but she’s a very interactive kid. She’s constantly having a conversation! Handing her an iPad both is not my parenting style and is not her play style. She’s now almost 4 and I can tell you that after 9 months of daily use… the Tappi set is one of our most used toys.

What Is Tappi?

Tappi is a screen-free interactive book system built around a rechargeable Play Pen. Instead of swiping a screen, kids tap the pen directly on the pages of specially designed board books to trigger sounds, music, stories, and simple games. One pen works with every book in the Tappi library, so the collection grows without needing new hardware. The pen is rechargeable with a standard cord.

The books are designed for kids roughly ages 2–6, with content that scales from simple vocabulary and animal sounds for toddlers up to comprehension games for preschoolers. However, my older child, who is 10, also really enjoys these books, funny enough! The novelty is very exciting.

Our Experience

Hands down, Violet's favorite Tappi books are the music books. She'll tap her way through them on repeat, discovering different instrument sounds and songs each time. What stood out to me as a parent is how interactive they actually are — this isn't a book that plays one sound per page and stops. She's constantly finding new things to tap, which keeps her engaged far longer than a typical board book. Often, this includes sequences to help build the music herself. I believe strongly in both my kids taking music lessons and this will help build that foundation for sure.

At three years old, she's also fully independent with it. No fumbling, no asking for help — she picks up the pen, turns it on, opens a book, and goes. That kind of independent play is honestly the biggest win for us as parents; it's engaging without us needing to hover.

The One Downside: Losing the Pen

If I'm being fully honest, our biggest complaint isn't with the books or the technology — it's that the pen goes missing constantly. Violet is great about using it, less great about putting it back where it belongs. I've fished it out from under the couch more than once. If you're a parent who already loses remote controls and hair clips on a regular basis, budget for a designated "Tappi spot" in your house, or you'll be doing couch archaeology like we do. We did eventually attach a sensor to it — we use these remote sensors from Amazon for a ton of things.

It's a small thing in the grand scheme, but since the whole system depends on that one pen, it's worth knowing going in.

How Tappi Compares to Screens and Wooden Toys

We were the exact family Tappi seems designed for — tired of choosing between "boring but wholesome" wooden toys and "engaging but overstimulating" tablet apps. Nine months in, Tappi genuinely splits the difference. Violet gets the tactile, tap-and-discover excitement of an app, but she's holding a real book, turning real pages, and there's no screen glow/blue light, no ads, and no accidentally opening YouTube.

Is Tappi Worth It?

For us, yes. Nine months of near-daily use is a solid track record for any toddler toy, and Violet's enthusiasm for it hasn't faded — if anything, she's grown into more of the game-based content as she's gotten closer to four. The music books in particular have been in heavy rotation since day one.

Bottom line: if you have a toddler or preschooler and want something that offers real interactivity without a screen, Tappi delivers. Just designate a home for that pen before it disappears into your couch cushions.

Quick Recap

• Age range: Best for kids 2–6

• What we tried: Play Pen + music books, since December (9 months of use)

• What our 3-year-old loved: The music books and the level of interactivity

• Biggest downside: Easy to misplace the pen

• Would we recommend it: Yes, especially for screen-free households looking for independent play

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Disclosure: I received our Tappi Play Pen and books for free in exchange for an honest review.

We Tried a MEL Science Kit -- Here's What We Thought*

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, then you know I have a son. If you’ve primarily read older posts, it might surprise you to learn that that son is nearly 11 years old now. Trust me, I’m shocked too.

One moment you have a beautiful baby, who needs you for everything. In my case, my son was a sweet, easygoing, low temperament infant and toddler. He never tantrumed. He slept well. He travelled well. As he’s grown into a kid and now nearly a tween, he has become an easygoing, gentle boy. He likes science and video games. He could play his engineering iPad game for hours if I let him. He loves Minecraft and building Legos, tormenting his little sister (lovingly), cooking, baking… he’s a joy.

The hardest thing about kids in this day and age is, you guessed it, the screens.

When I was 11, I spent hours reading, folding fortune tellers, calling my friends, writing in my journal, and listening to music. My son likes reading, but the allure of a screen is too great.

I’ve known for a while that STEM kits are crucial for him. I keep a selection of kits, small Lego sets, and various other science-y crafts available throughout the summer.

And let me tell you — MEL Science is easily his favorite kit. Some tend to have difficult instructions that can get messed up easily. Some might end up with a project he isn’t super interested. But he has loved every single MEL Science kit I’ve ever gotten for him.

MEL Science kits are monthly kits you can have delivered to your home. That means a project your kiddo will love every single month. They also have an online component that gives kids additional activities, experiments, and more. All-in-all, a great idea for kids who like to stay busy and parents who don’t want their kid in front of a screen all summer.

The kit we received this month was for a Projector that you can use to design stories, scenes, and more, plus run additional experiments. The box comes with everything: instructions (that aren’t just easy to read, but fun to read), parts, and any other materials they might need. I love the fact that it isn’t a massive kit with 100 different tiny parts; it is easy for kids to follow, which helps them start and finish a project feeling confident.

My son said this: “I like that it’s easy to follow and I like the comics in the instructions too. Plus, it is something I can use after and play with my sister later.” Has a nearly 11-year-old ever had so much to say?

It took my son about 2-3 hours to put this together and he spent the rest of the afternoon playing with it. Even better, my 3-year-old got to enjoy it too and my son had a great time showing her how to use it and how it worked. While she might not have understood, it helped my son repeat the scientific principals and showed me how the project had really helped him understand something.

If you’ve got a kid who is endlessly curious and needs something to do this summer, I cannot recommend a MEL Science kit subscription for the summer and the future. If you decide to go for it, I highly recommend hoarding the kits for breaks; I often do this with my son so he has something for winter and spring breaks as well.

Click here to learn more about MEL Science and try a subscription for yourself!

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*As always, an asterisk in the title of this post indicates that I received this product free for review. This post does also contain affiliate links, which help me keep the lights on here at Writing Between Pauses. Thank you for supporting my blog!

10 Essentials for Packing for Vacation (with Kids!)

I don’t consider myself a highly organized person. I think if you saw my house before I clean it, you’d agree. But the feedback I often get at work is how highly organized I am, how I have incredible attention to detail. That’s fair! I know it’s true!

Last year when we went to Disneyland, my husband’s mom remarked on how organized I am, especially when it came to packing for our kids. Truly, I wish I could wear that like an Olympic medal. Yes, I have a silver medal in packing for children.

I often make recommendations to my friends and family for things I’ve bought and use to make packing a little bit easier. I don’t believe in buying things willy nilly (although I’m totally guilty of falling for TikTok hype and ending up with 4,000 gadgets I don’t need) because I have enough clutter as it is.

Here are my 10 essentials for packing for my kids.

1. Day of the Week Packing Cubes

These are my absolute favorite thing to use when packing, even for short weekend trips. I lie two sets out for my kids and start just lying their clothes down on top. It helps me plan exactly what we need and keeps me organized. The visual aspect helps so much too. I previously used a set like this, which is also great, but they were a little too small for my 10-year-old’s clothes. (Perfect for babies and toddlers!)

2. A First Aid Kit

The thing about traveling with kids is that… anything can happen.

One time while on a road trip to Idaho, my son, who I think was 4 or 5 at the time, fell off a curb while at a gas station. He absolutely gashed his knee! It was bad. I only had a few band-aids in the car and they weren’t big enough. My husband had to run into the gas station, buy the extra expensive band-aids, and come back, all while my son cried in his car seat. Awful.

Ever since, I have kept a thoroughly stocked first aid kit in my car and I travel with a mini version in my purse or backpack at all times. I even took this into Disneyland, a place that is well known to help any first aid situation immediately.

3. Clear Zipper Pouches

I love these pouches for compact packing; think swimsuits, underwear, bras, you name it. They just help keep things a little tidier; everything has a place, a home, a cubby. They also make it easier to see what’s inside. Is this my toiletry bag or my swimsuits?

4. A Mini Diaper Bag

I’ve written about it before, but I love this mini diaper bag. It’s cute, it fits everything you need for being out-and-about, and if it gets trashed, it’s not like you brought your deluxe diaper bag with you. This has gone with us on road trips, to Disneyland back, to daily errands… everything. It’s a perfect little diaper bag: enough room for a pack of wipes, 2-3 diapers, hand sanitizer, a few band-aids, and diaper cream. Now that both my kids are out of diapers (what a relief), we no longer have a need for this, but it could totally work as just a hygiene kit for the car.

5. A Travel Potty

Speaking of potty training, until my kids are like 5, I don’t leave the house without a training potty. I love this one because it folds flat, so it fits underneath my seat. It comes with bags to put inside that catch everything. Easy to use, pretty sturdy, and folds small? Heaven in a potty.

6. A Travel Toilet Seat

Another potty training one, I love this fold out potty seat! Perfect for making it into gas stations, restaurants, everything… and it folds up tiny. I carry a pack of sanitizing wipes to give it a quick wipe down after use. It goes back into the carrying case and we’re on our way. Now I don’t have to try to hold my 35 pound toddler over a nasty toilet.

7. A Med Kit

Separate from the first aid kit, I like to keep a selection of individually wrapped meds in our first aid kit, car, and travel stuff. They just make me feel better, I don’t know. This selection is basic: Imodium, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, antacids, the usual suspects. Alongside your must have medications, these ones are crucial for travel — from headaches to sour stomachs. I also like to bring a few packets of kids chewable Tylenol and Motrin.

8. A Toiletry Kit

I like to take travel size items with us, because I hate spending money. This set is so cute and chic. (And full disclosure, it’s my number one seller on Benable.) The bottles are flexible, making them easier for kids to use, and it comes with a decent variety of items.

9. Compression Packing Cubes

Remember what I said about liking to pack everything as compressed as possible? These compression cubes help maximize space and they’re not overly expensive. I bought a new set for our upcoming Hawaii trip so both my husband and I could use them.

10. A Foldable Duffel Bag

If your souvenir shopping gets away from you, don’t worry about shipping. This duffel bag folds really tiny, so I always bring it on trips for anything extra we get. It can become an additional checked bag. It can become your dirty clothes bag. The uses are endless and it’s better than buying an extra bag wherever you are.

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Packing is something I always dread with kids. When my oldest was young, I remember thinking I’d nailed it when he was about a year old… only to realize, halfway through our road trip, I had forgotten the pack’n’play. You know… the thing he slept in. It’s gotten easier as my kids have gotten older, especially now that they’re to the age that if we need anything, we can simply buy it quickly. I love having a tried-and-true system and this list outlines my system: keep things organized, tidy, and tightly packed.

5 Tips for Your Toddler at Disneyland

Sometimes, when the words “I’m taking my toddler to Disneyland” come out of someone’s mouth, a lot of people have opinions.

“Now, why would you do that? That seems miserable.”

“They won’t even remember it!”

And it’s the remembering thing that really gets me. Because, if I’m being totally honest… we do lots of things our kids won’t remember. They won’t remember us reading them bedtime stories every night or singing them a lullaby or rocking them when they were newborns… but that doesn’t make those things unimportant. If we base everything we do on whether our kids will directly remember it, we wouldn’t do anything the first 3-4 years of their lives.

This is me, from one parent to another, telling you that you are not crazy to want to take your kiddo to Disneyland. It’s kind of the ideal time: under age 3 kids are free, which means it reduces the overall cost significantly. Plus, it will make YOU happy and your happiness does, in fact, matter. That’s a win win.

Here are my tips for taking your toddler to Disneyland.

1. Don’t Plan Anything YOUR Toddler Can’t Handle

You know your kid. You know your kid better than a stranger (me, or everyone in Disney planning groups in Facebook) on the internet, that’s for sure. So when someone tells you, “this was totally fine for my toddler” or “my toddler would never be able to do that”… take that with a grain of salt. You. Know. Your. Kid. Plan accordingly.

You know if your kid is going to be able to sit through a character breakfast. You know if your kid is going to freak out on a dark ride. You know your kid will be thrilled by a stage performance. Plan according to your kid, not what the internet tells you.

Just for some anecdotes, my toddler loved Winnie the Pooh. We prepared her for our trip by watching YouTube videos of rides and the Winnie the Pooh ride stuck with her. We rope dropped it every day, I’m not kidding. Some people would hate that. They would be miserable about that. But she loved that ride. I knew my daughter could handle that ride; I knew that was about the limit of intensity for her.

2. Set Realistic Expectations

Hey, so this trip probably isn’t going to be the trip where you ride every single ride. And, just talking realistically, it’s also probably not trip where it will be magically not crowded, you’ll get the best seats for the parade, etc. Keep your expectations realistic.

You’re likely going to need a mid-day break. A nap, a splash in the pool, a hearty snack, and back to it. You’re going to find shade and eat snacks several times throughout the day.

3. Buy a Mini Diaper Bag

This was one of my best tips and it’s honestly one of my favorite purchases of all time. Let me explain. When we took our daughter to Disneyland last year, she was still in diapers. I stressed about carrying a massive diaper bag into the park. Then, I found this mini diaper bag. It’s the right size for a pack of wipes (needed for more than just diapers, tbh), 3-4 diapers or pull ups, a mini diaper cream, and some hand sanitizer. It’s quite literally perfect. I recommend it to everyone.

4. Prepare to Stop Early

Our typical tactic in previous years was to spend the day at Disneyland, eat dinner, get our oldest (who was <6 at the time) to sleep, then return to the parks while a grandparent sat with him. This time, that was not the case, since our toddler refuses to sleep without one of us present — and also her nap schedule got totally destroyed on our trip. Honestly, it was fine.

Since we stayed at Pixar Place, I could get her to sleep at around 8pm, then drink a crispy Diet Coke while watching the lights of California Adventure. My husband would take our son to the parks and come back with a special snack for all of us.

Like I said earlier, this might not be the case for you, depending on your kid, but if your toddler loves a routine… honestly, you’ll be finishing your days earlier than you might want to. Prepare for that reality and make the most of it.

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Wow, thanks for reading. I started writing this post almost a year ago and finally finished it now, on July 1, 2026. What are your top tips for a Disney trip with your toddler?

King of Christmas Review: Are These Viral Christmas Trees Worth It?

A few months ago (although it feels like I just blinked), I received the opportunity to review a King of Christmas tree. If you’ve spent any amount of time on social media, and especially if you follow home decor, mom bloggers, etc., you’ve seen the King of Christmas trees. They always look so gorgeous and high quality.

I’ve had the same Christmas tree since 2019 — I bought it for about $200 at Walmart because my (also cheap) Target tree had stopped working. Last year, I knew that tree was on it’s last leg: I’d replaced so many lights and it was just limping along. So getting the opportunity to review a tree from a brand I’d wanted to try was so, so exciting.

I chose the 6.5’ Yorkshire Fir with warm white lights. Controversially, my husband is a colored lights guy and I’m a white lights only girl; it’s been a source of contention. We were both so excited for this tree though that I think he was willing to accept my top choice.

This tree came in a shockingly small box! When I opened it, I wasn’t quite sure how it would come together into a 6 1/2 foot tall tree. However, come together it did — in only a few minutes. Violet was helping the entire time and was so excited to see a Christmas tree come alive in just a few short minutes.

Together, we fluffed the branches, got it plugged in, and put on the tree skirt.

She was obsessed — and only got a few wayward pine needles stuck on her foot!

A few things I loved:

• The quick and easy assembly. It goes without saying, but with 2 kids and now a tiny puppy in our house, having something just… come together in a few minutes means a lot.

• It comes with a storage bag. I’m so excited about the storage bag! Every year, I struggle to get my tree back into my storage closet in my office (it’s a big storage closet, but it has a short ceiling) and it will be so nice to get rid of that big, bulky box.

• Fluffing it is so easy. Some trees you can fluff for days and they still look like a spindly tree that came out of a box. This tree definitely looked full from the start and just about 5-10 minutes of working on branches left it looking incredible.

In sort, I’m obsessed and cannot wait to get out the rest of our Christmas decor to decorate this tree and get it looking incredible.

If you’re in the market for a new Christmas tree to last you for years to come, I cannot recommend King of Christmas enough. They’ve got so many trees to chose from, unlit and prelit, and so many varieties… there really is something for everyone.

Disclaimer: As noted by the asterisk (*) in this post’s title, this post is part of a product exchange partnership with King of Christmas.

Pixar Place Hotel Disneyland Review: Family-Friendly Stay 2025

Way back in 2013, Danny and I stayed at the Paradise Pier Hotel for our honeymoon—the precursor to the Pixar Place Hotel. At that time, it was beach-themed with occasional Nemo tie-ins. It’s been 12 years, of course. The hotel closed in 2023 for the renovation and reopened January 2024 with the full Pixar reinvention complete. And let me tell you—it is reinvented. I do not even recognize the interior of the hotel, although the paths outside are very familiar.

While booking our trip for August 2025, I knew I wanted to stay on property; we stayed at the Disneyland Hotel in 2021. I have a slightly unpopular opinion about the Disneyland Hotel: a majority of the rooms are extremely outdated and falling apart. Unless you’re willing to pay for an upgraded room or the newest tower, the rooms just aren’t worth it; when we stayed in 2021, all of the towel hooks were falling off the wall. I also found maintenance to be really lackluster; most days, our room wasn’t cleaned.

I chose Pixar Pier because I knew it was newly renovated and I wanted to see the Pixar theming. As a first impression, I knew both of my kids would love that. I have a 9-year-old and a 2-year-old, so I knew there would be something for both of them.

When we arrived, our room was not ready yet; however, in the lobby, there was a pianist performing music from Soul and Bing Bong from Inside Out was walking around, taking photos and greeting guests. We took photos with the big Pixar lamp in the atrium area of the lobby.

The lighting and theming in the lobby is incredible. It’s atmospheric, like being inside a movie itself. There was a gift shop and two dining places on the first floor. One, the Sketchpad Cafe, is a quick service, grab-and-go place, perfect for a quick snack. The other is Great Maple, a sit-down restaurant that serves modern American food. The gift shop did have a selection of merch, plus basic necessities if needed (sunscreen, deodorant, batteries, etc).

Location & Convenience

Pixar Place is located on Disneyland Drive, across the street from the Grand Californian. It is sandwiched between Downtown Disney and Disneyland Hotel. My other unpopular opinion is this: Pixar Place is a shorter walk than the Disneyland Hotel. I hate to say it! It’s true!

There is a walk that takes you from Pixar Pier to a Downtown Disney entrance, close to Din Tai Fung. However, I found that walk pretty long and there isn’t much shade. Our preferred walk was to cross the street and walk through the Grand Californian. (You do need a room key to use this method, so it’s not a hack for other hotels on Disneyland Drive or nearby.) This route is so nice for 3 reasons: 1) the security lines are in the shade (love); 2) at the end of a long day, a majority of the walk is air conditioned; and 3) it’s shorter! This route deposits you into Downtown Disney just beside the Sephora. The perfect entrance, to be honest.

In short, we loved the short walk and the ability to go through the Grand Californian. Pixar Place does have it’s own entry into California Adventure, but we did not utilize this as the hours were pretty wonky; we found out on our last day that Disney will actually be removing this entrance because it is so rarely used by guests.

Room & Amenities

I loved our Pixar Place room. We were on the 4th floor and had a view of California Adventure. At night, we could see the ferris wheel and Incredicoaster all lit up. The layout was very similar to the Disneyland Hotel. There was a bathroom with a large vanity and shower. We had a desk area, a TV, 2 queen sized beds, and a large window. Like the Disneyland Hotel, the headboard for the beds lit up and had interactive elements—always fun.

A big downside here, which I’m sure you picked up on reading that paragraph: there was no bathtub. For a hotel at a park designed, primarily, for kids, you’d think they’d know they need to have a bathtub. But no, it was a gorgeous shower with white subway tile. Which for an adult is great! But most toddlers need an end-of-day bath (especially after Disneyland to get all the sunscreen off) and it just wasn’t possible. That was a big bummer.

The room had a coffee maker, and came with a selection of coffee and some condiment kits that did have liquid creamer in them! That was a new one for me, it’s usually powdered creamer. There was also a “fridge”, by which I mean beverage cooler. I’m fine with a beverage cooler, but I do think it should be labeled appropriately.

The Pool

One thing we always try to do on a Disneyland trip is spend at least one evening in the pool. The Pixar Place pool is pretty renowned for being great; in the evenings, you can watch the fireworks and they include the music from the parks. There are also movie nights, games, private cabanas, and a place to get food and drinks called Small Bytes.

The pool is relatively small, but really fun. There is also a splash pad for younger kids with a tiny pool and a huge slide.

The pros are obvious: lots of kid friendly spaces, lots of room to lounge, great food and drinks.

The cons are this: there is no shade on this pool. It is full on sunshine. The afternoon I took Violet to the splash pad, the sun was so intense that it made the lounge chairs so hot they burned. I could barely see. Even with the umbrellas, it just wasn’t enough; they need to consider some tree shade or an alternative, because it was a lot of direct sunlight, especially during a heat advisory.

Is Pixar Place Worth It?

I really, truly think it depends on what you’re looking for. The price was not bad—I think I would have spent a similar amount anywhere around Disneyland—but I know I could have found something slightly cheaper.

The increased cost came with a few distinct benefits to me:

• The path through the Grand Californian is so much better than walking through the blazing sun.

• The atmosphere can’t be beat. The characters in the lobby, live music, and kid-friendly parts of the hotel are fantastic.

• The rooms are comfortable and I loved having a view of California Adventure.

There are a few downsides that I think are important to consider:

• With the loss of early entry and the closure of the Pixar Pier specific entrance, there aren’t really any significant benefits to staying on property. Back in the day, you got an hour early entry, then it was reduced to 30 minutes, and now they’re getting rid of it. There just aren’t any specific perks to staying on property and for some people that makes a huge difference.

• The lack of bathtubs in the standard rooms were a huge downside for us.

Would I stay here again? Possibly, I never say never!

Full disclosure, we have already booked another trip in a bit over a year and decided to go with the Cambria Hotel & Suites, which is a newer hotel. It has kid suites with a kitchenette and bunk beds, as well as a complimentary breakfast and several places to eat in the hotel itself. We know we eventually want to stay on property again, but it’s not an every-single-trip thing for us.

Everything I Ate At Disneyland in August 2025

To me, Disneyland is all about the treats. And the rides—there are so many iconic rides that I love so much. But the snacks really make it for me. There is nothing quite like going on a few rides then taking a break to people watch and eat a snack. It’s truly my favorite part of visiting Disneyland.

We went to Disneyland in August 2025—from August 18 to August 20. Let me start by telling you the saddest part of those dates: Haunted Mansion was closed, Star Tours was closed, AND Radiator Springs was closed. That’s a lot of our favorites. We didn’t realize it when we booked those dates (fwiw, we booked in January!) and if I’d known, I probably would have adjusted. But it was what it was and we still had snacks to look forward to, right? Let’s talk about everything I ate during our trip.

Day 1 - Arrival

During this trip, we stayed at Pixar Place (full review coming soon). We arrived, got to our room, briefly refreshed, and then realized we were fully starving. Usually, our first day meal is Tortilla Joe’s, a Downtown Disney icon; however, the Downtown Disney location closed earlier this year, which was devastating. We needed a new first night tradition—and I think we found it in Naples. Naples has been in Downtown Disney for a long time, but we’ve never eaten there. They were quick to accommodate our 9 person group (no small feat) and the food was fantastic.

I had the chicken caesar salad, which was fantastic. Both Forrest and Violet got the kids pepperoni pizza—and I have to say, it was one of the best pizzas I have ever eaten. It was incredible. Forrest also ordered the calamari appetizer and it was fantastic; some of the best, most tender calamari I have ever had.

On our walk back to the hotel, we got Forrest a churro—his absolute favorite Disney treat—and he picked Oreo cheesecake. It was decadent and so, so good. Great choice on his part.

Day 2 - Disneyland

Is there a better feeling than waking up your first day at Disneyland? I was so excited, I was awake at 4am, drinking coffee, fully dressed. Once everyone else was awake (at a very reasonable 6:30am), Forrest and I ran downstairs to the Sketchpad Cafe to grab some breakfast. I got a bagel with cream cheese; Forrest got a chocolate croissant; and I got a balance box for Danny and Violet to share. The balance box was a premade box that included: hummus and pita bread, veggies (carrots & cucumbers), and a boiled egg. Violet ate the boiled egg and Danny ate the hummus, pita, and veggies. The Sketchpad Cafe was a great place to grab some quick snacky items or a lunch, as they had lots of premade wraps and salads.

Once we were in the park, it was on. The first snack I got, after about 3 hours in the park, was popcorn: if you know me, you know I LOVE Disneyland popcorn. Actually, I love popcorn in general, but Disneyland popcorn is so good. Danny bought it for me while I was on It’s a Small World with Violet; he also got me one of the souvenir popcorn buckets. (It’s a Mickey Balloon bucket that lights up.)

After a lot more rides and after Danny took Violet back to the hotel for a nap, Forrest and I went to Pizza Port. Forrest got a slice of pizza and I got one of the side salads—I love the Pizza Port salads, I know that sounds weird. It was just a light snack, as we had specialty dining at 1:40.

At 1:40, we went to the Plaza Inn for a specialty dining that also got us reserved seating at the parade. If I had to go back in time, I would not have booked this; it’s not that it wasn’t good, it’s that it was really expensive for kind of a stressful experience and we ended up not really needing the reserved seating. I originally was going to write a full review of this, but I don’t think I need to; consider this my mini-review. The menu is pre-set as well for this dining and I wasn’t particularly impressed with what was offered. For the adults, we received meatloaf with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, and pea puree; a baby wedge salad with ranch dressing; and a Paint the Night dessert. The meatloaf was pretty dry; the mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy was good; the pea puree was a choice; and the baby wedge salad was good. The dessert was a solid OK. For the kids, they got mac and cheese, chicken tenders, a roll, a bag of baby carrots, a Motts applesauce, and a dessert as well. I just wasn’t particularly impressed and was a little frustrated with myself that I wasted money, but the kids did enjoy it.

At the end of the day, Violet was very cranky, so I stayed behind while Danny and Forrest went the parade. (Note the frustration about wasting money—I didn’t even go to the parade!) They brought me back a Mickey pretzel with cheese and mustard, the perfect end to a night.

Day 3 - California Adventure

Confession: I have not attended a character breakfast since I was… 14? And I was way too old for the characters at that time. However, Violet is a Mickey and Minnie superfan and I knew she would love this. And she did. We attended the Autumn Adventures breakfast at Storyteller’s Cafe, which is located in the Grand Californian. Was it expensive? Yes. Was it worth it? Also yes. The buffet was incredible and the cast members working at Storyteller’s were fantastic. I cannot recommend it enough. Violet and Forrest got to meet Mickey and Minnie, Chip and Dale, and Pluto and they had so much fun.

After breakfast, we used the Grand Californian entrance into California Adventure. After a few rides, Violet ended up falling asleep in her stroller while we were on Soarin’ Over California (my father-in-law had stayed behind to watch her). Danny took Forrest to ride more rides, while I ate fries from Smokejumpers Grill. Violet was asleep for so long, I managed to walk from California Adventure to Downtown Disney, go into World of Disney to buy a few things, and then walked to Disneyland. In Disneyland, I walked all the way to the Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, where I ate popcorn while Violet slept another hour and a half.

When she finally woke up, I treated myself (and her) to a frozen lemonade and a pretzel with cheese & mustard.

In the evening, my in laws watched Violet and Forrest while Danny and I went into the park solo. We went to Rancho Del Zocalo… this is a restaurant we have seen so many times in the park, but we never ate there and we both wanted to. And we did. I had the Burrito Sonora and Danny had the Soy Chorizo Tacos, and we shared an Esquites Bowl. It was incredible, super fast and very filling. 10/10, recommend this for a dinner in the park.

After that, we treated ourselves to some beignets and a Mint Julep before going on some rides.

Day 4 - Disneyland

I woke up on this day and cried because it was our last day. I was fully exhausted, but i felt like we’d finally hit our stride at Disneyland with 2 kids for the first time!

We went to Carnation Cafe with Danny’s parents for breakfast; I’d made this reservation first thing because it’s our favorite breakfast place. And it’s becoming tradition to get breakfast there on our last day. We all got the Mickey waffles (except Danny, who got pancakes). They were delicious, as usual. Carnation Cafe - Mickey waffles

After that, we went on a bunch of rides, then got Dole Whip. I got a Dole Whip float, which I prefer, because I feel like I need the slightly tart pineapple juice to go alongside the Dole Whip.

Violet needed a nap, so I spent time with Forrest. He wanted Pizza Port for lunch again (it’s his favorite): we both got pizza, pepperoni for him, cheese for me, plus the garlic breadsticks.

After a long nap and some more rides, we all went to Hungry Bear Jamboree for dinner. I got the Smoked Brisket Sandwich, which I wanted to love; however, the brisket they gave me was almost entirely fat, so it was barely edible. The fries were good though. Danny got the Barbecue Salad, which looked so much better than what I got and came with a corn rib. We got funnel cake fries to split as a family. Forrest got the kids chicken fingers and said they were the best he’d eaten on the trip; he also appreciated that they have a ranch dispenser, which is rare in the park.

At the end of the night, Danny’s dad offered to watch Violet and Forrest while we went into the park with Danny’s mom. We got a pretzel with cheese from the Refreshment Corner on Main Street (Danny and I call this the Coke Corner, but we can never really remember why). I don’t like the cheese sauce they use at the Refreshment Corner specifically and they didn’t have mustard packets, so that was a bummer. However, Mickey Pretzels are my 2nd favorite snack after popcorn, so it was a fitting end to 3 days of eats.