TARDIS Mouse Ears

A new season of Doctor Who started this past Saturday.  It was the twelfth Doctor's first full episode and he is played by Peter Capaldi.  Although he's different and older than the last few, he still embodies everything I love about the Doctor so I was pleasantly surprised!  I'm looking forward to the next episode.  In celebration of the new season starting, I am sharing my TARDIS mouse ears with you all!

Tips for running your first runDisney race

There are some exciting runDisney events coming up at Disneyland including this year's Disneyland Half Marathon weekend at the end of this month and the inaugural Avengers Half Marathon weekend in November.  It's been almost a year since I did my first runDisney race, the Disneyland 10k.  I remember being very nervous in the days leading up to it so I am sharing some of what I learned at my first 10k in hopes that it'll help any other runDisney newbie's fears!  So here are some tips to help you prepare and to ease any pre-race jitters!

New Menu at Alfresco Tasting Terrace

On Tuesday, my husband and I checked out the new menu at the Alfresco Tasting Terrace in Disney California Adventure. 

We enjoy going there after a long day at work to unwind.  It's on the second floor of the Golden Vine Winery and the view up there is wonderful.  When we heard about the new menu we wanted to check it out so we stopped by.  We went up the stairs and to our surprise it seemed that it was no longer open seating.  A host escorted us to a table and explained the menu.  So fancy!

We opened the menu and were pleased with what we found inside.  Most of the bars and lounges at the Disneyland Resort (and even some in Disney World) have similar menus.  This menu is different and includes options from the eight wineries of the 'Disney Family of Wines'.  This was perfect for us because we often pick our wine based on it's connection to Disney!

Doctor Who and Wings 3D

I was unable to post last week but it was for happy reasons!  One of those reasons was that I spent Monday and Tuesday evenings celebrating David Tennant.  It was a good week! 

Typo on the screen but Tennant looks good!  :)

For my fellow Whovians, I thought I'd share a little bit about the 2 night event.  A while back, I read that Fathom Events was going to show two Doctor Who episodes that starred David Tennant (the 10th Doctor) in select theaters.  The ticket for it included a screening of the documentary Wings the next day which is narrated by him.  My husband and I enjoyed watching the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special on the big screen last year so we decided to go!

Disneyland Soccer Shirts

The World Cup starts today so to celebrate I'm sharing photos of soccer shirts I saw at the World of Disney store in Disneyland's Downtown Disney.  I believe they may be at a couple other stores in the parks as well. 

Disney at the Tonys 2014

Last night I watched the Tony Awards.  I love theater and it was a big part of my years in high school.  My theater teacher would always encourage us to watch the Tonys on television during the summer and I have always tried to ever since.

There were several faces that would be familiar to a Disney fan at the Tonys this year and even a performance from Disney's Aladdin so I am sharing some of them here!   So here goes- let's start off this week at the theater!  

Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions

Disney Theater Productions celebrates it's 20th anniversary this year.  Their most recent production is Aladdin which received 5 Tony nominations.  Honestly I wasn't as excited when I first heard about this musical because we have a pretty spectacular version of Aladdin already in Disney California Adventure.  "Friend Like Me" was one of the music numbers at the Tonys however and it did seem like a fun show to see.  James Monroe Iglehart, the actor who plays the Genie was delightful so it was no surprise when he was rewarded a Tony for that role.  Check out his performance from last night:




Idina Menzel, the voice of Elsa in Frozen, was also at the Tonys.  She was nominated for her role in If/Then and I was happy to see her perform a song from it.   It was so good- it gave me chills!  I was also glad to see that she received a proper introduction- the "wickedly talented" reference was funny.




Anika Noni Rose, voice of Tiana from Princess and the Frog, was nominated for her performance in A Raisin in the Sun.  She didn't win but her co-star, Sophie Okonedo, did!  I really wish that Disney would do Princess and the Frog on stage and that Anika Noni Rose would star as Tiana!  How cool would that be?  Get on it Disney!

One of the biggest names of the night was Neil Patrick Harris.  For Disney fans, you might know him as the voice of California Screamin' at DCA.  Neil Patrick Harris hosted the Tonys the last few years but yesterday Hugh Jackman took on the role as host while Neil Patrick Harris attended the show as a nominee.  Harris took home a Tony for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for Hedwig and the Angry Inch. 

There was also a bit of Peter Pan in the mix when Jennifer Hudson performed a song from an upcoming show called Finding Neverland.   I enjoyed the film years ago but I am not sure how I feel about this musical yet.  We'll see where it goes!

Hugh Jackman was the host of the Tonys and although I still prefer Neil Patrick Harris, it's a treat to see Wolverine dance and sing!  I recently read that the first role he ever played that involved singing and dancing was actually Gaston in a production of Beauty and the Beast in Melbourne.  You can see clips of his performance in the video below:




I recently rewatched The Music Man so I really enjoyed watching Jackman perform "Rock Island" from it with LL Cool J and T.I.  This was one of the highlights of the Tonys for me!  Especially since whenever I see LL Cool J, it reminds me of how he did a version of "Big Bad Wolf" in Simply Mad About the Mouse.  The following video's sound is off (hopefully CBS fixes it) and it skips a lot of Jackman's intro but it gives you an idea of what they did- they turned it into a rap! 



Watching the Tonys last night definitely left me in the mood to go see a show!  Maybe I'll stop by DCA to watch Aladdin again sometime soon!

You can see a complete list of the Tony winners here:
Tony Award 2014 Winners

Did you watch the Tony Awards last night?  What were your favorite moments? 

Blog Update

Hi there!

As you may have noticed I have given the blog a mini makeover.  I took a blogging break and decided to start back up with a new look.  The biggest change I made was that I created a different avatar for myself.  It's simpler and I like to think it represents the kid I am at heart!   Here is the new avatar in various outfits... it's like a paper doll fashion show!

My schedule has been busy the past couple months but part of it included a vacation!  My husband and I went on our first Disney cruise and after returning we spent the rest of the week at Disneyland.  There were a lot of fun experiences that I hope to eventually share here.

Finding time to blog has been a little bit of a challenge but I'm going to continue to try!  I've been thinking of restructuring the blog a bit and possibly even changing the name sometime so there may be some edits here and there as I get around to each item. 

I hope you can stick with me!   I'm not sure how often I'll be able to post but I'm starting off with a goal of once a week.

Thanks for reading!

Until next time,
-N-

New Drinks at Trader Sam's!

As some of you may already know- I love going to Trader Sam's!  I've had a lot of fun times there.  It replaced my favorite bar that was there before called Lost Bar but it was a decent replacement and my husband and I still like to go.  

Last week we stopped by on our way home from work and noticed that the menu had changed.  Two new drinks are now available- the Murky Mojito and the Passionate Python. We each got one so we could try them both! 

One of the new drinks is the Murky Mojito.  "Refreshing as a scoop of deepest river water...Sam stirs up rums, lime juice, mint and Angostura bitters.  It'll float your boat."

I was happy to see that the Mosquito Mojito was next to it and also still available since it's one of my favorites. 

I decided to give the Murky Mojito a try and was not disappointed.  It looks dark and murky so the name suits it well!  It's definitely different from the Mosquito Mojito.  The Mosquito Mojito is more of a light and refreshing drink and the Murky Mojito seemed heavier but still tasty! 

The other new drink is the Passionate Python.  "This breathtaking potion has a sqeeze of citrus juices, wrapped in passion fruit and rum that will really get a hold on you!" 

My husband gave this one a try.  I loved the orange peel "python" that they decorated the drink with!  He said it tasted a bit like a Mai Tai.  We both swapped drinks and decided that of the two new drinks I liked the Murky Mojito and my husband liked the Passionate Python better but that they're both worth a try!

There was one other change to the menu that we noticed that I was admittedly not as excited about.  They no longer have my favorite fish tacos!   They have been replaced with Shrimp Tacos which may be exciting for some but since I don't like shrimp, I was pretty disappointed.  I wish they had added the Shrimp Tacos but had kept my fish tacos too. 

There seemed to be a couple other changes to the menu too like the "Big Island Flatbread" but I was so distracted by my missing tacos I didn't notice!  Despite being sad about the tacos, it was exciting to try the new drinks.  We had a great time and I look forward to going back soon!

Which of the new drinks do you want to try?

Easter Eggs at Disneyland's Springtime Roundup

This year instead of the Bunny Hop on Main Street that they had last Easter, you can find lots of springtime and Easter fun (including that bunny hop!) at the Springtime Roundup at Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree.  I've gone a couple times so far and the last time I was there, I had a nice time looking at the amazing art that their egg decorators have created.  They didn't seem to be actual eggs but I thought it was awesome anyway.  The egg decorators were there working on more and as someone who loves to paint designs on my nails, watching them paint definitely made me jealous of how they get to spend their day!  There was so much creative work to look at so I took several photos to share with you all!

Elsa from Frozen!

I love how the Up eggs are balloons!

Cheshire Cat teacup egg!  Did you spot the oyster?

I love all of these!

Impressive Celia from Monsters Inc.

The 'M' egss- Merida and Maleficent!

The doorknob from Alice in Wonderland!

Where's Perry?  It's Agent P and Sorcerer Mickey!

White Rabbit, little Sully, and Sally!

Thumper and Lotso Eggs.  I love the detail!  Lotso even has his cane!

Places to Grab a Beer at Disney California Adventure

St. Patrick's Day is coming up and although it's not my favorite, I do love an excuse to pull out my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle shirt (one of my only green t-shirts) and of course to have a cold beer!

Four years ago, I shared a list of spots around California Adventure to grab a beer.  The list is a bit outdated now so I thought it was time for a revised list!

*Note- Tower of Terror does not sell beer but is a good place to take a picture of it.  haha.  If your elevator ever makes it up to the Tip Top Club though I imagine you'd find some there.

Places to grab a beer at DCA

Taste Pilot's Grill-  This restaurant next to Soarin' Over California has burgers and more.  Also on the menu?  Beer!  Currently, you can pick from Budweiser, Bud Light, and Karl Strauss.  

Cove Bar- Located at the back of Ariel's Grotto, this spot has a great view of the lagoon at Paradise Pier.  There's a pretty good selection of appetizers and drinks here that include beer of course!

Golden Vine Winery/Alfresco Lounge/Sonoma Terrace- The area surrounding the Wine Country Trattoria Restaurant has a few places you can buy drinks at.  You can get drinks with your food at the restaurant as well if you are in the mood for a sit down meal.

I usually get wine at the spots around the Wine Country Trattoria but they also sell beer.
Sonama Terrace, which is to the left of the restaurant, has a good selection of California beer to pick from.

Alfresco Lounge isn't always open but it's located on the second floor above the restaurant and has a great view of Cars Land and more!  

There's also a bar in between the restaurant and Blue Sky Cellar that sells wine and beer as well.
This whole area around Wine Country Trattoria is one of my favorite places in the park because it's usually a nice quiet spot to escape the crowds.

Paradise Pier:  Paradise Garden Grill/Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta, Bayside Brews- At the back corner of Paradise Pier near Goofy's Sky School you can find a couple food options where they also sell beer.  Our favorite option in that area is Perroni which they have at Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta. We haven't tried Paradise Garden Grill yet but I've read that they have a couple options including Blue Moon.  There's also stand called Bayside Brews that sells beer.

Karl Strauss Truck- I'm not sure of the official name of this spot but I call it the Karl Strauss Truck. It is located in the Pacific Wharf in the dining area by Boudin's Bakery Tour and The Lucky Fortune Cookery.  Here they have a selection of Karl Strauss beers that you can purchase.

The Lucky Fortune Cookery-  This is a great place to get a hot bowl of food!  They have a Japanese beer called Sapporo if you're looking for something new to try.

Carthay Circle Lounge- Carthay Circle Restaurant has a lounge that serves some amazing classic cocktails.  If you want to get something to walk around the park with- here's a secret: while you can only get their cocktails when sitting inside the lounge, you can actually get wine and beer to go!  They stopped allowing this for a while but recently they changed it back!

If you're there on St. Patrick's Day, check out the Irish Whiskey flight they have on their bar menu.

 
Mad T Party- Unfortunately, I don't think you'll be able to get a beer here on St. Patrick's Day this year since it's on a Monday (although perhaps they have something for the Annual Pass event that night).  But you can stop by the Mad T Party for a beer or one of their other specialty cocktails if it's a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night!  My favorite thing to get there is Blue Moon.  They usually add the orange to it which makes it just right!

That wraps up my list of places to grab a beer around Disney California Adventure!  I'll continue to update this list as I find and/or remember more! 
I hope you all have a happy St. Patty's Day!  I plan to be at the AP event that night so be sure to follow along on Instagram to see photos- you can find me @disney_neri.

New Starbucks at Downtown Disney

On Monday night, my husband and I stopped by Downtown Disney on the way home to check out the new Starbucks that just opened!

I expected a long wait but luckily it wasn't too bad when we got there and the line moved quickly.  I was very impressed with how nice the Starbucks looked!  I liked the high ceiling and the decor.

I love this Anaheim Starbucks sign they have near the entrance!

There was a digital interactive screen that seemed pretty popular especially with kids!

We ordered one of the Starbucks Reserve coffees that are only available at select Starbucks and were directed to a separate little bar where a friendly employee talked to us while preparing our coffee.  I liked how they had a separate spot for it.

After getting our coffee we checked out the patio and found a table near World of Disney.  It was really nice to sit and sip on our coffee while watching people walk around Downtown Disney.  It made me wonder why this space hadn't been used this way before!

We had a nice time checking out the Starbucks and will probably go back again soon.  I think it's a great addition to Downtown Disney and am happy there's another Starbucks in the neighborhood.  A Starbucks has already opened at both Disneyland and California Adventure, and Downtown Disney has now joined the club!

Dapper Day Spring 2014 Recap- Part 2

At the end of Part 1 of my recap, I had just left the Dapper Day Boutique at the Grand Californian.  From there I headed over to Disneyland with my friend Hope and her husband. We were going to meet back up with more friends there so we found a spot near the flagpole and waited.
While we were waiting, someone from the Disney Style Blog approached us to see if we'd participate in an interview.  We said yes so they filmed us while they asked us about Dapper Day.  I also told them about my Orange Bird inspired outfit.  Very exciting!

Getting ready for our close up ;)

Smiling for the camera!

Disney Style actually posted the video on their blog last Friday and I was happy to see that some of the footage of us was used!  I'll share the video at the end of this post!

It was getting close to 2pm after that so some of us walked towards the Mark Twain since it was the meetup time for Dapper Day fans to queue up to ride the steamboat.  There were a LOT of people waiting in line for it but for me the fun part is seeing everyone all dressed up so I decided to just watch and take pictures.

The poor Columbia ship looked very bare in comparison.

My friend Becca and I wandered around the area admiring everyone's outfits.

These girls dressed like teacups were some of our favorites!

I ran into Phyllis Herman!

I was excited to see someone dressed as the 10th Doctor!  I was one happy Whovian!

With @TheDoctor_Tennant. Allons-y!

After that my friends parted ways and I headed towards Main Street to try to find my husband and his brother who were going to meet me there.  On my way I spotted an upside down Fastpass on the ground.  It was a bit dirty and stepped on but I picked it up anyway and was thrilled to find that it was an Indiana Jones Fastpass that I could use in just a couple minutes!  I felt bad for whoever dropped it but didn't see them around so I texted the hubby that I'd meet him after and headed over towards the ride.

I hadn't been on Indiana Jones since they'd refurbished it so I was pretty excited to go on it! It didn't seem like they had a Single Rider line so I was happy I had the Fastpass.  The line wasn't as quick as it usually is but it was a lot shorter than the standby line so I was satisfied.  I took the wait time as an opportunity to take a bunch of selfies while walking through the themed queue.

After Indiana Jones, I found my hubby by Tarzan Treehouse and was delighted to find that he was wearing his Orange Bird shirt to match my outfit!

We walked over to Innoventions and I noticed the stand near the Matterhorn was selling these stylish looking hats!  Coincidence?

At this point it was almost 4pm so I decided to head towards the castle and check out the DisneyBound meetup.  The group of people was huge and I doubt you can find me in the group picture they took but it was awesome to see so many Disney inspired outfits in one place!

I thought that Jane's outfit was amazing!

Once that was done, my hubby, brother-in-law, and I all headed towards Trader Sams for some yummy refreshments!  I like to think that the Rosita's Margarita went together with my Orange Bird outfit. 

Does this drink make my dress look orange?

Also Trader Sams is the one place around Disneyland that you can spot Orange Bird!  He's hidden inside the bar.  He's always a cheerful sight to see!

After that, we grabbed some Earl of Sandwich to go and headed home!

That concludes the recap of my experience at Dapper Day this spring.  It really was a great day!  I think this may have been my favorite Dapper Day yet!

Here's the Disney Style video that you can find me in!



Want to read more about Dapper Day?  Check out these links!
Dapper Day Spring 2014- Part 1
Dapper Day Spring 2013
Dapper Day Spring 2012
My Orange Bird Nail Art and Outfit at Pixie Dust Nails
Keep updated on future Dapper Day events at www.dapperday.com