Dining Packages at Disneyland

Dining was one of the things I researched when I decided to go to Disneyland for Halloween this year. Some suggested saving money by bringing in your own food, but others recommended the dining packages that go along with some of the events. I ended up deciding to do the Blue Bayou Halloween Screams, Carthay Circle Frozen, and Sonoma Terrace Paint the Night dining packages. All of these are pricey, so are they worth it? The food and service were excellent (especially the service at Carthay Circle), in my opinion, but I found Halloween Screams and Paint the Night to be most worth the price. With Frozen, you get priority seating to one of the afternoon shows. I did get a seat close to the front and in the center, but the show wasn't sold out and I likely would've had a good seat regardless.

On the other hand, the Halloween Screams dining package provides seating in a prime location for the parade and I didn't have to camp out for it like I saw so many others doing. It was also easy to get to a good firework viewing area from the reserved parade location.

The same can be said for Sonoma Terrace's Paint the Night as you get to watch the parade from a great location while dining.

I wanted to pack in as much Disney as possible, so these two were definitely worth it for me. If I could only pick one, I'd go with Paint the Night. It was the most bang for the buck with an excellent view, a chair to sit in, and time maximization of eating during the parade. They also send you off with a small box of truffles. The dining packages do sell out pretty quickly, so check the Disneyland website for booking as soon as your date is 60 days out if you want to get a dining package.

Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland

Living in the northwest, I was unaware Disneyland (and Disney World) did anything special for my favorite holiday so I was excited to see the commercials advertising the Halloween décor after I moved to Phoenix. After researching a bit, I decided to attend a Halloween party this year. I read that parties often sell out quickly, so my first step was getting the Disney credit card from Chase which, among other Disney perks, allows cardholders to purchase party tickets at the same time annual passholders can. My plan worked and I was able to get a ticket to the October 29 party without issue. (Unfortunately, the late date meant most of the Halloween specialty items were sold out, so attend a September party if you really want to buy things like the Green Poison Apple Stein.)

Although the party didn't start until 6pm, my party ticket allowed entry (through a separate line) starting at 3pm. To save money, I didn't buy a regular park ticket for the day and instead bought plenty of special Halloween treats in Downtown Disney. Everything I tried was delicious, but I especially loved the caramel apples.

When 3pm hit, I made my way through the gate and over to Space Mountain which is one of the rides that gets the Halloween treatment. Just my luck, the ride went down right as I got in line (I did get to ride later in the evening) and there were no more fast passes for The Haunted Mansion which gets turned into The Nightmare Before Christmas so I waited in line for nearly two hours. I loved seeing The Haunted Mansion like this, but a better plan would've been to go after those not attending the party had to exit the park.

Disneyland was incredibly crowded from 3pm-6pm as all those who weren't attending the party tried to squeeze in as much as possible. During this time I started thinking the party ticket wasn't worth it, but I completely changed my mind once the crowd thinned and the decorations started to look even more amazing as darkness fell. I loved the Cadaver Dans performance and the Halloween Screams firework show was stunning--the fireworks alone were worth it for me. The Frightfully Fun Parade was just that, fun. From the start with The Headless Horseman to all the Disney villains that aren't regularly seen, the parade was definitely a memorable event.

I purchased the Blue Bayou dining package (I wanted to eat there anyway, so the cost was worth it to me and the Madame Leota's Crystal Ball dessert made it all the more special), so I had a perfect front row seat for the first parade.

Mickey's Halloween Party won't be an annual event for me because of the price, but I'm really glad to have experienced it.

Best Western Plus Park Place Inn in Anaheim, CA

Halloween is my favorite holiday, so the commercials Disneyland runs in Phoenix promoting the decor caught my eye. I didn't want to do just a day trip, so I needed a place to stay. On the advice of friends and coworkers who have been to Disneyland more recently then I had, I looked for a walking distance hotel that wasn't too expensive. While I would've loved to have stayed at a Disney property, I couldn't justify the price when there was a Best Western literally across the street from the park entrance. It took about five minutes to go from the motel lobby to the park security line. Like others in the area, the Best Western Plus Park Place Inn sells park tickets: the options are 2-day/1-park and park hoppers for 2-4 days.

I arrived before check-in time and my room wasn't available, so I filled out the paperwork and left my bags with the front desk while I headed over to Disneyland. I returned at check-in time to find a number of others getting their rooms as well. Fortunately, the lobby had comfortable couches (plus a gift shop and some computers).

There were three people working the front desk, so the line moved pretty quickly. The staff had proactively emailed to ask if I'd have a car (parking is an extra $10/day and they're apparently pretty strict about the hours guests are able to park prior to check-in and after check-out; one might also want to note that the spaces are more appropriate for a mid-size car than a large truck), but they weren't too helpful after that. I was given a sheet with a room map and information about breakfast (which is at the restaurant next door), laundry, and that housekeeping can be scheduled if guests want a mid-day nap, but the procedure for getting the breakfast wasn't explained (you go upstairs and give your name). And it wasn't until after I left that I remembered those with diamond status are supposed to receive a "welcome gift."

The location is the definitely the selling point of this motel which is fairly dated. My room was a king suite (all the rooms are suites) at the very back on the second floor. The rooms have been refreshed with furnishings, but the exterior shows the age and there are no USB charging connections in the rooms. Fortunately, each of the two bedside lamps had two outlets. In addition to the king bed, the king suite has a pull-out sofa bed (there's a half wall to separate the two areas) with an ottoman in front of the sofa. There's also an ottoman in the bathroom area.

The TV is on top of the dresser which is oriented to the bed. The dresser contains a mini-fridge and microwave. The room also has a desk with chair and a mirror above the desk.

Just past the bed, there was a closet and long counter with a sink. I found extra bedding and a hair dryer inside the closet, but no iron. On the counter, there was a machine to make single-serve coffee or tea which were provided.

The sink was separate from a very small bathroom with a toilet (that had a loose seat) and shower/tub combination. Both the small bathroom and sink area had very dim lighting. The standards of soap, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion were provided.

Being at the back and on the second floor meant I didn't hear other guests, but the garbage truck was quite noisy at 7am. Walking around, I noticed that the rooms near the pool/hot tub and vending machines had a lot of people passing by and likely were a bit noisier.

Although breakfast is at the restaurant next door (Captain Kidd's), it can be taken back to the room. Even so, it just wasn't that convenient to get breakfast there. The breakfast was also disappointing. Maybe I had too high of an expectation for the buffet since it was from an actual restaurant, but it all seemed pretty standard fare. Another letdown came when my apple was mushy and my banana was bruised. I primarily indulged in the excellent food of the Disneyland restaurants, so the complimentary breakfast was only a small part of this trip whereas I usually get my fill of the free breakfast for other stays.

Tocaloma Spa & Salon in Phoenix, AZ

Having been to a number of other resort spas in the Phoenix metro area, Tocaloma Spa & Salon at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort was a bit of a surprise. It's a small facility that the front desk staff describe as “intimate.” Although there are lockers and robes available, there are no locker rooms so the staff seems to prefer to have people wait fully clothed. For those who do change into robes, there's a bench in a curtained off area with the lockers otherwise guests wait across from the front desk.

Although the spa is small, they do have fruit and fruit-infused water as well as a salon area for hair and nail services.

While this spa might not be for large groups or those looking to spend an entire day luxuriating at the spa, the services offered are fantastic and the staff make sure the guests have a great experience.

Because of the small space, there’s no showers (although showers are available nearby) and the fitness center and pools are some distance from the spa. A shuttle is available to transport guests to the different areas of the large resort.

Santa Barbara Trolley Tour in Santa Barbara, CA

Having enjoyed my experiences on the trolley tours I took in San Diego and Nashville, I decided to give the trolley tour in Santa Barbara a go. It conveniently had a stop right outside the lobby of the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort where I was staying. Based on the published schedule and online reviews, I knew that although this was billed as a "hop-on/off" tour just like the Old Town Trolley Tours it wasn't going to operate in the same fashion. (This tour is owned by a different company.) First off, the trolley only runs every hour which doesn't make it very convenient as transportation around the city. Next, there are really only four stops (the Visitor Center where the tour starts and finishes, the Hilton, the Harbor, and the Old Mission where it stops for about 20 minutes) although passengers can request the driver let them off at one of the other eight locations on the map. These stops are not marked at all, so it's only easy to get on at one of the four locations with pickups. When I hopped off at the Courthouse (the view from the top is definitely worth the stop), I decided not to try to flag down the trolley driver and simply took public transportation back to my hotel. The two drivers I had relayed interesting information about the city on the tour though one was more engaging than the other. Some perks of this tour are a second day for free and discounts at some of the museums in Santa Barbara.

Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort in Santa Barbara, CA

Summer is the best time to leave Phoenix--the weather is beautiful just about everywhere else in North America, but well over 100 in the Valley of the Sun. This year I decided to follow the lead of others and escape to a beach in California. I'd never been to Santa Barbara, so I decided to check out the city. A little research led to the discovery that I could redeem Hilton points for a property right across from the water. The hotel was called The Fess Parker when I booked my trip, but the name changed to Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort by the time I stayed. With the change having taken place only a few months prior to my visit, there were still some temporary signs and the gift shop had discounted Fess Parker merchandise. I'm not sure what renovations went along with the name change, but the place was stunning. Even the elevator was ornate. And despite no longer being branded The Fess Parker, there are still pictures honoring the actor throughout the main level.

Before my arrival I called the hotel to get details on the free airport shuttle (the shuttle also goes to the Amtrak station) that runs 5am-9pm. The person who answered the phone took my flight information and assured me the shuttle would be there. It was! I was greeted by name with a bottle of water. The driver told me a bit about the area as we made the quick drive to the hotel. Everyone at the hotel also greeted me by name and made me feel incredibly welcome. The lobby was absolutely gorgeous with plenty of plush chairs and sofas.

Off one of the corridors were a couple of computers for guest use as well as an ATM.

I expected to leave my bag at the desk as I'd arrived well before check-in time, but was instead told that my King Bed Mountain View was upgraded to a Partial Ocean View and was ready for me. My stay was booked with points, so that eliminated the resort fee; it also apparently eliminated my receiving a glass of house wine that's a part of the resort fee though I was given two bottles of water at check-in.

My room on the second floor of the main building (which is where the adjoining rooms are) was quite large, but fairly standard hotel fare. The bed, sofa (which pulled out for an additional bed), and armchair were all comfortable.

Two bottles of wine and an opener were on the table next to the armchair; there was a charge, of course, if the bottles were opened.

There were also two bottles of water that could be purchased for an outrageous $7/bottle plus a coffee maker (fortunately, the coffee and tea were free).

Additionally there was a desk/chair combo and a dresser with a TV on top. The TV was set to be viewed from the sofa. It wasn't on a swivel stand, so I had to angle it myself to see it from the bed. The dresser contained a small safe and a mini-fridge. It would've been nice to have a microwave to heat up my leftover food, but I was glad for the mini-fridge.

While I found the view to be more pool than ocean, the sizeable balcony was great to sit on.

I had two chairs and a small table on the relatively private balcony. I could hear guests at the pool if I left the sliding glass door open, but it was pretty quiet with the door closed.

What I really appreciated was the number of easily accessible outlets--both bathroom sinks (there was one sink outside the shower/toilet area) had outlets and the four lamps (two of which were on the bedside tables) had them as well plus the alarm clock had two USB ports. And speaking of the bathroom, I loved that the mirror in the shower section had light all around. Otherwise the bathroom, which had a shower (no tub), had the standard Hilton shampoo/conditioner/lotion/soap along with a hair dryer. In the bathroom area there was a closet with hangers, an iron and ironing board, and an extra pillow and blanket.

One complaint (other than the lack of a swivel TV stand) was the touchscreen control for the air conditioning. It took me a moment to figure out that it was the control for air, especially since it was partially hidden by a lamp. After I was settled, I walked around the property to see where the Mountain View rooms were. The mountains were pretty, but the rooms primarily look at the parking lot and other buildings so I was more than pleased with my upgrade.

With my gold status at Hilton, I was entitled to a continental breakfast each morning at The Roundhouse. Each morning I gave my last name and room number to the hostess who gave me a cardboard ticket to "pay" for my breakfast.

The continental breakfast buffet consisted of the standards: fruit, yogurt, pastries, cereal, and oatmeal (plus warm, watery cottage cheese that I only took a bite of). The menu indicated the price was $21 which would've been quite overpriced. The Roundhouse offers the opportunity to upgrade the standard buffet to one that includes eggs and meats or one can order breakfast foods like omelets, but I stuck with my free meal.

The Roundhouse, which had seating both indoors and out, was the only one of the resort's restaurants that disappointed me. The food just wasn't that great, especially for the price. I'm glad I didn't pay anything extra for it.

I had an excellent cheese plate at Rodney's Grill and a variety of great food (and drinks!) at The Set. The service at all three was excellent.

Another great part of this resort is the wine tasting room (which is closed on Mondays). The tasting room features 16 different Santa Barbara wines (the wines rotate, so check the menu). Some were low-end and some were high-end, but all were wonderful. My favorite was The Big Easy. By doing the wine tasting you can get a discount on a bottle or a meal at Rodney's Grill.

Not being much of an athletic person, I didn't use the tennis courts or the bicycles available to rent.

The pool got some use--it was never too crowded. One nice feature of the pool was a private shower that can only be accessed by hotel key card.

Another amenity I never make use of is the gym. To my surprise though, plenty of other hotel guests were using it when I peeked in. It's much larger than the hotel gyms I usually see--this one had multiple machines. I did consider having a spa service, but in the end, ran out of time. The pedicure area looked really nice though.

For parking, the hotel offers self and valet with charges on both. If someone is traveling via an electric vehicle, they're in luck because there's a number of charging stations. And if you're renting a car, there is a car rental desk in the lobby.