Planning a trip to somewhere new is always a little tricky.  I just had this experience on a recent trip to San Francisco.  It was my first time to the bay area, so I didn’t really know the ins and outs of a San Francisco trip.  Now that I have come and gone, I definitely have some helpful tips to share with you!

So if you are planning a trip to the Bay Area soon, check out these tips for visiting San Francisco.

Tips for Vacationing in San Francisco:

Wear your walking shoes:  You will likely log some serious mileage on your feet during your visit to San Francisco.  And in case you didn’t already know, there is no flat ground in this city.  I know it’s going to be tempting to wear your cutest shoes, but I highly suggest going for comfort over fashion!  You will thank me halfway through your visit.

Dress in layers:  The average temperature in San Francisco is around 60 degrees, so plan to dress in layers. When you are by the ocean it gets breezy and you will likely want a jacket.  Just keep your options open so you can be comfortable during your visit.

Plan to park and walk or call Uber:  Parking costs in San Francisco can add up so quick…it’s quite expensive to park ($50-75 a day).  I found one of the cheapest ways to park is to pick one central place to park and plan to walk.  Most of the parking garages have a maximum cost, so to get the most from your money, plan to keep your car there all day and walk.  Another way to go would be to utilize Uber, get dropped off and plan to walk the city.

Get tickets ahead of time for Alcatraz:  I loved visiting Alcatraz and would be sad if you didn’t get tickets to visit because it was booked.  I went in June and had no problems getting a ferry to the island, but during their busy season you need to think ahead.

Plan for traffic:  Traffic in the bay area is very slow so don’t let mileage fool you.  Even though you may not be going very far plan plenty of time to get to your destination.  Traffic is slow, especially during rush hours (morning and evening) so plan ahead!  Try to avoid driving during the morning and evening commute, walk when possible, and plan lots of driving time to avoid frustration.

Location, location, location:  Choosing a hotel is all about the location.  I stayed out by the airport which gave me a little more for my money.  I had a higher rated hotel for less money, so that part was fantastic.  But although I was only about 25 miles away from the bay area, our travel time was quite a bit more.  Again, don’t be fooled by mileage and keep it in mind when picking a hotel.

There’s more than one side of the bay:  You will likely spend most of your time on the South side of the bay.  This is where all of the hustle and bustle of San Francisco is happening, but don’t forget there is another side of the bay.  If you cross the bridge you will find some quaint little towns with some fun places to eat.  I enjoyed a nice and quiet lunch on the North side with amazing views.  So if you want a break from the “city” feel, venture across the bridge and spend some time.

You Might Also Like:

Not only do I have some great tips for your San Francisco trip, but I have some fun ideas for you while you’re there.  Check out what I loved on our trip-Beginner’s Guide to Visiting San Francisco!

Have FUN on your vacation and using these tips for visiting San Francisco!

You Might Also Like:

What to do on Oahu:

Fun Things to do in Denver:

Pin it:

The post Tips for Visiting San Francisco appeared first on Fun-Squared.

So if you’re a beginner heading out to the Bay Area, I’ve got a beginner’s guide to visiting San Francisco ready for you! Here’s the low down on our trip, where we visited, what we learned, things I would recommend and not recommend and everything I can think of to share with you to help your trip be great!

Places to Visit in San Francisco:

The Golden Gate Bridge:

Let’s start out by talking about the obvious, the icon for the city, The Golden Gate Bridge. I didn’t realize prior to this trip that the bridge is more than just a way to get from the South end of the bay to the North (which we did at one point by car), it’s a destination and an experience itself.

We parked at the South end of the bridge and walked from one end of the bridge to the other and back. It’s about 3 miles round trip and it turns out, this was a huge highlight of the trip for us. I was a little nervous to cross it on foot (heights!!!), but it was ok. So if you are worried about that, you should be fine.

And, the whales! We didn’t expect to see whales, but we could see a whole group of whales coming in and out of the water below us as we walked. Unexpected and added a lot to the experience.

Some people biked the bridge-you can rent bikes near the bridge or at Fisherman’s Wharf and ride to the bridge. We considered this possibility, but ultimately we were glad we walked. The bridge was crowded and the bikers seemed to struggle to even be able to ride with all of the people walking around. Plan an hour or two for this experience (or less if you don’t want to walk the whole bridge).

Alcatraz:

Another of San Francisco’s iconic tourist spots, we took the ferry to Alcatraz and toured the island and prison there. This was a surprisingly enjoyable experience! I knew we’d be interested and since it’s part of every good tourist’s visit to San Francisco we had to do it, but this ended up being another highlight of the trip for us. And to be honest, the 20 minute ride on the ferry each way was a nice chance to sit down and relax after walking all over the city!

You need to book tickets in advance. It’s easy and we had lots of time slots available when we booked (only a week or two before our trip), but the earlier you get tickets the better so that you can be sure you get to do this. It’s about $40 for adults and $20 for kids.

When you get to the island, after a brief explanation from a park ranger, you’ll be free to explore. There are plenty of places to visit on the island like the guard’s quarters, but we headed straight to the actual prison and did the tour there. They’ll give you a headset and you take an audio guided tour that lasts close to an hour. It was fast moving enough to keep our interest but not too intense that we couldn’t stop and look and take it all in. It’s amazing to see this place and to hear from actual guards and inmates on the audio tour.

Chinatown:

This is probably the place in San Francisco that caught us most off guard. I knew we wanted to visit, but we didn’t know what to expect.

First of all, you should know that we walked to Chinatown from Pier 39 area and it wasn’t bad at all. It took us maybe 15 minutes or so, and while it is hilly, it wasn’t a bad walk. We headed straight for the Golden Gate Bakery, because we’d been told it was THE place to go. The advice we had was to go early or they will sell out. Friends also advised us to know what you want when you get to the counter, they don’t mess around. So we were ready! But it was gated shut and there was a sign that said “On Vacation.” What?! We were so sad. And you know what? While we stood there feeling sad, another big group walked up with determined faces, set on visiting the Golden Gate Bakery, only to be as devastated as we were when they found it closed. We can only assume this means that it’s worth visiting and that it will be open when you go! Let us know how it is.

We wandered Chinatown a little bit. You’ll find a lot of shops to wander in and out of with cheap T-shirts, magnets, postcards and other souvenirs. You’ll also find a bunch of food markets.

We hit up the fortune cookie factory and watched them make fortune cookies for a minute and sampled a piece of one. They also have a bunch of fun flavors that you can buy. (This stop took only about 5 minutes total.)

We had lunch in Chinatown at Hunan Home’s, and for people who haven’t done a lot of traveling outside the US, this was quite an experience for us! A good one, but definitely one that took us outside our comfort zone. When we walked in and they seated us, it was at a table with other people! Never had that happen before. When they gave us the menu, it was in Chinese! (Yes, this might sound naive to those who have traveled a lot, it was new to us.) We picked a couple of things off the menu that seemed vaguely familiar (they had English translations of the title below each item) like Potstickers and fried rice and got a beef dish that was different than anything we’ve had, but yummy! 

Pier 39:

Of course you’ve heard of Pier 39, it’s sort of the center of San Francisco tourism. But do you know what to expect when you get there? 

It’s basically an outdoor mall that juts out on a Pier into the ocean. They’ve got lots of shopping and lots of food. 

We hit up a couple of places-an AMAZING chocolate shop aptly named-Chocolate Heaven! Here’s a peek:

Rows and rows of chocolates of all varieties. Toffee, truffles, chocolate dipped everything. We each tried something and we weren’t disappointed. 

If you’re there for longer than we were, there are a lot of other great places to try. There’s a cupcake store and a candy store, crepes and cookies and ice cream and donuts….Too many good foods, too little time! We also ate at a Wipeout Bar and Grill and had a great lunch. They’ve got lots of seafood and a Hard Rock Cafe. No shortage of food!

If you’re looking for more to do, there’s an aquarium and also, on the Northwest side of the Pier you can see seals and sea lions.

Fisherman’s Wharf:

Fisherman’s Wharf is literally right next to Pier 39-it won’t take you more than 5 minutes to walk between the two, so they are something you can hit up at the same time. At the Wharf, you’ll find some similar things-lots of food, particularly seafood. (This is where everyone told us to get clam chowder in bread bowls, but Amber doesn’t eat seafood and I don’t eat bread bowls, so we didn’t, but IF you love that sort of thing, this will be your happy place.)

Other than the food, there’s a submarine that you can pay to tour and there are a lot of street performers.

Nearby you can hop on a trolley and ride around the city. We went too late in the day and found the line too long, so if you want to ride this, try the morning time. It cost something like $15-20 a day for rides on this. 

Ghirardelli Square:

As major chocolate lovers, we knew a trip to Ghirardelli Square was solidly on our itinerary. It’s a bit of a walk from Fisherman’s Wharf-not too far, maybe 10 minutes-but it’s a beautiful area when you get there. We expected a great big chocolately store and were surprised to find just a small little ice cream shop, but since we’d gone all the way there AND planned our eating that day around being hungry enough to eat there, we bought ice cream!

Be warned, it’s a long line and it’s pricey ($12 for a sundae), but it’s good!

There’s a nice grassy, park like area across the street with a great view of the bay and the Golden Gate bridge that you can sit in to eat.

Muir Woods:

We can’t tell you a ton about Muir Woods because we didn’t actually go into Muir Woods, but we can tell you what NOT to do if you want to visit this place.

It’s a little bit of a drive from San Francisco. You’ll cross the bridge to the North side and then drive up and over a hilly area. (Word to the wise, if you get car sick, this could be a very rough ride-the road is very windy.)

When you get there, there’s a parking lot to enter the park. It was full for us (we got there around 10 or 11 that morning.) There’s additional parking down the road. Also full. And then there’s parking along the road. We would have needed to park about a mile away and walk to the park entrance, which could be fine, we just didn’t have time that day.

So, learn from us and our mistake-if you want to visit Muir Woods, go early in the day and plan enough time to park, walk in and have time to explore. It’s supposed to be a great alternative to visiting Redwoods Forest if you don’t have time to head clear up there.

Botanical Gardens:

We only had a little bit of time to visit the botanical gardens in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, but it was gorgeous and we wished we could spend at least half a day there. The whole park is a beautiful area with lots of green and walking paths. It would be perfect to pack a lunch and spend the day or at least half a day.  If you’re a gardner you are especially going to love this place! You can walk through the botanical gardens and learn all about all varieties of plants. Or, if you’re just wanting to enjoy a beautiful place, you can walk and enjoy or sit and relax. It was a nice break from the busy, crowded city life of San Francisco.

There are two botanical gardens you can visit-the traditional one or the Japanese gardens. You have to pay for either-about $8 a person. We got lucky and happened to hit it on a free day!

Phew! Have I made you tired reading this? It was an exhausting couple of days but also so memorable and so much fun!

If you’ve got tips of your own, leave them in the comments so that our readers can see them. And if you go, I want to hear about it too!

Have FUN visiting San Francisco!

You Might Also Like:

Fun Things to do on Oahu:

Fun Things to do in Phoenix With Kids:

Pin It:

The post A Beginner’s Guide to Visiting San Francisco appeared first on Fun-Squared.

Fun Things to do in Anaheim (Other Than Disneyland):

Anaheim Garden Walk:

Did you know the Anaheim Garden Walk has dining, shopping and entertainment all located in one beautifully landscaped plaza?  Located just about a block away from Disneyland, the Garden Walk has enough to keep you and your family entertained for an entire day!  With restaurants such as Roys, Bubba Gump, Johnny Rockets, Cheesecake Factory, House of Blues, P. F. Changs, and more, you will find exactly what everyone is craving!

So many yummy options, I think the trick will be choosing one!

In addition to wonderful dining, Anaheim Garden Walk has lots of fun shopping and entertainment.  Whether you are in the mood for bowling, seeing a movie, listening to live music, or trying your hand at an escape room, the Garden Walk has it all.  Have I mentioned shopping!?  You’ll find lots of fun shops along the streets at the Garden Walk.  What a fun way to spend a sunny California day!

Escape Rooms:

Have you ever done one of the escape room adventures?  We went for the first time in Anaheim and we had a BLAST!!  So, essentially you are put in a room (the themes of the room vary) and you have to solve puzzles to make it out in less than an hour.  We went to Cross Roads Escapes Games in Anaheim and did the Fun House Room. It was amazing.  This activity is for ages 16 and up, so not the best if you are traveling with little ones.  Call ahead for reservations, and you can choose which type of mystery you would like to solve.  We went with 4 adults (none of us having done this before) and we all totally loved it!  It turned out to be one of our favorite activities we did in California.  (Just a note, the Garden Walk has one of these escape rooms as well.)

Anaheim Packing House:

The Packing House is another hot spot in Anaheim…literally, this place is happening!  The Packing House is a unique blend of food, live music, and a festive atmosphere.  It features over 20 eateries with foods from all over the world.  We went on a weekend night and it was quite busy, so plan to stand in line for your food if you go on a busy night.  We waited in various lines for about 45 minutes to place our orders, and then waited maybe another 20 to get our food.

What makes this worth it is the variety of foods you can get there.  We had Indian Cuisine, French Bakery, Ramon Noodles, and Cheeseburger Fries, but the most unique food came at dessert time!  We ordered “I am Snowball” which is rice puffs that are sprayed with liquid nitrogen and served steaming cold!

This was unlike anything I’ve ever eaten.  The actual rice puffs tasted a bit like cereal, but dipped in the chocolate it was pretty tasty.  The best part of this dessert is eating it while it’s steaming, and then blowing the steam out as you take each bite!  We had plenty of giggles while we ate this one!

All in all, the Packing House is worth a visit, but expect lines and some waiting for your food.  Probably don’t hit this after a long day at Disneyland, try it when you aren’t tired!

Beach Days:

Okay, I know the beach is not in Anaheim but let’s be honest…can we ever skip beach days?  I don’t live next to a beach, so any chance I get I’ll definitely hit one.  Anaheim is about 30 minutes away from several beaches, two of my favorites are Newport and Huntington.  This trip we went to Huntington Beach and we had such a great day there.

Beach Days-Dukes:

Have you every been to Duke’s before?  They are found all over in Hawaii, but as far as I know, California is the only place they have them on the mainland.  It’s one of my very favorite places to eat!  If you ever find yourself close enough to a Duke’s (whether in California or Hawaii) I would strongly recommend stopping by.

Duke’s has a dining room that will provide you with more of an upscale dining experience.  We have eaten in the dining room many times in Hawaii and are always delighted with our food.  This time we decided to hit the bar and order from the bar menu.  We ordered fish and chips and hamburgers, and let me just say, YUMMY!  Everything came out perfectly.  The hamburger was so big I had a hard time even biting into it!  The fish and chips were fresh and crispy with a perfectly flavored tartar sauce for dipping.

Saving the best for last, we ordered ourselves a slice of Hula Pie!  This made our list of “must haves” in Hawaii and it’s making the list in California as well.  Macadamia nut ice cream with a cookie crust topped with chocolate and whip cream, it is a plate of happiness!  Seriously, you need to have this in your life!

Beach Days-Whale Watching Tours:

Have you ever considered a whale watching tour while visiting California?  We have done it in Hawaii, but never in California so we decided to give it a try.  Before you go, I would recommend doing a little research about which types of whales are migrating during your visit.  There are several companies that operate whale watching tours, but they all take reservations so call ahead to make sure you have a spot on the boat.

We had a lot of fun just enjoying the ocean on a bright sunny day.  We had 6 kiddos in our group ages ranging from 7-14 and they all loved this!  I would definitely recommend taking medicine before you go if you have a tendency to get motion sickness, and bring extras for those who may discover they get motion sickness on the boat!  We saw lots of dolphins, some sea lions and two whales on our tour.  All in all, it was a great day at sea!

Beach Days-Rentals:

We know that lounging in the sand, soaking in the sun, and playing in the waves is all part of a perfect beach day, but have you ever rented bikes and gone for a ride along the boardwalk?  If you are wanting an activity to break up the beach lounging, a bike rental might just do the trick.  It’s such a fun way to take in the atmosphere up and down the coast and enjoy the sea breeze.  Bike rentals are usually all over the boardwalk and are very affordable.

If you are in a group or traveling with younger kiddos, these carts could be a good option.  They are a little trickier than a single rider bike because you are pedaling everyone together, but you are guarantee a few laughs during the ride!!

Mama Cozza’s:

If you are looking for authentic Italian cuisine, look no further than Mama Cozza’s!  It was featured on the Food Network’s show “Diner’s, Drive-Ins and Dives” and has a wall of fame which is fun.  The menu is packed full of classic Italian dishes and everything we tasted was amazing.  The serving sizes are very large so plan to take some food home.  The pizza was perfectly cooked with a crispy crust and loaded with toppings, it was one of our favorites!  All the pasta choices came smothered in your choice of homemade sauces and I don’t think you can go wrong with any of them…super delicious!  If you are craving Italian, you will be very happy with this restaurant!

Umami Burger:

Okay folks, if you are a burger and fries loving person like I am, this needs to be on your list of places to eat in Anaheim!  Umami Burger knows how to make a yummy hamburger, seriously, so mouthwatering delicious.  They also serve chicken sandwiches if you aren’t in the mood for a hamburger, and they are equally as delicious.  And as if yummy hamburgers aren’t enough, they have a fry menu that will change your world.  Smothered fries with braised short ribs, gravy and chives is like comfort food at its finest, we wanted to lick the plate when we finished.  Or maybe you would love maple bacon fries with sweet potato fries, maple braised bacon, salt and chives?  They were literally dripping with sweet goodness, loved them so much.  I promise you will fall in love with this place if you haven’t already!

Have fun planning your next trip to Anaheim and remember, there are so many fun possibilities…you may even need to plan two trips!

You Might Also Like:

Disney Food and Wine Festival:

Cute Mother’s Day Gifts:

Pin It:

The post Fun Things to do in Anaheim (Other Than Disneyland) appeared first on Fun-Squared.

We all know that Disney California Adventure has fun rides, shows, characters, shopping and more. But did you know they also manage to fit in several festivals throughout the year?  Starting in March and running for about a month, Disney California Adventure has a Food & Wine Festival-and it is amazing!  Disney food and wine festival highlights California flavors and gives a little sample of what the beautiful state of California can produce.  In addition to wonderful food, the festival offers events such as-culinary demonstrations by star chefs, JR. chef classes, live music, wine and beer tastings, and more!  Such a fun way to spend a day at Disney California Adventure!

Disney Food and Wine:

There are more than a dozen Festival Marketplace kiosks and this Disney Food and Wine Festival, each having it’s own theme and flavor.  Each kiosk offers 3 different samples of the theme.  This delicious looking slider was found at the “Garlic Kissed” kiosk, and it was absolutely superb!  The meat was so tender it fell apart when you took a bite, and the flavors were perfection.  This is where we started our tasting and this “Grilled Beef Tenderloin Slider with Garlic Chimichurri Sauce” did not disappoint!!

Grilled Beef Tenderloin Slider with Garlic Chimichurri Sauce:

I think I might lose you at the name of this cake pop but stay with me, I promise it will be worth it! This “Creamy Artichoke & Dark Chocolate Cake Pop” was recommended by one of the California Adventure employees so we knew we needed to give it a taste.  I had no idea what to expect with an artichoke cake pop, but this did not disappoint.  The inside of this cake pop was unlike anything I’ve ever tasted, creamy, smooth, sweet, and just a hint of artichoke in the background.  The outer shell had been dipped in pistachio nuts which was perfection.  This was one of my very favorite things we sampled.

Creamy Artichoke & Dark Chocolate Cake Pop:

Have you ever heard of Jackfruit?  I hadn’t either until we tasted these fantastic “Jackfruit Carnita Banh Mi Nachos.”  Apparently Jackfruit is a sweet fruit when it’s ripe, but when it’s picked before it’s ripe it becomes a meat substitute.  It shreds like meat having the same texture and takes on any flavor.  Trust me, you can’t tell you’re not eating meat with these nachos!  Really flavorful, with the Jackfruit soaking in all of the yumminess.  These were found at the “Off the Cob” kiosk.

Food and Wine Festival Disneyland:

Jackfruit Carnita Banh Mi Nachos:

I’m not sure you will guess what kind of whoopee pie this is?  We found this deliciousness at the “Bacon Twist” kiosk, and yes, it has bacon in it!  This “Maple-Bacon Whoopie Pie” tasted like eating a yummy pancake with just a hint that you served bacon with the breakfast!  It was super soft and chewy, and middle filling is sent straight from heaven!  I definitely could have had more of these little guys.

Maple-Bacon Whoopie Pie:

This “Warm Olive Focaccia with Olive Oil & Sea Salt” was on my husband’s must try list.  It was served warm, drizzled with olive oil, and topped with sea salt and it was delicious!  The olives are baked in the bread adding little bursts of flavor to the soft bread.  We found this at the “Olive Us” kiosk, and it was yummy.

Warm Olive Focaccia with Olive Oil & Sea Salt:

If you are in the mood for some really good Mac & Cheese this “Smoked Bacon Mac & Cheese” found at the “Bacon Twist” kiosk will not disappoint!  This is comfort food at its finest.  Creamy mac & cheese topped with crispy bacon and fried onion straws equals a perfect combination of flavors.   There were definitely oohs and awes happening when we took our bites!

California Adventure Food:

Smoked Bacon Mac & Cheese:

This was probably my very favorite, a lemon flavored macaron with a little splash of blueberry in the center…just heavenly!  Macarons are typically smaller, but this one was the size of a normal cookie.  We found this at the “Lemon Grove” kiosk and I’m so happy we did.  If you love macarons, this one is a MUST try…I promise you will fall in love!!

Meyer Lemon Macaron with Blueberry Marmalade: 

I’m convinced that we would have loved any of the food samples at this festival.  It was apparent to me that so much attention has been given to every flavor at this festival, but what else would we expect from Disney…they are the best at what they do!  Come check out the festivals next time you are at California Adventure, they are marvelous!

Have fun with Disney!

You Might Also Like:

10 Disneyland Treats:

Fun Things to do in Anaheim:

Pin It:

The post Disney Food and Wine Festival appeared first on Fun-Squared.

There’s nothing more magical than the first time you read Harry Potter! Right?!? I have a few kids in the middle of the series right now and I envy them because it’s just so exciting the first time you read it. (And it’s still so good the second time and the third time…)

Last month we took the family to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood to walk through that magical world ourselves. We had no idea what to expect or if it would be worth the money to attend, so now that I’ve been, I thought I’d give you the low down so that you can decide for yourself if you want to go!

Tips for Visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Universal Studios Hollywood:

Here’s a peek into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Universal Studios Hollywood.

When you walk into this area of Universal Studios, you’ll feel a little bit like you’ve entered a new world, or at least a new city. The whole place is decked out in Harry Potter style buildings all around you with Hogwarts looming in the distance.

As you stroll down the streets you are likely to feel like you are in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade. The buildings look very realistic and just how I pictured them when I read the books.

You can wander in and out of shops as you walk the streets.

They feel very realistic and fun! And there’s a few important stops to make as you stroll.

Hogwarts Express: Of course you can’t get anywhere in Harry Potter’s world without a ride on the Hogwarts Express right? This replica is right inside the gates to Harry Potter World. You can’t ride this one though, there’s just a conductor standing nearby to get your picture taken with.

Ollivander’s Wand Shop: You certainly can’t visit the wizarding world without a stop at Olivanders, right? For this one you’ll have to wait in line to enter, though the line was short and fast moving for us. Inside Ollivander will select one lucky participant to be selected by a wand. It lasts about 5-10 minutes and is a fun little experience. Of course when you are finished they’ve got a wide variety of wands for you to buy if you would like. Here’s a peek inside:

Honeydukes: You know the first stop everyone would want to make in Hogsmeade is Honeydukes right? Step inside this candy shop and it’s everything you would imagine. Bright colors, candy that smells amazing, chocolate frogs, the works. Pretty fun place to visit, though I will warn you-it was very crowded and the prices were high. A chocolate frog will run you about $12. Here’s a little glimpse of the fun:

There are many other stores you can visit as well-Dervish and Banges, Zonks Joke shop, shops to pick out your own owl, you could spend hours just having fun looking in these stores if that’s your thing!

Three Broomsticks: And of course you can eat at The Three Broomsticks. They’ve got a variety of food-a few English foods, a little Harry Potter fare and some traditional American foods. We didn’t eat here, but I am told it is great.

Butter Beer: What we did try, was the Butter Beer. You can get this inside the restaurant, but we just got it from a stand. They’ve got a regular version and a frozen version. We tried the frozen. It’s very sweet and very cold and caused some serious brain freezes. Might be something to share, because my kids had a hard time finishing them on their own. And they cost about $7 a piece.

Hogwarts Castle: At the back of Harry Potter land, looming over the rest of the land, is Hogwarts Castle. And inside the caste is a ride. This was the highlight of Harry Potter World for me. You’ll walk all through the castle as you wait in line. You’ll see everything from moving pictures to castle paraphernalia and other familiar aspects of Hogwarts. We loved this!

The ride inside the castle is like no other ride I’ve ever been on. I admit that at first it was very disorienting-they’ve packed a lot in. You’ll wear 3D glasses and also be taken on a flying ride. There are twists and turns and dips and you’ll see all your favorite characters and places inside the castle and out. I enjoyed the second time that I rode it much more than the first because I knew better what to expect. Overall it’s a very fun ride! If you are at all prone to motion sickness though, I’d be careful. This one’s a doozie!

There’s also a small roller coaster-Ride of the Hippogriff. It’s a quick, fast “family friendly” ride that scared my 5 year old to death. It had no line which is always nice!

Overall we had a good time at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios Hollywood. Our overall feeling was that while it was fun, we wouldn’t make a special trip to Universal just for the Harry Potter part. If Universal sounds fun to you otherwise, then Harry Potter will be icing on the cake, but the land itself probably isn’t worth the money alone. (We loved some other parts of Universal though too-like the Jurassic Park ride!)

Have a FUN day!

You Might Also Like:

Best Treats at Disneyland:

Things to do in Anaheim:

Pin It:

The post Tips for Visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood appeared first on Fun-Squared.

Friends, I just got back from a trip to Disneyland and it was PERFECT! It was the Disney trip I’ve been waiting for for 14 years. The weather was perfect, the lines were short, it was Halloween time which was wonderful, the kids loved it. It was a perfect trip.

And, because I love you all so much, I worked my way through the parks trying all the different treats so I could share with you the BEST treats in the place! I’m giving like that. So here you go-10 Best Treats to Try at Disneyland!

I’d love to hear your favorite foods and treats at Disneyland! Everyone has their favorites!

10 Great Snacks to Try at Disneyland:

Olaf on a Stick: 

I bought this little guy at the Pooh Corner Bakery (where I bought a lot of these treats because I had heard it was the best and guess what? It was!) What I didn’t know before I bit into this guy was that he was not only marshmallows dipped in chocolate, but that there was a layer of caramel under the chocolate. SO YUMMY! And so cute. And they come in different characters as well.

Minnie Mouse Caramel Apple:

I’m a lover of caramel apples any time, but cover it in chocolate and it’s even better! Then make it all cute and Minnie Mouse shaped AND add Halloween decorations to it and it’s just perfect. And it tasted just as good as it should. I did need a knife to cut it up and it was messy, so I waited till I was back at my hotel to eat this one.

Mickey Cake Pops:

Who doesn’t love a cake pop? I loved that these ones were all fun and Halloween-y. But let me tell you, more importantly, that these tasted GREAT! One of my very favorites of the treats that we tried. We split this among several of us because they are rich! And yum.

Cookie Bits Sundae:

OK, this came from the Ghirardelli Factory in California Adventure and it was my FAVORITE of all the treats in this post. SO good. So good. It cost like $13 but we split it between 4 people. And did I mention that it was so good? That whole store is full of wonders-my guess is that any sundae you try there will be wonderful.

Churros:

Now I know that this one is not something hard to find-these stands are everywhere! But they’re my kids’ very favorite treat in Disneyland so I had to include them. We got these at a stand in California Adventure where they made them fresh while we waited. And yes, they were good!

Flavored Churros:

If you want a spin on the classic Churro, try a flavored one! I found these in Downtown Disney at a little stand and they had all different flavors-fruity, chocolate dipped, nutella, cookies and cream, and this one, caramel! These were also a big hit with my kids.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie:

This one was a favorite of my mom’s! It’s a soft and chewy peanut butter cookie with chocolate chunks in it. It came from the Pooh Corner Bakery also and it’s simple but fantastic!

Nestle TollHouse Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich:

This one’s not exclusive to Disney, but it’s a favorite of ours every time we are there, so I had to include it! It’s a Nestle Tollhouse Ice Cream Sandwich. They are good, especially on a hot day. They can be found at stands in either park.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie:

This was another from the Pooh Corner Bakery and it was deceptively good! I mean, I knew you couldn’t go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter, but I was surprised HOW good this one was. It’s dense and yummy and we broke it into pieces and all shared and it was perfect. Definitely recommend this one.

Mickey Mouse Rice Krispy Treat:

This is a rice krispy treat on a stick covered in chocolate and peanut butter and pretzels. Sounds dreamy right? They have other flavors too and it just looks so Disney-ish, it’s fun! It was good, though not quite as good as the other treats on this list. Still, a fun, yummy treat.

OK, so I’d love to hear some of your favorites too! Tell me in the comments!

Have FUN eating the best treats to try at Disneyland.

You Might Also Like:

Things to do in Anaheim:

Gifts for Disney Lovers:

Pin It:

The post 10 Best Treats to Try at Disneyland appeared first on Fun-Squared.