Disney California Adventure Park is the home of Cars Land, where Radiator Springs from the movie, "Cars" comes alive!! Walk into Cars Land and you feel like you've walked right into the movie itself! 

Popular rides in Cars Land include Mater's Junkyard Jamboree and Luigi's Flying Tires. But the most popular attraction, Radiator Springs Racer is one you don't want to miss! You stroll through Radiator Springs in your car and then you get to race other cars through Ornament Valley!! Fast Passes are available for this attraction but they do run out quickly. We were there around 1pm and the Fast Passes were gone for the day. But the wait in line for this attraction is definitely worth it and is one attraction you definitely don't want to miss! If you get a Fast Pass for this, you can take your time and enjoy the other attractions, return during your Fast Pass designated time frame and get on the ride immediately! 

There are so many rides and attractions you want to make sure you see and obtain Fast Passes wherever you can to guarantee that you can experience them all! 

World of Color
Experience the night time spectacular show involving water, colour, fire and light, creating a fantasy of Disney and Pixar characters and their stories coming to life! Make sure you get a Fast Pass for the show if you want to get a premium location to watch the show. The Fast Pass distribution centre for the World of Color show is located by the Grizzly River Run ride and this Fast Pass does not count towards your daily limit. So make sure you get your World of Color Fast Pass first thing as you enter the park to ensure you get premium seating for the show. You can still watch the show without a Fast Pass in non-ticketing areas around Paradise Bay. You can also make dining package reservations at Ariel's Grotto, Carthay Circle Restaurant and Wine Country Trattoria, which include tickets for reserved viewing areas for the show. 

Back from our recent Disneyland vacation last week and we're going through some serious Disney withdrawal! It's such a magical place where you can immerse yourself in all things Disney, enough to get your Disney "fix" without over doing it! This was a first time visit for my kids, and I'm glad I waited until my youngest was tall enough to go on "most" of the rides! It was well worth the wait as we were able to enjoy many of the "scarier" rides and roller coasters. The minimum height requirement for many of the rides is 40". There are a few that have 46" as the minimum height, with the larger roller coasters having 48" as the minimum height. Once you've crossed 48", you've hit the magic number and can go on every single ride!! 

We chose the 3 day Park hopper pass which allows unlimited admission to both the Disneyland Park and Disney's California Adventure Park on a single day and gives the maximum amount of flexibility for access to both parks. Both parks are pretty big, but right across from each other so that it is very easy to access both parks in the same day. 

Fast Passes are the way to go to ensure you get to experience the popular attractions and rides! Disneyland uses the paper Fast Pass system so you need to head to the Fast Pass Distribution area for the ride or attraction you wish to pick. Only 1 Fast Pass per person per park is permitted at one time. When the Fast Pass is used or the time has expired, you can obtain another Fast Pass for a different attraction. With a park hopper ticket, you can obtain a Fast Pass for Disneyland Park, head to California Adventure to get a Fast Pass for a ride there and effectively have 2 Fast Passes at the same time! But it is a lot of walking back and forth between 2 parks if you decide to do this! There are sufficient rides with decent wait times that you can wait in line for less busy attractions while holding a Fast Pass for busier ones. With a Fast Pass, you return to the attraction during the designated time within the 1 hour time frame and you can skip the lines and go straight onto the ride! Three day park hopper tickets also give you 1 Magic Morning, so that's one morning of early admission to the park before the park officially opens. This is a great option to go early before opening to check out the popular rides without the added crowds! 

Fast Passes are available for the following rides: Indiana Jones Adventure, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin, Autopia, Space Mountain, Star Tours. 

We also had the privilege of being in Disneyland during their 4th of July celebrations and we're so happy we did! It was worth braving the crowds to experience Disney's Celebration of America on July 4th! 

As we drive up to the entrance, we are warmly greeted by valet staff who help take our luggage and hold it in storage for us while we go check in and wait for our room. Front lobby staff welcome each individual with a lei greeting, including little gifts for the kids! You can check in anytime on the date of your check in and begin using the facilities of the resort immediately. Although your room is not available until 4pm, the Luana Lounge is available for all guests, who are offered a one-time use of the lounge to change into bathing suits and begin enjoying the pool area. The lounge is also available to  guests after check out, if they wish to remain for the day and continue using the facilities after check out time. 

The Aulani resort offers many value added activities that are included in your stay. During your stay, you can use the pools, watersides, beaches, etc... from the day of your check in until 11:59pm on the day of your check out so you can take advantage of the opportunities to maximize your stay at Aulani! 

RECREATION ACTIVITIES:
We checked in to get our resort cards and wristbands and headed straight to the pools! There are lots of different activities, something for everyone! The Waikolohe pool is 8200 square feet of family fun in the water. The Waikolohe Stream is lazy waterway that moves you through the landscape of Aulani or you can enjoy the Tubestone Curl, an exhilarating slide that launches your tube into the Waikolohe Stream! There is also the Wailana Pool, an adult only pool area that provides some serenity and peace from the little keiki guests.  Other pool areas include the Ka Maka Grotto, with an infinity pool that overlooks the beautiful beaches of Ko Olina, Makai Preserve (interactive conservation pool),  4 different whirlpool spas for the ultimate relaxation, 2 of which are specifically placed to catch the spectular sunsets of Hawaii! For the little keiki guests, there is the Menehune Bridge, and interactive water play area for children, and the Keiki Cove Splash zone. Poolside cabanas are also available for rent, for the ultimate in pampering by the pool! 

Aunty's Beach House is a state of the art kids club with over 5000 square feet of fun!! Disney Youth Counsellors provide world class children's programming where kids can watch movies, partake in authentic Hawaiian crafts and so much more! Parents can drop off their kids at Aunty's Beach House with the confidence that the kids will be well entertained, while enjoying some adult-only time at the resort! All are value added activities that are included with your stay! 

Aunty's Breakfast Celebration  with parade, songs and dance! 

There are both full service dining restaurants onsite, and grab & go dining options as well. Poolside lounges and quick service restaurants are easy options to quench your hunger or thirst, without leaving the pool areas. 

ROOMS:
Aulani is designed for families. Both hotel rooms and vacation villas are available to book with spacious accommodations and lots of amenities specifically for families. The beds are raised so that luggage can be stored underneath without the need to take up extra floor space in the room. Each room includes a pack and play, and a stool for little ones to reach the sink! Connecting rooms are available for families travelling together. Each room also includes refrigerator, microwave, in-room safe and so much more!  For larger families travelling together, there are also 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom suites available.

Our stay at Aulani was much too short! We didn't have enough to enjoy all that Disney had to offer at the resort! Which only means that we MUST go back!! (Which I think that's what Disney wants anyway....) As with anything Disney does, they do it well and Aulani is no exception. The attention to detail, and the authenticity of the Hawaiian experience make Aulani and truly exceptional experience for families vacationing to Hawaii! 

For more pictures of our visit to Aulani, please visit my Facebook page at Facebook.com/ReneeTsangTravel. 

And because I simply couldn't capture the magic and wonder of Aulani myself, here's a fantastic video by Disney showcasing the amazing resort that is Aulani! 

If you have any questions about the resort or are interested in booking your next family vacation, please let me know!! I would love to help you book your family vacation at Aulani or anywhere else (including all things Disney)! 

One of the first training course I wanted to complete was the College of Disney Knowledge! Who wouldn't want to immerse themselves in all things Disney??!! Then after I completed my Akamai Level Hawaii Destination Specialist course, I knew I needed to experience Hawaii for myself! And if you have both Disney and Hawaii certifications, then that can only mean one thing........a visit to Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa is a definite MUST DO on our list!! Stay tuned for all the details of our visit!