For our very first trip out west to California, we kicked things off in Anaheim for a family getaway to Disneyland Resort with Jordan’s parents. None of us had been to Disneyland before, so it was so much fun exploring and spotting all the differences from Disney World. I think we all agreed that Disneyland has a little more charm than its Florida counterpart.

Disneyland Day 1

We started our morning with white chocolate mochas from Starbucks and grabbed a breakfast shawarma at the Spider-Man Campus, which set the tone for the day.

We’d heard that Disneyland and California Adventure are known for having better food than Disney World, and after this trip I can confirm it’s true. There’s so much great quick-service and street food throughout the parks.

Our first ride was Web Slingers, a Spider-Man-themed attraction where you use your arms to “shoot” webs at targets. It quickly became one of my favorites, though after the first ride my arm was surprisingly sore.

Since Jordan and I were in a cute matching outfit and Caroline was matching the Cars Land theme, we decided it was the perfect time for a little photo shoot. We stopped in Cars Land for some themed pictures, then headed over to the Ferris wheel for some Instagram-worthy shots. Look how cute we are!

Afterward, we met up with Jordan’s parents for Goofy’s Flight School, which was super cute, and then strolled into San Fransokyo, the Big Hero 6–themed area. This was one of my favorite parts of the day because of all the amazing street food. We sampled a few things, but my favorite was the chicken yaki udon, though the ramen was tasty too, even if a little tricky to eat without slurping too bad. Also, it was super hot to eat in the mid-day heat.

We rode Web Slingers again, which definitely didn’t help my arm, then made our way back to Cars Land where I tried a seasonal pumpkin churro that was delicious. While there, we rode the Honkin’ Halloween ride, which was adorable, and I even spotted quite a few hummingbirds buzzing around.

Leaving California Adventure, we crossed over to Disneyland Park for the highlight of my day, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. I absolutely love the movie and think Mr. Toad’s wild obsession with his automobile is hilarious. The ride captures all that unhinged energy perfectly; it’s such a classic.

We stopped by the Golden Horseshoe for some dinner, and of course, had to get a sweet treat, so we stopped by a quick service for a pineapple dole whip sundae that Caroline had heard so many good things about online. It did in fact live up to the hype!

Disneyland Day 2

On our second day, our friend Tyson drove in from Vegas to join us. We started, of course, with Starbucks and more pictures since Jordan and I were matching again, so I had to get more shots for Instagram. Sorry, Caroline, for making you endure all my just-one-more-angle demands!!!

The first thrill of the morning was a roller coaster that Tyson, Caroline, and Jordan were eager to ride, while I decided to sit it out to avoid motion sickness. According to Tyson, it was one of his favorite coasters he’s ever been on! I feel like that’s a pretty good review.

We decided to grab a light breakfast so I’d have something in my stomach in case we went on more rides later. We stopped by a quick-service spot for a breakfast chimichanga, which turned out to be delicious. We also shared some fresh mango spears that were perfectly ripe and refreshing.

We had some time to spare before our 11:45 AM lunch reservation, so we headed over to my first ride of the day, Indiana Jones! It’s designed to feel like a rugged Jeep adventure, and I was a little nervous about it since I tend to get motion sick in cars. Thankfully, I had nothing to worry about—I ended up loving it. The ride was thrilling without being overwhelming, and it quickly became my favorite in the park. I’m so glad I didn’t get sick because it was an absolute blast. Also, since Tyson missed Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride yesterday, we rode it again, and I had no qualms about that since I think it’s such a funny ride.

Our 11:45 AM lunch reservation was at the Blue Bayou. This restaurant is such a unique spot because it’s located inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. We hopped on the ride first so we could experience it before heading in for our meal. It’s pretty neat floating past the restaurant’s dining area, watching people enjoy their meals as the boat drift by.

Since we had a little extra time before our reservation, we stopped at a perfume shop that Peggy had been excited to visit. Smelling all the fragrances turned out to be so much fun. Caroline and I both fell in love with a bright grapefruit scent and decided to match, while Peggy went with a warm, cozy vanilla. Even Tyson and Jordan got in on it and picked out some cologne.

Scents acquired, we made our way back to Blue Bayou. We’d read a few mixed reviews online saying the food wasn’t anything special and that people mostly go for the atmosphere, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. But I was pleasantly surprised, everything we ordered was fantastic. I went with the whitefish curry and a seafood gumbo to start, Jordan ordered the steak, and we shared a banana cake dessert with coffee that absolutely hit the spot. It was one of those meals where the food, the setting, and the whole experience came together perfectly. Unfortunately it was a bit dark, so I didn’t end up taking many pictures of the food.

We grabbed coffee frappuccinos from Starbucks for an afternoon pick-me-up while Tyson and Caroline treated themselves to ice cream. The group wandered the park, riding the occasional attraction. We also showed Tyson around Cars Land and San Fransokyo, including the adorable sourdough bread bakery that shows how their starter and bread are made.

For dinner, we met back up with Jordan’s parents at Bengal Barbecue, which had fantastic grilled meat skewers. My favorite was the pork belly skewer! Afterward, Tyson went all out and bought an entire Indiana Jones outfit for our upcoming Halloween trip to Zion National Park, which was hilarious and on theme.

We grabbed some dessert from a nearby bakery and sat outside to relax, attempting to watch the parade, but it ended up passing down a different street. Since we were already sitting and relaxing, we decided to wait another 20 minutes for the fireworks, and we were glad we did. We had a pretty great view of the show, and it was nice to just sit and chat together.

Once the fireworks ended, we decided to make the most of our last few hours and hit as many rides as we could. We did It’s a Small World, rode the Gadget Coaster twice since the line was so short they let us stay on for a second round, and rode Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin before ending the night with Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

We were in the park from about 9 AM until midnight, 15 hours of rides, food, and fun. By the end of it, we were exhausted, but it was such a memorable Disneyland trip filled with so many laughs and great moments.