I can’t believe it’s already been a year since Great Wolf Lodge Southern California opened! I was so honored to be invited to a special celebration for their 1st anniversary, complete with special birthday hat wolf ears, character photos, and delicious cupcakes. 
Guests staying at the resort and media were in attendance and got to hear from Great Wolf Lodge General Manager Phil Cunningham. 
To celebrate their 1 year anniversary/birthday, Great Wolf Lodge Southern California collaborated with artist Linda Mihara and had her create the world’s largest origami cake, which was unveiled at the ceremony. The details of the artwork were incredible and my favorite piece of the “cake” were the origami animals on top.
During my visit to Great Wolf Lodge Southern California that afternoon, I was also treated to a very special lunch, prepared by Great Wolf Lodge Executive Chef Hany and his team. They put together a menu for lunch that was absolutely amazing! Chef Hany prides himself on using only the freshest and finest ingredients to resort guests.
A majority of the produce is locally grown and I appreciated how sensitive they were to special dietary needs and allergies of guests when preparing the dishes.
Great Wolf Lodge does an amazing job at catering to guests of all needs and sensitivities. We feasted on a variety of foods which are included on the resort’s menu during Spring-a-Palooza.
Spring-a-Palooza will take place at Great Wolf Lodge locations, March 10 through April 16, 2017 this year, the Spring-a-Palooza event is offered at all of the Great Wolf Lodge resorts to families visiting, as a way to commemorate the turn of the season.
The Grand Lobby at the resort is Spring-a-Palooza central. Guests will find colorful spring decorations throughout, including a special Great Wolf Lodge character-themed garden for children to explore.
During Spring-a-Palooza, Great Wolf Lodge will offer additional entertainment options for guests to enjoy, with special spring-inspired activities and events taking place daily. Some of the scheduled events include:
- Spring Picnic: A time-honored spring tradition gets a Great Wolf twist, as guests can grab a blanket, spread it out on the floor and enjoy an afternoon picnic in the Grand Lobby. Guests can sip complimentary Minute Maid beverage available from the Great Wolf Lodge character-themed Lemonade Stand and play a few rounds of DzTake A Wiley Guessdz card game.
- Bubble Dance Party: This special Spring-a-Palooza event fills the Grand Lobby with cascading bubbles while Great Wolf Lodge’s Ambassadors of Fun keep energy-levels high with a family-friendly dance party.
- Spring-a-Palooza Story Time: Great Wolf Lodge’s nightly Story Time takes on a spring theme with a new tale featuring the Great Wolf Lodge characters called DzNatural Wonders.dzKids are encouraged to wear their favorite jammies to the Grand Lobby for this event and will have the opportunity to meet one of the Great Wolf Lodge characters in person.
- Spring Scavenger Hunts: Great Wolf Lodge will introduce two self-guided scavenger hunts as part of Spring-a-Palooza. The “I Spy Spring” scavenger hunt will have guests looking high and low in the Grand Lobby to find a dozen hidden objects and claim a prize. The “Spring Sprint” scavenger hunt has guests solving clues that will take them on a journey throughout the lodge. When all 10 clues are solved, guests are rewarded with a prize.
- Character Themed Flower Gardens: A highlight of the Spring-a-Palooza celebration is the colorful springtime gardens found in the Grand Lobby. The gardens are designed and hand-crafted by Pack Members from the resort. Surrounded by a fence, the collection of flower pots are inspired by the Great Wolf Lodge characters. Guests are encourage to stroll around the garden and vote for their favorite display.
- Jelly Bean Guessing Game: A gigantic jar filled to the brim with jelly bean candies sits in the Grand Lobby and guests are invited to enter a contest guessing how many delicious treats are within the jar. The guests closest to the correct number without going over will be entered for a chance to win a Great Wolf Lodge Gift Card.
- Spring Themed Crafts: During Spring-a-Palooza, the resort’s Ambassadors of Fun will host several spring-inspired craft making events for kids of all ages. Character-themed crafting projects include Oliver’s Crazy About Bugs Jar, Violet’s Springtime Noodle Doodle, Brinley’s Don’t Blow Away Kite and Wiley’s Can You Spot It Binoculars.
In addition to admission into the indoor water park, all of the Spring-a-Palooza events are also complimentary to guests staying at Great Wolf Lodge through April 16. A complete listing of daily activities and times can be found in the Lodge Life event schedule, which is provided to guests upon check-in. As you can see, there’s so much Spring fun going on at Great Wolf Lodge during Spring-a-Palooza that you won’t want to miss out!
For more information about Great Wolf Lodge, please visit greatwolf.com.
On March 18, 2017, this popular attraction celebrates its 50th anniversary and guests at Disneyland Park are invited to celebrate this special occasion with pirate-themed entertainment, exclusive merchandise and special food and beverage offerings, all beginning March 16.
Guests may feast upon special, pirate-themed food at French Market Restaurant, Mint Julep Bar, Harbour Galley, Royal Street Veranda, Cafe Orleans and Blue Bayou Restaurant. (Blue Bayou also celebrates its 50th anniversary on March 18).
Food items vary by location and will include:
Limited-edition, anniversary merchandise will be available for purchase in New Orleans Square, while supplies last. Pirate Speak! collectible cards will be available for guests who wish to talk like a pirate. Guests may discover additional special surprises on March 18.
Eric Carle stories included in the exhibit are:
Interactive exhibit activities include:
The Very Eric Carle exhibit is designed for children 2 to 8 years of age, their families, and pre-school and school groups ages 2 to 8 years. Very Eric Carle: A Very Hungry, Quiet, Lonely, Clumsy, Busy Exhibit was co-organized by Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. The exhibit is included in the price of regular admission.
For more information about the Very Eric Carle exhibit or to purchase tickets, go 
As you enter the restaurant, you’ll find subtle,decorative changes inside that vibe with the movie’s theme. I was there before it was fully finished so I only saw a few of the touches. (I can’t wait to visit again now that it’s all done.)
On my visit, I didn’t have the chance to eat a full meal, although I did try the desserts. (see below) I cannot wait to go back and sample some of these other menu offerings:
Now let’s talk about the desserts because that seems to be the most important part. I promise that you’ll want to stop by and enjoy one of each for yourself on your next visit to the Park!
Next, I tried the Lemon Rose Cake, which is a lemon mousse cake with strawberry-rose filling. This one was bright, colorful and oh-so-tasty.
I also took home one of the Mrs. Potts Krispy treats so I could enjoy it the next day.
I’m really excited about everything going on right now at Disneyland Resort surrounding the upcoming release of Disney’s “Beauty & the Beast” in theaters on March 17th! Did you know that you can catch a special 8-minute sneak peek of the film right now in Disney’s California Adventure Park through March 26th?
Stop by the Sunset Showcase Theater in Hollywood Land to get an advance look of a scene from the movie, presented in 3D with special in-theater effects, presented continuously throughout the day. While you’re there, be sure to check out the special lobby display featuring a few costumes and props used in the production, too!
With celebrity chefs, winemaker dinners, beer tasting seminars and irresistible cuisine, this year’s Food & Wine Festival is going to be better than ever, with experiences for guests of all ages! There’ll be more than a dozen marketplaces open every day for guests to enjoy, as well as an entire menu of daily culinary demonstrations and tastings, including beer, wine and spirits seminars (for those 21 of years and older.)
The festival will feature music everywhere, delicious food, and fun crafts created specifically with younger guests in mind. The Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival will have experiences for the entire family to enjoy. More than a dozen Festival Marketplaces will offer delectable fare, an ideal complement to the Festival-inspired menus at the theme park’s restaurants and eateries.
Dozens of food and beverage professionals will share their expertise during the Festival. Each day during the festival, guests will be invited to learn cooking techniques from master chefs, participate in wine,beer and spirit seminars, and discover some of the best California cuisine in dishes served throughout Disney California Adventure. Celebrity chefs scheduled to appear during the Festival include:
Many of the Festival events are included with admission to Disney California Adventure. Guests who want to add the Signature Events may purchase separate tickets at an additional fee for the following events:
I had the honor of attending the premiere night of the parade and just sitting there on the curb, watching all of the twinkling, lighted floats go by, really brought out the little kid in me . There’s just something about the sound of the synthesized “Baroque Hoedown” played throughout Main Street, U.S.A. that will bring happy tears to your eyes, especially if you remember it from way back when! By the looks of the crowd lined up to watch it on the night I was there, it must hold special meaning for a ton of others as well!
Here are 8 fun facts about the Main Street Electrical Parade: 
First of all, guests will (finally) encounter the thrilling Guardians of the Galaxy–Mission: BREAKOUT!, which I’ve been so excited about since its announcement! This new adventure blasts guests straight into the “Guardians of the Galaxy” story for the first time, alongside characters from the blockbuster films and comics. 
As guests join Rocket in his attempt to bust his pals out of the Collector’s Fortress, they’ll experience randomized ride experiences complete with all-new visual and audio effects and music inspired by the popular film soundtracks. We cannot wait!
Guests at will also be able to answer the call to join legendary Super Heroes in all-new experiences for Summer of Heroes, which will inaugurate an ever-expanding universe of Super Hero stories at Disney California Adventure.
This summer will also bring more excitement at Disneyland Park with the return of the Disneyland Railroad and Rivers of America attractions, including the return of “Fantasmic!” nighttime spectacular. Keep your eye on the
If you haven’t had a chance to catch a performance of the 
For more information about all of the exciting things going on at Disneyland Resort, please visit their site
Whether it’s a visit during their 
The Anniversary Celebration will also feature other $2.00 activities including:
In honor of their Anniversary Celebration, Irvine Park Railroad will host raffles on both Saturday and Sunday, every hour from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. Winners will receive Irvine Park Railroad prizes ranging in value from $60.00 to $300.00. To add even more fun for visitors, a live band will play on both days from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.
While you’re visiting Irvine Park Railroad inside Irvine Regional Park, be sure to visit the park’s other activities including Wheel Fun Rentals® at Irvine Park bike and paddle boat rentals, pony rides and the Orange County Zoo.