Goofy’s Kitchen – Character Dining

If you are looking for a character dining experience without having to actually go inside Disneyland or DCA, you are in luck. The Disneyland Hotel features a character dining experience at Goofy’s Kitchen. If you have never experienced character dining, you and your children will be in for a treat. You are guaranteed to have interaction with many of your favorite Disney characters. The food is good too. At Goofy’s Kitchen, the food is served in an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Goofy’s Kitchen is a great place to throw birthday parties too, so if you are celebrating a big day, be sure and come party Disney-style! Plenty of great choices for kids of all ages, including:

Mickey Mouse shaped waffles
Omelet made to order
Peanut butter & jelly pizza!
Goofy’s Hot Chocolate Cake
Fruit yogurt and yummy toppings
Don’t forget to bring your cameras to take a souvenir snapshot of your Gawrsh-darn favorite Disney Character

Cuisine: American, Vegetarian, Healthy Selections

Price: Breakfast and Lunch $32.21 for ages 10 and up, children 3 to 9 $17.54
Dinner $39.14 for 10 and up, children 3 to 9 $17.54

Make sure to make reservations. This is a popular spot and you might have to wait a while for a table. You can make Disneyland dining reservations by calling 714-781-DINE

Ports O’ Call Village – San Pedro, CA

If you’re looking for a fun and free family adventure, hop in your car and head over to Ports O’ Call Village in San Pedro. The New England inspired seaside village features many family friendly eateries, gift shops, specialty shops and fish markets. I love stopping by for a bite to eat, and the kids enjoy waving to the passing ships.

Ports O’ Call is also the departure point for narrated harbor tours, dinner dance cruises and whale watching excursions. You can enjoy a narrated harbor cruise of the Port of Los Angeles, one of the largest working ports in the world. I think that this is a must if you are planning a visit to the village. In the winter, you can also take a whale watching cruise. I did this a while back and it was a fabulous experience. We were able to see a couple of whales and their calves. It’s a must if you visit between January and March.

If your family loves fishing, you’re in luck. Sport fishing boats leave daily from the village with rental equipment, bait, tackle and fishing licenses available. Remember to bring a jacket because it gets chilly!!

Ports O’ Call Village is open daily from 11am- Free admission and parking
Ports O’ Call Village
Berth 76
1100 Nagoya Way
San Pedro, CA 90731

Outdoor ice skating rinks in Los Angeles and Orange County

If you are looking for something fun to do and not typical for Southern California you might want to give ice skating a try. This is something that I’ve been meaning to post about but just never got around to it. I figured that I better get around to it since both outdoor rinks are on a limited run. There are two outdoor ice skating rinks in the Southland. One is located in Pershing Square in Downtown LA. The other at the Irvine Spectrum. Both rinks end their seasonal run on January 21st.

For additional information click here and here.

Bundle up and have a great time!!