Tag Archives: Lamplight Lounge

Sip Trips #257: Disney Daze

Posted on by
Reply

The highlight of January was the Sip Family’s final trip to the Disneyland Resort on our Magic Key annual passes. Let’s see what we got up to on our swan song to the happiest place on earth:

Just prior to leaving for California, I took advantage of the BC Liquor Stores flash sale, picking up the Nutrl Tropical pack (pineapple, watermelon, peach, mango, grapefruit), which was $10 cheaper than usual. That said, I’m not sure I like Nutrl products, compared to sweeter, fizzier offerings from other companies. One pro to them is Mrs. Sip can enjoy them even when she’s on the keto diet.

After landing in Anaheim, we settled into our hotel and crossed the street for lunch at Mimi’s Café. I ordered a pair of Firestone 805 Blonde Ale from their very limited selection of draft beers, to go along with the Mike’s Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich. While I appreciated the plethora of pickles on the sando, I found it didn’t have much sauce/flavour to it.

We then used the bus service to go to Target to pick up room drinks and snacks for the duration of our stay. I grabbed the White Claw Variety 24 Pack (blackberry, tangerine, black cherry, green apple, mango, peach), as I was particularly curious about and wanted to try the Green Apple variant. While I enjoyed that drink, it sadly replaced Watermelon in this set, which is among my preferred flavours. I didn’t pick up any hard liquor at this point, not wanting to buy too much to drink, but would later grab a bottle of Captain Morgan Sweet Chili Lime Rum and mixers from Walgreens.

We went into this trip knowing it would be our last for some time. Therefore, we wanted to enjoy all the food and drink we previously hadn’t, while also retuning to a few memorable favourites. On our first day, we tried the Cheesy Garlic Brat, which was very satisfying with good mix of flavours going on and the Beef Birria Toasted Cheese, another good meal, where I especially enjoyed the consommé.

Hopping over to the California Adventure park, we set the Siplings up with a Quantum Pretzel, a longtime family favourite often eaten by them as myself/Mrs. Sip ride Guardians of the Galaxy. We also grabbed beers in the form of the Ommegang Neon Rainbows IPA and SLO Brew Cali-Squeeze.

Our second park day was dedicated to celebrating Mrs. Sip’s birthday. To begin the occasion on the right foot, we did a walk up reservation for Oga’s Cantina. The bar was set to close after this day, so it was good to get the experience in while we could. To eat, we shared the Garlic-Cheese Five Blossom Bread with Spicy Cheese Sauce. To drink, Mrs. Sip and I ordered the Yub Nub (pineapple rum, spiced rum, citrus juices, passionfruit) and Fuzzy Tauntaun (peach vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice, pure cane sugar, tingling foam), followed by a pair of brews in the Jogan Blossom Hazy IPA and Bad Motivator IPA.

After letting the Siplings build a droid to take home, which Mrs. Sip attributes to her early buzz, we were off to our lunch reservation at Lamplight Lounge. Mrs. Sip and I shared a bottle of Les Jamelles Chardonnay, along with the Sea Monster Smash (rye whiskey, blueberry syrup, mint, lemon juice, passionfruit syrup, blueberries). For food, I went with the Chef’s Special (Mongolian Steak dish with noodles), which was very good. I was happy it was available prior to other Lunar New Year releases, having read about its existence and hoping it would already be on the menu. The glaze/sauce and smattering of green onions on the steak were delicious, while the $34 price tag seemed pretty reasonable. I shared this dish with Mrs. Sip, who ordered the Charbroiled Cheddar Burger to round out our meal.

Later that evening, the Sip Family shared the Cookie Butter Churro Sundae from the Golden Horseshoe, which provided a decadent dessert to celebrate Mrs. Sip’s birthday!

The next day, we were craving lunch on the San Fransokyo Wharf. I went with the Karaage-inspired Crispy Chicken Sandwich and Brewery X Tokyo Tea Hard Seltzer from Lucky Fortune Cookery, while Mrs. Sip picked up the San Fransokyo Clam Chowder and Pizza Port Coastin’ Tropical IPA from Aunt Cass Café. I was allowed to steal a bite and sip of each. When my meal originally came out incorrect, the stall gave me a free order of Pot Stickers for the minimal delay, which was a nice touch.

We spent the rest of the day grabbing beverages around the park, as the Siplings played at Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. These drinks included:

  • Green Cheek West Coast IPA – great value at $14.25 for a 7.2% ABV brew
  • Crown & Hops The Dopest Hazy IPA – a nice hazy that I wanted to try
  • Study Break Strawburst Hard Seltzer – tasted like a strawberry Starburst candy, but I was disappointed it didn’t come with any ice
  • Craftwell Hibiscus Lemonade – love this beverage with it’s $15 price tag and 10% ABV

As I tried to get us one more drink while we were relaxing in the Animation Building, I was refused service after presenting Canadian ID because I didn’t have a passport on me. This was the first time that had happened for years to me, which was always a bullshit policy. Like, I just handed you government-issued ID that would be accepted anywhere else in the world that shows not only am I of your country’s ridiculous legal drinking age, but I’m double it. This had me considering not spending another cent further in the parks. A tough task, given we had 3.5 days left.

My boycott didn’t last long, as we hit the Carthay Circle Lounge the next day upon its opening. Here we had a fantastic little meal, consisting of the Carthay Sopes (red mole braised duck, pepitas, cilantro crema) for Mrs. Sip and Soy Glazed Salmon with soba noodles and cashew cucumber salsa for me. I paired my tremendous dish with a serving of Stone Delicious IPA. Mrs. Sip was between two wines, so they let her try both, which earned the server bonus points. We wrapped the meal, rewarding the Siplings for good behaviour, with the scrumptious S’mores Sundae.

Later in the day, we purchased servings of Brewery X Green Melon Hard Seltzer and Gin Lavender Lemonade Cocktail. Also, looking for a mid-afternoon snack, Mrs. Sip ordered the Chili Cone Queso, which has inspired me to make Frito Pie at home. While in the Cozy Cones area, we also picked up the Tarantula Hill Salt & Lime Mango Soju Michelada to wash the food down.

That night, with Girl Sip requesting some fruit, I grabbed the Pineapple Parfait from the Galactic Grill. Despite getting the item for Girl Sip, I enjoyed it too and ended up eating a fair portion of the treat.

We had great weather for most of our vacation, but it did rain periodically one of the days. Thankfully, Mrs. Sip had secured a reservation at the Magic Key Terrace, so we hunkered down there for a couple hours to wait out the wet stuff. Mrs. Sip and I split the Arancini and Fonduta appies, while I enjoyed servings of the Amalfi Sunset Paloma (tequila, watermelon juice, agave, lemon juice) and Harland Hazy IPA.

Having only a light lunch, I finally tried the Filipino Feast Burrito, which I had failed to purchase on our December visit. I liked the pork belly and sweet chili sauce of this dish. Pairing it with a glass of Particle Fizz (blue raspberry lemonade hard seltzer) completed the impromptu meal.

We also finally got our hands on the Chocolate Croissant Cookie that had eluded us due to long lines. How did we like it? I mean, where can you go wrong with this combo!?

The resorts Lunar New Year Festival kicked off on our last park day, so we had mere hours to enjoy the food and drink offerings. We ripped through an entire Sip and Savor pass, trying as many items as possible amongst all the folks who fancy themselves influencers. Here’s what we ate and drank along the way:

  • Five Spice Popcorn Chicken
  • Mickey-shaped Hot Dog Bun
  • Japchae Noodles with Braised Short Ribs
  • Kung Pao Bao with Impossible Chicken
  • Quesabirria Eggroll
  • Spicy Chicken Wings
  • Guava Dragon Fruit Vodka Cocktail (vodka, Lemonade, mineral water, guava and dragon fruit syrups)
  • Red Envelope Margarita (tequila, orange juice, sweet and sour, raspberry purée, blood orange syrup, gold shimmer)
  • Yuja-Melon Cocktail (gin, Lillet Blanc, yuja purée, rock melon syrup)
  • Honeydew Colada (rum, melon liqueur, honeydew cream, coconut cream, sweet and sour, topped with pineapple Dole Whip slushy)
  • Soju Cocktail Flight – Peach Yogurt Soju Cocktail (soju, Sprite, white peach syrup, yogurt), Mango Soju Cocktail (soju, Sprite, mango purée, sweet and sour), Green Apple Soju Cocktail (soju, grapefruit liqueur, green apple syrup, sweet and sour)

Everything was pretty good and I wish we had more time to enjoy the festival features. Items we hoped to get, but missed out on were the Korean Pork Belly Pizza and Bulgogi Fries.

To reward and feed the kids we bought them a final Quantum Pretzel, while Mrs. Sip and I shared the Sierra Nevada Sunny Little Thing. I’ll have to find a local place that makes giant pretzels, so we can recreate the memories at home. Not sure how I’ll recreate Avengers Campus, though.

That put a massive bow on our year with Magic Key annual passes. It was a fantastic run of five trips to Anaheim and a total of 32 park days! One day, we’ll be able to tell our grandkids that we spent a whole month of the year in Disneyland!

Sip Trips #255: Disneyland Desires

Posted on by
Reply

To begin the month, the Sip Family set off for another trip to Disneyland, looking to enjoy all the festive decorations, treats and even drinks the resort offers during the Christmas season. Here’s what we got up to over our weeklong stay in Anaheim:

Upon arriving, we did a quick shopping stop at Target, procuring supplies for our stay. I grabbed the White Claw Surge Variety Pack, featuring Lime, Blood Orange, Cranberry and Blackberry flavours, all at a whopping 8% ABV per can. I also picked up a bottle of Mr. Pibb, looking to try the competitor of my precious Dr. Pepper.

With Ma and Pa Sip taking the Sipplings out for a Christmas train experience, Mrs. Sip and I were afforded a date night. I decided to take us to the City Center of Anaheim, which presented an abundance of neat options. We started our crawl with dinner at Craft by Smoke & Fire, which I had often seen recommendations for on Disneyland Facebook groups. There, I had the Mile High Loaded Fries with Baldwin Burger (smash burger) toppings, paired with a Villains Hazy IPA.

While searching for my next hopeful stop, we stumbled upon The Packing House, which is a really cool food hall venue, filled with great places to eat and drink. While my intention was to check out The Blind Rabbit speakeasy, we weren’t able to get in. Instead, we had a cocktail at the BXCR Underground Bar, which looks like a train boxcar. I tried the C-League, containing mezcal, cucumber and cilantro. Mrs. Sip, looking for a caffeine pick-me-up, went with an Espresso Martini.

Across the street was Unsung Hero Brewing, where we shared a trio of beers in the Propeller Head Amber Ale with Coffee, Chocolate Snowball Imperial Blonde Ale and St. Nick R. Doodle Imperial Blonde Ale. I liked seeing all the old action figures that made up the façade of this location.

On our way to what was supposed to be our next stop, we came across the Broken Spirits Distillery, where Mrs. Sip had the delicious Ghost Host (mezcal, St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur, hibiscus, lime juice) and I had the Ella Baila Sola (tequila, curacao, lime juice, tamarind-infused agave, chile de arbol tincture, tajin rim). The theming at this place was so cool, with all the Haunted Mansion-esque elements.

Our final stop was Villains Brewing next door. Here, we shared a pint of We Will Never Financially Recover from This Red Ale as we walked around the sprawling facility, enjoying all the art and decorations that highlighted the movie villain motif.

Throughout our days in Disneyland, we used our Festival of Holidays pass to try a number of savoury servings. These included: Braised Pork Belly Adobo, Beef Brisket Slider, Chorizo Queso Fundido, Holiday Pizza (not available on the pass), The Holiday Duet (Al Pastor and Savory Kugel Mac & Cheeses), and Spicy Cajun Loaded Fries.

We also dove head first into as many sweet treats as we could possibly handle. Among them: Cinnamon Bun Pretzel, …Don’t forget the Milk & Cookies, Fluffernutter Churro, Red Velvet Mickey Waffles, Elf Mickey Shake, Ookie Wookie Cookie, Holiday M&M’s Éclair, and Cookie Dough Yule Log. The final two items were available on the food pass.

For this trip’s Drink Around DCA: The Revenge, we had to hit as many locations throughout the park, rather than one in each land for one day. Here’s what we achieved over our stay:

  • Award Wieners – Seaborn Blood Orange Cinnamon Margarita
  • Hollywood Lounge – Spiced Pomegranate Cocktail, Seaborn CranMerry Lime Margarita, Keg Craft Berry Sangria, Brooklyn Brewery Brown Ale
  • Pym Tasting Lab/Kitchen – Slo-Brew Cali Squeeze, Sierra Nevada Sunny Little Thing
  • Cozy Cones – Second Chance Brewing Frosty the Hazeman IPA
  • Flo’s Diner – Noble Ale Works Pink Lemonade Seltzer, Brewery X Fender Bender IPA
  • Sanfransokyo Cervezia – Karl Strauss Golden Stout
  • Magic Key Terrace – Sea Witch, Mystical Magical
  • Sonoma Terrace – Craftwell Hibiscus Lemonade, Craftwell Prickly Pear Margarita
  • Mendocino Terrace – Red Wine for Mrs. Sip
  • Bayside Brews – Brewery X Spiced Sangria Seltzer, Rincon Reservation Road Rez Dog Hefeweizen
  • Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta – Brewery X Huckleberry Seltzer
  • Lamplight Lounge – GameCraft Red Ale, bottle of bubbly for Ma and Mrs. Sip
  • Smokejumpers Grill – Berry Pomegranate Paloma
  • Festival of Holidays – Study Break Peppermint Mocha Hard Seltzer, Salted Caramel Brownie White Russian, Kern River Winter IPA, Cranberry Christmas Mule

Almost each day of our visit, we had a notable dining experience on the schedule. First up, was the Magic Key Terrace. I went with the Sea Witch (Raspberry Vodka, Peach Schnapps, Blue Curacao, cranberry juice, Sprite) cocktail on secret menu. To eat, we all did the Prix Fix menu, in order to get preferred seating to that night’s World of Color show. My feast consisted of the House Caesar Salad and Roasted Half Chicken, both of which were good and plentiful. The kids’ meals, on the other hand, were disappointing. Miniscule servings throughout despite a $44 price tag. Only two orange wedges and a tiny cup of yogurt for starters and a small plate of pasta for mains, as well as no toppings for vanilla ice cream desserts. We did have very good service from Quiana, who tried her best to remedy our disappointment in the kids’ servings.

Next up, was a surprise reservation opening up for Storyteller’s Café and the Mickey’s Christmas Carol Feast Dinner. It was very cool getting to have a Scrooge McDuck character experience, as he has long been among my favourite Disney characters. The buffet included a very diverse lineup, with the Sip Advisor filling his plate with broccoli crunch salad, chicken strips, beef tenderloin, homemade potato chips, and teriyaki chicken, while my beverage of choice was the Stereo Brewing IPA. My only disappointment here was the dessert options. Nothing really spoke to me, aside from the chocolate chip cookies, but by the time I took both kids to the bathroom, the plate was gone, only to be replaced with gingerbread and lemon options. The ice cream selection was also odd, with mango and passionfruit sorbet being available, rather than good ol’ vanilla and chocolate ice cream.

A couple days later, we were at Lamplight Lounge. My combo included the GameCraft Red Ale and Charbroiled Cheddar Burger with Bacon. I really loved the garlic parmesan fries that accompanied my meal and we all enjoyed being out in the California sun, watching the happenings of the park going on around us.

On our last park day, to celebrate Ma Sip’s birthday, we feasted at the Blue Bayou. I repeated my meal from my and Mrs. Sip’s wedding anniversary lunch in August, once again enjoying the Karl Strauss 70th Anniversary IPA and Monte Cristo sandwich. Our seats this time weren’t as good as the last, but the ambiance was still enjoyed by the group.

One other note from our vacation, this was the first of our trips where we struggled to get a reservation day we wanted. I maintain it’s messed up we pay so much for our passes and can only get four days at a time. There should be a cap, but four seems too little. It was also odd that we were able to book eight days over spring break and six days at the end of August with no issue, but a Tuesday in early December was trouble, while every single day around it – including the Friday – came up as available while we tried for the elusive Tuesday. You had to wonder if it was some kind of glitch. As we were leaving the park after closing, Mrs. Sip finally landed the reservation, so all ended well, but we basically spent a good chunk of the day each constantly refreshing the page, hoping to get our booking in.

That wraps another very eventful stay at the Disneyland Resort, where you feel a vacation is needed as you return from one. It was awesome family time together and worth every early morning to late night stay!

Sip Trips #250: Disney Discoveries

Posted on by
Reply

For this special 250th edition of Sip Trips, I’ll taking a look at the Sip Family’s expedition to the Disneyland Resort at the end of August. Here’s what we got up to over a fun, albeit expensive visit:

First of all, Mrs. Sip did a fantastic job researching our flight and hotel deals for this foray. Somehow, the more days she added to our trip, the cheaper our rate became. Therefore, we ended up spending eight nights at The Anaheim Hotel, which is among our favourite places to reside outside the resort.

Upon arriving and settling into our room, we were all in need of a bite to eat. So, we made the short journey to Tony Roma’s. There, I got my usual Chicken Tenderloin Platter, which comes with six delicious chicken tendies, accompanied by fries and coleslaw. My beverage of choice was the Offshoot Relax Hazy IPA. On our next trip, we will have to take advantage of the restaurant’s ‘kids eat for $2.99’ on Mondays deal.

Next up was procuring our supplies for the stay. I can’t believe how much better the pricing was for our items at Walgreens versus CVS. Among the provisions gathered over our vacation were the Truly Berry Mixed Pack (Blueberry, Wildberry, Cherry, Strawberry Lime) and Vizzy Vibrantly Tropic Mixed Pack (Pineapple Mango, Papaya Passionfruit, Strawberry Kiwi, Blueberry Pomegranate). I have to say I enjoyed the Truly case better than the Vizzy one. I was also able to finally try Dr. Pepper Blackberry, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I first saw the product on our Spring Break journey, but never got my hands on it.

On our first day in the parks, Mrs. Sip and I shared a selection of beers, including the Two Coast Hefeweizen, Unsung Carina Hazy Double IPA and Karl Strauss
Oktoberfest and Windandsea Wheat. The latter two were relished while splitting some excellent Quesabirria Tacos on the Sanfransokyo Wharf. In need of some dessert – as well as a treat for the Siplings – we grabbed a Choco Smash Bar from Pym’s Test Kitchen, while adding another brew, the Sierra Nevada Sunny Little Thing, to our tummies.

One of the reasons for the timing of this trip was to celebrate my and Mrs. Sip’s 13th wedding anniversary, with the day spent visiting some of the resort’s most decadent dining options. First, looking for a morning beverage, we got a walk-up spot at the Magic Key Terrace. There, Mrs. Sip ordered the Black Pearl (a Long Island Iced Tea spinoff, with Chambord added to the concoction and Sprite subbed in for Coke) off the park’s secret cocktail menu. I went with the Harland Hazy IPA, which was quite refreshing as the temperature began to rise.

Next up was lunch at the Blue Bayou. This visit evoked memories of the first time Mrs. Sip and I ate there in 2004, two years into our relationship. Back then, we were students on a budget and split an order of crab cakes as our meal. This time around, we feasted, Mrs. Sip enjoying a pair of glasses of wine, while I finally tried the Karl Strauss 70th Anniversary IPA. My meal was the delicious Monte Cristo Sandwich, among my favourite dishes at the resort, complete with truffle potato chips and a yummy roasted fruit salad. To complete the meal, we ordered the Doberge Cake (“layers of pumpkin spice sponge, chocolate whipped ganache and salted caramel buttercream”), which was scrumptious.

For dinner, we popped into the Lamplight Lounge, where Mrs. Sip got us a table so we could enjoy the early World of Color show. I enjoyed my Cobra Hiss cocktail (Mezcal, Cointreau, cucumber syrup, lemon juice, agave nectar), prior to joining Mrs. Sip on the bottle of Les Jamelles Chardonnay she ordered. Not super hungry after our earlier lunch banquet, we shared the Charbroiled Cheddar Burger, while the whole Sip Family got in on the Bananas Foster Donuts for dessert.

The next day, our drinks included the SLO Brew Cali-Squeeze (while munching on a family favourite Quantum Pretzel), as well as the Rincon Reservation Road Rez Dog Hefeweizen, Haunted Horchata Cocktail and 21st Amendment Citrus Wheat Ale. That night, we took advantage of Denny’s ‘kids eat free’ on Tuesdays deal, with the Sip Advisor having the Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich.

While we hadn’t planned to visit Oga’s Cantina, trading off Boy Sip for rides Girl Sip refuses to do saw us end up at the Star Wars-themed hotspot. Best of all, we were both able to simply walk up and be taken inside within minutes. We even ended up next to each other at the bar, despite entering at different times. Our server on this occasion, Anthony, was tremendous. Had it not been for a two-drink maximum and the price of those drinks, I could have stayed in the place for hours. Over our break, I had the Gamorrean Ale (Red Ale) and Coruscant Cooler (a delicious Manhattan variation), while sampling Mrs. Sip’s Bad Motivator IPA and Jet Fuel cocktail (Bourbon, Chile Liqueur, Pomegranate Liqueur, White Grape Juice, Lemon Juice). I really love the Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur in that drink and have to get my hands on a bottle sometime, despite it not being available in Canada.

The next day, we executed my Drink Around California Adventure itinerary. Given we had largely drank beers in the park up to that point, I decided we should share a cocktail as we traversed each land of the park. Here’s how we spent the day boozing it up:

  • Grizzly Peak – Green Apple Lemonade Cocktail (vodka, green apple lemonade, cherry-flavored popping spheres, raspberry sauce drizzle)
  • Hollywood Land – Celebration Cocktail (tequila, rum, vodka, glittery blue raspberry lemonade, Sprite)
  • Avengers Campus – Molecular Mule (Seaborn Cucumber Ginger Mule)
  • Cars Land – Strawberry Paloma (tequila, strawberry syrup)
  • Terraces – Craftwell Peach Mojito
  • Sanfransokyo Wharf – Jamaica Tequila Cocktail (tequila, hibiscus tea, lime juice, agave syrup)
  • Pixar Pier – Spiced Sangria Seltzer
  • Buena Vista Street – Scotch Mist

Our route was completed at the Carthay Lounge, where I had what was noted as Walt Disney’s favourite drink. Even if that claim is bullshit, I had to do it, enjoying my serving of Johnny Walker Black Label Scotch on the rocks. We also orders the Carthay Sopes with duck, which were very good. One other excellent meal we had during our drink challenge was the Sanfransokyo Clam Chowder, which Mrs. Sip insisted on and I’m so glad she did!

Following the indulgent drink circuit, the only drink left on the board I wanted to try was the Blood Orange Paloma Seltzer. I tried to make good on that the next day, but a long line and pre-order wait time blocked me from trying the beverage.

We tried to visit Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at the Disneyland Hotel, but there was a three-hour wait to get a seat on the air conditioned inside. As a result, we travelled back into the Downtown Disney district and got a table very quickly at Ballast Point. Mrs. Sip and I ordered the Pumpkin Cream Ale from Mother Earth Brew Co. and Prince of Bavaria Festbier from Black Plague Brewing, respectively. To eat, I tried the Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwich, which I loved, thanks to all the flavours, particularly the interesting black truffle coleslaw.

Back in the park, we had servings of the Karl Strauss Aurora Hoppyalis for me and Enegren Oktoberfest for Mrs. Sip. These bevvies made the very long line for Grizzly River Rapids much more tolerable, while also numbing us to the deluge of water we were about to experience.

The Disneyland Halloween Treats menu was released right before we arrived. While I feel it’s way too early for that season, I was definitely going to take advantage of some of the eats and drinks. In particular, we worked our way through a number of the seasonal churros, including: Halloween Town Mayor (smores-like), Celestial Chocolate (Dubai chocolate), Straw-batty (strawberry filled chocolate) and Fluffernutter (marshmallow and peanut butter). The Fluffernutter was the best of the bunch for me, restoring my faith in churros, which I’d come to find to generally be mid at best. We had most of these treats for breakfast because… you know, parents of the year and all!

We also tried the Pumpkin Cookies with cream cheese icing, which were good, but not worth the hour-long lineup to get them, as well as the Monster Funnel Cake, which was another fantastic way to start a day!

For our final meal of the trip, we went to a local Red Lobster, where I had my typical Sesame Soy Salmon Bowl and Blue Moon Wheat Ale. This was sandwiched between letting the kids do some Magic Quest time at the nearby Great Wolf Lodge.

That wraps our Disneyland expedition. September will be full of activity, including all the birthdays our family has throughout the month, along with a getaway for Mrs. Sip and I to Las Vegas to celebrate a friend’s 40th!

Sip Trips #230: Disneyland Destiny

Posted on by
1

2024 is off to a roaring start, kicked into high gear thanks to our week-long getaway to Disneyland to celebrate Mrs. Sip’s 40th birthday! Here’s what we got up to in a wild January:

The first event of the year was WWE Friday Night Smackdown coming to Vancouver. Our group of wrestlemaniacs met up at Devil’s Elbow prior to the show, where I had pints of Twin Sails Hot Laps Winter Ale and Crosstown IPA.

At the show, which was far better than the last WWE Smackdown I attended, just prior to the pandemic, I had a serving of the Stanley Park Windstorm Pale Ale, to maintain my buzz throughout the live broadcast.

Wrestling

Afterwards, with our crew down to two, we went for some eats at Fable Diner Bar (the former Kingston Taphouse). I had a pair of Red Truck Round Trip Amber Ales, while snacking on their Pork & Kimchi Dumplings.

That weekend, after taking the Sipplings on the Q to Q Ferry, we had dinner at Kelly O’Bryans. There, I combined the Dunkin’s Beef Dip with a double Spiced Rum and Coke, a feature of their Daily Doubles menu.

The night before leaving Vancouver for Anaheim, we spent the night at the River Rock Casino Resort. For dinner that evening, we went to the nearby Moxies, where I ordered the BT’s Crispy Chicken Sandwich and a Double Caesar. The meal was quite good, with my leftovers providing a good late night snack back at the hotel.

Dip Au Jus

Upon arriving in Anaheim the next day, we went looking for food. Unfortunately, our attempt to eat at Tony Roma’s was met with the restaurant not being open yet. So, we walked through The Shops at Anaheim area, ending up at The Cheesecake Factory. There, Mrs. Sip and I split the Grilled Chicken & Avocado Club, which came out almost as soon as we ordered it, making us wonder if another patron had returned the sandwich.

We ate lightly, because our first big occasion of the trip was a dinner buffet with Disney characters at Goofy’s Kitchen in the Disneyland Hotel. Despite a 7:05 reservation, we weren’t sat until 7:25, which can be difficult with hungry, amped up children. At least the meal itself didn’t disappoint, as we were impressed with the variety and quality of the dishes. Some of my faves included the cornbread brûlée, Korean broccoli and barbecue chicken pizza. We also thought the dessert bar was fantastic, highlighted for me by salted chocolate brownies, chocolate chip cookies and raspberry streusel. To drink, I had a pint of Belching Beaver Hazers Gonna Haze IPA. While the kids didn’t eat as much as we hoped for the price, they did get their character fill, even with some of the costumed performers approaching the area we were sitting, only to disappear without ever reaching our table.

For a late lunch on our first day in the park, I ordered a spread of items from the Bengal Barbecue. This feast was highlighted by the Pulled Pork Slider Plate with Macaroni Salad and Chips.

Disneyland

The next day, we stopped for lunch in the San Fransokyo area of California Adventure. A favourite eatery of mine has been Lucky Fortune Cookery, with their Teriyaki Chicken being my preferred meal. It is no longer served in a box, but still hits the spot. As I ordered food, Mrs. Sip kindly grabbed us some beers from the Karl Strauss booth, opting for the Boat Shoes Hazy IPA for each of us.

That afternoon, as we let the kids play at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail play area, I raced over to the Smokejumpers Grill to grab brews for Mrs. Sip and me. It was nice to sit back and have a drink, the Russian River Happy Hops IPA for me and Karl Strauss Follow the Sun Blonde Ale for Mrs. Sip, in a setting where the kids could safely run wild and free.

While we could have stayed at the Redwood Creek zone longer, we had an early dinner reservation at Café Orleans in the other park. Mrs. Sip and I shared the Monte Cristo Sandwich with Parmesan Truffle Fries, which I paired with a serving of Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing IPA. When planning places to eat for our stay, we were happy to see all seated restaurants in Disneyland now offer alcoholic beverages, such as beer, wine and a cocktail. It’s another step towards the park having a full serving of libations.

Kids Play

After two busy days in the parks, we took a day off from rides and attractions. Instead, we made our way to Dave & Buster’s for lunch and to play some arcade games. Mrs. Sip and I selected a number of items for the table, including Crispy Chicken Strips, Loaded Barbacoa Fries and Pretzel Dogs. To wash it all down, I went with the Sam Adams Winter Lager.

For dinner that night, we went to Ballast Point in the Downtown Disney district. When we first arrived, we were told the wait for a table would be about 45 minutes, but were paged to return to the eatery only a few minutes later. Mrs. Sip and I shared a delicious Poke Bowl, which I paired with an equally tasty Calico Amber Ale.

The next day, we returned to Disneyland to celebrate Mrs. Sip’s 40th birthday! To begin the festivities, we had breakfast at Oga’s Cantina. Here, guests are limited to a 45-minute seating and maximum of two alcoholic beverages per person. Mrs. Sip and I enjoyed the Purple Glandis Juice (Hendrick’s Gin, Crème de Violette Liqueur, white cranberry Juice, lime juice); Jedi Mind Trick (Ketel One Botanical Grapefruit and Rose Vodka, John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum, Bols Blue Curacao, white grape juice, lime juice, and grapefruit bitters); Yub Nub (Malibu Pineapple Rum, Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, citrus juices, passion fruit); and Takodana Quencher (Bacardi Dragonberry Rum, Bols Blue Curacao, orange-pineapple Juice, kiwi flavors). For a snack, we ordered the Garlic-Cheese Five Blossom Bread, while also getting an Oga’s Obsession gelatin dessert and Jabba Juice beverage for the Sipplings.

Happy Birthday

Later, Ma and Pa Sip, who surprised us by joining our crew for Mrs. Sip’s big day, treated us to lunch at the River Belle Terrace. I combined the Smog City Sabre-Toothed Squirrel Hoppy Amber Ale with the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich, which made for a good coupling.

To cap off the milestone birthday, we had had reservations at the Lamplight Lounge, where we split the Lobster Nachos and each got a cocktail. I loved my Cobra Hiss (Mezcal, Cointreau, cucumber syrup, lemon juice, agave nectar), but Mrs. Sip would have preferred another beverage, having selected the Red is a Lucky Color (X-Fusion Vodka, Bacardi Silver Rum, strawberry puree, raspberry puree and rosemary syrup), without any note saying it was a frozen concoction.

The next day was cold, wet and miserable. At the end of our time in the park, we went for dinner at Tony Roma’s. Boy Sip and I shared the generous Chicken Tenders Platter, which comes with six strips, fries and coleslaw. To drink, I had a large glass of Offshoot Relax Hazy IPA. Back at our Castle Inn & Suites hotel room, I enjoyed some of the provisions I put together at the start of the vacay, including some Vizzy Hard Seltzers, while we discovered how wonderful the kid’s cartoon Bluey is.

Bluey

For our last day of park adventures, Mrs. Sip and I began with a scrumptious serving of New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Juice Force Hazy Imperial IPA from the Pym’s Tasting Lab. Following a nearby ride, we popped into the Pym’s Test Kitchen for a massive Quantum Pretzel and I grabbed another brew in the Skyduster West Coast IPA. We had one final beer later on, selecting the 4 Sons Belgian Strong Dark Ale from the Hollywood Lounge kiosk. It was here, despite ordering drinks throughout the resort without issue, we encountered the park’s ridiculous rule of non-U.S. residents needing to present their passport to prove their age, with a driver’s license not being good enough. Most places don’t care, but then you get the one place or server that does and you’re screwed. Luckily, we had the passports on us, but Mrs. Sip had them at another attraction with the kids, so my rainy wait in line was completely wasted until we could return later.

Some other thoughts on the Disneyland Resort experience: It’s absurd how many ride breakdowns or delayed openings occurred. Almost every day we attempted to hit a certain big ticket ride to start the day, we were greeted with that ride not being ready to open with the rest of the park. There was also constant breakdowns, throughout the day, which caused frustration for us and all other guests. Also, I do, obviously, disagree with the logic that you shouldn’t take young kids to Disneyland because “they won’t remember any of it”. A) Even as an adult, I don’t remember the details of all my trips. B) With all our tech now, videos and pictures can record the memories for sharing later. C) Sometimes experiences are in-the-moment kind of deals.

Upon returning home, we went for dinner at Boston Pizza in Richmond. I had the Honey Garlic Chicken Bites with Caesar Salad, a yummy menu item I had never tried before from the chain.

Vacation Return

Our last outing of the month was hitting Brown’s Socialhouse at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, prior to our Vancouver Canucks game. Mrs. Sip and I both elected to do their Dine Out Vancouver menu for $40. When planning where to eat that day, I had looked at a number of Dine Out options and was most impressed by Brown’s menu, based on items offered and price. My meal consisted of Sesame Ginger Gyoza, Tiki Tuna Poke Bowl and Super Fudge Brownie, while Mrs. Sip got the Crispy Cauliflower, Blackened Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo and Oreo Cookie Jar. To drink over the course of our feast, I had a Social IPA (just sneaking in the happy hour order) and Stanley Park Waypoint Hazy Pale Ale and 1897 Amber Ale. Everything tasted great and we both left very full.

That was it for our eventful January. Shockingly, February has no trips on the schedule, despite Girl Sip having four days off over the Family Day long weekend. Mrs. Sip really dropped the ball on that one! Instead, we will be taking in her first ringette tournament, which will present other opportunities for eats and drinks.