A Coconut's Guide to Disneyland + California Adventures 📍🥥

Get the best photos, the best food and be in the heart of the action (from a veteran Disneyland kid)

What is the definition of a “great coconut” day on vacation? It involves a good place to get pics, a good place to eat and being in the heart of the action. Where are all the fun people going to be and how can we be in the center of it?

Well, I went to Disneyland and California Adventures for the Holiday festivities. Here is what you should do, what you should avoid, the best photo spots and the best food spots.

The Best Photo Spots:

This might sound vain but I don’t care. I love getting great pictures of me, friends and loved ones when I am doing something special. As long as you are not disrupting or filming others in public without their consent, there is nothing wrong with stopping for a great picture.

The things I take into account when looking for a good photo spot are:

1. No visible trashcans: This is something I learned in a photography class that I never thought of before but made so much sense when I heard it.

2. Lighting: There should be soft lighting. This means the sun is rising or setting. If it is the middle of the day, find a spot to take a pic in the shade. If it is night time, get close up and take a photo with flash.

3. Preferably in a secluded area: This isn’t a “must” but it will make it easier taking picture + you don’t want any strangers in the background.

Spot #1: Gift Shop Plushies

Emphasis on “only do this if you are not in the way of anyone actually shopping!” But if you can get a pic in front of the plushies, it will be one of your favorite, I promise.

The colors in the background will make you really pop + you can hold the plushie of one of your favorite characters. Turn on the flash of your camera for an extra “pop” effect on the photo.

There are multiple shops with plushies around both theme parks + Downtown Disney. Try to find a shop that isn’t busy then run to get your picture before you are in the way. Usually shops are emptiest in the morning.

Spot #2: To the LEFT of the Castle

When you walk down Main Street, you might be inclined to take a picture in front of the castle. You will most likely see people congregating in the center, causing traffic jams as they attempt to get their family pics.

While those pics are worth it, the only problem is that you are guaranteed to have random strangers in the background, as this is a common walkway in the middle of the park.

When I went to Disneyland a few years ago for a PR project, I was assigned to have the help of their head of PR person for the day. He told me the best photo spot with the castle is to the left. This area is great because no one will be in the background, but if they are, they are far enough away that it will not be the focus of the picture.

The best time of day to get pictures here are in the morning or during sunset. The photo I took was around 9 am. It wasn’t too crowded but when I was walking by around sunset later in the day, the line was super long to stand in this spot.

Sometimes they have a cast member with a camera that will take your pics as part of their “photo pass”. Those are worth it to wait for if you really want a picture in this specific spot.

Spot #3: The Alley Leaving Cars Land (California Adventures)

If you are in California Adventures and you are near “Cars Land”, then walk behind Flo’s V8 Cafe. Not everyone knows this beautiful spot exists.

It transports you in to an area that looks directly out of the Grand Canyon. It is typically not too crowded so you can comfortably get a great picture without being in the way of anyone else.

This spot is best during sunset and then you can hang around for the next photo spot, which is Flo’s V8 Cafe when it lights up at night!

Spot #4: Flo’s V8 Cafe at Night

Cars Land at night is one of the best places to be. Especially for photo moments.

If you stand right in the center of Flo’s V8 Cafe, they will have the neon sign lit up. Position your camera extra low and shoot upwards. That will help you capture the sign behind your head and frame you perfectly.

They sometimes have a cast member doing “photo pass” nearby but when I did this spot, they kept getting strangers in the background which made the pictures un-usable because I do not want to post anyone without consent.

I put an emoji over the face of a stranger that was captured in the back of my photo pass picture. Bummed I waited 30 minutes for this but at least I got the cute pictures right by Flo’s V8 Cafe instead!

Spot #5: Trolley Car in Hollywood Studios

This is another low key photo spot that is so close to a popular photo spot but no one thinks to stand here instead.

The popular photo spot would be against the wall in Hollywood Studios that looks like the street continues but it is an optical illusion. There is usually a long line here with people waiting to take pictures.

Instead, walk slightly up the street towards the Animation Studios theater. Stand just slightly on the street but make sure you are not blocking the trolley car lane. The trolley car comes by every few minutes. If you time it perfectly, you can get a photo right as it is passing behind you.

The red of the trolley car makes you really pop + you get some of the popular backdrop behind you. This was one of my favorite photos of the whole day.

Spot #6: With Characters

This might sound weird but I don’t care! Some of the best times to get a picture at Disneyland or California Adventures is with the characters. They will usually say on the app which characters will be out and what time + location. You can even plan an outfit around meeting your favorite character.

I was the only adult waiting in line to meet Sally and Jack from “Nightmare Before Christmas” but it was so worth it! There is always a cast member with the characters that will help you take the picture on your device. This is a great photo hack if you are traveling alone but want someone to take a cute pic without having to ask a stranger.

Plus, they usually have the character meet ups in a secluded spot with a great background. There won’t be strangers walking behind and disrupting the picture.

I took a picture with Jack & Sally in the “New Orleans Square” of Disneyland.

The Best Food:

Because the next best thing to getting a good picture is getting good food!

Item #1: Cold Brew Black Caf

I was lucky enough to meet the head chef of Disneyland a few years ago. He told me that the one item that everyone should try when they come to the parks is the Cold Brew Black Caf in “Star Wars Land”.

It is a cold brew coffee with cream cheese creamer then topped off with cocoa puffs. It might sound chaotic but it is one of my favorite cold brew drinks ever! When I posted about it on my TikTok, all the comments agreed with me that it is one of the best drinks in the park.

Tip: The restaurant that sells this cold brew drink does not open until 10:30 a.m. so keep that in mind as you plan your morning in the park.

Item #2: Pickle

One of my favorite items to get when I am at Disney is the pickle. Bonus points if the booth is also selling a bag of Hot Cheetohs! They have a pickle stand right next to the old Splash Mountain ride, which is now the Princess Tiana Ride.

I got the pickle mid-day after cooling off on the Princess Tiana ride.

Be sure to grab extra napkins or find a place to wash your hands when you are done eating because it will be messy. But that is how you know it’s a good pickle.

Item #3: Mickey Ear Beignets

These items are also near New Orleans Square. They sell them at the Mint Julep Bar. You can buy a pack of 3 or 6.

These are my favorite sweet treats in the park. They have a similar taste to a funnel cake. Similar to the pickle, make sure you have a lot of napkins because it will get messy.

Things to Avoid

Like all theme parks, there are some over-priced experiences that never live up to the hype. Or some things might have a long line but they never measure up to the time it took to wait in that line. Here are a few disappointments for me.

Avoid #1: Sip & Savor

I paid $68 for the “Sip & Savor” experience at California Adventures. This gave me a lanyard with 8 items that I could get at specific booths around the park.

First of all, the portions were TINY. And the food looked nothing like the pictures. They even had some booths around the park with pictures that looked like they were a part of the “sip & savor” pass but then after I waited in line to order that item, they said “oh, this one doesn’t apply”.

Second of all, the food was NASTY! Everything I tried just felt like they scrapped off the left over food from someone elses plate onto my little plate. I know that is not what actually happened, but the food was so gross that it felt like random scraps.

And the lines were so long. It was not worth the wait.

I would rather have saved the $68 and spent it on food I actually wanted in the park with bigger portions.

Avoid #2: The Disneyland Train

Everyone on TikTok was hyping up the Disneyland train so of course I fell victim to this. In all my years of going to Disneyland, I have never tried the train. There are four spots you can pick up the train; Main Street, New Orleans Square, Small World and Tomorrowland.

The line says that it will only be 5 minutes, but unlike other rides - people can hop on and off whenever they please. So there is no set number of people who will be getting off the ride at each stop.

We boarded the train at the Small World stop but it took almost 30-minutes, despite the line being practically empty, because no one was getting off on the Small World stop. I thought we would see more of the theme park this way but half the ride was going through a dinosaur exhibit. That is cool if that is your thing but it definitely isn’t mine!

Not worth the wait or the uncomfortable seats!

Things To Do

Do #1: Buy a Balloon (Or at least get a pic with them)

This might sound simple but it truly brings me so much joy. There is something magical about seeing the cast members that hold a whole bunch of balloons in all different colors.

The balloons are made of a type of material that is thicker than the normal balloon latex so they last for a few days.

If you buy a balloon earlier in the day, you can leave with a cast member before you enter each ride. I recommend this if you don’t want the balloon to sell out.

Plus the balloon can make for cute pictures through out the theme park! Never underestimate the joy a balloon can bring.

If you don’t want to buy the balloon, you can also ask the cast member for a picture with them and if they are not busy they will usually say yes.

Do #2: Cars Land at Night

“Cars Land” in California Adventures at sunset then night is one of the best spots in the park. You might even notice everyone walking that way when the sun starts to go down.

If you can ride the “Radiator Rapids” ride at sunset then it makes for some of the best views. Pro tip: Just go in the ‘single riders’ line. Don’t wait the 2+ hours to ride it with your group.

Once you are done on the ride, you will walk out to the main road of “Cars Land” and see the lighting ceremony which often happens 5-10 minutes before the sun goes completely down. You can time this by looking at the “sunset” time on your Weather App.

This spot has the best food, best photos and the best ride in all the parks!

I hope you all enjoyed this article! Since there is no podcast episode or trend report this holiday week, I wanted to give you something else to make up for it.

Tag me in your pictures on IG (cocomocoe) if you go to Disneyland and use any of my tips 😊

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