Disneyland has always done a nice job with their parades. If you want a good view, you will want to…read morefind a spot on the curb somewhere on Main Street a couple hours before the parade starts. The Disney Parade is a nice break from walking around the park. It also gives you a chance to see many of the Disney characters all in one setting. The Main Street Electrical Parade is a night time parade that features live performers and floats that are covered in over 600,000 electronically controlled LED lights. There have been many versions of this parade and it is seasonal. When Disneyland isn't running the electrical parade, they still have the late afternoon parade complete with floats, live performances and Disney characters. I'm a big parade guy and enjoy the ones here because they are short and Disneyland does a good job with organizing them. But sometimes I will use this time to go ride some rides because the lines are shorter.

As a kid coming to Disneyland, I have always loved the electrical parade. This time, I wanted my…read morekids to enjoy the newer electrical parade, Paint The Night. It was still fun and magical. Loving the Pixar add ins. My daughter loved watching it including to see her favorite princess, Rapunzel. Looking forward to more electrical parades in the future.!

The good: I love all things fall and Halloween's my favorite…read moreholiday. I was psyched to find out there was an event here at the original farmer's market because I already enjoy coming here when it's themeless. The mini pumpkins and an art kit to decorate your pumpkin was free! I was very surprised. There were shaded tables and chairs for the decorating. My toddler loved it. They gave a plate of 4 paint colors, glue, googly eyes, glitter and gems to decorate the pumpkin. There were also free games for kids (corn hole, bowling, etc). There was a a small petting zoo as well and some photo opportunities with pumpkins, scare crows and hay bales. There was live music from a Tiki band (?). The bad: We parked at the farmer's market parking which cost $5 even with validation. The interesting: There weren't as many events or people as I expected here.

The Annual Fall Festival at the Farmers Market will be on Saturday, October 21st and Sunday,…read moreOctober 22nd. Festivities include: There will be live music, pie eating contests, arts & crafts, Scott Land Marionettes, and pig races. The best part is that there is no admission fee :) it is FREE! Saturday, 9 am to 8 pm Sunday, 10 am to 7 pm

The Halloween Carnival takes place behind Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at the Big Thunder Ranch…read moreJamboree during Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort. The Halloween Carnival is Disney's take on a Halloween country themed carnival. Here, you will find the Disney characters dressed up in their Halloween themed costumes. But beware, some of the Disney Villains have taken up residence in their sideshow tent. Be advised that the lines for the Villains tent can be quite long. And once inside, you only conjure up one of the Disney Villains. Pumpkin carvers will awe Guests with their Disney themed pumpkin carvings. Arts, crafts, and games (that are free) will delight young and old. And for area music, Billy Hill and the Hillbillies will take stage and play some songs. The Pirates League, which was in New Orleans Square last year, has moved to the Halloween Carnival for those who want to dress like a pirate. A nominal fee is required for this activity. Hungry? no need to fear as there is a cart with delicious treats such as hot dogs, corn on the cob, fried apple burrito, spiced apple cider, soda, and water. Because this is all the way in the back of Disneyland, it is a nice get away from the noise and crowds. One can sit and relax a bit and just enjoy the scenery.

WEHO Pride 2026…read more Before Pride Month officially ends, I could NOT leave without giving WEHO Pride the review it deserves. Some experiences live rent free in your head... and this was one of them. This year was our second year walking with Project Angel Food and somehow it was even more magical than the first. I had the honor of leading the parade with my son (with my husband under the balloon), which meant we got to set the tone from the start--twirling PAF flags, dancing the entire route, hyping up the crowd, and enthusiastically yelling "HAPPY PRIDE!" approximately 500 times (and loving every second of it). As if that wasn't iconic enough, Kym Whitley and Caroline Rhea followed behind us in the car and the crowd absolutely LOST IT every time they rolled through. And can we talk about the KTLA anchors?! They brought amazing energy all day--especially Melvin Robert! We got to chat before the parade and immediately bonded over our matching yellow moment. Coincidence? I think not. One thing WEHO Pride always gets right is the energy. Everywhere you looked there were families, friends, allies, adorable pets, sunshine, rainbow disco vibes, and people genuinely celebrating and showing up for each other. There was laughter, music, dancing, joy, and so much LOVE in the air. WEHO Pride... you did it again!!! Five stars. No notes. Already mentally planning next year's outfit and counting down until year three with Project Angel Food. ‍

WeHo Pride, we're back!…read more And this year was stacked!! From the Out Loud Music Fest featuring Ava Max, Jade, the Pussycat Dolls, Baby Tate, so many greats... including Lizzo making a surprise appearance at the Abbey. Ya gurl comes through every year now! To the Street Fair and Festival itself and the rampant cheer of all things LGBTQIA2s+ and beyond :) As a queer black multi-ethnic, part indigenous, Two spirit individual (he/they) - the history and importance of pride thrives in me and others. From our victories to our struggles, our leather folks, our allies and so many people from all walks of life coming together to be unapologetically truthful to ourselves and in the moment. The Sunday parade is always a good time and as multi-year parade marcher with various orgs including the Leather Contingent of West Hollywood, the Imperial Court of Los Angeles and Hollywood, numerous non-profits and supporter of so many great brands and groups that stretch down Santa Monica Blvd is worth it every single year, but maybe in more sensible shoes then thick cut leather boots. Celebrating small and local businesses via vendors, food spots and the bar life is a must. Motherlode was the hot spot for the bulk of the post parade fun, but absolutely check out personal favorites like Gym Bar, Schmitty's, Trunks and others. Roosterfish we meet again, but a last your VIP unnecessary entrance we had to expel a, "Hard pass!" Music was amazing and hanging out with so many of my chosen fam, fellow leather titleholder siblings, and making plenty of new friends was the vibe and then some. Everyone singing, "Like A Prayer" remixed by Madonna is something that will stay with me for a very long time. And the Mel C. DJ set. Highly recommend a rideshare, LA Metro or carpooling as parking is beyond sparse during this weekend, especially the day of the parade. Portable restrooms throughout the start of the parade on Crescent Heights, all the way down to the Pavilions and Robertson Blvd. Q Tips: Keep an eye on your belongings Be respectful. Be happy Be you! Happy Pride :)

Finally!! After multiple visits at Disneyland, I had a chance to watch the show at the Royal…read moreTheatre Fantasy Faire at Disneyland while visiting Disneyland for the Halloween Half Marathon! It was pretty hot out, around 100, on a Saturday, when we were at Disneyland. There are multiple showtimes for the Royal Theatre Fantasy Faire! If you have the Disneyland Mobile application, you can check there for showtimes. My husband and I ended up watching the 12:30 show. The theatre is an open-air medieval-style tent next to Maurice's treats and near the entrance to Adventureland! The show is approximately 25 minutes long. It's all bench style seating, and there is no AC. It is fully covered, though! You can also sit on the floor near the performers, too! It was such a great show! Mr.Smythe and Mr. Jones are the hosts of the show! You'll either see Beauty and the Beast or Tangled. We ended up watching Tangled. You'll see actors portray Rapunzel and Eugene! Mr.Smythe and Mr. Jones will join in the actions of other characters from the movie and even as the evil Mother Gothel! This show is a lot of fun and great to stop at, especially if you're looking to take a break from the rides! There are a lot of funny scenes during the show, and the props used looked amazing! Next time, I'll try to watch the Beauty and the Beast if it's still being performed at The Royal Theatre Fantasy Faire!

The Royal Theatre is an open-air tent that holds little plays for everyone to enjoy. On our two…read moremost recent visits to the Disneyland Park we were able to catch two shows of "Tangled" featuring Rapunzel and Eugene (Flynn Rider). And who can forget the evil Mother Gothel. I felt that the show was well done highlighting all of the memorable moments from the storyline, so the actors and actresses alone deserve five stars. The low rating is for the way the ushers handled the crowd once the show ended. Once we stepped out of the tent and turned around, we had noticed that Rapunzel had come out in the front from the side of the stage to greet the guests who were fortunate to still be slowly exiting the theater. My daughter wanted to meet her as well, so we had asked the usher if we could step back in to meet her, but were told that we couldn't enter once we had exited. We had just exited and were maybe three steps out the of the theater. That is ridiculous. Instead we were told to go to the part of Fantasyland near the King Arthur's Carousel and Dumbo ride and wait in line for her at her tower. So we immediately dashed across the park to her tower to only find that the wait would be another forty-five minutes. So we waited. Fifteen minutes into our wait they closed off the back of the line saying that Rapunzel needed to head back to do her next show. When we finally made it in to "meet" Rapunzel, she looked rather frazzled and annoyed forcing a quick smile for the cameras with our daughter, not even engaging with us. First off, we had just come from the show and this Rapunzel looked nothing like the "Rapunzel" character in the show. Second, why doesn't Disney hire another girl to play Rapunzel so the girls don't have to rush back and forth and be so grumpy?! A not so happy experience in supposedly the happiest place on earth.

A museum dedicated to remembering the life of one person must strike a balance between honoring the…read morememory and life of that person, while also maintaining a sense of historical accuracy of the events that comprise the person's life. And while the displays here focus on the positive aspects of the life of Sister Aimee and seem to shy away from some of her controversial possible romantic alliances and allegedly staged kidnapping, overall the Parsonage offers a beautiful look into the life, personality and ministry of a truly trailblazing female leader in the Los Angeles community. If you're not familiar with Sister Aimee, consider this: at one point one in ten Angelenos was a member of her church, the Angelus Temple. Not only that, she was a female leader in a time when women were not often accepted in that role and many denominations forbade women to lead in any capacity at all. And she embraced the modern technology of the times, broadcasting her sermons over the radio. Learn more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aimee_Semple_McPherson Aimee's parsonage and also many of her personal belongings and photos have been lovingly preserved, telling the story of her ministry in a human and detailed way. If time allows, the docent will provide you with a 1 1/2 hour tour; I was given the option of walking through myself due to time constraints and needed about 20 minutes to see everything. I especially loved the holographic depiction of one of her sermons, as well as her stunning bathroom, seeing her lovely wardrobe, and a chance to tickle the keys of her well-tuned piano. Visiting the parsonage is easy and free, provided you have time during the week (Mondays through Thursdays, 1-3; Fridays 10-1). However, tours for groups can be scheduled on the weekends as well. You can find more info here: https://www.foursquare.org/about/history/heritage/ Street parking. Free admission. And all are welcome, spiritually oriented or not.

The Parsonage of Aimee Semple McPherson A house of her own design, and was all things to Sister…read moreMcPherson-Home, workplace, and sanctuary. It was where she created, where she nurtured, where she triumphed, and where she touched countless lives in her ministry. Guests stepping into the parsonage discover a place frozen in time; a "snapshot" of a typical day in the busy life of Aimee Semple McPherson. Each floor of the museum represents a different side of Aimee. The public sister is revealed on the first floor of this lovely home now museum, where she worked, composed songs, entertained, ate meals and talked to the press. The second-floor exhibits McPhersons personal history, travels, family and preaching in the context of her private world. The rich history of this place and how it came to be and that question of "who is Aimee Semple McPherson"? are all revealed in a nice guided tour in which is free and well worth the time and conveniently located across the street from Echo Park Lake! Hours of operation are: Monday-Thursday (1:00pm-3:00Pm) Friday (10:00am-1:00pm)

Every afternoon at Disneyland Park in Anaheim California, the Flag Retreat Ceremony occurs. It's…read moreheld in the Town Square on Main Street U.S.A. This ceremony honors the retiring of the American flag for the day and pays tribute to everyone who has served in the United States Armed Forces. The Disneyland's Flag Retreat Ceremony has been a part of Disneyland's daily route since the park opened in 1955. The ceremony typically beings in the late afternoon around 4:30 P.M. I finally had a chance to watch it when I last visited Disneyland during the 2025 Disneyland Halloween Half Marathon. I got there 30 minutes early where benches were still available to sit at before the cast members started to block off certain areas for the Flag Retreat Ceremony. Members of the Disneyland Resort Security Honor Guard march to the flagpole with the Disneyland Band. The band performs a few medleys such as the Star Spangled Banner. The service anthems of each branch of military are also honored. Veterans and active duty service members in attendances are invited to step forward when their branch's anthem plays. It was amazing to watch. I'm so glad that I had a chance to see the Disneyland's Flag Retreat Ceremony. If you're visiting the theme park, I highly recommend stopping by and watch the ceremony.

This is a 40+ year old Dia de los Muertos celebration in the city of Los Angeles that is one of the…read moreoldest celebrations in the United States. The festival's best access is via the Gold Line. Street parking is available, however, the residents in the area already struggle w parking issues. The festivities typically begin with a ritual blessing and a procession. Rich cultural Aztec performances & altar displays give festival attendees a bit of a connection to the Mexican Dia de los Muertos (day of the dead) traditions & rituals that became frowned upon with colonialism. This unique & colorful event also has face painting for all ages, kiddie craft tables, food, merchandise, etc. Cash donation recommended but your are always encouraged to donate to Self Help Graphics low cost/free art programs. Parking: Limited Street WC: Porta potties