Southern California

On June 15, the Disneyland Resort will open the highly anticipated Cars Land, a new, 12-acre section of the Disney California Adventure Park. Based on the Disney-Pixar blockbuster Cars, the land features three new attractions: Luigi’s Flying Tires, a spinning, bumper car-style ride in which the tires float on a cushion of air; Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree, where riders whip around behind a baby tractor “do-si-doing” to tunes from Mater’s giant jukebox; and the thrilling Radiator Springs Racers, a ride that includes lots of fun encounters with Cars’ characters and ends with an electrifying race to the finish line.

Cities across the country get festive for Cinco de Mayo and go crazy for half-price Mexican beers, but what exactly are we celebrating? Cinco de Mayo – or the Fifth of May - is a holiday originating in Puebla, Mexico to commemorate the last foreign battle on North American soil. The Mexican army defeated the much larger and better-equipped French army in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

In the Transformers movies, the Earth’s population finds itself caught in the middle of an intergalactic power struggle between two groups of alien robots — the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, both of which have the power to physically convert from such common mechanical devices as cars, trucks and planes into robotic warriors.

Across the United States, and really the whole world, there are aquariums with all sorts of amazing exhibits that capture the imagination and educate us on the beauties and wonders of aquatic life. Whether you're fascinated by coral, sharks, or colorful tropical fish you can be sure to see and learn amazing things at the world's aquariums.

The graphic below shares some facts and figures about some of the accredited aquariums in the world, as well as highlights of some of the most famous aquariums in the US and abroad. In the comments, share with us one of your favorite aquarium adventures!

The first Disney property I ever stayed at was the Disneyland Hotel. It was also the property we chose when we took our three-year-old niece on her first trip to Disneyland in 2002. We have tons of photos of her at the hotel — smiling in front of the statue of Mickey Mouse, riding the elevators (she was living in a town that didn’t have many such fancy contraptions, so, for her, this was as much fun as Disneyland itself), splashing around in the Neverland pool, and, of course, eating lots of meals at Goofy’s Kitchen.

 

As die-hard Disney-goers, my family and I are masters of the speed tour, powering through with a plan in hand so we can conquer all our favorite rides at least once. But over the years we’ve also learned it’s just as important to slow down and savor some of the off-the-beaten path thrills—especially in Disneyland, Walt’s original park.

Spring 2012 marks the 15th anniversary of CityPASS! The idea officially launched back in 1997 after Mike Morey and Mike Gallagher came up with the great idea to bundle a city's attractions and help travelers save money. Now, 15 years later the idea has expanded into 11 North American travel destinations and created over 8,000,000 happy travelers.

Winter always gets me thinking about going to theme parks in Southern California, even if I don't have visitors underfoot. The prospect of cooler temperatures and lighter crowds in February and March sends me looking for discounts on the high cost of tickets. I found that the Southern California CityPASS - with a flat rate for admission to Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Universal Studios Hollywood and SeaWorld San Diego - offers good savings, even when compared with incentives for SoCal residents.

Most of the time, I love living in a part of the country that has four distinct weather seasons. But when winter’s grip is deep and strong, as it is now, I find myself longing for a warm respite. Oh, to be in Los Angeles, where February’s average temperatures range from 49 degrees F to 69 degrees F… where fresh produce still graces farmers markets … where amusement parks still flicker with lights… where you can walk about without the added poundage of winter attire… Let’s go!

As the second largest city in the United States, the Los Angeles area has a lot to offer visitors. The reality is that you could spend years in L.A. without seeing all that there is to see. From Hollywood to Anaheim and Ventura to Long Beach, the possibilities are endless. Making a weekend trip is even more daunting, especially if it’s your first time to the area. A good strategy is to pick one area to focus on when visiting, rather than trying to do too much. With that in mind, I’ll focus on Santa Monica, which is one of Los Angeles’ more enchanting communities.