First visit Disneyland and GCV

[Conniesaurus]

We are looking forward to WOC and will post about it on our return.

 

[nunzia]

They are posting on the DL board that Dining is not taking WOC reservations past labor Day..WOC is also not on the calendar past labor day at this time. I don't know what's up with that...we're going at the end of Sept and hoped to see WOC, but now things look to be on hold for some reason?

 

[stopher1]

Any chance the lines are shorter?

Personally I've never seen the 120+ at DCA like you see at DHS... but since it opened I've not really been there during the height of summer either or peak holiday periods either. The most I've seen is 45 minutes - and I used to love taking advantage of the Single Rider line, but I've read recently that that has been removed.

 

[La2kw]

Any chance the lines are shorter?

The lines are shorter than WDW. We've never waited longer than 45 minutes during the busiest parts of the day. Fastpass is wonderful if you have one, it really sucks if you don't because the standby lines get huge. Disneyland understands that and has fewer fastpass rides because of that. I wish WDW would do the same.

 

[kerickson]

Print out Disneyland Express coupons from this site (you'll need one for each person in your party per leg) to save you lots of $$!! $5 per person each way!

http://anaheimoc.org/articles/archive/webpage10153.asp#transportation

There are some other coupons on this site that may be of use to you

 

[Conniesaurus]

Thanks so much!! I just printed out our coupons for Disneyland Resort Express.

Getting excited we will be there next Monday, July 26th!!

 

[Nonsuch]

We are leaving for our first trip to Disneyland in 10 days and staying at GCV!!!! We will be there for 5 days. I have reservations for Napa Rose and WOC dining package. Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We love and know so much about Disneyworld, but don't really know anything about Disneyland.

Unlike WDW, everything is walking distance. No buses or trams to deal with, you will not even cross any streets. Plan on returning to your room for an afternoon break.

You you should take advantage of Magic Morning, which is a benefit of staying at VGC (or any of the 3 Disney hotels).

Collect fast passes in the morning at both parks, and use them in the evening.

 

[franandaj]

OOOH - your first time. That's so very cool. I remember my first time to WDW (I grew up in So Cal and practically lived at DL). It really is a fun and special time to be able to enjoy something so familiar - yet so different - from what you are accustomed to.

Stopher1 I always LOVE to read your take on DL because we both "grew up" in So Cal, but I think you grew up longer and had much more experiences as a CM. I recently wrote this report for someone on another list, but think that it has merit here as we both tend to focus on slightly different aspects as much as we both love DL: the question asked was what were some "insider faves" that one could reccomend.

1) ADRs in CA - they are called Priority Seating arrangements and they can be made up to 60 days in advance. PS is not as important as at WDW with the exception of Blue Bayou, you should definitely pick a day and make a reservation a few weeks before you want to go there, if you do. It is very expensive and you are mainly paying for the ambience, not necessarily the food.

If you enjoy fine dining, Napa Rose and Steakhouse 55 are excellent choices, if you go to Napa Rose the Chef’s Counter is a great place to sit and you can watch the Chefs at work, plus you may get some bonuses from the chef. I recommend Café Orleans for lunch as they have the best Monte Cristo sandwich ever, you can go there for dinner, but I just happen to like it better for lunch. I’ve heard great things about Carnation for lunch and breakfast as well. If you would like to do the Dinner Seating for World of Color, you have two choices in DCA, Ariels or Wine Country Trattoria. I can only speak for Ariels, we ate there last month and the food was excellent. DTD has more dining choices, I can only speak for Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen and the food was great. They had a Chocolate Bread Pudding Souffle that was out of this world! There are a number of other restaurants, Italian, Mexican, Mediterranean all owned by the Patina group, and of course the Rainforest Café & ESPN Zone.

For character meals, Goofy’s Brunch comes the most highly recommended and I plan to try it in a couple months, but for variety and character interaction it gets the best reviews. Storytellers is not a buffet (although there is one available) and is located inside the GCH. There is a Lilo & Stitch meal at the PPH, but I haven’t heard a lot of good things about it. I’ve heard mixed reviews of Minnie’s Character Breakfast, but it does get you into the DL Park early.

There are a lot of unique counter service restaurants and the ethnic variety is far greater than at MK, my favorite is the Bengal BBQ where you can get a skewer with asparagus wrapped in bacon! There is the Rancho de Zocalo serving Mexican Favorites, the Plaza Inn (which was Walt’s favorite restaurant), it serves his favorite food, fried chicken, but they make it more healthy. Red Rockett’s Pizza Port has some Italian inspired dishes and in New Orleans square you’ll find the gumbo bowls and the French Market. There are also plenty of places you can get a burger, hot dog, Mickey Ice Cream Bar, popcorn, churros, and yes we have Dole Whips too.

DCA also has some good choices, Pacific Wharf where you can get soup in a bread bowl, Asian food, or Mexican Food. I don’t care for Taste Pilots grill (burgers and stuff), but love Award Weiners. Someday when Ariel’s ride is done they will reopen the corn dog palace. Bountiful Farms has some good choices, and I have not eaten at Pizza Om Mow Mow. They are also adding two new restaurants which I think are opening in the Fall, one TS and one CS, Garden Grill (but not like the one in Epcot) and I can’t remember the name of the other.

OK here’s an insider tip…get a Cheshire Cat tail (unless you are a serious diabetic, I actually should not eat them), they are marshmallows dipped in caramel and then covered with a light pink sugar coating and striped with a glittery purple sugar coating. Yummy! You can find them at Marceline’s in DTD, the candy shop at DCA and I think at Pooh Corner. I have not tried the Tigger Tails, but they are similar and have a slight orange flavor to them. Those are only found at Pooh Corner.

2) Rides – There are lots of rides that you will find only at Disneyland, and there are lots of rides that you’ll think are duplicates of rides you’ll find at WDW. Don’t make the mistake that since you’ve been on rides at WDW you don’t need to do them at DL. The rides you can’t do at WDW are The Matterhorn, Indiana Jones, Finding Nemo Submarines, the train from tomorrowland to Main Street, The Story book Canal, Mr Toad’s Wild Ride, California Screamin’, Silly Symphony Swings, Mickey’s Fun Wheel, and there are others, but they don’t come to mind.

Of the similar rides, the DL version of POTC is 8 minutes longer and has additional scenes. The Haunted Mansion has subtle differences in character placement, Space Mountain is radically different. IASW is also different as we have additional characters added to the ride and the loading is outside the ride. BTMRR & Splash are fairly similar as is the Jungle Cruise. Soarin is the same ride without the wait (at least the 120 minute wait) and many WDW vets say that it makes more sense where it is in DCA. The Muppets & Tough to be a bug are exactly the same.

I can’t offer much on the rides since we hardly go on more than one or two rides each trip. But DL opens at either 8AM or 9AM and there are Magic Mornings 3 days a week where you can get in at 7AM and do most of the Fantasyland rides and a few others. You can get a lot done in the first couple hours and then it’s easy to head over to DCA and get in a few rides before both parks get swamped.

3) Shopping – There are a few specialty shops around the parks and DTD, but a most of the things that you find inside DL and DCA can also be found at the World of Disney Store. Some people have said that it is not as big as WDW World of Disney, but it’s laid out differently. Shopping is pretty individualized, so I can’t really give any tips on that.

4) Other stuff – Other than Dining, Rides and Shopping there are only a few other things besides strolling around, people watching and just taking in the ambience. The only think I can think of is what I love to do when leaving Disneyland late at night, you can clearly see the light burning in Walt’s Apartment and they would always leave it on when Walt was in the park. Now they leave it on constantly with the idea that Walt is now always in the park.

I hope some of this helps, I know I can tend to go on and on and on, but when talking about my favorite subject, I can’t help it. If you have any specific questions, please ask, and I will try to help you!

 

[stopher1]

Stopher1 I always LOVE to read your take on DL because we both "grew up" in So Cal, but I think you grew up longer and had much more experiences as a CM. I recently wrote this report for someone on another list, but think that it has merit here as we both tend to focus on slightly different aspects as much as we both love DL: the question asked was what were some "insider faves" that one could reccomend.

ahh thanks.

2) Rides – There are lots of rides that you will find only at Disneyland, and there are lots of rides that you’ll think are duplicates of rides you’ll find at WDW. Don’t make the mistake that since you’ve been on rides at WDW you don’t need to do them at DL.

EXACTLY! AMEN to that. I've encountered many people that think they've already done it in FL, so there's no point to do so in CA. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Soarin is the same ride without the wait (at least the 120 minute wait) and many WDW vets say that it makes more sense where it is in DCA.

PLUS there IS a single rider line for Soarin' - so if you are willing to be separated, you can possibly be seated in just 5-10 minutes, sometimes a bit more. But if you don't have a FP, and the line is long (I've seen it get up to 90+ minutes), the SR option is well worth it. We've taken to doing that at TT now at WDW whenever we don't get a FP, or just want to ride it again. So if you don't get a FP, be sure to check it out.


Another thing you'll really love about staying at the VGC, is the direct and immediate access in to DCA. There is a private entrance, good for resort guests only, that literally puts you steps away from both Grizzly River Run (think Kali River Rapids), and Soaring. It's awesome. Plus as mentioned previously, you'll have early access to the WOC fastpasses as a resort guest (be sure to inquire at check-in) - since the WOC fastpasses are distributed at the Grizzly RR FP machines.

There are only 48 villas. 73% of those have some sort of theme park view. The other 27% have a pool complex view. So you very well might be overlooking Paradise Pier, which is an awesome view at nighttime. The lights and sounds of the park are just so fun, but they really aren't noticeable once you close the sliding door.

The hotel also has a direct entrance to/from Downtown Disney, so you'll be just steps away from some great shopping and dining.

The hotel itself was designed by Peter Dominick, who was the designer for both Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge. You'll definitely feel the similarities. But, and this is certainly a personal preference/opinion here, there's just nothing quite like the simple beauty of the Craftsman style. Having grown up in So Cal, and having family members who lived in Craftsman-style homes, I definitely appreciate the style very much. The woodwork throughout the hotel, and in the villas as well, is just beautiful. The lobby is gorgeous, and be sure to enjoy sitting around in the evenings if you can. There's often a pianist there, and sometimes they have little entertainments as well. When I was there last Christmas-time, the Dickens carolers were singing in the lobby. It was magical. Can't wait to be there again this December.

 

[Conniesaurus]

Thank you so much. We have gotten so many tips and great suggestions. We are so excited. We leave Thursday, visitng my sister in AZ and then we arrive in Disneyland on Monday, the 26th.

Having been to Disneyworld many, many times, this is a whole new exciting adventure for us. VWL is one of our home resorts, love the style so I know that we will just love VGC.

Once again, thank you all for your help. I was a little sad that we weren't visiting Disneyworld this year but reading all of your posts have made me very excited!!!!

 

[stopher1]

Thank you so much. We have gotten so many tips and great suggestions. We are so excited. We leave Thursday, visitng my sister in AZ and then we arrive in Disneyland on Monday, the 26th.

Having been to Disneyworld many, many times, this is a whole new exciting adventure for us. VWL is one of our home resorts, love the style so I know that we will just love VGC.

Once again, thank you all for your help. I was a little sad that we weren't visiting Disneyworld this year but reading all of your posts have made me very excited!!!!

I'm very happy for you all! I'm sure, even though it isn't the "same", it will still be a wondeful experience. I personally believe every Disney parks lover should make the trip to the place that started it all at least once... if not more. It definitely is Walt's park, and you can see his loving touches and thought process even all these years later. The Magic Kingdom is awesome - and I do love it (it's my favorite park at WDW), but Disneyland was truly Walt's labor of love, and it still shows. The MK was designed by committee after his death. But DL is the only park that Walt ever walked, or ate, or slept in. WDW may have been his dream too, but he didn't live to see it built.

When you're in Frontierland, just a little south of the Mark Twain landing - near the Rivers' edge, you might notice a large petrified tree. That was Walt's gift to his wife Lillian for their 32nd wedding anniversary. She found a place for it quickly...one where "everyone" could enjoy it, and not just her! Walt purchased it for her from Pike Petrified Forest in Colorado. Such the romantic!

And if you go into the Golden Horseshoe there in Frontierland as well, you can see Walt's box, right there at stage right, where he would sit and enjoy the show (back when the Golden Horseshoe Revue was actually playing and enjoyed by many). And on the edge of Frontierland and New Orleans Square, also Adventureland, sits the River Belle Terrace - which was Walt's favorite place to eat breakfast on those days when he would wake up in the park (after spending the night in his apartment above the Fire Station on Main Street).

There are still penny operated machines in the Penny Arcade, and you can watch some of those fun old crank "films".

And be sure to head up to the right side of the castle (as you are looking at it) and check out Snow White's Grotto. It's a charming little part of the park with a beautiful wishing well, and marble carved figures from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Just another charming addition to the park that makes it so special. Back in the mid '60's Walt received a special, anonymous package or shipment, that had all of these hand-carved figures in it from someone in Europe. He had John Hench design a place for them in the park, and this is what he came up with. Be sure to check out the placement. Each figure was designed exactly the same height, which of course is not correct. John used reverse forced perspective to make Snow White appear taller than the dwarves with the placement of each statue.

And be sure to ride the train all the way around the park, at least once. That's the only way to experience the Grand Canyon Diorama - which features dinosaurs that were originally used in one of the 1965-65 World's Fair shows that Walt and his team designed (and went on to influence the dino scenes in World of Energy when Epcot was being planned).

One other thing I forgot to mention, at Splash Mountain...if it's hot, and the FP's are for way later in the day, or even all gone, and you really want to ride it but don't want to wait in the standby line - and are willing separate so you can get wet... there is a Single Rider line. Just you have to go all the way around to the exit, and go up and in, and then the CM at the exit will direct to a little bridge where you can then wait to be called. The logs are single, inline seats - I believe they're 7 to a log, so there's very often an empty seat to be filled. I do this whenever I'm out there on solo trips, but we did it as a family a couple of years ago and each of us that wanted to go on the ride were in successive logs, so even though we weren't together - we didn't have to wait very long for the group to be back together again at the end. Just another little tip.

Have a great time!!!

 

[nunzia]

<<It's a charming little part of the park with a beautiful wishing well, and marble carved figures from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Just another charming addition to the park that makes it so special. Back in the mid '60's Walt received a special, anonymous package or shipment,>>
I'm loving this..DL is such a special magical place to so many of us..
interesting bit: on our ABD Backstage Magic trip, our Imagineer told us the true Snow White grotto story..all the fables..actually, it has been discovered that Walt actually commissioned and paid for the marble statues, but hid it to keep it from Roy. A very famous sculptor did them, but I can't recall the name. The original statues were moved quite a long time ago, as weather was wearing them so the ones now on display are copies. They were in storage and horror, a forklift dropped the box containing Snow White. She was repaired, but you can still see the damaged areas. The originals are now kept displayed in the sculpture shop at Imagineering.
Here we are with them...

I hope the OP will share her trip when she returns

 

[stopher1]

<<It's a charming little part of the park with a beautiful wishing well, and marble carved figures from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Just another charming addition to the park that makes it so special. Back in the mid '60's Walt received a special, anonymous package or shipment,>>
I'm loving this..DL is such a special magical place to so many of us..
interesting bit: on our ABD Backstage Magic trip, our Imagineer told us the true Snow White grotto story..all the fables..actually, it has been discovered that Walt actually commissioned and paid for the marble statues, but hid it to keep it from Roy. A very famous sculptor did them, but I can't recall the name. The original statues were moved quite a long time ago, as weather was wearing them so the ones now on display are copies. They were in storage and horror, a forklift dropped the box containing Snow White. She was repaired, but you can still see the damaged areas. The originals are now kept displayed in the sculpture shop at Imagineering.
Here we are with them...

I hope the OP will share her trip when she returns

Very cool tidbit and correction Nunzia. Thanks.

What I shared was shared by my Disney University Guide on the day of my Orientation as a CM way back in 1987! I've also read it in several books through the years, so wow, what a way to perpetuate a story, huh?!? I stand corrected. Thank you. And what a great picture.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I'm loving this..DL is such a special magical place to so many of us..
interesting bit: on our ABD Backstage Magic trip, our Imagineer told us the true Snow White grotto story..all the fables..actually, it has been discovered that Walt actually commissioned and paid for the marble statues, but hid it to keep it from Roy.

How interesting! We were told the same thing that Stopher related on the Walk in Walt's Footstep tour. I guess it's been told so long that they don't change the info?

 

[Conniesaurus]

Thanks again for all of your information...Leaving tomorrow morning...can't wait!!!

 

[nunzia]

Very cool tidbit and correction Nunzia. Thanks.

What I shared was shared by my Disney University Guide on the day of my Orientation as a CM way back in 1987! I've also read it in several books through the years, so wow, what a way to perpetuate a story, huh?!? I stand corrected. Thank you. And what a great picture.

I was really surprised too..I heard the annonymous story for years and thought it very cool Another tidbit..the great (great?) grandson of Ub Iwerks works at Imagineering..we ran into him. I think any big Disney fan would just love the ABD Backstage Magic trip.. We did so much..rode Walt's trains at Griffith Park, rode in the Lily Belle, saw the apartment, studios, Imagineering..just amazing stuff.

 

[stopher1]

I was really surprised too..I heard the annonymous story for years and thought it very cool Another tidbit..the great (great?) grandson of Ub Iwerks works at Imagineering..we ran into him. I think any big Disney fan would just love the ABD Backstage Magic trip.. We did so much..rode Walt's trains at Griffith Park, rode in the Lily Belle, saw the apartment, studios, Imagineering..just amazing stuff.

That one is definitely on my bucket list.

 

[BigDogMom7]

I think the OP may have already left on her trip, so I'm too late to help. But other readers out there may be able to benefit from our most recent experience at VGC - we just got back on Tuesday night from a week in a 1 BR there.

Tips:
1. WOC: Between 9 and 9:30 am, guests of any DLR hotel can enter DCA through the special entrance just past Storyteller's and Napa Rose to get fastpasses for WOC. They are CAREFULLY checking everyone for room keys all day long and all evening long; no one else can use that entrance, unless they have a receipt to show they were eating at Storyteller's or Napa Rose (we saw people turned away). We entered at 9:10 am on Monday and were in the fastpass line by GRR for about 5 minutes; we got "blue" fastpasses, which is a prime area. By 9:17 there was NO line at all; someone could walk right up then. They let regular park guests in at 9:30 (even though the park doesn't open until 10) and the lines were LONG all morning and well into the afternoon. And every day we were there (7/13 to 7/20) they had an "unscheduled" third showing of WOC at 11:15 pm. It still required a fastpass. Apparently if demand goes down, they will quit doing the third showing. The other two were at 9 pm and 10:30 pm.

My DD and I didn't want to wait long for WOC to start, so we entered at 8 pm (later than most people) and watched from the bridge to Ariel's with only 1 row of people in front of us. It is absolutely gorgeous, and the Lion King part makes one want to cry. The whole audience was totally transfixed during the whole 25 minute show.

2. Toy Story Midway Mania: Twice we got in line about 9:50 pm with about a 25-minute wait. THEN at 10:20 pm there was about a 10-minute wait, and when we got off, it was a WALK ON! So we got to ride 3 times in a little over an hour. That's because TSMM is open during WOC and stays open until 11 pm park closing. But most people thought it closed at 10 PM (because that was still the time printed on the daily schedule). Because WOC was showing at 11:15, they kept the whole park open until 11 (except for the midway and other rides like Californian Screamin & Silly Strings; they were closed so as not to distract from WOC). It was a great way to get multiple rides on TSMM.

3. We also did the Cruzin DCA segway tour at 7:15 am on morning. My DH says it was the most fun thing we did. It lasts 2 1/2 hours and it is so cool to ride around DCA with it nearly empty. And the segways are just fun! There is a $20 discount for DVC.

4. My DD16 wanted to try a massage at the Mandara spa; she turns 17 next week, so it was an early birthday present. They had a mother/daughter massage, so that was cool. I'd never had a massage before either, so that was a treat. Kind of pricey though. Unfortunately it was 96 degrees two of the days we were there so being in the calm, cool spa was great.

5. Our only negative was the NOISE in our room. We were in room 3502 directly facing the Mickey Wheel and Silly Symphony. Other people have posted that they were not bothered by noise with the patio doors closed, but it was not possible for us to sleep before 11:45 pm because of the WOC noise. That was OK for me (I'm a bit of a night owl), but my DH is an early to bed type and it was a major irritant for him. We should have asked to be moved to a pool view, but he didn't want to pack up and move, either.

6. We had great meals at: Storyteller's, Rainforest (make reservations!), ESPN, Pacific Wharf (love the salads in sourdough bread bowls), and Naples.

Hope someone finds this info helpful.

 

[lilpooh108]

OOOH - your first time. That's so very cool. I remember my first time to WDW (I grew up in So Cal and practically lived at DL). It really is a fun and special time to be able to enjoy something so familiar - yet so different - from what you are accustomed to.

There are just so many things about DL to soak up and enjoy. Don't be surprised by what you will find inside the park - that at WDW you would find in multiple different parks. The sidewalks are narrower (think 1950's America), and the park is much more intimate in both scale and acreage.

Be sure to take a ride on the various Main Street vehicles. They truly are a fun part of the experience (and the run a lot longer during the day than the MK ones do).

Be sure to stop in to the Main Street Cinema and check out some classic Mickey moments - you can't get those in the MK anymore since they converted the cinema to a shop there. And check out the daily fresh candy being made in the Candy Parlor.

Definitely go through the Sleeping Beauty walk-thru of the castle. The entrance is just inside the castle courtyard to your left (as you go through the breezeway).

Pinocchio & Alice both have unique to DL adventures to enjoy. As does Mr. Toad, Casey Jr. and Roger Rabbit (up in Toontown).

Be sure to take a ride around Tom Sawyer Island in the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes. Also be sure to ride the Sailing Ship Columbia, and while you do, explore below decks. It's a treat you definitely don't get in Florida.

While in New Orleans Square, stopy by the Mint Julep Bar at the back side of the French Market (near the train station) Mint Julep and some fritters. Or if you eat at the French Market, you can get a Mint Julep there too (non-alcoholic, of course).

In Adventureland you can enjoy Tarzan's Treehouse (similar but different than those Swiss castaways) and Indiana Jones Adventure (the imagineers used the exact same track layout when they later added Dinosaur to AK - but this theming is so much cooler), and you'll be able to enjoy the Enchanted Tiki Room as Walt intended it (there's no annoying Iago overlay here) - plus you can get a Dole Whip right there, and take it into the show with you , if you are a DW kind of person. (Can you tell I am?)

If you want some ice cream later in the day, avoid the Gibson Girl parlor on the west side of Main Street, and instead enjoy a much shorter line at the Cone Shop at the end of Center Street on the east side of the street.

Both POTC and IASW are both longer and better at DL. Be sure to check them out for their individual differences. And the Mansion - wow - the facade is phenomenal, and you enter from the front, not underneath the side as at WDW. (Did you know that the HM was the 1st attraction completed at WDW back in 1970, because when they were building the HM for DL in 69, they built a 2nd set of the sets and props at the same time - for the MK?) Plus both POTC and the HM move you underground and beyond the berm (whereas the MK's versions don't) - so that stretching room is actually moving down at DL (unlike the MK's where the floor stays put but the ceiling goes up). You'll notice here the original portrait corridor too, that the recent upgrades at the MK added in after the Doom Buggy load area.

And be sure to enjoy Magical (the fireworks) and see Dumbo fly!

CA Adventure has a lot of cool stuff too, but a lot of it is very similar to what you'll find in different places in FL. WOC of course is the newest addition. Toy Story Midway Mania does NOT have a FP line - so prepare to stand in line if you really must go on it. While the queue is different of course, the attraction is the same as in FL. Mulholland Madness, the Silly Symphony Swings, Mickey's Fun Wheel, California Screamin', the Maliboomer and the Goldyn Zephyr are all unique to CA. Definitely be sure to use the GCV private entrance in the morning into DCA to get your WOC FP's. They let resort guests in earlier than non-resort guests - so be sure to ask about that at check-in.

The villas are fabulous - and you will LOVE the proximity to everything at the DLR. Can't wait to get back there this fall and Christmas.

Have a wonderful time!

Wow, GREAT post! I grew up with an AP (back before they were waaaay popular *sigh* and it was less crowded). We went a few days a week after school. Your post brought back so many memories of things I thought I forgot!

There used to be swing dancing in Carnation Plaza...we used to go every Saturday to learn and meet new people...I'd park at Donald (where DCA entrance now is) and walk up to DL entrance. We've been thinking about getting APs again since we have a little one. I've already passed on my Disney obsession to my 1-year old...she kisses her Mickey stuffed toy daily on command and dances to Hot Dog Hot Dog Hot Diggity Dog