Outside of Flo’s V8 Cafe in Cars Land
By D’land Diva
Everyone needs to take a break sometime, and there are some terrific places off the beaten path to take a break at Disney’s California Adventure. Here are some of my favorite places!
Fiddler, Fifer and Practical Cafe on Buena Vista Street
1) Buena Vista Street. This area has many benches in which to relax, but I really like to rest in a little alcove at the end of the street right before the entrance into Hollywood Land. There are also chairs and tables just outside of the Fiddler Cafe and of course, seats inside the cafe. Diva Tip: Sometimes the inside of the cafe can be a little noisy, I’m not sure why- the sound seems to carry. If you are looking for quiet, you will probably be better off outside.
2) Hollywood Land. Oh, there are so many options here! The benches that line the street are nice, but sometimes in the sun. I really like the air conditioning in the Animation Building. There are several rest options here: on the main floor, by watching Turtle Talk with Crush and by participating in a Draw into Animation class. For kids, there is the Disney Junior Stage show (very few benches here, folks, it’s mostly sitting on the carpeted floor). The Muppet Show in 3D is by far my favorite resting place. There are floor places to sit for the introduction, it’s in an air conditioned building and the show is in a nice cool theater. There is also a stage in the Backlot area and music groups and dancing groups often perform here. It is shaded and there are a fair number of benches. Diva Tip: For the ultimate resting experience, take in an Aladdin Show at the Hyperion Theater. You will stand in line for awhile, but the show is 40 minutes of fun and air conditioned cushy seats! Next to the theater are some really comfy Alice in Wonderland themed chairs. They are kept out during the day even though the Mad Tea Party is a night time show. These plastic seats are deceptively comfortable and can be moved around so if they are in the sun, just move ’em.
Muppet Theater in Hollywood Land
3) Cars Land. There are two great place to rest in Cars Land. First there is a seating area next to Flo’s and in front of Flo’s V8 Cafe. Because the area outside of Flo’s is partially covered it can be a great rest spot. The second great resting place is my favorite- the patio outside of Flo’s. It’s covered, offering protection from the sun, it has a great view of Radiator Springs Racers and it is often not very crowded with plentiful seating.
4) Pacific Wharf. The obvious resting spot here is the seating for the restaurants. Some of the spots are shady and some offer some great views of the water.
5) A Bug’s Land. Seating is kind of hard to find here, there are just benches set up throughout the area. I like to sit near the bumper cars, where there are a few benches in the shade. If you are looking for a longer rest, you could take in the Tough to be a Bug show in the air conditioned theater. Diva Tip: The It’s Tough to be a Bug theater involves standing while you are waiting to enter the theater. This could be standing for fifteen minutes or so, so weigh your options if you are super tired.
6) Paradise Pier. The ideal spots are on the pier itself taking in the sights! There are plenty of benches. But, it can get really hot! The Garden Grill restaurant area offers plenty of seats to take a load off. My favorite resting spot on the pier is underneath the Silly Swings. Great views of the water show with Goofy, shade, benches and for some reason, not a lot of people know it’s there!
7) Grizzly Peak/Condor Flats. There are plenty of benches and seating areas within the Redwood Creek Challenge area. This is also a great place for kids to play while YOU rest! The Taste Pilot’s Grill also offers a lot of seating, some of which is in the shade outside of Soarin’ making it a great place to wait for your party to finish up on the ride. There is also indoor seating in the restaurant on really hot days or if it happens to be one of the four days a year it rains at Disneyland.
So there you have it, some great suggestions for resting stops on your trip. Enjoy the California Adventure!
