Ask any diehard Disney park fan, and most likely one thing on their bucket list would be to stay in a park overnight. This year, they can cross that wish off their list – and you can, too!

That’s because for the first time ever, both Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom will stay open for guests for a full 24 hours.

Taking advantage of the fact that 2012 is a leap year, with an extra day on the calendar, Disney has chosen February 29 as the date this special promotion will take place. From 6am on that day through 6am on March 1, local time, each of the two parks will be open non-stop.

That means if you want to ride Splash Mountain at 3am, you can finally do it.

To make things even better, this is not a special ticket event like Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Regular park admission, from single park tickets to annual passes, will get you in.

I’m super excited about this and am already planning with friends to do an overnight at Florida’s Magic Kingdom. I can’t wait to see the sun rise on the castle. How about you? Will you be taking advantage of this rare opportunity to stay in the park all night?

[Image courtesy of Walt Disney World]

Bar Louie by LouieBaur

Dominick told me that he was on his tenth Guinness when I took a seat beside him at the bar. He had ordered and paid for ten beers during happy hour when a pint goes for $3.00. Of course, I had just missed happy hour by about five minutes, so my beer rung in at full price. I wasn’t in the mood for ten Guinness beers, but I did order a Sierra Nevada and the fish and chips platter which cost me about $21.00 total after tax. The fish and chips were not the best I’ve ever had, but tasty none the less for being bar food, served with ample ‘chips’ and yummy tarter sauce. The portion was enormous, and I couldn’t finish it all.

I did however, finish my beer. Dominick had finished half his tenth Guinness and ordered us both glasses of water. ‘How are you able to stand up?’ I asked him, shocked that anyone could drink ten large, heavy beers in an hour and not be on the floor. He said he did this every night, with an expression that said ‘nothing in the world could be more normal than drinking buckets of Guinness nightly’.

Dominick also told me, without slurring his words, that he had had the salad because he was watching what he ate. “With all the beer, it’s best to have a salad,” he admitted, clearly counting calories. I felt somewhat guilty when he said this, my giant platter of fish and chips sitting in front of me, but told myself that I’d work it off the next day.

Honestly, Bar Louie is not the sort of restaurant that you would normally find me in. It’s a sort of sports bar, and looking at their website I know realize it is also a national chain. There are televisions everywhere in the Anaheim Bar Louie, showing the latest in football, baseball and whatever other sport is hot at the moment. This is fine by me, and I appreciate that it’s fun to have a beer when watching the game. However, as I was finishing my fish and chips the waitress put on a reality TV show that a large group of people in Bar Louie had come in to see. I think one of their friends was on the show, so they were into it. Still, I don’t think other innocent diners and drinkers, like Dominick and myself, should be subjected to reality television while eating. Maybe it’s just me.

Would I go back to Bar Louie? Probably not. Still, in the area of Anaheim I was staying in there wasn’t much around, and Bar Louie seemed to be the only chain I had not tried in Anaheim’s Garden Walk commercial area. All in all, Bar Louie is a good spot to try if you want to see the game, get ten beers at happy hour, or watch some ridiculous reality show.

MORE:

Garden Walk web: http://www.anaheimgardenwalk.com/

Bar Louie web: http://www.barlouieamerica.com/home/

Post by Regina Winkle-Bryan. See more of her food and beverage tips at : The Spain Scoop!

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/busaboys/

La Jolla's stunning La Valencia Hotel

La Valencia is hard to miss — it’s called The Pink Lady for good reason, and it’s located smack in the middle of downtown La Jolla. It’s pink, but not Miami pink — it’s a Southern California pink, kind of hard to describe unless you see it in person. I had the opportunity to attend a rehearsal dinner at the top of the hotel the other evening, and all I can say is — if you have the opportunity to attend any sort of event at the hotel, or can have drinks up at the top, do whatever you can to take advantage of that wonderful opportunity. What an absolutely spectacular view from the top — La Jolla Cove is just beyond the trees.

The view from the outdoor patio area at La Valencia

Some friends and I felt bold and decided to take the original elevator up to the very, very top. The elevator was built, like the rest of the hotel, in 1926, but it felt sturdy and safe, even to someone like me who isn’t a huge fan of elevators. The slight butterflies I felt in my stomach were all worth it, though, when we reached the top — what a view! There wasn’t much space to move around up here, and there was a long spiral staircase we would have to make our way down in the event that the elevator got temperamental. Once I was up there, though, I didn’t care. So gorgeous.

See? I wasn't kidding about the view.

Elegant, classy and timeless. La Valencia offers nightlife options that make you want to throw on your best vintage wear and sip on 1920s and 1930s era cocktails. This place sums up the more formal, old world La Jolla that so many visitors and locals to the area continue to cherish. The silhoutted palm trees at sunset stir something inside of most everyone – they’re just magical. Definitely make the time to visit this fabulous spot the next time you’re in the area.

Photos: Bryan_Chan and Jenny Bengen-Albert

Gorgeous La Jolla, CA

I attended my best friend’s wedding this past weekend in La Jolla, CA, and we stayed at Hotel La Jolla. The hotel itself was fab (free shuttle to anywhere within 5 miles, super helpful staff, free coffee in the lobby, etc.), but one of the highlights was how obliging the hotel was about hosting the wedding after-party at The Grill, their restaurant/bar. The food they brought us was simple but very, very tasty, especially the hummus and bread. The hummus was perfectly seasoned with a creamy texture (and lots of garlic!) and the bread was warm and moist.

While it was dark when we went, I could imagine that the view would have been absolutely spectacular during the day! Large windows afforded unobstructed views of the Pacific Ocean. Service was quick and friendly and all efforts were made to comfortably accommodate our rather large, boozy wedding group. I liked the layout of the place — a combination of your standard dinner tables and then lounging areas with comfortable couches and low tables. I could imagine coming back here and enjoying a lovely cheese plate and a tasty wine or glass of champagne.

Drink prices are a bit on the high side here, but then again, it’s La Jolla, and people will come here to eat, drink and make merry pretty much no matter what the price is. I don’t mind paying $10 for a glass of wine every once in awhile for a truly wonderful night out with an amazing view to boot. And luckily, The Grill measures up well on both fronts.

Visit The Grill at sunset and enjoy a drink or a meal while taking in the breathtaking scenery.

Photo: Theodore Scott