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What area of Disneyland begs to be strolled in more than New Orleans Square does? Narrow street mazes, filigreed shops, and delectable treats make it a perfect place for memorable wooing. And jazz!
Down in New Orleans
Begin your New Orleans Square date night with a bit of wisdom dispensed from Fortune Red, the prophesying pirate bust. He’s wedged into a petite alcove near Le Bat en Rouge, which is also worth a poke in, and he gives his future casts with uncanny accuracy for a mere fifty cents. Make sure you’ve got change (or get some from the Royal Street Veranda if you indulge in a hot cup of gumbo while you wander).
The next stop is at Mlle. Antoinette’s Parfumerie. This little shop is filled with heady scents, faceted glass, and amber light but few people, especially in the evening hours. As a perfumery, it is one of the hardly any remaining shops at Disneyland that offers unique merchandise (translation: go there while you can, because, like its namesake and the recently departed Mascarade d’Orleans, it’s probably on the chopping block). Choose a scent for your date to try, and try one of their choices in return. While you’re breathing in the bergamot, admire the handiwork on the mirrors that surround the store. Lillian Disney commissioned Glendora von Kessel to paint them by hand.
When you’re both smelling wonderful, sit together for a portrait by one of the artists across from the Blue Bayou. Adorable. And while your likenesses are being captured for posterity, consider taking a moment of silence to honor the wonder that was: may the publicly enjoyable Court of Angels rest in peace knowing it will nevermore be bothered by pesky families taking yearly Christmas portraits or annoying couples stealing sweet kisses or the winded elderly resting quietly away from crowds.
A sip of the South
The meandering rues will deposit you and your sweetheart near the Mint Julep Bar. Don’t get too excited, but get a little bit excited, because while most Guests will order the beignets (and receive cinnamon biscuits that do not taste like beignets), savvy old you two will order a mint julep of mesmerizing, radioactive green.
This drink tastes nothing like an actual mint julep but is its own version of magical – much like lots of Disney recreations are. Appreciate it for what it is; it even comes with real mint leaves! And you’re going to need that fresh breath…
Friends on the Other Side
End your New Orleans Square date night with a spin through the Haunted Mansion, also widely known as Disneyland’s best makeout ride. The Haunted Mansion’s dark halls, slow-moving track pace, and cozy Doom Buggies are the perfect spot for you and your “loved one” to cap off your evening. Talk about a moldering sanctum!
Photo credits: Fortune Red by Matthew Hansen and Mlle. Antoinette’s and Court of Angels by Michaela Hansen, both of toursdapartingdaily.com.