Breakfast at Flo's V8 Cafe

I just returned from a fantastic two day trip to Disneyland Resort. I already aired my only complaint yesterday (the Oz promo bumping out MuppetVision). Everything else was E tickets and smiles.

One thing really hit home during this trip for my whole group: Cars Land remains incredible and lovable even after the novelty wears off. It remains the most jaw-dropping, mind-blowing creation we've ever seen in a theme park. The land holds up to repeat visits and -- less than a year after its debute -- it feels like it's always been there. It's almost impossible now to imagine DCA without it.

It's also impossible to imagine a morning in DCA without two or three trips on Radiator Springs Racers (the Single Rider Line is your friend!) and then breakfast at Flo's.

We've looked at the Mater Waffles before, but this time I went for the good old American Breakfast.

It's basic, simple and delicious. The potatoes turned out to be the star of the plate -- spicy with a rich salsa flavor.

The food, however, is only half the reason that Flo's is our favorite place in the whole resort. The other half is the location, for breakfast is twice as much fun when...

...this is the view out the window.

Rare Characters: Governor Ratcliffe

Governor John Ratcliffe still appears in the Walt Disney World version of Fantasmic, but out West in Disneyland, Pocahontas's arch-foe hasn't been seen in quite a while. He's not the most memorable of Disney's animated villains, but he certainly made an impression as a walk-around character.

My encounter with Ratcliffe at a 1995 Disneyland Hotel Character Breakfast was definitely not like a meet n' greet with Mickey or Goofy. When the Governor reached our table, he halted and pointed an accusing finger at my Pocahontas button (handed to every patron at the door). He unfastened it, examined it, then dropped it into my scrambled eggs. With gestures, he asked to borrow my napkin. He blew his nose in it, then rubbed it into my hair, much to the delight of every guest around us. Then he posed for a picture and shook my hand for being a good sport. As he turned toward the next table, the waiting family braced themselves, laughing nervously.

I suddenly realized how much fun playing a walk-around villain in the Disney parks must be. What other cast members get to be rude and surly -- and leave happy guests in their wake? Timing and an instinct for reading the audience are essential to pulling it off, and the cast member bringing Ratcliffe to life that day managed to turn a relatively minor Disney villain into the most popular character of the morning.

Mater Waffles at Flo's

Mickey pancakes will always be a classic, but the Mater Waffles at Flo's V8 Cafe in Cars Land are my new favorite smiling breakfast food.

They're listed as a kid's menu item, but one glance around at breakfast reveals just as many adults enjoying these crazy little specials-of-the-house, and no wonder; for $5.99 you get waffles, bacon, fruit and a beverage. It's just the right amount of food to get you energized for a day in the parks.

My other favorite breakfasts in Cars Land are Flo's Brioche French Toast (which tastes a lot like banana bread with hot caramel sauce) for $6.99 and the Bacon Scramble bread cone at the Cozy Cone Motel for $5.49. These give you more food for your dollar, but don't include a beverage.

And, of course, neither of those items make you laugh the moment they're set down in front of you. Mater waffles win!