EXCITING DISNEY TRIP ANNOUNCEMENTS!

Me and Lucy have 2 very exciting Disney trip announcements to make! We are heading to Disneyland Paris and Disney World this year! 

I adore Disney and love nothing more than spending time in the parks, this will also be the first time that I have been to two different Disney resorts in the same year. Me and Lucy are both extremely excited!

We will be in Disneyland Paris in September and Disney World in November. 

Check out the YouTube video below for more details!

The Disney Princess Tag

Hey guys, I found this tag online and since I spent the entire weekend being a Disney Princess, I thought it was appropriate.

1.Which Princes do you adore the most?

Belle is my favourite Princess as she is so wise yet gentle.

2. Which Princess do you like the least?

Sorry guys, has to be Mulan. I love that she's different and she's a fabulous role model for young girls, but I just don't personally relate to her.

3. Which Princess do you relate to most?

Rapunzel! I feel like I'm goofy, a huge dreamer and a little bit naive.

4. Which sidekick would you like to have?

Chip! He is so darn cute when he blows bubbles in the tea!

5. Which best friend would you like to hang out with?

Flounder, he's such a guppy!

6. Which Prince would love you?

Prince Philip he is courageous, sweet and loyal.

7. Which parents would raise you?

Jasmine's Father, he is really cute and awkward, but has a heart of gold and wants what's best for her.

8. Which castle do you want to live in?

Jasmine's Palace it's full of gold and jewels, plus it's in a warm climate.

9. Which town do you wish you lived in?

Rapunzel's hometown, everyone's always singing and dancing, and the whole lantern thing is beautiful. 

10. Which dress do you want to own?

The new 2015 Cinderella dress is my all-time favourite Disney dress! The swarovski crystals and the shade of violet/blue is divine!

11. Whose voice do you wish you had?

Ariel's voice, it's cute and perky and her singing voice is gorgeous! So good Ursula steals it!

12. Which two Princesses would be best friends?

Ariel and Rapunzel they are both fun loving and carefree! Could see them dancing and singing together,

13. Which two Princesses would hate each other?

Cinderella and Jasmine. Cinderella would probably see Jasmine as spoilt.

14. Which two sidekicks would make a good duo?

Merida's brothers (ok I'm cheating here but bare with me) and Pascal. They would be like the silent quadruplets. Up to lots of mischief and fun loving!

15. Which two Princes would be best buds?

Flynn Rider and Aladdin, both former thieves, they could trade stories.

16. What scene makes you cry?

Flynn's apparent death. "You were my new dream!"

17. What scene makes you cheer?

Anna punching Hans!

18. What scene makes you cringe?

When Giselle calls that guy Grumpy and he gets really angry!

19. Which story do you wish was your life?

Enchanted <3

20. What movie do you love the most?

Beauty and the Beast. My favourite Disney movie ....at the moment <3

10 Quick Tips on How to Make the Most of your Disney World Vacation!

Hey guys, I thought I would give you 10 quick tips on how to make the most of your Disney World Vacation.

1. Plan an itinerary

Planning a brief itinerary can help you further down the line of planning your vacation. If you make a quick version of day to day events for example: Hollywood Studios on Day 1, Animal Kingdom on Day 2 etc, it can really help when it comes to fastpasses and meal reservations.

2. Book Fast Passes

I cannot stress this enough! If you are staying at a Disney World resort hotel you can book your fast passes 60 days in advance. You get 3 fast passes per day. If you are not staying at a Disney World Resort hotel you can book the up to 30 days in advance. Try and do it as early as possible to get the best selections. Attractions such as Peter Pan's Flight, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Toy Story Midway Mania will be among the first to go. As well as this, character meet and greets like Anna and Elsa disappear quickly too. Epcot and Hollywood Studios' fast pass system is tiered, which means you can only choose one (big style) attraction. This makes it harder for you to get all the attractions you may want. However, once you have used your 3 fast passes, you can find a fast pass kiosk in the parks and book another one, then once you've used that you can book another one and so on. 

3. Book Meal Reservations

This year, me and my friends have the Disney Dining Plan which we got for free with our booking and makes everything a lot cheaper. It also means we can visit restaurants we would have never dreamed about before. But even if you are not on the dining plan, you will want to consider booking dinner reservations. The majority of table service dining restaurants accept reservations in advance, and a lot of them you will need to book in advance to even get the option of dining there. Be Our Guest at dinner is a prime choice where you can meet the Beast after you eat, this gets booked up quickly.

4. Get to the parks early

If you book and stay at a Disney World resort hotel, you will get the use of Extra Magic Hours, which means on certain days you can go to a specific park either earlier than everyone else, or stay later than everyone else. Regardless of this, you should always arrive at the parks early. The first hour of opening is the time you are most likely to get on your favourite ride. Plus there are Welcome Shows, characters waiting to meet and greet you and a whole hoard of guests still in bed at this time. 

5. Make time for the shows

Lots of Disney World guests focus solely on the rides, the bigger the better they say. However, that is not the only thing Disney has to offer. Besides the obvious character meet and greets (which I will get onto in a minute), Disney has amazing shows, fireworks and parades that are not to be missed. If you are lagging a little in the afternoon and feeling like you need a sit down, instead of finding the nearest bench or coffee shop, head to one of the shows, there are lots to choose from. From musicals like Finding Nemo in Animal Kingdom to animatronic shows like The American Adventure in Epcot, there is something for everyone. And instead of leaving early in the evening, stay for one of the night time shows such as Wishes Fireworks in Magic Kingdom or Fantasmic at Hollywood Studios.

6. Be a kid!

What adult doesn't like to act like a kid again, and if you are still a kid, great! You will want to make time to meet all your favourite childhood characters, and there are lots to meet. Either grab a map and timesheet at the front of the park, or download the Disney World app to find where the characters are and when. There are plenty of characters to meet at each park, you've just got to be willing to look. Some characters have their own designated indoor area such as Tinker Bell or Mickey Mouse. But others stand in specific spots daily outdoors, or even just roam around randomly. You will definitely want a camera on hand for all the funny poses the characters will do, and also if you're into autographs, grab an autograph book and chunky pen for them. You won't be disappointed!

7. Buy Memory Maker

Memory Maker is a relatively new concept where you pay an overall price and can have all of your professional photos taken within the parks for free. We luckily got this deal for free in with our package like the meal plan. There are photographers all around the parks especially: in front of the main landmarks, at character meet and greets, on special occasions such as Christmas or Halloween parties. The more you can find and get photos taken, the more you get your money's worth. Also ride photos (and now video) will be added to your account too. The possibilities are endless for the amount of photos you could get. Also if you have a big group of you, you can all use the same Memory Maker pass and get lots of different photos of different members of your party.

8. Make the use of Disney World transportation

If you are staying at a Disney World resort hotel, then great, you will use the transportation without even thinking about it. Disney World buses are waiting outside the resort to take you all over, and at some resort hotels, there are boats to take you to the parks too. But if you're not staying at a Disney World resort hotel don't worry. Once you arrive on Disney World property you can use the transportation for free. From the ticket and transportation centre you can take the buses to Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom, or you can take the monorail to Epcot, or the monorail or ferry boat to the Magic Kingdom. If you're into collecting things, don't forget to ask the bus drivers, boat drivers, monorail drivers etc if they have any transportation cards. These are fun little collectables which tell you facts about the transport you're using. 

9. Ask Cast Members

Cast Members is Disney's phrase for their employees. Cast members are very noticeable due to their uniforms and badges. If you are stuck with ANYTHING, always ask a cast member. Cast members are specifically trained to be extremely helpful and friendly. They know tips that even the biggest Disney World fans may not know, they will be able to rhyme off show times, directions and which characters will be out and when. They love to interact with guests and make your time truly magical. 

10. Always mention a special occasion

If you are celebrating anything from a birthday to a family reunion then always mention it to a cast member. If you are checking in at a Disney World resort hotel then mention it at the desk. If not, then mention it at customer services area in the parks. They will give you a badge/button for you to wear throughout your trip. Cast members and Disney characters will go out of their way to make your trip special if they notice the button. They may sing Happy Birthday to you, bring out a cupcake or a birthday card in restaurants, it' their prerogative of whether they decide to make a fuss of you or not. But it's worth it to make the trip special.

Well these are just 10 quick tips on how to make the most of your Disney World vacation. Be sure to read the rest of my blog for other Disney themed posts.

Hope this helped!

See ya real soon!

Another Disney Tag

I love answering Disney related questions because it is literally all I talk about, so here's another tag for you guys to enjoy. Please feel free to answer it too :)

1. Which Disney character do you relate to most?

I feel like I relate to Rapunzel the most. I love a good adventure even though I am usually worried about what may happen along the way. I adore my long blonde hair, and just want to go and have fun. Plus I used to really want a pet chameleon!

2. What is your favourite Disney Villain song?

Poor Unfortunate Souls, hands down.. Ursula is so damn sassy. I always catch myself singing it!

3. Who is your favourite Disney sidekick?

Hate this question...I can't pick just one. I adore Chip from Beauty and the Beast purely for his cuteness and innocence. But I feel like Tinker Bell is a classic sidekick who has morphed into being a heroine herself and deserves some credit.

4. What is your favourite Disney Renaissance movie?

Beauty and the Beast, it's also my favourite Disney movie ever!

5. What’s is your favourite live-action Disney movie?

Enchanted, it's like an animation, but not. The music is fantastic and Amy Adams is the PERFECT Disney Princess!

6. Do you prefer Elsa or Anna?

Tough one, I used to prefer Elsa and decided she'd be my favourite before I watched it, but now I feel Like I relate more to Anna with the quirky sense of humour and awkwardness.

7. If you were a fairy in Pixie Hollow what kind of fairy talent would you have?

I feel like I'd probably be a fast flying fairy as I am never doing one thing at a time, I like to be in a whirlwind of activities.

8. Which Disney movie castle or place would you like to live in?

Jasmine's palace is very extravagant with all of it's gold and jewels so I think I'd like to live there, plus Agrabah is warm.

9. If you were the star of a Disney movie, what would your Disney sidekick be like?

I'd have a sloth. Ok I just have an obsession with sloths, but how cute would a Disney sloth be. He may be slow but he'd be loyal.

10. If you could own one Disney character outfit, whose outfit would it be?

Cinderella's dress from the 2015 movie version. I am in love!

11. What Disney quote do you feel best represents you?

Just Keep Swimming. I live by this, when things get tough, you've just gotta keep on swimming!

The Least Favourite Questionnaire

In the spirit of keeping with the Disney questionnaire theme, I came across this one and thought it was unusual. It is all about your least favourite Disney things, this one is going to make me think. Here goes!

1) What is your least favorite Disney movie?

I feel like out of the ones I have seen, Home on the Range was my least favourite. I wouldn't watch it again, and usually I'd be desperate to watch a Disney movie again. It had no real storyline, I didn't connect with any of the characters and quite frankly I was bored around 20 minutes in.

2) Who is your least favorite Disney heroine?

Tough one, probably would have to say Go Go Tomago. I liked her but I find her rather cocky and opiniated, which isn't always a good thing. 

3) Who is your least favorite Disney hero?

Don't kill me, but I'd have to say Bing Bong. I found him a very useless character who was aimed at the younger audience and was the one thing stopping Inside Out from being perfect. Yes, he did sacrifice himself to save the day. But I found him very annoying and would have preferred Riley to have saved herself.

4) Who is your least favorite Disney sidekick?

I think it has to be Ray the firefly from the Princess and the Frog. Again, he does sacrifice his life to help Tiana and Naveen, but he just isn't a very interesting character and spends the entire movie fawning over a star.

5) Who is your least favorite Disney villian?

Clayton is my least favourite Disney villain. He's from Tarzan and has the most gruesome death of any Disney character (in my opinion.) And, he definitely deserves it. He is first and foremost a poacher, who is trying to kill the gorillas in the jungle, and doesn't even care if humans get in the way of his rifle either!

6) Which is your least favorite Disney couple?

This one was really hard but I have come up with an answer. Fix-it-Felix Jr and Sergeant Calhoun from Wreck it Ralph. I know that opposites often attract but these two just seem like such an unrealistic couple. He is so positive and bubbly and she focuses her life around death and destruction. I feel Felix deserves better.

7) Which is your least favorite Disney dance scene?

Okay, I am really struggling now, all of the dance scenes are flawless and beautiful. Alright, I am going for the scene in the Emperor's New Groove where Kuzco dances and does all these really weird funky moves while he is showing off. I just don't like a show off, ok!

8) Which is your least favorite Disney kiss?

How can you not like any of the romantic kiss scenes.....Ooooh! My least favourite kiss is when Tiana has to kiss Naveen in frog form. Who wants to kiss something that's green and slimy?!?

9) Which is your least favorite Disney family scene?

The scene where Quasimodo is with his mother and she's running through the streets with him as a baby. It just breaks my heart knowing that this is the only time they spent together as a family before she is murdered and he is abandoned.

10) Which is your least favorite Disney emotional scene?

Mufasa's death? I mean I feel sad and everything but it is so overrated. It's not the saddest thing to happen in Disney movies you know. Haven't you seen Up or Hunchback of Notre Dame?

11) Who is your least favorite Disney child?

Lampwick from Pinocchio. He is the epitome of what a Disney child should NOT be. He is violent, he smokes, he drinks, he smashes windows and makes fun of Pinocchio. I don't like him one bit...well only when he turns into the jackass that he is inside. ;) 

12) Who is your least favorite Disney animal?

This answer belongs to two animals, but they do come as a pair. Roscoe and Desoto from Oliver & Company. They are just so mean and injure fellow dogs throughout the movie. Big bullies!

13) Which is your least favorite Disney song?

Can you feel the love tonight from the Lion King. It is overrated, and just drones on for what seems like forever! Plus I used to have to sing it at choir every week and I really got sick of it from then on, even had to sing it at a wedding!

14) Which is the least beautiful Disney scene?

The scene from the Black Cauldron where all the skeletons come back to life. There is nothing beautiful about that scene at all. All the colours are dark and dull and it's seriously creepy.. That Horned King is scary!

15) Which is your least favorite Disney ending?

Pocahontas! She finds the love of her life but they are separated by cultural differences. She wants to stay with her people, and he wants to go back to indoor plumbing. One of them should have compromised for true love. As well as that, I still can't get over Pocahontas II where she actually travels to England to fall in love with a completely different John!!!

So those are my answers, if you'd like to do this too then leave it in the comments below!

Disney Tag

For today's blog post I felt like doing a Disney tag. I found one on tumblr and decided to answer the questions. If you want to have a go too, leave the answers in the comments.

1. Name a character you didn't like at first, but then grew to love.

Ok, so I may get some hate for this one, but let me explain. At first I really didn't like Mulan. Not just the movie, but I didn't connect with the character. As a really girly 6 year old when it came out, I was into my princess and fairy movies. Mulan was the total opposite of what I had grown up with. I don't think I fully understood the story and just saw her as a tomboy who was into fighting. It was only recently I revisited the story and realised how amazing she was. She sacrificed her own life for her father's, who couldn't admire that.

2. Do you prefer CGI or hand drawn animation?

This question is so difficult for me. I adore the hard work and commitment then went into all the hand drawn animation from the early days of Disney. They also remind me of all the amazing techniques Walt himself developed that has made animation what it is today. However, the CGI nowadays is so realistic and makes the movies all that more believable. They can create characters and worlds that Walt wouldn't have been able to imagine back in the day. So therefore I would choose CGI.

3. Which storyline would you choose for the next animated movie?

I feel like Red Riding Hood has been somewhat overlooked by Disney. I have seen a very old short by them that features the story slightly, but I would like to see a full length animated feature based on it, maybe showing a different version of the tale. Although, Hoodwinked kind of got in there first.

4. What is your favourite first meeting scene?

My favourite first meeting scene would have to be when Aurora and Prince Philip meet. She is dancing around in the forest with her animal friends dreaming of her Prince. The animals then steal his clothes and pretend to be a prince, little does she know he's around the corner waiting to step in the dance. It's just so sweet and a very princessy way to meet your dream prince.

5. What would be your ideal Disney career?

I would love nothing more than to work in Disney World. I have a couple of jobs I would love to do, one of them being a character performer. I have recently played Tinkerbell at a Princess Ball in my hometown and it sparked my interest of this role all the more, it was so fun talking to the kids, posing for photos and getting to act like a pixie. I would also adore to be a photopass photographer, as I love photography and seeing families and friends have a magical time would be truly special.

6. Have you ever been to a Disney themed party?

Of course! I had a Disney/Alice in Wonderland themed Sweet 16th themed birthday party. It was amazing. I dressed as the Queen of Hearts and all my friends came as Disney characters. It was perfect.

7. What is your favourite Disney villain song?

I know this answer hands down. I sing it most days and it's my go to Disney track. Poor Unfortunate Souls from the Little Mermaid. Not only is Ursula my favourite Disney villain but this song is perfect. It sets the whole tone for the movie and explains about Ursula and what she does. "I'm a very busy woman and I haven't got all day, it won't cost much, just your voice!"

8. Which movie do you think is the most underrated?

Basil, the Great Mouse Detective is actually one of my favourite Disney movies. It's that movie that you ask people if they enjoy and they respond with "what's that?" I love the detective feel of this movie and it totally leaves the princess/imaginary world behind and focuses more on reality (well as much as you can with talking mice and evil rats!) 

9. Which Disney movie scene makes you cry?

I never cry at Disney movies but I do feel emotional at some moments in films, such as bambi's mother's death, mufasa's death and the last 10 mintues of Toy Story 3. However, the one that really tugs my heartstrings is the first 10 minutes of Up. That story of Ellie and Carl has more feeling in it than most romance movies I have seen.. I just always feel so sorry for Carl, as that unfortunately is real life, people leave you and you have to try and carry on.

10. If you could live in any World from any Disney movie, which would you choose?

Oooh this is so tough! I think I would have to choose the Little Mermaid. I love the idea of being able to live and breathe underwater, especially as a Princess. Mermaid life just seems so cool (even though she traded it in for our life.) Plus her underwater city of Atlantica seems like the perfect home. 

Ok, so here are the 10 questions I have chosen to answer. I have just realised that I didn't even get to mention my favourite movie in any of those answers. 

Hope you enjoyed reading this.

See ya real soon!

Meeting Disney Characters

Meeting characters at any of the many Disney parks around the World is one of the most fun things to do. Each character has their own personality which they are eager to show off to you through chat, photographs and video. Where else can you meet your favourite childhood characters? Whether it's the more modern characters such as Elsa and Anna, or you prefer the traditional Mickey and Minnie Mouse, they are all available to meet in one way or another. However, there are some rules of etiquette that should be taken.

1. DO NOT push in the queues.

The amount of times I have seen rude parents shoving their kids to the front of lines is ridiculous. Everyone wants their child to be able to meet their character and no child (or big kid) deserves that right more than other. So wait your turn, be courteous to other people in the queue, even chat to them, you never know you could make a new friend.

2. DO NOT push autograph books into characters faces.

Once you finally get to the character do not shove an autograph book in their face without saying a word. You have not been waiting a considerable amount of time to just get one signature and no interaction, and neither have they.

3. DO NOT shove or hit characters.

This one should be obvious, but trust me when I say I have seen this first hand. Rowdy children or clever adults who think they can push or pull tails of characters are just plain rude. So don't do it.

4. BE Prepared (yes a little Lion King pun)

Make sure that your children (or yourselves) have your autograph books open to the correct page and the pen ready and turned on. Especially if you're meeting a character like Pooh who has stubby little cubby chubby fingers, hand him the pen in between his thumb and palm, this will help him greatly. Also make sure your cameras are at the ready if you're taking a selfie or if someone is taking a photo for you, characters don't have time to wait around while you faff with your camera settings. And if you are using a photopass, have it handy for the photographer to scan.

5. THINK about poses or conversation

To get the best character interactions you should really think about the character you're meeting. For example, if you're meeting Rapunzel maybe ask her where pascal is or whether Maximus is still keeping away all criminals from the kingdom. Or if you're meeting Tinkerbell ask her about any of her fairy friends etc. Also think about poses, this makes it fun for you and the character. For example if you are meeting Peter Pan maybe you two can crow together, or if you're meeting Ariel, maybe bring along a Dinglehopper (a fork) and brush your hair together. The possibilities are endless and there are always new and inventive ways of interacting with your favourite characters. They will make the best photos and the best memories.

Here are a few of my favourite character photos. Feel free to post your own.