Hi Guys!

Sorry for the longer than planned break! After spending 6 magical days in Disneyland Paris, it's taken a little longer than normal to get back into the swing of things, but I'm back now and I have so much 25th anniversary stuff to share with you all!

The whole six days is a huge blur of magic and happiness so rather than a day by day trip report I'd do things a little differently this time and give you some different trip reports. So this is the first, and it's a run down of the characters I had meets with during my week celebrating DLP25, I hope you enjoy it!



Tuesday March 11th

Although I actually arrived in the parks on the Monday, it was quite late when i got there and the majority of characters had finished for the day, so I settled for parade and then upgraded my annual pass which also allowed me to collect my new photo pass! So Tuesday was my first real opportunity to meet some characters, I got up early, had a quick breakfast then packed as many Duffy costumes into my bag as I could and headed into the parks.

Our first meet of the trip was Belle, in her new home at the Art of Animation in the Studios park. We arrived around 10 am and waited about an hour for our turn, when we had finished the queue looked to be at least 50% longer than it was when we joined, so I would definitely advise getting to this one earlier rather than later. For the occasion Duffy was wearing his Beast costume from build a bear which we featured in our March Haul and the interaction we got from this was amazing and the photos are some of my favourite.


As we were already in the studios, it seemed like a good opportunity to head over to the Spider-man meet, which meant another costume change for Duffy! Due to its location in the park the Spider-man meet is often quite quiet, which is a real shame as his interaction was spot on, he's really in character, and chatty and it's a really fun meet to do, the queue when we got there was only 20 mins, so once Deandre and Sophie joined us we headed in and it was our turn really quickly! Both of these meets had photo pass photographers present, so it was great to be able to use my new photo pass that came with my annual pass straight away, and we got some really lovely pictures.



Our next character meet wasn't until after lunch time when we headed over to Frontier land to see Jessie, which yes you guessed it, meant another costume for Duffy bear, spoilt thing! Jessie tends to take over the afternoon slot at Woody's meet outside cowboy cookout, so after a spot of lunch (which was really good!) we headed over to meet her, being the huge Toy Story fan I am i came prepared with my Jessie Ears, Jessie top, and a woody costume for Duffy. Unfortunately Jessie didn't have a photo pass photographer with her, but with the help of a few friends and some helpful cast members we still got some lovely photos to remember the moment. Jessie was really interactive and loved that I was bounding as her, she loved my custom ears and made such a fuss, and even better when we went for a group photo she spotted my buzz backpack, picked it up and put it on! We had such a lovely time with her and didn't feel rushed at all, I would recommend a visit to her 100%.


Our final meet of Tuesday was in the Princess Pavilion in Fantasyland where Rapunzel had the afternoon slot, as I was with Kelly and the two Sophie's who are all fans, and as she's not normally in the pavilion we knew it was an opportunity we had to take, somehow we persuaded David to join us and off we went, we knew it was going to be a long wait, as we walked in they were changing the wait time from 90 mins to 2 hours! but we knew it would be worth it and we'd all be annoyed if we missed her, so we decided to give it our best shot. What we weren't prepared for however was the photo pass issues which caused a huge delay, if you've never been inside the princess pavilion, i'll warn you the queue really isn't very interesting and gets pretty old pretty quickly, so although unavoidable the delay was very unwelcome at this point! Eventually they got things working and we were able to meet our princess. She was brilliant and I soon forgot about the boredom of waiting so long to meet her. Again we got some lovely photos and I think some of the girls even got theirs printed, she really took so much time with all of us, doing fun poses and being super chatty, a wonderful last meet of a busy day!



Wednesday April 12th 

Grand celebration day and a super early start saw us queuing for security at around 6:30am, the atmosphere was electric and I still don't think anyone knew quite what to expect. I'll probably do some sort of write up on the grand celebration later, but for now lets focus on characters, the line up for the 12th was actually pretty good, though it included a lot of common characters, Donald Daisy Mickey Minnie etc they all had special outfits for the day which made it worth meeting them again. Unfortunately the park was just so busy difficult choices had to be made.

I only actually did one character meet on the 12th, I do regret not getting over to the Max meet and just doing the wait, but I used the time to get a dated 25th T-shirt and some lunch!

The one meet I did manage to do was Duffy and Shellie May in their special outfits, and I'm sure this comes as no surprise to anyone! As soon as I saw them in the program I knew that had to be my priority for the day, I actually missed the first set which ended up being a blessing in disguise as they met separately to begin with. Once the first set had finished I hung around and watched the cavalcade and then go straight in the queue to wait for their second set, and watched Stars on Parade from the queue. I think I waited about 4 hours in total but my patience was rewarded when for the second set both bears were meeting together. This is my dream meet, to have both bears together in special costumes, I had both Duffy and Shellie with me too dressed in their finest, it was the perfect way to remember the day and I loved the photo so much I even paid to have it printed and put in a 25th frame to take home.



So that's the first half of my trip covered, as this was longer than planned I'll follow up with the second half shortly, hope you've enjoyed it so far.

Chat soon,

Hoodsie xx

Hey Guys,

This could really be a make or break post for me I guess, I've seen a few other people post theirs including Sarah at Belle's Moments  and Kez at What would Dory Do, the basic idea is to admit to a few things that maybe you've been keeping secret for a while about your Disney likes and dislikes. Fingers crossed this won't offend anyone too much!

1. The post-renaissance era - I haven't actually seen a whole bunch of the films in this era, I've seen Treasure planet, Lilo and stitch, Chicken little, meet the Robinsons and Bolt, and to be honest, the only ones I revisit are Lilo and Stitch and Bolt. I'm actually still missing a few from the Renaissance era too ... oops ?


2.Pixar over classics - Yep sorry guys, I really do prefer the Pixar films, and also the newer computer animated films over the traditional hand drawn classics. Don't get me wrong, I still love and cherish many of the classic films but Pixar just connects with me so much more.


3.Disneyland vs Walt Disney World - I don't think this is the best kept secret of all time, but my desire to visit Disneyland far outweighs that of Walt Disney world, is it because it's Walt's park? Is it because it's smaller and feels more familiar to DLP? Is it because it has Cars land? Probably yes to all of those, all I know is I want it bad, though I'm fairly certain I'll end up going to WDW first!


4. I don't really watch Disney vlogs - I guess this is as much a general confession as a Disney one, but i find watching Disney vlogs can be really hard going, the longer they are the less chance I'll make it through the whole thing, it's not that I don't appreciate all the work you've put into it, because I know how tough it is, but I've walked round fantasy land and taken in the sights myself, show me something new or exciting! Shorter vlogs with more action and less filler are a winner for me!



5.Forest of Enchantment - I'm afraid it's a no from me. I don't know what it was about this show, but it annoyed me more than it ticked boxes, It's such a shame because individually I like all the films and songs it represents, but something about the way it was put together didn't sit right with me, I know it was hugely popular and I'm sure it will be a full house again when it returns in Summer, maybe I'll give it a second try?


So there's my Disney confessions, hope I don't lose too many friends? What about you guys, confession is open, feel free to share your Disney sins in the comments!

Hoodsie xx

Well guys it's that time again, and this list should hopefully be a little shorter than last months as I've been saving for my DLP trip in just a few weeks time, however this also means there's some great goodies in preparation for my trip! Lets take a look what i shouldn't have spent my money on in march =)

Pins

One of those Disney collections that I can't really explain why I need, but also can't seem to stop buying! There's been a few additions this month, the first is a Lightning McQueen pin, this was actually part of a triple pack from the Disney store to celebrate their 30th anniversary, the 3 pack was £14.99 and luckily my lovely friend Soph picked the set including lightning up but was happy to part with him as she knew I was a cars super fan!


I then picked up these two beautiful London pins from the Disney store on Oxford street, I had never really visited London before becoming part of the Disney community, but it's quickly become a huge part of my life, these pins are a really nice reminder for me of the incredible friends I've made recently and all the London adventures we've been on. The one featuring Big Ben was £9.00 and the postage stamp style on was £9.99 and comes with an adorable matching post card, but let's be honest it's far too lovely to actually post to someone!


Primark

I've also been able to pick up a few Disney goodies from Primark this month, and again this is entirely down to Sophie who has been so generous and helpful given the two stores in my area are relatively small and are always the last to get stock of anything I want!

The first is the much sought after Chip purse, this little guy retails for £4.00 in store but you'll be lucky to get your hands on him as he's literally flying off the shelves as soon as he hits them, looks like you won't be sleeping in the cupboard much longer chip! Following the release of the live action Beauty and the Beast remake, any merchandise related to it has been super popular, and although it's not my favourite Disney film, I couldn't resist how cute this little guy was and as I was able to pick him up for retail price it was a bargain addition to my collection.


The other awesome item Soph was able to grab for me was this awesome jungle book duvet cover set which I had been lusting after. Growing up jungle book was a film I watched over and over again its a classic and the songs are so catchy, I'd seen this duvet cover set on Facebook but had checked both my local Primark stores a few times with no luck! After missing out on the Christmas set I was determined to get hold of this set so when Soph said she was able to grab it for me i was over the moon! Can't wait too get it on my bed and get all snuggled up under it. The double duvet set is £18 in store, and i was able to pick up a similar "jungle green" fitted sheet in Wilkinsons for £8 and pillow cases for £2, bargain!


Movies

Who doesn't like a movie night? March has seen me add 2 new Disney films to my ever growing library, I picked up 2 great live action remakes in Jungle book and Pete's Dragon, they were £9.99 or 2 for £15 in HMV which seems like too good a bargain to pass up. Although I didn't think a huge amount of the Jungle book remake when I saw it in the cinema, I really wanted to give it a second chance, getting it for such a great price on Blu ray seemed like too good an option to miss, hopefully I'll get a few hours spare to settle down and watch it this week and maybe it will change my opinion on things?


Build a Bear

Of course no month is complete without two spoilt bears, and once again Duffy and Shellie-May were exactly that during march. First our lovely new Sophie friend (it's a popular name and it would appear we're collecting Sophies) answered our desperate plea to get help finding the Beast costume, which she refused to take any money for and sent to Duffy with this adorable rose accessory, in store the main costume is £15 and the rose is £3.50, so again Sophie, thank you so so much for the gift!


The other item we picked up was this summer time Olaf shirt and hat set for £10 which I had been looking at for quite some time, I can't get over how cute it is and can't wait to take some summer themed snaps of Duffy in it! Again this is from build a bear workshop.


Shop small business

The final section of this months write up is dedicated to small businesses that I've purchased from this month, and this is something I am so excited to share with you all. Since becoming part of the twitter community, small businesses and sites like Etsy have become a huge part of my shopping habits, not only is it a great way to get cute and unique items, but it's supporting someones dream, and when you think about it, isn't that just the most lovely thing to do?

The first Small business I bought from in March is It's Lizi this etsy store sells some awesome Disney artwork, and her underground prints collection is my favourite, you can buy the prints individually for £1.35 each or you can save some money by picking up a lucky dip multi pack like I did, what's even better is if you've made a past order, Lizi will try to avoid sending you duplicates of prints you've already bought! That's the kind of customer service I'm looking for! A pack of 5 prints is £6.00 or 10 is £10.80, they look amazing the quality is great and its such a fun way to display some of your favourite locations.


The next store i bought from is The Happiest Fitness Co, ran by the lovely Lottie they specialize in gym wear with a Disney twist and recently released this amazing Zootropolis themed tee! I went for a mens small as I prefer mens fit tees and I am super happy with the quality and fit, it's a new gym favourite for sure! this was £12.50 and is still available to order.


The final small business I bought from this month was Ears Ever After I was looking for something cute for my anniversary trip coming up and fancied something with a lot of sparkle! These were just perfect, they're customisable so you can pick your main ear colour separate to the bow colour and there are so many great combinations to pick from, to match the 25th colour scheme I went for blue and silver. They arrived super quick and were exactly what I was looking for and even better they're really comfortable which the official park eats aren't always! Hoping these will help get me some great character interaction and even better photos. These ears were £25 plus postage which is a really good price! Can't wait to get them on in the park!



So I think that covers everything I shouldn't have been spending my money on during march, what did you guys get? Did anyone else manage to get a chip purse or mug? Drop me a comment I'd love to chat!

Hoodsie xx

Hey Guys,

Just like that March is already over, honestly I don't know where the days are going, it really doesn't seem that long ago that I was writing up my February update and now I'm having to remember what I've been doing for the whole of March!

Eat sleep run repeat.

That has pretty much been the mantra for March, and though it hasn't always gone to plan, it's felt good to get out there regularly and feel like i'm making positive progress. I attended 3 Park runs in March, though i was only able to finish 2, sometimes it's important to listen to what your body is telling you and know the difference between something just being difficult, and being in pain because you're about to injure yourself. It took a long time to learn this one, and though I still tend to feel disappointed when i have to pull up in the middle of a run, or leave the gym half way through a session, I'd rather that than the pain of an injury and the lost training time!


So how is park run going? Pretty well actually, the more I stick with it the easier it's getting, and it actually feels really good to know by 10 am on a Saturday, you've already got up and done something good for yourself. Of the two weeks I was able to attend and finish I recorded times of 33:29 (04/03) and 31:23 (25/03) it's still a little distance from my PB and from where I'd like to be, but even in a month you can see the difference training has made! it's really encouraging and keeps me motivated.

Outside of park run I've been running near my house a couple of times a week, it's a shorter run, just under 3km but it's enough to keep me going between park runs and I'm hoping building up the shorter runs will help me increase my fitness levels, and hopefully reduce my 5km times! I tend to run once a week with my friend Jess, and once on my own, and it really helps keep me motivated and also keep a good balance. My 3km time has come down from 19:45 to 18:40, again it's so great to see improvement there too.


Lets get down to business!

Of course, running is only half the battle, as well as pounding the pavement I've been trying to get in the gym more, not only do I need to get my moneys worth from my gym membership, it's important for me to build muscle to help me burn fat faster and also allow my body to become stronger and build my fitness levels.


The gym is going really well currently, and that's down to my lovely personal trainer Claire, she knows how to wind me right up at the best of times, but she's also a huge driving force when I lack confidence and focus.


March saw me push leg days to a whole new level, including 80Kg Calf raises and 100kg leg presses, and boy have I felt the burn! Towards the end of the month I've had a focus on core and upper body strength and I hope to start to see an improvement in these areas during April!

Just keep swimming.

Moving into April more than anything I'm hoping just to stay on top of things and keep moving in the right direction, as I have a 6 day trip to DLP this month for the 25th celebrations I'm losing a bit of training time, and probably not eating so well while im there! So staying on track seems like the best plan, hopefully we'll get news of Run DLP bibs and I'll have something exciting to share.

Hoodsie xx