Hey guys!

So another Disney trip recently has meant an opportunity to stay in a new hotel I haven't tried before! I love staying in new hotels and seeing the different themes, but I'm always a bit apprehensive if I'm going to like it and if it will be up to the same standard of the other hotels. So that's why when I'm home I love to take the time to look back at the hotels, and hopefully share my thoughts and experiences that will help others decide where to stay!



This trip it was the turn of Sequoia Lodge, this on site 3 key/star hotel is based on a mountain retreat, it backs on to Lake Disney and is a short walk away from the parks and Disney Village. The hotel has around 990 rooms spread between the main building and several smaller lodges around the grounds, a variety of pricing options are available depending on how close you want to be to the main facilities, and if you want something extra special you can opt for a "Golden Forest" level room or suite, which boasts additional perks such as an exclusive lounge, and park fast passes! Sequoia Lodge also has 2 restaurants, a shop, Indoor and outdoor pool and a gym as well as complementary WiFi and a free shuttle bus to the parks if you don't want to take the walk around the lake.



We stayed for 4 nights in a standard room in the Big Sur Lodge, these rooms sleep up to 4 people and is one of the smaller separate lodges. It was actually the one right next to the pools and gym which ended up being really handy, it was also pretty much right next to the path to walk along the river towards the parks, so was really convenient! The room had 2 double beds a TV with a good selection of channels which were available in a few languages, a safe for your valuables, and a good size bath with overhead shower.



The room was Bambi themed which was really cute, and quite subtle compared to some of the other on site hotels. My only issue with the room was the lack of wall sockets, I think I counted 3 in total, one near the door, one in the corner for the lamp and one on the TV unit. I found that all 3 sockets turned off overnight when I was using a UK to EU adapter, however Sophie had an EU plug which did stay on overnight, so not sure entirely what caused that?



Check in was nice and easy, we were provided with a map of the hotel and our room keys and Easy pass. The easy pass is required to get into the parks for Extra Magic Time if you are not an annual pass holder, but also to use some of the hotel facilities, it also allows you to charge things to the room if you have set this up with reception and to have shopping sent back to your hotel, so it's worth putting in a safe place!

Opposite the check in desk is the concierge which you can use to make dining reservations for your stay as well as booking things like special activities, and the Eurostar luggage service if you don't have this already and want it for the return journey. I actually phoned the concierge using the phone in my room to book a restaurant reservation and it was so easy, a really good service if you haven't been able to make your reservations in advance.



Sequoia Lodge boasts 2 restaurants, Beaver Creek Tavern and Hunters Grill, from my understanding they are both buffet restaurants, with Hunters Grill being the primary one and Beaver Creek having more reduced operating hours. I ate at Hunters Grill on the 2nd night of our stay and was really impressed. I had a 7:30 pm reservation for myself and my niece who is 7, we were greeted at the front of the restaurant, confirmed our reservation time and size and were quickly seated, the waiter took our drinks orders, these are not included in the cost unless you are using a dining plan voucher, and we were then free to help ourselves to the buffet. The buffet had a really good selection, there were plenty of Meats, Fish and cheeses, as well as pasta, rice, nuggets potatoes and vegetarian options too.



As far a desert was concerned there was a huge range of cakes, jelly, fruit, sweets and even ice cream, which I can tell you made my niece very happy. The current price at the time of writing this is €34.99 for adults and €24.99 for children aged 3-11 (under 3's eat for free) and i honestly feel like I got my money's worth, having had around 4 plates of mains and 2 deserts and a bowl of fruit myself!



The restaurant theme was really nice and continued the american lodge feel that runs throughout the rest of the hotel, the tables were fairly spaced out and didn't feel cramped, the staff were really friendly and there were plenty of people around if you needed assistance. The buffet was kept fresh and full throughout the time we were there and empty/finished plates were collected promptly from the tables which helps to avoid the cramped and cluttered feeling. It was just a really nice, relaxing meal, which is perfect after a busy day in the park!



Not only did we make use of the dining facilities at the hotel, we used the shop a few times, this is located in the main building just past the bar, though it is small in size it had a great selection of items ranging from plushies, to clothing and pins, as well as a few personal essentials such as sun cream and deodorant etc in case you've forgotten to pack anything! We bought quite a few bits from the shop and every time we went in the staff were quick to greet us and offer us assistance and were always very polite and friendly, a real credit to the hotel.



The final on site facility we made sure to use was the pool, swimming was something I've not made time for on a Disney trip before so I was determined to change that! Sequoia lodge boasts both an indoor and outdoor pool, however the evening we decided to swim only the indoor one was open, which was more than enough. The pool is themed along side the rest of the hotel, has a slide and a hot tub. For younger or less confident swimmers arm bands are provided poolside, my only issue was that there was no shallow end for younger swimmers, the pool is around 4 foot 7 deep so not great for younger guests. The pool has a good sized changing rooms with free lockers, showers and a sauna, free towels are also provided to guests upon production of a valid hotel easy pass.

Overall I really enjoyed our time at Sequoia lodge, the theme and the grounds of the hotel were lovely, it was a great location and the perfect mix of being close to everything but also having the nice walk between the parks and the hotel in the mornings and evenings. The facilities were a great addition but I'm not sure I would use things like the gym and pool every trip, it did make a nice change though. My only disappointment with the hotel was the lack of shallow area or children's area within the pool, but it made very little impact on our stay and we still managed to enjoy it. I'm lucky enough to be booked in to return to the sequoia lodge in just a few weeks and honestly I cannot wait to go back!

Have you stayed at sequoia lodge before? Would you consider it now? Is there anything I haven't covered that you'd like to know? Drop me a comment below!

Hoodsie xx

Hey everyone!

So this is an idea I actually saw on someone else's blog first, so before I go any further I wanted to thank whoever it was that gave me the green light to do my own. Unfortunately right now I have the memory of, well something with a terrible terrible memory, and cannot for the life of me remember who that was to link you - I'm so sorry!

Now if you're like me, you might find that you love reading about other people's trips and adventures and experiences, not even just the Disney ones, but sometimes it just leaves you feeling a bit deflated that maybe you haven't achieved as much, or that you've still got so much left on your bucket list to complete. I'll be honest it's a pretty common thing for me and something that I'm learning to try and deal with and make into a positive.

So that's where the reverse bucket list comes in, sometimes you're so busy focusing on all the things you haven't done yet, or can't do right now, that it's all too easy to forget all the things you have already achieved, and I can bet there are a few on there that other people wish they'd done too! So this is a look back at some Disney parks things I have achieved over the years!

1. My first Disney trip.

Now this is sort of a no brainer I guess, if it weren't for me having actually visited the parks already, this blog wouldn't exist, or if it did a lot of the content would be very different! For me my first visit to a Disney park was a long time coming, unlike many I never visited as a child, it was expensive, my parents weren't that interested and the money just got spent on other things instead. Now please don't get me wrong here, I had an incredible childhood, we still took holidays, we went on days out, we had more pets than people believed (23 at one point!!) and we had more than enough love. But I knew my ambition to one day go to a Disney park wasn't going to go away.



Eventually when i started working and earning my own money, I was lucky enough to win some holiday vouchers from my employers after a particularly successful Christmas season and there was no doubt in my mind what I would be using them for. So in 2010 I got my first passport and headed over to Disneyland Paris, it was the "New generation festival" and pretty much straight away I fell in love!



Being able to finally go, and even better to earn and pay for the trip myself was a huge deal for me, and I'm proud to have achieved it!

2. Getting an annual pass.

What's better than your first trip to a Disney park? Your first annual pass of course! Now before I get started let me make the following super clear.

I do not consider anyone who doesn't own or hasn't ever owned an annual pass for any of the Disney parks to be less of a fan in any way. Having one is a great benefit if you are able and want to visit often, but it doesn't make you any better/more important than any other guest or fan.

For me an annual pass always seemed out of reach, they were only for people who lived much closer than I did to a Disney park and could go way more often! Then in March 2016, I realised suddenly I was becoming one of those people. With 3 trips booked for 2016, the annual pass became a worthy investment where I could make back the cost in discounts and perks over the trips I already had booked.

Two years later I'm onto my 2nd annual pass, have taken 12 trips as a pass holder and have more booked for the next few months! Not only that, going to the parks has not only given me this blog, but it has allowed me to meet and make so so many incredible friends in the Disney community and I feel so very lucky to know them and have them around.

3. My first stay at Newport Bay Club.

This is probably a more unusual one, it's not the priciest hotel, it's not exclusive, it's not 5 star luxury, but for me, Newport bay was always a dream hotel. During my first trip back in 2010, my friend and I decided we wouldn't wait for the Disney shuttle bus to take us from the Santa Fe to the park, and instead, as it was a nice morning, we'd walk it. Well long story short, we got totally totally lost! We didn't know about the path at the back of the resort that would take us along the river and into the village, and our misguided attempt at walking the bus route had somehow taken us to the Newport bay entrance.



Now if you've visited the parks or seen a map of the layout of the hotels in relation to the parks, you'll understand just how ridiculous this is looking back, we really did walk quite far out of our way! Anyway, all's well that ends well as we hopped on a shuttle from there and still made it to the park before our friend who we'd left having breakfast at our hotel. But right from that day when I first set eyes on the hotel, I knew Newport Bay Club was the Disney hotel for me. I don't know what it was exactly about the hotel, they're all pretty impressive and beautiful in their own way, but the Newport really stole my heart.



The nautical theme drew me in, the grand building and beautiful lobby, every trip after that I'd look optimistically at the prices to see if I could make it work, and for a long time I couldn't. I finally stayed at Newport Bay in October 2017 for the Halloween season, and boy I was not disappointed at all! You can catch up with my full hotel review here, staying there was definitely a big tick off my Disney bucket list, and I cannot wait to stay there again some time!

4. Visiting a park for it's anniversary.

See this list is actually quite funny when you think about it, because I'm not sure this is something I ever would have put on a bucket list if I'd written one, or something I ever really thought about doing, until it happened, and now I can't imagine having never got to experience one. Disney is magical, that much is true about pretty much any park on any given day, I'm constantly in awe of everything around me in the parks, the buildings, the shows, the music, the atmosphere. But an anniversary day? That's something else entirely.



I was lucky enough to be in Disneyland Paris on April 12th 2017, the 25th anniversary of the opening of the park. The celebrations and atmosphere that day were incredible, and so so special. It really was a sparkling celebration, the weather was beautiful (if a little too warm) the crowds were all in good spirits and oh boy did Disney put on a show for us! The morning started with the Grand Celebration, a parade starting from the castle and working its way down Main street with over 100 characters! This was then repeated as 2 shorter cavalcades during the day. The VIPs were out meeting in exclusive outfits and for many like myself, it was a first chance to see all of the new entertainment options, which included the Starlit Princess Waltz, the Happy Anniversary show and the incredible Stars on parade. The day ended with Illuminations and a very special good night kiss with not only Mickey, but all 12 VIPs in their special outfits.



If you ever get the chance to go to a parks anniversary event, I couldn't recommend it more. It was an incredibly long and busy day but it left me with the most incredible memories that I'm so grateful for!

5. Complete a Run Disney race.

Completing your first distance race is always a special experience, now imagine your first long distance is in a Disney park? Awesome right?! What if I told you it was also the first time the park had hosted such an event? It's the icing on the cake, and that's why run Disney has made it onto my list!



September 2016 saw Disneyland Paris host its first run Disney event, over a weekend in late September runners could take part in both a 5km race and a half marathon, and for mini runners there were a number of children's races around lake Disney. Run Disney was already well established in the US And was something I always had an ambition for, so when it came to my home park my dream was suddenly a reality.



I can honestly say not only is run Disney not like any other Disney event I've attended, it's also so much more than any other race I've ever partaken in, and being part of the inaugural event just made it extra special. I returned in 2017 to complete the new "Bibity bobity boo" challenge which added an additional 10Km race to the line up and I'm all booked to return in 2018 for the 36km challenge.

My race memories are some of my favourite DLP moments and the medals are something I will cherish for years to come!



So that's my reverse Disney bucket list as it stands, what would be on yours? Have I inspired you to add anything to your bucket list? Let me know in the comments!

Hoodsie xx

Hey guys,

Do you ever hear about a new ride in a theme park or a new area or show and think, "I could do better" or, even just "you know what I'd really like to see". I don't think I'm alone at all in having these thoughts. For a long time now the Walt Disney Studios park in Disneyland Paris has been in need of some love. Before the recent announcement of a €2 billion investment in the park and creation of 3 new lands I think a lot of people couldn't help but imagine what they'd like to see next in the studios.

And that's exactly what this post is about. It's an idea I've had for quite some time now, and I think I have touched on it briefly before, but after mentioning it recently to friends, I was encouraged to put my ideas out there. Who knows maybe one day we'll see something similar in a Disney park?



Green construction walls at wdw, credit: @PennieK_ twitter

A ride on the train of thought...

So my ride idea is based on the Pixar film Inside Out, this was a film that really touched me and I fell in love with it almost instantly! It is not only super creative, with a really heartfelt story and message, but it's bright, fun, and has brought some really great characters with huge personalities that I'd love to see play a bigger role in the parks.

When I originally developed this idea I intended for it to fill the show building currently used for Armageddon in the Walt Disney Studios park in Disneyland Paris, however we now know this will become part of the recently announced Marvel land. With this in mind I feel that this ride would be best placed in the "Toon Studio" area of the studios park, possibly behind Toy Story Playland and Place De Remy, to complete a Pixar area of the park.



Potential ride location noted by the gold star.

The ride itself is a simplistic dark ride, similar to that of Pinocchio, Peter pan's flight and snow white, though for loading purposes, I would prefer the ride vehicles to be on a constant track system like Phantom manor and Buzz. It is based on the train of thought which Bing Bong introduces Joy and Sadness to during the film, the ride will take you round Riley's mind and through the different islands that make up her personality, such as Hockey Island and Goofball Island.

I think being a dark ride, there is a lot of opportunity to make each scene really bright and colourful, and I think it will be a great way to showcase each individual island with moving parts and a 360 degree experience. The ride vehicles would be made to look like train carriages, and Bing Bong would be the host, popping up throughout the ride in each island.

For the queue I would love to see the walls covered in thought bubbles with interactive screens along the route, similar to the 7 Dwarfs mine train in Walt Disney World, these could either show clips from the film, or have little activities. Both would make the queue seem a lot quicker and would help to entertain younger guests too. In particular I'd like to see the triple dent gum jingle, as well as some of Riley's core memories shown.



An on ride photo would be a great addition , and would make the current photo pass offering a lot more appealing as currently there aren't many smaller family rides that offer a picture, it would also be an opportunity to sell Inside out themed frames including all of the characters rather than just Sadness and Joy who are the main characters featured so far.

So that's my inside out ride idea, as you can tell it's still a bit of a work in progress, and honestly I doubt it would ever come to anything, but I like to believe it's a nice idea and would prove popular.

What do you guys think? Would you ride the train of thought? Have you ever thought about what ride you would design given the chance? Let me know in the comments!

Hoodsie xx

Hey guys,

So I'm a member of a few online groups for people to ask questions and share tips and advice about their Disneyland Paris trips, and one thing that I see come up a lot is questions around Disney's costume rules. I thought this was something I'd like to try and address, and give people all the info they need in one handy place, so here we go.

So what is Disneybounding? Founded by Leslie Kay the idea is that you dress in day to day clothes but try to match the colours and accessories to imitate your favourite Disney characters. Not to be confused with Cosplay - the idea isn't to look like the character, but simply to create an outfit that's inspired by a character. Many Disneybound groups believe the key to keeping Disneybounding successful and widely accepted in the parks is to ensure it is kept separate from cosplay.



Image: @MitchellDisney - twitter

So how did Disneybounding come about and why does it need to be kept so separate from cosplay? Well to answer that we simply need to look at the parks dress code, in this case I have looked at the Disneyland Paris website, regarding dress up the rules are as follows;

We also reserve the right, at our own discretion and at any given time, to refuse a visitor the right to wear any type of costume, makeup or tattoo, especially if it is likely to offend, shock or scare children and a family-orientated public, that Euro Disney Associés S.C.A. would consider as inappropriate or if it would impede the operation while posing as or portraying any character in costume. The same rule applies for accessories considered to breach security or be a danger in our attractions (capes, sticks, etc.).

Costumes and masks may not be worn by any visitors ages 12 or older (unless required for medical purposes). When worn by younger visitors, masks must provide unobstructed peripheral vision at all times with openings that allow the eyes to be fully seen.
The non-respect of this dress code may prevent access to the Parks.
Private special events may have specific guidelines, which can be find in publicity or information materials relative to the event. Private special events may have specific guidelines, which can be find in publicity or information materials relative to the event.

So essentially the rules are quite clear, if you're 12 or over, you can't wear a costume into the park unless its for a special event where this has been specifically permitted, for example run Disney events and the Halloween Soiree. There are many reasons for this, but the over riding factor is guest safety and character integrity. If you're wearing a convincing character costume younger guests can become confused, and any of your actions while dressed int his way could reflect Disney in a poor light.



Image: @auroraschateau - twitter

But of course, children aren't the only ones who like to dress like their favourites, and that's where Disneybounding comes in, it's the best of both worlds, a way to represent your favourite characters while complying with the park clothing guidelines, and more importantly it's really fun!



Image: Jess - Disneybound UK

So how do you plan your Disneybound outfits? Well the first thing to do is pick your character, because you're not trying to look like an accurate representation of them this part is actually quite fun as you have free range of pretty much any character, your imagination is the only thing holding you back!



Image: @gracepainter - twitter

Once you've picked your character you need to work out what the characters key colours are, so Minnie Mouse wears a red polka dot dress, Goofy is known for his orange top and green hat, Belle is known for her Yellow (Golden) dress. You get the idea, once you have your key colours and accessories it's time to raid your wardrobe.



Image: Jess - Disneybound UK

That's the thing about Disneybounding, unlike cosplay it doesn't need you to spend a lot of money, find exact colours or styles, you can use the clothes and accessories you already have at home to build up your outfit to fit the theme/character you're aiming for. And if you do need to buy extras, places like Primark, H&M and the supermarkets can be a goldmine for you as you can buy lots of basics in a whole range of shades at really affordable prices to build up your options.

But it is all well and good hearing what I have to say, it is always best to hear from an expert. So I went to my friend Jess, shes an admin for the Disneybound UK group and she was happy to share her top 5 tips with me!

1. Disneybounding is about using your own style to represent a character with their colour scheme, you don't need to go out of your comfort zone to Disneybound.


2. It's about representation, not replication! A Disneybound is about being inspired by a character, you don't need to wear wigs or use props.


3. Remember it's about keep it street style and not just something you would wear for Disneybounding, one thing I always say is if you wouldn't wear it out to the shops, to town, to the pub or on the school run then don't wear it as a Disneybound. For dapper day think wedding or a party.


4. There are no rules for Disneybounding as long as you aren't breaking the Disney park rules! Just be yourself and have fun, make sure you know what the park rules are and that you aren't crossing over to a cosplay.


5. Join the community! There are online groups on both Facebook and Instagram who are really supportive and great to find inspiration, ask for advice and share your bounds. Jess can be found on Disneybound UK and they have recently opened a new lounge on Facebook where they give advice. Disneybounders Unite is also a group run by Leslie Kay, founder of Disneybounding.

If you want to find out more from Jess or any of the Disneybound team, you can find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!



Image: Jess - Disneybound UK

So that's the basics covered, have you tried Disneybounding before? Are you inspired to try now? Who's look would you most like to try? As always drop us a comment!

Hoodsie xx

Hey guys!

Feels like I have been writing some really heavy stuff recently! Not in a bad way, but with so much new coming to Disneyland Paris in 2018, there's a lot of ground to cover and a lot of analysis and opinions to be given, I decided I'd give myself a little break from that and write something a bit lighter! I was trying to think what things I could cover, and then without really noticing this idea came to me, and I thought it would be interesting to see other people's views, so I hope once you've finished reading you'll drop me a comment with your ideas.

Today I'm going to cover 5 Disney Parks items I wish were sold in Disneyland Paris, now I have no real connections here, so please don't think these things are actually coming to the parks any time soon, of course if they do happen to materialize after I've published this, I will be happy to take all credit!

So lets get started...

5. Novelty pop corn buckets.



Now this one technically is something DLP already sells, but the range and the availability is so poor compared to other Disney parks that I honestly feel like they're not even trying.

Out of the ones I have seen so far, the Asian parks in particular seem to really make the best ones of these and the biggest variety, my favourite is probably the recent Buzz Lightyear one where he is in his box, I think it's so cool and would be happy to be seen wearing one. There are a few Duffy ones which I'm finding particularly difficult to resist! But I will stay strong, for now!

4. Alex and Ani bracelets

I know right, how cute are these? Alex and Ani bracelets are available online but in the US Parks you can get exclusive Disney versions, I love how simple they are, and I like that it looks equally good wearing just one, or mixing a couple up together to represent your favourite parks.

Price wise I find Alex and Ani to be better value than Pandora, and I feel they are quite subtle and adult, if there's anything DLP needs it's more reasonably priced adult merchandise and these would be a great start, I'd love to have one with Sleeping Beauty's castle or the Earful tower on!



3. Ear hats

Raise your hands if you've ever had a headache from wearing Mickey ears in the park but refused to take them off because it feels wrong not to wear ears?

So I guess I'm not the only one who does this, I love Mickey ears, the park ones are generally a little too small and do need to be worn in, which isn't the end of the world. And I feel comfortable now that I've found my go to ear makers when I want something special that I can't get in the parks. But fear not, this isn't the only option for super adorable headwear! Ear hats are a much more comfortable way to show your Disney style and come in so many designs now that it's criminal that Paris still don't have them. They did for a while sell some light up ear hats that worked in connection with Disney dreams, but we've never really had the full range, certainly not in the 8 years I've been visiting.

Not only are they really cute and comfortable, but you can also have them embroidered in some of the parks too with your name and that's just the icing on the cake!



2. Mystery pin packs



I love pin trading. Disney puns are so cute and so addictive and a really cool way to show off your Disney style, I always end up adding to my collection during a trip and seem to spend hours looking at them on Instagram and Etsy.

So imagine my surprise when I found out I could combine my love of pins, with another addictive hobby of blind bags! That's right some of the parks sell mystery pin packs, themed around films/seasons or events it's a great way to expand your collection and also add some extra fun trying to hunt down a full set!

The pin packs I've seen can work out at really good value and there's always something in each set I'd be happy with. And if you don't like the pin you got? That's ok because now you can trade it with a friend, guest or CM for something you do want. This is a super fun idea and I would pick up one or two packs on pretty much every trip if I could! Pretty please?

1.Spirit jerseys

Now let me start by saying, at first I didn't get what all the fuss was about. Then they started bringing out more colours and by the time pink and rose gold were released I knew I wanted one. I was super lucky and when Soph and Sophie went to WDW a couple weeks ago they picked up and brought me back this classic Minnie Spirit Jersey! It is just the cutest and most comfortable thing! They're kind of baggy but that's the style however I will say I'm short and usually an 8/10 on top and I got an extra small jersey which is perfect!

They're currently on sale in both Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California, and have the name of the resort across the back. But I would so love them to come to DLP so I could represent my favourite park when I'm out and about and I would be buying a few different colours too.

Remember "that grey sweatshirt"? Well let me tell you spirit jerseys are set to be way bigger and it would be criminal for whoever decides what parks carry which merchandise to not get in on the craze!



So that's my top 5, would you buy any of them? What do you want to throw your hard earned cash on that Disneyland Paris don't stock? Drop me a comment!

Hoodsie xx

Once again a massive thank you to PennieK and Davidatdisney for providing some of the photos!

Hey guys!

Wanted to do something a bit different today than an opinion piece or a review, one thing I always find super useful when I'm planning a trip is looking for other people's experiences to help me plan things, especially when I am trying something new. So that's what I thought I would do today!



Pic credit: @rebeccav1991 instagram with permission!

One thing that I was particularly unsure about doing for the first time, was driving to Disneyland Paris from the UK, and it's also something I've seen people ask a lot of questions about recently, so I decided to share my experience in an attempt to help and reassure you guys. Fingers crossed eh?

So I drove to DLP in November 2017, and that was my first time driving outside of the UK, I had been driving a fair few years at the time, I passed my test in 2010, and I like to think of myself as a fairly confident driver I've done long drives before and use my car to get all over, so I was actually kind of surprised how nervous I was to drive in mainland Europe for the first time. I couldn't tell you what exactly I was so nervous about honestly, possibly just a fear of the unknown, but getting over that fear and actually doing it is something I'm personally really proud of, and I feel it's opened doors for me.

So where do we start? Well first of all you're going to need to decide how to cross the Channel, now I've only driven to DLP once myself and I went by Euro Tunnel, you can check out the availability and prices for the day you want by visiting the Euro tunnel/Le Shuttle website. I found that the earlier mornings and the later evening crossings were generally the cheapest, and this also meant maximum time in the park which is always fine by me! We managed to save as well by doing such a short trip, we only went for the one night and as such were able to qualify for the Day trip ticket type. Other levels of ticket after that are Short stay saver - only for trips of up to 5 days, must be used with a short stay saver return ticket and non refundable, Short stay Flexiplus - again only up to 5 days but allows amendments to the day and time of travel, dedicated check in and executive departure lounge. There is also a Standard and Flexiplus option for stays longer than 5 days, these additional tiers are a higher cost again.

Now the nice thing about Euro Tunnel, is that we were able to use our Tesco Clubcard vouchers to make part payment, and each £10 in vouchers was worth £30 against the crossing, so we made a huge saving doing it this way, the only slight downside to booking with Clubcard vouchers is that you can't book online so you will need to phone them, but that was quick and hassle free, and then I just submitted our passenger info (names of all travellers and passport numbers DOB etc) online afterwards. You get emailed a confirmation to print and take with you, and that's pretty much it.

So you need to be at the Tunnel at least 45 mins before your scheduled departure, though you can turn up up to 2 hours before, so once you know your crossing time the next thing to do is decide how you're getting there/when you need to leave, I live about 3 hours away from the tunnel, and also would need to make a detour in order to pick up the friends I was travelling with. As we had a fairly early crossing we decided the easiest way for us was to travel to Folkestone the day before and get somewhere to stay for the night so we weren't rushing in the morning. We managed to find a great place using the comparison websites and all 5 of us stayed for £55 for the night just a short drive from the tunnel. This worked perfectly for us, it broke the driving up so I wasn't too tired, it was really affordable and was a big relief not to need to do it all in one go.

So once you get to the tunnel check in is super easy, pretty much a case of handing over your booking confirmation and then you get a little hangar to go over your rear view mirror that has your boarding letter. You go through passport control, make sure to have them all open to the right page and without covers on, then you can park up for a while until your boarding letter is called. Both Folkestone and Calais have a departure terminal which is a bit like a service station, it has shops, a few places to eat or just sit and relax and of course toilets etc. Just need to keep an eye/ear out for when it's your turn to board.



Once you're on the train the crossing itself is just 35 mins, you can get out of your car to stretch your legs, and there are toilets on the train, but other than that there's nowhere to go, so it's pretty much a case of sitting back and relaxing for a while. Once the train arrives in Calais everything is sign posted and it is so much easier than I had realised. Now I used a sat nav to get from Calais to DLP and it was pretty much all motorway, the drive took about 3 hours in total and there were plenty of service stations along the way if you needed to fill up or take a break!

Now unfortunately this is the part where I have to apologise for being totally useless, at the time I actually did this, I never really thought about writing about the experience or using it to help others, so when it came to getting from Calais to DLP, I blindly followed my sat nav without paying a whole load of attention to the route we were taking. So sadly I can't tell you which route we took, what I can tell you is it's pretty much entirely motorway, and french motorways are much easier to drive on and much quieter than in the UK.

The route we took was a toll route which was really easy, you took a ticket at one end, then paid by card at the other end. I think we took 2 slightly different routes between going there and coming back but paid around €22 in tolls each way, make sure you budget for this! Petrol wise I used about half a tank on my 1.25L Fiesta going each way, so I topped up at the garage by Santa Fe before we left on the way home, and on the way there we found a garage in Folkestone not far from the tunnel.



Now one of the main things about driving in France compared to the UK is the things you are required to carry in your car by law. Now I hope you never need to use most of this stuff, and are never in a situation where it's being checked, but personally I wouldn't take the risk of not carrying the stuff. Our trip was massively on a budget which is why I drove in the first place, so we looked online to get everything as cheap as possible. There seems to be a lot of confusion over exactly what is needed, so let me try and clear this up, the things you require by law are;

• A warning triangle - in case you break down you can place it before your vehicle to warn other drives.


• High Visibility Jackets - These are needed for every passenger in the vehicle, they don't need to be worn but need to be kept within reach!


• A GB sticker - unless you have the "euro registration plates" which already have the GB initials. We actually got a magnet, which means we can re use it on another car in the future.


• Spare bulbs - It makes sense really a spare set of bulbs means you can switch yours out roadside - safety first!


• Headlamp beam deflectors - As you're driving on the wrong side, you need to make sure you're not blinding other drivers! Pro tip, if you get the stick on ones, you are meant to remove the top layer once they're stuck on, we're total wallys and managed to miss this part - whoops!


• A breathalyser/Alcohol tester - Now this is the one that's a bit contentious, the law still states that you should carry one, however as of January 2013 the fine for not having one was dropped indefinitely.

Now you can grab all of these things off the internet fairly easy and cheaply, or if you want to get it all in one place, a European driving kit from Halfords or similar will have pretty much everything you will need, you may just need to top up the amount of jackets!

Once we got to the park we used the Infinity parking, which is a perk of my annual pass I haven't really used previously, show your pass at the main car park gate and not only will you be let in for free (I believe the day charge for cars is currently €20) you get give a card to display on your dashboard with a code on the back, the Infinity parking zone is the nearest to the parks aside from the disabled parking. To get in there is an automated barrier with a key pad, enter the code from the back of your card to get in, then display the card on your dash for the day once you park up. The code changes every day to stop people sharing the code and it was so nice to be able to park so close, especially on the first day when we arrived mid afternoon.



So that's pretty much all you need to know about driving to DLP, my top tips would be to check you have everything you need for the car, if you live a long way from the tunnel on the UK side break up your trip by staying near by the night before your crossing, and finally don't over think it, it's honestly so much easier than I had let myself believe and made our budget trip possible.

Have you driven before? Is it something you're considering? Is there something you'd like to know that I haven't covered here? Let me know, drop a comment below!

Hoodsie xx

Hey guys!

If you know me well, or are a regular visitor to this blog, you'll know I'm a huge character fan! I mean I love everything about Disneyland Paris, but for me the characters, and more recently the entertainment, is what really sets Disney apart from other theme parks.

So for me when I'm in the parks I am constantly looking for ways to maximise how many characters I can meet, and one of these ways has become an integral part of my trips that I'd like to share with you all, and that is character dining.

This is something I have written about before, previously I gave my thoughts on the character breakfast currently available at Plaza Gardens. That was just after my trip in April 2017, and yet this is still one of my most read posts, and hopefully something that is proving useful to people trying to decide what experiences to spend their money on! So today I have decided to cover another character dining option, Inventions.

Inventions is a buffet restaurant located on the second floor of the iconic Disneyland Hotel. At the time of writing this review it is open for both Lunch and Dinner and does not require you to be a hotel guest or have a current park ticket. Lunch is served from 12:30 - 3 and the Dinner service is from 6 - 10:30 pm, it is priced at €35.00 for children aged 3-11, €65.00 for adults age 12 and up, and finally children under 3 eat for free!



The buffet on offer is, in my opinion, really good. There is plenty there, the range is good and in my experience dishes are replenished quickly throughout the service hours. In the times I have visited Inventions I can honestly say I've never gone hungry, and personally I think of myself as not having the most adventurous pallet, Nuggets and Pizza are just fine for me thank you. There is a good selection of cold meats, cheeses, a large selection of sea food which is always popular, and plenty of vegetarian choices, my personal favourites include the pasta and meatballs and the cod and chicken nuggets.

I have been lucky enough to have had dinner in inventions a few times now since 2016 and it's always been a really enjoyable experience. Part of what keeps me coming back again is that you never know exactly which characters you are going to see on any given night, this really helps to keep the experience fresh as there are so many that could make an appearance. So far I think I have seen; Mickey, Minnie, Chip, Dale, Pluto, Goofy, Donald, Pinocchio, Tigger, Eeyore and Rafiki over the various times I've been. Also I've known other people to have met Captain Hook, Smee, Marie and the Genie to name just a few.

     

Now if all this isn't sounding like an amazing experience already, if you have a trip that includes a Sunday, you're in for an extra special treat! Instead of the normal Lunch service, Sundays have a special Sunday Brunch which is an even more character filled opportunity. Brunches run each Sunday from 1 - 3pm and are €35 for children 3-11 and €79 for adults, so slightly more than a standard Lunch or Dinner sitting, a free fruit juice or champagne is also provided when you are seated.

What makes the Sunday brunch stand out from a normal meal at inventions is the range of characters that might show up. Character brunches are themed, each week has a different theme and different characters show up to represent it, where the "fab 5" characters, Mickey & Minnie etc, are present they will often have a special themed outfit. This is a great way of meeting rare and unusual characters, and if you're an avid character fan like myself, it's a great way of seeing some really unusual outfits!

Again I've been lucky enough to visit a few brunches, the themes are not announced in advance as they are subject to change at short notice so they try to avoid disappointment, but some themes are fairly easy to predict if they fall in line with public holidays such as Christmas, New year, Halloween, Easter etc. So far I have experienced 4 different brunch themes, Neverland, Champagne, Halloween and Orient Express, each has been a unique experience and I've had some really special meets.

For the Neverland brunch we saw Peter Pan, Wendy, Smee and Captain hook, as well as Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Chip and Dale who all had special Pirate outfits! Peter and Wendy were my favourite and it was my first time meeting them together, but Donald's pirate outfit was really special, and I probably wouldn't have been able to meet him in this any other way!

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The Champagne brunch had a lot of the fab 5 type characters but also Clarice, Duffy bear and Shellie May! So for me this was an incredibly special brunch, and possibly one of my all time favourites. I loved the characters gold outfits and got to spend some quality time with them and got some amazing photographs that I'll hold on to for some time to come.



Finally the Orient express brunch was again the fab 5 characters with some additional friends from the 100 Acre woods, again the costumes were absolutely fantastic and so special to be able to meet Mickey and his pals in costumes you never see around the park, my fondest memory of this brunch was Minnie, she was feeling extremely playful and really made the experience memorable.

  

Other themes I've seen but haven't been to include a Snow White brunch with all 7 Dwarves, Under the sea with Ariel and Eric, a Parisian style brunch with the Aristocats, a London Brunch with Mary and Bert, far too many to list all in one place. As you can see this is a fantastic way to meet some really unsual characters or get to see yur favourites in some incredible alternative outfits.

The most important thing to note at character meals is that the characters will come to you, so please don't interrupt them when they are with someone else, on the whole I think Inventions is the best restaurant for this, as well as table staff there are a number of cast members purely to support the characters throughout the restaurant, they ensure that the characters get around all the tables, and are more than happy to help if someone has missed you, they also help to ensure your character meets aren't interrupted by other guests!

Characters will generally sign autographs during meals, however it's worth noting that at peak times, and special brunches (Christmas and Halloween in particular) there isn't always time for autographs, please be prepared for this and as a cast member if you're unsure, either way you can still have a great experience.

My only issue with the buffet style character meals is knowing when to get up to get food, usually the characters will rotate in 2 groups with a small change over between groups, this is the best time to go! The buffet is in the long room in the middle of the restaurant and is easily accessible, there are plenty of plates so you can start pretty much anywhere, especially if you're only after one or two of the available dishes. My preference is usually to sit in one of the end rooms as it doesn't feel as busy, however if you're in a rush and want to see the characters quickly I would advise asking to sit in the buffet room.

Inventions is bookable 60 days prior to your stay and can be done via the restaurant reservation line +33 1 60 30 40 50 no deposit is required upfront but larger groups may need to book by E-mail. The brunches can fill up quickly so it is always worth phoning as early as possible to have the best choice of dates and sitting times.

So that's my experience with Inventions, have you been before? Who have you met? Who would you like to see? Drop me a comment below!

Hoodsie xx

Hey guys,

If you're in the know you might have seen D23 expo has been to Japan, celebrating all things Disney, the expo ran from February 10th - 12th 2018. It covers everything from games and film, to parks and resorts and is a huge event on the Disney fan calendar. Now when it comes to events like D23, and in particular the parks and resorts panel, it's hard not to be a little selfish! Of course it's great to see what is coming to all the parks, but what we really want to hear most is announcements about our home park, be that Paris, Florida, California or beyond, we want to know what's coming next to the place we call home.

Well lucky for any Disneyland Paris fans, Monday's park panel delivered and, as confirmed by DLP themselves in a press release the same day, change is coming to Walt Disney Studios park. Now I've covered the studios park before, the second gate to DLP opened in 2002 and although it has expanded in it's nearly 16 years, it's hard to disagree that the park just isn't up to the Disney standard. I asked before if it was time for a change, and even made some suggestions as to what I'd want to see, but now change is actually starting, and I for one am very excited about it.

So what do we know? Well not a huge amount actually, the press brief was very brief but what we do know for certain is that Rock n Roller coaster, featuring Aerosmith, is all set for a complete overhaul with a new Marvel theme, specifically Iron man and the Avengers. The press release didn't confirm a date for closure of the current attraction, or completion of the new attraction, but I expect this will follow over the next month or so as the extent of the change will become more clear.



Does this come as a huge surprise? Well no. When Cinemagique closed it's doors, and a marvel themed replacement was confirmed fans speculated that a Marvel themed area of the park wouldn't be out of the questiont. Next came the announcement of Marvel summer of Heroes, and the rumoured re-theme of Tower of Terror into Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission breakout, to match Disney's California Adventure. Then there was subsequent reporting of the re-theme being "shelved". So no, the announcement of an attraction closing to under go a transformation into something with a Marvel theme wasn't a bolt out of the blue.



But what about Rock N Roller? One of the opening day attractions in Walt Disney Studios it is situated in the Backlot area of the park, opposite Blockbuster café and the Spider-Man Meet and Greet, it's one of the fastest roller coasters (if not the fastest) and as the name would suggest is themed around the band Aerosmith. The DLP version has a few differences to it's American predecessor at Hollywood studios, most notably it is themed as a music video experience in Paris, and an high speed car trip in the US version.

As I'm not a huge coaster fan and don't know a huge amount about the ride or it's place in Disney parks history, I asked my friend Matty from Discovery Mountain if he could shed some light on the ride for me.

"Rock N Roller coaster Avec Aerosmith" is a Vekoma LSM launch coaster, the track layout is a clone of the attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios and was custom designed by Walt Disney Imagineering and Vekoma. Rock n Roller continues to be the fastest Disney coaster, and is still the fastest roller coaster in France with a top speed of 57 mph!

He then went on to describe the ride experience for me, which as I've never ridden it, I found really interesting!

The coaster sets off and moves into the launch position, a large LED sign counts down along with the voice of Steven Tyler 3,2,1 and you're off, the coaster travels along the launch tunnel going from 0 to 57 mph in 2.8 seconds. The ride features a half loop, followed by a double corkscrew, and then turns and twists around the rest of the show building. The ride features a full Aerosmith backing track throughout and an extravagant light show, there is one final corkscrew before the brake run.

So that's the current ride in a nutshell, it's worth noting that the ride has an on board photo op, and already has a fast pass entrance in operation, both of which it is safe to assume will carry over to the new ride.

Now that we understand what we're saying good bye to, what do I think about the change? Well to be honest I'm pretty excited, even though I have no intention of riding Rock n Roller before it departs, or it's replacement once it opens. Since it's acquistion by Disney Marvel has started to make its presence among Disney parks to mixed reviews, Tower of Terror fans were disappointed to see the tower in Califonia replaced by Mission Breakout, but once it opened there were a lot of positive reviews on the ride and the theme inside the tower.

Marvel day at sea has provided a presence of the IP on the Disney Cruise lines and is very popular, and alongside the announcement of an Iron Man/Avengers attraction for Paris at D23, an Ant man ride for Hong Kong Disneyland, which is it's second Marvel attraction following on from their Iron Man Experience, and finally, a family friendly Guardians of the Galaxy ride for Epcot in Walt Disney World. So as you can see the Marvel IP is being incorporated into many of the Disney parks and is already proving to be popular.

Walt Disney Studios has always been a park that hasn't lived up to standard, and the back lot area in particular is quite an eyesore, it feels almost baron, it lacks theme, and has very little draw, I'm lucky if I visit once a trip! The Toy Story Playland and Place de Remy areas of the park have the most draw for me, they are beautifully themed and they feel immersive, fresh and exciting. Even if the rides aren't appealing to you the area still has something worth going to see, this is exactly what I'm hoping for with the regeneration of the Back lot area, a change that starts with Rock n Roller.

So why is Rock n Roller going, can't we just have a new attraction? Well the fact is new rides are expensive. Until recently (and even then the facts are sketchy) DLP has been a loss making resort, and a re theme is much cheaper than the development and construction of a new ride. Rock n Roller also features the band Aerosmith, a license that probably has an additional cost to keep in the park, so a re theme to a Disney owned IP would potentially produce a cost saving!

But of course Armageddon has once again survived the chop and fans have been quick to point this out and question why other, more popular attractions have gone before this one. I don't have an official answer, but I do have a theory! My best guess would be that the Armageddon attraction just doesn't easy lend it's self to a quick re-theme. I personally cannot thing of a good overlay that would work with the existing show building and what's already inside. I would assume this means the intention is to rip the existing attraction out and use the show building for something else, which again would be at a higher cost, and a longer turn around time. I do believe, and for the sake of the resort I sincerely hope, that Armageddon's days are numbered.

So as I said, I truly believe this is a great step for Disneyland Paris, though I will probably never conquer my fear of coasters enough to ride it, I can't wait to see and here about the new overlay and can't wait to see the back lot area of the studios park transformed into something we can all be really proud of.
What about you? Will you miss Rock n Roller? Are you excited for an Avengers attraction? What should replace Armageddon, or will we be blighted with it forever? Drop me a comment!

Hoodsie xx

Hey guys!

So something really exciting arrived in my Inbox this morning and basically I thought it would be really rude of me not to share it with you all, so I thought I’d do a quick round up of the latest annual pass holder news coming direct from Disneyland Paris. Hopefully you’ll find this useful/interesting, at least in parts, but as always feedback is super appreciated!
If you’re an existing pass holder, you may remember that the current selection of annual passes was a new introduction to the resort last year. There are currently 4 tiers of annual pass, Discovery, Magic Flex, Magic Plus and Infinity. Each tier gives the holder additional access, benefits and discount within the resort and this makes it easy to pick the pass that best suits your needs and enables you to pay a fair price based on which benefits are suited to your park habits.


Well today DLP have announced their first annual review of the new style passes and I’m going to try and relay that information to you guys, with a breakdown of my thoughts on each part. First of all we should probably tackle the Elephant in the room, prices.

Price changes.
The first thing to announce is that in line with general tickets, annual pass prices will be increasing in 2018, with effect from March 21st 2018 the first 3 tiers of annual passes will see a price increase, the new prices will be;

• Discovery pass €9 per month or €149.00 annually


• Magic Flex pass €15 per month or €219.00 annually


• Magic Plus pass €19 per month or €259.00 annually

I’m pleased to announce the Infinity pass will stay at the current €32 per month of €399.00 annually (monthly prices are based on an initial deposit of €55), in addition to this any special price offers such as the free 4 months at renewal and the AP referral programme will stay the same.
For me, this came as a pleasant surprise, the increases are on the whole not as large as I expected, for reference the previous prices annually were €139, €189 and €249 so for 2/3 passes only a €10 increase. Personally I still believe the passes provide excellent value for money, if you make 2 or more trips of 4 days a year there are definitely savings to be made by purchasing a pass, and I certainly don’t regret mine! I’m surprised not to see the Infinity pass increase this time round, though I would assume this is because it was already so much more than the other passes.

New Viewing areas.
Now that we’ve covered off the cost, we should look at what we’re getting for our money, and the first thing on the list is the VIP viewing areas. VIP viewing areas were introduced alongside the new range of passes in 2017 and are an included perk on the infinity pass, essentially they are roped off areas along the parade route, and in front of the castle for illuminations, that you can only access if you are an infinity pass holder who has made a reservation either by phone or at city hall. They allow you to get a great view of the parade or fireworks and also it’s a way of getting your spot without having to wait around and try to hold your space for such a long time! The changes to the viewing area are:

In late March, the private VIP areas for Infinity Annual Pass holders will be expanded so that they can fully enjoy Disney Stars on Parade and Disney Illuminations in a special way.

From 10 June 2018, a new zone will be reserved for Infinity Annual Pass holders for the new show Stark Expo presents: Energy for Tomorrow! which will be performed during Marvel Summer of Super Heroes at Walt Disney Studios Park, at the foot of the Hollywood Tower Hotel.

Now I think they both sound really exciting, and i particularly like that it's being rolled out into the studios park for the new show there this summer. However, the one change I'd like to see is the addition of an option to book a plus one for the area, in my friendship circle only a couple of us have the infinity pass and this means I haven't used this perk at all since upgrading to infinity last April as I want to watch the parade and fireworks with my friends, I'd love to be able to use it with my Niece this April to get her a better view for Illuminations, but as she isn't a pass holder I can't take her in with me.

Annual pass merchandise

In addition to this April will see the resort release its first range of Annual Pass themed merchandise, now the details on this part are a little fuzzy and I'm not 100% sure if this will only be available to annual pass holders, or annual pass holder branded. The range launches April 12th and will include a mixture of open edition and limited edition items, so far I have seen Pins Mugs T shirts and Lanyards. I will be in the resort from April 16th so hopefully can get some more info then if not before. Items will be on sale exclusively to Flora's which is on Main street opposite the emporium.

Personally I'm excited to see what they do with this, the annual pass holder merchandise offered in WDW looks really good and I like that they have them for different events like Mickey's Not so Scary and presumably the Mickeys Very Merry parties too, this could be something really special and make for some really nice keepsakes!

AP Events

The final thing to cover is possibly the most exiting of all and that's an extended calendar of events and offers for pass holders, and even better the first date is already announced.

The first event will take place on March 30th in the Studios park and on this occasion the event will only be for Infinity pass holders, however future events and offers will be for different levels of AP, so everyone should see some benefit.

The first event is a soiree to celebrate 10 years of the Tower of Terror, a themed party night will include fancy dress with a 1930's Hollywood theme, actors, photo locations and a projection show. Tickets will be €39 and go on sale February 5th from City hall, Studio services, and the infinity phone line!

Now this isn't really my sort of thing, Tower of Terror is not my kind of ride, and 1930's Hollywood isn't a style I'd feel in any way confident to pull off, however I'm really really excited about this sort of event and can't wait to see how well it goes and subsequent events that will follow on from it, should it prove to be a success.



So that's the news round up for today, a lot of information to digest, but some really positive changes, what do you guys think? Which announcement are you most excited for? Did anything surprise you? Drop me a comment!

Hoodsie xx