Hey guys!

I'm sure it will come as no surprise to anyone, but I've been waiting months for this film, so of course I had to get tickets for opening weekend, unfortunately I couldn't make the first day work, but boy was it worth the wait! And as always I've decided to share my thoughts on the film with you, I'll try and keep it spoiler free, and despite being a huge Cars fan I'll try and give a fair review of both positive and negative aspects.

First of all, the animated short, Lou. I really enjoyed this story, my favourite thing about the animated shorts is when they tell such an in depth story without any dialogue, just from the way the characters move and carry themselves and their expressions, teamed with an emotive backing track, can really get across the point and constantly leaves me glued to the screen and a little amazed, Lou is certainly no exception to this.

Now the first thing I noticed about cars 3 itself, was that where our favourite friends from the first movie were back for cars 3, none of the characters introduced in cars 2 made a repeat appearance, now even as a huge cars fan I can admit cars 2 wasn't great, I didn't hate it and I have re watched it, but it certainly doesn't live up to the first cars film at all, was this a deliberate decision by Pixar to bypass the second film and make no reference to it ever happening? Or was it simply that those characters didn't fit? We'll never know for sure but I'd be surprised if that didn't come into it.



We find ourselves back in a more familiar setting, following Lightning McQueen racing towards his next piston cup, of course the world has moved on a little and instead of competing with the likes of Chick Hicks and the King Strip Weathers, Lightning now has some new racing friends, they're the top cars on the circuit and you can tell they have a great time pranking each other and fighting for each win.

That is until a new race car joins the field, rookie Jackson Storm is part of a new age of race car, more technologically advanced than ever before, Lightning is not one to be beaten without a fight though, he pushes himself to the limit against Jackson, but suddenly he blows a tyre and it all goes horribly wrong.



4 Months later we find our hero back in radiator springs recovering from the crash, he doesn't want this to be the end of his career like it was for his mentor Doc Hudson, however the racing world has changed a lot in the time Lightning has been away and Jackson isn't his only high tech new age rival now. Rusty and Dusty the owners of Rusteze decide to sell Rusteze to give lightning the best chance and best training to allow him to get back to top form. This is where we meet Sterling the new owner, and Cruz who trains all the cars.



Cruz and Lightning have a rocky start, she's incredibly lively and up beat but is also aware that lightning isn't the young rookie he once was, Lightning wanting to push himself takes things a little too far with some of the new equipment and is eventually given one last chance by Sterling, Lose the next race and he'll be forced to retire, win and he'll get to decide when to end his racing career. As it's his last chance lightning takes Cruz and teaches her how to train and race his way, and their friendship grows from strength to strength as they train for the big race, but will it be enough?



I really enjoyed the story, though at times it felt a little predictable and little re-used it was a good solid story with plenty to get emotionally invested in. I loved that our friends from radiator springs were included, but that we got new characters who felt strangely familiar right from the start because they fitted in so well.

The animation is truly stunning, and at times it was possible to believe you were watching real race cars, I was hugely impressed with the quality and some of the effects, especially during Lightning's crash scene. Especially with them racing on different terrains etc it was a good chance to show off all the different animation possibilities.

The soundtrack was also something that I really liked in this film, though I'm not sure I'll be signing along quite like the first film I did think it was incredible and I'll definitely look to purchase the sound track soon! I loved the instrumental parts that conveyed so much emotion without the need for lyrics, and I hope these will all be included on the CD soundtrack as it is those I want most.

Out of the new characters Cruz is definitely my favourite, and I guess I do see a lot of myself in her, the Disney store sell an awesome plush of her so that will be going on the wish list for sure. I also liked the return of some lesser known characters, in particular Bob Cutlass and Darrell Cartrip the two commentators.

The film does have a post credits sequence which truly is right at the end of the credits, it features Mater and although it was a fun touch, it's not necessarily something I would stay behind for on every viewing, I love that Disney have started to continue these as the Marvel films do, though I'm never sure if I should wait or not!



Overall I really really enjoyed this film, and most of all I'm glad cars went back to radiator springs and back to it's roots, Cars 2 really could have been so much more, and is the weak link of the trilogy and I was a little apprehensive before I saw cars 3 that it could so easily go the same way.

I found the story to be emotional and compelling with a strong moral message, even if it was in parts a little predictable, I love that they brought back the original characters but i would have loved to see more of Mater and Sally.



Have you seen Cars 3 yet, are you going soon, let me know!

Hoodsie xx



*Please note: All images taken from the Pixar Website*

Hey Guys!

Wasn't expecting to blog today, I'm seeing Cars 3 this weekend so expected a review of that to be my next post, but then I received such a wonderfully thoughtful gift this morning I just couldn't not share it.

Meet Sophie Jo, one of the many friends who I've made from my time in the Disney Community You can find her on Instagram and also Twitter and shes not only a wonderful lady and a huge Disney fan, but she's an incredible writer too.


I recently got a copy of her book "kids grown up" a collection of poems inspired by Disney, and I totally love it, this morning she posted one of her poems on Instagram, and jokingly I asked if she would write a poem about Duffy Bear, I was totally shocked when a short while later, this arrived in my inbox!


I think we can all agree that this is amazing and perfectly captures my friendship with a little bear from Disneyland and I am so so so thankful for it, and the time Sophie put into doing this for us!

If you'd like to pick up your own copy of Kids grown up you can do so at her big cartel shop. In the mean time why not give her a follow and see the rest of her work, you won't be disappointed!

Thanks again Sophie, From Duffy, Shellie-May, Gelatoni and I

Hoodsie xx

Hi Guys,

Here's one that's basically written about you guys for you guys, so I really hope you enjoy it, and I also hope I don't offend anyone! (Hey it happens some times, the written word can be difficult)

The Disney community is something that's become such a huge part of my life in the last 12 months especially, and it means different things to different people, recently it's been getting some pretty negative press, so I thought I'd try and put my opinions on the matter into some sort of coherent order.

Community is defined as "A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common." and also "The condition of sharing or having certain attitudes and interests in common" , simply put, we all like Disney, or theme parks, or possibly a combination of the two, and this has brought us together.

"It was all started by a mouse"

Except, in my case, it was all started by a little bear called Duffy, that's when I really became involved in things, where this blog and my twitter account were born from. Suddenly I realised there were a whole bunch of other people who Loved Disney, and Disneyland Paris the way I did, and even better they all wanted to talk about it, share experiences and pictures and videos! It was perfect.



"You've got a friend in me"

When I started this blog, and made my twitter, and gradually found my feet and started talking to some of the most wonderful people, I never honestly thought i'd end up meeting them in real life, let alone building some of the friendships I have. I guess that was what surprised me most, I think I started tweeting from my Disney account in Late march, after an amazing day trip to DLP when I finally brought Duffy home. as my confidence grew I started talking to more people, getting involved with the Dedicated to DLP podcast, and eventually Periscope too, talking to these people, though they were just pictures on a screen, became something that made me increasingly happier, it gave me a sense of belonging and acceptance. then in August it was finally time to start meeting people away from the screens.



Disney meet ups started to become a more regular occurrence across the community, a way to get out from behind the screen and meet people who live close (ish) to you and get to know them beyond the realms of twitter. Before Long my friend Brian decided it was time to bring a Disney meet to the southwest, and in August 2016 we all met up for the first Disney Southwest MU in Bristol, we shopped, had lunch, and even squeezed in a round of adventure golf! Though I was incredibly nervous to begin with, by the end of the day I knew I'd made some really good friends, I've been to a few south west meets, and even some in London since, I'd love to make it to Manchester one time to see some of my northern friends, but it's a rather long day out so we'll see.


"Ohana means family"

The real turning point though, was my Halloween trip to Disneyland Paris, affectionately named DLP Boo. What started as a trip to the Halloween soiree with a few friends, ended up as a chance to meet so many people from twitter that I'd been speaking to for months, and although I was super super nervous, it was actually the best trip with some of the most memorable moments!



Meeting friends from online in real life is always a bit scary, but when you're all brought together by your love of Disney, and you meet at a Disney park, suddenly everything seems a whole bunch easier. Maybe it's because it's such a happy place, and somewhere I feel a bit more comfortable to be "me", no one judges me for having my Duffy bear, I can dress as Disney as possible and I don't look out of place. And there's never a shortage of things to talk about!

Getting to meet so many friends in one holiday was such an incredible moment, and now although I don't see some of them often, I love to watch their other trips through photos, blogs and vlogs they share online, and seeing them so happy makes me happy too.


Not only that, but there are a few people I've grown incredibly close to following time spent together in the parks, what started as online friendship, has become real friendship, people I see regularly, that I can talk to daily about literally anything. Those people know who they are, and I hope they know just how much I appreciate them, they really do feel more like family than friends!



"Ladies do not start fights, but they can finish them"

Of course, like any other group be that a friendship group, a family or an online community, not everyone is always going to agree with everyone else. Unfortunately recently there have been a few examples of this, and I guess in part this is what prompted me to write this post.

When you feel so much passion about any one subject, it is so easy to want to defend your opinion, and unfortunately this some times comes at the expense of other peoples feelings. I truly believe that 99.9% of the time this isn't an intentional consequence, or certainly not from the people I know in the Disney Community.

Sometimes though, in these events it's easy to get caught up in the moment and miss out on all the really wonderful things people are doing for each other, and I can truly say I've seen and experienced far more of these moments than the bad ones. I've been offered places to stay on multiple occasions, making trips and meet ups possible, I've seen people come together to help get limited edition merchandise from the parks, help with practical day to day things at home, offer a supportive ear to people when they're going through tough times.

I think it's important to look for these moments, recognise them and share them, at the end of the day, that's a far more accurate of the community I joined all that time ago, a community I am a proud part of, and a community that's given me so much when I've been to proud to admit I needed it.

So to every single one of you, who has made me feel so welcome and wanted, thank you.

Hoodsie xxx

Hi Guys,

Sorry for the slightly longer than intended break between posts, unfortunately life just seems to get in the way sometimes and blogging magic and inspiration has been few and far between.

But then, I got two of cutest packages in the post, from Hong Kong and from Tokyo and I thought it was too good an opportunity not to share my new additions with you! Everything was ordered from personal shoppers through Facebook, I don't want to post the details publicly, but if you're interested drop me a line on twitter or Instagram and I'll try to help!

The first new arrival this month is the inspiration for the rest of my unintended splurge, it's something I've wanted for such a long time, and I really didn't know how or when I'd be able to add him to our little fur family! That's right guys you've probably seen on my twitter and Instagram right now but I finally got to welcome Gelatoni home!


Isn't he great! He's so much softer and cuter in person than I ever could have imagined and his little paws are too adorable. He's quite a bit smaller than Duffy and Shellie-May so unfortunately we won't be sharing many outfits, but over all I'm so so happy with him!

Once Gelatoni arrived it was clear he was going to need something to wear which brings me on to our next item, this outfit is from Hong Kong Disneyland and is so so cute, the little dungarees are really cute but my favourite is his bandana of course I got him dressed in this straight away and I'm looking forward to getting some shots of him in the parks in this adorable outfit!


As I was already ordering from Hong Kong it seemed like a good time to pick up a few more little goodies, and I took the opportunity to expand my pin collection with these three pins! The wheels on the Duffy and Shellie pins spin, and now that we have Gelatoni it seemed only right to get a pin of him too! I think a Duffy and friends lanyard will have to be next on my list so that I can display them all together somewhere!


So that's my Asian parks haul! It's not too much but I'm so so happy with it all, especially as this is mostly items I never really thought I would get! A huge thank you to everyone who made ordering these things possible!

What's next on your wishlist are you ordering from parks you haven't visited yet? Drop me a comment and let's chat!

Hoodsie xx

Hey guys!

So recently I've noticed what feels like everyone on my social media time lines is either, in Walt Disney World, planning a trip there, working there or has already been this year. Have you guys seen that too? Now maybe this is just a huge case of FOMO (the fear of missing out) but it got me thinking about how I'd never been and still have no realistic plans to go any time soon, and before I knew it I was spiraling into a pretty glum mood that even Eeyore himself might have been envious of.

Here's the thing, I've wanted to go to WDW for what feels like forever, and yeah I guess it is sad that that's not happened yet, and right now its not even on the cards. But actually it's really ok, because I've done some other really wonderful things in Disneyland Paris and nothing can take that away.

So it's time to turn that frown upside down and look at some of the reasons it's ok that I haven't made it across the pond yet!

Things I haven't done in Paris

Yes, you did read that right, despite my 10 visits to the park since 2010 I still haven't done a whole bunch of things in DLP yet, maybe I'm just a bit rubbish but there is just far too much to explore than I never feel like I really have time, there's a few things that I'd like to try and check off my list, plenty of restaurants to eat in for a start. I haven't managed to catch a puppet show in Lucky Nugget yet, I haven't done the hot air balloon in the Disney Village (though I'm not sure i'll ever actually go through with that one) I've never done a new years eve trip, and even with the recent changes to make the main park ticket only, I still think this is something I should try! I still haven't even made a dent in staying in all of the hotels yet, though I'm not sure quite how i'll ever find the money for the Disneyland Hotel, but I can dream right? Simply put, I really feel like I'm only just scratching the surface of what Disneyland Paris has to offer, and I can't wait to explore and see more!


I have an annual pass for DLP

Having an annual pass has meant that DLP is suddenly super affordable for me, suddenly the option to go over for a weekend rather than taking a whole week seems actually possible, and this means I have so many more chances to visit. Not only this but having an annual pass does occasionally open you up to extra experiences too which I wouldn't otherwise get the chance to go to, I admit this is usually film screenings, which are probably in french and usually announced way too late for me to actually make plans to go, but all the same it's nice to have the opportunity.


Having an annual pass also opens up a whole world of discounts, I have an infinity pass, so my parking is free if we drive over, I have 365 day access to the park, 20% merchandise, 15% off restaurants, access to all the hotel pools even if I'm not staying there, a free annual Photo pass to take home all of my ride photos and character meet memories. I get access to exclusive viewing areas for Stars on Parade and also Illuminations and up to 50% off on site hotel stays! I'm sure there's a whole load more perks I've missed off, but with offers like that it's hard not to want to use all my time off work to visit DLP.

Seasonal Events

I guess this could kind of be included in things I haven't done yet, but Disneyland Paris is great at holding special seasonal events, outside of your main seasons, Christmas, Halloween, Swing into spring and whatever replaces Frozen Summer fun in 2018, there are also smaller events through out the year, in particular St Patrick's day is something I really want to experience in DLP, seeing Mickey and Minnie in their Irish outfits, seeing the leprechauns and Irish dancers, anyone who knows me will tell you from the age of about 10 or 11 I decided I wanted to visit Ireland, I've never really had a concrete reason for it, an unfortunately it's still not something I've been able to do, but seeing all the Irish entertainment, surrounded by my favourite Mice on the planet? Sounds pretty good to me! DLP have also previous celebrated st David's day, Bastile day etc, and I think these mini events would be amazing to experience.


Location

Thanks to the location of Disneyland Paris and it's transport links it's really easy to combine a trip to DLP with other sight seeing opportunities around Paris, this is something I had hoped to do on my last trip, but unfortunately time ran away with me a bit and it was just too hard to drag myself away from the parks for a day. Its definitely something I intend to do at least once before my annual pass runs out in September 2018, I'd love to see some of what Paris has to offer, in particular the Eiffel tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Notre-Dame, you know standard tourist stuff. For me travelling to DLP and especially travelling to and from DLP on my own has given me slightly more confidence to start to head further afield and explore a little more than just the Disney parks.

It's Home

I guess the most important thing is, Disneyland Paris truly feels like home, I know the parks, the village the hotels, I feel safe there and I feel happy. I've made so many amazing memories there in the last 7 years since I started visiting, and not only that, but the parks, and the community have provided me with some of the best friends I've ever had, truly I've come into contact with some of the most wonderful people, inspiring artists, incredible youtubers, awesome bloggers and just totally fabulous humans and I wouldn't have any of that without DLP.


So there we go, maybe not going to WDW isn't such a terrible thing after all, of course, I'm still so disappointed that it's not my turn yet, I think that's natural and I don't think it's going to go away just yet, but at the same time, it's easy to forget that actually I've been incredibly fortunate to have a park so close to home that holds such a special place in my heart, that I'm able to visit so often and make so many amazing friends and memories.

What about you? Have you never been to WDW, do you ever get upset about it? How do you deal with it?

Hoodsie xx

Hi Guys,

If you follow my blog, or follow me on Twitter you'll probably know that I ran the first ever Run Disney races at Disneyland Paris last year, I enjoyed them so much (yes some of us actively enjoy running, I can't explain this madness either!) that pretty much as soon as I got back I laced up my trainers and got straight back into training to ensure I was ready to smash 2017's races.

So as the months went by we started to get more information, the 5 Km is now an evening race and only in the studios park, this allows for a new 10 Km race in it's original place on the Saturday morning, the half is still on the Sunday, and this allows for an additional challenge medal, sweet right?


Now anyone who knows DLP pretty well knows that at times, their communication isn't the best, but this event is run by Run Disney France and with the support of Run Disney in the US and I had hoped this would help it run better, oh boy was I wrong!

When I registered for the 2016 races I wasn't an annual pass holder, so at the time a package including accommodation, race bibs and park tickets was a no brainer, however the prices offered were hugely inflated even for the most basic hotels, and as I was travelling on my own this was even more expense. I stayed at Santa Fe from Friday to Monday, ran both races, 5 km and the half marathon, and included the race party in my booking and in total this was around £800, steep right!

After hearing the Bib only entries ran smoothly for 2016, and now being an annual pass holder with access to reduced rate on site accommodation I decided this might be the best route for 2017 and the waiting game began. We were expecting the bibs to go on sale around February/March time as they had done for 2016, but this soon came and went with little more indication of an intended sale date than "spring 2017" April passed and then May and still no bibs! Where could they possibly be and what was holding them up? The race weekend is creeping ever closer, my accommodation is booked but I still don't know if I'll get to race!


And then it was announced, the bibs would go on sale Wednesday June 14th at 4pm Paris time. this was only announced on the 8th of June which didn't leave much time to get organised, and the E-mail we were promised to inform us of the sale date never came either, it was a sign of things to come! Wednesday rolled round and something didn't feel right at all, I was sick with nerves, what would I do if I couldn't get a bib, how many even were there and how quick would they go? the time came for the sale to go live, I nervously refreshed the web page, but then, nothing happened? How could this be? I checked the date again, and then i double checked the time, refreshed the page again. I was starting to panic, what if I had the wrong link and everyone else was buying their bibs?!


It was then that I checked social media and realised I wasn't the only person going through this, something was wrong. Eventually rumors started to surface that there were technical issues and the sale of bibs had been postponed, though this was mostly through fan sites, it took around 3 hours for confirmation from Run Disney France that there had been technical issues and the bib only sales had been suspended until further notice.

To be honest, by this point I was gutted, I had convinced myself I probably wasn't going to get my bib and that the months I'd spent training and getting excited had all been for nothing, So imagine my surprise when the following day, with little more than an hour's notice the bib sale is back on! Panic stations, do I have the link, can I get on the site?

The bib sales went live a few mins early and I finally felt like we were going to get somewhere, and then it crashed. Oh great not this again, check facebook check twitter, yep everyone else is having problems too. As time went on the website came up and dropped again more time than I could keep track of, finally the Run Disney France team were a bit more vocal and promised us they were working to meet the demand. Gradually the error message changed to a picture of donald and the site started to come and go more frequently, it was clear there was just too much demand for the servers available.


At the times when we were able to get in the E shop worked fairly well, the layout was clean and simplistic, the prices were clearly displayed and there was plenty of information about what was included in each race, after you'd added your races to your basket you were then able to select a number of extras including park tickets, photo passes and party tickets. The website and E shop actually looked really good, the problem was just that the servers couldn't handle the traffic.


Eventually we got in and were able to check out and buy my bibs just after 7pm, the stress was finally over and everything was confirmed and paid for. What an experience! This has certainly made me think twice about how to register next year! I'm hoping the Run Disney France team get plenty of feedback on this and I'd like to see questions asked, what happened on Wednesday and why did it take so long to communicate? What happened to the E-mails we were promised to tell us when they would go on sale? How could they justify less than 90 mins notice on the resale? Why don't they use the same Active platform as the US races given this is a tried and tested solution?


For now I'm just happy I have my bibs, after all the stress it's nice to know its really happening! How was your experience? Did you manage to get bibs for all the events you wanted? Drop me a comment below!

Hoodsie xx

Hi guys!

Hope you're all well, some of you may have seen online that I visited the O2 arena in London recently to visit the Star Wars Identities exhibition which is on there until September 3rd 2017, if you're really eagle eyed you may have also noticed this was actually my second visit, so I thought it was about time I wrote up some thoughts!

As you can imagine from it's name, the exhibition takes you on a journey through the star wars universe focusing on the many characters that make this franchise what it is. Who they are, how they were developed, how their characteristics shape and define them. The exhibition has over 200 props, and features audio and video segments as well as a unique chance to create and shape your own character using a magic band style technology.


When you enter you're given you audio guide headset and your magic band, a staff member then gives you a few tips on how to work the headset and how to make sure you get the best sound etc, you're then led through to a short video introduction, once that is finished you're free to discover the rest at your own pace. The first time we visited in January we went on a Sunday morning and it was quite busy which meant you had to wait around a bit to get to some of the props etc, however this time we went for an afternoon slot, about 1:30 pm and it was much quieter.


As you go through the exhibition there are 7 or 8 stations where you can scan your "magic band" and make decisions that will develop you character, which you'll get to see at the end in more detail, the first choice is which race your character will be, as you go through the exhibition and learn more about some of the main characters you're asked to make choices about your upbringing, your ambitions, your interests and ultimately every decision you make along the way shapes you.


As someone who gets pretty easily distracted when there's a lot of reading involved, I loved the audio segments throughout the tour, each section with audio is marked out on the floor, and once you get close enough your audio guide will automatically pick up and carry on the audio which loops. It was such a great way to be able to take in a lot of information in a format that is suitable for all ages.


The props and costumes on display were incredible, being able to get up close to my favourite droids was amazing, and I loved seeing so many of the costumes from the different films, even if Boba Fett did make me feel really really small in comparison. One of my personal favourites was master Yoda, but I also loved the collection of Padme's costumes.


Not only was there a whole bunch of props and costumes there was a whole world of concept art, the stuff you wouldn't normally get to see, the many forms of Jar Jar binks, the different designs for Jabba the Hutt, early drawings of Chewbacca and an explanation of how he got his unique sound.


As you can wander through the sections at your own pace, you really can spend as long as you want in this exhibit, personally both times I've been I've spent around 2 hours wandering through and taking in the details, at £25 a ticket I would definitely say this is worth the price.


Finally the last choice you'll make at the end of the exhibition is to join the dark side, or follow the light side of the force, you're then able to scan your "magic band" and watch your character appear on the screens in front of you, there are stations to scan your magic band and enter your E-mail address, this will allow your character and their back story to be E-mailed over to you so that you can keep it and share with friends.


After there is a gift shop where of course you can splash your hard earned cash on some keepsakes from the day, largely I found them to be generic and overpriced but there were a few cool things worth picking up, the three things that stood out for me were the guide book, the 16 piece home ware set and the star wars fragrances, I did pick up the Rey one in January and I still love it!


As i said before, this is running at the O2 arena in London until September 3rd 2017, tickets are £25 from the O2 website!

Have you been or are you planning on going? I'd love to hear our thoughts!

Hoodsie xx

Oh Boy am I excited for this one!

This is something I've been wanting to write up for a while as it's a topic that's pretty close to my heart, for me the Disney experience is unique and separated from the experience I could get at any other theme park by its characters, be that in shows, parades or meets. For me the interaction I get during a trip can really make or break the day, so I've tried to compile some of my top tips to make the most of character interaction, I really hope this helps you guys get the most out of future meets! =)

Mickey ears

Face it, first of all it's a standard Disney park purchase, from the moment you walk through those magic turnstiles every other person you pass will likely be wearing a pair of Mickey ears, and why not, they are super cute after all! But why blend in and settle for a standard pair of Disney parks ears when you can use this as a way to show off your unique style and pay homage to the characters you love best?

Right now the market for custom Mickey ears couldn't be more diverse and this means there truly are options for everyone on pretty much every budget, currently I own 5 (I think) sets of custom Mickey ears and I love the reaction from not just Characters but also CMs when they spot them! I've featured two of my favourite pairs below, I would highly recommend picking up some custom ears to get extra interaction they also make for great character photos and a brilliant starting place to put together your Disney bounds!

 

Jessie Ears by MakeWearPlay and Ariel/Peter Pan ears by Queen Ursula UK
Character clothing

Like Mickey ears, characters love anything with them on, or some of their other friends, over the last year or two I have built up a huge collection of Disney clothing and accessories and this has allowed me to match outfits to characters I'm hoping to meet that day. Especially with face characters, who can be intimidating to talk to to begin with, this is a great conversation starter, as well as being happy to talk to you if you're wearing something with them on, they'll happily talk about other Disney characters too. Not only this but during parades, shows and non-scheduled meets it can really help you get noticed and be able to get that extra interaction you wouldn't have otherwise had.

A few of my favourite examples of this include this great princess top which was a Christmas gift from a friend, I wore it to lunch with the princesses at Auberge de Cendrillon and it was a big hit! The princesses really enjoyed finding themselves and seeing which silly faces they were pulling, and it was a great conversation starter, in particular Ariel and Eric really loved it.


Another way of adding to your Disney wardrobe is Disney Bounding, this is where you wear normal everyday items but match colours and styles together to create an outfit which is inspired by a specific character, and this is a great way for everyone to get in on the fun. I personally haven't done what I would consider to be a "full" or "proper" Disney Bound, but the nice thing about them is there are no real rules, and you're able to do as much or as little as you feel comfortable with. It's a great chance to show off your creativity and show your Disney side. Below is a picture from my recent meet with Jessie which is probably the only real bound I have done, the interaction from this was incredible and really made it one of the best meets of the trip.



Autographs

For me, half the fun of meeting a character, other than to get a big squishy cuddle, is to get their autograph, since starting this blog I've managed to collect around 70 autographs from various characters and these are great memories to look back on. Please bear in mind not all characters are able to sign autographs, and some times at character meals it isn't always possible to get an autograph due to time restraints, but it's always worth asking!

These are my autograph books, I tend to buy the official ones from Disneyland Paris as it's most convenient for me, and I know exactly what I'm getting in terms of size and quality, however there is a growing market online for custom autograph books, especially in places like eBay and etsy.



Of course it's not just autograph books you can get signed, these prints from Lizi on Etsy have been a great way of sparking conversation and getting some unusual keepsakes, unfortunately Lizi is closing her store to explore new opportunities but there are plenty of other things you can get signed, cardboard photo frames seem to be a popular idea, and also t-shirts and bags! Be creative, the more unusual or tailored to each character the better!



Finally on the subject of autographs, people often ask how my collection is always so colour coordinated, the truth is simply sharpies, I swear by them for character autographs and carry a set of about 8 or 9 with me in my park bag at all times. Not only are they a good size for all the characters to hold and write with, but it's another way to add something extra, characters love to have a pen that matches their outfit or even better to pick their own, and it makes the autographs look great!

Duffy Bear

My favourite fluffy travel companion, how could I possibly write any of this without him? For those of you who don't know, Duffy is Mickey's bear made for him by Minnie to take travelling, joined later by Shellie May, Gelatoni and Stella Lou, they can be purchased in the various Disney parks and honestly, owning Duffy bear has changed my trips so much!

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The thing about Duffy is, not only is he probably the softest most adorable teddy I've owned, being a Disney bear, he's recognised by the vast majority of Characters and CMs and this is what enables him to provide such good interaction. Along with your Duffy bear, or whichever of his friends you pick, you can pick up a whole range of adorable little outfits to dress them as your favourite characters. If you cant find the character you're looking for the even better news is the clothes from Build a Bear workshop fit Duffy and Shellie almost perfectly which gives you so much more to pick from.

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I have been stopped so many times to talk about what Duffy and Shellie are wearing and I've been able to get some of the most incredible photos with some of the characters thanks to these little guys, they make it so much easier to break the ice and always provide something to talk about.

Unfortunately only Duffy and Shellie May are able to be purchased in DLP, but I'm desperate to add Gelatoni and Stella Lou to our family soon! I couldn't imagine a trip without them!

Embrace the magic

Finally, the last point is probably the most simple of them all. Disney parks are no doubt some of the happiest most magical places on the planet, embrace it, it's a safe space where you're totally free to be yourself and enjoy every moment of magic.

Every single character you meet is there to give you the best experience possible, if I've spent my time queuing to meet them you can be sure I'm going to make the most of every second I get to share with them, hug them, laugh with them, dance and play along. The more you put into a meet the more you'll get out of it 100%.



So that pretty much rounds up my top tips, hopefully if you weren't feeling too confident about meeting characters I've been able to give you some ideas that might make it easier! What about you guys, if you have any top tips please share them in the comments!

Hoodsie xx

Hey guys,

I've thought twice about writing this one, and even now I'm not sure this will ever make it past the drafts section into the public view. So if you're reading this, you might wonder what's going on, why would I talk myself into writing something that I'm not 100% confident to publish. If you're involved in the Disney community, especially on twitter, you may have seen a blog post doing the rounds "13 reasons why you shouldn't go to Disneyland Paris" and though I'm a firm believer that everyone is entitled to their opinion, and should feel safe and free to express it (so long as it's done in a respectful way etc etc) I couldn't help but feel compelled to respond with why I don't agree with the majority of that post, and hopefully that's ok for me to have my opinion too.

Now first of all I just want to make it clear that I feel really bad that the author didn't enjoy their trip to DLP, there's nothing worse than getting excited for a holiday, building it up in your head, and then it not living up to your expectations. So yeah I do feel bad for them, I'd be so gutted if I visited another Disney Park and it didn't live up to my expectations. Also, this is in no way meant to be an attack on the poster or on their views, more than anything I'd like to try and help make other peoples first time visits more successful.

Hotel New York

The first point made was about the Hotel New York which didn't live up to expectations on this occasion. It's true the hotel is rated 4 stars and is priced to reflect this, however, it is showing it's age and is scheduled for a major refurbishment after the 25th anniversary, so probably mid to late 2018, this will resolve a lot of the issues that were experienced in terms of decor and the issues with air con and things in the room not working. Perhaps at the moment I believe the best choice for on site hotel in terms of both luxury and quality is in fact the Newport Bay Club, which following it's refurbishment got upgraded to a 4 star hotel also. Having said that I've always found if you visit the reception and explain any issues with your room the staff will try and help you as much as they can, and if you're not happy with their response I would always advise speaking to the Cast members in city hall to see if they can help come to an arrangement you're happy with.

Do you need to speak French

The next thing brought up was the language barrier, not that I personally would call it a barrier at all. I do find it to be a common concern amongst first time visitors, people who don't speak French are often concerned with how well they'll get on and what they need to know, and it's a valid concern. From my experience the cast members are so prepared for this, and in fact it's difficult to come across a situation where no one is able to speak enough English to get by. I have once or twice responded in French convincingly enough that the conversation has continued in French, but I've never had any issues explaining I'm out of my depth and need them to repeat it in English, and they've always been happy to do so for me! If anything I like to feel a little proud that my French was convincing enough someone thought I could manage a whole conversation!

Park guides and timetables are available In English and French as well as a few other languages at the entrance to each park and are clearly marked, the majority of the shows have a good mix of French and English too and are normally done in such a way that you can work out the majority of whats being said or at least the general idea of it even if you don't speak the other language.

I do agree there are some rides where English is lacking in the audio/visual segments, for example star tours and haunted mansion, however it's never really detracted from the experience for me, and again the rides are in my opinion at least well themed enough that you can understand the story without, especially as they are using franchises we've grown up with and stories we know.

Cast members

This point probably surprised me the most, and that't because during my 10 trips to date I have met some of the most incredible, lovely cast members at Disneyland Paris! These guys work so so hard to make magic for all of their guests and I have had some of the best memorable experiences with them.

I'm often complimented on my custom Minnie ears on multiple occasions throughout a trip, I've had cast members go through my autograph books with me while waiting for characters to chat about who I've already met and who I'm hoping to see that day.

I tend to carry Duffy bear with me where ever I go and he's certainly been a great discussion point with Cast members, they love to cuddle him and talk about his outfits to see who he's dressed up as each day, it's such little touches but it does really bring the magic home.

Of course there's always going to be some interactions that are better than others, some cast members who notice little details more than others, but honestly these guys work so hard to keep everyone smiling that you shouldn't be worried about how they're going to treat you!

Food and drink

Now I do agree this is probably the weakest string in Disneyland Paris' bow, the area that would really benefit from some improvement, but lets be clear here, it's not terrible. Here's the thing, it's a theme park, think of a UK equivalent, what do you expect in terms of food and drink? There's a lot of fast food and offer, and yes it's not cheap, but I think we can all agree that's a symptom of the theme park industry and Disneyland Paris is by no means alone in this.

However the parks and village do also have a good range of other options and there is enough of a mix to suit most budgets. If you're trying to save the pennies there are a range of buffet style restaurants which have a huge range of foods to suit even the fussiest eater (believe me I am that person) and yes the soft drinks aren't refillable, but this is down to French law and unfortunately isn't something the park has control over, table water can be provided and of course this is refilled free of charge.

The food offering certainly could improve in Disneyland Paris, however if you're looking for a good sit down table service meal, I could highly recommend Walts, Bistrot Chez Remy and Auberge de Cendrillon.

Disneyland Paris do offer a dining plan, and depending when you book this can often be offered free of charge, personally I've done trips with it and without it, and although I prefer to go without it, as I'm happy to have a few quick service fast food days, I do think the offering is good. Of course having multiple paper vouchers for day can be a pain, and I do appreciate on top of park tickets, hotel pass, room key park maps etc it can be a lot to get your head around, however the system works and with a bit of organisation it's really not too much of an issue.

Fast passes

If you don't already know the Fast pass is a system where you can collect a card from a station outside the entrance to some of the more popular rides which gives you an allotted time frame to come back and effectively jump the queue for your ride.

On busy days especially it is a great way to maximise your time and get on as many rides as quickly as possible. The system is of course not without its flaws, the fast pass machines don't open until the rides open, which often means you end up queuing to get a return time only to end up joining another (much much shorter) queue when you get to your return time. Not only that, unlike it's american cousin Walt Disney World, you can only collect fast passes on the day, and can only hold one at any time, this of course can be frustrating as the most popular ones do run out quickly and I can understand people wanting to have more control over planning out their day, but I've always found it manageable, and if the other option is no fast passes at all, I know which I would pick!

Extra Magic hours

This is the perk for on site hotel guests and annual pass holders where by you can enter the park (Usually just the Disneyland parc, but occasionally the Walt Disney Studios) from 8am rather than the standard entry time of 10 am. Now first of all this is an added bonus, an incentive to get you to stay on site. Yes not all attractions and areas of the park are open, but it's a great opportunity to get in and get things done before the park fills up.

Depending on when you visit some days magic hours are busier than others, but I often find if I have a vague plan of what I might like to do it's a great way to check things of my mental list early. Personally I tend to use the time to either meet characters (Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Chip, Dale and Donald can usually be found out and about) or ride Peter Pans Flight, as once the park opens entirely at 10 am the queue tends to jump in length considerably.

It does mean getting up early even though you're on holiday, and it is a shame that more isn't open, but I use this as a reason to only do it a few days of the trip and have a cheeky lie in on the others!

Fireworks at 11pm

Which leads me on perfectly to my next point. Here's the thing about fireworks, it kinda needs to be dark for it to work you know? Unfortunately in the late spring and the summer months this does mean the fireworks wont start until as late as 11pm, which often means I'm not in bed before midnight, but again this is why I don't watch them every day of the trip. On days where I am planning to watch them, I'll either have a late start and skip EMH, or once it gets to the early evening, i'll take a break and have a late dinner and take some time out to save my legs.

Again I do appreciate for families with younger children the late start time can be difficult but again a late evening meal does help to break up the day, and with the exception of the Davey Crockett Ranch, all on site hotels are within a 15 min walk from the parks, so going back for a rest during the day is certainly a good option!

Being fat in Disneyland Paris

Now I can't speak from my own personal experience on this one, however I do have friends who I visit the parks with of all shapes and sizes and they have never had an issue getting cast members to help accommodate to their needs, I'm also incredibly thankful to say this extends to my friends with mobility issues too, we've always found the cast members to be as polite, understanding and accommodating as possible, and that's really all I can say on this point.

Photo pass plus

Again, I do think this is one of the areas that could see improvement at Disneyland Paris, but let me assure you, even over the last 12 months I've seen huge improvements in this area.

The photo pass plus is a car you can purchase which stores all of your ride photos, and where available character photos from your trip. You can then access these on the photo pass website and also the app and download your photos to share with your friends and family. The website also has a huge range of printing options including mugs and photo books!

Unfortunately Paris has no where near as many opportunities to use this as Walt Disney World seems to and this is it's down fall, to make it truly worth the money I would like to see a lot more photographers out and about. I have the annual version of the pass and hope to get enough photos over my planned trips to justify the cost, however, for shorter stays I can see why this might not be a good investment for everyone.

Rude people

This certainly isn't a problem that resides only at Disneyland Paris, and yes its horrible when you encounter them, but what can I say? It's part of life and unfortunately we just have to live with it and do our best not to be rude people ourselves, take it in our stride and react in a polite and positive way. If you let it ruin your holiday, you're spoiling it for yourself, take a deep breath and move on, life is way too short!

Smoking in Disneyland Paris

Maybe it's a culture thing? I don't know for sure, I do agree there are too many smokers in Disneyland Paris, not even that, there are too many smokers who don't stick to the allotted smoking areas, that's the problem here.

Do I think Disneyland Paris could do more? Yes, the signage is, in places confusing and conflicting, bin lids have ashtrays on top and no smoking signs on the sides, is it that hard to replace the lids and change that aspect of the design?

On more recent trips I can say I have seen more cast members intervening when people are smoking in areas they shouldn't, it's not an issue that's going to be resolved over night, but I am seeing positive steps in the right direction!

Magic Bands

It's something I'd love to see come to Disneyland Paris, your park ticket, fast pass, meal vouchers all in one handy wristband, customisation of colours and designs. I'd love it. But we don't have them, surveys have been done with visitors to the parks, and at this time it's been decided that it's not a popular enough option to suit the majority of visitors. Not to mention the cost that would no doubt come with implementing such a system.

Maybe it's because I've never known any different but I really don't find the paper alternatives too hard to manage, my recommendation would be a lanyard with a plastic wallet to hold your photo pass, fast passes and hotel easy pass, I'd keep your park tickets in your wallet/purse with your meal vouchers, and only bring out enough for what you need each day in case they go missing.

The price difference

The final point was the cost difference between Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney World in Florida, now to me, I wouldn't compare the two, though they are both Disney Parks they are different holidays, the author in question compared a 2 week stay at each park, firstly I don't think Disneyland Paris is a two week holiday, it has 2 parks compared to Walt Disney Worlds 6 and is much smaller in size.

Not Only this but the parks release their price deals at different times, as it's usually a longer more expensive break Florida deals tend to come out up to 18 months in advance where as I have always found the best Paris deals within the 12 month window. It's important to also factor in cost of Travel etc.

Disneyland Paris can definitely be done on a budget and it's really a case of deciding which parts of the holiday are most important to you when you book to decide which areas to splash the cash on and where to be more reserved, for me personally I'd spend less on a hotel in favour of spending the difference on character meals and experiences, however I know this isn't the approach that best suits everyone.

So there you have it, that's my response to 13 reasons why you shouldn't visit Disneyland Paris, I hope I've been able to provide my thoughts in a fair way, and can make you think twice before you write off the Disneyland Paris experience.

What do you think, can you compare the two parks? After reading both sides would you visit Disneyland Paris? Drop me a comment!

Hoodsie xx

Hey guys,

This post is going to be something a little different from what I've been writing recently, but I hope you enjoy it just as much, I've written this post in collaboration with my good friend Amy and her blog Scariel's grotto which of course I'd recommend checking out! When she asked if I'd like to join her to write about a Disney classic I decided Oliver and Company was the one film that stood out to me that I could be passionate about, so here's why I think the film is so underrated and what it means to me.

Oliver and company was first released into cinemas in 1988, 2 years before I was born, the film is inspired by the Charles Dickens novel "Oliver", it came out the same year as, and in fact it shared it's opening weekend with the Don Bluth production The land before time, which is another film I have incredibly fond memories of from my childhood and I'm not ashamed to say I own the boxset, even though the later sequels lacked what made the first films great.



The film wad fairly successful at the box office, however critics were less convinced with many feeling it was a poor effort compared to previous Disney classics, the film didn't make it to VHS until 1996 when it was re released theatrically to compete with the film All dogs go to heaven 2.

It must have been around the time of the re release that I saw Oliver and Company for the first time, it had everything I wanted from the film, Kittens, dogs, catchy songs, I'm pretty sure I was sold from the first time I saw it. As a child I don't think I appreciated what the story was based on, and this is possibly why as an adult I enjoyed re visiting this film so much, it's such a unique re-telling of a classic story that made it feel fresh and yet familiar.

In my opinion, the songs are what make this movie great, when I think of classic Disney films I remember the music most of all, and Oliver and company is no exception, my favourite song from the film is "Why should I worry" which is probably one of the most well known songs from the film, it's fun, up beat and catchy and even after all these years as soon as I hear the opening, I suddenly remember all of the words!

And then the characters, Dodger was probably the peoples favourite, the funny cool leader of the pack, street wise and fearless he kept the gang in line and looked out for Oliver, but for me, Oliver was always my favourite, maybe I felt sorry for him, I've always had a connection with Disney cats, from the moment I watched Lady and the Tramp I wanted Si and Am, I could easily have given a home to all of the Aristocat kittens, so of course Oliver was no different, if anything, he was just the cutest.

Fast forward a few years, and you meet my Oliver. Ok I know he's not a cat, but that's who he's named after, he's the best friend I longed for and I know I would be just as lost and upset as Jenny was if he ever went missing!


Oliver is a Jack Russel, he's 14 now and I've honestly never met a dog who's more like a cat than him, he loves nothing more than to curl up in the arm chair at home and sleep by the TV, he is the kindest, softest daft dog, and I love him for it.


I can't imagine what my childhood would have been like without Oliver and Company, and I can't imagine life now without my little dog around, and for me, that's what makes this film so special, it's stuck with me for all these years.


Have you seen Oliver and company? What did you think? Maybe your pet is named after a Disney film that's special to you? I'd love to hear your stories so drop me a comment!

Hoodsie xx