Our Walt Disney World traditions

There's still a little while to go until our holiday to Walt Disney World in September, and it's sadly been exactly a year since our 2018 trip.

I like to keep the magic alive between trips so I thought I'd blog about our Walt Disney World traditions. I tried to include lots of traditions that aren't centered around food to provide some variety, but it was obviously impossible to compile a whole list without some edible essentials sneaking in.



Staying in a Disney resort

We've been to Walt Disney World six times and we've always stayed in a Disney resort. So far I've stayed in Coronado Springs, Old Key West, Port Orleans French Quarter and Saratoga Springs (three times). I'm super excited that we're adding the Yacht Club Resort to this list in September!

Going to Disney Springs on our first evening

As soon as we've arrived at our resort and freshened up, we always head to Disney Springs for a wander around the shops, dinner at Earl of Sandwich and a cocktail at Dockside Margaritas. Park tickets are valid for 14 days from first use which means we need to choose whether we want to use them on our first evening or on our last morning before leaving for the airport. We prefer to use them on our last morning, so Disney Springs is the perfect relaxing alternative for our first evening.

Making use of our refillable mugs

We've had a free refillable mug on our last few trips to Walt Disney World as we've been on the Disney Dining Plan, but we still buy them when we're not on the plan. They're really good value for money as you can top them up with soft drinks or hot drinks at your resort as many times as you want. And, as an added bonus, they're beautifully designed like everything else in the Disney bubble.

Mickey waffles for my first (and last) breakfast

We always have a sit-down breakfast in the resort's food court on our first and last morning, and I absolutely have to order the Mickey waffles. Once I've got my three Mickey waffles in front of me, I feel as if my Disney holiday has truly begun!

Space Mountain is always our first ride of the holiday 

We always head to Magic Kingdom on our first day and, without fail, Space Mountain is the first ride we queue for. There are lots of rides I love at the Magic Kingdom, but Space Mountain is my absolute favourite because it's in the dark and IT'S SO MUCH FUN.

Lunch in the Magic Kingdom on our first day

We always book a table service lunch at the Magic Kingdom on our first full day, and we usually choose the Plaza. We did go to Tony's Town Square Restaurant instead a few years ago which was pretty good, but I think the Plaza will always be my favourite restaurant in the Magic Kingdom.

Ice cream at Beaches & Cream, Plaza Ice Cream Parlor and Ghirardelli 

You can buy ice cream in about a hundred different places in Walt Disney World. However, we always gravitate towards three places when we need an ice cream fix - Beaches & Cream at the Beach Club Resort, Plaza Ice Cream Parlor at the Magic Kingdom, and Ghirardelli in Disney Springs.

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Meeting Pluto

Character meets aren't a huge priority for me when we go to Walt Disney World, but I always make sure I meet Pluto. We usually meet him on our second full day when we're in Epcot, and I love seeing his happy little face.

Fitting in as many boat rides as we can 

We always make sure we have a few boat rides during our trip. We try to get the boat from the Magic Kingdom to the Grand Floridian a few times, and we also catch the Friendship boat to Hollywood Studios from Epcot (and/or the other way around). They help us to rest our feet, they provide nicer views than the buses, and they obviously get us to where we want to go.

Beauty and the Beast and Festival of the Lion King shows

As you'd imagine, there are lots of different shows to see when you go to Walt Disney World. We tend to alternate between most of them on our different trips, but I absolutely have to see the Beauty and the Beast show in Hollywood Studios and the Festival of the Lion King show in Animal Kingdom every time we go.

What are your Walt Disney World traditions?

Planning my Disney outfits #3

With just under five weeks to go until our holiday to Walt Disney World, I've almost got my entire packing list confirmed. My excitement levels are rising rapidly so I thought it was about time I wrote another outfit post!

Although this outfit is a complete mish-mash of Disney themes and characters, I love the way all the different elements combine to make a surprisingly coordinated ensemble. 

My idea for a black and white outfit was born when I bought a pair of Cruella de Vil ears from Closet Geek Site. The red detail in the middle conveniently meant I could combine these with my beautiful bag from the Disney Store, so the outfit was already off to an excellent start!

Next up, I was browsing Etsy for more Disney apparel and came across this Minnie-themed vest on xHandmadeByAmyx's store. I was originally looking for a white dress with black polka dots as a continuation of the dalmatian theme, but this turned out to be too difficult to find in an adult size at a reasonable price! I love this vest and it'll be perfect for one of our many days at the Magic Kingdom. 

Lastly, I found these pretty black and white polka dot shorts on ASOS a few weeks ago. They're a lovely floaty material with a lace insert at the bottom, and I bought them on Double Points Day which made them an extra exciting purchase. 

I'm planning to wear either my white Skechers or my red flip flops with this outfit, depending on how much my feet are aching by the time I wear it. The phrase I utter most while we're in Florida is 'my feet hurt so much.'

I might manage to fit in one more outfit post before we go on holiday... keep a look out for it! 

Planning my Disney outfits #1

We're off to Florida in just under ten weeks and I've been busy planning every possible aspect of our trip. At the risk of sounding a little TOO organised, I've been planning since approximately August last year.

One of the holiday planning tasks I really enjoy, particularly for our holidays to Walt Disney World, is deciding which outfits to take for the two weeks. I love making sure I'm colour coordinated, from my clothes to my shoes to my bags. As a happy coincidence, since becoming slightly obsessed with Mickey ears over the last couple of years, I've now got even more things to coordinate!

The idea for my first outfit started when I impulsively bought this beautiful Beauty and the Beast themed Danielle Nicole bag from the Disney Store (now available on ASOS here). I'd wanted this bag for years and couldn't resist it when it suddenly became available on the UK's Disney Store website.

Although I was a little worried that the bag would be too small, I found that I could easily fit my phone and purse into it which is all I need for park days and evenings. So step one of the outfit was complete! 

As I love both Beauty and the Beast and floral patterns, I thought I'd hunt for a few more themed items to go with this bag. I had my eye on a floral playsuit from New Look, but it was constantly out of stock in my size. However, when I was browsing the sales just after Christmas, my size popped up and the item was drastically reduced. I made sure I put it straight in my basket as it was the ideal match for my new bag. 

I had the perfect playsuit and the perfect bag, so I obviously needed some ears to finish off the ensemble. I love Luby and Lola's Mickey ears and had spotted a beautiful red rose pair on their website, so I eagerly waited for their Etsy shop to re-open and placed my order for this beautiful pair. 

A photograph could never capture the beauty of these ears! I love the deep red colour of the satin bow, and the black background is slightly glitzy which adds that extra bit of Disney sparkle. 

Lastly, I realised I didn't own any red flip flops even though my collection seemed to feature every other colour under the sun. I bought a red pair from New Look which, again, happened to be reduced. I think you'll all agree that they finish the outfit off beautifully! 

I never feel as if my outfit coordination is completely 100% on point (ugh, can't believe I just used that phrase), but on this occasion I think it's perfect! I can't wait to wear this outfit in May, and I'm looking forward to pairing this bag and the ears with a few other outfits too. 

I don't think any of my other outfits will live up to this one, but I might still blog about another couple of holiday clothing ensembles in the next few months. Watch this space! 

My favourite Disney pairings

I don't usually succumb to the incessant commercialisation of Valentine's Day. However, the Disney Store has scuppered my principles for this year!

I wandered in to the Cardiff store a couple of weeks ago to get a little dose of Disney magic (I miss Walt Disney World, don't judge me) and decided to browse through the Valentine's section. 20 seconds later, I was sheepishly standing in the queue. Who could have left these beauties behind?

I don't think I've ever seen Bianca and Bernard plushes anywhere, not even in Florida's massive World of Disney store, so I just had to pick them up and make them mine straight away. I've learnt from past experience that certain products don't stay in the Disney Store for long and, true to form, these had already sold out when I went back a few days later.

This lovely little purchase got me thinking about my favourite Disney pairings, and I decided it would be a great topic for a blog post. I'll note at this point that my favourite pairings include sidekicks and best friends, as well as actual couples. Disney has an excellent knack of portraying and promoting all kinds of love and loyalty, not just the romantic kind! 

Belle and the Beast 

Beauty and the Beast is one of my favourite films, and Belle and the Beast are two of my favourite Disney characters of all time. In fact, I much prefer the Beast to the prince at the end. 'For who could ever learn to love a beast?' 

Pongo and Perdita 

I'm pretty sure my love for dalmatians comes purely from watching 101 Dalmatians so often when I was younger, and Pongo and Perdita have been one of my favourite Disney couples for a very long time! 'Perdy, we'll take them home with us. All of them. Our pets would never turn them out.'

Jaq and Gus 

I could quite happily watch Cinderella over and over again, but not because of the princess and fairy godmother factor... just because of Jaq and Gus! Especially Gus. 'Cinderelly Cinderelly!'

Tod and Copper 

I can't actually watch The Fox and the Hound very often because it makes me cry like a baby, but Tod and Copper are right up there with my favourite Disney characters. 'Forever is a long long time, and time has a way of changing things.'

Rapunzel and Flynn Rider

Tangled is one of my favourite modern Disney films, and Flynn and Rapunzel are definitely one of my favourite Disney couples. Flynn Rider is hilarious and endearingly cocky, and Rapunzel is determined to keep her dream alive. 'Here comes the smoulder!'

Timon and Pumbaa

Surely these two should be on everyone's 'favourite Disney pairings' list? They bring lots of much-needed cheer to the Lion King and we could all learn a lot from their motto... 'Hakuna Matata! It means no worries for the rest of your days.'

Mickey and Minnie 

And of course, no Disney pairings list would be complete without the most iconic Disney couple of all - Mickey and Minnie Mouse. 'Oh Minnie, you're all the music I'll ever need!'

After scheduling this post, I suddenly had a few qualms that perhaps I should have published it on or around Valentine's Day rather than on a random day in February. However, I always argue that Valentine's Day is pointless because you should show people that you love them every day, so I'm applying the same principle to this blog post!

Who are your favourite Disney couples, friends and sidekicks? 

My bow-tiful Mickey ears

Believe it or not, I didn't start wearing novelty Mickey ears until my fourth trip to Florida in September 2016. Although I'd vaguely thought about buying the official Disney ears at the parks on our previous trips, I always decided to spend my money on something else at the last minute. I hold Instagram (particularly Sarah's beautiful account) entirely responsible for the change of heart!

After suffering from serious ear envy and seeing lots of amazing designs on Instagram, I bought two pairs of ears from Bel at Closet Geek Site for our September 2016 trip. Bel has a massive array of ears on offer which made it a difficult choice, but I finally decided on Tangled ears and classic Mickey and Minnie ears. I was in love as soon as they hit my doormat and I couldn't wait to wear them to Walt Disney World.

I loved wearing these Mickey ears in the parks as they're so unique and, more importantly, very comfortable! I didn't see anyone else wearing anything remotely similar to the Tangled ears during our holiday, and the Mickey and Minnie fabric turned out to be very unique too. Even Minnie herself was impressed when I met her at Animal Kingdom!

When we started planning our inevitable trip back to Florida in April/May 2017, I started browsing Etsy for more ears and decided to treat myself to a few more. As I was so impressed with the purchases I'd already made, I bought two more pairs from Closet Geek Site. The Pluto and Donald ears were a custom-made order, and the fabric for the Mrs Potts and Chip ears only came in a few days before my holiday so Bel kindly made sure that they arrived in the post just in time!  

As you can see, these themed ears are great for character interactions. For someone like me who's actually slightly apprehensive about meeting characters, they make a great talking point and take away some of that initial awkwardness. Pluto got very excited about my Pluto and Donald ears, as did his accompanying cast members! 

I also discovered a new seller before we went on our latest holiday so I bought a couple of pairs from Luby and Lola. Lola's ears are so pretty and glitzy with dozens of possible colour combinations, and it was really difficult to narrow my choices down to just a couple of pairs. These beautiful baby pink and baby blue ears were perfect for our evenings out as well as for our busy days in the parks - fit for a princess! 

In my world, it's never too early to start planning for your next Disney trip. I've already bought one new pair of Cruella de Vil ears from Closet Geek Site for our holiday to Walt Disney World in May 2018, and will most likely buy a few more in the next few months! 

Where do you buy your Mickey ears? Do you have any recommendations to share with me?

A Beauty and the Beast tag

The wait is finally over... I saw the live-action Beauty and the Beast in the cinema last weekend and loved it! It was so beautifully done from start to finish and, in true Disney fashion, every little detail was taken care of. The new songs fitted right in with the old favourites and I fell in love with them straight away, particularly 'Days in the Sun' and 'How Does a Moment Last Forever'. I already want to see it again, and again, and again, and again.

The lovely Danielle posted a Beauty and the Beast soundtrack tag on her blog a few weeks ago and seeing the film has inspired me to complete the tag myself. I already loved everything about Beauty and the Beast but this new film has definitely rekindled my love for it even more. 

Here are the questions and my answers - please feel free to join in and post your own answers if you'd like to!


Belle // As Belle's little town is in France, which French town/village would you choose to be a resident of?
I've only ever been to France twice - once to Disneyland Paris in 2014 and once to Toulouse in 2008. So, although I'd love to live in a Disney park for the rest of my days, I'm going to say Toulouse as that's a more realistic answer! The food was excellent so I'd be happy enough with that option.


Gaston // Judging by your actual taste and not knowing their 'true identities', who would you go for - Gaston, LeFou, Maurice or the Beast?
I love Maurice - he's softly spoken, kind, loyal, a bit absent-minded in an endearing way, and a lovely man all-round. Someone like Gaston would be my worst nightmare!


Be Our Guest // While at the castle, who from the staff would you befriend?
Mrs Potts. Her motherly nature and calming phrases remind me of my lovely mother so I'd feel very much at home if I stuck close to her. (On a side note, my mother now reads my blog - hi Mami!)

Beauty and the Beast // Of any song in the world, which would you and the Beast first dance to?
I'll choose the beautiful song we danced to at our wedding for our first dance - I See the Light, from Tangled. It still gives me goosebumps whenever I hear it.


Beast Lets Belle Go // Would you rather save your father from the dungeons and never find love/live alone forever, or leave your father to live his last days in the castle alone and marry the love of your life, living happily ever after?
I would definitely have to save my father from the dungeons, whatever the personal cost was for me. Thinking of him all alone in the castle (or all alone anywhere, for that matter) makes me very sad!

Transformation // Choose only one to keep and use for the rest of your life; Books or Mirrors?
Books books books! I'd be much happier if there were no mirrors in my house.


Human Again // Under the spell, what household item had you been turned into? And what would human function would you miss most?
My favourite household item is my bed so I'm inclined to say I'd turn into one of those. The human function I'd miss most would be curling up on the sofa or in bed in my pyjamas to read my book... if I was an actual bed I think I'd struggle to even hold a book let alone read one!


Death of the Beast // Share a (beastly) trait of your own to kill off.
I think I'd go for my astounding overthinking abilities as this trait permeates every area of my life without fail.  

Have you seen Beauty and the Beast yet? What did you think? 

The Disney Princess Tag

When I saw this tag on Hannah's lovely blog a few weeks ago, I knew I had to take part. Although my favourite Disney films will always be the animal-led ones such as 101 Dalmatians, The Jungle Book and The Lion King, some of the princess films are also among my favourites. My love for the princess films has definitely intensified due to visiting Florida's Walt Disney World regularly since 2012 and my subsequent love for the princess-laden Magic Kingdom!

(Photo taken in Walt Disney World, September 2015)

So, here goes... 

1. Which Princess do you like the least?
Snow White... I find her a bit irritating (and I think she has the worst singing voice). I do love the film itself though. Who doesn't?


2. Which Princess do you adore the most?
Belle, with Rapunzel a close second. 

(Photo taken in Disneyland Paris, December 2014)

3. Which Princess do you relate to the most?
Again, Belle. Why can't people understand that sometimes a good book is all you need?


4. Which sidekick do you wish you had?
Gus from Cinderella, closely followed by Dopey (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) and Flounder (The Little Mermaid). I've even got Dopey and Flounder teddies, but Gus unfortunately keeps eluding me.  

(Photo taken in Walt Disney World, May 2012)

5. Which best friend(s) would you like to hang out with?
The little fairies from Sleeping Beauty... not sure if they're classed as 'best friends' exactly, but they're hilarious and so caring in their own way.


6. Which Prince would love you?
Hopefully the Beast, mostly because I love him an inappropriate amount. I also adore Kristoff from Frozen, so he'll do if the Beast is unavailable. 

(Photo taken in Walt Disney World, September 2013)

7. Which parents would raise you?
It would have to be Merida's parents due to the hair similarities...


8. Which castle do you want to live in?
Rapunzel's castle. Small but beautifully picturesque! 

(Photo taken in Walt Disney World, September 2015)

9. Which dress do you wish to own?
It's between Belle's gold dress and Aurora's pink dress. I'd probably look ridiculous in both but they're so pretty!


10. Which voice do you wish you had?
Ariel's voice is beautiful... I wish I sounded like her whenever I belt out 'Part of your world'. 

(Photo taken in Walt Disney World, September 2015)

11. Which two Princesses would be best friends?
Cinderella and Snow White. They strike me as being quite similar and they could trade animal tips!


12. Which two Princesses do you think would hate one another?
Perhaps Rapunzel and Merida... they're both quite feisty and stubborn so might have a personality clash at some point.


13. Which two sidekicks would make a good duo?
Maximus from Tangled and Cogsworth from Beauty and the Beast. I think this moody duo would produce some very amusing scenes!


14. Which two Princes would be best buds?
Flynn Rider and Kristoff.


15. Which scene makes you cry?
Hmmm, can I only choose one? I always get choked up when the Beast is close to death (because of my aforementioned love for him), and when Rapunzel is reunited with her parents. I chose two because I'm a maverick.


16. What scene makes you cheer?
When the curse is broken and Merida's mum is no longer a bear! And any scene where the 'evil stepmother' or similar character is defeated.


17. Which movie is your favourite soundtrack?
Beauty and the Beast probably has my overall favourite soundtrack. I See the Light (Tangled), A Whole New World (Aladdin), Reflections (Mulan), Part of Your World (The Little Mermaid) and Colours of the Wind (Pocahontas) also deserve a special mention for being amazing. 

(Photo taken in Walt Disney World, September 2015)

18. Which scene makes you cringe the most?
Perhaps when Anna and Hans first meet in Frozen. I love the song that precedes their meeting, but the meeting itself is a little cringeworthy.


19. Which story do you wish was your life?
Probably Beauty and the Beast as Belle is the princess I can relate to the most. I'd love to be as content as she is!


20. Which movie do you love the most?
If I'm just choosing the princess films, it would have to be Beauty and the Beast.

I really want to watch a princess film after all that so I've raided my Disney DVD rack... which one should I choose?

Let me know if you decide to take part, and please leave links in the comment box if you've discovered any other Disney tags which I should be aware of! 

My top ten Disney songs of all time

I've been listening to my 'Now that's what I call Disney' CD in my car for the last few weeks as it really is one of my favourite CDs in the world. It brings back childhood memories of watching some of my most dearly loved films and also reminds me of our three (and counting) lovely Disney holidays.

I thought I'd try to compile a list of my top ten favourite Disney songs, then realised that this was a much more difficult task than I first thought. There are a LOT of excellent Disney songs. In order to make the task more manageable, I've narrowed the list down to just songs from Disney's Animated Classics (which means I can't choose any songs from Pixar films), and I'm also not allowed to choose more than one song from the same film. I had to implement this rule or most of my top ten would have been from The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. As you can tell, I'm taking this whole thing very seriously.

Drum roll please.... here's the unveiling of my top ten classic Disney songs of all time!


I see the light - Tangled

I absolutely love this song, particularly as we chose it as the song for our first dance at our wedding last year. I get goosebumps every time I hear it.

Beauty and the Beast - Beauty and the Beast (obviously)

This has been one of my favourite films for as long as I can remember, and this has to be my favourite song from its amazing soundtrack. I'll never get bored of listening to it!

Circle of Life - The Lion King

I think everyone must have a song from The Lion King in their top ten... I love so many songs from this film but Circle of Life has to be my all-time favourite. It's just so epic!

Part of your world - The Little Mermaid

Although The Little Mermaid isn't one of my favourite Disney films, I absolutely love this song. Yet another Disney song which I could listen to over and over again (and have been known to do so at top volume in my car).

A whole new world - Aladdin

Surely this song is in everyone's Disney top ten? Such a beautiful song. When did you last let your heart decide?

Go the distance - Hercules

I always forget about Hercules' amazing soundtrack until I watch the film again. Although most of the songs from this film are featured on my Disney CD, they left out the best song of all!

I wanna be like you - The Jungle Book

Another one of my favourite childhood films. I'll always have fond memories of this song as my mother used to sing it to herself all the time when I was younger. She still loves it to this day!

Reflection - Mulan

Mulan isn't a film I'd watch again and again like some of the others on this list, but I really love this song and its thought-provoking lyrics.

Colours of the wind - Pocahontas

Yet another Disney film with a beautiful soundtrack! However, Colours of the Wind is by far my favourite. 'You think the only people who are people, are the people who look and think like you'... very indicative of today's society.

Heigh Ho - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Not one of my favourite Disney films, but I've always loved this song and the seven dwarfs. I love it when it randomly pops up when I'm on my way to work!

Do you agree with my song choices? Have I made any glaring omissions, in your opinion? Let me know what you think! 

My Disney advent calendar

I have a Disney advent calendar. Is anyone surprised? I've always had an advent calendar for as long as I can remember, and I have no intention of stopping this tradition. It makes me feel extra Christmassy and enables me to eat a little piece of chocolate every morning for 24 days. Win win!

My Disney Princess advent calendar was £1 in Tesco, so the cheapest one I could find. I do love advent calendars, but I won't spend a fortune on them. You can tell it's cheap as it doesn't have a little foil covering over the chocolates and doesn't have an image behind each window, but luckily I love the taste of cheap advent calendar chocolate. 

I would have preferred to have seen Belle (from Beauty on the Beast) on the front instead of Cinderella as she's my favourite Disney princess, but unfortunately I don't work in Disney's design team. Cinderella is at the bottom of my Disney princess list... I have a feeling most people will disagree with me on that. Love the film, dislike the princess. 

6 windows down, 18 to go!

What advent calendar did you buy this year?