Trying my fourth Disney resort

We're going back to Florida in September and I couldn't possibly be more excited. I faithfully check my countdown calendar every day and I've already started shopping for holiday clothes and shoes... hurry up, September!

I've been fortunate enough to stay in three different Disney resorts for my three trips so far, and we'll be trying another new resort in September.

So, which three resorts have I stayed in up to this point?

Coronado Springs, April/May 2012

As a Disney first-timer who didn't understand the importance of staying on site before I arrived, I loved this resort. I was immediately captivated by the practicality, ease and excitement of the Disney transportation system - free buses to every park and back to your resort on a regular basis! The food court at Coronado Springs offers great options for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the resort is situated around a picturesque lake. The Mexican theme of this resort comes across strongly and it feels very authentic. Its location wasn't ideal as it was fairly far away from my favourite areas of Walt Disney World, but the regular buses meant it wasn't an issue.

Old Key West, September 2013 

(read my blog post here)

Old Key West was, in a word, magical. It's such a pretty and tranquil resort and has a real Disney feel to it. We had a secluded quiet pool near our room and, again, some amazing food options from a cocktail bar to quick service to table service. One of my favourite perks of staying in this deluxe resort was our balcony. We were on the third floor of our section of 'Vacation Homes' and were lucky enough to have a really beautiful view. A lot of people complain that Old Key West is too big and sprawling but I thought this added to its charm. Top marks for location too as it's so close to Downtown Disney - a big thumbs up from me!

Port Orleans French Quarter, September 2015

We debated for hours between Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter before placing our booking, and I'm so glad we chose French Quarter. It's a really small resort compared to the other two we've stayed in which meant we were very close to the main concourse, the pool and the resort's one bus stop. We didn't have a balcony this time as Port Orleans is a moderate resort, but we did have a lovely garden view from our front door after being upgraded when we arrived. French Quarter's food court was probably my least favourite of the three resorts I've stayed in so far, just because the other two were so spectacular, but you should definitely try their amazing Mickey waffles for breakfast! One of my favourite things about staying in French Quarter was catching the evening boat to Downtown Disney - a definite perk of this resort.

So, now for the big reveal. Our resort for September 2016 will be... Saratoga Springs! I'm really excited about staying in another deluxe resort and being within walking distance of Downtown Disney (I still can't call it Disney Springs) and I can't wait to explore the resort's beautiful surroundings. As we regularly passed Saratoga Springs on our boat trips from French Quarter to Downtown Disney last September, I took a few photos in anticipation of our stay as we'd already booked our 2016 holiday by that point!

Have you ever stayed at Saratoga Springs? What's your favourite Disney resort?

My very first guest blog post!

So something exciting happened recently... Danielle asked me to write a guest blog post for her lovely blog, Underland to Wonderland.

I've never written a guest blog post before so I was really excited to be given this opportunity, especially as I'm an avid reader of Danielle's blog. I think guest blog posts are a great way to populate your blog while you're busy as they provide some variety and take off the pressure of creating content during these busy times. We both thought a Disney themed post would be appropriate so I got my thinking cap on...

I decided my post just had to focus on my love for Florida's Walt Disney World and why no other holiday will ever live up to this amazing place.

Here's a little snippet...

'I first visited Florida’s Walt Disney World in April 2012. I’ve always been a big Disney fan and have been watching classic Disney films such as The Lion King and 101 Dalmatians ever since I can remember, but I’d never been to a Disney park before 2012. My fiancé convinced me to go as he’d been with his family so many times and he was convinced that I’d love it there. After much deliberation and dithering, I agreed to go. Although I was very excited about the prospect of going all the way to Florida, I insisted that it would be a once in a lifetime thing as it was quite pricey compared to my usual holidays. After our very first evening in Walt Disney World, I was hooked and definitely needed to re think my ‘once in a lifetime’ stance!'

You can head over to Danielle's blog to read the rest of the post, and to see lots of photos from my two trips to Walt Disney World. 

Has anyone else written a guest blog post recently? Let me know, I love reading them! 

Disney's Old Key West Resort

Old Key West is beautiful. It's a deluxe Disney resort in the Downtown Disney area, and it covers a bigger area than any other Disney resort. Old Key West is Disney's recreation of the Conch Flats in the Florida Keys, and it's one of the most relaxing and striking places I've ever had the pleasure of staying in.

We arrived in Old Key West after a long flight, a delay at baggage claim and a bus trip in the rain on Disney's Magical Express, so we were very relieved to have a quick and easy check-in experience in the pristine lobby.

The staff were all friendly and informative, but I'd expect nothing less in a Disney resort. All the best customer service experiences I've had by far have been in Disney World! We were directed to our block of 'flats', or Vacation Homes as they're called in Old Key West, and I had a lovely Disney welcome...

Such a nice touch!

I'd read a lot of complaints about the rooms in Old Key West before we went on holiday as people thought they were dated and shabby. What planet were these people living on? The rooms are immaculate, spacious and even have a little kitchenette in each one. What more could you possibly want for a holiday where you don't even spend much time in your room? The view from the balcony was absolutely beautiful... I'm still missing it! A lot of people would complain about being on the second floor because they needed to climb some stairs, but I was very grateful for the lovely view and the peace and quiet.

Our block was only five minutes away from the Hospitality House, which is the central hub at Old Key West. The Hospitality House consists of the lobby, gift shop, main bus stop for the resort, Olivia's restaurant, Good's Food To Go, the bar and the entrance to the main resort pool. Although I had a lovely breakfast and dinner at Olivia's, my favourite food from Old Key West had to be these amazing onion rings from Good's Food To Go. These were no ordinary onion rings, believe me!

What more could you possibly want for lunch?

Olivia's restaurant

The iconic lighthouse and the main resort pool

We stayed in Disney's Coronado Springs resort last year, in the Animal Kingdom resort area. Although I loved Coronado, I felt as though Old Key West was even more 'Disney'. There were little Mickeys everywhere and in the most unexpected places, and the whole atmosphere was relaxed and 'magical'... typically Disney! There were a lot of small children staying here with their parents so the resort had a real family-friendly feel about it, yet it was still extremely tranquil. 

Our block of Vacation Homes

Little Mickeys on the balcony!

We didn't actually go the main resort pool as we had a little quiet pool just around the corner from our block. As Old Key West is so sprawling, there are a few quiet pools situated around the resort so that people don't need to walk for fifteen minutes to get to the main pool. Although we only went to the quiet pool once as we were so busy, it was a lovely setting and was actually quiet. There was also a hot tub next to the pool which was strangely relaxing, even though the humid climate begs to differ!

I loved the way staff members said 'Welcome home' every time you set foot in the resort after being out for the day. Yet another nice touch which you probably wouldn't get anywhere outside of Disney. The staff in Olivia's, the bar, Good's Food To Go, the gift shop and the luggage attendants were all equally friendly and welcoming, which added to the beauty and serenity of the resort. How many times has a nice hotel experience been ruined for you because the staff were rude? It wouldn't happen in Disney!

You even get a nice welcome when driving in to the resort!

One of the best thing about staying in a Disney resort has to be the Disney transportation system. If you're a Disney resort guest, you can catch a free bus to any of the Disney parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach) and to Downtown Disney. All day, every day! You can then catch a bus back to your resort from the parks whenever you feel like it. Old Key West is massive so the buses did take a while to travel around the whole resort, but I'd much prefer to be sitting on a free bus than trying to negotiate the Disney park car parks.

As Old Key West is in the Downtown Disney resort area, you can also catch a boat to Downtown Disney if you fancy a break from the buses. We caught the boat once during our stay and it was a lovely experience... a short boat trip is always going to a bit nicer than a bus ride!

I don't think I could ever praise Old Key West enough, but hopefully I've given you a flavour for what a fantastic place it is. I'll leave you with some more images from the resort... it really speaks for itself!

Has anyone else visited Disney's Old Key West Resort? I'd love to hear about your experiences!