My 2018 Disney character meets

After writing a more personal post last week, I'm back to posting about a combination of two of my favourite things... holidays and Disney!

I'm not massively in to character meets which means they're not my biggest priority when we go to Walt Disney World, but I do try to fit a few in around our other plans.

I absolutely have to meet Pluto every year because he's my favourite, and I also pledged to meet Goofy on this year's trip before we left. I didn't have any others in mind at the beginning of the holiday so just decided to wing it whenever I saw a short queue.

It's become a standard tradition for me to meet Pluto in Epcot on our second full day. He's always got a short queue at his Epcot spot and the cast members there are always so lovely and enthusiastic. I wore my custom-made Pluto ears from Closet Geek for this meet, of course!

A few days later, we were leaving Hollywood Studios after a flying visit and happened to see Daisy and Donald Duck at the entrance. Donald had a massive queue but Daisy's was much shorter, so I quickly got in line as I'd never met Daisy before. We happened to be very colour coordinated which was a happy coincidence.

Towards the end of the holiday, we'd booked fastpasses for the Character Spot in Epcot as the attraction fastpasses were thin on the ground for that day. Neil didn't use his fastpass as he hates meeting characters, so I braved it on my own. I assumed I'd only meet one character and was trying to figure out how to choose, but I actually got to meet Goofy, Mickey and Minnie which was a lovely surprise. I would definitely recommend getting a fastpass for this experience as the standard queue length was around 50 minutes. The meets were slightly rushed as there were lots of people behind me chomping at the bit, but I still had a decent amount of time with each character.

I did go on a hunt for Donald in our last couple of days as I was on a mission to complete my Sensational Six collection, but I unfortunately didn't come across him for the rest of our trip. He'll have to go on the list for 2019.

Who's on top of your character meet list?

Walt Disney World shopping haul

There are only two things that provide a quick fix for those unrelenting Disney holiday blues. One is booking your next trip, and the other is making the most of everything you bought while you were there.

I blogged about my holiday shopping wishlist a couple of weeks before we left and I managed to pick up most of the things I wanted to buy. It's also quite fair to say that I bought a few extras. We received a $200 gift card with our holiday booking which was a great bonus, so lots of the items in this post were bought using that. Free money!

We also had some productive trips to the many shopping outlets outside of Walt Disney World, but I'm just focusing on my Disney haul for this post.

Two of my favourite purchases! A little Dooney and Bourke bag and a Mickey Mouse topiary charm for my Disney Pandora bracelet. 

I bought some lovely clothes this year, including a baby pink spirit jersey which was even prettier than the rose gold one I'd coveted beforehand. I also bought a pin for my office lanyard, and I couldn't say no to these two pairs of amazing Disney Parks ears. 

I bought some practical items for the house including fridge magnets, a new mug and bowl, and several pens (which I definitely didn't need but just had to have). I also bought a beautiful Dumbo necklace, just to go with the continuing Dumbo theme. 

As per my wishlist, I bought the special edition Flower and Garden Festival Minnie Mouse. Look how pretty she is! I also bought Figment, Dug, and a Tramp costume for Duffy. I wasn't supposed to buy any more costumes for Duffy but it was $10 in an outlet store so I couldn't resist.

We spent a long time over several evenings in the fascinating Art of Disney store and eventually decided on this beautiful Dumbo sketch and a Mickey, Minnie and Pluto postcard for our newly redecorated bedroom. 

We bought a new Minnie Mouse collar and tag for Jessie along with some Disney toys. The pictured toy only lasted a day before she broke it, but her squeaky Mickey waffle is thankfully still going strong. 

Have you blogged about your Disney hauls recently? Send me your links, I'd love to read them! 

Planning my Disney outfits #2

My regular readers and Instagram followers will already know that I blogged about my first planned Disney outfit a few weeks ago. As it's been a busy week and I'm running low on inspiration for new content, I thought I'd share another one! 

The idea for this outfit started when I found this much-coveted Mickey ice cream cone tshirt on eBay a few months ago. I kept spotting it all over Instagram after it had long disappeared from Primark, and I somehow found it on eBay at an even cheaper price. 

I knew lots of the accessories I already had would go perfectly with the tshirt as I own a LOT of pink things. However, I wasn't too sure what I should wear on the bottom half. I thought something pink or white might make me look like a marshmallow, and I didn't want to go for anything too dark as I thought it might clash. 

Enter these denim shorts from New Look! 

As is usually the case with all my clothes, these were discounted in the sale and just happened to be available in my size at the right time. Denim shorts are always handy because they go with anything and, as a bonus, the baby pink detail on these shorts means they're ideal for this outfit. 

I already had the perfect pair of Mickey ears from Luby and Lola which meant I wasn't tempted to buy yet another pair for this trip. I bought the baby pink bag when we were on honeymoon in Rome back in 2014, and the pink sandals were a Venetian gift from my in-laws a few years ago. And, just like that, another outfit was sorted! 

Keep a look-out for more outfit posts in the next few weeks as our holiday gets closer and closer...

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?

My favourite Disney collaborations

My favourite emails always have 'Disney' in the subject line. One specific email category is always guaranteed to make me smile... new Disney collaborations!

I love it when my favourite brands work with Disney to create exciting new products which just happen to be perfect for me (and for my Instagram account). However, the only difficulty comes when I have to narrow down my wishlist to one or two items. These collaborations tend to be a bit pricey and my bank account would have a hissy fit if I let myself buy EVERYTHING I wanted to.

Here are some of my favourite Disney collaborations... 

Disney x Cath Kidston 

I was really excited when I heard about Cath Kidston's collaboration with Disney as I could definitely see the potential for some beautiful new designs. The first collection (Winnie the Pooh) was released on the day of my operation last September which meant it wasn't on my radar at the time, but my lovely work colleagues clubbed together and bought a few items for me which I absolutely adore. They bought the overnight bag, mug, bed socks and passport cover, and my friend Sarah also bought a little make up bag for me from the collection.

When the second collection (Mickey and Minnie) launched, I made sure I was sitting at my laptop ready to order my favourite items the second they went live. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite that simple. A few of the items I wanted sold out within seconds, it took me approximately three hours to order three items, and one of the items they sent me was the wrong one and had to be returned! However, putting those irritations aside, I do really love my notebook and little coin purse (which I actually use to store my earphones rather than coins). I'm now eagerly awaiting the details of their next collaboration!

Disney Pixar x Vans

I quite literally screeched with excitement when the email announcing the Disney Pixar x Vans collaboration landed in my inbox. I love everything about Toy Story and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to buy a pair of Vans trainers for the first time. After much deliberation, I bought the beautiful Woody and Bo Peep trainers and I'm in love. The trainers are such good quality with a fantastic level of detail and, crucially, they're just as comfy as my trusty Converse!

Disney x Pandora 

I've already blogged about my Disney Pandora bracelet but it's definitely amazing enough to warrant another mention. I started my Pandora collection a few months before our trip to Walt Disney World in 2015 and I was spoilt for choice when I decided to buy a couple of Disney charms as holiday souvenirs. I eventually narrowed it down to the classic Walt Disney World charm and the Mickey pendant charm, then decided to buy more when we went back in 2016 because I'm so in love with this collaboration. I bought the bracelet, the clips, the Belle charm and the Minnie charm as part of a great discounted deal, and my parents-in-law bought the Mickey swirls charm and the Minnie headband charm a few weeks later. I can't wait to go back to Florida in April to add another charm to my Disney-themed bracelet!

What's your favourite Disney collaboration? 

My Pandora charms... an update

I received my first Pandora bracelet for my 29th birthday. 18 months on, the obsession has well and truly taken hold and I've got three bracelets and a growing collection of charms.

I thought I'd write a blog post about the charms I've collected so far as they all have their own little story, and I've included links where possible so you can feel free to copy my purchases/presents. I've also bought a few rings, pairs of earrings and necklaces from Pandora over the last 18 months but I'll save those for another post!

So, starting with the bracelet on the left, going from left to right...

Dazzling Daisies clip charm: I don't like having too many charms on each bracelet and I also have to make sure the charms I do have don't slide all over the place, so my clips are essential!

Sparkling lucky clover pendant charm: This was a present for my 30th birthday from Edwina. 

Club Charm 2016: I bought this charm with money I received for my 30th birthday from my parents - it has a tiny '2016' on it! 

Darling daisies spacer charm: One of the first charms I ever bought. I love the way it spaces out the bigger charms on this particular bracelet and fits in with the overall theme. 

Springtime charm: I love the shape and design of this pretty charm, as well as the little splash of baby pink!

Symbol of aspiration pendant charm: Neil bought this charm for me as a belated gift for my 29th birthday, a few days after I received my first bracelet.

Darling daisy meadow clip: The perfect clip to finish off this spring-inspired bracelet!

And now for the second bracelet with the beautiful heart clasp...

Firework clip: I wanted smaller and matching clips for this bracelet so these firework clips were ideal. 

Pink butterfly charm: Nicola bought this one for me for my 30th birthday. 

Heart of freedom charm: I bought this for myself after my recent ordeal!

Suitcase charm: My parents-in-law bought this charm for me last Christmas. 

Signature heart birthstone charm: Liz gave me this charm in March as a thank you for being her bridesmaid. 

Letter B pendant charm: This was the first charm I ever bought, using the money I had for my 29th birthday. 

Best friend butterfly pendant charm: I bought the other half of this charm for Nicola last Christmas which meant I got to keep one half for myself!

To add to my growing collection, I've now got enough Disney charms to warrant them needing their own bracelet. When I was in Florida earlier this year, Walt Disney World's Pandora stores were running a great promotion where you could buy a bracelet, two clips and a charm with a very significant saving. I couldn't say no...

I haven't provided links for these charms as a lot of the Disney charms are limited edition which means they're no longer available. They're also not sold in the UK! Here's the story behind them...

Braided clips: These were part of the aforementioned offer and they remind me of Rapunzel's hair!

Minnie Mouse charm: Again, this was part of this year's Disney offer and an essential addition to every Disney fan's bracelet. 

Belle charm: This charm is really beautiful and features Belle's signature as well as the pretty rose.

Minnie ears headband: This was a present from my in-laws which cheered me up after my operation!

Mickey swirl charm: Again, a present from my in-laws. 

Mickey Mouse charm: This was the first Disney charm I ever bought, back in September last year. 

Walt Disney World charm: I also bought this charm last year... the perfect souvenir for any Disney fan!

Have you written any blog posts about your Pandora collection? Send me your links if so! 

Twelve posts of Christmas #6 - My favourite Christmas decoration

So, at the time of publishing this blog post, Christmas is over for another year! However, at the time of writing, Christmas was well and truly on its way.

Yes, this post is scheduled. After reading my Christmas Plans post, you'll realise that I won't have much time to blog during Christmas week so I've been preparing posts in advance because I'm a freakishly organised individual.

I've already blogged about our Christmas tree, but I wanted to write a separate blog post on my favourite stand alone Christmas decoration. I fell in love with this decoration as soon as I saw it at a Disney outlet store in September, so we brought it back from Florida with us. It cost a measly 20 dollars! I think you'll agree that it deserves a blog post all to itself...

It looks so beautiful on our fireplace and I'm so happy with the quality of it. It's difficult to tell from the photo but it's all pretty and glittery, and the detail on it is phenomenal. I'd expect nothing less from a Disney product, of course. 

We've received lots of Christmas cards up since putting up our decorations, so my card from Neil is now sitting proudly next to my favourite decoration!

Do you have a favourite Christmas decoration? Is yours also Disney themed? Let me know!

Disneyland Paris... these are a few of my favourite things #2

I blogged about a few of my favourite things in Disneyland Paris last week, and this is the second instalment. So please read on with bated breath to find out what else I loved about Disneyland Paris...

Crush's Coaster

I have a disproportionately strong love for this ride. I screamed 'THIS IS AMAZING!' while we were hurtling around in our little turtle shell... it really was. I had no idea what to expect as this ride is exclusive to Disneyland Paris, just like the Ratatouille ride I described in my last post, so I just thought it would be a gentle teacup-type ride. It starts off gently enough until you've trundled to the top of a little incline. You then unexpectedly experience all manner of drops, twists and turns in total darkness, as well as going backwards for part of the ride. The queues for this ride were consistently massive but it was well worth it. I also loved hearing Crush speaking French in a vaguely Australian accent... that made our day!

Disneyland Park Hotel 

The beautiful Disneyland Park Hotel guards the entrance to Disneyland Park itself and I would absolutely love to stay here if we could ever afford it. You can literally hop out of bed and run down the stairs, straight in to the park. It's such an elegant hotel and the little details like the Mickey Mouse clock are key to its appeal. It's also pink which means it'll always seem extra appealing to me. Just imagine having a room in one of the little pink turrets with a perfect view of Main Street USA and Sleeping Beauty's Castle... I can dream! 

Landmarks in Walt Disney Studios

There are some iconic landmarks in Disneyland Paris' Walt Disney Studios which shouldn't be overlooked. The 'Earful Tower' is situated right at the entrance and, despite being much smaller than its Floridian counterpart, it's perfectly proportioned for this park. I also loved the statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse (which was lit up beautifully at night), as well as the Sorcerer's Apprentice model and the 'hat' in the Toon Studio area. I'm gutted that they're taking down the hat in Florida's Hollywood Studios! There was also another Sorcerer's Apprentice landmark near the entrance... I think Mickey looks so cute in this little outfit and it's always how I picture him. As you can see, Walt Disney Studios definitely isn't just about the rides! 

Main Street USA

Unfortunately, I couldn't get many good photographs of the bustling Main Street USA due to the tricky combination of bad weather and big crowds. However, it's one of my favourite places in both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris. Sleeping Beauty's Castle lies at the end of the street, and Main Street USA runs from the entrance of the park to the castle itself. It's densely lined with merchandise shops, crystal shops, bakeries, ice cream parlours, toy shops... it's just a hive of activity and a Disney fan's dream. The Christmas decorations made it even more special and I just couldn't help breaking into a huge smile whenever I strolled down this street. 

Disney Princess Parade

This was another parade we stumbled upon by accident and I'm really glad we managed to catch it. I didn't used to be a big fan of the Disney princesses but they've definitely grown on me over the last few years after visiting Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris. Belle is my favourite Disney princess, closely followed by Rapunzel and Aurora. The princesses came out of the castle in all their finery then swanned past us one by one, waving to the crowds. Their dresses were beautiful and it certainly brightened up a rainy afternoon. 

What do you love about Disneyland Paris? Do you agree with my top ten? Let me know what you think!