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! 

My holiday shopping wishlist

There are just 13 days to go until we're back in Walt Disney World... where has this year gone?!

As a general rule, I don't particularly enjoy shopping. However, shopping while on a Disney holiday is a completely different ball game and adds an extra element of pre-holiday excitement. I've got quite a few things on my shopping wish list for Florida next month.

I wrote a blog post about my holiday shopping wishlist last year, and it actually helped me to (mostly) stick to my must-have items rather than buying anything and everything. Consequently, I've decided to go the same thing this year!

Firstly, I've been coveting lots of things from the amazing stores situated in Disney Springs and at the parks...

Thanks to Instagram, I really want to bring home

some kind of pink/rose gold spirit jersey.

I'm hoping to treat myself to a small Dooney & Bourke bag

to use in the parks.

We'll be buying a few Disney-themed dog toys for Jessie on our travels. 

THEY'RE NOW SELLING DUFFY AND SHELLIE MAY PANDORA CHARMS. 

Capitals were completely necessary there. 

How cute is this beautiful Minnie Mouse plush from

the Flower and Garden Festival?

I'm on a mission to collect all the Disney dogs.

I might add Nana to my collection this year!

We want to get a cute Ratatouille-themed print for our

kitchen (just not one that costs as much as this one).

I always add to my fridge magnet collection whenever we go on holiday. 

I need to wear a lanyard every day in my new job...

perfect opportunity to buy a Disney pin!

Although lots of the items I bring home from Florida tend to be from Walt Disney World itself, we also enjoy visiting the many shopping outlets nearby. '60% off' signs are very common in these outlets and I love a good bargain. With this in mind, I've got a few non-Disney items on my list.

I'm on the hunt for a little black bag, so I'll be scouring the Kate Spade outlets. 

I'm in desperate need of new gym/running clothes, and Under Armour
is much cheaper in the US than in the UK.

I shouldn't really buy any new Ugg boots, but... 

I might blog about my holiday purchases when I get back... do you think I'll stick to this wishlist? 

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! 

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 Walt Disney World shopping haul

I always have a major case of the holiday blues when I come back from Walt Disney World, and this year was no exception. In order to combat the inevitable post-Disney sadness, it was obviously essential that I bought plenty of goodies to help with the cheering up process once I got home. This was also our first holiday since my operation last September and the resulting all-clear, so we quite rightly thought we deserved to treat ourselves.

Along with our Disney Dining Plan deal which I've already explained in a previous post, we also received a $100 gift card with our booking to spend on Disney merchandise. Gift cards are just fantastic, aren't they? Guilt-free spending!

I put together a pre-holiday shopping wishlist before I went away, and this actually helped me to focus my mind and narrow down my choices when I was surrounded by all the Disney merchandise you could ever wish for.

So, what did we buy in Walt Disney World this year?

This beauty was a special present from Neil and my parents. It was partly an early birthday present and partly a gift to mark everything I've been through over the last year. I've wanted a Disney Dooney & Bourke bag since the first time I set foot in Florida five years ago and I absolutely adore it! 

I also bought a new charm for my ever-growing Disney Pandora bracelet. I decided on the firework charm on the left hand side as it'll always remind me of the last time I saw Wishes at the Magic Kingdom. I also bought these Disney pens which are proving to be excellent photo props... 

I bought three Disney teddies this year to add to my extensive collection - Minnie Mouse in her pink and white dress, a special edition ShellieMay from the 2017 Flower and Garden Festival, and Baymax! Oh, and there's those pens again. 

I love this Minnie Mouse tshirt. It was so difficult to choose just one from the vast array of choices available and I didn't manage to make the decision until our penultimate evening!

I'm now the proud owner of a Chip mug. I bought it in Florida because I couldn't get hold of it in the UK, and since I've come back there are hundreds of them in Cardiff's Disney Store. You live and learn. 

This mug was Neil's choice. As I said in my last blog post, how on earth can two circles and a line be so cute?! An excellent addition to our overflowing mug cupboard. 

My parents-in-law have these coasters in their house and I've always loved them, so I was delighted when I finally got my hands on a set for our own house. I love the little Mickey holder!

I can't possibly go to Walt Disney World without bringing back a fridge magnet. 

I did tell myself sternly that I wouldn't buy any costumes for Duffy and ShellieMay this year, but I couldn't leave this Lady costume behind! In my defence, I managed not to buy any Duffy costumes so I did keep to half my side of the bargain. 

My new Disney gym bag makes every exercise session a little more appealing (and my old gym bag was literally falling apart at the seams). 

We're getting a puppy in a few weeks so we took the opportunity to buy her some Disney treats in advance of her arrival. We bought two bowls, a Minnie Mouse collar for her first few months, and a purple collar and matching lead which she can wear when she's a little bigger. She'll almost definitely have a Disney dog name... watch this space. 

I also bought two pairs of Mickey earrings (one in silver and one in rose gold), but I couldn't get a decent photograph of them so you'll just have to imagine what they look like I'm afraid. 

I absolutely love all my Disney purchases and they do go some way towards helping with those pesky holiday blues. 

Have you blogged about your Walt Disney World shopping hauls recently? Send me your links!