Coco: My (spoiler-free) ramblings

I saw Coco in the cinema on Sunday and it was AMAZING.

I've had a frantically busy week and haven't had time to plan/write a lengthy blog post, or to take any blog-worthy photographs for that matter, so I thought I'd write a short post on my main thoughts while watching Coco. Don't panic, there are no spoilers!

However, some of these thoughts are mysteriously specific and won't make the slightest sense if you haven't seen the film, so in that case perhaps you should save yourself the confusion and stop reading now. Don't say I didn't warn you.

• Wow, this film is visually spectacular and beautifully colourful.
  
• Coco (the character) is completely not what I expected and I love her.
  
• Hooray, I still remember some Spanish from my A Level days!
  
• Dante's face reminds me of the hyenas in The Lion King.
  
• The plaza reminds me of the Magic Kingdom and I really wish I was back there.
  
• I really love the way they're bringing Mexican culture to life in this film. It feels so authentic!
  
• Why can't you just let the poor boy do whatever he wants to in his spare time as long as he does his shoe-related activities when he's supposed to?
  
• The security in many of this film's prime locations is a lot more lax than I'd like.
  
• That is one excellent twist which I didn't see coming, and this is one heavy storyline for a children's film.
  
• He just admitted to WHAT in a Disney film?
  
• This is shaping up to be even sadder than the first twenty minutes of Up, and that's something I never thought I'd say.
  
• Remember him! Remember him!
  
• There's a river of tears running down my face and I can't do a thing to stop it.
  
• I LOVE THIS FILM. 

Have you seen Coco? What did you think? 

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? 

What I bought with my Christmas money...

I received lots of Christmas money thanks to the generosity of my family and Neil's family, so I couldn't wait to hit the January sales. I don't treat myself very often as I'm obsessed with saving money, particularly at the moment as we're getting married and buying a house this year, so it was nice to have some money to spend on myself. 2014 is going to be a very expensive year so this might be my only chance to treat myself!

I needed to buy a few new dresses as a lot of my existing dresses are too big, so I decided to raid New Look. I used to absolutely love New Look in my teens and early twenties, but there was a period a few years ago when I couldn't find anything I liked in there because everything was either too expensive or too chavtastic for me. However, they've really improved in the last year or so and I now constantly have a few New Look dresses on my wish list.

I needed a new 'dressy' dress and this one was just what I had in mind. It fits perfectly, it's the exact shape I like and it's very pretty! The lace detail is beautiful. The belt came with the dress and it was in the sale, so I was really pleased with this purchase. This black dress is now sold out, but you can still buy it in burgundy. 

This daisy dress cost £10 from £22.99. It's perfect for work or for an evening out as it can be dressed up or down depending on which accessories or shoes I decide to wear, and I really love the pattern. This dress has now sold out. 

I've also had my eye on this beautiful ditzy dress from Animal for months, but it's always been too expensive for me to buy until the price was dropped in their Christmas sale. Look how pretty it is! Please ignore my pasty legs. This will be great for work and for holidays, and I'm already looking forward to wearing it on our honeymoon to Italy. I actually bought this dress from Extreme Pie's website as it was a few pounds cheaper on there. In case you hadn't already guessed, I love flowery clothing.

I've needed a new little black bag for ages and I absolutely fell in love with this black lace bag from New look as soon as I saw it. It was a bargain at £9.99! The strap can either be worn over the shoulder or tucked in and carried as a clutch bag. I also desperately need to learn to walk in heels so I couldn't resist buying these beautiful black lacy shoes. I can't actually walk in them yet... hopefully practice makes perfect. Both the bag and shoes conveniently go perfectly with the new lacy dress shown above!

I also thought I'd buy some nice patterned tops to wear to work or for other more casual occasions, and I found these two at very reasonable prices in Debenhams and New Look. I love the bird images on the first Red Herring top from Debenhams. I wouldn't usually buy white tops but I thought this one was really cute. As for the second top from New Look, I never thought peplum tops would be very flattering for my shape but I've now discovered that they actually look quite nice and they're very different to the tops I usually wear. More flowers!

I also took the opportunity to buy a new Yankee Candle as mine has nearly run out. £8 in Asda for a medium sized candle... bargain! I can't get enough of the Rainwashed Berry scent.

Lastly, I bought Ratatouille and the Bon Jovi Greatest Hits album as they've both been on my wish list for years. They happened to be very low in price on Amazon after Christmas so I snapped them up while I had the funds to do so. Ratatouille is a lovely film (all Disney films are lovely), and everyone loves listening to a bit of Bon Jovi. It's my liiiiiiiiiife!

I'm really pleased with all these bargains and feel as if I made my Christmas money stretch very far indeed. I bought lots of different things for various occasions and have now had my shopping fix for the year!

What did you buy in the January sales?

Christmas presents... the entertainment edition

I won't be writing just one 'What I got for Christmas' post this year as I like to write about things in detail, so the post would be far too long with way too many photos. Instead, I thought I'd write a series of posts on the gifts I had for Christmas, split into a few different categories. I love categorisation.

I had so many lovely presents from my family, Neil, Neil's family, friends from work and other friends scattered around the country... thanks everyone! :)  Hopefully everyone enjoyed the presents I gave to them as much as I love the gifts from them.

The first category I've chosen is... Entertainment!

I had 5 DVDs for Christmas this year from my family. We watched Nativity 2 on Christmas Day, and I can't wait to watch the others. I've never seen Cars but I've heard great things about it. Toy Story is just a classic which everyone loves, and I loved Olympus has Fallen and Gatsby when I saw them in the cinema. I want to make sure I watch all my new DVDs before the end of January... I'll let you know how I get on. I think I might need a new DVD rack!

I also had the Nativity soundtrack for Christmas from my sister, brother-in-law and nephew. For those of you who know me well, you'll know that I absolutely love the Nativity and Nativity 2 films and soundtrack. With catchy songs such as Sparkle & Shine and Good News Song, I'll definitely be listening to this CD all year round and not just when it's Christmas!

I also had two lovely books for Christmas this year... The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World from my brother, and The Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days book from Nicola, Mathew and Osian. The Disney book is already making me 'homesick' for Florida as I want to find out more and explore some of the hidden and fascinating facts detailed in the book, and I can't wait to bake some treats from the Hummingbird book. 

So I've got plenty to keep me occupied for the next few months! What DVDs, CDs and books did you have for Christmas? 

Hollywood Studios

I had no idea what to expect from Hollywood Studios when I went to Walt Disney World for the first time 18 months ago, so it wasn't on my list of top 5 things I was most excited about. I wasn't particularly interested in how films are made back then, and I thought that would be the main focus of the park. However, this year I knew exactly what to expect so I was very excited about going back. You can never fully grasp the scale of Hollywood Studios (or any of the Disney parks) until you've experienced it in person!

Hollywood Studios is home to two of my favourite rides in Walt Disney World - Rock'n'Roller Coaster and the Tower of Terror. Both these rides usually have a substantial queue, but they're totally worth the wait. Rock'n'Roller Coaster isn't a very long ride, but it's brilliant while it lasts. It also has the bonus of blaring Aerosmith music the whole way around. The Tower of Terror is just a whole different sensation... I scream with genuine terror on this ride, but I absolutely love it. It also gives you a great view of the park...!

Pixar Place is one of my favourite areas in Hollywood Studios. The design of this area is phenomenal, but then I wouldn't expect anything less from the geniuses at Pixar. Toy Story Midway Mania is (obviously) situated in Pixar Place. Midway Mania is an interactive 3D ride based on classic carnival games. I'm not actually very good at these games, but the ride is great fun whether you get a high score or not. And everyone loves to wear 3D glasses once in a while! You can also meet Buzz and Woody in Pixar Place if you're prepared to queue for a very very long time...

I also love the landmarks at Hollywood Studios. I did think the Sorcerer's Apprentice hat could have done with a bit of a spring clean this year but it's still an impressive sight as you walk in to the park.

I went to see the Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage show in Sunset Boulevard for the first time this year. I was expecting great things, but I was genuinely blown away by the half hour production. Everything was spectacular, from the set to the costumes to the very enthusiastic singing and dancing. Belle and Gaston sing live throughout every show, and the Beast's characterisation is fantastic. I was humming my favourite songs from Beauty and the Beast all day after watching this show!

Fantasmic also takes place in Sunset Boulevard, in the open-air amphitheatre. Fantasmic is Hollywood Studios' night show and, although it's my least favourite of the three night shows at Walt Disney World, it's still pretty amazing. The show features fireworks, water effects, pyrotechnics, lasers, music and projections on to large mist screens featuring scenes from the Sorcerer's Apprentice and other classic Disney films. Fantasmic is actually quite scary at times as it depicts a battle between good and evil taking place in Mickey's dreams/nightmares, but Mickey Mouse obviously triumphs over evil in the end. You get to see loads of your favourite characters in this show and there's always a great atmosphere in and around the amphitheatre, so it's definitely worth a look.

Hollywood Studios went all out to promote Monsters University this year, and I especially loved the Monsters University display outside the main entrance. Just like everything else in Disney World, it was massively intricate and totally flawless!

Although I didn't get to meet Sulley and Mike Wazowski from Monsters University at Hollywood Studios as the queue was too long, I did get a hug from Pluto. Pluto is one of my favourite Disney characters so I was extremely excited about this. He's so cute!

Just like the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, I can't write about everything I love about Hollywood Studios or the blog post would take four days to write. So again, this has just been a flavour of the main things I love about Hollywood Studios.

What do other people think of Hollywood Studios? Is it your favourite Disney park?

Monsters University

Disney films rock my socks. This is no secret, and you can read posts about my enthusiasm for Disney films here and here. Disney have released some excellent films during the last year (Frankenweenie, Brave and Wreck-it Ralph), so I was super excited about seeing Monsters University. I absolutely love Monsters Inc and thought it was a great idea to release a film about how Sulley and Mike Wazowski actually met and became friends, rather than making a sequel which might have had a samey plot to Monsters Inc.

I love Sulley, so my boyfriend bought me a Sulley teddy for Christmas last year. Imagine my excitement when I heard that Disney were releasing a Sulley costume for Duffy the Disney Bear! You're right, I was pretty excited. You probably can't imagine the true extent of my excitement though... When I saw the costume in the Disney store a few weeks ago, I absolutely had to buy it.

Sulley and Duffy!

I was originally going to take Sulley to the Monsters University screening (yes, I'm that sad), but after buying the Sulley costume I decided to take Duffy instead. Consequently, I rocked up at the cinema on Saturday afternoon with my Duffy teddy and had my photo taken in front of the Monsters University billboard. A little boy was having his photograph taken with his Sulley teddy before I went to pose for mine so I actually had to queue, but this didn't deter my enthusiasm. As you can tell, it was very sunny outside which impeded the quality of the photo somewhat. How inconvenient.

I'm not going to write an actual film review as I'm not very good at those and I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I absolutely loved Monsters University. The characterisation was great and the animation was amazing, as you'd expect from a Disney Pixar film. There were a few twists which I didn't see coming at all, which again disproves the argument that Disney films are horribly predictable! The young Mike Wazowski was adorable, and there were some clever links between Monsters University and Monsters Inc. Squishy was probably my favourite character apart from the main two protagonists... I wanted to pick him up and give him a squishy squeeze. His mum is also a brilliantly humorous character, and the film is worth watching just for her!

Duffy at the cinema

I'm already excited about the next two Disney films coming out in the next two months... The Lone Ranger and Planes. Keep them coming, Disney! Has anyone else seen Monsters University? What did you think?