Christmas time in Disneyland Paris

Hi guys,
Apologies for the huge break in posting over the festive period: working for yourself, having a toddler and organizing Christmas simply doesn't work well with being a good blogger, i'm afraid. Not to mention that we spent the first week of January on holiday to Disneyland Paris. This was Wilbur's third trip to Disneyland Paris and he, as well as the both of us, are completely hooked! Here is an unashamedly self- indulgent look at our trip, but I will follow it with some useful tips:

Tips
-Winter in Disneyland Paris is cold. Much colder than at home, and this feeling of being cold is emphasised by the fact that you're outside for most of the day. We all wore thermals (both long johns and long sleeved vests) under our regular winter clothes and wrapped up as much as possible: this kept us warm and ensured we were able to focus on having fun, not on whether or not we could feel our toes!

-Do make use of the photopass service. For just 59.99E you can have professional photos from all of the rides and at all of the character meets and greets added to your photopass card, so that you can print them and see them when you get home. All of the above are from our photopass card, and it took the pressure off me to make sure i'd captured the moment, so I could just focus on having fun.

-Meet as many characters as possible! During the Christmas season they all wear special Christmas costumes, so if you visit the park regularly during the rest of the year this is a great draw and something that will bring a new dimension to your photographs. Also look out for special seasonal meet and greets, such as our meeting with Jack Skellington in his Santa suit.

-See the parades. The Christmas parades are something else! Not as long as the regular 'Magic on Parade' parade but with an amazing festive atmosphere that will have both big kids and little kids completely enchanted. Wilbur is still talking about the fact he saw Santa in the parade and that he was sitting in the same sleigh as goofy (his favourite character). Without sounding too soppy, it's things like this that will create memories they'll never forget.

The 2015 Christmas season at Disneyland Paris runs from the beginning of November to the end of the first week in January. The earlier and later in the season you go, the quieter the parks will be. If you're tempted, you can already book this right now. 

Love Tor xx

Holiday Guide: Disneyland Paris With a Toddler

Hi guys,
It has taken me a full month since we got back to sit down and write this post, but we had such a truly wonderful time that I just had to document it here, as well as share the ups (and downs) of taking my favourite little person to the happiest place in the world.


The first thing to say it that we had an amazing time. We are a family of Disney lovers (we watch a different Disney film every week) which definitely helps but isn't a pre-requisite of enjoying a Disney trip.  We stayed at the Sequoia Lodge (which is one of the Disney hotels) in a Golden Forest suite for 4 nights. This meant we got to have breakfast with the characters and afternoon tea in a separate lounge each day - well worth the price of the upgrade! Wilbur was 21 months old and over the required 90cm tall to ride most of the rides aimed at kids. This made for a much different trip compared to last time, as this time last year he was only allowed on 4 rides. This year we rode dozens!

Based on our experience this time, here are a few do's and don'ts for travelling to Disneyland Paris with a toddler:

DO dine with the characters if it's within your budget. We managed to have 3 character dinners and character breakfasts everyday. It was the highlight of the trip for all of us, as it meant Wilbur could meet all of his favourite characters (the highlight of his holiday) without having to stand in line for an hour.

DO make the most of extra magic hours. This is something only available to Disney hotel guests that means the parks open from 8am-10am, giving you exclusive access to Fantasyland and Discoveryland. We managed to ride all of the rides in these areas at least twice every morning! Fantasyland is the section of the park most suitable for toddlers, so this was especially helpful for us, and we loved being able to wander around the almost-empty park taking photos.


DO see the parades. Yes, you have to wait for a little while to get a decent viewing spot (as we were travelling during the off peak season we actually only waited 15 minutes and had a brilliant view) but the parades are well worth it. Wilbur was sat on Mike's shoulders clapping his hands and waving at all his favourite characters and the moment was so magical that I cried. Happy tears like a lady! It was the highlight of my trip.

DO take your kids in costume. During the course of our stay Wilbur dressed as Buzz Lightyear, Pirate Jake, and wore a whole host of Mickey outfits and hats. He loved all the fuss and attention her got because of it, particularly on the Buzz Lightyear ride, where the cast members saluted him and called him 'Commander Buzz'. However.....

DON'T wear costume yourself. Children over 11 and adults aren't allowed to dress in costume as it may confuse other guests about who the real characters are (which makes sense when you think about it!)

DON'T worry if you don't get a direct train. Direct trains from St Pancras to the Disneyland resort don't run everyday. We had to change trains at Lille instead and were worried about how we would cope with the pram, the luggage, the toddler and everything else. We needn't have worried: the change was a really easy one (with lifts everywhere!) and we were in the Parks in no time!

DON'T feel the need to stick to an itinerary. That way lies disappointment! At one point we rode the 'It's a small world ride' six times in a row because that's what Wilbur wanted to do. Being lead by him rather than trying to force him into an itinerary meant for a much more relaxed and stress-free holiday for everyone.

DON'T worry too much about money! The internet can be a dangerous place and when I started doing some research about spending money and the cost of food prior to this trip I was worried we weren't taking enough cash. Yes, food is expensive (but no more so than in any other theme park) and there are souvenir shops everywhere but if you're on a budget I also noticed a McDonald's and there are so many rides, shows and other things to do that you don't really have time for shopping anyway! In the summer months you can even picnic in the beautiful grounds just outside the park. We had a blow out this trip and spent far too much on toys and presents for Wilbur, but I wouldn't feel my holiday was lacking at all if we don't do the same next time.

This was our second trip to Disneyland Paris with Wilbur (you can read about taking a baby to Disneyland Paris here) but it won't be our last. I have my eyes on a trip for the enchanted Christmas celebration next year.....

Love Tor x

What to Wear in Disneyland Paris in September

Hi guys,
In exactly seven weeks I will be donning my mouse ears, grabbing hubby and baby, and heading off to Disneyland Paris! This will be Wilbur's third holiday and his second trip to Disneyland Paris (not bad for an 18 month old) although as he was so small I don't think he will remember the first trip. He loves Mickey Mouse, Buzz and Woody, and I just can't wait to see his face the first time he sees the castle. Can you tell I'm excited?!

So what will I be wearing for this trip? Well my attitude is that when in Disneyland you should wear Disney clothes: but I also want to be comfortable and look a little on trend too. Here's my inspiration mood boards for hubby and I:

FOR HER

Minnie Mouse ears, ASOS exclusive, £10/ Bambi top. Paul and Joes Sister, £50/ Khaki joggers, Topshop, £45/ Toffee leather brogues, Shellys, £65/ Mickey mouse necklace, Gogo Phillip, £9.99

FOR HIM

Junk Food Mickey Mouse tee, £30.99/ Dark wash jeans, River Island, £50/ Mickey Mouse rotator watch, ASOS, £75/ Stars and Stripes Converse, £56.99/ ASOS satchel, £18. 

And here's how I wore Disneyland Paris last October, when the weather was much cooler. Note the obligatory ears and the Mickey Mouse sweatshirt!

I always make sure I've got comfy shoes on when I go to Disneyland, and a small across body bag is essential for the rides too. Pro tip: take more than one pair of shoes, even if you're travelling light. There is loads of walking involved in Disneyland which will leave you with very sore feet at the end of each day. But switching your shoes will change the pressure points being pushed each day, and make your feet a little more comfortable. The weather can also be so temperamental over there (just like it is here!) so we'll also all be taking our rain coats and then, hopefully, shoving them in the backpack because we don't need them!

I've gone a little mad on the pre-holiday shopping. New outfits for all of us (including a Buzz costume for little man) and I am planning to indulge in some serious mouse-themed retail therapy whilst we're out there too. Now I just need to find myself the perfect Mickey Mouse T shirt: do you guys have any suggestions?

Love Tor x

Holiday Guide: Fabfrocks Does Disneyland Paris

Hi guys,
I went to Disneyland Paris for the fourth time last October, and I just realised that I had so much going on when I got back that I didn't write my holiday review for the trip! This particular trip to Disneyland Paris was also our first holiday with Wilbur, so it was very different from when we went on our own (all care free!) but it is truly a magical place to take a holiday. This review will be very child-centric, but lots of the tips will be the same no matter who you're travelling with!

We stayed at the Explorers Hotel, which is a Disney Partner hotel, but isn't owned by Disney. The only real con of this is that you don't get 'extra magic hours' in the park before it opens for general admission, but we were really happy with the place. It had a huge swimming pool complete with water slides and a working pirate ship, a soft play area, a nice Continental-style breakfast offering and a free shuttle bus to the parks that only took around 5 minutes! The parks is where we spent most of our time: that's why you go to Disneyland! And it's no lie that they really are the happiest place in the world:


Make sure you grab a park guide as you arrive and check the timings of everything in it carefully. I'm a super-organised person anyway, but it really pays to be on a trip like this. For example, we really wanted Wilbur to meet Duffy bear, and I noticed on the guide that he was doing a meet and greet from 10am to 11.30am. We turned up at 9.58 (because I plan with military precision!) and we were the very first in the queue: it was lovely to be the first people to see him as he arrived, and we didn't have to worry about Wilbur fussing during a long queue:


The parades are fantastic and definitely worth catching. Depending on the time of year your visiting, you may have to queue for up to an hour to get a front row spot and a decent view (essential if you want a child in a buggy to see everything). At the beginning of October we found that we got a really great view by arriving on the parade route around 10 minutes before the parade started, but there were people arriving once the parade had already started that still seemed happy with what they could see:


If you really want to meet as many characters as possible with the least amount of queuing and waiting then I heartily recommend paying for Disney character dining. We went to the Inventions restaurant in the Disneyland Hotel, and whilst it is one of the most expensive Disney dining options, it really was worth it. The food was surprisingly delicious, but more importantly, we got loads of one to one time with the characters. They were wonderfully attentive, they kept coming back to our table for photos and to interact with Wilbur, and I would say that meal was one of the highlights of our holiday:



Finally, make sure you ride the Buzz Lightyear space raider spin ride! It's one of the best rides in the park, and it's suitable for everyone. If you're competitive (like Mike and I) then you may find yourself riding it over and over again competing to get the highest score!We had a wonderful time, and I would highly recommend this trip if you do have little ones. In fact, we enjoyed it so much that we've booked to go back again for a week at the beginning of Septmber! I'll write another review then, because it will be interesting to see how different the experience will be now that Wilbur can walk and talk and generally has a mind of his own!

Check out my previous holiday guides here:
Holiday Guide: Fabfrocks does Venice 
Holiday Guide: Beautiful Berlin

Love Tor x