#im stocking up on the queue now to try and get ahead of myself

[royaletiquette]

Hi, I'm gonna be gone the second half of the month and immediately after my dog is gonna be going through upsetting treatment for a couple of months. So ya know, slow replies, slow dm's, we'll see how shit goes.

[itdisneymatter]

Day 05 - Islands of Adventure

TLDR: Islands Of Adventure, the first of the Universal Parks. Waited longer than expected to get in the park, though kicked off with a bang once we did. Harry Potter world essentials including Forbidden Journey & Dragon Challenge. First time on this coaster and it was brilliant. Butterbeer done, nom. Jurassic Park River Ride, got wet, The Hulk, got scared then Spidey to finish. Rain again. Home, Ready, Steaks!

The most important meal of the day

No breakfast again right? WRONG Suckas! :P (sorry come back, I was kidding). We stocked up on cereal and little mini crullers the night before, so we were able to grab a wee bite prior to heading to the park. It made such a difference and I think well always make sure we have something in, however small, if we have to leave early doors in future (though I think the second week is a week of late starts and fireworks party's so that should be fine).

As we approached the entrance, across the lake between both parks, sat a huge factory, spewing white smoke from its enormous chimneys. It was the new Chocolate Emporium! It was the stuff dreams are made of and looked exactly like something out of Willy Wonka. The thing is, weve booked this delightful place for Patricks birthday in Friday, so excitement levels just got turned up a notched (oh happy birthday Patrick, btw). Heres a pic from my phone:

Prior to entering the park proper, which was absolutely jam-packed today, we had to upgrade our tickets to include Volcano Bay, as we bought the original tickets prior to the park opening. An HOUR after arriving (after queues for security and bag check and then guest services), we finally get to the desk. We confirm a rumour that Volcano Bay is at capacity at opening! Whaaaat? Y'see the Universal hotel guests are allowed to enter the park early and that together with the popularity of a new water park and the inevitable queueing carnage that ensues, means that were likely not going to be making a morning visit any time soon. Well not unless we start queueing  at apparently 7:30 for a 10:00am start! Eeek. Well definitely need to revise the schedule for tomorrow.

One thing we get at Universal is the refillable Coca-cola cups, and today was no exception, especially as there were 15 of us. For about 12 bucks you can have a huge cup and refill it throughout the park at special stations as many times as you want. Hundreds of varieties so Its a no brainer really.

Our plan of action for today was hit Harry Potter as soon as possible, then go around the park, as it was due to rain again, late afternoon. And due to this, the initial plan of buying interactive wands and doing all of the extra special/magical stuff would have to wait for another day. That being said, we kicked off with one for the kids, the Caro-seuss-sel in Seuss Landing. Nice light one, before subjecting them to Death Eaters, Dementors & Dragons (oh my).

And now it's time for Patrick's Fun Fact Of The Day, brought to you by Patrick, today. Here it is... 

The word NERD was invented by Dr. Seuss.

Even after all this time? Always.

So we left the rest of the Seuss rides, fun though they are, bypassed The Lost Continent area and entered Hogsmeade. Right at the back of the snow topped village lies The Forbidden Journey - my most favourite ride. This visit was extra special for us, it was the first time Gracie was tall enough to ride it! It was just as amazing and awe-inspiring as before and not for the first time, used the benefits of Child Swap to ride it again. Grace was left feeling a little overwhelmed by the whole thing though and wasn't quite expecting the sharp twists and turns so didnt seem to be as an enjoyable experience for her, which was a shame. Im sure another go on a return trip may well persuade her.

Alessio, who wasn't quite tall enough for Forbidden Journey went with as few others on to Flight Of The Hippogriff, a little coaster designed for younger kids. Gracie just HAD to go to the toilet then though, so we missed out on the chance to ride it (although the dialogue from Moaning Myrtle in the toilet almost made up for it).

As there were a few older folk among us, there was a decision to ride the Roller Coaster at Hogsmeade - The Dragon Challenge. Kevin, Michael, Sarah Jane, Corrie Robert & Myself were up for the challenge. Emily really wanted to go on to, but she was just under the height restrictions (which they are very strict about adhering to). Formally known as the Dueling Dragons, this inverted roller coaster allows you to choose between the Red Chinese Fireball or the Blue Hungarian Horntail. Robert pointed out that it was the Horntail who Harry faced off with in the Goblet of Fire, so we went with that. It. was .awesome. Fast paced, with loads of twists and turns and a loop thrown in for good measure. Really really good and Id have went on again if time was permitting. Robert loved it too, and it started him on a very long conversation with Michael about the other Coaster in the park - The Hulk!

We grabbed some Butterbeer (standard) and left in the direction of Jurassic Park. Apart from the many photo spots along the way, the main star of this land was the River Adventure. A water ride with a big t-rex and bigger drop right at the end. Really fun and wet - everyone loved it. The last time we were here, they were constructing a new ride in the Jurassic Park Area, and this time around it was fully completed and open - The Reign Of Kong, a new 3D action thrill ride. Wait times for this were through the roof, due to it being really new (I think it had been open only a matter of weeks, so was to be expected). A jungle ride through a huge temple or cavern (possibly, I haven't seen the new movie yet, but I suppose like many others, it will be one of the first I go to see back home, all thanks to this ride). The 3D effects were next level, huge 360 degree expanses all amazingly detailed - it really felt like you were somewhere else!!! I was lucky enough to visit Orlando when I was young and can remember the first King Kong ride, the difference in special effects and technology are astounding. I can understand why its so popular. 10/10.

You wont like me when I'm angry!

The final area of the park we hit around mid afternoon. And the one we (well Robert) had all been waiting for - The Hulk Roller Coaster. You can see this towering over the park as you enter, and I've always wanted to try it out, but previous circumstances didn't allow that to happen. This time however, our trusty group who rode together on The Dragon Challenge would once again reunite one final time! :P Although similar in size and complexity Robert, who didn't shut up about going on The Hulk all day, now receded slightly, and started panicking a little. Michael, the only one of us who had rode it before, reassured him if he could do one, he could do them all! And with that, we boarded. And it was FAST, much faster than the Dragons. From the minute it started its initial ascent, we were gripping to our harness through every turn, drop and loop. It was even more amazing than the Harry Potter one and was so glad I got a change to ride it. However, I cant take anything from Robert he was a trooper and was all chuffed than he managed to do two roller coasters today!

After an amazing day, we decided to end it with Spiderman. I'd been on this one before, so didnt expect much after the epicness of the last ride, but I was waaay wrong! Ive said it before but no matter how many times you go on these rides, they still astound and amaze. And Spiderman so much so, that I went on it a second time, through the magic known as child swap ;) This appeared to be one of Graces favourites as she also wanted a second go and was screaming and shoutiing in excitement all throughout.

And after we finished what did we get? Rain! Not anywhere near as heavy as the previous day, but just enough that it confirmed the decision to head to the car and get home. So home we went.

After seeing an offer for Outback Steakhouse for Wednesday night, we thought it would be nice for us all to try it out tonight. This would be the first time all 15 of us were going for dinner together, so Ann had called ahead to reserve some tables as best she could earlier in the day. Most eateries around the area do have specific bookings but when we go to the hotel then had prepared a nice long table for us all.  Not only did they have really nice steaks on offer, and a bloomin' onion (a full battered onion), they also had Crab - the thing Gracie had been waiting for all holiday!!! Both myself and Ann option for sirloin with a half pound each of Crab legs. Now I like my seafood, as does Ann, but Gracie is a seafood monster, so she opted to share our meals instead of getting her own. I’m not entirely sure you could call it sharing however as she ended up with most of it - well at least I can say that the steak was nice XD

Today has been the first day I’ve felt a little tired (even with the 5hr energy shots), so today’s entry may not have been the most in depth or attentive one I’ve written, soz. At least tomorrow we have a later start but with the Volcano Bay issues, were not entirely sure whats going to happen...

[wonderkids-blog1]

Disneyland Paris 2017 Part 1

So where to start? If you are just thinking about going, please do it! I can not recommend it enough, it really was the happiest place on earth for us but we are all big Disney fans.  In our group it was myself, wife and our 7yr old daughter.  My mum, dad and my younger sister who has some physical and learning disabilities.  I mention my sisters disabilities because I can share some advice on how we got around the park later on in these posts.

Whenever travelling abroad I like to try to learn at least the basics of the native language.  I think it's good manners and you never know when it will come in handy.  With French I think most British people can just about get by from our basic secondary school teachings but a refresher and the chance to challenge yourself to get better should always be welcomed.  I don't think you have to speak French to go to Disney, every staff member we spoke to had brilliant English however there was one day, that was incredibly hot and we really wanted some ice cream (Créme Glacée).  We eventually found somewhere on Main Street but another guest just walked out and assumed we were French, He told me (in French) that they were closing for about 20 minutes to re-stock.  I could just about understand, thank him and explain that I was English.  It's little things like this that I think really help when you can understand the native language. To learn languages I use an app on my phone called Duolingo, it's free and great for basic learning, it's not the most perfect way to learn another language but it is free.

We booked as one large group through Magic Breaks who dealt with everything superbly and everything went to plan without a hitch. We travelled by Eurostar which again was all included in the package from Magic Breaks.  The journey by train was pretty straight forward, in light of recent tragedies in the U.K security was very tight but we expected as much and made sure we had extra time to get through the security checks.  We made sure that we had plenty of activities with us to keep the kids busy throughout the journey. Remember that France is one hour ahead of the UK, our phones adjusted automatically but mechanical watches will need to be changed.  The great thing about travelling by Eurostar was arriving at Disney.  You literally arrive just outside the park, again at the park security was tight but it's all there for a good reason.  After a little confusion we figured that the hotel we were staying in (Newport Bay Club) was just past the Disney Village and huge balloon.  This balloon is not included in the entrance price for the park, it was €12.00 per adult and I think maybe €6.00 per child.  

Arriving at the Hotel

The first thing that strikes me about all the hotel's I saw was the size, these hotels are massive.  Newport Bay Club was very impressive with over a thousand rooms.  We had heard tales of massive queues in Disney hotels to check in.  In fact I believe that there is some sort of service you pay for where you check in at a separate location but I didn't see this on my visit.  We were pleasantly surprised on arrival that the queue was very small and we're British so queuing is our thing. The check in happens in two stages, At the first counter you give the booking name, they then give you a clipboard and pen with a form to fill out.  You are supposed to fill this in whilst waiting in another line.  This is an awkward experience, everyone was struggling to hold hand luggage, move suitcases and find a good writing position.  I found the form to be very squashed together and very small, it would be much better spaced out more and over two pages but hey. The second counter at check in is where you hand in the form you filled out.  They then run through things like breakfast times, room key's and meal vouchers if you have them (more on this later).

The Newport Bay Club Hotel was beautiful, even if we did only use it a place to crash at the end of very long days.  We didn't get back until 11pm-12pm every night we stayed and we were all just exhausted.  The whole hotel and rooms where very clean, the cleaning staff where brilliant and very nice, in fact something I am going to come back to again and again is just how nice and helpful the entire staff at Disney were.  I really think they should open a school on customer service to train other companies.  Breakfast was served in the beautiful Cape Cod Restaurant which is very large and provides a buffet breakfast.  There was plenty on offer, full cooked breakfasts, continental style and even pastries.  There is something for everyone.  This hotel also offer's an inside and outside pool which was very popular during our stay with other guests.  We had incredible weather throughout our stay with the temperature staying at around 34℃.  Our group did not have the time to experience the pool but we could hear how busy it was so I am taking that as a good review.

Planning is key

Now after making the booking and getting your travel and hotel all sorted I can understand that you want it all to be done and just wait for the holiday to come round but there is more you should do to make sure you make the most of this holiday.  For me I think this is a very expensive holiday so I wanted to make sure that I made the most of it and got as much for my money as I possible could.  I think I achieved this but for my daughter she was super excited about it and again wanted to do loads to make the most of her holiday.  So in order to do this planning is key, there are two key things that I would recommend you plan once you have you holiday all booked.

Meal Plans

Eating at Disney is not cheap so this will vary depending on your budget, there is a huge McDonalds located in the Disney village that was rammed every night.  I think this may well be the cheapest eating option there is but like I said I wanted to make the most of spending this much money on a long weekend holiday.  So my wife and I sat down and started going through all the different meal plans.  This was frustrating and confusing to say the least! My wife really loves the film Rataouille and really wanted to experience eating at Remy's restaurant, my daughter really wanted to meet all the Disney characters, I mean ALL of them.  I knew this would be impossible so we looked at the meal plans to help us achieve this.  We started with Bistro Chez Remy and then slowly added other restaurants like Buffalo Bill's, Auberge De Cendrillon (ADC), Annettes Diner.  We picked Remy's and ADC because of the character meet and greets.  We picked Buffalo Bill because it sounded like such a different experience to anything else you can get at the park and we picked Annettes Diner for our final day because it's a 50's/60's American themed Diner where the waitress's roll around in skates.  I will review the restaurants in a future post in much more detail. We first tried to work out how much our meals would cost if we didn't pick a meal plan and just paid cash at each of these restaurants.  I didn't keep the figures from this calculation but it was lots, lots and lots. Now each type of meal plan only allows you to pick certain restaurants, we ended up going for the Premium meal plan which I think cost us about €500.00 euro for the three of us but the plus side of this meant that we didn't need to take much cash with us at all.  Once you book one of these meal plans you then pick up vouchers when you check in to your hotel. In order to get the restaurants we wanted we had to take this meal plan but like I said it meant we could get more character meets without eating time out of our day and have some cool experiences like the Wild West Show.  It's a lot of money, but I think it was worth it and I'll explain why in my restaurant review coming up.

Planning the park

This I think is really important but at the same time I don't think any plans you make before you go should be set in stone.  Get yourself a park map and use youtube to do some homework to find which rides and attractions you would like to see the most.  Im telling you now that unless you are going for a week or more then you won't be able to do everything.  The thing that surprised us was the walking distance between everything.  The three main parks/areas are Studio's, Village, and the Main Park, don't think you can do one ride in studio's and then scoot on over to the main park for the next ride, you will waist loads of time just walking.  The main park is split into different lands, Fantasy Land, Discovery land, Adventure Land and Frontier Land.  Again the distance between these different lands is quite big so don't plan to be zig zagging across the park for different rides, hit one area and then move on once you have been on everything you need.  Again I will review the rides in much more detail in future posts.