03 January 2024

I have just returned from the trip of all trips which I had won at a Visit Orlando event in March 2023. I was very lucky to have won a space on an educational trip visiting Universal, Sea World Rescue, Busch Gardens, Discovery Cove and Walt Disney World Resort to see as much of the parks as possible in 7 days – What a trip! Day 1 – I checked in to the Universal Aventura Hotel – This hotel is a 3 star property with a very modern feel and is right on top off Universal’s Volcano Bay where we spent our 1st morning Day 2 – Universal’s Volcano Bay in the morning – enroute we stopped at Universal’s Cabana Bay for a site visit, this hotel is very budget friendly and is themed around the 50s! with an onsite bowling alley and arcade you really feel like you have stepped back in time. Then on to Volcano Bay – I loved this waterpark, there is something for everyone. From a drop slide, to water slides to just relaxing on the beach. This will be definitely needed to break up your time at the forever hectic theme parks. In the afternoon we headed to Universal’s City Walk and Universal Studio’s to watch the Universal Holiday Parade ft Macy’s. Day 3 – We spent the day being treated like VIP’s around Universal Studio’s and Island’s of Adventure. We had our own guides taking us behind the scenes and introducing us to all of the best rides. First stop was the Spider Man ride – I loved this interactive 4d ride and is super family friendly which is a big plus for me as I am not very brave with big rides ??. But my massive highlight was Hagrid’s Magical Creature’s Motorbike ride. As we had a VIP guide we walked straight on and I am glad we did otherwise I would of talked my self out of it. I am so glad I went on this and without giving away any spoilers expect a few surprises along the way! We then headed to the Hogwarts Express for our train over to Universal Studio’s. It is here I had a warm butter beer in Diagon Valley -wow (you must get one of these!) After a few more rides we then headed to watch the Bourne Stuntacular show – this is a must see and absolutely amazing! Day 4 – We was due to go visit Aquatica in the morning however due to the weather it was closed to the public so we therefore just had a quick site visit before heading over to Busch Gardens. We had a lovely site visit, again Aquatica has something for everyone from thrill seeker water slides to some more family friendly. The life guards were currently training while the park was shut. We then went off to Busch Gardens again with a VIP guide allowing us to skip the queues. We ventured on a Serengeti safari and I “watched” other’s go on the big rides (I mentioned I am not brave right!?) Day 5 – Today we spent the morning at Discovery Cove and it was much needed to relax until our dolphin swim later that morning. When you book Discovery Cove this is an all inclusive experience and I fully recommend booking it at the weekend as they have a maximum limit of 1000 people in a day. This will get you awary from the theme park crowds at the weekend. We had our dolphin briefing and was told that the Dolphin’s were not in the mood today and there was a chance our swim would get pushed back – this was lovely to see and hear to know that the dolphin’s aren’t forced to do anything they do not want to do. Our dolphin luckily decided that she wanted to play today so I got a lovely kiss on the cheek from her and she took me for a little swim. In the afternoon we headed over to Seaworld Rescue – Now there is a lot of controversy with Sea World and I was in 2 minds as to what and how I feel about it. We again had a VIP guide and we asked to be shown the rescue side of the park so we was taken behind the scenes and was shown their manatees which were rescued and being treated along with other animals. They have their own VET and surgery onsite. We was told that if they can most animals get released back in to the wild but if they feel that this won’t be possible they will not release if they feel they will not survive. We was told that the breeding programme has now stopped. Seaworld is now known as a big theme park with some of the biggest (and scariest) rides – so thrill seekers this park may be for you. Day 6 – We woke up at Disney’s Yacht Club (Yay!) – Today was all about Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Epcot. First stop was Animal Kingdom and straight to Flight of Passage (Wow again a must do), followed by a Kilimanjaro Safari. After this we went to watch Festival of the Lion King Show. In the afternoon we headed over to Epcot and this is the perfect park for foodies, this is where we ate a half a metre pizza (between 3 of us) – Napoli’s Italian Restaurant – Highly recommend. I love Epcot for it’s World Showcase but wow it was busy. This is where you can eat and drink in every part of the world and also have character meetings. That evening we were treated to a VIP area and dessert party to watch Luminous Symphony of us. Just wow! Day 7 – Disney’s Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios – my most favourite parks. That morning we had a character breakfast at Cape May Restaurant in the Beach Club Hotel and then we were greeted by our Disney VIP Guide who picked us up from our hotel and took us to Magic Kingdom. I was super proud of myself as I went on nearly all rides on this day – go me ??. 1st stop was Jungle Cruise, then Pirates of the Caribbean, Thunder Mountain and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. All were fab and really family friendly. Then we headed to Tron, I was in 2 minds about this ride but really wanted to try it so I had a word with myself and went on it and I am so glad I did. One word amazing! We were then driven over to Hollywood Studios, 1st stop was Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Train, followed by Rise of the Resistance, Slinky Dog and finished off by watching the Frozen Sing-along, as we came out it appeared the storm had reached out so out come the ponchos (Mickey ears still in tack), we were due to watch Fantasmic that evening but unfortunately due to the storm it was cancelled so we headed over to Disney Springs for a shopping trip at World of Disney Day 8 – it was home time – before we headed to the airport we had a couple of hours networking with all Orlando suppliers in a Speed dating format. As let’s face it – Orlando isn’t just about the theme parks there is so much more to see and do. In all I had the best time and cannot wait to return with my family

05 June 2023

Our magical time in Disneyland Paris - what a holiday. I am a big fan of anything Disney so when my husband finally agreed to let me book Disneyland Paris I could not wait! We decided to give it as a Christmas present for our children so I created a Disney Gift box which had Disney ears, a voucher, water bottle, a count down plaque and an autograph book. When the kids opened their presents they jumped for joy - Count down was now on! We decided to drive as the thought of taking the children + Suitcases + buggy in to London to get the Eurostar was not doing me any favours - But it turned out it was the cheaper and most easiest of options! We booked a night at The Holiday Inn Express in Folkestone to avoid the M25 rush hour the morning of, The hotel was a 10 minute drive to The Eurotunnel Terminal. We got up early, jumped in the car and off we went. Checking in at The Eurotunnel is so easy, there is number plate recognition, so as long as you complete your APIS and pre departure information before you arrive you just tick a couple of questions and you are let through. You will complete Passport check and customs on the end you depart, so we had British customs check our passports and then went on to the French. This means when you arrive the other end you just drive of the train and on to the motorway! The roads are so easy to drive along to get to Disney, just stick to the Toll roads and you are there in 3 hours. The tolls cost 24Euros each way and you would take the A1 and A26 - I was amazed at how lovely the drive was and how many service stops (with clean toilets) there were on the way. 3 hours later we arrived at Disney's Cheyenne! I absolutely loved this hotel, we chose a lakeside room as being close to the hotel facilities wasn't a priority for me. But in fact we was still really close and was also only a 10 minute walk to Disney Village and the theme parks. We loved the theming of this hotel, themed around Toy Story's Woody and Jesse you definitely get the Wild West feel to it. You will find a gift shop, restaurant and Starbucks onsite and you can also partake in pony rides if you wish. A short walk along the lake and you will see over the lake Disney's Santa Fe, Disney's Sequoia Lodge and then right in front - there is Ironman! Yes we was right next door (practically) to New York Hotel- The Art of Marvel, and over the lake shining brightly is Disney's Newport Bay Club and before you know it you have reached Disney Village. We found a lovely little sports bar in Disney Village where we ate a couple of times, the portion sizes were great so we could split the meal between the children and prices were reasonable (as reasonable as Disney is!), you can get your favourites in there - Mickey Pizza, Chicken nuggets, hot dog etc while having a nice drink to get over the drive. This sports bar is next to the huge Disney Store. We got in to Disneyland Park at the right time to get a great spot to watch the Dream, Shine Bright parade and wow what a show! I just love the music and it really does bring a tear to your eyes. We decided to do the late night to watch the Disney D-light and Fireworks the night we arrived and it was the best decision, if we stayed late the next day after a full on day in the parks we would not of made it! (my husband and son did have a late afternoon nap to be fair - my 6 year old daughter amazed me and lasted to midnight with no nap!) - it was well worth the late night. I booked us lunch at Auberge De Cendrillon the next day to have lunch with the Disney Princesses and I believe this is well worth the price tag. You would be queuing for at least 2 hours at Princess Pavilion to see 1 princess. When you have lunch with the princesses you will expect to see 4 princesses plus 2 of Cinderella's mice and the food is really yummy and probably the healthiest you will eat! The next day we went for a Character breakfast for the 1st sitting just so we can get that all important castle photo! - the 1st sitting is only available for on site hotel guests. We got to see Pluto, Tigger, Geppetto, Hook and Pinocchio and there was a great selection of breakfast choices to feed even the fussiest of eaters. My favourite "lands" in Disneyland Park was Fantasyland without a doubt and I absolutely love walking through Mainstreet! We took a wander over to Disney Studios to please my husband and Son with Avengers Campus. We loved it and even managed to get 2 slots at Avengers Training centre with Dr Strange and Spiderman. We managed to get on all the rides we wanted to go on with our favourites being W.E.B, Ratatouille and Pirates of the Caribbean. My Husband and daughter went on Tower of Terror - and it is safe to say I don't think my daughter will be jumping back on it in a hurry haha. I decided to add on Disney's Photo pass to our booking and I am glad we did. We ended up with 42 professional photos which saved us a huge amount. Photos come with quite a price tag in the parks of approximately 14euros a photo - You just get given a voucher to exchange for the Photo pass card in a shop, the card has a bar code and each time a photo is taken a cast member will scan the code and 30 minutes later it will show on your website to download. In all, we had the best trip and have truly got the Disney Blues and will be planning our next trip again soon. Next hotel on our to do list - Disney's Sequoia Lodge.

09 August 2022

Family Holidays are all very exciting but then you come to the realisation that you will have to try and keep your children entertained on that long flight. Having 2 young children myself I have put together my little handy tips that I find helpful when going on holiday – 1 – If it is a very early morning flight an airport hotel is the way forward! Even better if the airline you are flying with offers Twilight check in the night before. 2 – Allow yourself plenty of time so you do not need to run for that departure gate 3– If an airport hotel is not an option, Airport parking meet and greet. I use this service on most of my holidays if not staying in a hotel, so handy. All you do is drive to the drop off location (calling them when you are about 15 minutes away), offload, sign all important documents, hand over your keys and then off you walk into the terminal. When you arrive home, collect your bags, call their number again and head to the meeting point to collect your car. 4 – Snacks, Snacks and Snacks!! Snacks are definitely the key to having that 5 minutes of peace. If your children are as fussy as mine - Airplane food may not be up to scratch so purchase a sandwich airside to take on to the plane with you. You can take certain food with you, but to avoid any scrutiny I much prefer to buy airside. 5 – Download all my children's favourite programmes on to their tablets - making sure the tablets are fully charged. 6 – Activity books and colouring – Always goes down a treat with my 2, pack a few surprises - my 2 love a gift 7 – Coach transfers the other end are great if you are budget conscious, but I will always book a private transfer where I can. This will get you to your hotel in less time without stopping off at various hotels enroute 8 – All Inclusive – Now this may only be my opinion but I think All Inclusive hotels are a great choice for children, you have daily entertainment, Kids Clubs and Ice Cream on tap! 9 – Afternoon Siesta – This may be easier said than done, but an afternoon nap so you can carry on to the evening to enjoy a late dinner and evening entertainment as a family. 10 – Pack dirty clothes as you go – when I go on holiday as we wear clothes I put straight away in the suitcase. This makes it easier to know what clothes we have left and we do not have as much to pack for our return journey home on our last day. These are only a few of my own hints and tips that I have picked up along the way on my own family holidays - Do you have any hints and tips which work for you? I would love to hear what makes for a stress free holiday experience on your family holiday.

30 December 2021

A firm favourite of mine and my husband's is Cyprus, for many reasons - the weather, the culture, the beaches and that is where we got married! We flew on 25th June 2017 with our then 11 month old daughter to prepare for our wedding on the 29th June 2017. We checked in our luggage, and headed straight to the gate with my wedding dress all packed in a box in my hand. The flight was exciting (luckily I had my mum and sister flying with us to help occupy my little girl). We landed at Larnaca Airport, collected our bags and buggy (all going smoothly) and then went to meet our mini bus driver in arrivals. We had viewed our hotel previously whilst attending my sister in law's wedding in Cyprus 2 years prior so knew what to expect and was so excited to check in at the Grecian Park Hotel in Konnos Bay, Protaras! The hotel was amazing on so many levels - the foyer was inviting, the swimming pool area was relaxing, the food was amazing! My favourite area was the Cliff Bar, overlooking Konnos Bay with comfy chairs, romantic lighting and mouth watering cocktails. This was where we were having our drinks reception and cutting of the cake! The Wedding itself was so relaxing (not many can say that about a wedding). All was already arranged prior to us arriving by their in-house wedding co-ordinator, all we had to do was decide on the final things ie flowers, decorations etc. The day went great - it actually flew by. Whilst the guests were sampling the delicious canapes in the Cliff Bar, my husband and I went off with the photographer for photos at Cape Greco - which is right on The Grecian Park's doorstep. Cape Greco is just amazing and beautiful, a must see when visiting Protaras. We then went back to join the guests for our Wedding breakfast and reception in their indoor venue The Prive Bar. We enjoyed 10 days at The Grecian Park. This is one of our favourite hotels and we will be going back one day. This hotel is luxurious and I cannot fault one thing about the Hotel. (Another added bonus - bells at your sun loungers so you do not need to get up to go and get a drink, a waiter will come and tend to your every need) Another must when in Cyprus is a trip to Lefkara Village. Lefkara is best known for its lace. There are plenty of little shops with hand made jewellery and lace. A word of warning, it does get very hot due to its location so have plenty of water on you. I could talk about Cyprus all day and we will be taking both our children back there soon, it is not an if, it is a when.