8...

8...days to go!

Well today has been a relatively quiet day mainly getting jobs done around the house.

Firstly I raided everyone's wardrobes to make sure that any clothes they were likely to want to take on holiday have been washed (I know...I just made more work for myself but better today than when I come to pack!) and also to confiscate all the clean and ironed clothes so that they can't wear them between now and when we pack!  Method in my madness you see!

Then I was faced with the task of trying to sort my missing dollars.  So as a recap my dollars were due to arrive 3 days ago and according to our postal service, the Royal Mail, they were delivered and signed for...shame we never got them.  Anyway after tweeting about it I was contacted today via twitter by a very concerned Royal Mail and I am now still waiting to see what the outcome is.  I have also contacted the sender who are also not very happy with the Royal Mail and are also trying to sort it from their side of things...I await further developments.

This afternoon saw me starting off our 'Mousekeeping' envelopes; these are simply an easy way to sort tips for the housekeeping staff to make sure that whilst we are there all the staff who look after us get recognised for their efforts.

Oh and I also managed a run this evening, only a short one but I am getting better at running for longer and this evening only walked three times and ran the rest so I was really pleased and even more confident for that run around Lago Dorado at Disney's Coronado Springs!

Another Run Day

Just a quick post to update you on my running efforts.  I now seem to be back into my stride (pardon the pun!) and have completed two small runs today.

I decided that as I wanted to visit my mum who only lives a short distance away, that rather than jump in the car I would run there.  So I put on my running gear and off I set.  I decided to make the route a little more interesting and a little longer by going off the most direct route and so a short 20 minutes later I had completed 1.5 miles through a combination of running and walking.

I then spent a good hour catching up with my mum before heading home, which I did with a straight run home following the direct route.  So I managed 1 mile in just under 15 minutes which included a walk to start, followed by my longest uninterrupted run since getting back out onto the road and then finishing with a short walk.

I reckon that I must have ran for around 10 - 12 minutes without stopping, which is a great achievement for me and makes my target of running around Lago Dorado at Disney's Coronado Springs look very achievable.

I have just over a full week before we set off for WDW and I reckon I can get at least another 3 runs, if not 4, done before then which should set me in good form for achieving my goal.  And as soon as I have done it I will let you all know!

Running Where?

Well it's been awhile since I wrote a post about my running endeavours and to be honest that's because there hasn't been an awful lot to write about until now.

Since the end of May I have struggled for one reason or another to find the time, and inclination, to get out and run but I have now re-found my mojo and am back out running...or as I like to call it 'my bouncy walk'!

So I have hit the roads with a combination of running and walking, I'm not following any special plan just simply listening to my body and switching between running and walking when it feels right for me.

I always start with a good paced walk for a couple of minutes and then launch into my run and see just how far I can go before I need to slow down, walk and get ready for the next run.  This seems to be working really well for me, and even though I have had a break of a couple of months it is both surprising and re-assuring how my body has responded. Simon has always said that once your body has experienced running it will pick it back up relatively quickly and I have to say he's right.  So apart from a few muscle aches all is going well so far.

As I run I set myself goals of where I think I should be able to run to and then surprise myself when I run further!  I am also changing my route; todays run was completely different to my usual route which made it more interesting for me with more things to look at and more hills to run up!!  I am fortunate to live in a semi-rural area so I have some lovely places to run around, even if it does mean dodging overgrown nettles and local wildlife! I got surprised today by a bird running out of a bush in front of me, I'm not quite sure how we missed each other!

I am pleased that I am back out there and running the best I can and am looking forward to the challenge of running around Lago Dorado at Disney's Coronado Springs in a couple of weeks time :)

So, how's the running?

Well part of this blog was to detail my progress as I took up running for the first time, with my aim of running around Lago Dorado at Coronado Springs Resort on our next visit to WDW my motivation.

So after a shaky start this time last year I got motivated and took advantage of working in education and used last years Summer holidays to get into a routine of running three times a week following the C25K plan (Couch to 5K).  And I did really well, I stuck to my goals and by the end of the six weeks Summer holidays I had completed week 6 of the 9 week C25K plan, and even once I returned to work I was still getting out and running as often as I could until early October...

Autumn came along and through a mixture of social commitments, cold and wet weather and darker nights I suddenly found it more and more difficult to find time to go out for a run.  Before I knew it December was upon us and for my birthday Simon bought me some cold weather running gear so I really had no excuse now to get back out there.

So New Year met with new determination and out I set for a run in my new gear, and was pleasantly surprised with myself.  I did better than I thought I would and although I couldn't run for as long as I had been doing I still got out there and gave it my best shot.  A couple of days later I got out for another run and thought I was back on the way to getting into a routine and running regularly again...

But then the British weather took hold!  We have had the coldest and snowiest winter that I can ever remember and conditions just weren't good for getting out and running.

My garden looked like this for what seemed an eternity (actually about  2/3 weeks)

I was also suffering from a chilblain on one of my toes which was making walking, never mind running, extremely painful.  So yet again my running came to an abrupt stop.

I now find myself at another school holiday; two weeks off work!  Now the weather is still awful, apparently it's been the coldest March on record (no kidding!) but I have two clear weeks to get back into that ever so important routine.  So as I write this I am not long back in from my second run in four days...now I say run but to be honest at this point I am back to a combination of running and walking...but at least I am out there and moving!

I have to admit that they haven't been the most pleasant of runs, my cold weather gear has kept me lovely and warm but running in cold air really quite surprised me; really taking my breath away.  Today I was confronted with quite a strong wind which again didn't help matters but two short runs in and nearly 700 calories burnt so I don't think that's too bad.

So although tough going I am pleased that I have got back out there and know that long term I will benefit so much from what I am doing; I shall be fitter, slimmer and healthier.  I am setting myself sensible, attainable goals; I have a 3K fun run planned for 28th April and two possible 5K charity walks coming up.  Simon is also taking part in a 10K on the 28th April as well as our local half marathon in September so I think it's fair to say our house is going to be a lot fitter by the time we take on WDW in August!!

By the way when Simon and I take part in the 10K & 3K on 28th April we will be raising funds for the Make-a-Wish Foundation UK.  Having previously supported the WDW Radio Dream Team Project which supports the Make-a-Wish Foundation in the US we felt drawn to help support their UK counterparts.  You can help us fundraise by visiting our Just Giving page and making a donation - thank you x

Why stay in a Disney hotel?

Back in November of last year I started doing a few posts about the decisions made when considering a holiday to the vacation capital of the world...especially when travelling all the way from the UK!

I talked about the time of year to go, whether a car was needed and the choice of staying 'off-site' or 'on-site', so I thought I would now tell you why I think staying in a Disney hotel is a great choice.

I understand that staying in a Disney hotel is not for everyone, especially when travelling from the UK.  For those of us who live such a long way away from the magic we have to think about the cost involved as well as making the most of our time in Florida.  How much of Florida do we want to explore?  How much time do we have to get all the things done that we'd like to get done?!

When we visited Orlando the first few times back in the early 1990's we stayed off property for exactly the reasons I've mentioned but as the years have gone by and our sole reason for travelling all those thousands of miles has become visiting Disney we decided to take a different option and try a Disney hotel.

Nowadays a vacation to WDW just wouldn't be right if we didn't immerse ourselves fully in the magic and stay in a Disney hotel.

So what is it that makes a Disney hotel the only choice for me?  Where do I start...

Location, Location, Location - staying in a Disney hotel means that you are at the heart of everything Disney, you are never far away from a little bit of that Disney magic whether its visiting a park, having a stroll through Downtown Disney or enjoying a little chill out time by the hotel pool.

Port Orleans French Quarter - Entrance

Quality - the attention to detail and the quality of everything in a Disney hotel surpasses all others.  Everything is 'top notch', well maintained, well presented, looked after and cared about.  They obviously hold very high standards and do everything in their power to make sure those standards are met all of the time.  The grounds are immaculate, the housekeeping and general maintenance are fantastic.

Mousekeeping! How cute are these?

Customer Service - it kind of goes without saying that the customer service you receive in a Disney hotel is exceptional, in fact for us Brits visiting the US customer service whether in a Disney hotel or not is more often than not way better than we get at home. Everything is done with a smile, a willingness to chat and a desire to ensure that you have the best time possible.

Theming - each Disney hotel is themed to a particular style and gives each hotel a distinct feel and personality of its own.  We have only managed to stay at two hotels so far; the All Stars Movies which was big, bold, brash and larger than life and Port Orleans French Quarter which is a complete contrast to All Star Movies with it's laid back New Orleans vibe, beautiful architecture, landscaping and tranquility.  We now can't wait to try Coronado Springs in approximately 192 days time :)

All Star Movies Resort

Port Orleans French Quarter - beautiful grounds

Port Orleans French Quarter - pool area

Perks - as you would expect there are a few things that are exclusive to staying in a Disney hotel.  Firstly there is the complimentary transportation whether it be bus, monorail or boat there is enough to get you wherever you want to be on Disney property. Then there is 'Extra Magic Hours', exclusive to hotel guests giving extra time in the parks either before they open or after they close.  Next is the 'Key to the World' card; your hotel key, your park tickets, charging facility and Disney Dining Plan all rolled into one.  And as a Disney guest you can also get an extra 10 days booking power for those important Advanced Dining Reservations (ADR's).

Disney Dining Plan - a perk that is exclusive to Disney guests and worth it's own mention and often for UK visitors offered free when booking package deals through certain travel companies!  We took advantage of this offer during our last WDW vacation back in 2011, by simply staying in a moderate priced hotel we were given the Quick Service Dining Plan for free.  This suited us down to the ground and meant that a big holiday expense was sorted before we'd even set foot in the magic...and we still had snack points left over at the end of two weeks!!

Part of the vacation - by this I mean that staying in a Disney hotel is as much a part of the vacation as going on all the rides and seeing all the shows.  It's the icing on the cake that rounds out a Disney vacation, especially for those of us who's main reason for visiting Orando is Disney and very little else :)

Port Orleans French Quarter - pathway leading to pool area

Disney hotels are so much more than just hotels.  Disney realised very soon after opening the first hotels at WDW that they needed to run and operate differently to an ordinary hotel, that the clientele was not the usual hotel crowd, that something more was needed from the hotels.  From the theming to the facilities on offer to the customer service to the ability to cope with large numbers of people.  They recognised that they needed to apply some of the principles of running a theme park to how they ran their hotels, once they did this they never looked back.

Can't wait to try our next hotel when we visit Coronado Springs Resort later in year, look out for my report on all things south of the border.

Running Update

Now that's a blog post title that I've not used in a little while...nearly 3 months in fact!

But today saw me brave the elements - a dark, grey and damp afternoon - and dust off the trainers and get outside for a run.  No excuses, I had the time, the weather was as good as it was going to be and I had the clothes.  Simon had bought me for my birthday in December some new running clothes - gloves, hat, leggings, cold weather top and a lovely bright pink jacket.

So off I set with no great aspirations other than to get outside and get moving again, even if that meant just a walk I would be happy with whatever I could manage.  But I surprised myself, after a quick warm up walk off I jogged and you know what it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.  I kept giving myself little targets...get to the end of the road, pass the houses...and although I didn't run all of the time, I managed a combination of short runs and quick walks, I completed 2.35 miles in just under 37 minutes and burnt off 336 calories.

And after all as my visit to WDW is only 230 days away I need to get training in order to accomplish my little dream of being able to run around Lago Dorado at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in the Florida sunshine!

So for anyone out there thinking about going out for that first difficult run stop thinking and just do it.  Whatever you manage to do is better than doing nothing, don't compare yourself to others just do what you feel comfortable doing because the person who'll feel better for it is you!