Day 802

Day 802...

Going to be a quick one today!

It has been a day of catching up on a few odds and sods and an afternoon trip over to Birmingham.

But the main news of today was that we woke up to the announcement that Star Wars Celebration for 2023 will be held in London next April.

It was Celebration in 2016 that got Simon and I into the whole Star Wars cosplay thing. Back in 2015 we heard about something called Celebration and as it coincided with Simon's 50th birthday year I suggested we give it a try. After tickets had been bought Simon the brought up the idea of attending in cosplay...to which I said that providing I didn't have to wear the infamous Princess Leia bikini I'd be happy to join in with the fun.

Then followed a year of building two Mandalorian sets of armour and becoming official members of the Mandalorian Mercs costuming club. We then booked our hotel and attended as members of the Mercs helping out with various activities along the way.

Since then we have added my Governor Pryce and Simon's Stormtrooper to our cosplay wardrobe and joined two more costuming groups - Joker Squad and East Midlands Garrison.

So on learning that Celebration would be happening in London in April 2023 we set about booking a hotel. Suffice to say hotel rooms were scarce as every Star Wars fan out there seemed to have snapped rooms up as soon as the dates had been announced!

Now the announcement came at just after midnight, UK time, and so consequently we did not hear about it until about 8am this morning. In those intervening few hours not only had hotel rooms been snapped up but the prices of remaining rooms had risen considerably, plus add into the equation that the event is happening over the Easter weekend when prices would naturally be higher anyway! But we managed to find a room within a ten minute walk of the Excel arena where Celebration will be taking place...not a cheap room...but it's a room in the location we wanted and so we decided to book it anyway. We were able to book without a deposit and with free cancellation up until the day before...this means that should something cheaper become available we would be able to re-book! But for now we have a room...next is to wait and see what the actual ticket prices are going to be, but we won't know that for a little while yet.

And with that excitement I will see you tomorrow.
xx

Start of the Weekend

Day 429...

And we have a Friday and the start of the weekend...in fact a weekend away!

But I did have to work this morning and had a few hours to catch up on the usual admin and banking. We also had a pyjama day today and the children paid £1 to come to preschool in their PJ's and bring in a teddy! We have also been getting ready for next weeks sponsored bounce; we have had lots of sponsor forms returned and we look set to raise a good amount of money for the preschool. We are a regsitered charity and have to fundraise throughout the year to help keep us afloat and buy those 'nice to have' items. This time we are hoping to get some new tech as our current set of tablets are a few years old and getting slower by the day!

But with the morning done I headed home to get changed and pack our bags ready for a little trip away. Simon finished his work a little later than planned but that was fine, we were still able to grab some lunch before setting off mid-afternoon.

We then made the 190 mile journey south to Bournemouth. It took us a little longer than expected as there was a few spots along the way with lots of slow traffic.

So we checked into the hotel and on entering the lobby area we had to wear our masks. Now the lobby area also contains a seating area for the bar which was full of people enjoying a drink and not wearing masks...but we had to wear them as did the staff...that just seems ridiculous and quite frankly pointless. But we did as asked and as soon as we were in the lift to our room the masks came off.

We then ventured out into the town centre to find something to eat. Now we know Bournemouth quite well as Molly's boyfriend lives close by and we have in the past played taxi for Molly and then used it as a good excuse to enjoy time away from home. So we knew where we wanted to go for a quick bite and where we knew we could get a low carb option...our choice was Five Guys. We were able to order burgers without the bun and with as many toppings as we liked; great burgers cooked to order and without the carbs!

But when we arrived at the restaurant we had to wear our masks to enter and order but as soon as we sat down we could take the masks off and sit relatively close to other diners! So again...what is the point? Plus there was a sign up saying that although they recommend their staff wore masks it wasn't mandatory and while most of the staff on duty were wearing a mask there were at least two members who weren't. So again,  how does this work if masks actually make a difference...oh that's right they don't!

We were also asked to check-in to Track & Trace but as neither of us has the app loaded on our phone we were given a handwritten list to leave our details instead. I was pleasantly surprised that a hand written list was being maintained as I really don't want to load the app if I can help it, as last time I used it I was getting random notifications even when I hadn't been anywhere!

So now it's time for red wine, chocolate and feet up!

Take care.

xx

 

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.