Meeting Characters! (As an Adult.....or an adult that never grew up!)

Every time I see anyone going on any sort of Disney trip, one of the most exciting things to me is when people meet characters! I love seeing the pictures people take with all sorts of characters whether they be completely popular characters or very rare characters. However, having not been on a trip to any sort of Disney park for nearly 15 years when the time came to go myself I was completely nervous at the thought of it. 

I know that is probably a stupid thing to be nervous of but I was, I know I shouldn't be worried about what other people think but I definitely was. I was worried that the people in the queue would be annoyed with me for taking time with the characters when they were waiting with their children, I was worried that I'd look stupid in the photos and I spent my whole first day putting off meeting all sorts of characters for these reasons. I know all of these things sound pretty trivial and something I'd even myself say are irrational but they were still what I was thinking about. However, that all soon changed after I actually took the time to meet the characters! Obviously, having not met characters since I was around 6 years old meant I didn't really know what to do, so I just made it up as I went along. I don't know if other people worry about things like this but thought I'd put tips for adults (sort of) like me who are maybe nervous about meeting characters or worried about what to say!

1. Open your arms for a hug (If you want a hug that is) - I think that going up to the characters as if you're excited to meet them will 100% affect the sort of meet you have with them! The first characters I met were Tigger and Eeyore, I didn't know what else to go so I just opened my arms excitedly and Tigger was really happy to reciprocate the hug!

2. Ask questions! - With almost every character I met I asked them something, like how their day has been, if they're enjoying the day, saying its cold (or hot) depending on the weather obviously. This works better if you ask questions with a yes or no answer as characters like Mickey won't answer you with words but with gestures! Face characters will definitely be up for a full on question so make sure you ask them about their specific movies!

3. Wear something interesting! - Almost every character I met gestured toward my ears, they loved seeing them and interacting with them! Dale stole my ears from me and played with them which was so funny and Minnie absolutely loved them! Donald even tried to steal the daisy off of mine for Daisy. Donald wasn't pleased with my Mickey Mouse jumper however but I soon won him around by showing him my Donald pin on my lanyard.

4. Take an Autograph book (or something to sign) - This may seem obvious but not many adults I saw had autograph books however the characters were more than happy to sign mine, Mickey and Minnie even loved my ears so much they made sure to sign my autograph book in an extra special way. I'd say if you have a specific character that is your favourite to definitely make the effort when meeting them as you'll be rewarded with a great signature. Make sure you have your book and pen ready for the characters to use however as It can be difficult for them to see small biro like pens, I'd suggest buying the larger pens sold at Disney to make it easier for them. 

5. Be specific - When meeting a character I think it's always great to address them by their name and say things that they will know are specific to them. If you're meeting Donald, mention Daisy. If you're meeting Alice ask her about wonderland etc. When I met Chip and Dale I started by saying 'Good Morning Chip!' enthusiastically to him and he responded by giving me a massive hug and spinning in circles with me. Often people find it hard to differentiate the two, Chip has a black nose, Dales is reddish/brown. 

Although, it is not essential to do all of these things they're thing I found useful doing when meeting characters as it made it easier for them to react to me and made our meet a lot more special. The characters are fantastic if you like chatting to them or not! I saw a couple meet Chip and Dale who literally said nothing to them but Chip and Dale still managed to make them laugh and they took great photos with them. The characters will adapt to how you meet them, whether you chat to them or are quiet and shy. In my opinion, the characters were absolutely fantastic and made me feel at ease no matter how nervous I was initially. In the end I even plucked up the courage to meet Mary Poppins, a face character, which I didn't think I would and I'm so glad I did! My next mission is to meet some Princess'!

Here are some other photos I took I'd like to share! P.S - The people in my photos are my parents in case you were wondering!

I am by no means an expert in meeting characters at all! I had probably 7/8 meets in my whole trip but I thought it could be useful to those who are nervous like me to have some things in mind before they actually make their trip! I hope these tips are helpful to you, or if they're not that you enjoyed looking at some of my photos, I really enjoyed meeting characters a lot more than I thought I would!

I've got a whole list of Disneyland Paris posts to write so if you have any suggestions please drop me a message/comment on here or on my instagram/ twitter!

My twitter is @Adreamisawish96 and my instagram is @shereallyisafunnygirl

TTFN

Lauren

Disneyland Paris Haul - 2017

As a majority of people reading this post will know I've recently returned from a trip to Disneyland Paris, it was a four day trip in which I stayed at the Sequoia lodge and I had the most amazing time ever! I hadn't been to Disneyland Paris since I was around 3 years old so it was really exciting for me to be able to return! Now, as I'm sure you can imagine I spent a load of money there, although not as much as I thought I would! I hope that nobody thinks this post is me bragging about the things I bought, I really just like sharing things available currently in the parks as It's something i often read other blog posts on and watch YouTube videos of hauls. So, if you don't like Haul posts I suggest you don't read on as this will not be for you! I saved for nearly a year to be able to take money with me that I could just buy things I wanted!

Like the bad blogger I am I didn't save receipts for a lot of the things or remember the colour coding price system they have on some items but I'll try my best to give an estimated price for most things! I also can't remember every single shop in which I bought everything but if I do remember I will of course include it!

This is a long one, so maybe grab a drink and some chocolate to have a chilled out read.

The very first thing that I actually bought on this trip was my lanyard, lanyard pouch and a few pins! I already have a few pins in a collection on a pin board but only a few, however on this trip I went a bit pin crazy, mainly because they're quite affordable and I liked being able to wear them on my lanyard around the parks. They helped me with interactions with characters as well, particularly Donald Duck who really enjoyed seeing himself displayed on my lanyard. The lanyard itself was €9.99 and the lanyard pouch was €7.99, however the lanyard pouch isn't pictured it was a star wars pouch and I mainly bought it to keep all of my tickets in but it broke near the end of the trip which was disappointing. I won't go into detail about each pin but they varied in price between €6.99 and €9.99, if you'd like me to do a full post just on my pins drop me a message and I'd be happy to do so!

I also got this amazing blanket which I've seen in several hauls and I've wanted it ever since I first saw it! It was on special as a purchase with purchase item which you could get for €9.99 instead of €19.99 if you spent over I think €25 in a single transaction. It's so fluffy and warm and really quite big, I think it was quite cheap for the price and I absolutely love the design.

I didn't actually but this item for myself but my parents kindly got it for me as a surprise within a few hours of us arriving at our hotel. They went to have a look in the hotel shop whilst I sat with our suitcases and arrived back with this for me. I was so surprised and I couldn't believe it, I absolutely love this snow globe, it's so adorable and I love the detail. unfortunately I don't know the price of this as it was a gift but i assume it may be around the €50 mark? It's very well packaged so didn't get damaged on the return trip to the UK. This is a musical snow globe that plays the song 'Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride'.

This is one of my best purchases on the trip, this amazing holdall which was only $9.99 in total! I absolutely love the design of this and it folds up really small so is ideal for over spillage of gifts if you buy too much for your suitcase like I did! We ended up buying them as gifts for people as well as buying a few for ourselves just because the price was so good! They're really roomy and lightweight and definitely worth the price. 

This is an item I've also seen in several hauls and something I really wanted so I'm so glad I managed to find it in a big enough size for my chunky fingers! It's a lovely ring and something that's subtle in it's disney-ness and is definitely suitable for everyday wear. It was 'green' on the pricing chart which I believe was around €18??

I saw these earrings and straight away I knew I had to buy them, They came in both gold and silver, but I much preferred the silver. For the two pairs of earrings they were in the 'blue' category and I believe they cost €24.99.

I got this necklace because I thought it was a lovely design and a little bit more exciting than just a plain mickey head necklace, I really like the varied size's of the mickeys and the layout. This necklace was in the 'pink' category and cost I think €34.99.

The last pieces of jewellery that I bought were these adorable minnie earrings! I love that although they're quite plain they have a bit of sparkle as well as coming in an adorable box similar to the necklace, these earrings were in the blue category and cost €24.99.

Another cheap purchase I made was this cute rain mac! It rained quite a bit in Disneyland Paris so I was lucky to have bought this as I used it pretty often in the end. I really like the subtleness of the design and the cute Mickey with his anchor. This mac was originally €60 and only cost me €10 so I was really excited to have found it for such a great price.

Another purchase with purchase item I found was this cute bowl! This came from the shop in the Ratatouille section of Walt Disney Studios and was only €4.99 when you spent over €25, luckily my parents bought some souvenirs in this shop so I managed to get this bowl! I really like the design of this bowl and I really wanted to get something ratatouille themed after really enjoying the ride! I'll be having all my cereal and porridge in this bowl from now on!

As soon as I saw this jumper from afar I knew I had to have it! I love the uniqueness of the design, especially as the Beast doesn't really have much merchandise. I was even more happy when I realised this jumper was on sale, instead of €50 it cost me only €14.99 which was a complete bargain for a lovely quality Disneyland jumper!

Another jumper but this time it was unfortunately full price at €54.99 which for me is a crazy amount to spend on a jumper but I got so excited by the cute design I just got it because I knew I'd regret it if I didn't. I'd also just been on Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, so I'm going to blame my excitement of being on the ride on my purchase too, although I don't regret it because I love the jumper and know I'll get a lot of wear out of it.

Something I was really excited to get my hands on was this amazing BB-8 cup which cost me €12.99  with a drink! I'd seen this cup available online in the American parks so when I saw it was available in Paris I knew I had to get it. 

I only got one magnet from my trip and it was this amazing 'Dreams' magnet! Dreams is coming to an end and I absolutely fell in love with it when i saw it! To commemorate the amazing feeling watching Dreams I wanted to get something to represent Dreams and this was the only thing I could find, luckily I love it. This was I believe €5.99 and is a lovely magnet.

The majority of rides I rode on I absolutely loved but nearly above all I loved Tower of Terror, not just for the ride but for everything about it! The themeing, the cast members and just everything. I wanted to get something Hollywood Tower Hotel themed just because I love the whole story behind the ride, this keyring cost €6.99 and is quite a large keyring.

I had an amazing meet with Mary Poppins and two penguins so I wanted to get this beautiful little Mary Poppins ornament, I love the fact it has two penguins get like the ones I'd met earlier that day! This ornament is well detailed and also rather well painted for only €19.99.

The last thing I actually bought on my trip, just as we were leaving our hotel, was this adorable little Minnie Mouse plush! I was upset about not being able to find Dug wearing his cone of shame on my trip so bought this Minnie to make myself feel better as I don't have any Minnie's wearing her iconic red polka dot dress! This little plush cost €17.99 which is quite expensive however I couldn't leave her behind.

I knew I wanted to get myself an ornament to commemorate our trip and as soon as I saw this amazing piece I knew it was the one I wanted! I have this design in a pin and have wanted this ornament for a while but had no idea they sold it at Disneyland Paris so upon seeing it I was over the moon. It is so incredibly detailed and just a beautiful concept. The price of the ornament was €89 and I believe it was worth every cent I paid for it.

This last piece is something I will keep very dear to me and I think it's probably my favourite item I got on the whole trip. We were sitting on the Eurostar home waiting to leave when my mum pulled a small bag out of her handbag and put it on the table infront of me. I took out and 'Arribas brothers' box and was so confused, but when I opened it I could have cried. I'd wondered why earlier that morning my dad had disappeared when I was taking some of my final photos of the Disneyland Park and soon discovered it was because he'd gone to buy me this amazing glass Enchanted Rose. I don't know how much it cost but to me it's definitely priceless.

There we have it! The end of my Disneyland Paris haul, excluding any thing I got for people as gifts. Hopefully you've enjoyed this post, I know it was a long one but it was one I really wanted to write as I love reading them myself.

Have you got any DLP trips planned? If so when do you go? Is there anything you're looking forwards to purchasing?

Thanks again for reading this post!

TTFN

Lauren

Walt Disney World Past Trip - 2002

At the ripe old age of 6 years old I took a trip to Orlando, Florida with my parents. This trip was actually 12 years ago and at the age of 18 I thought it would be interesting to look back on the trip and focus on the place where dreams are realised and made - WALT DISNEY WORLD!

Being a fan of Disney films for the whole of my 6 years, and having previously visted Disneyland Paris, I can only guess that my parents thought it appropriate to take the 9 hour journey to Orlando and visit the happiest place on Earth.

This being 12 years ago I can't remember a lot from our journey but I asked my mum to find some of the things she kept, with us both being hoarders, from the holiday and let me have a look. She found a whole photo album of embarassing pictures which I didn't really want to put on this blog and a few other things.

Now, whilst looking at these things I discovered we had visited Disney World when it was celebrating '100 Years of Magic'. The '100 Years of Magic' marked the 100th Anniversary of Walt Disney's birth. Although he was born in 1901, it was late in that year so when we visited in June of 2002 it still was within that year of celebration. One of the things my Mum kept was this :

Now, this probably isn't the most exciting piece she could have kept, but the fact it was actually something from that year I felt was quite cool.

Another thing I found was this penny press holder:

Around the Disney Parks they have these things called 'Penny Presses' where you pay 51 cents to recieve a commemerative penny or on some quarters. I took a picture of my favourites from the collection including a '100 Years of Magic' pressed Quarter.

When we stayed in America we hired a car as we stayed off site instead of on site and thinking we were unique in our thinking decided to buy a little Mickey head for the car aerial. We thought that this would help us spot our car in the massive car park, however nearly every car in the whole place had these so it didn't really help. I thought it was cute anyway.

When I was at Disney World I remember being incredibly excited to meet the characters that roamed the parks. So the go along with pictures we took I also got an Autograph book which I think is essential when going to Disney World whether old or young. I would have uploaded all of the autographs I got inside but thought it'd be a bit boring so heres just the outside!

As well as Disney World having four main Parks Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios (or MGM as it was when I visited), Animal Kingdom and Epcot. It also has water parks. We only went to one waterpark called Typhoon Lagoon which turned out to be really fun! We went there for two days and on the second day one of the cast members recognised me from before and decided to make me the 'Big Kahuna'. The 'Big Kahuna' basically gets special treatment on the day they are named as that. We got a private section of the beach with a few chairs and a canopy over the top, a free refillable drink mug, a free hotdog and I also got a medal that looked like this.

Typhoon lagoon was actually one of my favourite places and the way the cast members made me feel special that whole day is something I'll never forget.

I also have a few more pictures of just random things I found to do with our holiday and I'll put them here.

So, that concludes most of the stuff I can find from my 2002 holiday to Walt Disney World! I know to some people this might not be exciting but I thought it would be fun to look back and re-experience some of the memories that were made there!

If you want to ask any questions or suggest blog posts please don't hesitate to leave a comment and if you love all things Disney then why not give my Disney twitter a follow? My twitter username is @ADreamIsAWish96 and for EVEN MORE Disney fun you can follow my instagram - shereallyisafunnygirl 

I hope you enjoyed this blog post because I really enjoyed writing it!!

TTFN (ta ta for now!)

Lauren

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