My Disney Bucket List - October 2016

It makes me very excited to say that this time next week, I will be on a train heading to my happy place. It still doesn't feel real, of course I'm really looking forward to it but it still hasn't hit me that I'm going yet. It'll probably feel real when I'm on the train coming home after the most amazing trip ever. If you're wondering if I'm organised for this trip then the answer is no; I have nothing planned apart from my Soiree costume and even that was a last minute decision! 

If there's one thing I've realised, it's that I definitely appreciate my Disney trips more as an adult because I value the escapism and happy atmosphere. Each time I go on a trip, I set myself different goals to achieve. It's not a plan as such because I don't think you can ever really plan a Disney holiday in full; you have to take in characters and queue times for rides and by the time you've done that you're all stressed out. I love going on holiday with goals in mind but with no proper plan; I'm so chill so I just like to roll with it. Today I thought I'd share with you all of the things I would love to do on my Halloween Trip! 

ºoº Have a Casey's Corner Hotdog

ºoº Have a photo taken in front of the Castle

ºoº Buy myself a Disney Hoodie

ºoº Visit the Disneyland Hotel and spend more time in there 

ºoº Meet lots of my Blogging Friends

ºoº Have a big group photo taken on Pirates of the Caribbean

ºoº Interact with Characters more 

ºoº Buy and Autograph book and get more autographs from Characters

ºoº Attempt to speak some French

ºoº Ride Peter Pan's Flight everyday

ºoº Watch Dreams at least twice

ºoº Sing-a-long to Magic on Parade

ºoº Watch Mickey and the Magician 

ºoº Get an Annual Pass 

Make sure that you keep up to date with my trip on my Instagram and Twitter; I'll be posting updates whilst I'm there and I can't wait to share my adventures with you when I'm home!

Lots of Love,
Meg

xox

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A Weekend at Gregynog Hall

Hello Everyone!

Last weekend, I spent my time in one of the most inspiring places I have ever visited. Gregynog Hall is an old building in the middle of Wales where people go to walk around the forests and take in the picturesque surroundings. It's also possible to stay at Gregynog, like we did, which I would highly recommend because it's such a fun thing to experience. Each year, the creative writing staff at University take all of the first year students to Gregynog on a 'Writers Retreat'. 

As soon as I was told about this trip, I was very excited and knew that I would be in attendance straight away. Although when they were saying that we would be really inspired by our surroundings, I didn't really understand where they were coming from. It was just an old hall, how was I going to get any inspiration from that? Well how wrong could I be?

From the moment we arrived, it immediately felt like autumn. I know that's a very weird thing to write, but it was the first time I actually felt like we were in the month of October. The leaves were falling off the trees, slowly drifting to the ground; it felt like we were part of a film. We were taken straight into the dining room and fed, which was one of my favourite things about the trip, aside to the writing, because there was always food around and the food was amazing. After living on the student diet of pasta, you really do begin to appreciate good food. Then, we were set off on our first writing task which allowed us to go and explore the grounds.

The first thing we did was run straight into the forest to go and explore. The leaves continued to fall from the trees and we saw some squirrels scurrying across the floor. It was the most calming place. It's been a stressful few weeks, settling into Uni and everything, but being there just seemed to put everything into perspective and it was lovely. Whilst wandering through the forest, and finding a headless Barbie stuck in a tree, we found some lovely little teepees made from wood. We don't know who made them, but it was so magical, and it provided me with a lot of inspiration for a story. We then sat in some trees and wrote for a little while, and then decided to build our own teepee to go with the others. Just a reminder for other people that we were once there, if we ever do become famous writers. We then headed back to the hall for afternoon tea and to get ready for our evening meal.

The first night at Gregynog was one of the funniest. I would say that my friends and I had a little bit too much to drink, and we were extremely happy for the majority of the night. However, one of the loveliest things was sitting outside on the grass and watching the stars. At Gregynog, there's not a lot of pollution so the sky is very clear on a night, if it's not cloudy, and we were very lucky enough to be able to see the twinkling stars beaming down on us. There's something about stars that just really fascinates me, when you think about it, we were all stars at one point. It was such a beautiful sight to see, I really think people take things like that for granted, I'm one of those people, but we should really start to appreciate the beautiful things that surround us.

On the second day, we were set two more writing tasks and decided to delve deeper into the forest to explore some more. In the morning, Molly, Catherine and I decided to follow a lovely woodland path to a bridge. Beside the bridge was a gate filled with beautiful red flowers. It reminded me a little bit of the secret garden, so we walked through the gate to find something that inspired me to write one of the short stories in my writing journal. As we walked through the gate, we were led back into the gardens of the hall and I found the loveliest little stone bench. On the top of the bench was a little robin, and as we got closer we noticed some mushrooms growing from the bench surrounded by little berries. It reminded me of fairies dancing around a campfire and fluttering around the enchanted forest. We then decided to walk a little bit further where I found the most fascinating tree ever. We worked out that it was over three hundred years old and when you looked up at it, the sun was just shining through the leaves and they turned into the most beautiful shade of green.

For our second task, instead of going outside, we decided to head back to the building to explore that a little more. Whilst walking around the various corridors, we came across the most beautiful room in the whole building. It was an old library with hundreds of books lining the shelves, old desks for writing on, and ladders which you could climb up to get the books on the higher shelves. I felt like Belle in Beauty & the Beast, it was the most beautiful room. When we'd completed our task, we decided to go on another little walk around the grounds. The weather was very cold so we were all wrapped up in our boots, scarfs and warm coats. On the walk, we made friends with the loveliest little horse in a field. We decided to call him 'Danger' and he took a like to Molly which was very cute.

Our final night in Gregynog was formal night. We all got dressed up and went for our evening meal, which was delicious, and then headed into the music room for the open mic night. If you don't know what one of these is, it's basically a night where students are allowed to get up in-front of everyone and read out their work. The drunker people became, the more fun the open might night became. IT was so lovely to hear what pieces of art people had created and how differently people viewed things around the hall.

I had the most wonderful time exploring Gregynog Hall. I produced some really good pieces of writing and I can't wait to return there next year hopefully!

Here are some photos I took over the weekend! :)

Lots of Love
Meg
xox

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Things to know before you go | Disneyland Paris

So, you've booked your holiday to Disneyland Paris, but now you have the horrible wait until you venture into a world beyond your wildest dreams and spend a few days in the residence of Mickey Mouse. I thought I'd do a little blog post with a few things that you should know before you go!

1) Only certain hotels offer the Extra Magic Hours in the Park
Extra Magic Hours provide you with a chance to enter the Disney Parks two hours early so that you can meet and greet Mickey and his friends as well as visit some of the attractions that will get busier later on in the day. However, only Disney hotels have the advantage of these hours which are stated below:
Disneyland Hotel
Disney's Hotel New York
Disney's Newport Bay Club
Disney's Sequoia Lodge
Disney's Hotel Cheyenne
Disney's Hotel Santa Fe
Disney's Davy Crockett Ranch

2) Transportation
The Eurostar (travelling from London) takes you to the Marne-La-Vallée station, just a two minute walk from the main entrance to the Disney Parks and in the immediate vicinity of the Disney Hotels (As stated above, except the Davy Crockett Ranch). If you will be travelling from Paris, it's just a 35 minute trip on the RER A (express train) to get to the Disney Park Station. 

If the train is not your thing and you would prefer to fly, you should definitely take advantage of the VEA shuttle service between the main airports in Paris. It's only an hour trip, if traffic plays in your favour, and it should be included in your flight package (make sure that it is!) 

3) Arrival and Departure
Hotels checking in times tend to be different but the majority are between 2-3pm. However, if you do get there early, check in and your room is already available, they will happily give you the key to your room to allow you to start your Disney Adventure, so always make sure that you check. On your day of departure, you are normally asked to leave your room by 11am. There is a room where you can leave your luggage if you wish to do some last minute shopping or spend one last day in the park. However, this is not available at the Davy Crockett Ranch. 

4) Shopping
Although there are many shops dotted around the Disney Parks, the main place for some retail therapy is the Disney Village. It's the perfect place to venture just before Disney Dreams, or after as it is open until 1am. It offers many shows and bars as well as shops so you're sure to be entertained. 

If you're worried about having to carry all of your things around with you then don't be! Disney now offers a free shopping service; this means that you can leave your purchases at the shop and rest assured that they will be delivered directly to your hotel. This service is available for guests staying in the Disney Hotels and the Val de France Hotels (Hotel l'Eysée Val d'Europe and Pierre & Vacances City Aparthotel Val d'Europe) 

5) Getting Lost
If you're worried about getting lost, there's no need to panic. There are maps, in all different languages, available in both parks, as well as entertainment guides and character meeting points. All the staff are so willing to help you, they always have a smile on their face and cannot do enough for you. Also, don't worry about the language barrier, most cast members speak at least French and English. City Hall is also a good place to go if you need help. 

6) Birthday Celebrations
If there is going to be a birthday celebration whilst you are on your holiday in Disneyland Paris, it is possible to inform City Hall who will then give you a birthday badge with your name on it. Throughout the day, characters will wish you a happy birthday, making your day just that little more magical. 

7) Kids
If you're going to be taking the children to Disney, here are a few little things that you should know. Cots are available free of charge on request, as are basic accessories such as bottle warmers but these are all subject to availability on the day. In the Park, stroller rentals are available as well as baby care centres which allow you to change, feed, or look after your child. There is also a lost children point so if this does happen, you can be sure that your child will be in the safest of hands. 

8) Dining

There are many ways to dine in Disneyland Paris. Each Park offers a variety of restaurants, all of which offer vegetarian food to those who require it. Breakfast in your hotel can be booked when booking your holiday, as can your evening meal, meaning that this could cost you a little bit more.

The Disney Village also offers various different types of restaurant, all serving delicious food. I personally recommend Annette's Diner and Planet Hollywood. 

Character Dining experiences are also the perfect opportunity for you to meet different characters. These can be booked in your hotel, but need to be booked in advance as places are taken up quickly.

Another amazing experience is a diner show at Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show at the Disney Village. Lace up your boots for a wild wild evening as you prepare to indulge in a feast fit for a cowboy as you watch this fast and furious tribute to the Wild West. It lasts for approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, and you also get a really cool cowboy hat to take away with you. Definitely recommended. 

9) Shuttle Buses
There are Disney Shuttle Buses available from all hotels in the Disney area, taking you straight to the Disney bus station. However, if you're staying in the Disney Hotels, your hotel is only a short walk away from the Disney Park. 

10) Safety

Before you enter either the Disney Village or the Disney Park as well as your Hotels, your cases, your baggage and your body are checked. This is to ensure your safety.

I hope this helped some people. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask in the comments below!

Lots of Love
Meg
xox

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Cornwall 2015 | The Most Eventful Holiday Ever!

Hello Everyone!

Okay, so I want to start by saying that I'm really sorry that I haven't posted anything this past week. I've recently been away on my yearly family holiday to Cornwall, and it's probably been one of the most eventful three weeks of my life, so my blog posts went a bit doo-lally. 

When we arrived down in Cornwall, the sunshine was cracking the flags and we pulled up at our Caravan site in a little town called Rejarrah. This year we went to a completely different site, so it was really nice to have a change. It was on this site that I met my two little companions for the holiday; Blue and Ted. These two cute little things were the horses owned by the lady who was the owner of the caravan site. Everyday I fed them carrots and helped her to look after them. I have to be honest, I'm really missing those cheeky little fellas. 

For the first few days, we spent all of our time on the beach, apart from one day when we went into Truro to do some shopping but we won't talk about that. The beach provided me with a chance to get some beautiful photos of the sea and the sand, plus watching the surfers is always one of my favourite things. Sadly, this year, I only got a chance to surf a couple of times, but it was still really fun and I got some awesome waves. However, the seagulls were such pests!! I can't begin to explain to you how frustrated they made me. It seemed that they could just see where food was and they'd dive around and try to steal it from you. I thought I was going to die. 

The weather then deteriorated and this was when disaster struck. Whilst asleep one stormy Friday night, I started to hear a dripping sound. I thought nothing of it and went back to sleep. However, when we woke up that morning, we realised that it wasn't just 'nothing' in fact, the roof of the caravan was leaking. Therefore, the day was spent with buckets on the floor catching the water, and nothing for any of us to do. The repair man couldn't get to us in time either, so we just had to make do with what we had. If you think that's bad, trust me, it gets worse. 

So, as I said, we'd spent the previous day trying to stop water from flowing into the Caravan, therefore we thought that the holiday couldn't get any worse. But how wrong were we? The rain stopped and Dad thought it would be a good idea to try and put some tape over the spot where the water was coming in. This is what he spent most of the morning doing. We had some lunch and then decided to head off to the beach; or so we thought. I was sat in the car with the dog when I saw my Dad rushing to the toilets clutching his hand, Mum was banging on the window shouting for me to help her but I had no clue what was going on. "We need to get your Dad to the Hospital Now!". I didn't know what on earth was going on but we shot down to Perranporth surgery, my Dad's finger flowing with blood, only to find that it was closed. We then had to treck for twenty minutes to A&E which was where we spent most of the day. Dad had jumped to grab something from the top of the Caravan, his wedding ring had caught on a pole and dragged half the skin of his finger off. The sight was horrible. However, he only thought he would need a couple of stitches and would be out in no time. As we sat in the Accident and Emergency department, he was called in straight away, and then I didn't see him for another two hours. I had no clue what was going on, and, after watching three consecutive episodes of 'The Chase' I was getting very bored and very impatient. 

Then Dad came out and called me into a room. He still hadn't been seen by a nurse. He had his wedding ring cut off but no one has been in for the past two hours and he didn't know what was going on. An hour later, the surgeon came in and told him that he would need to go into Theatre for an operation on his finger. They told him that he was extremely lucky not to have lost his finger but reassured us that he was going to be okay. 

That night, Mum and I waited and waited for a call to go and pick him up after he had been into Theatre, but we got nothing. Turns out, they decided to keep him in overnight and luckily, at lunchtime the following morning, we got a phone call from the hospital telling us that the operation had gone well, Dad was doing fine and that he was ready for us to collect him. Thank God! 

Gradually, the weather picked up again and Dad started to recover really well. That's why we spent so long at the beach and I got some gorgeous photos of the Sunset. I love watching the sunset at the beach, especially in Cornwall. It's one of my favourite things to do. I think that it's one of those thing that just makes you appreciate how beautiful the world actually is. We don't have to pay for spectacular sites like that, it's just the picturesque surroundings that we take for granted. We watched so many sunsets, and I posted so many photos on Instagram, that I'm pretty sure people got very fed up of seeing my new found obsession with the sunset. 

One of my favourite things, not only about Cornwall, but in the whole wide world, is food. And especially cream teas. One day in Newquay, we went to the cutest little café at the side of the harbour and I had this delicious cream tea; it was the nicest thing I have ever tasted. I'm getting extremely hungry just writing about it. yum yum yum.

Looe is my favourite place to visit when we go down to Cornwall. It is the most adorable little village, with what can only be described as breath taking views of the sea. It also has the cutest café's to visit, who seem to sell the nicest hot chocolate ever. Plus, look how cute and excited my little buddy looks to be on the beach!

One of my favourite days of the holiday, and possibly one of the most fun days, was when we visited the quaint little village of Port Isaac. This is the place where the hit ITV series 'Doc Martin' is filmed and we were able to find his house, and see where all of the major scenes are set which was so lovely. As you can see from the photos above, I took it upon myself to take a wonderful selfie with his house. However, we didn't just come to Port Isaac to see Doc Martin; on a Friday night, at around 7pm, a Cornish group called the Fisherman Friends stand at the harbour and play songs whilst everyone joins in, eating their fish and chips. So, we got our fish and chips and headed down to the harbour, settling down in our place. An hour later, at half past seven, we were still waiting, and there was still no one here, we didn't really know what to expect or what to do. This was when we found out from a family sat next to us that the band weren't coming tonight because they were performing elsewhere. Just our luck ey?! It was still a lovely place to visit, and I got to see Doc Martin so it was all good in my point of view.

Last but not least, in our last few days, we headed over to Healeys Cornish Cider Farm which is where they make the famous Cornish Rattlers Cider. This is THE nicest cider in the world, and as many people know, it's my favourite drink in the summer. I know as soon as I start to drink Cider that it's the summer again. At Healey's, I was literally in cider heaven. There were so many different kinds and flavours, plus we were able to see how it is made and walk around the orchards which was amazing. I'm also pictured above with my first legal pint of Rattlers Cider which I proudly purchased for myself.

So, there's my eventful holiday for you. Due to Dad being unwell and having to go to the hospital, we decided to book another week down in Cornwall to catch up on the days that we missed, hence the reason why there haven't been any posts up this week. If you're wondering, or if you're bothered, my Dad is on the mend now and is doing really really well. Overall, despite all the drama, we still had such a wonderful holiday and Cornwall remains one of my favourite places in the world!

Lots of Love
Meg
xox

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