Disneyland Paris September 2017 | Day 4: Baloo, Chipmunks & Neverland

The final day of our trip was an emotional one. We started the day with a visit to Goofy. I'd never met Goofy in his 25th Outfit and I thought he looked very dapper. We thought that Pluto was going to be with him (which he normally is) but obviously Pluto was too tired to come out and say hello on this chilly morning. Goofy and I had a big hug, compared outfits and spoke about how pretty Main Street looked in the morning. We had a big group photo, blew lots of kisses and went to get some breakfast.

In true tradition, breakfast came in the form of a croissant from the bakery and a bottle of sprite. I love Main Street Bakery, the decor is the dream aesthetic and the food is so good. It's the perfect place to go for a little snack. The girls decided that they wanted to head over to Studios before it opened to wait in the queue for Crush's Coaster. I chickened out of this one (I promise one day I'll be brave) and opted to go round the Disneyland Park on my own to take some photos and go on a few rides - the wait times were really good in the mornings. 

After my June trip, I enjoyed walking around the park on my own. It's nice to take in the atmosphere and appreciate the small details that you overlook on a daily basis. Going on rides and meeting characters doesn't bother me as much as it used too, I realise that no one is judging me, so I made the most of my alone time. 

First stop was Buzz Light Year's Lazer Blast. Obviously, I was battling myself but I'll admit I put up a pretty good fight. The ride broke down a total of 15 times whilst I was on it, so as you can imagine it took me a while to get around. That being said, I got my highest score and became an intergalactic hero. If that's not a good way to start your last day at Disneyland, then I don't know what is. 

After battling Zurg, I went over to Frontierland. As most of you know, this is my favourite land in the park, I think it has the best theming and it's home to two of my favourite attractions. I had a browse in the shops (the western shop is sooo cool), took a few photos and then walked over to Phantom Manor as it only had a 5-minute queue. I pretty much walked straight on the ride and it was definitely spooky, especially on your own. I don't know about you, but I swear it gets darker every time I ride it. When I came off the ride, I knew that the girls would soon be finished in the Studios so I slowly made my way over to Castle Stage for the first Anniversary Show of the day.

However, that wasn't without paying a visit to my favourite bear. If you've read the majority of my Disney trip reports, then you'll know that there's nothing I love more than a dance and a cuddle with Baloo. I love him more and more every time I meet him and seeing my Dad's reaction when I tell him that Baloo said hello is priceless. The queue for Baloo is always very short (which makes me so sad), so I jumped in to have a quick chat. 

Well, Baloo was just wonderful. He was full of hugs, love and warmed me up on a chilly September morning. The Character Attendant was more than willing to take photos for me and made the interaction as wonderful as it was. I'm not sure if Baloo recognised me from our previous meetings (it wouldn't surprise me if he did) because when he saw me, he couldn't contain his excitement. We ran to each other and he picked me up as he hugged me. It's one of the tightest hugs I've ever had and I think he knew that I needed it. He told me that he'd been lazing on the river, we had a little dance and he said a big hello to my Dad. The attendant did a full photo shoot for us, telling us how to pose and where to look but Baloo just wouldn't let me go. He's the best!

I met back up with the girls at Castle Stage and they told me all about Crush's Coaster as we waited for the Anniversary Show. I absolutely love this show, maybe not as much as Starlit Princess Waltz but the music is so catchy. If you get the chance to watch it when you're there then I highly recommend it. The show takes you on a journey of everything that Disneyland Paris has to offer from Main Street to Discoveryland, with some very special guests along the way. And if you're not singing 'Happy Anniversary Disneyland Paree' after you've seen it, then you're lying. 

When it finished, we called at Casey's for some chicken nuggets and walked over to the Disneyland Hotel to meet Mary Poppins. Before we met Mary, we had a lovely chat with Ariel. We spoke about all things mermaid - what colour our tails would be, combing our hair with forks and how life under the sea is better than anything we've got up here. Sadly, I missed out on meeting Mary again as I went over to Adventureland to get a spot in the queue to meet my favourite lost boy; Peter Pan. 

Charlotte eventually joined me to do some attractions and meet characters, whilst Sara and Michelle spent the day sat at Castle Stage watching the shows. When I found out that Wendy was meeting with Peter, I nearly freaked out. I had my Peter Pan bow in my hair, my Tinkerbell badge on my dress and I just couldn't wait to show them. 

I never know what to say when I meet Peter Pan. Every time I think I'll be really chill and won't make a fool out of myself, but it never happens. The first thing I said when I went up to them was 'Do you like my bow?'. Seriously Meg? Seriously? 

But luckily for me, he loved it. He asked if Tinkerbell made it and I told him that it was definitely sprinkled with some pixie dust. He also told me that I should keep wearing my badge as 'Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust' is a great message to spread. As Peter signed my book, Wendy asked me what my favourite part of the story was. And that was when my mind went blank - you'd never have guessed it's my favourite film. Eventually, I muttered that my favourite part is when they visit Mermaid Lagoon, but Wendy wasn't too happy (as you can probably tell from the photos). Then she took the book from Peter and he told me that she's jealous because everyone loves him. He isn't lying. We had another big hug and he promised to take me to see Mermaid Lagoon - we asked Wendy if she wanted to come but she said she'd stay and look after the Lost Boys instead. 

 As we ventured further into Adventureland, we came across two cheeky chipmunks causing havoc in the Jungle. I've always wanted to meet Chip and Dale in their safari outfits so as soon as I saw them, I was straight in the queue. Well, they were absolutely hilarious - Charlotte and I had everyone in the queue laughing. 

 We started the meet in true Meg style - with a big, double cuddle. I told them that they looked very cool in their outfits and asked if they'd been on any daring adventures in the Jungle. Dale told me that they'd found something in the trees and we went over to have a look. Meanwhile, Chip was admiring my sparkly ears. He kept pointing them out so I asked if he liked them, he nodded his head. I told him that he should get himself a pair and he asked if he could try them on, of course, I said yes. So, I put my ears on his head and he modelled them perfectly. Personally, I think he looks beautiful. Then, we posed for a photo, Chip still wearing my ears, and they both gave me a big kiss on the cheek. 

When Charlotte went up to meet them, she noticed that Chip had glitter all over his nose - glitter from my cheek where he'd given me a kiss. They all pointed at me, putting their hands over their mouths because it was obviously my fault. But we soon saw the funny side. Chip and Dale had a group photo with their female alter-egos, another big cuddle and then said goodbye. 

Before we knew it, it was time for our final parade of the trip. The interaction was amazing, as always, and the cast members did a great job of getting the crowd hyped. It reminded me of the Disneyland Paris I loved as a kid. Snow White noticed me again, Peter showed us a lot of love and Wendy came over to give us all another big hug. It's such a wonderful parade and Disneyland Paris should be so proud of what they've achieved for this anniversary. 

After the parade, Sara and I went to the loo whilst the girls went to save us a space for Princess Waltz. However, when we came out of the loo, they had only saved one space meaning I had to go and stand at the back. Then came a torrential rainstorm. As the girls sat in their front seats and waited for the show, I went to do some shopping in the boutiques of Main Street. I got some super cute gifts for my family and friends and I also picked up some memorable pins too! 

As my final ride of the trip, I got myself a fast pass and took another spin on Star Tours. I have a lot of friends who have yet to visit Disneyland Paris who are massive fans of Star Wars, and every time I go on the ride, I can't help but imagine what they'd be like if they ever got to experience it. I'm going to take every single one of them, one day. Then I went back to meet the girls for our last meal. 

This trip was the first time I've ever felt homesick when being in Disneyland - I don't know what it was. As much as I'd enjoyed every second, I felt ready to come home. We went to Colonel Hathi's for food and being in their, listening to the Jungle Book soundtrack, made me feel really emotional. It reminded me of my Dad and how much I missed him. It also didn't help that Mum sent me a video of the dog sat at the window waiting for me to come home - it was a struggle to hold back the tears. 

Colonel Hathi's Pizza Outpost is so pretty at night - sparkling fairy lights hang from the trees as 'Bare Necessities' plays in the background. I'd love to take my Dad for a meal in there, I know how much he'd love it. When we'd finished, we walked over to Main Street to catch Disney Illuminations. We got a beautiful spot and it was spectacular - the perfect end to any Disney trip. I absolutely LOVE the soundtrack of the show, and if anyone knows who sings the version of 'A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes' that is used, then please let me know (it brings me to tears every single time). 

And so that concludes my September Disney Reports. I do hope you've enjoyed reading about my adventures as much as I've loved sharing them with you. I'm sad to say that this may be the last trip report you see for a while - I'm focusing on Uni at the moment so won't be back in Disney until next year. It's been one of the best years of my life. I'll get too emotional if I write anymore, but I think it's clear from all of the trip reports just what a magical year I've had. 

Thanks so much Disneyland Paris, I'll see ya real soon!

Lots of Love,
Meg

xxx

Disneyland Paris June 2017 │ Day 4: Captain Jack, Wishing Wells & Café Fantasia

The final day of the trip was somewhat of a shambles. The plan was for me to get up early, get into the park for 8 am and go and meet some characters. But, like everything with this trip, things didn't quite go to plan and I woke up in the morning feeling very sick. I came to the conclusion that I'd got a little case of sunstroke so whilst the girls went to the park, I stayed in the room with a big bottle of water and slept off the sickness. When I woke up I felt a lot better so I put some glitter on my face and arrived at the park at lunchtime. I was upset that the last day of my trip has started in such a rubbish way but I was determined that it was onwards and upwards from here. The girls had gone back to the studios and I didn't really see a lot of them on our last day. 

 No matter how sick you may feel, the music and atmosphere of Main Street have the power to cure. If I was feeling weak when I was travelling into the park, then all the feelings of illness had melted away. The first thing I did when I arrived was buying myself the biggest bottle of water that I could find. It's really important to keep yourself hydrated if you're suffering from sunstroke and it also helped that the weather was a lot cooler today. I strolled around the park for a while and then met the girls at the top of Main Street where we had yet another photo shoot in front of the castle. 

As most of you know, going inside the castle is one of my favourite things to do when I visit the park. It's such an overlooked attraction because really all you do is walk up and down some stairs, but the view of Fantasyland is so rewarding. Watching all the guests rush around like little mice whilst the cool summer breeze blows through your hair is one of the best feelings in the world. It's so peaceful on the Castle balcony and it's one of the places to visit if you're feeling anxious and need some time out. Also, I must add that the glass stained windows are so beautiful. 

As you come out of the Castle, there's a small wishing well. Again, it's an attraction that doesn't get a lot of attention because not a lot of people know that it's there. When I visit the well I always feel like Snow White and I make sure that I wish for something. I've made so many wishes into that well, I can't keep track of which ones have come true. The past few times I've visited Disneyland Paris, the wishing well has been closed to guests, so when I saw that it was open, I rushed straight over and did my best Princess pose. I like to think of myself as a real life Snow White, just without the Seven Dwarves and poisoned apple. After this, the girls and I went to queue to meet Mickey Mouse but it was clear that they just wanted to go back to the hotel so that's exactly what they did.

Once again, that saw me left to wander the park on my own and I didn't see the girls again until park closing time. With sunstroke, it wasn't the ideal situation but I made sure that I looked after myself by heading straight to Colonel Hathi's for, you guessed it, some pasta and garlic bread. What better way to console yourself about the fact that you're ill and on your own in Disneyland than with some of your favourite food? I decided to sit outside the restaurant, in the shade, so that I could watch the world go by and plan what I wanted to do with the rest of my day. As I sat enjoying my garlic bread I saw a shadow scurry behind me and as I turned around, Jafar jumped out of nowhere and scared the life out of me. I thought I was too late to meet characters so when I knew that he was out meeting people, I drank my coke as quickly as I could and headed over to Agrabah. 

If you read the blog posts from my April trip then you'll know that Jafar and I had a very lovely interaction. He was walking through Adventureland, I curtseyed as he walked past and then he put his arm around me and walked me to Agrabah before kissing my hand and twirling me around. However, our most recent meeting wasn't as positive. The queue to meet him was very small so I walked straight up to him and curtseyed but he didn't respond to my gesture. Instead, he just towered over me and glared at me. I don't know if it was awkward or scary. To lighten the mood, I told him that it was my birthday and that I knew he was lovely underneath all that evil to which he stepped forward with a loud bang of his stick, causing me to jump back. The queue to meet him had started to build up and they were all laughing at our interaction. This was yet another character meet that I did on my own and the Cast Member photos are wonderful. We posed for another awkward photo, I curtseyed him goodbye and he followed me as I walked away towards Fantasyland.

As I was walking past Adventure Isle I saw a man pass me who looked very much like Captain Jack Sparrow. I didn't really think much of it at first but decided to do a double take. Then I realised that it was, in fact, the real Captain and I freaked out a little bit. I've been wanting to meet him for so long, and as it was a surprise meeting, I joined the crowd and waited for him to choose me for a photo. As I was queueing, a woman tapped me on the shoulder to tell me that she'd just watched me meeting Jafar and that it was hilarious. It's so weird to think that other people in the queue watch you meet the character. I know that we all do it when we wait but when you're actually meeting the character, you don't think about the fact that other people are watching you. Anyway, back to my meeting with the Captain.

He was beautiful and had the most perfect face; everyone agreed. I think it's the first time I've ever been nervous to meet a character so when he picked me, I was like a little school girl walking up to him and twirling my hair around my finger. He took my hand and immediately noticed that it was my birthday to which he said 'You're the prettiest birthday girl I've seen all day' and I could feel my cheeks going red. Then he asked how old I was, I told him that I was twenty and he said that I was old enough to have some rum. We all know how much Mr Sparrow loves his rum so I asked if he knew where it was, he said that it was a secret and that he couldn't tell me but whilst it was my birthday we could go looking for some. And with that, he put his arm around me and took me around Adventureland looking for rum. It was the most perfect first interaction I have ever had. 

I decided not to watch the parade on the last day and instead queued to meet Mickey Mouse. The queue is always small when it's parade time so it's the perfect time to go and meet the Main Mouse. I was really nervous about going to meet him on my own, as the previous queuing experience with the girls didn't really go to plan. However, the Character Attendant and Photopass Photographer were so lovely and put me at ease. When I walked in to say hello to Mickey, he gave me the tightest squeeze, noticed my birthday badge, jumped up and down like an excited child and then hugged me as we swayed in a circle. I could hear the photographer snapping away as I told him that he was my favourite but not to tell Minnie as I think she'd be really jealous. He then noticed the glitter on my face, I told him that I got it from Tinkerbell and that I think he should get some because it would really suit him. Then we had the professional, standard smiling photos taken. I think the Cast Members could tell that I was nervous because as I was having the photos taken, the photographer said 'Isn't she the prettiest girl, Mickey?' to which he nodded enthusiastically and gave me another big hug. There's nothing like an adorable interaction with Mickey to cheer you up when you've been ill all day and your friends have left you. I'd never done the 'Meet Mickey Mouse' experience before but the theming of it was perfect. It was the best meet I've ever had with Mickey and I'd definitely recommend doing it if you get the chance.

After meeting him, I was on cloud nine. What started off as the worst day had turned into such a magical experience and all it took was a big hug from the Main Mouse. When I'd recovered from my emotional experience, I took a trip on Snow White and sat in the front carriage on my own like the complete child that I am. Then, I did some shopping in the boutiques of Fantasyland before getting my place on the balcony ready for the last Starlit Princess Waltz of the trip.

I've watched the Princess show from many different locations but I must say that watching it from the balcony directly in front of the stage was perfect. I could see everything that was happening and I got some beautiful photos. Don't worry, this isn't turning into another rant about how much I love the show because you've had a lot of them already and I think it's already clear that it's my favourite thing to watch. All I'm going to say is that it was perfect and that Snow White and her Prince actually melt my heart. They are so adorable and so perfect and I could feel the inner five year old in me screaming (if you didn't already know, Snow White was my favourite film as a child).

When I'd finished watching the show, Victoria messaged me to see if I wanted to go for a drink with her and her family in Café Fantasia. I quickly agreed, picked up some pins from the pin-trading wagon on Central Plaza and then made my way over to the Disneyland Hotel lobby to wait for them. We sat in the café which was more like a very posh jazz bar, just outside of Inventions. Café Fantasia is the epitome of class and as we sat drinking our cocktails and listening to the pianist play the Tangled soundtrack beautifully, I felt like a real life Princess. Or maybe just Audrey Hepburn. I can't decide. I'd never been to the 'Café' before and it's something I've been meaning to tick off my bucket list for a very long time. I never thought I'd ever be able to say that I've drunk cocktails in the Disneyland Hotel. Before we left the hotel to go back into the park, we had a browse around the Disneyland Hotel boutique where we picked up some gifts and keepsakes to commemorate the trip. 

Stepping back onto the cobbles of Main Street as the sun was starting to set created one of the most breath taking sights I have ever seen. We stopped in some of the shops to look for pins and then had a photo shoot in front of the Cast Member door. Now that I've found that door, you can guarantee that you'll be getting a photo of me in front of it from every trip that I do. We wanted to make sure that our last ride in the park would be one that we remembered and Big Thunder Mountain only had a 25-minute wait so we got straight in the queue. Being able to spend the last night of my trip with Victoria, Alice and Sian was wonderful. I couldn't have asked for better girls to share the Disney magic with and I'm so thankful to have them around; without them, I know that my special birthday trip would have been very lonely and very boring. As I'm writing this, I'm missing all of our laughs. Our last ride on Big Thunder Mountain was brilliant, we screamed the whole way round and I didn't let my hands touch the barrier once. I don't think I'll ever be able to put into words how much I love that ride. 

We then got our place for Disney Illuminations. We were right near the front and as everyone was sitting down, it was a really chilled out atmosphere. Victoria went to get some popcorn which we all shared as we waited for the fireworks to begin. As you can probably tell, things were going great. That is until two people proposed which caused everyone to stand up and no one sat back down again meaning that our peaceful enjoyment of Disney Illuminations turned into everyone pushing, shoving and trying to find the perfect view without someone having a child on their shoulders. Despite this, Illuminations was spectacular. I still hope they bring something new when the 25th celebrations are over because I think that Disneyland Paris deserves more, however, watching the fireworks is the perfect way to end any trip. 

In true tradition, I was last on Main Street. I met up with the girls and we had a photoshoot on an empty Main Street. There is nothing more magical and tranquil. Don't get me wrong, I love Main Street when it's bustling with people and there are Mickey ears and balloons everywhere you look, but my favourite Main Street is a quiet Main Street. It gives me butterflies just thinking about it. 

Then it was time to leave the park after what had been an eventful but enjoyable birthday trip. Again, a massive thank you to Victoria and her family for letting me stay with them and for making the trip as enjoyable as it was. I can't wait to be back in the magic in less than a month and I know there's going to be so many magical memories to share with you all! 

See Ya Real Soon! 

Lots of Love,

Meg

xox

Twitter | Tumblr  | Bloglovin' | Pinterest | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook