Get Ready With Me: Disneyland 60th
Click here to watch my latest video, get ready with me for a day at Disneyland celebrating the 60th Anniversary.
Showing posts with label disneyland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label disneyland. Show all posts
Sunday, 20 March 2016
Click here to watch my latest video, get ready with me for a day at Disneyland celebrating the 60th Anniversary.
Saturday, 27 February 2016
Sunday, 1 November 2015
Rachel's West Coast Adventure
It's been nearly 2 months since I got home from my trip and I still haven't done a single blog post or video about it. It's been a super busy time at home with work and study and trying to find time for a social life that I've not had the time to sit and do it until now!So here is my first post which is a link to my video montage of the holiday, I will be reviewing the Disneyland portion of my holiday in a separate blog post, along with our attempt at another 24 hour challenge and I will probably do a post about my other travels too :)
To view the video click here! (I still can't work out how to embed a video without it messing up my home page on my blog :[, if you know how please help! haha)
Monday, 3 August 2015
Disneyland Trip!!
So with less than a month to go until my trip to Disneyland, I thought I would share with you my Disneyland to do list :)- Watch Soundsational
- Watch World of Color
- Watch Paint the Night
- Watch Disneyland Forever
- Ride the Matterhorn
- Watch Aladdin
- Ride Big Thunder Mountain
- Go on Soarin'
- Ride Radiator Springs Racers
- Visit Trader Sams
- Character breakfast at Storytellers Cafe
- Walk in Walt's Footsteps
Oh and of course we will be doing a 24 hour challenge when we're out there with a mix of old challenges with new challenges for Disneyland :)
Is there anything else you think I need to do when I visit? Any hints or tips for navigating the parks?
Friday, 17 April 2015
Why I love Disney...
One of the questions I get asked so much in my life is "Why do you love Disney, isn't it just for kids?". The majority of people who ask me this have never been to a Disney park, so I want to explain why I love Disney.
The Parks
The Disney parks are what I love the most about Disney, don't get me wrong I love the films and the music and the characters, but Disney parks bring all that together, along with so much more.
I first visited a Disney park in the summer of 2013 when I participated in the International College Program, I didn't really know what to expect when I went, I've loved Disney films my whole life and I was really excited to see what it would be like, but I had no idea I would fall in love with the place as much as I did.
Living and working at Walt Disney World was everything I hoped and so much more, I made friends who I hope will last a lifetime, and experienced so many new things. Walt Disney World honestly feels like a second home to me now, and going back there just makes me remember all the good times I've had, and excited for all the memories I can make.
Being in a Disney park is like being in a bubble, everything is clean and everyone (more is less) is friendly and happy. Cast members will go out of their way to make your day special, from a smile and a wave, to the odd magical moment, greeting your children as princess' or space rangers and helping out in anyway that they can.
You can become you inner child and no one will judge you, wearing Minnie ears while meeting your favourite princess is just as acceptable at the age of 3, as it is at the age of 53.
The shows and parades are spectacles that make you smile, the rides aren't for the thrill seekers of the world, but they are so well themed and the stories behind them mixed with the nostalgia make them just as good as the fastest roller-coasters in my book.
The resorts offer service that I've never experienced at any other hotel I've stayed in.
It really is not just a place for kids, there's plenty for adults to do, from fine dining, spa's, golf courses, drinking around the world.
I've spent over 3 months worth of time at Walt Disney World over the last 2 years and there is still so much that I still haven't done, parks that I still haven't visited (Typhoon Lagoon). My short trips to Disneyland and Disneyland Paris even though they are much small resorts, there is still plenty I haven't done and there are still resorts I haven't visited in destinations I've always wanted to see.
The Films
The first film I ever saw in a cinema was Pocahontas, I loved watching Sleeping Beauty and Snow White as a child. As I got older I watched more and more films, some classics I never even properly watched until I was in my teens. Pirates of the Carribean are films me and my family loved to go to the cinema to watch together, people forget that Disney don't just make animated films, Mary Poppins, The Princess Diaries, Alice in Wonderland and lets not forget that the Walt Disney company now own Marvel and LucasFilm and some people also don't seem to realise that Disney has owned Pixar since 2006 and has been involved with the studio since before Toy Story was released.
Everything else
Disney own the Disney channel and Disney junior but they also own ESPN and the abc channels in america and have produced many well loved shows such as Lost, Grey's Anatomy, Scrubs, Ugly Betty, Once upon a time...
All of which I love and there are so many more.
Disney musicals are some of the best loved musicals going, the main one being the Lion King which is still hugely successful on Broadway and the West end and has been going for over 15 years.
I went on my first Disney Cruise in 2014, and it was my first ever cruise, and I loved it, the Disney bubble at sea and getting to visit new countries. Castaway Cay is the Disney bubble on an island it was great, and I can't wait to plan my next Disney Cruise.
So when people ask my why I love Disney, really what's not to love? There is so much going on in that company, that at some point everyone in their life has probably loved Disney in one way or another. Is it just for kids? No way, the whole point of the Disney parks when Walt first opened Disneyland was somewhere that families could enjoy together, something that wasn't just for kids or adults, but for all ages. I personally think that the parks do that and so does everything else that they do.
The people I have met through Disney and the memories I have made being in Disney parks, watching Disney films with friends and family, laughing and crying at TV shows are all the reasons I love Disney.
Sunday, 29 March 2015
Disneyland Diamond Celebration Merchandise
So this week the Disney Parks blog gave us our first look at some of the merchandise that will be available throughout the celebration. Click here to view the post and video!Here's what I spotted that I loved while watching the video...
Minnie Ears! I love my pair of sparkly Minnie ears, so I'm super excited to buy there special diamond edition ears, I love the blue bow! Now my big decision is, do I take my original sparkly ears with me too?
To be honest I'm not a huge fan of all this jewellery, however I do really like the little Mickey hat necklace, and depending on the price tag, I may well purchase this for myself :)
Pandora! Last time I visited a Disney Park in America was August, so before they released the Pandora's so I was already excited to get my hands on them, and now with added 60th anniversary charms I'm even more excited, that diamond Mickey hat will look great next to the Sleeping Beauty castle charm on my Pandora.
Autograph books! My old autograph book is full, and although I bought a new one when I visited Disneyland Paris in December, it's not my favourite, it's an odd size, doesn't have the elastic band for my pen, and is really thin. So I'm excited to buy myself a new autograph book and these one's look great :)
What merchandise are you looking forward to seeing/getting?
Friday, 20 February 2015
Goodbye Luigi's Flying Tires
This week we waved goodbye to Luigi's Flying Tires after opening less than 3 years ago.
For me this doesn't come as much of a shock, the ride itself was slow and very difficult to get the hang of.
For those of you who don't know, the ride is a bit like bumper cars, however you use your body weight to direct the vehicles around, I found them very difficult to control and by the time you started to get the hang of it, the ride finished.
I also went on this ride while wearing
a skirt, oblivious to the air blowing up from the ground, as I assumed this would be off while loading the ride, I was wrong, and resulted in having to walk with my skirt held down and tucked between my legs in order to maintain my modesty!I don't think this ride will be missed and I'm excited to see what they will put in it's place.
What did you think of Luigi's? Will you miss it now it's gone?
Saturday, 7 February 2015
What's in my Disney Handbag
One of my biggest problems on my first trip to a Disney Park was not knowing what I would need during the day, so I decided to share a quick(ish) video about what are the most important things I need for a day in the parks :)
Click here to watch my video
Sunday, 1 February 2015
Disneyland 60th
So as you may know Disneyland's 60th Anniversary is just around the corner, and with that comes lots of new and exciting things that will be happening in the parks.
Pins
The first set of pins have also been revealed and are already available in the parks with each being released periodically between now and May.
The Walt Disney quotes are a lovely touch and reiterates that we are not only celebrating Disneyland but Walt himself.
Popcorn
These adorable commemorative popcorn buckets will be available from May 22nd, I think this will make a great souvenir and can't wait to buy one full of popcorn :)
Decorations
Of course with any celebration you can rely on Disney to decorate the parks and this will be no exception, the parks will be sparkling with the main decorations being around Sleeping Beauty's Castle and Carthay Circle.
World of Color
I am so excited about this one, an updated version of World of Color called World of Color - Celebrate! The Wonderful World of Walt Disney :D I loved this show last time I saw it, and can't wait to see what's going to happen with it. I love that the show is going to focus on Walt Disney and will feature Mickey Mouse.
Paint the Night
This is definitely the thing I'm most excited for at the moment, this parade looks amazing, to be honest I'm not a massive fan of ELP at WDW, I think it's in need of an update and the music gets on my nerves after about 10 seconds. However this new nighttime parade brings a completely different feel and looks beautiful, if you haven't looked at the Hong Kong version then you really should.
Click here to watch
They are supposedly adding even more floats to the Disneyland version, including, of course, Anna and Elsa. I'm unsure as to whether the soundtrack will be the same, as in the interviews conducted after the 60th announcements it was mentioned that the music would 'make you cry' and I'm not sure about you guys, but the HK soundtrack hardly makes me want to weep. I'm also not sure what the deal will be with the paint brushes, at the HK version, the floats stop for about 2 minutes while guests get the chance to interact with the floats by 'painting' them. I've heard that this doesn't really work all that well and the stop makes the parade feel a bit disjointed, so I'm not sure if this will be carried over to the Disneyland version or not, I know they are talking a lot about interaction for the 60th, so maybe this feature will be improved. Who knows but I can't wait to find out!
Disneyland Forever
The new firework spectacular looks like it will bring something completely new to the park, boasting that you will be able to view this show from multiple locations around the park with the new projections (Think celebrate the magic but all around you) and new technologies. This show is sure to be an amazing sight and my trip to Disneyland can't come soon enough!
Other updates...
There's not much more to go off at the moment, we know that Soarin' and the surrounding area is being updated and the new HD version of Soarin' will be making it's debut at Disneyland in May this year.
Many other attractions are closing for refurbs over the coming months so that everything is in working order.
Are you planning a trip to see the 60th? What other things would you like to see added for the 60th?
Saturday, 31 January 2015
Hello World!
Welcome to my new blog!
Isn't this exciting!
I've decided to start a new blog to basically share some Disney knowledge with you all, give you an insight into how I plan a trip to Disney and share some tips and tricks I've picked up along the way :)
So who am I...
My names Rachel and I'm from England.
I first visited a Disney park in 2013, I know that seems like not very long ago, so how can I possibly have any insight that most people don't already know.
I first visited a park when I started my International College Program with Disney. Now for those of you who don't know Disney run programs for students to come and work in the parks to gain experience in every aspect of life, there is the CP (College Program) for those studying at a college in America, then there's the ICP/CEP (Cultural exchange program) where students from all around the globe can come and work at Disney from a couple of months to a full year, there is also the CRP (Cultural representation program) for anyone who wants to go and spend a year working at Disney representing their culture in Epcot. If you want to know more about my time on the ICP then please head over to my tumblr or youtube where I kept a log of what I got up to, how to get involved and what's involved.
Anyway back to me, I worked in Walt Disney World in Florida for 3 months, and during that time I gained a lot of knowledge into the workings of the parks and how best to tackle them when visiting as a guest. Since then I have also visited Disneyland and Disneyland Paris, as well as going back to world in the summer of 2014 and going on a Disney Cruise.
So even though I haven't been visiting for long, I feel like I have a good 20 years experience of an average Disney visitor.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a fact machine, what I do know is how to maximise my time in the parks and I like to keep up to date with what's going on, so that is what I intend to share with you on this blog :)
