DISNEY

My top 10 tips for a stress free trip

Disney is pure magic, you can let your inner child free without judgement. You make memories that last a lifetime, there is something to suit everyone and dreams really do come true. 

But...it can also be a little stressful so I'm here to help with some tips and tricks on how to make your visit a little more enjoyable and a little less stressful. 

If you're like me and you are Disney obsessed then here are my top tips for a stress free, magical visit to the parks. We all know a trip to Disney isn't a cheap holiday, it can be done on a budget but in recent years ticket prices have gone up, flights are more expensive and hotels are definately not as cheap as they were 5 years ago. Would I say it's worth every penny to experience the Magic? Yes absolutely but with some conditions. 

The main condition being that if you are able to travel off peak your experience in Disney will be much more enjoyable. There will be less crowds, the wait times for rides will be significantly lower and you'll be able to enjoy the parades, light shows and fireworks without feeling like you're in a can of sardines. Ideally the best times to go to Disney are the last 2 weeks of January into the first week of February, the first 3 weeks of May even though its hot the crowd levels are usually lower, the middle of August (it will be hot but ill add tips and tricks later on as to how to manage the heat) and pretty much the whole month of September is probably the BEST time to go for heat and crowd levels.

We went for the first 2 weeks of April and it was absolutely packed, it was the lead up 

to Easter and it was also Spring break so just be warned that it can get as busy as the Christmas 

period during the month of April, especially between the 8th and 16th.

Although June through November are considered "hurricane season" or the rainy months it pretty much rains in Orlando every month so prepare yourself for massive downpours at about 3pm or 4pm, it's not a matter of will it rain? its a matter of how wet will I get because it WILL rain. 

SO that brings us on to official tip number 1. -Bring a rain poncho....

This one is a no brainer, bring a poncho. When it rains it pours, torrentially. Being from Ireland you'd think that were used to the rain but in Orlando during the rainy season the sky opens up, rain falls like Niagara Falls, soaks everyone and everything and then stops just as quickly allowing the sun to come out and dry you off in about 20 minutes, its unexplainable but anyone who has ever been to Orlando before will know. While the poncho allows you to stay somewhat dry during the downpour, say goodbye to your shoes during the rain because there's no saving them (a little tip that I learned from our first visit was to pack a small pair of flip flops in your bag if you have room so you can change into them and keep your trainers dry during the downpour, theres nothing worse than soggy shoes and socks). The ponchos also come in handy for any of the water rides, throw them on before you get on the ride and ta-da you've only got a wet bum but your hair is saved. 

Tip Number 2.- Pack light.

While you think to yourself that packing absolutely everything into a large backpack is a good idea you'll end up lugging it around all day and your back will be in a heap. Not only does a large backpack make it harder to navigate large crowds, you'll end up carrying everyones stuff all day, the bag can rub on your shoulders leaving them raw, we won't talk about the sweat patches... and it makes it harder to get on and off rides where you need to put your bag at your feet. If you are a savvy packer and do decide to bring everything and the kitchen sink you can rent lockers at the entrance to the parks to store your stuff so you dont have to carry them round all day, I think they're about $10-$15 dollars depending on the size. 

Note: drones, suitcases, toy guns or water pistols, folding chairs, selfie sticks, tripods, glass containers, pets (unless they are a service animal) and plastic straws are not allowed into the parks, you will be asked to return them to your car or they will be taken off you, security is strict with metal detectors and bag searches so pack smart. Animal Kingdom doesn't allow balloons in the parks either so dont bring any. 

Take a leaf out of my book and bring a bumbag for those days that you dont want to 

carry a bag, these little bags are quite deceiving. I had my card wallet, some cash, my poncho,

reusable metal straws, my mini fan and lip balm in this and it was so handy. 

Tip number 3. -Invest in a small rechargeable fan.

While you might think that this is a contradiction to my number 2 tip of packing light there are some essentials that you'll need to bite the bullet and pack, for me and my husband these little handheld fans were a must. It gets hot hot and standing in the queues that are mostly outside can be a sweaty mess, believe me when I say you'll be glad of one of these even if it does just blow warm air in your face, its a relief from the sweltering heaviness of the Orlando humidity. 

This one is from amazon, its pocket sized but has 3 speed settings

so its more powerful than it looks.

Tip number 4. -Bring a collapsible water bottle.

The reason I suggest a collapsible water bottle over a normal one that you can attach to your bag is because the regular ones can be heavy, they flop around and are kind of a pain but we found the collapsible ones to be a winner. They are lightweight, attach to your bag or belt, fold down small and hold 500ml of liquid once opened. We got ours from amazon and they were a lifesaver. You can ask some of the quick service restaurants for free iced water or there are water fountains dotted all around the parks that you can fill your bottle from, if your not a big water drinker then pack some squeezy juice that you can add, you won't survive in Orlando on just soda and coffee, water is a must. 

Tip number 5. -Wear comfortable shoes.

I know this is a no brainer but I've seen so many posts on social media from people who visit theme parks that their feet are in ribbons from their shoes. A lot of people buy new, cute, Disney themed shoes to wear in the parks because they are aesthetically pleasing but please please please dont wear shoes that you've just bought, normally wearing these shoes a few hours a day would suffice to break them in but if you factor in a full day in a park or multiple parks you're there for anywhere between 8-12 hours and with the humidity on top of trying to break in new shoes believe me when I say you'll regret it when on day 1 your feet are full of blisters and plastered to bits, it makes for an uncomfortable rest of your trip. Bring well broken in shoes, sandals or trainers and your feet will thank you. 

Tip number 6.- Don't buy souvenirs at the parks 

We did have a few contradictions to this rule on this trip because we couldn't find the bits we were looking for elsewhere or we ran out of time to shop in the outlets but don't buy your souvenirs at the parks. Orlando has multiple shopping locations including Walmart, target, at least 2 outlets and shops all up and down I-drive that sell Disney merchandise. You'll pay twice or three times the price inside the parks so what we usually do is make a list of the things we see or have an idea of what you might like and see if they can be gotten elsewhere. Take pins for instance, obviously there are pins that are park specific so you'll only be able to get them inside each park but check the pin isle in Walmart, they have walls of pins, lanyards, keyrings and everything else you'd typically find at the parks but at a fraction of the price. Dont rule out the outlets either, they have some hidden gems in the Disney outlets.

Tip number 7.- Get to the parks early

This is an important one if you plan on traveling when the crowds are high. Get to the parks early, probably about 45 mins before opening. All the parks open at different times so do your research before you go so you can have a plan and set an alarm with enough time to get you to the parks for rope drop. Anyone staying on Disney property regardless if its a deluxe resort or value hotel get access into the park 30 minutes before anyone else so its crucial you get there early if you want to do the rides without long wait times. The exception to this rule is to try get on the rides while theres a show on ie. while the fireworks are on in magic kingdom or while the light show is on in Epcot, its usually at these times that the queues are shorter and you'll have better luck bashing out more rides than you would if you went to the parks at around 11am to late evening, plus if you time it just right you can watch the fireworks from some of the rides. 

Tip number 8.- BUY YOUR PARK TICKETS IN ADVANCE

This one applies to everyone for now, currently Disneyworld is running on a park reservation system so you need to have a valid theme park reservation for each park every time you want to visit. I'd say this will eventually become redundant but for now you cannot access the parks without 1.a valid ticket and 2.a reservation for that park for every day of your trip. The tricky thing with this reservation system is that if you don't book a reservation for a park early enough you're not guaranteed to be able to access any parks for the duration of your visit and your ticket will have been a waste of money. The earlier you book your reservations the better so have a plan in place as to what parks you want to do on each day of your vacation. Your reservations can be amended and changed at any time but not all the parks will be available  at the drop of a hat so choose wisely to maximise your time there. If you have park hopping included with your ticket just note that you can park hop to any park of your choosing after 2pm but you must scan into the park that you have your original reservation for first, also park hopping to another park is subject to availability and if they are at capacity they won't let you in even if you have a valid ticket.

Tip number 9.- You dont need to pay for memory maker for magical photos

The photopass photographers can be found at the best locations for photos in the parks, they can take pictures for you that you can purchase in the my Disney experience app if you don't have the memory maker in your ticket but don't be afraid to ask them to take a picture with your phone or camera because they will definitely oblige, just make sure your settings are set how you like them beforehand because they won't adjust photo parameters. This also goes for character meets, make sure to hand over your phone beforehand for some candid shots that you don't have to pay for.

Tip number 10.1- WEAR SUNSCREEN

This one is a no brainer...... fair skin, dark skin, skin that's used to the sun, skin that doesn't burn easy ALL OF THE ABOVE, wear a high factor sunscreen even if its cloudy out. The sun in Orlando is extreme and even if you don't burn easily if the sun doesn't get you a combination of the sun and wind will cook you like a rotisserie chicken if you're not careful. Theres nothing worse than hitting those parks on your first day, eating all the snacks, soaking up the glorious sunshine, feeling the wind in your hair on big thunder mountain only to come home after a wonderful time to see yourself in the mirror looking like a patchwork quilt of  burnt skin, then having to lather yourself in aloe vera for 3 days and missing out on everything because you're too sore to move, if you're applying suncream enough and you're slippery enough to slide through the railings in Magic Kingdom then you're doing it right, don's scrimp on the suncream. 

Tip number 10.2 Have fun

Things will go wrong or things may not go as planned, it's almost inevitable that plans will go askew and some plans will be completely thrown out the window so prepare yourself to amend your schedule and have fun regardless. Disney can be stressful and busy but it can also be magical and just truly wonderful if you take the time to just go with the flow and enjoy yourself. If something doesn't go to plan!!! make a new plan. If it rains and you think your day is ruined go dance in the rain and remember how lucky you are to feel the rain on your face in the most magical place on earth. Remember to take a break every once in a while or you'll burn yourself out, theres only so much magic your body can take before it will decide to take a break without your consent so relax by the pool in the afternoon, do some shopping, take a nap and remember that the parks are not going anywhere, they'll still be there when you decide to go back after your siesta. 

I hope some of these tips help at least one person. Happy planning for your magical trip and remember, adults are just grown up kids so enjoy the brief moment in time when you can relive your childhood along with thousands of others just like you.  

Kim xxx

 

Dominican Republic 2019

__________The Dominican Republic__________

What a couple of weeks it has been. I have been bombarded with messages on my Instagram from people asking about the resort that we stayed in on our most recent trip to The Dominican Republic and instead of trying to get back to everyone individually I have decided to do a blog post about it so I can cover much more and share photos of the resort. I did a post last year when we went in April so if you wanted to read that one it might be a bit shorter than this.

The Booking/cost: 

So as always we booked our trip online. We always book with Ebookers/Expedia and we book our flights, accommodation and transfers together. Loads of people asked how much this trip was and I don't really like giving prices as they can fluctuate so much but I will give you a breakdown of what we paid this time round. So we flew with Aer Lingus to London then got a connecting flight with BA to Punta Cana, got our private transfers with Super Shuttle to our resort where we stayed for 10 nights in the upgraded Swim Up Suite and it is all inclusive so you don't need to pay for ANYTHING (we brought money for tips, its not compulsory but we like to give to those that deserve it), we then got our transfer back to the airport where we flew into Philadelphia then got a connecting flight to Dublin. All in our Vacation came to about €3,700. 

The Journey:

We flew from Dublin Airport Terminal 2. We live about 20 minutes from the airport so we always drive up and park in the QuickPark carpark, its about 5 minutes away from the airport and they provide a shuttle to get you there after you park. When we arrived at the airport we had to check into terminal 2 then we had to walk the whole way to terminal 1 for our flight.... If that's not ridiculously Irish then I don't know what is but anywhoo we boarded our flight to Gatwick and we were in a row with an empty seat beside us which is always nice and if you follow me on Instagram you'll already know that my hubby was out cold before they finished boarding surprise surprise. We landed in Gatwick an hour later and it is one of those strange Airports that don't have a connecting flights terminal for connecting flights so you have to make your way to the main terminal and go back through security to get to your next flight but c'est la vie it is what it is. We got through security in a breeze and settled into Wagamama for some brekkie, if you haven't tried wagamama for food then you are missing out, its delicious, a little pricey but delish.

Obviously we had to get a Starbucks for the flight so we grabbed that just before we boarded. We flew into Punta Cana directly from London so the flight was only 8 hours, it was a pretty empty flight so people were free to move around comfortably and take a nap in the empty seats, we had 2 seats together so we stayed put. We flew with BA and I always enjoy flying with them. The flight was as quick as an 8 hour flight can be, we watched movies and got food, snacks and drinks that were nice. We landed in Punta Cana, got through passport control, got our bags and were greeted by our driver who took us to the resort. The resort that we stayed in was The Excellence El Carmen in Punta Cana, it's actually in an area called Uvero Alto and it's about a 45 minute drive from the Airport. We booked our transfers directly with Ebookers as mentioned above, all in all it's a really good service, you could probably end up paying less if you took a taxi or group bus but we like to organise private transfers with a reputable company so there's no waiting around or stopping at different resorts. 

The Resort: 

When you arrive at the resort you are checked in by security, it's quite a secure resort so they check everyone in and out any time you leave to make sure only people staying at the resort are allowed inside, you are then greeted by staff who take and tag your bags and you are given a cold towel that smells amazing and a glass of Champagne. You are escorted to reception where they check you in and give you your room key (like all hotels :D)and explain what block you will be staying in. The baggage staff or bellhops take your luggage on a cart and escort you to your room while explaining where everything is and how to get to different places within the resort, we got a man called Manny (aka. Super Manny) he helped us last year aswel and he's amazing.

As mentioned above we booked the Junior Swim Up Suite, I'll post some pictures of it here: 

Now we do have a preference when it comes to the rooms. Last year we stayed in block 6 on the B side (ill post a pic of the resort map below so you know what I'm talking about) This year when we requested block 6 we were told that it was closed for refurbishments so we were put in block 4. The rooms are all exactly the same but depending on which side of the block you are on will depend on when you get the sun. For example: When you stay in the rooms on the B side of the block you get the sun in the morning until the lateish afternoon but if you stay in the A side of the block you get the sun in the late afternoon until about 5 or 6. We much preferred the B side as having the sun early was much nicer. Just an FYI aswel, if you are super tasty like me and you get bitten by little mozzie's make sure to bring 100% deet with you, if you are sitting out first thing in the morning or late at night they like to nibble on you. 

Amenities:

As the resort is an All Inclusive resort you have everything you need without having to leave. In your room you have all the amenities that you could need, a fully stocked mini bar with snacks, beer, soft drinks and water that is restocked every day if you want, 3 full bottles of spirits, i believe that it was Vodka, Whiskey and Rum, the brand varies depending on whether or not you are an excellence club member but we were perfectly happy with the bottles that we got. You have soap, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, shower caps, shaving kits, a comb, a toothbrush with toothpaste, towels, slippers and robes in your room with replacements and refills whenever you need them. All the rooms have air conditioning, a Tv, a hair dryer, Wi-Fi, a Nespresso coffee maker, coffee pods, tea, milk, sugar, herbal tea, glasses, an ice bucket and a bottle opener. The resort also has 24 hour room service if you don't feel like leaving your room or if you get hungry at 2 am :). Ill post some pictures below of the amenities. You also get daily housekeeping and turndown service, if you have the do not disturb sign on your door they will leave the turn down pack on your door handle, this includes your daily itinerary with the next days activities and little pillow chocolates, they have daily activities every day for guests like Spanish lessons, bike tours, games on the beach, yoga, fitness classes, drinks receptions, shows, archery, tennis and poker plus much more, you also get discount vouchers for the spa and little chocolates. 

Ice bucket, glasses and bottle opener

Mini Fridge with beer, water, Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Orange juice, Peanuts, Mini Oreo's and Crackers

Slippers

Coffee bar

Vodka, Rum and Whiskey

Nespresso Machine

Robes (the black one is my own)

Bathroom Amenities 

Twinning's Tea

Restaurants: 

The Resort has 12 Restaurants, 3 of them serve breakfast, 4 of them serve lunch and 10 of them serve dinner. One of the restaurants is strictly for excellence club members it's called Magna so we didn't eat there but over our past 2 visits we've eaten in most of the other restaurants. I'll run through each of them quickly. 

Our favourite by far is The Sports Bar surprise surprise- It opens at 4 so you can have a late lunch, dinner, or snacks. It's a fully stocked bar with multiple tv's so you can watch whatever sport you like. Felix is usually on duty in the sports bar along with Vanessa who looks after the food. They have such good food and if you follow me on Instagram you'll know that I love the nachos and chicken tenders here, I'm a simple food kind of girl so I'm happy with some chicken :D.

Next on the list of restaurants that we loved is The Grill - We love the grill firstly because Emilio works there but also the food is amazing. They have a European menu with burgers and steak that are to die for. We've eaten here twice and it was amazing both times. 

Next on the list and another favourite is Agave - This is a Mexican themed restaurant and the food is delicious. The main part of the restaurant is open plan so it can get quite warm but they do have seating inside if you prefer a little air conditioning while you eat (we only discovered the inside part this year)

The Flavour Market is another restaurant that we tried this year for the first time and it didn't disappoint. It is a tapas restaurant with quite a variety of food, I don't have any pictures from this restaurant because we were too busy eating, the portions are small obviously because its tapas but the food was really good and you are served bread, cheeses and cold meats before your meal which for me just made it all the more enjoyable because if you know me you'll know I love cheese... I'll post some pictures from the official website. 

Next on the list is Basmati - This is an Indian themed restaurant and it is one of my favourites. My husband isn't really fond of Indian food but he will eat it because he knows how much I love it. This was our second visit to Basmati and I would definitely recommend it. The portions, like a few of the restaurants are smaller than normal but because it's all inclusive you can order as much as you like x 

This is literally the only picture I took because we were too hungry :D

Chez Isabelle - The French themed restaurant. If you follow me on Instagram you'll know the suss with this restaurant, and the malfunctioning dress that lead to a very stressful dinner :D :D :D But this restaurant, beautiful as it was just wasn't for us. Don't get me wrong the food was really nice but the portions are hella small and we were still starving afterwards so we went to the sports bar for nachos... The menu is decent and my husband got a nice, but VERY small steak that he said was lovely but hence the snacks afterwards, maybe we just have huge appetites but don't expect to be stuffed after eating here unless you order the whole menu, but all in all a really nice place.

This actually looked like it was plonked from a can but Ross said that it was tasty :D

This was like a mushroom thing that I can't remember the name of but it was legit the size of a small child's hand..

Goats cheese pastry, these were tasty but also about the size of my finger

This was just a big fat bowl of nope....

Spice - An Asian themed restaurant that has regular seating in it's main restaurant and the Hibachi grill that you have to book in advance because it has limited space. Now this is where the love hate relationship comes in... Last year we ate in the main restaurant and we didn't like it at all, the food wasn't great. We then ate in the Hibachi grill and even though I didn't eat most of the food on the menu (it's just me being a picky eater) the experience was amazing, the staff were fabulous and the show was amazing, this year however was a massive flop.. it's like they staff on that particular night in our hibachi room just weren't bothered and the whole experience was a disaster, we left before they served dessert and surprise surprise we went to the sports bar for some fried chicken and onion rings. I wouldn't say skip it completely because we've had a good and bad experience in it so I would definitely say if you had about a week in the resort to give it a try, you might get lucky and get one of the good chefs but there are other restaurants that I would choose over Spice if I was only there for a few days.

The Lobster house/Oregano - These 2 restaurants are located on either sids of the main pool. The lobster house is a seafood restaurant and Oregano is an Italian themed restaurant. My favourite of the 2 is Oregano, although the lobster house does non fish dishes the selection in Oregano is much nicer. 

Next on the list of restaurants is Las Olas. This is located on the beach and it's a buffet style restaurant that had a variety of different food every day. We didn't eat here but apparently the pizza rivals that of the infamous pizza in Chicago, or so we were told. 

The food shark is a handy little snack van that opens from 6-10. We got chilli fries, nachos and popcorn from it this year and it didn't disappoint. They do burgers a selection of sandwiches too.

 

One of my favourite little spots in the whole resort is the coffee shop. They have a selection of  hot and iced coffees, teas, frozen drinks, cupcakes, muffins, macaroons, ice cream, sandwiches, juices and snacks. Their coffee is so good and you know how picky I am about my coffee. 

  

Last but definitely not least is The Kitchen Table, this is the buffet that opens for breakfast and lunch and oh my gosh the selection of food is amazing, we ate breakfast here every morning that we had breakfast, we do intermittent fasting so some days we didn't eat until lunch but every day that we did have breakfast it didn't disappoint. The selection of food is so vast that there is literally something for everyone, I have loads of pictures from one of the days we went for a late lunch so you'll be scrolling for a while on this one :D

The hotel also has a gym, we like to work out when we travel (mainly so we don't feel guilty about eating and drinking all the nice things) but the fully stocked gym in this resort is perfect. It has exactly what you need for every workout and they do daily classes morning and evening, I wont bore you with pictures of the gym. The resort has one main pool and 23 other pools throughout the resort. They have jacuzzis, pool side service as well as waiters that will come to your swim up room and get you drinks from the bar if you like. The scenery is breathtaking and the beach is spotless and beautiful for a little stroll. All in all this resort has been my favourite all inclusive holiday that I have ever been on and I would recommend this resort to anyone thinking of venturing to the Dominican Republic. 

One thing I will add before I wrap this up is about the time of year that you travel. Last year we went in April and this year we went in September/October. The "hurricane/monsoon" season for the Dominican Republic runs through June to November with most rain in August/September. It did rain more when we were there this year (it most definitely didn't ruin our holiday because we spent most of the time relaxing and enjoying the free time) but if you go away mainly for the sun then I suggest you go before June. To be honest we thoroughly enjoyed sitting outside reading and listening to the rain but I know that would ruin some peoples holiday so plan your time if travel very carefully. 

That's about it for this post, if you made it this far then you deserve a glass of wine, I hope i covered everything but if i didn't feel free to message me on Instagram if you want to know anything else, I'll leave the link here - https://www.instagram.com/blonder_than_barbie/. Thank you all for all the constant love and support, much Love,

Kim 

xoxo