Fear factor.......

Time is beginning to fly by and before I know it I will be able to say I go on holiday this month; which is both scary and exciting in equal amounts.....after all I've got to get on a plane (boo) but then I get to spend a couple of weeks with amazing people in my favourite place in the whole world (I can feel an I can't sleep I'm too excited moment coming on)

Yesterday evening I had a chat with a rep in Orlando and after booking our shopping trip (we go to Walmart, the outlet centre and then Florida Mall) she asked me if we were interested in attending any other Halloween events while we were there; we already have tickets for MNSSHP.......what about Universals Halloween Horror nights?

Well, it didn't take me more than a nanosecond to politely decline her offer - I am a scaredy cat and told her that I don't need to pay for the privilege of having the life scared out of me. After all the description says that the park comes alive with monsters, mutants and maniacs and is definitely not family or wimp friendly (and I'm happy to say im a wimp)

So what else is available if you don't want to attend a hard ticketed event - there is a family event at Seaworld; the Halloween Spooktacular and also Legolands Brick or Treat which includes the worlds biggest Lego Jack O'lantern

There's no denying that the Seaworld and Legoland events are more up my street than Universal but there's just no getting away from the fact that I am a Disney girl at heart and what they do appeals to me far more even though I have to pay to attend; at the end of the day it is all down to personal preference and I like my Halloween sugar coated

Or should that be clouded by extreme sugar intake? This year will be Emmie Lou's first experience of trick or treating and I think it would be an understatement to say she is excited at the prospect; I think if she had her way we would just do that all evening......but there is a fantastic parade to watch with the creepy grave diggers and some incredible fireworks too; plus seeing everyone's costumes as this is the only time of the year when people can get away with coming to the parks dressed as a Disney character (doesn't have to be Disney)

You really could spend the whole evening just people watching as they really do go all out with their costumes; some more appropriate than others (I never knew Snow White's top was so low cut!?!?!). Now me I have never been into fancy dress as I am not one who likes attention so the most I will probably do is put on a pair of cat ears and maybe draw whiskers on but never say never (depends what amazing stuff they have in Walmart)

With that I'm off to search their website.....until next week xxxx

A dream job........

The past few weeks have been pretty rough at work for one reason or another, to the point I have even told my boss that at times I am being pretty unproductive which is not like me......and that has given me plenty of time to day dream about what I could do instead of my current job

I would love to be able to make enough money from my bracelets to not have to do a real job but I would have to bead 24/7 - 365 days a year so that's not really a dream job; I thought if I could drive I would go and work at the Disney store and sing along to all of the songs all day every day....but I don't drive so that's not going to happen

But if there was a way I could teleport myself everyday there is nothing more that I would like to do than work at Disney World. I don't have high expectations; well much - I would love a 9-5 job in either the Emporium or the Main Street Confectionary (if such thing existed which I'm sure it doesn't becuae that would mean every one else would have to take the rubbish shifts)

I'm not disillusioned to think that you don't get difficult customers there just like you do in a supermarket but just to be a cast member would be a dream. Did you know that cast members at Disney are able to create magical moments for guests? There is no rhyme or reason to these taking place and no one should ever go with the expectation that you should expect to receive one of these (otherwise they wouldn't be magical and you could end up seriously disappointed)

It could be something as simple as being taken to the front of a ride queue, to receiving a free ice cream or being chosen to be in the parade; whatever they do it must be truly satisfying - just seeing a small gesture making someone's day.

But what can the average guest do to make their day? Being courteous goes a long way, listening to what they say and following safety instructions is good but top of the list must be recognising when they have done a good job and making sure this is highlighted.

What can you do - well you can go to guest relations and fill in a card, you can highlight it to a supervisor, give the cast member some kind of thank you card or just say thank you. Anyway enough talk about work, I'm off this week and have rebelled by putting my out of office on and leaving my work phone in the cupboard at work.

So, I am planning on sleeping a lot; making some jewellery and just generally doing not a lot - well maybe try and get the suitcase out of the cupboard and throw a few things in it.......

Until next week, and while we're on the subject of thanks - thank you for reading my random thoughts each week (that is if anyone apart from James is - who only reads it to see what I say about him) xxxx

Ooops, did I just do that....

And so another week goes by and our holiday creeps ever closer; and we ticked another thing off our list when we picked our seats for the flight home -boo!!!! It's not that I want the holiday to ever end but I like to know what I am letting myself in for.

I thought about this and came to the conclusion that the people who are on our outbound flight would probably be on our inbound one too and like me they wanted to pre book their seats and would more than likely be trying for the same seats as us; so I decided to do the sensible thing and book the row opposite again on the way home.....in the hope that no one else was trying for the seats.

So, I told work I was going to be in late; selected the seats at 7.57 and then sat and waited....and then pressed the button at just before 8 allowing it time to process for when the seat map opened at 8am. Thankfully my plan worked and we are in the bubble on the way home too....and as I guessed the opposite row was also booked up when the seat map refreshed.

What else have I done this week, ummmm I changed a Fastpass; I have been keeping an eye on the website since they announced that the Frozen sing along would be continuing through the fall as its something that me and Emmie Lou would love. I did mention it to James and said I was going to swap it for the Lights, Motors, Action one (boring!!) I can't say he was overly impressed but it's not like you can't get a seat for it without a Fastpass (well I'm hoping)

I was playing on the net on Sunday morning and saw that they had loaded the times for the sing along so I secretly changed them; but I have since confessed. I am now praying that it's going to be loads of fun as the bloke didn't quite seem best pleased.....I did say he doesn't have to come with us and we will make sure that we go to see the stunt show even if we have to queue for it; but I have very hope that we will be able to pick up a Fastpass once we have used our first 3 (thank you Disney for updating the rules for Fastpass to allow more than 3 in one day)

So what's coming up in the planning stages....I need to get in touch with the resort reps and book our shopping trip, still need to do our API's but apart from that I think the rest is all just the normal stuff like bore my colleagues to tears with my almost daily countdown; they need to think themselves lucky that I haven't been doing hours.

Oh and if I win the Euro millions tomorrow night me and Emmie Lou have decided we are going to change the holiday to a suite in Bay Lake Towers at the Contemporary, first class flights and a night in the Cinderella Castle Dream Suite......a girl can dream!

Until next week xxxx

Just around the corner.....

I actually can't believe I am saying this but I go on holiday next month, yes you heard right next month; after what seems the longest countdown ever the days just seem to be flying by and sooner than you know it the suitcases will be out of the cupboard (unless you are Emmie Lou and her suitcase is already out and I think might even be a little bit packed).

Thankfully the list of things left to do is getting smaller - do our API's, book our shopping trip, return flight seats and secure an elusive Be Our Guest lunch Fastpass. I still find it hard to believe that a quick service location is so hard to get into that Disney offer on site guests the option of booking a slot for lunch instead of queue in up in the lovely Florida sunshine

The restaurant is themed as the Beasts castle and includes the ballroom and the West Wing including the magical rose that you see in Beauty and the Beast. Aside from the theming being amazing I have only heard good things about the meals there and fingers crossed I will get to try it for myself.

I will admit to checking the BeOurGuestLunch website nearly every other day to see if it shows availability, but from what I have read online the option to book this doesn't become live until about 30 days prior to your trip so I will just have to be patient

What can I do instead.......oh just spend ages trawling the Walmart website (who knew such a thing as a red velvet cake yoghurt was even available - might have to try that instead of my usual key lime pie one); I know that doesn't sound exciting but there are those things that you really enjoy while you are on holiday that you spend the rest of the year wanting more of them.

Thanks to the internet I have a list as long of your arm of things I want to get from Walmart, and I'm in denial about the fact I don't have a big enough luggage allowance to get it all home. After all if you have been reading my blog for a while you know that I am planning to bring home some rather large peas and everything else needs to fit around them

Each year we go I say I might just leave James there so I can bring more stuff home but this year I have a cunning plan - basically I have 3 suitcases and he gets one; after all he is a bloke and just how many t-shirts can one person buy? James I know you will be reading this and that is not a challenge, you really don't need anymore where as I need more pens and just about everything else I buy!

Until next week, I'm off to see what beading stuff Walmart sell xxxx

And I thought I was mad......

I know what you are all thinking, yes you are mad Lisa why even mention it....but apparantly there some madder than me out there (hard to imagine but its true and all will be explained)

First things first, lets talk about the missing blog from last week; unfortunately due a heavy workload I have to admit that I wasnt in the mood to be all bright and cheery so thought I would save you all from my tales of woe and instead I had my own private pity party - but after a weekend off and finishing at a decent time today I'm back!

This past week has been huge in terms of holiday planning - firstly there was the mad dash to secure seats in the bubble (top deck of a 747) for our outbound flight; if you visit the dibb you will know all about dibbers row but basically this is the back row on the right hand side. Although I wasnt able to get those seats (must have missed them by seconds) I did manage to get the left hand side back row which means we can recline to our hearts content without irritating anyone.

And then there was the matter of checking in to the hotel....wait, what? I know, we don't go for a few weeks yet but Disney are all about planning and you can check in 60 days before your holiday plus make 2 room requests. You can pick from:

• Ground floor
• Second floor
• Corner room
• Close to transportation

These I would assume are resort specific, we didnt pick close to transportation as French Quarter only has 7 buildings so the maximum walk to get a bus is about 5 minutes (James says it takes longer but he must be dawdling as I know I am right)

But the biggest event of all was booking our Fastpasses; but not before I made a call to Disney to get my MDE (my disney experience) info correct so that I could book them for all 3 of us. The booking window for these opens at midnight in the US (5am here); I swore blind I wasnt going to be getting up at stupid o'clock to do these and we would get what we got - but it didn't quite work like that

My sleeping has been a bit off recently so I find myself laying awake at 5.15am arguing with myself in my head as to whether I should get up or not; I lasted until twenty five past and got up and signed in.

The process itself is pretty easy, you pick your day, your park and the 3 attractions and then website suggests a time. You then continue and you have the opportunity to modify the times - which I think I did for all of them as they didn't fit with how I know we tour the park.

But what was mad about it........the Frozen phenomenon; there is a meet and greet with Anna and Elsa and as I am sure I have mentioned this before that the queues for them have been madness and they even changed the way they opened the park to stop people from sprinting down Main Street to snag a place in line (I would love to have seen that). 

Out of curiousity I looked at Magic Kingdom for every day of our holiday and by the time I had logged on there were no Fastpasses left for the entire 2 weeks; there must have been hoards of people who got up at 5am just to book these spots - I know I was awake but its not like I had set an alarm or anything

I have one last thing to try and arrange now, which is a booking for Be Our Guest restuarant at lunchtime but at least that can be done anytime of day

Until next week xxxx