Disney's Hilton Head Resort, South Carolina

In the United States, Disney has extended its reach further than the parks and resorts and they have other properties outside of Orlando and Anaheim.  One of those is a mere six hours up the road in South Carolina on Hilton Head Island.  Of course being so close, it was a perfect excuse for a road trip and to tick another state off the list! 

We visited way back in February, when the weather was much cooler than it is now and it hit lows of around 3oC, which for two girls being used to a Floridian winter (I use that word very loosely) it came even more of a shock to the system than Chicago!

Cold weather regardless, the Hilton Head resort is stunning.  It sits next to a beautiful lake and marshes and about a mile or so from the beach.  The marshes looked like something out of a film- it was speechless!  You can walk out to a gazebo over the marshes and although the wind really whipped up a chill while we were there, I can imagine it to be very beautiful during the summer!  

Hilton Head is also a Disney Vacation Club resort and because of this, the rooms are either studios or villas which make for a very homely stay.  The decor is all themed around a lake house theme which I simply loved!  Wooden board floors and very airy spaces, once again I felt as if I were in a film!  The bathroom also had a jacuzzi bath which was so relaxing, I ever normally pamper myself with anything like that so I enjoyed it very much. 

The amenities at the hotel were also very homely and welcoming.  Upon our arrival, we were greeted with warm apple cider and cookies - which are always a winner for me.  There's also a lounge with a crackling open fire, super comfy chairs, a selection of board games and newspapers - for us, it was great to warm up after a brisk walk outside!

They also have a whole selection of recreational activities (bike hire etc), a pool (definitely was too cold!) and a Community House where they were hosting a hot chocolate making activity.  I think I had whipped cream and extra marshmallows!  There's a quick service restaurant which served your regular Disney fare for breakfast and lunch but when you're lounging by the pool, you don't really need anything else! 

We did venture down the beach which was basically deserted.  The resort runs a shuttle down to the Disney Beach House if you don't fancy the walk.  Again, the Beach House would be amazing in the warmer weather with its pool and restaurant but was completely empty during our visit.  The beach was lovely; I really enjoy walks along the beach in the cold weather and I had wrapped up warm enough so it was invigorating enough to blow all the cobwebs away! 

The Island itself is very much geared up to the golfing tourists with a large range of restaurants and boutiquey shops scattered around.  Another perk for us was a Barnes and Noble - I forgot how much I enjoyed browsing through a bookshop, it's these simple pleasures that you can forget about in the busy, bustling, car-less environment of Disney!

Another great thing about this resort was that it was full of Disney magic without being so highly strung like the parks.  The cast were warm and friendly and took the time to chat to us and make us feel welcome and at home.  The Disney-outside-of-Disney helped me return to Florida feeling refreshed and rejuvenated!  Now, I'm very eager to visit Disney's other DVC resort here in Florida at Vero Beach!  

Kennedy Space Center

I have unearthed a new found love: space and space exploration. Before space was something that I was interested in but I could either take it or leave it.  I did want to go to the Kennedy Space Center, it was pretty high up on my bucket list but I wanted to go because it was such an iconic location and I didn't really know what it would involve once I got there.

 Then we finally made it:  we went to the Kennedy Space Center and it sparked a curiosity inside of me that I really had no idea what was there.  I put it fully down to the quality of the KSC and their exhibitions and it was fuelled further when we went to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC (more on that later!).  

The Kennedy Space Center is at Cape Canaveral, which is about an hour or so away from Orlando and a super easy drive to get to.  Their visitor center is obviously away from the launch pads there but you can get pretty up close and personal through their tours.  

There are so many exhibits there that you would struggle to see all in one visit; we've been twice now and still haven't got round everything!  We first of all headed to the Apollo/Saturn V Center which is a short bus ride away from the main visitor complex.  You get to see a restored Saturn V rocket, other memorabilia from the Apollo program and even get to touch a piece of real life moon rock!  There is so much to take in there, you could easily spend a good couple of hours exploring and taking it all in. 

On the bus back to the main visitor complex, you can see the massive Vehicle Assembly Building where the rockets are put together.  Even on my second visit, I could barely comprehend the size of that building: it;s over 160m tall and each of the stars on the American flag outside is 6ft across.  Amazing!  It's in this building that the new Space Launch System will be built.

My favourite favourite favourite part of the KSC is the Atlantis exhibition.  I don't want to give any spoilers but the unveiling of the Space Shuttle Atlantis is so moving.  The exhibit is really first class: it still blows my mind to think that that actual shuttle, only a few feet in front of you, has been to space over thirty times.  The orbiter just seems so humble throughout the whole of the exhibit.  As well as a ton of information about the shuttle and the space shuttle program, there's a really touching tribute to the crews of the Challenger and Columbia whom were both lost.  We braved the Space Shuttle Launch Experience as well (tentatively... scarred from Mission: Space at Epcot) which is pretty much what it says on the tin.  I really could happily revisit this exhibition several times over.

On our second visit to the KSC, Dena surprised me with a "Now and Then" close-up tour where we visited the launch complex 5/6, where Alan Shepard became the first American launched into space, the Air Force Space and Missile Program, the Cape's lighthouse, where the Challenger's remains were laid to rest and so much more!  It was fascinating to hear about NASA's first space programs and everything that they have achieved up until the present and also a little bit more of what's going to come in the future.

We're hoping to make it back to the Cape for a rocket launch in the near future and that would really be a dream come true.  I'm currently swotting up on as much astronomy knowledge as I can possibly fit into my little brain and it really is so amazing how much is out there!  I wish I had paid more attention in physics!  

Day trip to Chicago

Sometimes you've just got to grab life by the horns and travel 1,154 miles to the other end of the country for a day.  Not an overnight stay, but a get-up-at-3am-and-get-back-home-at-midnight kind of day.  That's one of the great things about this country: you can jump on a plane pretty much how you would catch a bus and if you're lucky enough, you can get some seriously cheap flights.  Once our $100 return flights were booked, we got on full planning mood on how to make our 10 or so hours in the Windy City a productive one.  First and foremost though, we had to go on the hunt for a winter coat!  We left behind 25*C weather to a balmy 6*C (and Chicago was going through something of a warm spell...it could have been -10*C)!

We got up very early after finishing at late shift at work and boarded our 6am flight  with just a backpack and camera in toe.  It was quite refreshing to pack so light to be honest, we knew we weren't going to have to waste previous time waiting on our checked luggage and we skipped off our flight into the much fresher air of Illinois.  

As soon as we got into the heart of Chicago, I was immediately blown away by the architecture and the look of the city.  Super high skyscrapers that looked straight out of the movies!  We first headed down to Millennium Park to see the famous Bean, take the obligatory selfies and enjoy the humidity free air!  As I said, I really couldn't believe how pretty the high-rises were and how striking the modern almost mirror-like buildings were next some of the older buildings.  

Chicago sits next to Lake Michigan and it's only when you can't see the other side of the lake that you can really begin to comprehend the size.  For me, I'd never seen a lake that was much bigger than a pond... Lake Michigan could have been the ocean!  We then strolled along Chicago's Magnificent Mile, which is a large strip of fairly upscale shops (think Tiffany's and Cartier) and before we knew it, it was lunchtime and then meant a stop in Cheesecake Factory at the bottom of the John Hancock Tower. 

Once lunch had settled, it was time to begin conquering my fears and ascend the 100 story high building.  At the top of the tower, you can see a 360* view of the city and if you're brave enough, you can do the TILT experience which tilts you 30* out across the city (not for me, thank you).  The top of the tower has loads of different computers and interactive features which help you pick out different buildings and landmarks across the Chicago skyline.  It's one of the must-dos when in Chicago and I'm so glad we did it!  

We did a bit more exploring on foot and wandered around the streets.  As I said about Savannah, I really do believe walking around a city is the best way to get a feel for it and although we only saw a fraction of what the city has to offer, we were able to understand why it's the US's third city.  We ventured out onto the Navy Pier which was eerily quiet and all closed up.  It makes sense since we visited in February but it was strange to have nothing at all open.  However, it was still a nice walk in the brisk air.  

After all that walking, it was nearly time to head back to the airport to catch our flight!  We leisurely strolled back, taking in a bit more of the atmosphere and finally headed back to Orlando.  I thoroughly enjoyed our whistle-stop tour of this amazing city and it has definitely made me want to spend more time there at some point in the future to explore the museums, galleries and soaking up some of the music scene.  

It was great to see another side to the States - this time a busy, business focused place that's so different from Orlando.  Until our next adventure...!

What's on your playlist?

The great thing about living in the United States is that when you want to travel around, it can make for an amazing road trip!  There's nothing better than driving down the road with your windows down and your favourite song playing on the radio.

We've already had some great trips so far - we drove to Savannah, South Carolina and Atlanta... as well as a few trips to the Kennedy Space Center and whenever I hear songs that we played on those drives, I'm instantly transported back there (more often than not, we were singing at the top of our voices as well!) 

However, the main problem that we have here is that we don't own a car and we're either having to spend a fortune on collecting the rental car from the airport or another location or forgoing the road trip altogether and taking a bus.  There is a solution though: Turo allows you to find the perfect car for your road trip by renting a car from a local driver and you can choose from a whole range of cars by searching your dates and location.  Once you've decided on your car, collect from the owner and you can have a stress-free, unforgettable road trip!  Car owners can also list their own car on Turo and many renters leave their own playlist in the car for the road trippers to enjoy - what better way to broaden your musical horizons whilst making memories!

Our next road trip is a pretty big one; we're planning to visit 11 states in 25 days so of course, we're already planning our playlist for the journey!  Here's what we love to sing along to at the moment:

What's on your road trip playlist?

A visit to Savannah, Georgia

After a while of living and breathing Walt Disney World, you need to escape the bubble and go to see what real America has to offer.  However, that being said, as silly as it sounds, I was a little apprehensive about actually leaving Orlando so Savannah was a great little place to visit.  It's a port on the coast of Georgia, Florida's neighbouring state, and only about a 5 hour drive! 

It felt great to jump into a hire car (finally!  Freedom!), turn the radio up and drive.  I'd realised how much I actually enjoyed the driving part of trips and the mini holiday actually starts then, not when you arrive in your destination however many hours later. 

Savannah is a gritty but beautiful little city, steeped in history and culture.  Throughout the city, there are beautiful squares (Chippewa Square is where Forrest Gump's bench was set), each with their own personality and interest.  At the centre of the city is Forsyth Park with its picture perfect fountain.  Throughout the park, there are families playing, couples strolling hand in hand, cyclists, and buskers filling the air with music.  I loved that about Savannah, you can almost sense the art and creativity in the air.  

As you wander through the streets, you can drop into antique shops or vintage clothes shops and browse for a bargain.  On West Broughton Street, you'll find a lot of high end shops as well as small independent shops, we had to stop by the Savannah Bee Company and sample all the amazing honeys and get a bag full of popcorn (birthday cake and Key lime pie flavour) from Savannah Rae's.  I loved the old cinema buildings as well as the beautiful Antebellum style town houses.

Savannah is famous for it's riverfront and we walked along it but found it to be full of regular tourist restaurants and shops; the streets nestled in the heart of the city were much more appealing to us.  It was also super easy to navigate around the city.  We obviously brought the car but we left it at our motel (The Thunderbird Motel - Krispy Kremes for breakfast and Moonpies on your pillow!) and just walked around, I think it's a better way to get a feel for a place. 

We also visited the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum.  It's a small, privately run museum but it is definitely worth a visit that documents segregation in Savannah.  I definitely learned a lot and even now, makes me so sad to think about it.  

We also took a trolley ghost tour.  I love learning about the paranormal side of anything and I was most looking forward to this.  Our ghostly host shared stories about many of the spooks and spectres that reside in Savannah, I just wish we could have stopped at more of these eerie locations!  Whether you're a believer or not, I think Savannah definitely has a paranormal vibe about it at night! 

We were only in Savannah for three days but it definitely left an impression on us.  It's a city full of grace and poise, but is also a little rough around the edges so you can feel at home and relaxed there.  Southern charm, indeed!

CRP | 8 months in...

Clearly, I've been slacking in the blogging department during my program here at Walt Disney World. I always feared this would happen but life is so crazy busy out here, there is always something to do and I just haven't dedicated enough time to writing. That being said, I've been meaning to write some new posts and share my news for a while now so I'm going to try and devote more time to it!

I think the last time I posted was way back in November at the end of the Food and Wine Festival. Since then, understandably loads has happened! I've nearly completed my bucket list challenge of staying in all the Disney resorts and I have been able to make it out of state a few times as well! 

I'm very much settled into Florida life now and if I'm honest, once of my main concerns is how I'm going to readjust when I go back home. It's such a unique and weird place to spend your daily life in; you're very detached from the rest of the world and you can lose your sense of time as not much changes within the World - everything is very consistent on a day to day basis. 

That being said, I thought I'd use this post to share some of my highlights of my Program so far! 

1. Being able to enjoy all the "special" times and events. 

When most people visit Disney World, they come for a week or maybe two and obviously you enjoy whatever is happening at that time. If you're lucky enough to visit a few times of the year, you might experience a special festival or holiday. When you get to spend the whole entire year here, you get to see them all! We've been to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, a Very Merry Christmas at the Magic Kingdom, Frozen Fever and Star Wars Galactic fireworks at DHS, Food and Wine, Candlelight, Easter, Flower and Garden at Epcot and fingers crossed, we'll be here for the launch of Rivers of Light at Animal Kingdom. When Disney does a special event, they really do it well and it's such a privilege to be able to go trick or treating at Magic Kingdom or try 30 different food kiosks at Epcot. And that's just the parks and it not mentioning Christmas and Easter at the resorts.

2. The staycations. 

I love love love having the opportunity to stay in as many Disney resorts as possible. It's been one of my very favourite things to do. It was on my bucket list to stay in them all and I'm well on my way (three more to go!). Staying in a resort is a great way to unwind and disconnect from the craziness of the parks but still feel a part of the Disney Magic. I also love to learn about the different stories behind the resorts; it makes you appreciate how amazing and talented the imagineers are! 

3. Travelling 

Although it can be hard to get time off work and this can make it super difficult to organise trips, the program is a great opportunity to travel. We've done carefully organised and planned trips as well as spontaneous day trips to cities across the other side of the country. It's also so good for the soul to get out of Orlando and WDW and experience "real life" every now and again. You also get the added bonus of 30 days travel time at the end of your visa here and we're currently planning an 11 states in 25 days road trip, which frankly, would be completely unfeasible if it weren't for the this program. 

4. Trying new things! 

The great thing about the WDW property and Florida being so tourist-centric means that if you want to try something new or learn about something new you can. I've been canoeing at Fort Wilderness (I never thought I'd canoe) and discovered a new found fascination with space. I know people who have sky dived, held baby alligators, gone manatee spotting, gone to a chocolate museum, the played escape/logic games... you name it, you can probably do it here in Orlando!

Here's to keeping my fingers crossed and posting more frequently!   

CRP | Staycation #3 The Grand Floridian

It's been so hard trying to keep up to date with my blog but I'm going to try and catch up a little bit!! I've been busy staycationing so we'll start with probably my favourite so far....

The dream finally came true! I got to stay in The Grand Floridian and it really was everything I wished it could be and more. This resort is so beautiful and elegant without feeling stuffy or uncomfortable. If you couldn't tell, I loved it! 

We managed to actually see a little bit more of this resort as we had a bit longer there. The main entrance is a wonderful hub of activity: shops, hairdressers, restaurants and plenty of comfy chairs to sit and relax on. There's also a band that plays, which definitely helps transport you to a bygone era! 

The whole resort is reminiscent of a Victorian seaside town, complete with th architecture and areas to promenade around. We explored two of the swimming pools; one of which is nestled right next to the lagoon. 

We ate at the quick service restaurant (hurrah discount) that is right next to the jetty. Again, the food was delicious and wasn't too badly priced either. There were setting up for a wedding reception too and I really couldn't think of a more beautiful setting: in front of the lagoon, Cinderella's Castle on the horizon - a perfect view of Wishes. Of course, we came back later to watch the fireworks from this viewpoint! 

The rooms themselves were heavenly! They were so luxurious and the Grand Floridan provides a nightly turn down service including little chocolates on your pillow. There were also bathrobes (loved a hotel with bathrobes) and plenty of toiletries including a foot scrub and after sun. For me, it's little touches like this that put this hotel above the rest! I would put this hotel on par with the Four Seasons - it's really that good! 

I enjoyed myself so much that I would love to go and stay again and see what else this resort has to offer. They have restaurants that have amazing review and I hope to try a few of them throughout my program. 

Staying in the resorts is something I'm so glad I'm able to make the most of; they're so different and are a great way to escape some of the intensity of the parks and room sharing! 

  

CRP | Old Key West Staycation

It's Dena's birthday this week and after getting our schedules, we realised we wouldn't be able to have a staycation on her actual birthday.  So we decided on the next best thing and had a mini staycation in Old Key West, which is one of the Downtown Disney-area resorts.  Dena met me after work and we hopped on a guest bus to the resort and of course, it was beautiful.  You think by now I'd realise that if Disney are doing something, they do it well but oh no - each new thing I come across blows me away.

Old Key West is massive - we didn't get to explore much of it as we were only there for one night - but it's tranquil and peaceful.  I loved the look of all the 'houses'; they were painted soft pastel colours sitting between leafy palm trees or along a calm river.

One of the nice things about Old Key West is you can take a Friendship boat to Downtown Disney; there's something magical about travelling around Disney World on a boat -I think it's because you automatically relax a little bit more, you can't rush around so much!

We stayed in a villa in the reost and it was so big!  The villa was equipped with everything from coffee machine, washing machine and tumble dryers to a jacuzzi spa bath!  The bed was so soft and comfy - a million miles away from the Disney Housing bunk beds! Again, I love the detail and thought that is put into the decorating of the resorts; a cast member once said to us that everything you see in WDW is like that way for a reason and it's certainly evident in the resorts. Everything fits meticulously into the room and doesn't look out of place.

We also had breakfast in Olivia's, which is the on site restaurant.  I didn't fancy anything too heavy as I had to work later that day so I opted for the Southernmost Continental platter.  It was a delicious selection of pastries and fresh fruit (the kind of balanced breakfast you want in the morning!) and washed down with plenty of coffee!

Staying in Old Key West has got me so excited for our next staycation - our arrival group is planning to have a get together on our monthiversay so that'll be a great opportunity to explore another resort.

CRP | Medical Insurance

Oh, medical insurance, what a palava indeed!  We finally bit the bullet and bought our medical insurance with a whole five days left to spare before we fly.  In fact, I found the whole thing so frustratingly complicated and confusing, I got Dena to write about it.

Of course, again, this is not solid, you-should-100%-do-this advice so please don't take our word as gospel!  It's just the process that we went through and we would always advise you do your own research and go with a policy you are happy with.   Here's our medical insurance lowdown:

Say what you want about waiting times, rubbish GP’s and dirty hospitals; the NHS is wonderful! Medical insurance might have been one of the most infuriating parts of our magical Disney journey. Partly because it costs money and we are a little poor, but also because of making sure you are making the right choice for what you need and want. If you don’t need to worry about money, it probably won’t stress you out so much but there are a few things you need to know.

So, the wonderful United States has brilliant medical care-but it needs to be paid for. It’s expensive and without cover, the bill would be ridiculous if anything happened. Besides that, to work for an American company you need medical insurance; likewise for getting an American visa. In summary, you need it so get it!

Disney offer their own medical insurance for their employees; but only after 4 months of being there. As we arrive in the middle of a month, we had to get cover for just over 4 months as the Disney policy starts at the beginning of a month.

The confusion we faced was between travel and medical; when you go on holiday, it’s usually a two in one deal where you get suitcase cover to death cover. But as we are living in the States, we need full on medical and although travel might be handy, realistically it’s not necessary (who ever claims for a damaged suitcase really!) as we are living there, not on holiday.

Another problem you will face if you just look at the standard insurance websites (world nomads, go walkabout etc) is the lack of a return date. Many companies will not insure you if you do not have a return flight to the United Kingdom.

So in the end, we opted for a medical insurance because it covered everything we needed.

A decent insurance will cover up to $100,000 of appointments, treatments etc. A really handy website we came across was visitorscoverage.com. You put in your details and then a whole list of different policies come up where you can choose which plan you want and how much deductible you want to pay.

Eventually, we opted for Seven Corners policy which was $182 dollars for extensive coverage and $100 deductible. When we went into actually getting the policy, we were asked for a return date which panicked us a little as we didn’t think it was going to be a problem. I emailed one of the visitorscoverage workers and they emailed fairly promptly saying we can just use the date we need our policy to end as our return date. Don’t take this as a given for all insurance companies however, and make sure if you have any questions to simply ask! Insurance companies are strangely helpful when you’re giving them money rather than asking for it so be brave and just shoot them an email or phone call!

 When you look into the deductible, have a think about how you will pay it. Some companies ask for the deductible every time you need to see someone or claim; whereas other companies will only need it for the first time and then you can go back as many times as you need to. Similarly, you may need to pay upfront for your care and then claim back, or you can show your insurance policy and never have to pay a penny. This is definitely worth looking into depending on what you prefer.

There are also some amazing policies which cover you for absolutely everything, but then only pay for 100% of your treatment after you have paid the first $500 or something similar. Basically, be very aware of exactly what you will have to do if something happens-you may think it is very unlikely; you know, you’re young, fit, healthy. That’s what we thought in Mexico, and Danielle nearly ended up in hospital and spent a fortune on scans, blood tests and medication. So don’t be too complacent!

In summary, you need to make sure you know what you’re looking for and what you’re getting! Don’t try and be cheap but don’t go over the top and get some fancy policy which will cost you a fortune.

From reading other blogs, there are some policies out there which are specifically for the program we are doing or at least with our program in mind; but they are more expensive.

Our policy can also be extended once we are out there which is super handy because if Disney works out more expensive we can just extend the one we have for until we leave!

Four days to go :-)

CRP | the visa appointment

The day of our visa appointment finally arrived, after what felt like weeks of waiting!

The waiting is because you need Disney to email you the petition document before you can apply for a visa. The petition number is given to Disney by the consulate in the U.S. which allows Disney to create the document you will get in the email. We received ours about 7 weeks before our arrival date, which created all sorts of panic, fluster and Hoo-hah; but we were caught up in the embassies' massive hardware problem they had going on. You're likely to get it earlier than that.

So when you've had the go ahead, you complete a DS-160 form online which is a dynamic form (people may get different questions) and gathers all the information needed to hopefully approve your visa. Some of the questions are your bog standard general details, but then it gets a bit more serious (and frankly, odd) when you have to let them know if you have any plans to traffick other humans whilst on your Disney adventure. You also have to upload your photo and pay your visa fee ($190).  Photo wise-they have a tool online to help you out with uploading a decent digital one. You are advised to get printed ones too, but we spent £7 on some and didn't actually need them. It may be better to make sure your digital one is good and then take £7 with you to the embassy as they have a machine there if your original isn't good enough. One piece of advice I would say is print out your DS-160 confirmation as soon as you can as we weren't able to retrieve them and didn't receive the email confirmation that we asked for. If you don't have your confirmation form and can't retrieve it, you have to do the whole form again-and it really is an alarmingly long form; even longer the second time.

After completing the form, you are able to book your appointment at the embassy or consulate of your choice. Here in the UK, you can go to London or the Belfast consulate. Wait time for the appointments can vary but you're normally seen within a couple of weeks. 

Your appointment is probably going to be fairly early in the morning, 8 or 8.30, so if you live far away you might want to consider staying over the night before. We stayed in Stratford and caught the Tube in but still had to get up at 5.30!  We arrived in Grosvenor Square at around 7.25am and there was already a massive queue outside the embassy; luckily, the embassy staff are super efficient.

Pre and post visa appointment selfie! 

While you're in the queue, the staff check your appointment time and have a look at your paperwork to make sure there are no problems and then you're signed in. After this, you go through security - which is a lot less scary than I thought - you have to put your watch, phone, belt, pocket items in a clear plastic bag but you can take everything in with you. Your bags are scanned, like at the airport, and you walk through a metal detector. You might get your bag searched or frisked but it's generally run of the mill security procedures. (You can even leave your shoes on!) Then, you walk round to the entrance of the embassy and you're given a ticket number and directed to the waiting room. 

There are two steps once you're inside: firstly you will be called to a window where you hand over your documents (byee passport!) and give your fingerprints. It's super quick and they give you your appointment paper back with another sticker on (you keep the same number) and you go back to the waiting room. People tend to jump in your seat so don't get too attached. 

The wait for here was a little longer for some reason, but luckily it was still short for us-your number gets called to another window and this is the last step! This time you get to speak to a REAL LIFE AMERICAN and you give your fingerprints again. They ask you a few questions this time-where you're going, how long for, maybe why you are going. These depend on who you get so just relax and answer them -they're easy and they're not trying to catch you out!

And that's it! All approved and your passport will be with you in 3-5 days! Well that's what we were told so we will let you know on Tuesday! ;) 

London Food | The Disney Café by Harrods

We were in London last weekend and took the opportunity to visit the Disney Café in Harrods.  Naturally, I was filled with so much excitement to be experiencing a bit of Disney in Harrods, and being Harrods, I had extremely high expectations. 

The Disney Café is situated on the fourth floor, just off the children's wear section and a stone's throw from the afternoon tea court.  The café is suitably decked out in Disney memorabilia - from Mickey Mouse outlines on the back of the chair to Tinkerbell over Big Ben, beneath a starry night sky.  We visited on Sunday afternoon at around 3pm with the hope to have a cream tea and when we arrived, the café was quite quite so we were able to choose where we were seated.

Once we sat down, we discovered that afternoon tea didn't start until 4pm but thought since it was quite quiet and we were all used to exemplary Disney service, we thought we would ask if we could have afternoon tea.  The waiter asked the chef if this would be possible and we were told no as it was too busy.  I was quite disappointed but I was equally tempted by some of the desserts, so in the end, we went for a dessert and a drink.

The adults menu was reasonably priced for London (around £10 a main) and offered a fairly extensive and tempting menu.  The drinks, on the other hand, were very expensive (£5 for a coke!) but I suppose that's an easy way to increase their spend per head. 

I had heard the dessert menu offered Mickey waffles but I fancied the chocolate brownie so went for that.  Dena and Kerrie went for the waffles and we all waited with anticipation for our delicious Disney fare.  I was a little perplexed when I saw a waiter bring my chocolate brownie in through the restaurant entrance, but tried to remain open minded.

When our desserts arrived, they were beautifully presented.  Mickey waffles and my portion of brownie had been transformed into Mickeys!  Hurrah!  The Disney food I was expecting!  

However, upon tasting, honestly, we were all very disappointed.  My brownies were okay. They weren't gooey and chocolatey like I like them, they were quite dry and the chocolate taste wasn't as a decadent as normal brownies.  The ice cream was creamy and delicious but I was unsure about the fruit puree served with it.  The much-coveted Mickey waffles didn't fare much better: they were served with a berry compote which  turned out to be half a dozen berries on their own and they weren't sweet waffles, they were pretty tasteless and bland.  I understand waffles not having to be loaded with sugar but if you are ordering dessert, it's usually to satisfy a sweet tooth so in my humble opinion, the waffles needed some kind of sauce, whether it be fruit puree, maple syrup or chocolate sauce. 

I think the problem was we were expecting quality food since it was not only Disney but Disney by Harrods. Of course, I can't speak for the mains but the desserts were distinctly mediocre. Whether they think they can get away with okay food because people come for the experience or it was a bad day, I don't think the experience was really good enough.  It's a real shame.  

All in all, it seemed like it was all style and no substance; beautifully presented but really lacking in taste.

Have you ever visited the Disney Café?  Did you enjoy it more than I did?  

A weekend away | Whitstable

As I said in my last post, we went to Kent for a weekend as part of my birthday adventure!  Kent is such a lovely part of the country and one that I had never really explored before, so I was really excited to spend the weekend there.  I also love to go to the seaside, I find it such a happy place so when we heard that Whitstable was meant to be a typical, beautiful coastal town, we jumped at the chance!

What was lovely about Whitstable was that it wasn't gaudy at all - full of lots of boutiques and individual stores where you could browse or shop for lots of goodies.  I wasn't particularly in a shopping mood but we did go into an amazing cupcake shop and, of course, bought a couple to sample!

The seafront was full of character too.  Whitstable is famous for its oysters so it's very much still a working seafront; the harbour was full of boats and the restaurants scattered along the promenade were surrounded by old oyster shells which would be put back onto the seabed to help with the oyster farming.

There was also a lovely little craft market selling homemade and unique goods and food stalls; as well as the usual fish and chips and seafood stalls.  I am not a huge fan of seafood so I stayed away from the oysters... They just don't sound appetising to me at all!  

The fact that the sun was shining topped off a lovely few hours spend in Whitstable.  There is something so relaxing about strolling along the promenade eating a cone of freshly fried chips, I love it even more when you're wrapped up in a big coat!  

Do you enjoy going to the seaside?  Have you ever been to Whitstable?

London Food | The Breakfast Club

Brunch really is all the rage right now, isn't it?  And to be honest, what's not  to love?  For me, brunch is up there with afternoon tea; you can freely combine all the best parts of breakfast and lunch!  Before our trip to London, we researched some of the best brunch places to eat in London and The Breakfast Club came up (think it was this Buzzfeed list) as somewhere that seemed reasonably priced, walkable distance from our hotel in Tower Bridge and utterly delicious.  

I am happy to confirm that The Breakfast Club served probably the tastiest pancakes I have ever had, and in my books, that's high praise indeed as I'm going through a bit of a pancake craze at the moment.  Better than M&S, better than iHop!  

So, anyway, we managed to get to the Spitalfields' TBC at around 8.45am on a Saturday morning and managed to beat all the queues.  We were shown to our table inside the restaurant, which is hidden away down a side street, and we sat down just in front of the bar.  I loved the feel of TBC, it's quirky and 80s without feeling like it's trying too hard.  I adored the mismatched memorabilia on the walls, from the neon sign to the Commodore 64 box and all the hand written messages pasted onto the walls. 

The brunch menu is pretty extensive and delicious; I had a hard time choosing between the Posh Sausage Sandwich and the pancakes.  They also had your typical English fry-up, eggs galore, porridge, granola, French toast.  There is so much choice!  In the end, I choose pancakes with vanilla cream and fresh berries and Dena ordered pancakes with sausage, bacon, eggs and maple syrup.  We also ordered a pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice to wash it all down.  

When our breakfast/brunch arrived, we were not disappointed.  Dena's bacon was perfectly crispy, the sausages were high quality, seasoned, real meat, the maple syrup deliciously sweet. My pancakes were soft and fluffy, the berries fresh and sweet and the vanilla cream was perfect.  Words do not TBC pancakes justice.  My mouth is salivating just thinking about them.  The orange juice was fresh and slightly sharp, a perfect wake-you-up.  

The portions were pretty big too and I only just managed to finish my pancakes, and they saw me through 'til about 3pm later that day.  A good brunch well done.  When we were getting ready to leave, we noticed the massive queue waiting for a table, it was queued way down the street so I think we made a good call getting there earlier.  

I definitely, definitely want to go back to The Breakfast Club again, to eat pancakes.  Can you tell I liked the pancakes?

Where's your favourite place to have brunch?