Candyfloss & Dreams

Tag: travel

Returning to Landguard, Park Dean Resorts

Landguard Holiday Park is a Park Dean Resorts caravan park in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight. Its next to a larger holiday park, Lower Hyde, and staying at one or the other enables you to use the facilities of both parks. This is the third time we have stayed with Park Dean Resorts after our trip to Mullion Holiday Park, Cornwall last year.

We first came to Landguard in October 2014 as our first holiday as a family of three and thought it would only be appropriate to have our last holiday as a family of three here now I am pregnant. Shanklin itself is a beautiful town and one I can’t wait to bring my baby boy to in the future.

Getting To Landguard Holiday Park

We arrived by public transport and the Wightlink FastCat Ferry service which was very simple. I believe booking a holiday on the Isle of Wight through park dean resorts can also get you free ferry returns for a car but not for foot passengers. If you are going by train and on foot like us, I would recommend purchasing your tickets straight through to your destination as this then includes FastCat ferry from Portsmouth Harbour. We booked our tickets a month in advance using a family and friends railcard which cost us £108 for a return including our ferry crossing. This was from our home all the way down to Shanklin rail station which is an absolute bargain.

From Shanklin rail station you can cross over the road to the map and then down the stairs on the right. This will bring you in front of Lower Hyde park. To continue on to Landguard holiday park keep walking right and across the zebra crossing outside Lidl. There is a public footpath and bridle way just next to turning to Lidl and you can walk down here to access the holiday parks. It’s approximately twenty minutes walk from the station to Landguard holiday park reception which isn’t far but when the path is not really suitable for wheelchairs or prams. Sometimes there are taxis outside the train station or you can book one. A taxi ride from Shanklin sea front to Landguard is around £5 so I imagine from the train station to Landguard holiday park the taxi fare is around the same price.

Check In at Landguard holiday park

Check in is from 4pm however you can arrive early and start using the facilities. You can leave a mobile number with reception who can give you a call if your caravan is ready early. We arrived around 3.30pm and we were able to collect our caravan keys straight away which was great. There are car parks available to use close to the park entrance and further on in for some of the other holiday homes as well as near the lodges. There is a pitching and touring area too and a separate drive and reception just to the left of the main holiday park entrance.

Check in at Landguard holiday park was straightforward and we were given a pack of information, a map to our caravan and a key. We also arrived in the heatwave of early July 2018 and we were able to hire a fan for a £10 deposit. This was brought over to us around an hour after checking in however we did find keeping the doors and windows open helped cool the caravan down really quickly. The staff at reception are friendly and really helpful.

Our Hazel Caravan at Landguard Holiday Park – new for 2018

We like having a little extra space in a caravan and often paying a bit extra can really make a huge difference. We paid around £250 for our four night break in a Hazel Caravan at Landguard which is brand new for 2018. We were all really impressed with the comfort, stylish and spacious caravan which included all the things you would need for a family break. I’ve written a more in depth post about our caravan and included a video tour in another post.

Food and Drink

As we were only having four nights at Landguard holiday park we decided to not to a big food shop and instead got a few snacks and basic essentials for the caravan. I was trying to look for the menu online but struggled to find it so took a few photos to help others. I like to know the cost of the food on site and the type of food offered. The menu is, of course, likely to change but as of summer 2018 this is the menu on site at Landguard holiday park.

The first night after a long day of travel we went to the Boathouse restaurant on site. Sadly, the meal was really disappointing for the £40 we paid. We ordered a sharing platter as a starter however this ended up coming with our main meals which was fine as we were looking happy to share anyway. However, this resulted in my main meal being missed. The food wasn’t very appetising and really put us off eating there for the rest of the break.

We did, however, try again on the Wednesday night as there was a curry night option. This was a curry and a Cobra beer or soft drink for £10.95. Again, for the quality of the food, it wasn’t perfect but it was better. We both had a beef madras curry and Evie had a chicken mayo wrap for £2.95.

Landguard Holiday Park Entertainment

I love holiday park entertainment and I was so impressed with the availability of entertainment for children and adults. On the first night we walked up to Lower Hyde for the evening and just stayed for the children’s part of the entertainment before walking over to Lidl for some snacks and then heading back to our caravan.

On the second night we headed into Shanklin for dinner and then got a taxi back to Lower Hyde for the evening entertainment only to be told that it had been replaced by the football as England were playing. Now, I don’t really mind that it was changed but I wish we had been told before hand as we probably would have stayed down at the seafront. The park troupers children entertainers were offering to take the kids out to the multi sports court for a game whilst parents watched the foodtball however with Evie being under 8 one of us would have had to go and watch. Evie didn’t want to play so we ended up spending a bit of time in the arcade before heading back down the hill to Landguard holiday park.

We then went to the entertainment lounge to watch the football whilst Evie joined in with the arts and crafts going on and played in the park as we could see her easily from our table. I usually can’t stand football and this is the second time I’ve been Pregnant during a World Cup. Adam isn’t a supporter either (thankfully!!) but we both got caught up in the atmosphere during a really tense game between England and Columbia. I even found myself spontaneously cheering along.

After the match we stayed on to play the Retro Game Show in which we won first prize. However, being pregnant I exchanged my bottle of bubbly for another prize and Evie got a signed certificate from her favourite bunny from the starland krew Sparkle.

For the third night we stayed at Landguard holiday park for evening entertainment where Evie played some games with Pipsqueak the mouse before heading outside to the park again with some friends. We took part in the TOP 5 quiz game and again won first place with 65 points. It was good fun and we walked away with some headphones. We then stayed on for a bit of a sing along before walking back to the caravan and getting to bed.

For our last night we decided to stay put at Landguard holiday park again for the evening. This time the Park Live event was from sleight of hand comedy magician Mark James and he was really great. It was nice to see something a bit different on our last evening and he gave us all a great laugh. I love seeing comedy shows when I’m on holiday, they’re great entertainment and offer something completely different than the usual singing and dancing. It was a great atmosphere in the room with everyone laughing along.

Landguard Holiday Park Facilities

Landguard holiday park is quite small however being able to use the facilities of both parks at no extra cost gives you a lot of choice. We mostly used what was on offer at Landguard because the walk up hill to lower Hyde was a bit much for my seven month pregnant self to handle every night. There is an inside and outside swimming pool, on site shop, laundrette, restaurant, show lounge and two play parks for children. It’s around a 30 minute walk down to the seafront or £5 by taxi where you’ll find plenty of things to do in Shanklin.

One of the Pools at Lower Hyde holiday park that guests at Landguard can use

Overall we have really enjoyed our week away and have come home feeling refreshed. A week away was just what we all needed to recharge and spend some quality time together as a family. Hopefully over the summer holidays we can get out for a few days but this has been a great break away as our last holiday as a family of three.

Here’s a little holiday vlog of our week on the Isle of Wight and staying at Landguard Holiday Park in Shanklin

July 9, 2018
Golden Forest Club – Sequoia Lodge Hotel Review Disneyland Paris

If you are either shortly on holiday to Disneyland Paris or in the stages of planning then this is the place for you. Our stay at Disneyland Paris Sequioa Lodge Hotel was fantastic and I’d love to share more in this review. Staying in a Golden Forest Club Room really made a difference to our stay. It saves money and the room was gorgeous. It is a comfortable room and it perfect for a family of three.

Upgrading to a Club Room

Should you, if you can, upgrade to a club room in the Disneyland Paris hotels? My opinion, absolutely! Especially if it’s your first time and you’re not quite sure what to do or where to go. If you are trying to do Disney on a budget – the snacks and drinks can help save you a fortune. They are filling, and the drinks are available pretty much all day. We have just returned home from our four nights, five days stay in Disneyland Paris.

The upgraded hotel room, park tickets for both the Disneyland Park and Studios Park and breakfast each morning was £732 for two adults and one child aged five. For a holiday, I was happy to pay this price as we were able to book with a deposit through Thomas Cook and pay in our own time making it affordable over a few months. We didn’t ask to upgrade, that was the room available and we thought it was a great deal.

The Golden Forest Lounge in Sequioa Lodge Hotel

Benefits of Golden Forest Club Room

*Private Check In/Check Out – with chocolate coins
*Private Golden Forest Lounge
*Nespresso Machine in Room
*Complimentary hot and soft drinks from 12noon-10.30pm every night of your stay – however you can not make use on day of departure as check out is 11am
*Complimentary tea time treats from 4pm-5.30pm which includes savoury and sweet options. We enjoyed cakes, mini wraps, biscuits, sweets, canapes and fruit. We stocked up on this which saves money in the restaurants.
*Hot Food & Continental Buffet Breakfast
*Rooms are in the main building with fully working lifts
*Can get a Lake View room – we did, and we could see the fireworks every night from our room

The view from our lakeside room. You can just see the top of the Disneyland Paris castle in the distance and Hotel New York in the far right.

Checking In

I loved the cute toiletries we got from replenished in our room each day

You will find a clearly labeled Golden Forest Check In desk which saves you joining the main queue. Here you will get your park tickets and hotel fast passes. There was no programme or park guide/map which would be a really handy and helpful addition. At this point, we could hand in our bags of which we were asked, ‘Is this it?’ thanks to savvy packing and they were stored for us to save carrying them around. We went back around 3pm to collect our room keys and our luggage was brought to our room free of charge and no need to tip.

The Room

The room in itself was not much different from others except we had a mini fridge and Nespresso machine. Two double beds made it comfortable for the three of us and the rooms are a good size. Television has some English channels including Disney Channel which is handy in the morning or if you want an early night. There is always a film on at 7pm, which was great on our first night after all the travelling and a bad night sleep the day before. You will also find a shower over bath, iron and ironing board, safe, kettle and complimentary toiletries. Everything is cleaned and replenished daily. The room has plenty of storage in the sink area and the main room. Having a fridge is handy for keeping our drinks cool throughout the day.

These are the types of snacks available for free in the Golden Forest Lounge

The Lounge

The lounge is a lovely perk and nice to sit in when you want to relax. It gets busy when the snacks are available however you can go in and collect drinks throughout the day to take back to your room. You can then take these into the parks or have a drink in the lounge. Afternoon snacks include sweets, cakes, brownies, marshmallows, mini sandwiches, fish and cheese canapes and mini wraps. It’s replenished throughout the two hours and again is self-service. Having free drinks saved us so much money and we had a few left over in our fridge which was very handy to take back when travelling home on the last day.

Disneyland Sequioa Lodge hotel

Breakfast

The Breakfast in the Golden Forest Lounge is really tasty

Breakfast is delicious. The hot options include bacon, eggs, pancakes and veal sausages. There were plenty of hams, cheeses, cereals, toast, croissants… a huge selection constantly refilled and kept nice and hot. We also had fresh and dry fruit available as well as yoghurts. Drinks included coffee, chocolate milk, orange juice, apple juice, still and sparkling water. Breakfast in the Golden Forest lounge is 7am until 10.30am which is plenty of time before or after the extra magic hours and there’s no need to book a half hour slot, hardly any queues and very tasty.

Overall we had an amazing time and having a club room saved us so much money in drinks and snacks. We didn’t have to eat out as many times as we thought thanks to the snacks we just weren’t as hungry! It really made our hotel amazing and actually made our Disney holiday fairly relaxed!

The hot chocolate was absolutely delicious – a must have to try.

FAQ’s about Sequoia Lodge and The Golden Forest Upgrade

Should I upgrade to a Golden Forest Room?

Yes, it made our holiday so much more enjoyable. As long as it’s affordable for you it’s an excellent upgrade and can really make a huge change to the type of holiday you have. Especially when it’s colder outside.

When are snacks served for the Golden Forest rooms?

Snacks are like afternoon tea and served between four and six. They include mini cakes, sandwiches, sweets and savoury bites. Having access to these meant we didn’t feel the need to have a big meal every night.

When are drinks available in the Sequoia Lodge Golden Forest lounge?

Drinks are available from 12pm-11pm. Soft drinks are cans and can be taken away to the park or into your room. Tea, Coffee and Hot Chocolate can also be taken away. The tea is not very nice.

Does Sequoia Lodge have a swimming pool?

Yes it does, its a medium sized pool with water slide and jacuzzi. There is also a sauna. Only guests at the hotel are allowed to use the swimming pool.

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January 7, 2018
Disneyland Paris – Travel Diary – Day 2 and 3

Day 2 – Saturday – A very wet and windy morning at Disneyland Paris

If you’re following on from my Day One travel diary then thank you for coming back. Day two and three fell over the weekend for us and the official start of half term for us Brits which meant on the Saturday it as absolutely heaving. If you can visit midweek then I think you’ll be able to enjoy so much more. It was also incredibly wet on the Saturday raining all day which I think caused my daughter to be quite sick that evening with a raging temperature. I would strongly advise taking painkillers, calpol, nurofen or any other medication that you may need just in case someone gets sick. It can get very busy and hectic in the park and it’s noticibly colder. There’s also nowhere on site you can buy any form of liquid painkiller for children and the nearest chemist is Val d’Europe which is around 5 minutes on the train and closed on a Sunday.

In an emergency the hotel can call a fireman over to address the situation and call paramedics if necessary or there are a few small medical centres on site which, in an emergency, will give out painkillers. We didn’t use any of these services so I can’t comment on them, however, I’ve heard that there is no charge, but my word is not gospel!

Day 2 – Disneyland Park, Extra Magic Hours & Parade

We didn’t really have a plan for getting around the park as it was our first time there but next time I think we’ll attempt a few more things and plan a little better so we see some of the shows. On the second day it rained a lot and my daughters shoes were soaked through by 9am so off we searched for wellies. We found a gorgeous pair of Minni Mouse Wellies in Disney Clothing Store on Main Street for €25.99 – expensive but necessary. I think a lot of children either already had these wellies or bought them there too because we saw these red boots everywhere we went.

The extra magic hours are great for those staying in a Disney hotel as it means you can get into the park from 8am and meet a few characters. On the first day we saw Chip and Dale who were great. They loved my homemade autograph book and made a big fuss as well as gave us some really cheeky photo’s. My daughter found them really funny! We were also able to get on to the carousel and have a good wonder around. We attempted to ride Rataouille and queued for around 30 minutes whilst waiting for the ride to be fixed only to have our fast passes returned to us and asked to come back later. It’s a fantastic ride, very innovative but very, very technical and because of this it does break down quite a lot. Still if you use a fast pass you get it again which is great as it means you can go back later and still not wait ages in the queue. This includes fast passes from the machines and the hotels.

Entrance to Ratatouille in Walt Disney Studios Park

After that we headed over to Annettes Diner for lunch which was brilliant. Food was tasty and some of the waiters were on roller skates which made it look like a really fun place to work. I admire their talent, I can’t even ride a bike let alone roller skate carrying food and seating people! Really worth a trip though and for three of us it only cost around €60 which included drinks and a three course meal for my daughter.

After heading back to the hotel we went for a swim in the Sequoia Lodge Swimming pool which was heated but felt very cool. There is a slide in the pool which my daughter loved and went on with Adam a couple of times. The pool also has a jacuzzi and steam rooms which really helped warm me up and I had the steam room all to myself. It’s probably key to note here that men don’t have to wear speedos at Disney! They can wear regular swimming shorts in the Disney hotel pools. However if staying off site and there’s a pool like Explorers hotel, you’ll need your speedos! We warmed up with some hot chocolates, tea time treats and then headed back to the park for the parade at 5.30pm.

Mickey Mouse in the Parade on Main Street

Day 3 – Disney Princess Day

Meeting Ariel at ADC Restuarant

You may have already seen my post about the Dancing Disney Princesses and the video to go with it! Take a look if you haven’t. It’s one of our biggest highlights. Before heading off for lunch my daughter had her face painted which was just under €15 next to our chosen Cinderella’s Restaurant where we had a table booked. We booked with our holiday which cost £145 for the three of us and included two drinks each, three courses and a bread basket. During lunch we met Cinderella & Prince Charming, Ariel and Snow White at Auberge de Cenderillon which was a very rich but very tasty french cuisine restaurant. The Princess interaction with my daughter was just amazing and they all gave my daughter a huge hug and lots of waves. She had a great time seeing them all. Why not take a look at our full Disney Princess lunch experience?

We then headed over to Princess Pavillion and queued for around 30 minutes to meet Sleeping Beauty and she was completely perfect. She spent so much time with my daughter and loved the book we made. We didn’t feel rushed at all which made it a very memorable experience for us.

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February 19, 2016
A Taste of Bruges, Belgium – November 2015

A stunning view from the Canal Boat, you can just see the Belfry in the distance, Bruges

You may have recently read that I went on a fantastic mini-cruise with my partner of three years to celebrate our time together. During our two nights and one day in port onboard the Oceana P&O Cruise Ship we spent some of our time in the city of Bruges. Bruges is located in West Flanders, Belgium and is a beautiful city close to the seaport of Zeebruges which I believe translates into Sea Bruges. Prior to embarking, we hadn’t booked any trips or excursions and had just planned to free flow for the time we were docked in port. However, my partner decided that if we could get a last minute trip we should or we would end up coming back far too early and not really seeing any of the city. So after an early breakfast we headed to the Shore Excursions desk located on Deck 5 in the main Atrium and asked if there was any availability and ended up with the last two places on the A Taste of Bruges trip at £46 each. Excursions are notoriously expensive but I really think this was worth the money as it meant the Euro’s we had could be spent on shopping and souvenirs rather than getting a train into Bruges and waiting for shuttle buses. There were a great choice of trips including ones to Flanders Fields which would have been lovely as it was Remembrance Sunday, a trip to Ghent and also a scenic village and chocolate factory tour. All of these have made us think about booking a long weekend away in Belgium to see a bit more about what it has to offer – basically sample more chocolate and more beer!

Multi Archeticture Square in Bruges

A Taste of Bruges offers you a two-hour walking tour, a 30-minute canal boat tour and around one hour of free time. If you feel this isn’t enough and you just want to do things your own way, other excursions were basically coach transfers to and from Bruges or you could make use of the free shuttle bus which was every 20 minutes or so to the railway station where trains to Bruges were every hour and took around ten minutes. Because we got an excursion I am not sure how much the train fare would be and I feel one train every hour is not very frequent. Plus having to find your way from the rail station to the city centre might have been difficult. However, there may have been the option to rent a bicycle to ride around the city which is a very popular method of transportation. In the centre of Bruges you also have the option of having a horse and carriage ride around the city which looked beautiful. Carriages were big enough for families and would have made my daughter very happy. Bruges is mostly cobblestones so easy for little feet to slip – I did a few times – or get caught in the cracks. Pushchairs and wheelchair users might have found this difficult too, with uneven roads and pathways as well as lots of bridges with little steps.

There is quite a few references to Greek Mythology throughout Bruges, this is Pegasus

Getting into Bruges did not take long at all by coach, only around 20 minutes in fact and we had a helpful guide onboard pointing out various points of interest on the way into the city whose name I can’t remember but the coach driver was Theo and I remember that because above his seat was a ‘Theosaurous’ picture of a coloured in dinosaur which made me smile. As we walked onto the coach we were given a small box of Belgium chocolates which was a very nice thought as well as a receiver to use when on the walking tour to hear all the information clearly and a map of Bruges to use as a guide too as we were walking along. I couldn’t even begin to remember everything we were told on both the walking and canal boat tours but Bruges is a very old city with a lot of history and we were handed a lot of information that day so I would definitely recommend having a guided tour around this city if you would like to find out more information. I remember seeing a sign for the canal boat tours with the price of 8 Euros for an Adult and 4 Euros for a Child which I thought was quite reasonable for 30 minutes with a guide who was quite funny as well as informative.

The most breathtaking thing about Bruges is the stunning architecture. There are many views, sightseeing spots and a huge variety of

Some Bruges Architecture

different styles from gothic to post-modernism and you can find all these types of buildings in one square which was just so interesting to look at. There is also a church going under renovation at the moment which houses a famous statue by Michelangelo and is one of the three statues that were ever sold by him out of Italy. Another point of interest is the Church of the Holy Blood which is found in the main square with a variety of administration buildings and the old halls of justice with the most beautiful gold plated statues. We also headed over to the Markt Square which is where the Belfry is located, another beautiful piece of architecture and we arrived just as the clock struck eleven so we were able to hear all of the four tunes it plays as well as the bell chimes. The walking tour was great and the guide was full of useful, helpful and interesting information about the city.

Our first stop on the walking tour was to view the Begijnhof across the canal. It is a small community of houses that have been a home to women since 1245. The Beguines were unmarried or widowed women that wanted to live a simple life without attaching themselves to a covenant. They took two of the three vows a nun would take except the vow of poverty which meant that they still held onto their wealth and if they wanted to leave the community they were free to do so. In the 1900’s it became a Benedictine Covenant. Other posts and reviews of this little place inform that it’s a lovely place to visit in the spring when Daffodils are in bloom.

Walking through the smaller streets of shops was lovely and as it’s approaching Christmas there were some really beautiful window displays. One thing Belgium is famous for is handmade lace which women used to make to earn a living. Many shops sell lace but it’s important to find the right one if you’re looking for authentic hand-made lace – usually it comes with a higher price tag but is much better quality and with many beautiful, intricate designs. We stopped by to purchase some lace keyrings and a decoration for our Christmas tree this year as I always like to get something a little different each year. There are many small, narrow walkways through the city of Bruges and, one in particular, was an entrance into what used to be the local bathhouses which has a cheeky little picture of some of the women that used to ‘assist’ the men when there.

The walking tour took us around all the major landmarks in the city and it has definitely made me wish to go back there to actually go inside the churches and Belfry and see more of that fantastic architecture. The canal boat tour was really enjoyable too because we got to see a bit more of the city and a few other statues and landmarks that would be difficult to see by walking or that you might not notice. One thing we did see on the canal boat tour was a very cute, sleepy golden labrador who was in the film In Bruges and just so is Bruges most famous citizen. It was lovely to see him and snap up a quick picture. After our dash around the canals we had an hour to shop. We found an artisan chocolate shop for gifts and looked in a few of the Christmas shops before sitting down with a beer in the Half Moon Brewery. Two half pints of blonde Belgium beer at this Brewery was just under 7 Euros and it was lovely to just sit down and enjoy the surroundings for a few moments. My partner then went in for three other bottles of the beer to bring home and enjoy

Enjoying a beer!

and is hoping to be able to get some for Christmas too.

Everyone was really polite and the city was very clean. One thing to take into consideration when visiting, something I didn’t even think about, is you will need small change in Euros to be able to use the toilets, at least a few 50 cents or so and there we were carrying notes! Luckily we found a public loo that didn’t require payment, but then the coach station did and the prices range all over the city. We weren’t warned of any crime except to be aware of pickpockets, but this is something I am sure you would be vigilant about in any city at home or abroad. We found the shops were all reasonably priced and spent all of our 60 Euros which was more than enough for a drink, some gifts and something for ourselves too. I particularly enjoyed our little selection box of chocolates!

Bruges really is a beautiful city and I really haven’t done it justice for what is there to see. A good few hours is needed to walk around the city and that’s exactly what we had. I thought the price of the excursion was on the pricey side, however, it was worth it for all the information that was provided to us and the fact that we had two guided tours in one session was brilliant – although a lot of information and dates to take in!

Bruges Most Famous Citizen

November 11, 2015