Jay and his girlfriend Bekkie outside Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Hey Jay! Thank you for joining me today. I'm sure we should be in for a very fun and enlightening discussion today. Why don't we start from the very beginning? What is the very first Disney memory you can remember?
Hi Michael! Thank you for asking me to be a part of your blog! Love the work you are doing so it's a pleasure to be a part of it! To answer your first question, the first Disney memory I can remember would probably be the night time firework display in the Magic Kingdom in Florida, aged 7! I remember being amazed by the show and that memory has stuck with me to this day.
That is a nice memory. The firework displays at the Disney parks in Florida certainly are very memorable to say the least! Let's move onto the subject of Disney films. What is your favourite animated Disney film?
My favourite animated film is Peter Pan. That's been the same since I was tiny and I don't think it will ever change! I love everything about the film and the message it portrays, probably because I'm a big kid and will never ever grow up! (*laughs*)
I know what you mean! How about your favourite live action Disney film?
As for my favourite live action film, I would have to say Pirates of the Caribbean. The series are all fantastic and they are the type of films that I could watch over and over again. I also love how the Disney parks have captured the films in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, one of my favourite attractions.
Yes there are many references in the ride from the films, although the ride came first of course. Now a slightly different topic, music. What is your favourite Disney song?
This is a tough question because there are so many amazing songs to choose from. My favourite song can also change from day to day depending on what sort of mood I am in. If I had to pick one ultimate favourite, I would probably say Go The Distance from Hercules. I think this is one of the most underrated songs but it has always been one of the best songs for me. This is however closely followed by Gaston, I Just Can't Wait To Be King, Be A Man, and pretty much of the soundtrack to Tarzan!
Some very nice choices there, also nice to see you haven't gone for some of the more commercial songs. Anyway. Let's move onto the main topic of conversation, Disneyland Paris! When was the first time you visited Disneyland Paris, and can you remember a lot about it?
I am fairly new to the Disneyland Paris scene, having visited for the first time in 2015. I visited in January with my girlfriend for my 21st birthday. Obviously I remember everything about it being only last year. I loved everything about it and that has fuelled our love for Disneyland Paris. We visited again in 2016 and plan to go next year too. We absolutely love our time at Disneyland Paris and it is always the highlight of our year. Always lots of new memories to be made.
That's very true. Disneyland Paris is the ultimate place to make memories! So you have been to Disneyland Paris twice then?
Currently, I have visited Disneyland Paris twice, although I am currently in the middle of preparing my third visit. I am extremely looking forward to my visit in 2017 having seen and heard all of the renovations that are taking place to prepare the park for it's anniversary. The new projects are very exciting and I look forward to seeing all of the changes they have made to the parks when I next visit.
Yes next year should be a very exciting year for Disneyland Paris. I will also be visiting next year for my honeymoon! Now there are many things I love about Disneyland Paris but what do you love most about Disneyland Paris?
It sounds very cliche, but you can't beat the magic of first walking into the Disneyland Park. Walking down Main Street USA, taking in all the sights and seeing all of the magic unfold in front of your eyes is priceless! No matter what the weather, the Disney castle never fails to take my breath away and this sums up the magic you feel when visiting the Disneyland Park. I think every Disney fan would agree that there are too many amazing elements of Disney to write about, but Disney magic just about sums up the feeling you get during every second of your time spent in Disneyland Paris!
I know what you mean. You can't beat a bit of Disney magic! Both the Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios are amazing in their own ways but which park do you prefer?
Personally, I prefer the Disneyland Park purely because it is currently a lot bigger than the studios and I much prefer the theming at the Disneyland Park. Although Walt Disney Studios has a lot to offer, the different areas could definitely use more theming in order to make you feel more immersed in each section you enter. Undoubtedly, both parks are brilliant, however for me, the Disneyland Park definitely makes my Disney experience complete.
I definitely agree with you about the theming at Walt Disney Studios. As you prefer the Disneyland Park, which would you say is your favourite land there?
Good question! My favourite land in the Disneyland Park would probably have to be Frontierland. It's my favourite land because it is home to Big Thunder Mountain, in the middle of a lake! This is one of the best rides in the park and so to feature it in the middle of a lake just makes the whole experience that much better. I definitely think that this area could use some development, however this could be said about every area of the park. Still, this area is very immersive and features some of my favourites rides and restaurants in the park.
Frontierland is a very popular choice, especially with it's immersive Wild West theme. As there are so many fantastic rides on offer in the Disneyland Park, do you have a favourite?
Without a doubt, my favourite ride in the Disneyland Park would have to be Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. My girlfriend and I always have a competition as to who can get the high the highest score on this ride, I always win! It is such a good laugh and we probably ride it the most out of any ride in the park. We always try to outdo our previous score and look for the hidden targets that Disney place around the attraction.
You two are so similar to me and my fiancee! We always try to outdo each other on Buzz Lightyear, safe to say I always win! Anyway, let's turn our attention to the food on offer at the Disneyland Park. Do you have a favourite place to dine in the Disneyland Park?
Unfortunately, only having visited Disneyland Paris twice, I have only been able to dine at Plaza Gardens in the Disneyland Park. I loved this restaurant, offering an excellent choice of food with friendly staff and a relaxing ambience. It is also an incredible place to watch the Disney Dreams show at the end of the night because you can dine whilst watching the fireworks go off around you. Hopefully, with more Disney trips in the works, I will be able to experience more restaurants in the park in the future.
You definitely want to on your next trip mate. There are lots of lovely dining options in the Disneyland Park although I would probably say that Plaza Gardens is the best one there, so you made a good choice going there! How about we discuss a bit more about Walt Disney Studios? Do you have a favourite land in Walt Disney Studios?
I would have to say my favourite land in the studios would be the Ratatouille area. This is a relatively new area and I believe it captures the movie brilliantly! The fact that the ride is amazing also makes this area stand out for me. The studios could definitely use a lot more theming, but I think they are definitely moving towards this with areas like Ratatouille and Toy Story Playland.
Yes I agree, with the new areas I think the future for Walt Disney Studios looks pretty bright! Would you be able to choose a favourite ride in Walt Disney Studios?
This is such a tough question because there are 3 to 4 rides in the studios that are very high in my estimation! Firstly, Crush's Coaster is one of my favourite rides because it's so much fun and is also quite thrilling. The only downside to this ride is the wait times due to the lack of a fastpass option. Nevertheless, it is still one of my favourite rides in the park. You cannot overlook the Tower Of Terror and Rock N' Roller Coaster, both Disney classic that give you big laughs and big thrills. These rides are definitely the first I head to in the park! Finally, Ratatouille is another of my favourites as it captures the movie so well and is one of the more up to date rides across both parks. It would be a very tough decision to pick between those rides!
All very good choices! Again we turn our attention to food. Where do you like to dine when in Walt Disney Studios?
Sadly, I have not been able to dine in any of the areas at Walt Disney Studios, having only visited twice. Ratatouille (Bistro Chez Remy) is definitely on the list of restaurants to do in the future! I have been able to purchase snacks in the park whilst watching shows like Cinemagique and Moteurs…Action! Things like hotdogs, crisps and burgers have never disappointed!
I must say Bistro Chez Remy is on my list of restaurants to try in the future too. It is hard to visit a new one though when you have your favourites from previous visits. Let's discuss a different topic, a favourite for many, shopping! Do you have a favourite shop in either park?
One of my favourite shops has to be in Walt Disney Studios directly on the left when you enter the park. This shop has a variety of Disney merchandise and is often very quiet which gives you a lot of time to look around without all of the hustle and bustle. The studios shop has a lot of movie merchandise on sale which is unique to the parks however also sells the majority of Disney merchandise featured around the park.
That is a very lovely shop, probably the best in Walt Disney Studios in my opinion. Also quite handy as well as it's one of the first things you see when you enter the park. Now we're going to turn our attention to my favourite aspect of Disneyland Paris, Disney Village! Are you a fan of Disney Village? If so, what do you like about it?
Disney Village is definitely one of my favourite places to shop. Every single piece of Disney merchandise imaginable is on offer throughout the village, which makes it the best shopping experience in Disneyland Paris for me. I never fail to leave the village without something new! On top of the array of shops, the restaurants and food stalls also offer some of the best food in Disneyland Paris. My favourite of these restaurants is Billy Bob's because I am a big fan of the food they offer and I love the atmosphere.
I must admit myself and Laura (my fiancee) enjoyed dining at Billy Bob's last year and we'll probably visit there again next year. As you know Jay, just up from Disney Village are the Disneyland Paris hotels, surrounding Lake Disney. Have you stayed in any of these before?
Yes. So far I have stayed at the Hotel Santa Fe and Sequoia Lodge. I enjoyed both hotels, however we did not spend a lot of time in either because we were in the parks pretty much all day! I would definitely like to try the Hotel New York and Newport Bay Club in the future just to see the differences.
All lovely hotels mate. Would you say you have a favourite hotel?
Sequoia Lodge is currently my favourite hotel. I love the atmosphere of this hotel as I think it's very welcoming and homely. The food is excellent and the staff are extremely organised and friendly. On top of this, we enjoyed many nights in the bar enjoying their cocktails! I would definitely say the Sequoia Lodge is more aimed at adults, being themed as a relaxing, warm hotel compared to the more childlike theming at Hotel Santa Fe. I have heard a lot of positive reviews about the Golden Forest rooms in the Sequoia Lodge therefore this is on top of my bucket list for next time we visit.
Although I've stayed at four of the Disneyland Paris hotels, I would agree with you and say that the Sequoia Lodge is also my favourite, especially considering I've stayed there more than any other hotel. Before we end our discussion about Disneyland Paris, are there any changes you would like to see there?
In all honesty, I absolutely love visiting Disneyland Paris with my girlfriend because I believe it is such a unique and magical holiday, hence the numerous visits planned! For this reason, there is not a great deal I believe needs changing. If I had to be picky, I would perhaps say that the studios could do with a redesign in regards to the theming to make the area more sectioned out and immersive. On top of this, I would definitely like to see Discoveryland updated because I believe it is fairly dated and could use some modernisation. As previously mentioned, upon our last visit to Disneyland Paris, a lot of upgrades were being discussed or implemented which makes me very excited to see the changes during my future visits.
Yes there are many things to look forward to in the coming years at Disneyland Paris. Did you mention that you have visited another Disney park other than Disneyland Paris?
Luckily, I have been to Walt Disney World in Florida on 5 separate occasions. There are a lot more parks in Florida which makes it an excellent place to visit. However, I believe it is very difficult to compare these parks to Disneyland Paris because they offer something completely different. They are uniquely fantastic in their own ways, offering the Disney magic we all know and love. This is why I am such a Disney fan overall! I have recently booked my next trip to Florida in 2017 so I am very excited about visiting again!
I'd be excited too mate! Well thank you very much for a great interview Jay, that was really good stuff man! Just before you go, could I get your thoughts on this blog as well as my Facebook group?
It was a pleasure mate. Thank you for giving me the chance to be a part of your blog and for such interesting questions. I am truly interested in all your work and enjoy reading your blogs. I hope they keep coming for a long time and I look forward to seeing what you keep producing. I think the Facebook group is awesome! Nice to be a part of it and to see it grow with your work. Keep up the excellent work pal! It's been a pleasure!
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