The Ultimate list of LEGOLAND Tips!

Welcome back to our solo parent road trip across the UK, where I took four of my five children for some summer fun. Last week I told you about an unbelievable deal I got with Stena Line, if you haven’t seen it catch up HERE. We were staying at the Holiday Inn Express in Slough and had a hire car so we were only a 10 minute drive from Legoland Windsor. If you’re coming here just for Legoland tips you’ve hit the jackpot!

Disney at Christmas ~ Watch the Magic Happen Live!

You might remember we told you about The Art of Saying Yes when it comes to travel when Corrina shared THIS incredible Disney bargain a couple of weeks ago. Well the elves on the shelves of the Stone household have spent the past fortnight building up to the big reveal ~ those cheesy grins above are the exact moment our mini travel reporters discovered they'd be flying out to Disney Land Paris!

We've shown you how to make your Disney dreams come true without breaking the bank in THIS POST, staying true to Corrina's Prada Travel on a Primark Purse tag line, but should you want to see the magical Parisian goings on as they happen from the comfort of your own couch then simply take a peek at her Snapchat over at @StoneTravel where she'll be updating daily.

Not gonna lie. I'm GREEN with the jealousy!

Have you been to Disney at this time of the year before? Any hints or tips you'd like to share? 

Just Say YES - The Art of Bagging a Good Travel Deal When You See One!

As most of you know we have 5 small children, it's been a dream of mine to bring them to Disneyland Paris before Christmas for a long time but it always seems to be so expensive. We have been to Disney a few years ago & seen the Christmas lights but we went after Christmas. READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE as I’ve a few hints & tips to help save you a few Euro ~ this is to date one of our most popular Travel posts. As much as we adored our stay, I think it’d be that little bit more magical in the run up to Christmas; that's why when I wrangled this deal I knew we had to just say YES!

I priced it directly with Disney on the Irish website & it was €1,116.28 for hotel & park tickets 3 nights / 4 days. I jumped over to the French site (just change the website address from .ie to .fr) to see what deals they had & I got a price of €597, nearly HALF the price. Once on the French site, if you are on a laptop or PC right mouse click, then click “Translate to English”. 

The reason I got it for this price as the deal currently on the French site is under 12’s go free and an extra night free. They usually have different deals on different countries websites; it’s just a matter of checking them all out before you book. You can't book online with the French site you must call the French reservations line 00331 60306053 and request the French deal. If you use the Irish number you get through to the USA, where they can only book deals from the Irish, UK & US sites.

We will be staying in Davy Crockett's Ranch so we have to have a car because it's not located on the Disney campus but 10 minutes down the Motorway with no shuttle bus. I was looking around for the best deals on 7 seater cars & got a quote with Thrifty car rental for €290 for 4 days. When I was on the phone booking Disney they offered to search for a competitive deal for me, low and behold they got me a car with Hertz for €276.

I booked Ryanair flights from Dublin to Beauvais for €405 but with 2 bags, taxes & charges it brought it up to €465. We don't need to rent car seats or buggies as you can check in two items of baby equipment free with all children not just babies with Ryanair. We usually drive to the airport then take out the children’s car seats, wrap them in a blanket to protect them & put in a thick black bag. I tape them shut with wide sellotape and attach a luggage tag that I write on half an a4 page. Just remember to throw the bags & tape into your bag to bring with you so you can do the same for the return journey.

So all in all 7 if us for 3 nights / 4 days in Disney with park tickets, hire car, flights, bags, taxes, charges it cost me €1,338.

How could I NOT say YES to that?!

I didn't opt into any meal plan as there’s a huge supermarket between Davy Crockett's and Disney so we'll pick up breakfast & lunch there. Oh and free parking in Disney is also included. Now I just have to come up with a way of telling them closer to the time; I might let their Elf on the Shelf, Jingles McSprinkles tell them!

This year there are lots of events in Disneyland Paris that’ll be sure to get you in the festive mood such as Disney Christmas Parade, Disney Dreams of Christmas with Frozen characters, Mickey’s Magical Christmas Lights, Frozen sing along show & a Royal Welcome, Christmas Wishes with the Disney princes & princesses and a Very Merry Meet & Greet with Santa & Disney Characters. We’ll try our best to do them all in December. I’ll be tweeting from @stonetravel4, uploading to my Facebook page Stone Travel & even snapchatting what we get up to @stonetravel.

Have you ever just said YES to a great travel deal?

Care to share your story, hints or tips?

Disneyland Paris - Making Dreams Come True - A Budget Trip That Feels Anything But

Today we're going to discover the magic of Disneyland Paris. High on the wishlist of most little 'uns and some big 'uns too, we're dispelling the myth that it always costs a fortune to make Disney dreams come true. 

(Little known fact: Our eldest Bro (BattleDad) was part of the first ever Euro Disney crew all the way back in 1992. We weren't at all jealous that he got to test out the parks before everyone else. NOT AT ALL) 

Cinderella’s Castle

My mantra for travelling anywhere is 'book it yourself' as most times you do save a quite a few Euro that would be better off in your pocket than a travel agent's. By all means check the prices with them too, just so you know where the better deal is but when it comes to real savings: BIY!

Flights: Case in point, Disneyland Paris, there are a couple of airports you can fly into & having used both I can, hand on heart, say that Charles de Gaulle is the only one you should use, so that means an Aer Lingus flight...pppsssttt they have a sale on at the moment! We usually pay about €100pp return

The only argument is, who gets the window seat?!

How to get to Disneyland: Easy really, get the train from the airport! There are two options here, you can get the TGV, a more expensive, faster train (about 10 minutes) that will bring you direct to Marne-La-Vallee Chessy (Disney) prices start at €36 per adult, €9 4-11yrs, under 4 free on your knee return but these prices can go to over €70pp return, depending on the time of the train you get. Further info on these prices can be found HERE.

It's slightly cheaper to take the ordinary train RER B (blue line) to Chatelet Les Halles (Paris) and then transfer to RER A (red line), there is usually no major pain in transferring as the RER A is on the same level just on the next track over. Travel time is about an hour. All train tickets can be bought at the train station/automated machines in the airport.

You could also get a taxi which costs about €50/€60 & travel time of about 45 minutes but we'd rather save that money for shenanigans. 

Monsters Inc. Disney

Where to stay & how to book: 

Having stayed in both of the two key rated hotels in the park (Hotel Santa Fe & Hotel Cheyenne) I wouldn't bother going with their higher rated counterparts, save your money for treats. 

Both of the themed hotels we stayed in were perfect, large clean rooms & a free regular shuttle bus from the front of the hotel to the main park gates. Otherwise it’s about a 15-20 minute stroll. We always book through www.disneylandparis.ie and usually pay around €460 for 2 adults & 3 children for 2 nights B&B & 3 days in the parks. 

Keep an eye out as Disney has regular offers such as under 12s stay & play free, free meals or extra nights free.

Themed Hotels at Disney

Oldsmobile Disney

During check-in at your hotel you will be given cards with your time slot for breakfast each morning, whatever you do don’t miss that slot or you’ll miss breakfast. Meals can be ridiculously expensive (it was over €70 for a family lunch in an average fast food restaurant) do like everybody else does & stock up on those bread rolls with ham & cheese at breakfast. 

If you're clever, you’ll bring a lunch box with you for your bag, make them at the breakfast table & pop them in your bag for lunch in the park. You can get mayonnaise sachets at the food stalls in the park for putting on your rolls. Who wants to spend precious family time queuing in mile long queues for overpriced fast food anyway?  

 Reception at the Tower of Terror! (One of the adults favourites BY FAR)

When to go: We usually go the first week in January as it’s so much cheaper, the Christmas decorations are up until 6^th Jan & there are far fewer queues. It does tend to be cold so bring your woolies and wrap up well but there's something unmistakably magical about the place while it's still Christmas time. 

You'll find prices increase slowly as January goes on with huge price hikes from February onward. 

Snug as bugs!

There are tons of rides & amusements to keep the family entertained all day long. When you check into your hotel you’ll get a map of the parks and it’s best to try to make some sort of plan as to what you want to see & do during your short stay. Throughout the day, the Disney characters make appearances in the parks & hotels for meet & greets with children, these times & places will be put on notice boards in your hotel.  

The magic really happens at night when the parade comes down Main Street. It’s really wonderful to see & your children will remember it for years. Just get there early to get a good vantage point. There is also a great light show at Cinderella’s Castle so don’t miss that!

Cinderella’s Fairytale Castle

Hints & Tips: 

• The shops are very expensive in Disney so we had a scout around over here before we went & brought toys & Disney costumes with us to give the little ones while there. The only things we really bought in the shops were the themed lolly pops! For our flight I bought Mickey Mouse party bags in Mr Price & filled them with mini colouring books, crayons, lollies & a small toy to keep them amused. 

• Bring an extra battery for your camera, likewise an extra memory card as you’ll soon run out! They have a camera shop on Main Street in the Park but it’s crazy money. You can buy these very cheaply from ebay or amazon before you go.

• Just outside the main entrance there is a shop in the train station where you can buy drinks to take into the park.

• Aim to get to the park at about 9:30 each morning otherwise there are huge queues. Not as ridiculous as later in the year but you'll still be in for a lengthy wait unless you start early. Fastpass is available for some of the bigger rides, I'd highly recommend you use it!

• If you're a big coffee drinker you might consider taking a flask with you & fill it up at breakfast as a coffee is €4+ in the park. Restaurants can get very busy, even in off season so if you see that your little one is starting to get hungry head for food as the last thing you want is a hangry child (or parent)!

• Bring their favourite Disney dress up costumes with them to wear. They'll feel even more part of the magic around them. We like to bring Disney jammies too (you'll always find character favourites in Penney's) so at bath and bedtime there's no fuss about getting changed. 

It's true that a Disney trip can cost a small (or even a large) fortune, especially when you're bringing more than one child, but it needn't. We've found with these little tweaks that the children still have the trip of their dreams and we don't come home to a credit card bill of our nightmares. 

Tell us, have you been to Disneyland Paris, any hints or tips of your own? 

Global Smurfs Day 2013 - Smurf Log of an Irish Ambassador: Day Two!

Welcome back for Smurf Log Day Two! It was an early start on Global Smurfs Day with the alarm going off at 5.30am! The breakfast room was almost empty when I arrived so I can only imagine there was a blue uprising from 4am onward. 

Once brekkie had been scarfed it was time to get BLUE!

We're Blue dah dah dee dah dah dah!!

From every nook and cranny Smurfs emerged and I began to feel slightly less silly and really got into the swing of things. 

We assembled outside to meet the press (LOTS OF PRESS) and meet Peyo's daughter, granddaughter and the movies producer to be awarded with a certificate for representing each of our countries. 

Being 170 smurfs strong we were divided into teams - The Irish contingent were Team Vanity (How Apt?!)

When everyone had gotten their assigned teams it was onto 4 coaches and toward the train station with us, the atmosphere was fantastic!

Papa Smurf, Smurfette and several other assorted Smurfs were at the station to wave us off on the specially commissioned high speed (1.5 hours) train to Paris. 

As you can see from the photos, we did our own re-inaction of that famous Samuel L Jackson movie - Smurfs on a Train. 

As soon as we arrived at Gare du Nord it was on to three open top buses and a bajillion circles around Parisian streets en route to the Eiffel Tower reception. 

During this Griswald-esque journey I learned two things 1. Blue face paint is not waterproof and 2. No matter how crappy your French day is going, it's impossible not to laugh and wave at a bus load of Smurfs. Good times. 

After being treated to an overwhelming reception at the Eiffel Tower, including (what felt like) 67 Flash Mob routines, we were off marching up the Trocadero for a further 67 thousand photos and puzzled looks. We were in it together. 

All back onto the buses after roughly 2 hours and it was off to Notre Dame to bewilder several thousand more Parisians and tourists. 

It has to be mentioned that there were some serious, I mean SERIOUS fans of the Smurfs on our trip. They collected every shred of Smurf related paraphernalia as we went, including train dust covers, peoples' lunch boxes and BAGS of sweeties and drinks - basically everything that was blue & wasn't nailed down. It. Were. Lunacy! 

I've never been happier to see a hotel in my entire life!!

Once every single photo op had been taken, we headed off back to our hotel (this was 13 hours after we'd set out) and thought it a rather cruel joke that we had to circle the Arc de Triomphe FIVE TIMES before setting down. (Look, kids, it's Big Ben!)

The hotel was fabulous though, the nicest bath I've ever had and as soon as I finished filming the last of the sizzle reels for Sony we were treated to a blue extravaganza for eats! Anything we wanted was provided including all the blue cocktails you could stomach but having had a relentless day of Smurfing about I was pooped and headed to bed early (In Paris, I KNOW!!)

All in all I can safely say the Ambassador experience was nothing like I've ever endured  enjoyed before. Sony were right on the ball at every turn and I can only imagine the final footage will knock our socks off. 

In truth I would have preferred to bring a companion along, just as every other country did (some brought entire families) just to share the trials, tribulations and craic that was crammed into our two days of mania. A little heads up about the €100 tab on each of my hotel rooms while there would have been nice too (Extortionate Toblerone, we could have been great together!)

I did however spend Sunday on the Champs Elysee and several hours in Sephora, which kinda made up for it a little. I'll totally be showing you my stash from there very soon!

Global Smurfs Day though? Would I do it again? 

Abso-Smurfin-Lutely!

Can you spot the Irish flag? 

Global Smurfs Day 2013 - Smurf Log of an Irish Ambassador: Day One!

Well I'm back, still slightly tinged with blue but I'm in one piece. For those of you that didn't know, I was chosen by Sony as the Irish Ambassador for Global Smurfs Day in Brussels and Paris this weekend and boy did they pack a lot in. 

I managed to take a bajillion photos as I had little or no coverage on the ground, it was like I had lost a blue limb! Wanna see some of 'em? 

Day One was an early start with a 6am flight to Brussels. I was travelling with Alison from Presence PR and Michelle from the Daily Mail. After a passport debacle and a check in catastrophe we were away and landed in great time.

We were some of the first to arrive because of the crack of dawn flight but it slowly dawned on me as coach loads of guests arrived from all over the world that this truly was a global endeavor. There were ambassadors from 40 countries, most arriving with friends and family (le sigh) and by the time we'd all checked in our Smurf army was 170 people strong!

Once I'd checked into my room (Alllll byyy myyysellllf) I found some pretty excellent Smurfy bits awaiting me, including the brand new Sony Xperia Z smartphone (my iphone's since been retired) , a Sony Cyber Shot camera (a pressie for the Sis as she missed out on the trip) and everything a smurf could possibly need to navigate this global holiday across two cities. 

I spent about an hour filming snippets with the Sony crew to show the background of the first day in Brussels, which I'll link when live but then I was free as a bird to explore the city a little, visit some serious chocolatiers and despite being left on my ownio for the day I was joined by the girls that night for one or two sociables. 

It's safe to say that the Belgian chocolates are only matched by the Belgian beer. Leffe (mmm clovey!), Trappistes Rochefort (15% proof & Buckfasty) and Delerium Tremens (famous Belgian strong pale ale) were all sampled - well, I was the Irish Ambassador and they were gooood! 

We were in bed by sensible o'clock to ready ourselves for a 5.30am start and the madness that was to be Global Smurfs Day! 

Tune in tomorrow for a seriously bumper post on exactly what goes on behind the scenes for a smurfy trip like this, oui? 


Did you see any coverage of the day? Or were you involved in the celebrations here? I'd love to know.