EGX September 2017: Overview

September feels like such a long time ago now and to be honest it is as I write this, as I've mentioned previously I decided to take a break from writing my blog last year and now I feel inspired I have decided to write my review for my trip to EGX in Birmingham.

For those who don't know EGX is the UK's biggest gaming convention and its held at the NEC in Birmingham which is a huge events arena in the North. My partner Joel had visited a few years previous and ever since has wanted to go back as he had only been for one day but this time around we decided to stay for two days which was worth it as it gave us more time to trial games and meant we avoided the weekend rush.

The event it's self was absolutely massive spreading over 3 different halls and at one point we weren't sure if we were going to actually see everything we wanted to. I didn't play that many games over the two days because we were there more for Joel but I did play a couple.

Nintendo had a huge section set up show casing some new games but the one I was most excited for was Mario Odyssey which was the first game we actually lined up to play and it was AMAZING so easy to play and so enjoyable.

I have to admit I didn't really make any notes about the event massively as I didn't think I would be writing this post at all so I did some goggling to find out exactly what games we did play or Joel played. As mentioned we played Mario Odyssey and then Far Cry 5, Detroit, Dragon Ball Fighter Z, Sonic Forces, Monster Hunter, Final Fantasy, Star Wars along with some other indie games.

I was also made to play a game of Destiny 2 which I was just terrible at. Joel wanted to play as there was a chance of winning a new console so I kindly waited with him to then be asked by another two people if we wanted to join there team ... oh dear! They were only playing the game because they wanted the free TShirt out of it which makes sense but I felt rather embarrassed because there were people watching us.

I have to admit the whole two days were a lot of fun exploring all the new up coming games, watching competitions and having a look around. I love RPGs although I wasn't 100% sure I was going to enjoy Detroit but Joel made me play and I'm so glad he did as the game was incredible and so easy to control, I can't wait for the game to come out later this year.

There were some great photo opportunities dotted all about the event which were great fun and also gave you the chance to win some cool prizes.

The only thing I had to say I was disappointed about was the merch available this time around, last time Joel went he said there were loads of things I would have loved but this time it was a little flat. He managed to pick up some amazing things but me not so much, but I did come home with some extra cash so I can't complain.

Overall EGX was a great event, I wish the Sims would come to these events especially as they were releasing the Sims 4 Cats and Dogs that year meaning it would have been an amazing time to show case it before the release. Would I go again? Yes I actually would as it gave me the chance to play some games I usually wouldn't.

Beauty And The Beast Afternoon Tea

When my friend asked if I wanted to go to the Beauty and the Beast afternoon tea how could I refuse especially when there was only a few spots left and I knew how hard people were finding it to get spaces but little did I know this wasn't the afternoon tea in London but literally only a 10 minuet drive from my front door at Old Down Manor.

I had been to Old Down Manor previously for a works summer do and the house and the grounds are beautiful and would make the most perfect location for this afternoon tea and saved me money on travelling to London.

It couldn't have been the most perfect afternoon, the weather was perfect and the views across to the seven bridge were beautiful especially sitting in one of the rooms with the big bay windows overlooking.

When we arrived and were invited in to the main room the decorations were beautiful and perfectly themed for the afternoon tee. Not long after we sat down our food was brought out accompanied by a Mrs Potts which was full of tea which was a super cute touch.

The afternoon tea included a range of classic finger sandwiches and scones with jam and cream but that wasn't all they had some super cute theme Beauty and the Beast treats which included a white chocolate and rose dessert, salted caramel chocolate pot, Cogsworth shaped chocolate fudge cake, rose macaroon and a coconut snowball truffle in honour of the classic snow ball fight scene.

Everything that came with the afternoon tea was well presented and tasted amazing, I think my favourite had to be white chocolate and rose dessert there was just something about combination that made it taste beautiful.

After finishing our food we were surprised with a visit from Belle herself, we had seen online she was there select days but had no clue it would be when we were there so that was a great added bonus so we took some photos and later on she even came around and sang for us which was beautiful.

Overall this was an amazing afternoon out and for only £25 per person which was worth the money for the amount you got. I can't compare this to the one in London but in my eyes it was just as good. Over the christmas season they were doing a Frozen themed one so who knows if this year they may come back with some other themed events.

Top Movies of 2017

A little bit later than usual but not forgotten that's for sure as this is one of my favourite posts to write each year. Choosing this years movies was actually very difficult with so many amazing ones gracing our screen, hence why my usual ten has turned in to eleven for this year.

One thing I am going to say is that so many of these movies this year had such incredible soundtracks that I haven't stopped listening to since seeing the movie. In no particular order here we go ...

La La Land
Now I'm not a massive lover of musicals I will tell you that now and which might shock some people I cannot stand Mamma Mia or Hair Spray but there are some I absolutely love and La La Land was one of them. I have to admit I didn't know it was actually a musical I had just seen how many awards it was up for and all the good reviews and decided to go and luckily I loved it otherwise it could have been a long few hours.

From the moment the first song started I just knew it was a film I was going to love. The on screen chemistry from Emma and Ryan was perfect making the movie enjoyable along with the story, settings and soundtrack making me fall in love.

The Greatest Showman
The moment I saw the trailer for this movie I had to go and see it without a doubt the trailer its self looked incredible alone and another movie that from the moment it began I fell in love and instantly knew I needed to see it again.

The casting was spot on throughout and especially with Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron both two beautiful men. The soundtrack to this movie is another incredible one which I haven't stopped listening to since I saw it in the cinema. The movie was so upbeat and incredible done.

Girls Trip
I didn't actually see Girls Trip in the cinema as I had no one to go with and I wasn't sure if it was going to be a lot like bridesmaids but a friend of mine lent me the DVD over Christmas and I have to admit I haven't laughed that much in agessss and I mean proper tears running down my face laughter.

What a brilliant movie with hilarious stupid moments which I could totally see happening on many girls trip and I look forward to seeing it again.

Baby Driver
Another movie with another incredible soundtrack and anyone who has seen this movie will totally agree that the music just fits in so well with each scene. Such an amazing cast as well for the film with the main character called Baby being played by Ansel Elgort who is one of my favourites along with Lily James another actress I adore. The movie is about Baby who is a get away drive who relies on the sound of music to be the best around and that he is!

Beauty and The Beast - Live Action
Ever since the announcement of this movie I had been so excited for it to be released especially when then they went and announced the cast and shown a preview trailer. Even though some people weren't happy with Emma Watson playing Belle I couldn't have been more happier with being a Harry Potter lover as well as Dan Stevens playing the beast.

I actually went to see this movie 3 times in the cinema thats how much I loved the movie, everything about it was perfect the attention to detail and also another amazing soundtrack. My favourite song from the original movie was Be Our Guest and it was done so well I loved it.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle 
First thing I'm going to say is why did they have to kill his pug :( yes I know his girlfriend then goes and gets him the most adorable new little pug but come on whyyyyyy! Anyways now we are past that extremely sad moment the rest of the movie was amazing, I loved that there is another spy organisation in the United States which Channing Tatum was part of and especially how the movie ended meaning there must be a 3rd one coming at some point.

The Lego Batman Movie

With The Lego movie being such a huge success, when this was announced I just knew it was going to be an amazing movie. Yes its meant to be for kids but this movie has so many adult references and funny scenes that makes it great for all ages.

Hidden Figures
I knew from the trailer I had to see this movie with there being such a great cast chosen to re tell this incredible story of the 3 ladies that helped with the space launch.

Guardians of The Galaxy: Vol 2
As soon as the first movie finished at the cinema I just wanted there to be a second film so bad and when he flipped over that tap and it said Vol 2 on the other side we just knew it was coming. It was worth the wait for such an amazing movie and cast which has you laughing throughout even though there are some sad scenes its an incredible movie with another amazing soundtrack!

Spiderman: Homecoming

How many Spiderman movies do we need? Lots apparently but this one is by far the best one yet, I love that we got to meet our new Spiderman during the most recent Captain America movie and since that point on I was very excited for this movie as Tom Holland was such a good choice.

There is something about this movie that just feels different to the rest of them. Its fresh, funny and not like the usual movies that were released before this one. I can't wait for more.

Paddington 2

Who doesn't love Paddington? The first movie was so good and such a cute movie that when they announced the second I was so excited. These movies are just such good feel films and are perfect for any age young or old. I do have to admit I did shed a tear during this movie as it got a little sad in some places and plus he's just so cute. 

There are still so many movies that I loved in 2017 and that didn't make it in to my Top 10 list but this year these are some of my favourites, What movies have you seen this year that you really enjoyed?

I actually think 2018 is going to be my hardest post for movies with Disney having an incredible line up this year so we will have to see with Coco already making it on to the list and the year hasn't even  really began yet.

Disneyland Paris September 2017: Day 4

With it being our final day of our trip we needed to make sure we watched all the castle stage shows and the parade as due to poor planning or bad weather Thursday was the only day that worked well for us. After having another lie in again we headed straight for the studios to ride Crush Coaster and Tower of Terror one more time.

After the long wait for Crush and short wait for TOT we made our way back over to the main park for a few final photos and to grab a spot for the Castle shows as it made sense to do the two that were directly after each other meaning we could save time and keep our spot which was amazing. This was the first time I had chance to try out the continuous shooting mode on my camera during the shows and it took some amazing photos and the shows themselves were amazing each were full of my favourite characters and catch songs.

Time for lunch and we couldn't not have one last Jedi Burger and Yoda Cupcake which I have been craving ever since I was in Disney last February and I still am now wishing I was going this month also.

After lunch we decided to ride Star Tours and Hyper Space Mountain one last time before lining up and waiting an hour or so for the parade to get the best spot ever. Although this didn't go to plan we got on the ride as planned and as it started me and Emma was singing the theme tune as normal before we were slammed to a halt after completing the first loop. After being stuck in the dark for what felt forever we had noticed we had indeed broken down which was actual quite fun in the end seeing the ride in the day light and how they fit so much in to such a small area.

By this time it has started to rain but fear not we still had an hour until the parade was due to start so we grabbed our spot and waited and kid me not during the whole hour it rained on and off 5 times but by the time the parade started it was bright blue skies and the weather was on our side for once.

So my honest opinion about the parade, I avoided all videos and sneak peaks so that I didn't spoil the experience for myself and I have to admit its no Magic On Parade but that's not saying I didn't enjoy it because I did really enjoy the new song after worrying I wouldn't and the new floats were great and colourful but the only thing that disappointed me was that two of the floats were missing and some of the characters that were meant to be on them in they're new outfits were just walking behind in they're normal attire which was a little sad.

So happy with the photos my new Sony Alpha 6000 took during this trip, they're so clear and vibrant. The continuous shooting mode is just incredible for catching the most amazing photos during the shows and parades, can't wait to try this out in Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea.

With the rain starting again and an hour until our reservation at Billy Bobs we made our way for our final ride on Hyper Space and yes we did go it again after it broke down because we just had to with it being one of our favourites. With us being super tired and wet by this point Billy Bobs was just a quick affair but it was still as good as I remembered even though I wasn't really in the mood by this point.

I just wish I had stayed and seen Illuminations one final time before we left but never mind I'll be back Disneyland Paris and hopefully with an annual pass this time so I can do multiple trips with a few people.

Until next time....

Disneyland Paris September 2017: Day 3

Now day 3 of our trip had to be the worst day ever for the weather it rained non stop all day BUT I didn't let it ruin my day as it was my 25th Birthday the main reason we were actually there.

On the way back to the hotel the previous night we had decided we would lie in today because all the wait times were so quiet we managed to get on all the rides and see all the characters during the early magic hours so the aim today was to get to the Studios and wait in line to meet Moana.

We managed to get to the parks at a great time and get ahead of the queue before the doors opened. Moana was actually my first ever face character during all the times I've visited Disneyland Paris and it was AMAZING. When I came back from handing my camera to the CM Moana and Emma both wished me a Happy Birthday before we ended up having a super long chat with her which was really easy and super comfortable as I was worried it would be awkward.

After Moana we headed over to Rock N Rollercoaster to ride this one more time, because this was another favourite of mine and Emma's but right after we got off the rain came in and never left so we headed over to the main park to do all the rides we could which were inside as we didn't really want to get soaked before my Birthday meal with the Princesses.

Of course during this time we rode Star Tours again and got a different story along with Hyper Space, Buzz Laser Blast and the Pinocchio and Snow White story rides. By the time it was lunch we were a little damp but took shelter just outside Auberge De Cendrillon and combed our hair before heading inside. We were both hoping for Rapunzel and Belle but neither of these were in todays lunch sitting but we managed to meet Snow White, Ariel, Cinderella, Aurora and the two mice.

Even though the two we wanted to meet weren't there we had an amazing time and great interactions with the characters. Especially Ariel who we chatted to for ages and she even used our forks to brush her hair which was classic. I think because we ended up at the last sitting of the day we got to spend more time interacting with them and even had extra photos and danced.

The food here was ok, the best bit had to be the fillet of beef and yes I had beef again no shame as it was just as amazing as Chez Remy. I wasn't really there for the food to be honest it was more for the character dinning experience. I also had a birthday cake brought out to me which was brilliant but there was far to much dessert going on so I only had a little bit, if it wasn't raining I would have taken it back to the hotel.

Still raining though once we had left we ended up just taking a stroll around the park trying to make up our mind on what to do when we stumbled across a 5 minuet wait for Big Thunder Mountain which NEVER happens, we thought the wait time would be at least 45 minuets as its all undercover. Riding BTM in the rain was amazing and such a laugh but when we got off we were DRENCHED to the bone. Still laughing and still wet we opted for one more ride on Space Mountain before heading to Starbucks and getting an early night.

I had the most amazing day in Disneyland for my Birthday even if it did end up raining the whole day but it was still a lot of fun and got to meet 5 princesses in one day. By this point we still hadn't seen any of the castle shows or the parades so that was our final goal for the trip!

Disneyland Paris September 2017: Day 2

After not getting to sleep until about 01:00am on the Tuesday morning when our alarm went off it was hard to drag ourselves out of bed but we did it and made our way down to breakfast as we were lucky to have 2 out of 4 days in the hotel due to half of the restaurant being refurbished.

After breakfast we made our way down to the gates to wait for the park to be open and headed straight in at 08:00am ready to meet all the characters who were out during the early magic hours. We managed to meet Chip N Dale being first in line followed by Minnie, Goofy and Donald all in an hour and 20 minuets which surprised me as usually these take a while to do.

I was annoyed that Mickey wasn't out meeting with Minnie in his anniversary outfit and for some reason the whole week Pluto wasn't out with Goofy so not sure what was happening there. The meet and greets were perfect and I was so happy to see my boys again although I fell in love with Donald this trip the character interaction was something else and was so much fun.

After our few ours hours of meeting characters we made our way to the courtyard to take some photos of the castle and all the anniversary decorations before making our way round to grab a fast pass for Peter Pan's Flight before bumping in to the Genie over in Adventureland. By this point it was raining but luckily we were hidden under an umbrella when we were waiting, I've never met with him before and it was so much fun another great interaction to add to my list.

With the rain coming down even more by the time we finished I opted to go and buy a poncho to keep me dry as I didn't bring a coat with me which was silly but I'm glad I did as it kept me super dry and my bag as well.

Then we rode Phantom Manor which is a favourite of mine even though its such a simple ride I love the movie so much. After Phantom Manor it was time for our fast pass for Peter Pan which was a great help as waiting outside in the rain for half hour wasn't that appealing. If I'm honest I didn't really see much of a difference in the ride considering it was closed for so long it felt the same.

By this point Big Thunder Mountain was only a 45 minuet wait which turned in to an hour because of course you guessed it, it broke down as per usual. But as always we right near the front and was worth the wait as this ride is just amazing after only riding it for the first time earlier in the year it was a must during this trip.

With having an early evening reservation at Chez Remy we decided to spend the remainder of our day in the Walt Disney Studios finishing off our rides list. Before our reservation we managed to ride Rock N Rollercoaster, Tower or Terror my absolute favourite and Ratatouille which we ended up riding single rider because the wait time was so long and the fast passes were only available during our reservation.

Chez Remy where to begin? Ratatouille is one of my favourite Pixar movies so when they opened this area of the parks and included Remy's restaurant I knew right away that it was somewhere I had to eat and with reservations so hard to get I was over the moon when it was booked. When I entered the restaurant I could have screamed it was everything I wanted it to be I felt like I was in the world of Remy with everything being over sized, the theming and decor was perfect.

The attention to detail down to the napkins was amazing and the food was lovely as well. I opted for a rare steak for my main and it was perfect easily one of the best I've had but to be honest it was expected for the price you pay to dine there. After food we ended up in line for Crush Coaster which took a while to get through and when we left the park was actually closed.

Now it was time for my first viewing of Illuminations which I have to admit I was a little scared to watch with being so in love with Dreams. I made sure that I avoided any spoilers and videos because I wanted to experience it first hand. I wasn't disappointed at all it was beautiful and everything I wanted it to be and nice to have a mix of live action and animation this time around although I enjoyed it I have to admit Dreams will always hold a special place in my hearts.

Another long day over and done with, but not before leaving the park and seeing Mickey Mouse wishing us all goodnight and sweet dreams. Such a lovely touch!