Are we there yet? Family travel and the DisneyLife app

This is going to be a post about two of my favourite things – travel and Disney. In particular, the DisneyLife app. (A new branch of the ‘favourite things’ tree.)

If you’ve read even a handful of my blog posts before, you’ll know that Belle and I are pretty much permanently on mini-breaks, holed up in some caravan somewhere, and in case you were in any doubt at all about the Disney element, here’s what hangs, pride of place, on the wall at home. I’m not sure whether Bee was more excited in Disneyland Paris, meeting Stitch, or at Camp Bestival, where she met Seth Lakeman. It’s a tough call.

The DisneyLife app

We are all very excited though about being part of the team of bloggers working with Disney to help people discover the DisneyLife app. And honestly, when I say I am excited, I really mean it. Not like when I say ‘I’m excited to be working with this new brand of high fibre cracker!’ (Although you know, it’s always nice to have work). This is proper ‘I might get to work with Disney! I can’t wait to hear from Disney!’ type excitement. Ask my fiancé, he’ll tell you how annoying I’ve been in the run up to this project going live.

My plan is to show you that Disney isn’t just for small children. The DisneyLife app has soundtracks, books, apps, TV shows for young children, as well as for teens, classic films for nostalgia lovers and more, so there really is something for all the family. Belle was particularly excited to see that you can listen to albums from teen Disney favourites like Demi Lovato and Selina Gomez.

(And don’t tell, but Enchanted and Sweet Home Alabama are two of my very favourite films ever.)

Bee and Belle may be 21 and 13 now, (and I’m *cough cough* 23 of course), but really, are you ever too old to enjoy Disney? This is basically still our favourite family song:

 (Life IS dee bubbles you know.)

And don’t even get me started on Toy Story 3. Jeez. I saw that film in the cinema three times and I cried every single time. Every time. I’m such a soppy. But come on, you’d have to have a heart of absolute stone to not shed a tear at that furnace scene.

*wells up a bit*

The realities of family travel

Today though, we’re talking travel. The summer holidays are coming up after all, and so as parents, we have to brace ourselves for the relentless ‘are we there yet’ from the back of the car. If you’re anything like us, this will sound familiar:

11am: Everyone finally in the car after about two hours of packing, then repacking when you realise everything doesn’t fit.

11.05am: Get out again when Belle realises she hasn’t remembered to pack her essential contour make-up brushes.

11.07am: Check everyone has been to the toilet.

11.17am: Stop at services that are only two miles away for Belle to have a wee.

11.19am: ‘Are we there yet?’ from the back seat. ‘No, we’re not. Look at something interesting out of the window.’

And so it goes on…

Actually, that’s not fair at all. Belle is brilliant when it comes to travelling now she’s older and doesn’t need ‘Agadoo’ sung on repeat to stop her crying, and it’s normally me needing to stop for a wee, what with my pelvic floor as it is. We’ve been on all sorts of long journeys and road trips together, and we always have fun.

Beating boredom on long journeys

‘In-car entertainment’ has come a long way since I was a child. For me and my sister, it used to involve kneeling up on the back seat of our beige Mini and waving at the drivers behind. Sometimes we’d make a den with the duvets and pillows, legs up on the seat, facing each other. Sometimes I’d be sick out of the tiny Mini window. (We had to make our own fun before the internet.)

Nowadays it’s much more hi-tech. Belle prefers to download films and podcasts to listen to on her iPad, or, if I’m very ‘lucky’, she will host ‘Radio Roy’, (this is why it’s called this). For Radio Roy, she plays her favourite songs on the phone and insists that I call in using fake accents to take part in quizzes. Belle is going to absolutely love having the DisneyLife app over the summer. She’ll be able to download all her favourite programmes to watch in the car and during those quiet moments away when I insist on doing something dull like a crossword. Likewise, I am going to love not having to put on so many accents. Plus I don’t mind requests if they are from a Disney soundtrack .

Kids and packing

The only issue I do have travel wise with Belle is packing. I tend to think that at 13 years old, she is capable of packing herself a bag for a couple of nights away. Sometimes I am wrong. Sometimes we get to our destination and I discover that she has packed pants, a first aid kit, torch, ball of string and make-up brushes, but not really any actual clothes. 

She gets carried away I think in the excitement of the travel accessories. Still, she never forgets her iPad, so I don’t think we ever need worry about the DisneyLife app getting left behind. In fact, it will come in extra handy if she is stuck in a caravan all weekend due to lack of trousers.

And of course, you can’t pack without a decent bag…

If you like the idea of a feast of Disney fun at your fingertips, do have a look at the DisneyLife app. I’ll have lots more Disney inspired content over the next few months too – hoorah! – so watch this space.

I am a DisneyLife Brand Ambassador and this post was created in partnership with DisneyLife who have provided me with a free 12 month DisneyLife membership.