Happy Holidays with Mickey - a Dream Factory Trip! - Our First Trip to Disneyworld! [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

scrappin

11-03-2007, 10:19 AM

I am still in gathering mode - no real planning as yet. We are a family of four. I have two kids ages 11 and 7. We are so excited for this opportunity to go to disneyworld. I never got to go growing up except once as a "nanny" in 8th grade. I know it will truly be magical for my children as well as us parents ;)

Yesterday, I got the coleman kids fanny packs I ordered for my children. Since one of them is diabetic, we have to carry extra snacks, juice boxes, etc. not too much other items like autograph books. These have a place for a small water bottle - about half the size of normal one. I think they will work great. I plan to wrap them up (in Mickey paper of course) for some pre-trip gifts straight from Mickey Mouse.

I am on the lookout now for some nice pens. I have already got the autograph books. Because we are going on a "wish" trip, we are staying at Give Kids the World. I wanted to be sure I had the autograph books ahead of time because 1) they have their own characters and 2) characters from Disney as well as Nickolodean visit the property - I want to be ready and not miss a moment!!! Those will be wrapped up special from Mickey Mouse as well.

Last night we sorted through all the penny's in my son's coin jar - we were able to find 40 pennies that were minted before 1982. I still have about $5 in quarters to get but we should be ready to go with the "penny smooshing" :goodvibes Now I just have to go get those M&M tubes!

I hope to have some time this weekend to pour over all the notes, good advice, trip reports, etc. to at least come up with a shopping list of things I need to find.

Any idea how much memory I should be bring along for my digital camera? I usually fill 2 gig when I go to summer camp for a week with my daughter so I figure I need a minimum of 4 gig in storage if not more - any advice from camera savy people would be helpful. :confused3

We will have a washer/dryer in our villa so I am not too worried about not bringing enough of one type of clothes (shorts, jeans, sweatshirts, tshirts). I don't want to do laundry every night but it's nice to know I can wash something if needed. That should help with the packing.

Well - I am off to another busy day - work full-time so only have weekends to get everything done. Kids need to get busy - I told them I want a list of 4-5 things at each park that they absolutely do not want to miss. - Hopefully this will help me with our "tour guide"

Hubby hasn't really got into the excitement - he is not the planning - he just likes to go and enjoy - I worry fret plan, replan, worry fret, plan, replan until he says - enough!!! ha ha

Oh well - like I said - gotta go!

Montana Disney Fan

11-03-2007, 10:36 AM

I bring two gigs but download to my computer that night so it's more than enough.

First trip to WDW? You'll absolutely love it!

Advice:

Do a ton of research and have all your ADR's lined up before you get there. Make the "rope-drop" each morning if you can. Get as much done early each day and don't be afraid to leave the parks and go swimming or nap in the afternoon.

Enjoy the Disney evenings as they work hard at making them special.

Spend some time at Downtown Disney and the Boardwalk if time allows.

Have fun!! :banana:

scrappin

11-05-2007, 02:13 PM

I bring two gigs but download to my computer that night so it's more than enough.
:

I don't have a laptop to bring - I plan to call the hotel to see if they have a computer I can use to upload the pics to our website - otherwise I think I will need to purchase a lot more memory to bring with me!!!

Since we are a wish family, we plan to eat breakfast and dinner at GKTW. I have not made any ADRs and so I am feeling pressure to figure that out asap! This whole trip has been such a rush!! But I know we can do it.

I have a good packing list started and will start puting together a preparation list as well. Again, this is a wish trip so we won't have air reservations for another 10 days according to the foundation. I am such a planner that this is really teaching me patience.

When we told our kids about DW, I made each of them a calendar and put disney stickers and actually downloaded the disney font so that I could print out 60 days, 45 days, 30 days, etc. Those days are counting down so quickly now!

Must go for now. Will try to get some actual planning done so I can add to this report! Thanks for the tips!

Phibbles

11-05-2007, 02:33 PM

MDF gives great advice.

If your kids like video games, you have to do DisneyQuest. They have many unique, interactive video games that kids (and I) can't get enough of. If my wife would let me, I would spend 1/2 day there. It is an experience hard to find anywhere else. I have looked...

Montana Disney Fan

11-05-2007, 02:47 PM

I think there's only a couple Disney hotels with a business center where you can use a computer (for a fee). Can't remember which ones though.

its jus tme

11-07-2007, 07:08 PM

what is the rope drop?? What are the quaters and pennies for?? Im planning a trip Dec 30- Jan 6th and have read a LOT of PTR but am lost by a lost with everyone's abbreviations.

redoschi

11-07-2007, 07:26 PM

what is the rope drop?? What are the quaters and pennies for?? Im planning a trip Dec 30- Jan 6th and have read a LOT of PTR but am lost by a lost with everyone's abbreviations.

Rope drop is referring to the opening time of the park when they allow the first guests to enter the park on that day.

Quarters and pennies are for pressed pennies machines that can be found throughout WDW and other places of the world.

Have a nice trip!

Montana Disney Fan

11-07-2007, 07:28 PM

Man-Tip #1: Never miss a "rope drop" if you can help it.

its jus tme

11-07-2007, 08:27 PM

its jus tme

11-07-2007, 08:29 PM

what are "must do's" for a 5 yo boy and 7 yo girl?? and what can i not leave home without??

its jus tme

11-07-2007, 08:31 PM

And what is the meaning behind the pin trading? Can you tell this is my first Disney expeirence... hee hee
And Im staying off site , so no "rope dropping" for me

its jus tme

11-07-2007, 08:34 PM

Do the pennies have to be monted prior to a certain date?? As mentioned in this thread?? And what are the M & M tubes for and where do i get them?? So much advice to take in... I dont want to miss a beat

redoschi

11-08-2007, 04:01 AM

And what is the meaning behind the pin trading? Can you tell this is my first Disney expeirence... hee hee
And Im staying off site , so no "rope dropping" for me

why not? get up early and you can be there for the opening ceremony.

You just won't be able to be at the rope drop on Morning Extra Magic Hours days, so check the park hours schedule here at DIS and you can be sure of the time each park opens for you. And as you're staying off-site I recommend that you plan your trip as to avoid each park when they're having Extra Magic Hours because as lots of Disney resort guests take advantage of that, it can make that park(s) more crowded on that day. On the park hours schedule you can clearly see which parks won't be having Magic hours to make a nice plan for you!

Also, people advise to use things like medicine or M&M tubes for pennies and quarters as each pressed penny costs 2 quarters and of course the penny to be pressed, so making a tube with layers of 2 quarters and then 1 penny, then 2 quarters then 1 penny, shall help you when you want to make a pressed penny!

Also take a look around for many tips for your children, but be sure not to miss any of the night shows, they ARE worth it: Wishes, Spectromagic (both at Magic Kingdom), Illuminations (at Epcot) and Fantasmic! (at MGM Studios)

Have a nice trip! :smickey:

its jus tme

11-08-2007, 08:38 PM

Thanks sooooooooooooooooo much for all your help. You are the only one to really respond to all my dumb questions... What are must have not to leave home without.... Something that you could not go without. I have bought autograpb books for each of my kids, i will get pennies and quarters for the press thing, what otehr silly things are there?? Who trades the pins at the park? Do character witht he kids or what??

Phibbles

11-09-2007, 07:22 AM

I hate waiting online for characters, so instead we do a lot of character meals. It's like killing two birds with one stone.

My favorites:
Garden Grill with Chip/Dale
Crystal Palace with Pooh/Friends
Chef Mickey with duh, Mickey/Friends

scrappin

11-12-2007, 12:38 PM

I am not too crafty when it comes to Paint. I loved the tie dyed shirts - I found this spray paint at Michaels that can be used to tie dye and I used a cut out of a Mickey as a stencil. I used red/green paint since we will be there at Christmas time. They turned out OK but I might try again since I have more paint - the kids really liked them.

I have all the papers printed out of times, most crowded parks, etc. but have not sat down and figured out a plan yet.

The wish organization does not make flight reservations until one month out - therefore, I am waiting for that information so that I can plan accordingly.

I saved the journal sheets from the mouse for less for kids journals and plan to put together a journal for each kid to do - I figure if they don't write that much during our trip, it will keep them busy if needed on the trip back.

Our trip is December 18-24 and I am a little concerned about traveling on December 24 but when someone offers to grant your child's wish, I figure you just be grateful and go with the flow. :cloud9: I have said it before but we just feel so blessed to have this opportunity!

At our hotel GKTW, they have special events at night - we definetly want to be there for the Christmas evening - any other wish trippers out there with any thoughts on must see nights? I want to coordinate those nights with what parks we go to.

I can't believe we getting close to the month mark - it is so exciting!!!!!

Well- have to go for now - will try to write some more pre-trip info soon

scrappin

11-12-2007, 08:42 PM

Regarding my first attempts to make mickey shirts - the colors could be more vivid - I didn't quite get the hang of how to scrunch it up the first two times - I might try it again - I used Simply Spray. They have fabric spray and they have a stencil spray. My homemade stencil ran a little and I had to touch up around the mickey's. I should have used spray adhesive like they said.

I guess I don't have permission to post pictures yet....:confused3

scrappin

11-13-2007, 11:02 AM

Do the kids use pennies for something other than the presses?? I swore iread a reason to pack quarters, but memory didnt keep it all in as to the reason.......... too may late nights reading the PTR -lol

Just thought I would be a little more specific to your questions. We are on a tight budget - we were not expecting this trip. It is a wish trip for my son. We don't have a lot of spending money saved up like we normally would but I want my kids to have some "fun" things to remember their trip by. One thing that was mentioned on another thread was the penny pressing. One tube of M&M's will hold 1 roll of quarters and 20 pennies (I haven't actually tried this yet). It costs 50 cents to press a penny. The pennies need to be dated before 1982 because they have a different kind of metal that doesn't smear as easily. I plan to give each of my kids a tube with quarters/pennies - once it's gone - it's gone but I think they will have fun being in charge and determing when/where to use their pennies.

Disney also has a pressed penny book (around $6-7) that you can purchase to keep your pennies in. I plan to bring a empty film container as well to put the pressed pennies in until we get back to the hotel that night.

The other things I am doing for the kids are:

My sister is going to purchase some pins at the disney store to get them into pin trading - if you don't know about this - search on this forum - there are CM's who have certain color of landyards that only trade with kids. I don't know that we will do a lot of this - but wanted them to have a few just in case.

Also on the website http://www.mouseforless.com/downloads/kidsdownloads.shtml They have downloads that you can printout for journals for the kids. I am a bigtime scrapbooker and I plan to put together a book for each kid when we return. I want them to write down some of their thoughts so I can use it in their scrapbooks later.

The only other thing I have planned is the autograph book for both kids.

If anyone else has some tips of little things I can do special for the kids, just let me know.

Friends of ours came over yesterday and gave us a bunch of disney shirts their kids have outgrown, it was so sweet!

My sister's family went to Disney at Christmas several years ago and brought back santa hats with ears for my kids. My ds got a winnie the pooh one but has outgrown it - so that is on our list of things to purchase when we get there - he is not sure what type of hat he wants - my dd has a minnie mouse santa hat!

Hope those explanations help - Have a great time on our trip!

its jus tme

11-13-2007, 09:48 PM

What is your son's wish??

scrappin

11-14-2007, 07:15 AM

My ds was granted a wish from one of the wish organizations that grants wishes to children with chronic and ongoing diseases. His wish was to ride on an airplane (this will be a first) and go to Disney World and meet Mickey Mouse! The wish organization is paying for our trip! This has just been a whirlwind since we found out his wish was going to be granted! :woohoo: It is just incredible! :love:

We found out in October so we have had about two months to process the whole thing! Trying to keep the trip simple but see what the kids want to see! We are very blessed to have this opportunity and this Christmas will truly be magical! :santa:

scrappin

11-17-2007, 10:49 PM

:cool1: Woohoo!!! Tomorrow - Sunday - we will be officially 30 days out from our big trip - with Thanksgiving coming up and several other holiday events....I just know time is going to fly by.

I still need to knuckle down and get some planning done. I have purchased the disney dollars from the disney store and they are working well to get my kids motivated to clean, make beds, etc. Do you think 30 days is enough time to break in some good habits?

I went to the dollar store to see if they had anything Mickey I could pick up - and they had Mickey Christmas Coloring/Activity books! I snatched those up very quickly. We still do not know our flights - if I haven't heard from our trip coordinator after Thanksgiving, I will call to see if I can get that information. I am just so excited.

I have determined that I am definitely paying for the passport photo cd. I think that will add some extra pics to our trip. I also purchased two 2gig cards for my camera - this will give me 6 gigs total to take pictures. I am going to figure out my average amount held on each card - divide it by each day so I know how many pictures I should take so I don't run out of space. I think it will be plenty.

The kids are busy making a list of the things they want to see/do and don't forget eat - :laughing: in each park. They can't wait to have a Mickey Bar. I am letting each family member pick out 4 things at each park they feel they must do - then we will plan from there. I have spent so much time surfing :surfweb: that I need to now start getting a plan together.

OT - does anyone have their Christmas decorations up yet? Our town always has a huge holiday lights celebration on thanksgiving - I cannot wait :woohoo: It will really feel like we are ready for Christmas.

Hope to have that plan really soon!!!!! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving time with the family. :hug:

Winnielover

11-19-2007, 05:23 PM

scrappin- just found your pre-trip report. How exciting that you and your family get to go to disney world for your DS's wish trip!!!

Our family just returned from my DD's wish trip yesterday evening and it was just absolutely magical. I will be working on my Trip Report through out the week, so hopefully my TR will provide you and your family with some useful information about GKTW, Disney Parks and Universal, plus much more!!! We would also be willing to answer any questions your family may have. You can trust our information is totally current and we won't lie!!!:)

The Parks were already decorated for christmas when we arrived (well most anyways!) Christmas time sure will be a magical time to go and will be a once in a lifetime experience! We thought all the decorations and large christmas tree's really put us in the holiday spirit.

Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions and you can always stop by our link. ;)

scrappin

11-19-2007, 05:48 PM

Your offer is so sweet - you just get back - still have laundry to get caught up and yet are willing to answer questions or offer advice....There is definitely something special about Disney and wish families! :goodvibes

I just posted on your thread before I saw your post on mine - :rotfl:

We are all just so excited. I am trying to get some of the little things done for the kids but will try to focus on the big things later this weekend. I think my plan of attack is to pick out which parks I want to go do based on the "estimated crowds" and what activities are available at GKTW in the evening. We definitely want to go to the Christmas Party and be around for the character mornings.

Not to get all mushy but I was driving down the road this morning to work and started tearing up just thinking about this trip and how close it is getting - I am just so overwelmed and grateful for this opportunity.

Can't wait to hear more about your trip! Thanks for being willing to share your wonderful moments with all of us! :)

scrappin

11-20-2007, 07:11 AM

http://s235.photobucket.com/albums/ee28/scrappin12/?action=view&current=IMG_0090.jpg

1st attempt to add a photo - this is my attempt to quickly tie dye a shirt using the spray paint I mentioned in my previous posts. If I have time, I am going to try again. I scrunched up the shirt too much and went over the red/green paint to make the color duller. I also didn't use spray adhesive to do my Mickey in the middle for the stencil - I think that would have helped. Overall - it was very quick!

mindyd

11-20-2007, 08:47 AM

Hi,

I just read your trip report and it is so great that yoru son is getting his wish granted. Did you make any dining reservations? The shirts look cute alot better than anything I could do.

scrappin

11-24-2007, 08:12 AM

I received a call from our wish coordinator. We are scheduling a time to meet next week to sign paperwork, receive our information, etc. I am so excited. It is truly becoming a reality. Right now, we have our dates confirmed but still do not know our air travel times, etc. I think once that happens, I can truly go into planning mode.

I have found someone named Amy who does designs on the board. She did a couple of quick things with my families names. She was so wonderful and did it very quickly since we are leaving in December.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and everyone is still sleeping in and resting from the busy days. Therefore, I get a little more "me" time to browse the boards and take in some more tips and tricks to help us on the trip. DH watched the kids on black Friday so I was able to get out there and do some shopping. I think that is what I am stressing over right now - getting Christmas all done before we leave since we come back on December 24. I usually have a few last minute gifts every year but I won't have time for that....I know I know I can always get "disney" gear/things -- I would just like that part done so I don't have to come back from a trip and "stay up wrapping presents" like I ususally do on Christmas Eve. I am a big list checker but I have not done my lists yet!

I will write more once we meet with our coordinator. I just know the next 20 some days will pass by so very quickly. :earsboy: That disney dream is getting so close!

scrappin

11-26-2007, 05:37 PM

Thanksgiving is over and I am ready for December to come - we have two birthdays to celebrate not to mention our trip to Disney and Christmas!!! It's a lot to handle in one month.

I finished the journals using the mouseforless pages and another set of word pages someone posted. I made some changes, added a few pages for seaworld and universal, and we are all set. I also put in some info on GKTW and a character check list. The kids saw me working on them - they are sooooo alert to anything with the mouse on it!!!! I am spending many nights working after they go to bed.

The best news - we meet with our wish coordinator tomorrow night. We should have all our plans confirmed then. I absolutely cannot wait! :woohoo:

I got some of my shopping done on thanksgiving. I still needa few more things of the kids and need to pick up some gift cards and I think I will be ready! I will write more once I have our info.

scrappin

11-28-2007, 06:42 AM

Hi,

I just read your trip report and it is so great that yoru son is getting his wish granted. Did you make any dining reservations? The shirts look cute alot better than anything I could do.

Mindyd

Thanks! I have not made any dining reservations....I need to look into that - any suggestions?

scrappin

11-28-2007, 07:00 AM

We have now reached the 20 day mark! :cool1: Kids are now getting very excited :tiptoe: - Mom is getting very stressed. Dh and dd coach/play bball and have a lot of games scheduled between now and then - throw in a couple of holiday parties and a school program and my plate is getting full.

We met with our wish coordinator last night. We now have our flights - we are flying southwest - so no assigned seats - Makes this very inexperienced traveller nervous about getting seats together!!! On our way back on Christmas Eve - we have one stop at Midway in Chicago - I think we only have 45-55 minutes between to catch the next flight - it's all on the same airline but whew!!! makes me nervous :eek: The last flight I took to Florida was 20 years ago and I have visions of us running throw the Atlanta airport to catch the next flight!!! This was not something a mom and dad with two kids and stuff would want to do!!!

Having said that, our flight times are absolutely wonderful! We are departing early in the morning and get in to Orlando in early afternoon and on the way back we will depart at late afternoon....Gives us lots of extra time to do little things at downtown disney or at Give Kids the World.

We got our check for spending money - which was more than generous along with airport parking passes and even some disney gift certificates :yay: - I think because we are the last ones going this year, they had them left over - they expire in 2007! I have not made one dinner A/R. My husband would like to have one nicer dinner or lunch - any suggestions? It doesn't necessarily have to be a character meal - kids are really that excited about it - would rather spend the time riding! Having said that, we are not a fancy restaraunt kinda of family - just like good food.

I have to get moving on the planning! WOW - 20 days!!!!!!

mindyd

11-28-2007, 07:17 AM

Hi

That is great that you have good flight times and that they give you spend money. As far as ADR's I think you are going to have a really hard time getting any especially with it being around Christmas. I would look at the menus on allearsnet and get a list of possibilites and call ASAP. I am so jealous that you leave in 20 days I still have a very LONG 5 months!

scrappin

11-28-2007, 07:25 AM

Mindyd - I figure it is a long shot to get any ADR's but I thought I would try - you never know! If not, we are OK with that too. Our hotel, Give Kids the World, provides breakfast and dinner so we have another option. We only had a little over 60 days to plan from when we were told about the trip. So, I just kinda took that in stride. :goodvibes

mindyd

11-28-2007, 07:27 AM

I would definately try I planned ours in 3 weeks for our trip in June and I got in Norway princess dinner, liberty tree taver, lecelier and 50's prime time cafe. You never know they might have cancellations or you might be able to go at non peak times. That is great that you can eat 2 meals in your hotel!

malibuconlee

11-28-2007, 07:38 AM

I think this is so great!!

As for ADR's, I would just get your plan of what park you'll be in for each day and call Disney Dining and see what if anything they have available for lunches each day. Also, you could go to a nearby resort (say the Contemporary or the Poly on your MK day).

scrappin

11-28-2007, 09:43 PM

malibuconlee - thanks for the tip - I will try and see what happens. I wrapped up the Mickey gifts (Pal Mickey, fanny paks, autograph books) from Mickey and Minnie and put little notes on them. Kids cannot wait to open them but they are just going to have to! :laughing: I'm such a mean Mom.

I have started acquiring so much little stuff - rain pouches, gum, etc. for the trip that I started a Disney box to keep it in so I don't have run around when it comes time to pack looking for where I stashed it. I have been known to put things somewhere in the house to be safe and then we never find them again!

Gotta get going on my plan and call disney to see if we have any luck!

Phibbles

11-28-2007, 10:33 PM

If I could eat at only 1 restaurant at WDW, it would be.... :confused:

Impossible to choose. Here is my short list though:

at MK - Crystals Palace
at AK - nothing, go to AK Lodge and try Bomas
at MGM - Prime Time
at Ept - Garden Grill or Biergarten

OR to really razzle dazzle, try to get tickets to Hoop Dee Doo or Luau. Both are fabulous meals and dinner shows.

Iluvmickeymouse!

12-03-2007, 12:55 PM

Hi Scrappin!! So glad I have finally had the chance to read through your ptr!!! A little time to Dis is wonderful.....I should be working on my tr, oops!! Christmas is a definite must do at GKTW. Each child receives a bear and then they get to pick out a gift inside the castle also. Meeting the characters in the morning is nice also. In fact we used our pic with Mickey and Minnie for our christmas card this year!! The day we saw the characters, Pluto, Goofy and Belle were there, outside the theater. How old are your kids again? The Pirate and Princess party was fun too. Ours was shortened a little bit because of rain. Mayor Clayton's Birthday party was also fun. They played a lot of dance music, so of course DD4 was out there dancing away!! We did not do the Candyland thing on Sun. or village idol. Oh, we did to Nick nite (tues i think). Blue was there that night. Hope that helped a little!

Where to eat....as far as character meals we have done...
Cinderella's Royal Table.....loved it and it was good food
1900 Park Fare....(Grand Floridian)...loved it...buffet so lots to choose from!
Play-n-Dine...can't remeber if that is the exact name :confused3 it is in MGM and has the Playhouse Disney characters....very good also

I am drawing a blank as to any others we have done. :headache: go to allears.net and check out the listing there. They also have the menus so you can see what you are going to get!

I LOVE WDW at Christmas time. You are going to have so much fun!!! Did you look into doing a photopass share? Go to the budget board and check them out. I was able to save money on ours and just got the cd....love it!!

I think that is it for now!!! Your trip will be here before you know it!!!!!!!!!:cool1:

scrappin

12-03-2007, 06:16 PM

:cheer2: 2 weeks - 14 days!!!!! Can't believe it!

Iluvmickeymouse - thanks so much for your information. I am definitely planning on attending Christmas at GKTW. Not sure about the Pirates and Princess party but I think ds (7) would like it. The rest of it - we will play by ear. We will just into town on the night of the nicklodean night - so if SpongeBob would show up - that would be very exciting to ds. DD is 11 and so she will go with the flow -she is not as excited about the princesses as she would have been a while back.

I have not had time to go through our schedule and get any Dinner Reservations yet. I know I know - you all must think I am crazy but we had some other things to deal with. My dh's job has him gone a lot in the evening so I have can't always get away to plan without interruptions. This past week I caught a sinus infection and am just now feeling back to normal. Now, dh has it.

I have found out more information about the airlines and dh surprised the whole family by purchasing us a laptop for one of our Christmas gifts. We were all so excited. We are always fighting over the one computer - now we can share. Plus I can bring it with me and upload pics to the web - if I have time - to share with family - as well as be able to checkin online for our flights on SW.

The kids opened their autograph books and fanny packs. They were so excited! The fanny packs were a little big - both my kids are super thin (wish I could say the same) and so grandma is going to have to "fix them" even though they were "child" ones. We still have to open Pal Mickey.

I have christmas shopping completed except for my dh side of the family. We usually just get some gift cards so it shouldn't be too hard. I am now in search of stocking stuffers for the kids. I know I will probably find a few things to purchase at Disney but I want to have all that done since we are coming home on Christmas Eve!

I have spent the little time I have searching about the airports and airlines, etc. I think I have collected all the information I need to feel semi confident with all the rules, procedures, etc.

I did decide I needed a new backpack. The one I have now just has two pockets on the front and a drink holder. I decided I would prefer to have one that divides into two or more large pockets as well as the smaller pockets on the front.

I haven't decided what to do about my camera bag. It would be so heavy but it protects my camera so well. I may decide to go without it and just put the extra cards/batteries in the backpack. I will bring a ziplock baggie for my camera for the water rides and I will have a sweatshirt or something similar I could wrap it in for some protection. I just don't want to be weighted down anymore than I have to be. :confused:

I finalized my vacation - I took off the entire day before we leave and then - fortunately for me - my office is closed the week of Christmas :yay: so I will have almost a week after we get back!

I just can't believe it is getting soooo close!!

scrappin

12-06-2007, 08:28 AM

We now have a plan :woohoo: - I finally sat down and worked out the schedule according to the events listed on GKTW Website. I hope they don't change or I will have to redo my plans :headache::

Tues
Arrive Orlando - Stop by GKTW and see if our room is ready - if not, go to Downtown Disney to walk around and get in the Disney Spirit of Things - My Son is a huge lego fan!!!!! Then we plan to come back and eat dinner at GKTW - hopefully one of us will attend orientation and the kids get to do Nickolodean night at GKTW.

Wed
This is Magic Kingdom Day. :banana: This day has Dreams, Spectro and Wishes so it will be a very full day. I plan to make use of the wish lounge for a much needed break during the middle of the day.

Thurs
This is one of the mornings that there are characters at GKTW and they have the Winter Wonderland :santa: (according to the website schedule) that evening. Therefore, it's off to Seaworld for the day and back to GKTW for dinner and activities.

Friday
MGM Day Not sure if we will last all day but there appears to enough here that my kids will want to spend most of the day there. If we wear out, we can always come back to GKTW and rest and maybe attend the pirate: Pirates/Princess Partyprincess: .

Saturday
Animal Kingdom in the AM
EPCOT in the PM
also have Major Clatyon's Birthday at GKTW as an option

Sunday
Universal Studios

Monday
Another character Option at GKTW
We depart that evening so we will probably just hang out at GKTW and do some things there or possibly head to downtown disney again.

So the above is a our schedule - it is very ambitious but is only an outline - we plan to change/modify often depending on how everyone is getting along - last thing we want is for ds to get too tired to enjoy anything. He is 7 and small for his age so if walking gets to be a problem, we will definitely be squeezing him into a stroller.

Now....I know that most of you have had your dinner reservations for months in advance -- We have none. Now that I finally have the schedule, I will figure out the few dinners we might like to eat out and see what happens. If we don't get any, that is OK with me...as I have mentioned before, this is such a wonderful surprise trip with very little notice so we are just happy to be going!!!!:mickeyjum

I cannot believe it is so close. Well, this is my plan, will let you know how the dinners if any work out. Hope to work on some touring plans soon and a packing list.

malibuconlee

12-06-2007, 09:02 AM

Sounds like a good plan!! Don't worry, if you're getting good sit down type meals for breakfast and supper, counter service lunches will be fine. Heck, you might not be hungry for much other than a snack.

Some of my favorites...
MK - Pecos Bill's for their burgers
EPCOT - the Fish & Chips stand in the UK pavillion

scrappin

12-10-2007, 08:38 AM

Thanks for the tips malibuconlee.

It has been very busy around here and has just gotten busier. I had some extensive dental work done :sick: - may need more but am hopeful that I have the tooth pain under control. I am bringing scripts with me just in case.

I still have some Christmas shopping to finish up this weekend and get the final packing list ready - When I have it typed, I will post.

Here in the midwest - it is very cold - 24 degrees and we are gearing up for a major ice storm tonight. At least it is this week and not next week when we leave (hopefully).

I haven't done a lot - not much time - except pick up little odds and ends here or there. We have somewhere to be almost every night this week :sad2: therefore, if we do have to slow down a bit due to some ice, I think that would be OK with me.

As we enter the final single digit countdown - I figure what will be will be and I just need to do the best I can and focus on having a great trip!!!! :santa: There isn't as much under the tree this year as in past years due to all the medical expenses but it will definitely be a Christmas to remember for a very long time - I am so looking forward to spending 7 days with my family without someone (mostly dh) having to rush off somewhere.

Take care!

Montana Disney Fan

12-10-2007, 06:57 PM

8 days left! :thumbsup2 I just got back from a mini-trip and it was 85 every day. :banana:

scrappin

12-13-2007, 02:20 PM

I am freaking out a little - :scared: - I know it will all come together - This week has been challenging - we had an ice storm - not too bad - still have power but couldn't really get around. I think I have had something to do every night. I work during the day so not a lot of time to get things ready!

I am normally much more organized about things but I have been learning to "go with the flow" more lately! Tonight, our wish organization is having a special movie night so ds and I will get to go sit and relax and eat popcorn:: and take a deep breath! It's been a long time since I have sat in a movie theater! :cool1:

I don't know if I will be able to post before we go, but I will try to post while we are there if I have some "quiet time" :santa:

scrappin

12-16-2007, 08:43 PM

We are into serious packing mode - I used the ultimate packing list and adjusted it for each kid - following is a sample:

Pack For Suitcase:

Shirts (6)
Stuffed Animal
Shorts (2)
Pajamas
Jeans (1)
Sweatshirt
Underwear (8)
Bra
Capri (1)
Deodorant
Tennis Shoes (1)
Face Wash
Santa Minnie Hat
Hair Bands/Clips/Bows
Hair Brush
Face Lotion
Sock (7)
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Hair Gel/Mouse
Flash Light
Sharpie Markers
Fanny Pack
Roll Pennies/Quarters for Pressers
Kids ID Cards
Nintento Charger
Rain Poncho
Autograph Book

Pack For Plane Ride in Backpack:

Blanket
Nintendo DS
Book
Notepad
Head Phones
Crayons
IPOD
Earplugs
Pen
Gum
Sunglasses
Kleenex
Hand Sanitizer Wipes
ID Card
Book
Coloring Book
Gloves
Warm Hat
Travel Journal
Chap Stick

Wear that Day on Plane:

Crocs
Jeans
Socks
T-shirt
Sweatshirt

This really helped me - both kids created a "pile" in the living room which I can go through, check off, and "correctly" pack in their suitcase. This seems to make my life a little easier.

Now I just have to recheck and do my and dh suitcases. Thankfully, I am off work tomorrow but I don't know if that will be enough time to get everything done - I think we will be OK but you never know!

I have done all the shopping and picked up all the little things we can't live without. Christmas shopping is completed - just have to take all presents to sis's - we have Christmas at their house every year - along with the family dog.

Well - I better get busy and see what I can still get completed tonight - at least the weather here appears to be cooperating - After ice and then snow, it will be good to get to a little warmer climate!

If get all packed, I will try to get back again before we leave! I am excited, overwhelmed, and just plain stressing!!!!! :scared: :eek: :scared1:

Iluvmickeymouse!

12-17-2007, 08:58 PM

:dance3: Doin' the happy dance for you!!!! Have a GREAT trip!!! Can't wait to read all about it when you get back!!!!! :dance3:

:cool1: :cool1: :banana: :banana: :yay: :yay: :cheer2: :cheer2:

Eeyore's Mom

12-21-2007, 02:01 AM

Hope you are having a fantastic time down there. Can't wait to hear all about it!! We are getting so antsy and anxious for ours. Thank goodness we have Christmas to celebrate and take our minds of the trip a little. Come Dec. 26th I know the kids are going to be bouncing off the walls. Hope it was everything you dreamed it would be!!:banana:

Bill_Lin

12-25-2007, 01:20 PM

Please send me a message when you get back. I hope all is beyond wonderful!

Bill

scrappin

12-26-2007, 12:04 PM

It was such an amazing trip, I don't even know where to begin. We got up early last Tuesday and had a great flight into Orlando. We were greeted by the GKTW Volunteer and the magic started there. When we arrived around 12:00, they didn't have any Villas ready yet so.....we got to go eat at the ice cream place and have sandwiches followed by our first of many Ice cream sundae's. We spent the next hour exploring Give Kids the World. It is such a neat place and there was so much left to do that I still don't think we did it all. The Castle of Miracles is a bit overwhelming when you look up and see all the stars left there by other kids who have visited.

After a hour or so of exploring, we checked and were able to check into our villa - it was so spacious - lots of snacks and special surprizes. We got all settled in and then went to dinner - all meals at good - they go to great links to spoil families! After dinner, the kids still wanted to explore so we played minature golf and walked around amberville. I went to orientation. There we got our packets and were told about some other options available to us if we wanted in addition to signing up for bunny tuck-in's, etc.

If your kids can play, I highly recommend you take time for the minature golf - it is a cute course with some great surprises along the way which my ds still talks about.

Well, that was our first day, got to bed early ready for Magic Kingdom the next day.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas. If anyone is leaving soon for GKTW and has any specific questions, feel free to pm me. I will try to get more posted this week.

mindyd

12-26-2007, 12:13 PM

Hi

Sounds like a great first day It is very nice that they made it special for you guys.

scrappin

12-28-2007, 08:33 AM

Day two we spent the entire day at Magic Kingdom - this was our longest day as it had the most things the kids wanted to do. I picked doing this park first because I knew after several other parks, we would wear out sooner - plus according to sources, it would get more crowded as we got closer to Christmas. It was also a non-MVMCP day so the park was open later.

We didn't arrive until around 10:00 a.m. By the time we got up and had breakfast at GKTW, it was later. I would recommend always going to the breakfast - it is a good hot meal and it held my family much longer than a quick breakfast would have. We usually didn't eat again until late afternoon.

Where to begin, we started off a little unsure of what to do when we entered the lines. Pretty soon we figured out to look for the fast past re-entry lines for most of the rides. The kids loved everything! Magic Kingdom was by far the best park in making you feel special! We used the photo pass people many times to get the pictures of the family in front of the castle and at night. We even got pictures with the kids holding tinkerbell in their hand and pictures of the kids fighting Captain Hook - these items were added later.

Haunted Mansion was a little spooky for our 7 year old - he didn't want to ride it again...but said it would be OK the next time because he knew what to expect.

The people manning the characters were absolutely wonderful. GKTW will tell you that the pass does not get you to the front of the lines for characters but it does. Just show the pass from GKTW to the CM (cast member) manning the character line and they will send you up to the exit to the CM there. We had to be encouraged to do this several times before we just started showing them right off.

The best rides for ds were thunder mountain, splash mountain, and of course, space mountain. He rode space mountain twice in a row at the end of the day - the CM was so sweet and took time to talk to my Son, asked what he liked best, and which track he wanted to ride on. Most CM's were like that.

We saw two parades and were there until it closed - it was a very long day and everyone was extremely tired. If I had to do it again, I would probably have rented the stroller for the second half of the day for my ds. He is seven but little for his age. We took turns giving piggy backs.

I would love to put pictures in my TR, but I don't really know how the rest of you do it. If someone could PM me, I will add some pics.

One tip that really worked well was to get the extra bun with a double cheese burger. All the food at all the parks is pricey (imho) and this helped us save on one meal. My dd and I shared this meal. I think they charged us 40 cents for the bun. DH thought I was crazy when I told him to ask about it. But he came back to the table with the food and was impressed! We did counterservice meals most of the time. They were your typical french fries, burgers, etc. They did have salads too.

We spent a lot of our extra money on ride pictures and I am glad I did - the kids have spent a lot of time since we came back looking through those and remembering. My sis surprised me for christmas with a bunch of disney scrapbooking stuff so I cannot wait to get my pictures developed and get started on it.

Again, we are so thankful to GKTW and Dream Factory - it truly is a magical place and the extra accomodations made it possible for my children to see all of it - we would have had to pick and choose a lot more without it.

My ds is into pirates - try to get a good seat up close for the pirate show outside of the pirates of the caribean ride - it is great - they pick a few kids out for the show but then pick a bunch of kids to be "honorary pirates" at the end - my ds loved it! The actor is so good - he looks just like Johnny Depp.

I wouldn't stress so much as far how you go around the park - just make sure you know the parade routes and do have someone scope out a good spot. I didn't get the hang of this until we made it to MGM! Fortunately, we were lucky to get a spot where the kids could see. It is a nice way to see all the characters.

Eeyore's Mom

12-28-2007, 01:40 PM

You must know I am hanging on your every word! ;) Great tips, the details and advice are helping me a ton. I'm so glad to know they make it easy for "front of the line" treatment. Also glad you mentioned Haunted Mansion was a little scarey. My "wish son", Marek is VERY afraid of many things and I don't want to push him into anything he won't like but do want to encourage him if it's not scarey- so I won't push on this one. Sounds so wonderful! Thanks again for the TR.

scrappin

12-28-2007, 05:48 PM

We got up even later this morning after a long day at Magic Kingdom. Again, we started off the day with a great breakfast at GKTW - they have egg casserole, bacon (sometimes sausage or ham), pancakes, cereal, fresh fruit, yougurt, eggs, biscuts and gravy, doughnuts or sweet rolls, and waffles which became a favorite of dd - she especially liked them with strawberries and whipped cream!

We headed to Seaworld. I love seaworld. Being in the midwest, we do not get to see whales, dolphins, etc. very often. We were able to get food for the dolphins with our button - we didn't ask at the stingray place.

We started the day by feeding the dolphins which was really great - then we petted the sting-rays and attempted to take in a show - it was full so we decided to grab a bite to eat and figure out our strategy. We definitely had to figure out which shows we wanted to see. One thing they had there was the "polar express" ride that ended up in the polar bear, walrus, and belgua whale enclosures. My ds absolutely loved this. It was one of those virtual rides that the seats move to make you feel like you were really riding on the polar express - especially the part where it goes down the hills like a rollercoaster. Our GKTW button enabled us to bypass the line.

We then saw Believe - killer whale show - and that was fun - kids had never seen a killer whale before except on TV. We also took in the dolphin/whale show, and the sealion show before heading back for the nighttime killer whale show.

We ended the day early around 7:00 p.m. or so - headed back to GKTW and got to bed early! It was good to have a slower paced day to offset the big day we had before at Magic Kingdom.

scrappin

12-29-2007, 09:33 AM

The fourth day, we got up - had breakfast at GKTW and I believe this was the day we got our picture taken with Minnie and Mickey Mouse. This was truly special because in the parks you cannot see them together! We also saw Belle - I love how all the characters stay in character - you really start talking to them like they are Belle - she commented on the markers (crayola twistables) and went on and on about how her father is an inventor and he probably invented these. When we say Ariel before at MK, she went on and on about how cool human things were and twisted the markers open and shut several times and just giggled.

Then we headed out for MGM. When we arrived Chip and Dale were there - these are ds absolute favorites - he even bought himself a furry Dale hat and wore it around the entire trip. Chip and Dale were wonderful - they took a lot of time with ds and joked around with him - Chip tried to color his Dale Hat's nose (it's red) so it would be a Chip Hat - Dale put ds hat on his head and walked around - they were great. Then we went to see Stitch - he too took a lot of time with ds and made a big deal about his hat.

We made our way to the Honey I Shrunk the Kids set first - it was not very crowded first thing in the morning and the kids really liked climbing around on it.

At MGM, we also saw Woody and Buzz, Mike and Sully, Power Rangers, Kim Possible, Donald Duck and the Cars (Nator and Lightning McQueen). When we went up to see Donald Duck, we just got in line because there was only 2-3 people in line, then they said he was taking a long break but the CM saw our pass and let us see him anyway - he told me to always show the pass and not wait in line.

We saw the Beauty and the Beast Show and the Little Mermaid Show at MGM along with Raiders of the Lost Ark Stunt Show and a Lights, Action, Motors car stunt show (which also had herbie the love bug). Kids loved the shows. We also got to ride the Tower of Terror which they loved and ds rode his first upside down rollercoaster - Rockin Rollercoaster. The kids rode it twice in a row because we did the baby swap thing. They also enjoyed the Muppet 3D show too.

We also saw the high school musical float which comes in around the big magic hat and then you move toward it in big groups and sit on the ground to watch. Kids get to participate a lot in this show - although neither of mine wanted to get up and dance.

We then went to Pizza Planet (from Toy Story) to eat - Most of our meals for a family of four cost around $30 for lunch. While we were walking toward Pizza Planet, I noticed people lining up for the parade. I can't remember what street it was but I ended up staying back and saving seats on the right side of the street I believe it was an ABC building which has steps. It was a great place to watch the parade and it was cooler because it was in the shade. It took a while to get the pizza so they brought it back and ate while the beginning of the parade started. During the parade, Stitch pointed out ds and pointed to his head (pointing at the chipmonk hat) - it was a great moment because he remembered him! Ds was so excited. Ariel also commented on how he had a chipmonk on his head from her float. At the end, Santa Claus came through. It was a great parade.

MGM is also where the Osborne Family Christmas Lights were - they were fantastic. We saw those - we didn't make it to fantasmic - it was just getting to be too long a day. We got back a little late for dinner at GKTW so we ordered pizza. It was really good and they give you drinks (cans of pop) too!

We really enjoyed MGM a lot.

scrappin

12-29-2007, 09:49 AM

Even though we tried, we still didn't leave GKTW before 9:00 and therefore arrived at Animal Kingdom around 9:30. We started to go to Everest first (this is there new rollarcoaster) but it was broken down - or in Disney Words - The Yetti was in a time out for not behaving). We then road Dinasaur - ds enjoyed this and by this time was acclimated to things roaring and showing up in the dark - he still closed his eyes through parts of the ride and this was one of the ride pictures we didn't purchase because he was so hidden behind my arm - he still loved it though. We also road the rides in the kid dinosaur area. We then headed to Kali - river rapids ride - through on our pouchos and rode it twice in a row - this was the first year ds was big enough to ride all the rides since he is just over 48 inches so rides were a big deal to him.

From there we headed back to Everest - it was such a great coaster ride with some surprises - we rode it twice.

We then had lunch and headed over to the Safari ride. It was neat to see some of the animals in a setting and they did a great job hiding the fences. The Zoo is one place we go every year at home so we didn't spend a lot of time going to the other animal habitats. We then headed to the tree and saw Bugs Life in 3D - it was great! Kids really enjoyed it. By this time, it was around 2:30 and we headed out of the park. On our way out, we saw Rafiki, Baloo, Brother Bear and Coda, and Meeko all out. They were getting ready to go in for the parade but because of our pass and my ds button, they had us stand off to the side and had each character come by on their way in - it was another truly magical disney moment!

We arrived a little after 3:00 p.m. at EPCOT. We did Spaceship Earth - it was an easy ride with lots of animatronics on communications through the years at earth and then had a little suprise at the end that the kids thought was cool. It is dark but not scary at all.

From there we went to test track, again using the pass. This was one ride where the ride pictures could be put on your photopass card. We really enjoyed this ride too. We then headed to Soarin - This was awesome - it was like you were really hang-gliding and was another favorite of the kids. From there we stopped by the Coke place to sample pop from around the world. Kids thought this was really neat - enjoyed the China Watermelon pop the best. We ended our time in future world at Mission Space and opted for the ride that does not spin around - it was still a great ride without the spinning and you still felt like you were in space!

From there, we picked up two passports for the kids and started around the worlds. We didn't finish the day until around 9:30 - we had chinese food in China. We saw the fireworks on the lake. It was another long day of walking but was glad to squeeze it in.

OhMari

12-29-2007, 10:08 AM

I'm going to move you down to our regular TR Boards.
Sounds like you had a great time. The WISH people do a great job.
OhMari

scrappin

12-29-2007, 10:08 AM

We managaed to get going a little earlier and arrived at Universal Islands of Adventure around 9:30. I have to say the kids enjoyed some of the rides here as much as disney. Universal also gives you a front of the line pass only instead of sending you through the fast pass lane like disney, they have someone escort you to the ride and put you right on - it was incredible.

We started off the day in Seussville - rode several of the rides. We got our pictures taken with some who's that were just walking around - they had tinsel and Christmas stuff to drape around you and made a really cute picture with both kids. We also got to see the Grinch. He was in complete character and although he signed their disney authograph books - he made a big deal about it and called Mickey Mouse - Mickey Rat and when he was done signing their books he dropped them on the floor because they were disney - kids got a kick out of it and we got a cute picture - Universal also gives you free ride pictures and we got a free picture with the grinch - very unexpected but really appreciated!

From there we rode Jurrasic Park and got absolutely soaked by riding in the front where ds wanted to ride - got a another ride picture. Dd wanted to ride dualing dragons, ds was too short. So he and dh went on another ride (got same treatment with his button) and we took the pass to dualing dragons. They escorted us to the ride, put it on the front of the one coaster (because that was the best spot for the twist and turns) and then waited for us and took us on the other coaster and put us in the back (again the best spot for the ups and downs) for it. We got to ride both coasters in about 20 minutes!

We then road the barge ride (another round river raft ride) and the ripsaw falls again another ride. We didn't use our ponchos because we were already soaked from the Jurrasic Park ride but I would highly recommend using ponchos.

We rode Spiderman - it was awesome - it was a 3D ride and it seemed like the people were ride on the ride with you. We then got to see Spiderman who took a long time talking to ds and telling him not to give up on his dreams. We got another free picture with Spiderman.

Dd and Dh then wanted to ride the Hulk rollarcoaster, so ds and I enjoyed some green cotton candy while we waited. Again because of the pass, we did not have to wait very long.

We then walked over to Universal and got something for a late lunch. Our goal was to leave around 5-6. Universal had a lot of attractions that I felt were too much for the kids like twister, jaws, the mummy, etc. so we just did Shrek 4D, Jimmy Neutron, looked at the parade balloons, we were too late to see any characters so that was a little disappointment (ds is a huge spongebob fan). We also rode the ET ride. At this point, I had to try and get our boarding passes for our flight out the next day. I thought I had it all worked out to do this on my phone but it wasn't working. My dh flagged down a young guy who worked there and he took me back behind the scenes to a computer and helped me print out our passes. We will forever be indebted to Chris from New York!

We then headed back to GKTW for Christmas. We had wanted to attend some of the other events but just played it by ear at the parks as to what the kids were wanting to do.

Christmas was wonderful - They got to see Santa and later Mrs. Claus, decorate cookies, pick out a toy, they had fake snow, carriage rides, it was wonderful - we picked this night to make our pillows too. I would encourage you to do this night if it fits in your plans.

scrappin

12-29-2007, 10:19 AM

I realize I didn't put in there how many times we had ice cream at GKTW. This is one thing dh really liked and many times he and the kids would run to the ice cream parlor when we got home before 9:30 and pick up their ice cream.

GKTW is an awesome place - we spent the morning exploring some more and rode the horse that was there that day! They truly think of everything and had cowboy hats and certificates to pass out when the kids were done riding.

I forgot to mention that earlier that week we went and ds wrote his name on a star - it was a really neat thing and we got to go find it the morning we were leaving and take pictures of it. It is really something to know a little part of him will be there forever and when you see all the stars on the ceiling, it gets a little emotional.

The villa was incredible and the suprises (won't go into too much detail) but again, you will feel very overwhelmed! The volunteers are so friendly and nice and really enjoy their work - you just cannot believe the amount of people who volunteer their time.

Meals were great - tons of food - they even carried your trays for you and fussed at you if you cleaned up your table! In the Gingerbread house, there are maps and show times for all the parks - this helped to get an idea the day before we went.

I forgot to mention that we did the Bunny Tuck-in. Be sure to sign up for this - it was really sweet and they spent a lot of time with both kids. We got a special treat because both Bunnies came to tuck-in the kids. We only signed up for Mayor Clayton. They fluffed the pillows and said prayers, the Mayor even fell asleep in ds bed - he had to "tickle" him to get him to wake up! This was very special and we were so glad we signed up for it.

I am sure I am forgetting details and special moments. Words just don't see adequte to describe all the wonderful things to do and people at GKTW. We are so grateful for this opportunity and know that it will be a trip the kids remember for a very long time!

Bill_Lin

01-02-2008, 12:44 PM

I really enjoyed reading your Trip Report. I sent you a PM about how to post photos. I have a link about that on my signature, but for some reason it is not working. It sounds like you were really blessed by your Wish Trip. Congratulations. Treasure the memories and discuss them often.

Bill

Iluvmickeymouse!

01-07-2008, 03:36 PM

Wow...great trip....sounds like everything went well. And....your done already!!!! :worship: (except for pics I hope!) Here I am over two months later and still not done!! :rotfl2:

scrappin

01-09-2008, 12:48 PM

Sounds like there are a lot of wish trips coming up from what I read on the other thread - we just got our pictures in the mail (all 700+ prints) and then I got the Disney Photo Pass CD in the mail and now I have to get those prints processed.

I am clearning space for my official "disney scrapbooking area" so I can start getting all those pics in order.

I sat last night and looked through all the pics. I will try to post some soon - last night was our only free evening!!!! I wish I would have taken more pics of some things but am glad to have the memories. I also want to put together a collage picture frame for each kids room and just surprise them one day when they get home from school.

DH and I had fun looking over the parks in the pass that GKTW gave us. Many are within driving distance so we are going to try to visit as many as we can this summer when everyone is out of school. What an extra blessing that is!

Queenie122

03-26-2008, 01:11 PM

I've just found your report - thanks!! :goodvibes

How did your scrapbook / journal come out?

scrappin

04-01-2008, 11:11 AM

Thanks!

The kids journal's are great - they really took time to write in them and it will be neat to go back and read someday. I am still scrapbooking - I am making a large 12x12 album for each child -it is going slow in that I have to make two of each page - a little different but similar for each album - I found that easier than making one complete album and then starting over again.

One thing I abosolutely love is the pictures I got with my disney photopass cd! It was $99 but it was so worth the money - I had planned to scan some of the signatures out of my children's autograph books but because of the photopass - I was able to go and add Minniei's autograph for instance right on the picture!

I need to upload pictures still but I just haven't had time yet....I am in the middle of appeals with our insurance company for some new technology for my son - that has been taking up most of my time along with my daughter's sports!