1 Child and 10 Adults--A GG to Celebrate DD's 4th Bday :) TR Link is Posted

[Charlefours]

Hey there! Just checking in, its been a while. I love the idea of the bags for each state. One nice thing about driving is that you can bring so much more stuff! The bows are adorable - Becky does a great job

Definitely is nice to be driving because I don't have to streamline our packing as much. We like driving so hopefully it will hold true for this one too.

Becky's bows are the best!!

 

[Charlefours]

Oh. my. goodness. Those goody bags are fantastic.

Thanks Hope! Would you believe each bag averaged to be under $10? The exception is the last back, because of the build-a-bear outfit (but it was on sale ). I had budgeted $75 for car treats, so I did pretty good overall--I think when I added everything up I was right at that with tax. I am a great bargain shopper! I have been fortunate because we have had so long to build everything up.

 

[Charlefours]

I realized on our last trip that I love epcot too I was disappointed we didnt plan more time there. The kids loved the countries. My favorite country is mexico.....something about those sombreros that get me excited. I am looking forward to spending a full day at epcot without children during the princess wkend to really just take in what the countries have to offer.

I love all the treat bag ideas. Wow thats what planning 20mths out will get ya huh. That lillian is one lucky girl. You guys are going to have such an incredible time.

Epcot is fantastic!! I hope you get to spend a lot of time wondering around it in January.

Little crazy to think that is how long we have been at this, but it has seriously helped with the cost of it all.

 

[Charlefours]

Great job on the gifts! Lilian is going to love getting a gift everyday.
I LOVE the bows, especially the Tinkerbell & Minnie one! I wish Lexi was young enough to wear bows like that still.
I miss the bow age

It is a birthday trip!! The bows are great! I am enjoying it while it lasts--Lilian is much better about letting me do her hair now that ever before.

 

[Charlefours]

Lilian is going to love all her little goodies and it will make the drive seem to go faster -- at least for her.

I think so too Kathy! We have typically given her something on longer drives to help pass the time.

 

[Charlefours]

Great goodie bags Stephanie! You are so close now!! I am so excited for you and cannot wait to hear about it. Lilian is going to have such a wonderful time. It makes me teary thinking about it. You are going to have so much fun!!

P.S. We love EPCOT as well! Innoventions is fun, the WS is fun, the girls LOVE the Land and the Seas.

Thanks Leanne!! Lilian is a lucky little girl!! She is pretty grateful for the things she has been given and this trip in general (but like every four year--has her moments).

I am really looking forward to Epcot. I think Lilian is going to enjoy the Land and Seas too. We love to garden (so does she) and she loves aquariums.

 

[Charlefours]

Please realize that I posted the bags to share my fun with you. We have been planning this trip now since December 2007/January 2008. The initial conversations DH and I had were on a long drive to and from North Carolina!! See what long drives do to us—they make us plan all kinds of crazy things.

We are very blessed to have had this longer time span to plan and pick up goodies here and there. It has helped to spread the cost of things out this long period. I set down and made a massive budget to include everything little thing (treat bags, tips, etc) to the big things (lodging, gas, etc) and we have stuck to it. We have saved were we have been able to do so to help compensate a miscalculation. This style of a trip is a once in a lifetime trip for us!! Our next trips will be much simpler and on a much smaller scale. Lilian won’t be getting the treat bags (well, maybe one small one ) like she is for this trip. Without a doubt she is going to get very spoiled on this trip. Even if DH and I do not (which we do not plan on it—our big thing for her is the BBB appointment), with 5 grandparents, 1 aunt and 2 uncles coming, she is bound to get treated here and there. DH and I have strict budgets for holiday and birthday times and refuse to fall into the trap of more and more, keeping up with the Jones' or whatever you want to call it so this is without a doubt, the most extravagant thing we have ever done.

Why am I posting this? Because I want you to be aware of the reality of our situation too and so you know where I am coming from a bit more as I have been putting together this trip.

 

[irish dancer]

We love Epcot too, I had a conversation with my kids once and told them that some people don't go to Epcot because they don't think it's good/fun for kids. They were shocked and said they LOVED Epcot!

Those treat bags are great and I love the hairbows. I so wish I still had a little girl that would wear them, unfortunately my youngest is 9yrs and has informed me that she doesn't like pink or princesses anymore.

When mine were younger we did something similar for airplane trips. I would pack a backpack for them with some new things and snacks. Made the trip fly by!

 

[Charlefours]

We love Epcot too, I had a conversation with my kids once and told them that some people don't go to Epcot because they don't think it's good/fun for kids. They were shocked and said they LOVED Epcot!

Those treat bags are great and I love the hairbows. I so wish I still had a little girl that would wear them, unfortunately my youngest is 9yrs and has informed me that she doesn't like pink or princesses anymore.

When mine were younger we did something similar for airplane trips. I would pack a backpack for them with some new things and snacks. Made the trip fly by!

I'm not sure why my sister feels this way... I don't think they will go to Epcot their next trip either.

Thank you!!

 

[dismagiclover]

My sister does not believe Epcot is good for kids either. She did not agree with me when I said we were going. My Dad is really looking forward to seeing Epcot since his one other trip to Disney was with my sister's family. It was one of his requests.

Definitely will have to plan on hitting the Character Connection. Where is it at? We may do it first thing before heading over to Soarin'.

You'll pass by the Character Connections on your way to Soarin. I love going right at rope drop. We usually send DH off to Soarin to get fastpasses and then we mozy on in and say hello to all of our friends without waiting in line. Great way to start the morning! You don't need to send anyone for fastpasses. DH just doesn't like meeting characters as much as the rest of us so that is why he takes the job. I'm sure there would still be plenty of fastpasses left if you went over after Character Connections.

 

[Mommy2LittleVols]

What a great idea about the bags! Lilian will have lots of things to keep her busy and happy on that long ride!

LOVE the bows! Becky does a great job!

I may have to borrow the Tinkerbell Gift idea!

 

[Charlefours]

You'll pass by the Character Connections on your way to Soarin. I love going right at rope drop. We usually send DH off to Soarin to get fastpasses and then we mozy on in and say hello to all of our friends without waiting in line. Great way to start the morning! You don't need to send anyone for fastpasses. DH just doesn't like meeting characters as much as the rest of us so that is why he takes the job. I'm sure there would still be plenty of fastpasses left if you went over after Character Connections.

Thanks Jenny! I don't think we will need to overly worried about getting Soarin' FP this time of year. We can always get them, even if they are later, hit Soarin' after dinner on our way back to the resort.

 

[Charlefours]

What a great idea about the bags! Lilian will have lots of things to keep her busy and happy on that long ride!

LOVE the bows! Becky does a great job!

I may have to borrow the Tinkerbell Gift idea!

Thanks Julia! I really liked the Tinker Bell gift idea when I read it (obviously). Yup, Becky's are the best!!

 

[Dancegrl624]

Love all of the treat bags! I'm sure Lilian won't be bored on the long drive at all. I'm sure this trip is going to be so special to all of you and one you will never forget.

Becky's bows are the best!!!! We're planning on having another child and I'm so hoping we have a girl. I need to buy those bows!!!!

 

[Charlefours]

Moving right along into the next countdown item….

7. Main Street Electrical Parade!

When I first heard that Spectro was being replaced for the summer by the MSEP, I thought for sure it would be extended out. Why would Disney spend that much money to ship it all to Florida, for just three months? I was not sure how I felt about it but I am really looking forward to it now. I thought I wanted to see Spectro again (and I would have been happy to do so) but I think MSEP will be just as wonderful.

Pictures, from WDWPhotography and DisneyEveryday respectively:

Which parade do you prefer for those of you when have seen both? Did you scope out any great viewing spots? How soon should we find a spot?

Keeping in line with listening to the soundtracks lately, I thought it would be fun to share the MSEP’s soundtrack with you all, instead of the video of the parade. Part One and Part Two

 

[Charlefours]

Love all of the treat bags! I'm sure Lilian won't be bored on the long drive at all. I'm sure this trip is going to be so special to all of you and one you will never forget.

Becky's bows are the best!!!! We're planning on having another child and I'm so hoping we have a girl. I need to buy those bows!!!!

Thanks Meghan!! The bows are amazing--so well made. I am glad we have them, for however long I can get Lilian to wear them.

 

[Dancegrl624]

I'm very excited about the MSEP! We saw Spectro twice last year, so it will be nice to see something new. Well, I saw MSEP when I was very little, but I don't remember it at all. The music sounds familiar though.

We've watched the nighttime parade from a number of different places. In front of the Emporium, by the Flagpole, from Liberty Square....lots of places. I want to say that the parade starts at Main Street, but I'm not sure. You can ask a CM and they'll know. I'm not always very patient, so sometimes I like to sit where the parade starts. However, Liberty Square was nice too!

 

[martinolichfamily]

We found great spots to watch the parade back in Frontierland..right outside some of the shops near Country Bear Jamboree!! Noone could get in front of you either (with the way the rope was set up and all)...I think we got there 30 mins - 1 hour before parade started.

 

[-Hope-]

I'm excited about the parade as well! For us it doesn't really matter if it's Spectro or MSEP because we haven't seen either on so we aren't nostalgic about it. I just think the kids are going to love it! We have 100 glow bracelets (that can be linked together to make necklaces too) so I know the kids will love that!

 

[jenny105]

I can't wait to see MSEP! I love Spectro but I've never seen MSEP so I'm really looking forward it. I usually get a spot near the hub or Frontierland. Last trip I planned our CS dinners just before the parade at Peco's Bills and we snagged spots right around that area. It's less crowded and once the parades over, you can just cut through Frontierland and not deal with fighting your way through hundreds of people!