Pre-Trip Planning: Danielle's 2008 WDW Christmas Adventure

[mickeysgirl17]

AWWWW! That is so cute!

 

[joelp]

AWWWW! That is so cute!

You think that is cute? -check this out ...

The DD just had to try on her Halloween costume ...

No princess this year ...

 

[bellasmommy0]

You think that is cute? -check this out ...

The DD just had to try on her Halloween costume ...

No princess this year ...

too cute!! She has grown from the previous pics I have seen on here of her

 

[mickeysgirl17]

You think that is cute? -check this out ...

The DD just had to try on her Halloween costume ...

No princess this year ...

Your right! That is cuter!

 

[joelp]

8 weeks to go!!!





Now if I can just get the DD to bed early tonight - without putting myself to sleep in the process - I should be able to finish my Epcot-WS summary ...


The DW is off visiting her mother in AZ (in the hospital - not good ...), so it's just me and Danielle for the next few days ... which means:



I hope ...

 

[Becx N Gav]

Lovely pics - Love Ariel and friends partying and your DD is such a sweetie

Hope things are ok with your DW's Mother?

Looking forward to hearing about your plans for WS

Woo hoo only 8 weeks it's getting close enough to smell

 

[joelp]

... still working on the WS summary and plans ...

I stopped by AAA today and put the rest of the vacation balance on the VISA - so we're paid up!

Vicki is staying in AZ for a couple more days - - so it's just me and the kid until Wednesday night ... ...

Danielle has been amazing these past few days - I haven't had to discipline her much at all ... let's hope she's in the same frame of mind at WDW ... ... We took a trip to Target to build her birthday present list ... and picked up a new Princess story collection (so you know what my reading for the evening is ... )

The only other trip news is that Jed, Mindi, and Nina won't be able to join us for the first weekend of the trip ... ... but, on the other hand, they will be flying up here to NJ for a week over Christmas!!

They're going to try and swing a day trip to WDW when we're down there ...

Time to drag to DD out of the bath ...

 

[mickeysgirl17]

Sounds like your having fun!

 

[joelp]

I survived!!!

Only 7 weeks to go!!!

 

[joelp]

I started planning this trip in May 2007 - on the plane back from WDW!!

( ... and don't don't tell me I'm the only one who's done that!! )

That's roughly 75 weeks ago ...

So it's amazing I've managed to stay reasonably sane (the DW's opinion notwithstanding ... ) up to this point ... cuz there's

ONLY 6 WEEKS TO GO!!!!!

 

[mickeysgirl17]

I started planning this trip in May 2007 - on the plane back from WDW!!

( ... and don't don't tell me I'm the only one who's done that!! )

That's roughly 75 weeks ago ...

So it's amazing I've managed to stay reasonably sane (the DW's opinion notwithstanding ... ) up to this point ... cuz there's

ONLY 6 WEEKS TO GO!!!!!

I know what you mean. I started in Sept. 2007.

 

[joelp]

First off: I finished my Epcot-WS "summary guide" this morning - ... so if anyone wants a copy, let me know ...

Next up: Animal Kingdom!!

Now (drum roll, please ... and since I'm a drummer ... ):

it's time to take inventory on all the stuff I've been buying the last few months for Danielle's Birthday, WDW trip, and Christmas:

Birthday
* Finished making her countdown chain this morning, too ...

(1) Barbie Mariposa Doll (with the BIG wings!! She's been asking for this for months - and it just happened to be on sale at Target last week!! )

(2) new Tink video (pre-ordered ...)
(3) "Tinker Bell-A Fairy Tale" Step Into Reading book (last one in the store - it must have been waiting for me!! )

(4) Little Einsteins DVD - Flight of the Instrument Fairies (another thing on her "list" ... )
(5) Disney Princess Numbers and Counting flash cards ($-store!!)
(6) Princess One-use camera (she saw one in Walgreen's the other day ... but I was waaaaaay ahead of her!! ... bought it months ago!!)

(6) Two long-sleeve t-shirts: one princesses and one fairies ... [make that 3!! Just found another one ... princesses ... ) [and she needs them: just had a growth spurt!!]
(7) Fairy play figures (a steal at $5! Danielle requested a Tinker bell birthday cake: I couldn't find one, so ... we'll use these to decorate her cake!! )

(8) Large Prince Mickey and Princess Minnie (another DD request!!) stuffed toys (I have the Goofy jester in my office at work - no one's commented on the irony yet ... ) ... another steal at the Disney Outlet (like - $2.50 each?)
(9) Aurora (DD's new favorite ...) night gown (yet another steal ...)
(10) Princess rolling backpack (for the trip!! - plus, it makes "wrapping" all these birthday presents easy!! )


Trip Stuff

(1) Little Einsteins sticker book
(2) Fairy Book and Magnet play set (only $5 - plus, I probably had a coupon - at Borders!!)
(3) Two-and-a-half starter pin sets with lanyards ($3 each!! I use the other "half" for my work ID ... )

(4) Little Mermaid stamp set ($-store strikes again!!)
(5) Princess sunglasses (just in case - it is Florida!!)


Christmas Stuff

(1) Princess porcelain tea set (like - maybe - $5 .. !!)
(2) Enchanted princess scarf (I think this cost me all of 80 cents!!)
(3) Tink doll (bought this a loooong time ago ...)
(4) Soft Belle toy (ibid -like, maybe $2?? )
(5) Mickey and Friends book and magnet set (should I bring this on the trip instead?)
(6) 2 Fancy Nancy I Can Read books (not everything is Disney!! )
(7) Princess socks (another outlet steal!! )
(8) Princess pajamas ... (ibid ...)
(9) Alice in Wonderland pin (should have bought more for trading!! )
(10) Tinker bell musical snow glob (about $10 - originally about $80!!)
(11) Faires light-up book ends (... and I need to get another bookcase for her room ... she has LOTS of books!! ... with more on the way ...)


Now - I also have at least 5 t-shirts ... plus whatever I've already stashed away in the "WDW" rubbermaid container in the attic. (Size 5/6 - she's just about outgrown all her size 4's ...) That includes at least 2 or 3 "matching" sets for the DD and her crazy folks!!

And then there's the rest of the stuff in the basement ...

[Did I mention I go to the outlet once a week? ]

OK - that's it for now - gotta hit PetSmart and get food for Ranger and the fish ...

Later ...

 

[mickeysgirl17]

That's a lot of shopping.

 

[joelp]

That's a lot of shopping.

Guys don't "shop" - we see it, we like/want it, we buy it!!

If we don't see it - we don't look for it ...

 

[mickeysgirl17]

Guys don't "shop" - we see it, we like/want it, we buy it!!

If we don't see it - we don't look for it ...

Well, my DH might be the exception. He's worse than me and I love to shop. He easily takes 30 minutes or so to buy 1 pair of pants. lol.

 

[joelp]

Good morning!!

The DD is home sick today ... ... and I have the morning shift ...

So I'd thought I'd post our revised "draft" touring planes for our first day at Epcot, Monday December 8:

Epcot - 8 Dec 2008 (morning & afternoon) ​

(1) Arrive at Epcot ~ 8:30 am (FW 9 am – 7 pm; WS 11 am – 9:30 pm)
(2) Get “Kid’s Guide to Epcot” and Events Guide
(3) Characters (times & locations? – check Events Guide)

The Land Pavilion - Soarin’ (Row 1 – Gate B; get Fastpass – if needed – and do again)

1- Breakfast/snack at Sunshine Seasons
2- Living with the Land (optional)
3- Circle of Life (optional)

The Imagination Pavilion

1- *Journey Into Imagination with Figment
2- Honey, I Shrunk the Audience (optional)
3- Image Works Lab (optional)

Ø ?Interactive Play Fountains
Ø ?Buy World Showcase Passport

World Showcase – Canada

1- Holidays Around the World (Nowell – comic lumberjack; times? – check Events Guide)
2- Kidcot Station
3- *“O’Canada” film
4- “Off Kilter” (times? – check Events Guide)

World Showcase – United Kingdom

1- Holidays Around the World (Father Christmas; times? – check Events Guide)
2- Kidcot Station
3- *“World Showcase Players” (times? – check Events Guide)
4- *“British Invasion” (times? – check Events Guide)
5- *Butterfly and Knot Herb Garden & Hedge Maze

The Living Seas Pavilion

1- *The Seas with Nemo and Friends
2- *Turtle Talk with Crush
3- Bruce’s Shark World
4- *Sea Base Alpha (main tank & exhibits – dolphins, manatees, sea turtles)
5- *Mr. Ray’s Lagoon (sting rays)
6- *Kidcot Station

1:05 pm Lunch at The Coral Reef (ADR)

2:30 pm Living Seas Pavilion or Innoventions West (1:30-4:30 pm Visa Characters)

3:30 pm Leave Epcot


This morning/afternoon plan looks to be prety realistic ... whatever we don't see at Canada and the UK (particularly the "Holidays Around the World") we can try to see when we come back later in the evening ... I'd like to spend a lot of time at The Living Seas since we didn't spend much time there our last trip. In the WS, the focus is on "Holidays Around the World" and the Kidcot Stations ... and the various "acts" we haven't seen yet ...)


Onto the evening session:

Epcot - 8 Dec 2008 (evening) ​

(1) Arrive at Epcot ~ 6:00 pm (FW 9 am – 7 pm; WS 11 am – 9:30 pm)
(2) Characters(times & locations? – check Events Guide)

Ø ?Tree Lighting Ceremony(time? – check Events Guide)

Ø *Spaceship Earth

Ø World Showcase: Canada and UK Holidays Around the World (& anything missed earlier)

Dinner Options (CS)

Land Pavilion: Sunshine Seasons
United Kingdom: Rose and Crown Pub, Yorkshire County Fish Shop
Morocco: Tangierine Café
Japan: Yakitori House

World Showcase – France

1- Holidays Around the World (Pere Noel; times? – check Events Guide)
2- Kidcot Station
3- “Impressions de France” film (optional)
4- *“Serveur Amusant” (times? – check Events Guide)

World Showcase – Morocco

1- Holidays Around the World (drummer-Festival of Ashura; times? – check Events Guide)
2- Kidcot Station
3- *“Mo Rockin’” (times? – check Events Guide)
4- museum, water wheel, Fez House

World Showcase – Japan

1- Holidays Around the World (Daruma dolls; times? – check Events Guide)
2- Kidcot Station
3- *Bijutsu-kan Gallery: “Tin Toys” exhibit
4- *Miyuki (edible candy “art”; times? – check Events Guide)
5- *“Matsuriza Drummers” (times? – check Events Guide)
6- *Honobono Minwa (storytelling; times? – check Events Guide)
7- Mitsukoshi Dept. Store – oysters with pearls

~8:30 pm Illuminations

FutureWorld - Other Things to Do:

· Living Seas Pavilion
· Innoventions
· Fountains of Nations Water Ballet
· Innoventions Plaza – fiber optics in walkways

This may be a bit ambitious - again, the focus is on "Holidays Around the World" - and we'll probably spend most of the evening in Japan and Morocco (except for dessert at the Boulangere Patisserie!!)

Anyone have any strong recommendations for which CS to have dinner?

Any other comments??

 

[joelp]

Well, my DH might be the exception. He's worse than me and I love to shop. He easily takes 30 minutes or so to buy 1 pair of pants. lol.

Uh -oh ... That's too bad ... I'll have to report him to TPTB ...

 

[huff1269]

WOW! You really have it planned out. We are 38 days away and I feel like I have so much to do but don't know where to start. I may take some ideas from your planning. I have the basic parks on certain days but haven't planned past that.

Hope your DD feels better soon. Better now than on vacation. Let's hope for a healthy December!!

 

[Leonsmom]

Hey Joel!
I am finally catching up!!

But still - it has go to be better than the "Not So Great Adventure" day we spent today ...

Sounds familiar

You think that is cute? -check this out ...

...

Oh My she not just cute, she is beautiful!!!!!
Did you get the Fairies DVD??

Guys don't "shop" - we see it, we like/want it, we buy it!!

If we don't see it - we don't look for it ...

Ummm.... this from the man who goes to the Disney Outlet once a week????

Good morning!!
The DD is home sick today ... ... and I have the morning shift ...

So I'd thought I'd post our revised "draft" touring planes for our first day at Epcot, Monday December 8:

Epcot - 8 Dec 2008 (morning & afternoon) ​

(1) Arrive at Epcot ~ 8:30 am (FW 9 am – 7 pm; WS 11 am – 9:30 pm)
(2) Get “Kid’s Guide to Epcot” and Events Guide
(3) Characters (times & locations? – check Events Guide)

The Land Pavilion - Soarin’ (Row 1 – Gate B; get Fastpass – if needed – and do again)

1- Breakfast/snack at Sunshine Seasons
2- Living with the Land (optional)
3- Circle of Life (optional)

The Imagination Pavilion

1- *Journey Into Imagination with Figment
2- Honey, I Shrunk the Audience (optional)
3- Image Works Lab (optional)

Ø ?Interactive Play Fountains
Ø ?Buy World Showcase Passport

World Showcase – Canada

1- Holidays Around the World (Nowell – comic lumberjack; times? – check Events Guide)
2- Kidcot Station
3- *“O’Canada” film
4- “Off Kilter” (times? – check Events Guide)

World Showcase – United Kingdom

1- Holidays Around the World (Father Christmas; times? – check Events Guide)
2- Kidcot Station
3- *“World Showcase Players” (times? – check Events Guide)
4- *“British Invasion” (times? – check Events Guide)
5- *Butterfly and Knot Herb Garden & Hedge Maze

The Living Seas Pavilion

1- *The Seas with Nemo and Friends
2- *Turtle Talk with Crush
3- Bruce’s Shark World
4- *Sea Base Alpha (main tank & exhibits – dolphins, manatees, sea turtles)
5- *Mr. Ray’s Lagoon (sting rays)
6- *Kidcot Station

1:05 pm Lunch at The Coral Reef (ADR)

2:30 pm Living Seas Pavilion or Innoventions West (1:30-4:30 pm Visa Characters)

3:30 pm Leave Epcot


This morning/afternoon plan looks to be prety realistic ... whatever we don't see at Canada and the UK (particularly the "Holidays Around the World") we can try to see when we come back later in the evening ... I'd like to spend a lot of time at The Living Seas since we didn't spend much time there our last trip. In the WS, the focus is on "Holidays Around the World" and the Kidcot Stations ... and the various "acts" we haven't seen yet ...)


Onto the evening session:

Epcot - 8 Dec 2008 (evening) ​

(1) Arrive at Epcot ~ 6:00 pm (FW 9 am – 7 pm; WS 11 am – 9:30 pm)
(2) Characters(times & locations? – check Events Guide)

Ø ?Tree Lighting Ceremony(time? – check Events Guide)

Ø *Spaceship Earth

Ø World Showcase: Canada and UK Holidays Around the World (& anything missed earlier)

Dinner Options (CS)

Land Pavilion: Sunshine Seasons
United Kingdom: Rose and Crown Pub, Yorkshire County Fish Shop
Morocco: Tangierine Café
Japan: Yakitori House

World Showcase – France

1- Holidays Around the World (Pere Noel; times? – check Events Guide)
2- Kidcot Station
3- “Impressions de France” film (optional)
4- *“Serveur Amusant” (times? – check Events Guide)

World Showcase – Morocco

1- Holidays Around the World (drummer-Festival of Ashura; times? – check Events Guide)
2- Kidcot Station
3- *“Mo Rockin’” (times? – check Events Guide)
4- museum, water wheel, Fez House

World Showcase – Japan

1- Holidays Around the World (Daruma dolls; times? – check Events Guide)
2- Kidcot Station
3- *Bijutsu-kan Gallery: “Tin Toys” exhibit
4- *Miyuki (edible candy “art”; times? – check Events Guide)
5- *“Matsuriza Drummers” (times? – check Events Guide)
6- *Honobono Minwa (storytelling; times? – check Events Guide)
7- Mitsukoshi Dept. Store – oysters with pearls

~8:30 pm Illuminations

FutureWorld - Other Things to Do:

· Living Seas Pavilion
· Innoventions
· Fountains of Nations Water Ballet
· Innoventions Plaza – fiber optics in walkways

This may be a bit ambitious - again, the focus is on "Holidays Around the World" - and we'll probably spend most of the evening in Japan and Morocco (except for dessert at the Boulangere Patisserie!!)

Anyone have any strong recommendations for which CS to have dinner?

Any other comments??

LOVE IT!! BORROWING IT!!!
Dude, you just took ...(wait did I just say dude?!?) ...Okay anyway you just took all the work outta planning my park day.....
Here is my request for being put on your mailing list for all your schedules
leonsmom1102@yahoo.com

Uh -oh ... That's too bad ... I'll have to report him to TPTB ...

TPTB?????

 

[joelp]

WOW! You really have it planned out. We are 38 days away and I feel like I have so much to do but don't know where to start. I may take some ideas from your planning. I have the basic parks on certain days but haven't planned past that.

Hope your DD feels better soon. Better now than on vacation. Let's hope for a healthy December!!

It's a "plan" that will probably get tossed once the DD and DW get into the parks!! [DW: "I wonder what's in that shop?" DD: "Again! Let's do that again!!"]

The basic idea was to list the "priority" things we want to do in some semblance of order so we don't kil ourselves by walking back and forth ... and back and forth ... and ...

DD was better by the afternoon - thanks!!

Yes - everyone start taking magadoses of vitamin C ...