Any advice to make trip extra special?

[mama2princess]

Hi everyone! I am looking for ideas to make this trip extra special. I have two DD who love Disney as much as DH and I. We usually try to go every two years. We do not have much choice in when to travel due to school, practice, camps, and work schedules for everyone. We are traveling May 25 - June 2 and staying for our first time at Coronado Springs (which we are a little concerned about due to construction going on). I worry that this may be our last time going for a long while as a complete family. Two years from this trip, my oldest will be going on her graduation trip to Disney with her friends. I want to make this trip one that they always remember with as many little things as possible. My oldest enjoys the planning as much as I do and is spending lots of time planning with me but my youngest just wants to go and do . I am planning a few new things already such as magic band decals, custom mouse ears from Etsy, and redoing resort window decorations. I would love ideas and outside the box thoughts that are budget friendly. Thanks in advance for any help provided!

 

[WhispyPixie]

We are a truly weird family so....Some the things we have done is:

• Packing $1 store glow sticks, necklaces etc for nighttime activities
• Requesting a "celebration" button at town hall for the kids, there is always something to celebrate
• Picking 1 TS meal to get a special dessert to recognize an awesome quality or accomplishment of on of our kids
• Letting the kids help pick one way to "make a difference" an provide some "pixie dust" for someone unknown
• Have a family contest daily to identify the most number found of hidden mickeys

 

[mama2princess]

We are a truly weird family so....Some the things we have done is:

• Packing $1 store glow sticks, necklaces etc for nighttime activities
• Requesting a "celebration" button at town hall for the kids, there is always something to celebrate
• Picking 1 TS meal to get a special dessert to recognize an awesome quality or accomplishment of on of our kids
• Letting the kids help pick one way to "make a difference" an provide some "pixie dust" for someone unknown
• Have a family contest daily to identify the most number found of hidden mickeys

None of these sound weird at all. Great ideas, I especially love the one about providing pixie dust for someone. Thanks WhispyPixie!

 

[WhispyPixie]

None of these sound weird at all. Great ideas, I especially love the one about providing pixie dust for someone. Thanks WhispyPixie!

So glad you like some of them. One of my favorite memories was when my youngest was 5...she bought a little Belle figurine keychain at Magic Kingdom. That silly keychain hung on every backpack, cheer bag and volleyball bag she toted. On a WDW trip when she was 16, she took it off her backpack and gave it to a little girl that was in line in front of us for Peter Pan. The little girl was having a rough day....the key chain greatly improved the child's mood. It was at that point, I realized my "baby" was growing up! *sigh* Hope you have a great trip! After all, it is about the memories!

 

[Hikergirl]

Epcot Aqua Seas Tour!
DH and I did this on our past trip and it was amazing. We were lucky because the sea turtle kept coming up to the surface and swimming right by us. There is another one where you can actually dive and swim down into the tank instead of snorkeling on the surface but you have to be scuba certified. I would have done that, but only dh is certified.
It started with a nice back stage tour, which I found fascinating and then you get 30 minutes in the tank, which was so cool!

 

[Carie Young]

Since it sounds like your DD's are older, another idea to spread magic to the next generation I witnessed on our last trip and, as mom of a younger DD, it brought me to happy tears. A teenage girl had an autograph book and went up to little ones dressed as princesses and asked them for their autograph... it was so sweet to see and a good memory for all involved.

 

[loves to dive]

Epcot Aqua Seas Tour!
DH and I did this on our past trip and it was amazing. We were lucky because the sea turtle kept coming up to the surface and swimming right by us. There is another one where you can actually dive and swim down into the tank instead of snorkeling on the surface but you have to be scuba certified. I would have done that, but only dh is certified.
It started with a nice back stage tour, which I found fascinating and then you get 30 minutes in the tank, which was so cool!

I've been diving the the Living Seas a number of times, it is a nice comfortable easy dive and loads of fun to wave at the kids in the restaurant.

As far as things to make it special, we have taken a number of tours but those aren't cheap and while they were fun I can't say they stick out in my son's mind as special memories. Frankly, for us, just being there is special and we used to go every other year since he was just shy of 3 (he's 36 now) and now we go at least once a year. It's the little spontaneous things that happen that seem to stick out in both of our memories, silly little things like he and his girlfriend getting selected to do the boat thing on the backstage tour at HS or me being selected to act with the street performers at HS. Totally unplanned for things that we just go for at the moment.

 

[mama2princess]

Since it sounds like your DD's are older, another idea to spread magic to the next generation I witnessed on our last trip and, as mom of a younger DD, it brought me to happy tears. A teenage girl had an autograph book and went up to little ones dressed as princesses and asked them for their autograph... it was so sweet to see and a good memory for all involved.

This is a great idea for spreading a little pixie dust!

 

[mama2princess]

I've been diving the the Living Seas a number of times, it is a nice comfortable easy dive and loads of fun to wave at the kids in the restaurant.

As far as things to make it special, we have taken a number of tours but those aren't cheap and while they were fun I can't say they stick out in my son's mind as special memories. Frankly, for us, just being there is special and we used to go every other year since he was just shy of 3 (he's 36 now) and now we go at least once a year. It's the little spontaneous things that happen that seem to stick out in both of our memories, silly little things like he and his girlfriend getting selected to do the boat thing on the backstage tour at HS or me being selected to act with the street performers at HS. Totally unplanned for things that we just go for at the moment.

loves to you are absolutely correct that its always the unexpected magic that we all remember. When my oldest was three, her favorite movie was Peter Pan. During her first SpectroMagic parade Peter Pan all lit up comes right up to her kneels down and has a conversation! We have never forgotten it and I think to this day that moment is one of the reasons she is a WDW fan for life. We are having great fun together planning this trip though!