Bust out the pixie dust, cause this time we're flying! A Jan 2011 PTR. Updated 17/11

[stayhomemom77]

39 days and counting!!

No, I do NOT have more dining changes to report...for once!!

I just wanted to say that we're under six weeks away from our departure day now and I picked up a small box of cereal and a couple of boxes of Pop Tarts today that (if we can get them to fit in our luggage) will make the trip with us to Disney!!

That's it for now!!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

And I was looking forward to more changes!!

That food would never survive in my house for that long ahead of time! Someone would eat it! Do you have a place you are stashing it?

 

[stayhomemom77]

Sheree!! You shouldn't encourage me about those changes!! I briefly thought about booking a late dinner at DTD on our arrival day but I soon squelched that idea!

As a matter of fact, I do have them stashed somewhere. We have some food storage shelves in the basement where we put our "overstock" groceries and I put the bag down there. The kids never go down there so it'll be safe from them and a quick word to DH will ensure that he leaves them alone as well.

I bought two boxes of Pop Tarts (we only really need one) so I'll allow DH to bring up one of the boxes after he's lusted after them for a week or two. That's my fool proof plan...get an extra container of whatever it is we're saving so that the "lure of the forbidden" doesn't cause a problem. Hasn't failed me yet.

The reason I thought about dinner at DTD on Jan 1st is because Santa Goofy will still be there in front of WoD from 3 pm to 9:30 pm. Our arrival night is the only opportunity we'll have to go and see him and I'm SURE my kids would be all over that activity. Of course, I'm expecting DTD to be a MADHOUSE on Jan 1st but these sacrifices need to be made sometimes.

Anyway, I thought since we would be going there already, that possibly we should entertain the idea of having dinner there. I didn't even look at what ADR's are available...but there's a lot of choice, and since the meal would have to be OOP anyway, we wouldn't be limited to the restaurants on the dining plan. Hmmm....I wonder if I should check out T-Rex, just in case!

Sheree, between the shopping encouragement over on the Skinny Island thread and the ADR changes here...you might be a bad influence!!

 

[akrake]

sounds like a great trip!! we're going the week after you so i'm excited to see what happens on your trip!
amie

 

[stayhomemom77]

WHO HOO!!

ME documents and luggage tags came via UPS on Tuesday night!!

I was quite surprised and totally thrilled!!

Kids still have no idea as they were out at swimming lessons at the time they were delivered. And then they come into the house through the garage so they didn't see it sitting on the front porch.

I couldn't be at their lessons that evening, I had another commitment so when I got dropped off and came in through the front door I found the surprise envelope!!

They're safely stashed away (I guess I should look them over more carefully tomorrow so as to be sure they are correct) to be used later during the big reveal!!

Gotta go...shouldn't even really be on here right now but had to squeeze in a quick update to share the good new!!

 

[stayhomemom77]

I'll be "leaving...on a jet plane" one month from today!!

 

[stayhomemom77]

I checked out the ME documents...they're all correct so we're a go in that respect.

Oh, and can I just say...


26 more days!!!




I'm getting so excited to tell them about the trip. I checked and we are going to be good for the Osborne lights AND the lighting ceremony thingy for Cinderella's castle too!! My kids (who are determined to wait to Disney NEXT Christmas to check it out during the holidays) are going to be sooooo psyched!!

I just had a birthday and my mother gave me USD in my card and my mother in law gave me a whack o' Canadian cash in my card as well!! I am spending every red cent on myself, baby!!

I almost got myself busted last Monday. DD7 was sick that day and stayed home from school. In the afternoon, when she was feeling better she got a bit bored of her pursuits and decided to look through my Disney Trip binder. She noticed that I had put a label on it that said 2011 and she questioned me about it.

Since they think we ARE going in 2011 I was able to put her off without too much trouble but when she opened the binder she bypassed the Disney maps (which are in the front and were the items I thought she was interested in looking at) and flipped through to where I stashed the ME stuff and our itinerary!!

"What's this envelope?" she asked excitedly. She got really annoyed with me when I snatched it out of her hands and refused to give it back.

I was lamely evasive and she bought it (thank goodness) but I put that stupid binder away and gave her the Walt Disney for Kids book to look at instead. Whew!! That was a close one!!

I only have to keep this stupid secret for 20 more days, thank goodness because I AM GOING CRAZY HERE!!

 

[stayhomemom77]

Got our vouchers and luggage tags in the mail last night and had to stash them quickly to keep DD7 from getting suspicious.

Mail from Mickey??


I've made up our Disney calendar (but the local hardware store doesn't carry their paint so no mickey head paint samples for me!!) and am totally ready for the big reveal.

Only one more day of school (tomorrow) and then Christmas vacation begins for this family!!

 

[stayhomemom77]

T minus 15 days and counting and the big reveal is only in 9!!

Today I got the last of our US cash at of the bank and safely tucked away until the big reveal.

I also went ahead and bought two more carry on bags nearly identical to the ones I posted earlier. The kids had bags that didn't have wheels and DS saw some wheeled ones at Walmart last month (albeit Zhu Zhu pet ones that I REFUSED to buy) and went crazy over them. I've been humming and hawing over the idea for a month and final decided today to spring for new ones for the kids WITHOUT characters on them that they would outgrown by next year. I got a red one for DD and a black one for DS and they were only $17 each!

I also parceled out our American change. We live on the Canada/US border, so a fair amount of American coin gets mixed in with ours. Whenever that happens, we put the US money in one jar and the remainder of the change in the Disney jar.

We managed to collect just over $10 in US coin since the last trip and DH and I decided to divvy most of it up for the kids. We kept a couple of bucks in quarters (we'll need that for the laundry machines) but I certainly had no intention of toting a pocketful of change around (I don't know why but I really HATE change...I got out of my way to avoid it...and in Canada that's difficult because our $1 and $2 are no longer bills, they're coins. )

Anyway, my suggestion was to give the rest to the kids and DH agreed. We're going to toss that in with the stuff I've been collecting for the big reveal. I have to run up and sort through that once I finish up with this post because today is the last day of school before Christmas and I need to ensure that everything is ready to go so I don't have to meddle with it later and risk getting caught.

Now, the only item of business left is to determine just HOW to spring the surprise on the kids. Do I take the...let's go with Daddy to his next race option or do I focus on the trip itself? Do I spring it on them all at once and then drag out their stuff or do I create a "treasure hunt" for them to go on with the big reveal at the end? Do I tell them they can't stay up late on NYE because we have to get up early the next day and then tell them what for, or do I tell them to inform their chums that we won't be at church that next Sunday because we're going to be at Hollywood Studios looking at the Osborne lights?

So many choices...and DH refuses to weigh in on the matter. He wants this to be my baby because my own emotions are so wrapped up in it. But doesn't he understand I just can't decide??

Any thoughts?? ANYONE??

 

[stayhomemom77]

I couldn't wait any longer...we told the kids last Friday night!

And...





















they were underwhelmed.



Although, that was mostly because they didn't really get it. It took AGES for us to get it through their heads that we were really going...

The next day, once it had finally sunk in...they were properly excited.

I have to admit...I'm glad I didn't make a video of the reveal because it was a big let down...although I didn't expect much (thankfully) so it ended up being pretty humorous and not really upsetting.

However, they've been quite excited about it since then and there has been much discussion about the whats and wherefores. In fact, DD has lamented twice that we are ONLY staying a week.

In fact, we made a collective decision about our arrival night. We're going to head over the the Poly right after check in and eat dinner (OOP) at the Kona Cafe and then watch Wishes from the beach!

I have in fact made AND canceled reservations for around 7 pm there NO LESS than three times (and I think it may have actually been four) while I debated the issue.

Do we want to rush over there after having just arrived?

Can we even make it for sure? (I'm pretty sure we'll be okay...we land at 4:46 pm but we may be cutting it close depending on ME, check in and bus wait times).

Even if we do make it there on time, are we taking a big gamble being done with dinner in one hour? (assuming we even get seated right AT our ADR time of 6:55 pm.) This is the one that worries me the most...but I'm hoping that we get a good CM...if we order straight away and tell him/her our plans DH and I can scarf our food and get to go boxes for the kids so they can finish up on the beach if necessary. Can I ask for the check as soon as we order?

Of course, we can always call and cancel if it looks as though we are going to be late and then perhaps we can just eat at Captain Cook's and still be on the beach for Wishes (which starts at 8 pm). Personally, I'm hoping for a little Disney magic so it will all work out the way we've planned it but we've always been pretty good at rolling with the punches so I don't think anyone will be too upset either way.

In fact, DS actually voted to stay at Pop anyway but we pointed out that we had several opportunities to get our fill of the resort throughout the remainder of the week.

Surprisingly, DH was all for heading over to the Poly. I was shocked quite frankly, I assumed he would be of the opinion that ditching the resort seconds after checking in would be madness and this was why I continued to cancel the reservations I kept making. In the end I made the final one and then asked the family their opinions and he and DD were all over this fun option. I sure hope we make it there on time!!

Can't wait for online check in...only two more days for that!!

 

[stayhomemom77]

Checked in online this morning!!

Who hoo!!

Only 5 more sleeps!!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

at the kids being underwhelmed! Sometimes I think they are just in shock!

you're getting so close! Are you all packed? I hope it warms up for you! You might need some fleece and gloves for the beach!

 

[stayhomemom77]

It's supposed to warm up nicely for us. They are currently forecasting a high of 77 degrees on January 1st and 78 degrees for January 2nd, so let's hope that stays fairly accurate!! I don't need record temps or anything but we want to go swimming a time or two so I'm hoping for the 70's for a least a couple of the days. But we're good with the sixties for the most part. No matter what it's going to be better than here!

I haven't packed yet but I've been "gathering" all week. I've got a few bits tossed into the suitcases and my purse is pretty well done with the snacks and airplane activity things but we won't actually pack our clothes until Friday morning.

My kids are super dooper excited now! It's really close and so it really seems real...we'll see how it goes when we're at the airport though!

FIVE MORE SLEEPS!!

 

[DaParkers]

FIVE MORE SLEEPS!!

Me too!!!!