Dec 2014/ Jan 2015

[WanderlustNZ]

Tasmania is beautiful, such a quite laid back place to see. i am sure you will love it, where else are you going to see or is it just Tassie

Thanks minneylovesmicky. Looking at pics of Tasmania, it does look just like the kind of place DH and I will love. We only have a few days stopping in Tasmania. One day we stop in Burnie and we're doing a tour to Cradle Mountain, and another day we're stopping in Hobart and doing a tour to Port Arthur and some wildlife sanctuary.

We are also stopping in Melbourne for a day where I'm looking forward to a Dismeet with Princess In Oz and Zanzibar, and we will get a day exploring Sydney at the start and the end.

I'm very excited as even though I've visited Australia about half a dozen times before, these are all new destinations for me (even Sydney and Melbourne).

 

[BecBennett]

Yeah we both got sick last year, and got stuck at Centracare one afternoon.. not fun , but at least the centre was great, just wish our insurance company was a bit more helpful with the situation.

Where are you staying?

Shannon

Centracare is really handy isn't it? We went there last trip too

We've rented DVC points and are staying at the BW. I'm very excited about staying at a deluxe resort. Especially as it's so close to Epcot and DHS.

 

[jevs]

I think we're all organised for our trip
Just need to organise Universal tickets, USA sim card, and airport transfers.
Feels like I've forgotten something important though.

How is everyone else going?

 

[LisaAJ]

We have 33 days to go and I'm getting nervous!!! So many things to do!!

Still deciding on whether to get extra travel insurance on top of the credit card insurance especially since it's hard to get it with my son's ADHD (preexisting condition?!) and me having been in hospital twice in the last 12 months.

Still have to buy Legoland tickets and Kennedy Space Centre tickets. Was going to buy them off Undercover Tourist but I just saw the Go Orlando card. It covers both and is a little bit cheaper than buying the tickets separately. Have to look into it more though.

I'm a teacher and trying to finish my reports before I can concentrate on anything else!

 

[Travel Mum]

We have just decided that we will indeed go to Disneyland Paris on Christmas Day so I've bought 1 day/2parks tickets and booked us in for lunch at Plaza Gardens at midday. Will certainly be a very different Christmas day for us and will hopefully take my mind off missing my parents and extended family back home in NZ on the special day.

 

[WickedDreamer]

Hey everyone!!

Today we finally were able to book our fast passes!! So excited cause we were able to get Mine Train for two days in MK

I have also started up a pre trip report if anyone is interested here on the Disboards - http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3350994.

Will post back shortly!
Thanks for everyone for also sharing your plans, its getting me so exited for our trip

Shannon

 

[jevs]

We have just decided that we will indeed go to Disneyland Paris on Christmas Day so I've bought 1 day/2parks tickets and booked us in for lunch at Plaza Gardens at midday. Will certainly be a very different Christmas day for us and will hopefully take my mind off missing my parents and extended family back home in NZ on the special day.

Plenty of pics please I was in DL Paris in Christmas 1996 would love to see if its just as I remember.

 

[Travel Mum]

Plenty of pics please I was in DL Paris in Christmas 1996 would love to see if its just as I remember.

Oh Jevs were you really?!! Did you like it? I presume it will be really busy at the parks but some people say that Christmas Day may be less busy than the 26th etc since many locals stay home. However, when I read of the hordes of Brits that go there for their Christmas holidays, I'd expect the parks to be full of them...

 

[jevs]

Sure was, it was called Eurodisney back then and I don't remember it being packed, we were there I think the week before Christmas. Also saw Bruce Willis band playing just outside of Disney as well. Good times, young and fancy free
Not that I would give up the kiddos for anything though lol.

 

[BecBennett]

We have just decided that we will indeed go to Disneyland Paris on Christmas Day so I've bought 1 day/2parks tickets and booked us in for lunch at Plaza Gardens at midday. Will certainly be a very different Christmas day for us and will hopefully take my mind off missing my parents and extended family back home in NZ on the special day.

That will be lovely! I feel the same about going on holidays over Christmas, I don't think I can do it, and if I did I'd have to have something really special planned for Christmas Day...

Today we finally were able to book our fast passes!! So excited cause we were able to get Mine Train for two days in MK

Yaaaaay! I'm really not looking forward to booking fastpasses in advance, I didn't even like it when they started enforcing the return time on the passes

 

[NZMUM]

We have just decided that we will indeed go to Disneyland Paris on Christmas Day so I've bought 1 day/2parks tickets and booked us in for lunch at Plaza Gardens at midday. Will certainly be a very different Christmas day for us and will hopefully take my mind off missing my parents and extended family back home in NZ on the special day.

That will be a very different christmas. I hope you enjoy it

 

[NZMUM]

Hey everyone!!

Today we finally were able to book our fast passes!! So excited cause we were able to get Mine Train for two days in MK

Shannon

I was able to book all the fastpasses I wanted too, Mine Train included with no problems. Lots of available times. Could've had Anna & Elsa ones too, if we were into that.
Hopefully it means that the parks won't be too crowded .

Yaaaaay! I'm really not looking forward to booking fastpasses in advance, I didn't even like it when they started enforcing the return time on the passes

Know what you mean. I'm not usually so organised. We don't do ADRs, so usually have a lot of flexibilty. Having to pick the day we are going to be in a park is definitely different.

 

[LisaAJ]

Anybody leaving soon?? We go in 2.5 weeks and I am so disorganised!!! Need to get going on the packing! I usually pack 3 months before!

 

[jevs]

I can now say we are going next month

I need to get Christmas over with and then I'll be in several states of excitement. Tryîng to think of when I should tell tell the kids, either a happy new year surprise or a bit later. Unsure, I don't want them crazy with excitement for too lông

 

[minneylovesmicky]

I can now say we are going next month

Sounds good to say that, doens't it, our holiday starts 31/1/2015 (fly to sydney) but leave for USA on 1/2/2015, but i am taking the 31/1/ as our start date, as it means we start a day earlier

 

[NZMUM]

We leave in 3 1/2 weeks . Don't if I should be excited or scared.
Not at all organised. My son's last day of school tomorrow, busy weekend then maybe I can concentrate on making sure we're ready.

We are visiting family for Christmas and get back the day before we fly. Not knowing what to pack is putting me off a bit. We don't usually travel TO winter and so our packing is going to have to be quite different.

 

[BecBennett]

My son's last day of school tomorrow, busy weekend then maybe I can concentrate on making sure we're ready.

Already?? When does his school holidays finish? I think school holidays here don't start until around the 19th.

I was finally able to book our wedding photographer for a family shoot when we head over. I'm so excited! I tried to book a couple of months ago, and was told the only day they had available was our arrival day, and that really wasn't going to work, so I'd pretty much given up on the idea, and then the other day she sent me a msg to let me know about all these dates they had! So all booked and paid for!

I've got some quotes on internal flights, but waiting for the TA to get back to me and tell me if they're direct and include luggage. I'm being a bit impatient, but she seems to be taking her time!

Other than that our FP+ time is approaching, so I've got to start looking into that.

 

[NZMUM]

Already?? When does his school holidays finish? I think school holidays here don't start until around the 19th.

Yep already. It is high school though. Primary schools here finish around the 19th. My daughter finished school beginning of Nov for "study" leave . She had 3 exams, last one was on Monday, so really she's been on holiday for nearly a month .

Well done on getting the photographer.
Good luck with the Fast passes. I had no problems getting everything I wanted but didn't really like planning when I was going to do the rides.

 

[LisaAJ]

Not knowing what to pack is putting me off a bit. We don't usually travel TO winter and so our packing is going to have to be quite different.

I feel your pain!! I'm really struggling with this part! We have a week in New York and the other 3 in Florida but most of our suitcase space is taken up with snow gear! Not quite sure how we are going to get everything over there!

18 days to go!! My kids are on a Disney high now that it's getting closer. They decorated their journals last night and can't wait to start writing in them! I'm not so much excited as exhausted. 2 weeks left of work and it's packed full of stress!!

 

[BecBennett]

We're lucky that we have family over there, so we just use their snow gear. However when my sister and her boyfriend went over they went into a thrift shop while there and bought super cheap stuff, they knew it didn't have to be fancy and were planning on re-donating it when they were done, but I know one of the ski jackets made the trip home because they loved it so much