Trip Report Finally, it's now the "I am bigger now, big enough for Disneyland!" PTR!

[RoseBug]

I know we have 4months + before we head back to the magic but I've decided to start a pre-trip report combined with planning thread - just to feed my obsession!

The cast:

Mammy (me), 32. Punk, teacher and secret Disney Princess - getting more Disney obsessed the older I get!

Daddy, 30. Metaller, part-time stay at home daddy (playmate?!) and not-so secret Disney Princess. Not quite as Disney obsessed as me, but a very close second!

Rosebug, 3. Disney Princess through and through. Truly believes she is a Disney Princess most days!

The trip:

A total extravagance, we really didn't think we could afford another trip this year (possibly even next year) and had told Rosebug that we would go again when she was a bit bigger, but when you have a little girl who wakes up every morning asking "Am I bigger yet? Big enough for Disneyland?" and knowing how AMAZING the 20th anniversary celebrations look - who could not do everything they could to afford another trip! So after a lot of budgeting and mostly being funded by an already exhausted and over-worked mammy doing extra work (2000+ exam papers to mark in 3 weeks) ... we booked and man, does it feel sweet!

Staying 3 nights/4 days in August at DLP's Newport Bay Hotel, on Admirals Floor, with a Lake View. (Staying offsite at the Kyriad on night 1 as we get in very, very late). Chose this hotel because we love the look of the pool, and the theme is just fab! Still praying for a 99% off deal for DLH to pop up though, so we can upgrade!

Planning on becoming a shareholder before our trip, just to make use of Salon Mickey and telling DD that we own a brick (or pebble) in the park and finding a random spot and saying "This is ours!"

Will be booking meals at Auberge de Cendrillion; Café Mickey; Cowboy Cookout and either Inventions or one of the Dreams VIP restaurants. Auberge is the main priority as Rosebug still talks about her birthday meal there every day! I know character meals are more expensive but will be trying our best to avoid all queued meets if possible, and will not venture near any scrums, so to meet as many characters as possible, this is our plan!

The morning before we head to Auberge we plan on taking Rosebug to DLH Boutique to get a princess makeover! Wish I could get it done too - and will possibly ask if I can have matching face paint!

The only thing I (STILL) really want to do is Crushes Coaster - and if I have to queue for 2 hours I will this time, may do it during Rosebug's naptime or will send her and hubby off to do more fun things without me!

Our favourite ride is RNRC - and will do it as many times as we can (hoping we catch it with no queues one day) using baby switch!

We missed many things due to the cold and ice on our last trip - so the things that we really want DD to experience is the train ride, Storyboats and the carousel!

She met so many of the princesses on our last trip - but didn't "meet" Tiana, Ariel and Belle to talk to/get photos with so would love this opportunity this trip.

I would love to meet Jack Sparrow and hubby wants his photo taken with Rapunzel this time!

We are all SO excited to see Dreams and the new parade, and catch Fantillusion again, I get a little flutter in my tummy every time I see a photo or see it mentioned. Rosebug is obsessed, everytime she sees an advert she gets so excited, and often makes me go to the DLP website to see the pictures! She is always asking "Am I bigger yet?" and tells everyone she is going back to DLP when she is bigger, and is going to stay in a hotel with a lighthouse and swimming pool!

And now to the most important bit - the Disney purchases for the holiday!

We received a parcel this morning from America, my Uncle had sent me this tee:

[/url]
DSC_0654 by rosebug09, on Flickr[/IMG]

and in the parcel was some FAB Disney gifts for Rosebug for her holiday:

A beautiful Disney Princess swimsuit and towel dress, perfect for our afternoon swims at the NPB outdoor pool:

[/url]
DSC_0655 by rosebug09, on Flickr[/IMG]

and a gorgeous Ariel tee and leggings set:

[/url]
DSC_0656 by rosebug09, on Flickr[/IMG]

Such a lucky little girl (and mammy, my tee is FAB!)

I have also bought Rosebug this tee, but will probably give her it for Easter:

[/url]
DSC_0657 by rosebug09, on Flickr[/IMG]

And when I was sorting out her clothes, I found this, which I forgot she had and she may be big enough to wear come August:

[/url] DSC_0653 by rosebug09, on Flickr[/IMG]

I am also planning on making her some tees with her name on, with the help of this forum, and an autograph book. I threatened hubby with a personalised tee for him tonight too - he told me to sod off, but I am so going to do it!!!

Anyway, sorry for starting this so early, you will all be so bored by the time our trip comes round... but I am SO excited!

Roll on August!!!!

 

[tigger17]

Fab start August will come round really quickly I love all the tops have fun planing xxx

 

[Disney Princesses LW]

Loving this pre trip report already, we have so many similarities, I too am getting more Disney obsessed the older I get! (although it does help I finally got my girl after 2 boys!! ans she like your little girl thinks she is a princess everyday!!)
We also went in the cold month of February and return with friends this time in Oct we going for the MNNSHP and cant wait.
We are staying in NBH admi floor, 3nights 4 days and cant wait to hear all about it from your trip reports when you return.
We are going half board and as its my little girls birthday same month we going to Auberges for a princess tea party, we also are going to boy cowboy cookout still never met Woody!! and our friends want to do Cafe Mickey which we loved so much in Feb xxxxx

Looking forward to more updates xxxxx

 

[Disney Princesses LW]

Ps I too have bought DD that rapunzel t shirt for Easter!! hahaah

although I could do with a relataive in America my friends are going WDW in June & Aug so if you see any good bargins let me know xxxx

 

[tinks_1989]

I love that swimsuit and towel dress it is beautiful!!!

Love Rosebugs comments so cute kids say the best/ cutest things ever x

 

[RoseBug]

Thanks guys! So glad you have read, and don't think I am starting too early...

Disney Princess LW - it is so hard having him in America (mostly because I would rather he was home!), because there is so much I want on the Disney website, but anytime I ask him to get me stuff he sends shed loads and won't take any money for it! So I try not to ask - all the Prince dolls are $8 on there at the minute though, so I have had to ask him to get Flynn for Rosebug, as I can't get it over here, and she asks for Flynn all the time!

My only real wish for this trip is that we had enough to take my mam and gran with us. My mam has had a really dreadful time recently (was mis-diagnosed with pneumonia and nearly died from giant liver abscesses, had emergency surgery and was in hospital for 5+ weeks, all started when we were in Disney in Feb!) and I know one of the only things she wants to do is go to Disneyland (she is a massive Disney fan like me) and has never been, she would especially love to go with Rosebug, but she'll never afford it and we're struggling to afford it for us! Hopefully when we got to California in 2014 we can take her and gran with us then!

 

[Ms Poppins]

It's never too early for a trip report It actually helps with the planning I think, when you see in black and white in front of you.

I love the shareholder quote of pointing to a brick and saying it's yours Where to pick.......

All those clothes look lovely too. I like the meals you have planned too

Let the planning commence

 

[RoseBug]

Well, I have decided on how to do a "countdown" with Rosebug, but whilst I have the idea, I also have no creative brain at all, so don't know how to pull it off. I have asked on the Creative DISigns board in the hopes someone can help me, but so far nothing!

I want to make a height chart, with various characters and maybe images from DLP, and a set of markers saying things like "Not quite big enough yet! or "You will be big enough in 4 months and 1 day!" and will change the marker once a week when we measure her (as obviously we don't know how much she will grow at all between now and August, if at all, she is teeny and they are looking to see if it is linked to her tummy/bottom problems! ).

But up to now - this is just an idea, as I have no idea how to make one myself to print off! She will love it when I finally manage it though!

 

[jothp]

It sounds like you are going to have a great trip. Could you buy a height chart then print out the pictures/captions you wanted onto sticky labels? As long as the height chart has a plasticy coating you should be able to remove/restick the labels and if you tore one you could always print another copy.

 

[RoseBug]

It sounds like you are going to have a great trip. Could you buy a height chart then print out the pictures/captions you wanted onto sticky labels? As long as the height chart has a plasticy coating you should be able to remove/restick the labels and if you tore one you could always print another copy.

I am going to attempt to make something tonight... we'll see what it turns out like! I should be better at things like this, considering I make on average 50 resources a month for school, worksheets, games, activities... and they look great (most of the time!)

 

[RoseBug]

I have just opened a shareholders account with Halifax, was all very excited to be able to say that I was a shareholder tonight... alas, it is outside of International trading hours, so I have to wait until tomorrow! Quite surprised at how low the stock prices are at £3.70, so with the fee it is £85!

Will buy them first thing tomorrow and then start the panic on which documents to fill out and send off to become an official Le Club Actionnaires member!



So this now lets us add Salon Mickey into our daily plans! How very exciting, and lots of discounts!

 

[jothp]

I am going to attempt to make something tonight... we'll see what it turns out like! I should be better at things like this, considering I make on average 50 resources a month for school, worksheets, games, activities... and they look great (most of the time!)

I'm sure it will look great once it is finished. Don't forget to show us all

 

[RoseBug]

What a week! Rosebug was admitted to hospital on Friday to try to get on top of her little bowel problems, she was discharged today and when we got home she asked "Have they made me bigger?" She is convinced she was in hospital so they could make her bigger (they had to measure her a few times, as she is teeny and they are looking at if there is a link to her bowel issues). So I REALLY need to get the Big Enough for Disneyland height chart made, but I am so bogged down with work atm I won't get a chance!

I am so glad we have booked NPBC hotel (although I am still hoping for that 90% off DLH sale for our dates ), when she arrived at the hospital on Friday she asked if they had a swimming pool like the hotel she is going to stay in at Disneyland! On the NHS? Not quite little one! She was happy with the teddy she got off the nurse and the letter from Tinkerbell (dietician) with a shopping list and request to eat lots of fibre!

So, anyway - planning has been slightly on hold with all this, but I did manage to buy Rosebug two new t-shirts from Tesco (I've put them away now, without taking a photo! but these are the links

Daisy Duck
http://www.clothingattesco.com/invt/kc212215/

and
Minnie Mouse
http://www.clothingattesco.com/invt/kc120616/

And I have spotted one on there for me too!

I've been thinking about meals (thanks to all the crazy meal planning by other DISer's this weekend) and really not sure what to do.

We really want to eat at Inventions/Auberge/Café Mickey - all for character meals, but with the 7pm parade time I am not sure how we will fit in Inventions evening buffet, and guessing Café Mickey will have to be lunch time because of the parade times too, in order to catch the characters!

Quite fancying Cowboy Cookout too.... ARGH! My head is battered!

Oh - and how could I forget, I am now a member of the Shareholders club! Just need to figure out which brick to tell Rosebug we own a bit of!

 

[HFJohnson]

The 7pm parade time is a bit of a pain isn't it! I think it's going to be at that time when we go in May so I've had change some of my dinner plans! We'll probably only get to see it once aswell as I don't really want to wait until 8pm to eat. We'll see.

It's great being a shareholder isn't it! I like the idea of choosing a brick that's "yours" - I think we might do that when we visit. We'll pick our favourite part of the park and nominate a bit that just belongs to us

 

[RoseBug]

Well, this is our current DLP plan of action & meal plan:

Tuesday

7am - arrive at NPB from Kyriad and check in.

8am - EMH - Castle visit first and meet the Dragon then would like to get on Dumbo; Peter Pan's Flight; Mad Hatter's Tea Cups and Le Carrousel de Lancelot if possible.

9.30am+ - breakfast at Salon Mickey

10:30am - Princess Makeover at DLH for DD

12pm - lunch at Auberge (probably won't eat much)

2pm - head back to room for a nap/swim

4pm - grab something from Village or DLH for coffee & Mickey waffles on way back to park

5pm - Fantasyland - Alice's labryinth; Storybook boats; Casey and It's a Small World

7pm - Parade

Depending on time between Parade and Fantillusion - share a pizza at Café Mickey

Fantillusion

Dreams


Wednesday

Lie-in after Dreams

9am - breakfast at NPB/Cafe Mickey or DLH

9:30am - Studios (Crush; Slinky; Parachutes; Cars; Flying Carpets; Animagique; Playhouse Disney; Stitch Live; Cars & Stars Parade and RnRC)

1pm - Restaurant En Coulisse

5pm - back to room for nap/shower and change of clothes

6:30pm - Inventions character buffet

8pm - Adventureland (Aladdin; Pirate Ship; POTC)

Possible early night or Fantillusion/Dreams again

Thursday

7am - breakfast in room at NPB

8am - EMH in DLP (shopping; Discoveryland (Buzz and SM2 for me) and back to Fantasyland if time)

10am - snack at Salon Mickey

10:30am - Frontierland

1:30pm - Anniversary Train

2pm - Cafe Mickey character lunch

4pm - Nap & Swim

5:30pm - back to Park

7pm - Casey's hotdogs/nuggets whilst watching Parade

9pm - Fantillusion & Dreams

Friday

8am - EMH if we get up in time - or a lie in and breakfast

9am - Fantasyland EMH

10am - snack at Salon Mickey

10:30am - favourite attractions/Princess Pavilion?

1pm - Cowboy Cookout Character Meal

3:30pm - Anniversary Train

6pm - Something quick but filling before leaving for airport!


I am well aware that this will not go to plan, queues and crowds may scupper most it, but at least this way we can try to get everything done. We will be wandering near Alice's labyrinth abit to try to meet Alice/White Rabbit and might try to squeeze in DLH meets on Thursday or Friday, also want to meet Duffy so will queue for him, and possibly the odd other character that pops up!

It would seem we are going to have to carry costumes in our bag - Rosebug told me tonight that if she meets Alice - she wants to be wearing her Alice dress... etc. Dear God!!!

So very excited, she told me tonight (whilst making me watch the Dreams and Parade clip from DLP website AGAIN) that "I like Disneyland. It makes me happy!"

 

[RoseBug]

I cannot believe our trip is so soon - time has flown! 1 month 2 weeks and 2 days!

Rosebug had a check-up at the GP's today, and I asked him about a doctors letter. He said he had never heard of anywhere doing anything like this and he thinks it is very commendable of Disney to offer guests such a thing, that this is what it should be about "making life easier for people, especially little ones!" and that he would write her a letter there and then. He just wrote in it that she has "Chronic constipation with overflow, on appropriate medication, please support with access to toilets and attractions." Signed and stamped. And no charge. I am hoping this will be enough, although I am sure it will be. I have to say we have the BEST GP, he really is absolutely amazing, he genuinely cares about you and knows everything about you!

We weren't lucky in upgrading to 4 nights - either at Sequoia or adding an extra night at NPB, the prices were over £400 for one night extra. So we have given up the hope. If a flash sale pops up before we go we will try to the French number as many times as we can face and see what happens, but hingsight is a wonderful thing, and I should have just booked 4 nights in the first place.

I need to get my butt in gear and finish her autograph book, and make the t-shirts with her name on (from the dISign forum) - I never did get a Am I big enough chart made, so I may just make the pointers and start doing it on her wall! And also need to start getting her little bits to fill her case and flight bag, I had hoped to get a few bits in the Disney online sale but everything decent is sold out. We may pop over to the Sunderland store tomorrow, as it has been refurbished, and see what they have!

Meals are all booked now, although we need to change the timing of Café Mickey. We were thinking of booking the Dreams VIP meal, but now wondering if we may get access to a priority spot with her easy access pass?!

3 weeks left at work, and then a wonderful summer to look forward to, with my god-daughters family coming to stay, then Disney and then my Uncle and his girlfriend visiting from the US! I can't wait!!!

 

[RoseBug]

Well, I've been shopping today! We went to the Sunderland Disney Store and Rosebug loved it, with the dress up castle and I loved the sale!!! Managed to get her the Izzy t-shirt with pixie dust bag that I wanted and thought we'd missed a Princess sunhat, sunglasses and purse and a ceramic breakfast set in a tin (which is going away for Christmas!) All 50% off plus shareholders discount!

Plus - we went to Asda to get Rosebug some new knickers, and obviously got Minnie Mouse ones, but I have finally lost the plot and bought myself new knickers for holiday - DISNEY ones! Minnie, Donald & Daisy and Tinkerbell!!! I swear I'm not right in the head!

My purchases:

[/url] DSC_0401 by rosebug09, on Flickr[/IMG]

And Rosebug in her new Izzy t-shirt and (what she calls) her pirate skirt, boots and bandanna (which is actually a sunhat we bought in Disney when she was 4months old and lost her sunhat!)

[/url] DSC_0391 by rosebug09, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[RoseBug]

2 WEEKS TO GO!!!!!!

I can't believe how quickly it has come around. Rosebug is super excited now, telling everyone "I'm bigger now, big enough for Disneyland!" She has to be measured everytime we go to the consultant, and she had an appt a week and a half ago, so I had a quick word with the nurse and when she measured her she exclaimed "WOW! Good news Rosebug, you're big enough for Disneyland now, how exciting!" She was so excited and couldn't stop beaming. She told the consultant about her holiday and they had a big chat, as she has a 2 year old girl and the consultant asked if I needed a letter for easy access. I told her the GP had given us a basic one, and she said she would write a paragraph in our letter too so we had 2 letters to take with us! It arrived last week and is very clear, explains Rosebug's issues in depth (makes me sad) and asks that she not be made to queue for any length of time, and in the interests of public hygiene (in case she has an accident) it would be better if she were given easy access to everything! My poor wee girl, but at least things at Disney might be easier for her.

I started packing for Rosebug yesterday, so I could see what we needed to buy for her, and tbh I think she has enough - loads of Disney tees, a Tink sundress etc. I am going to make her a few tee's though, a I love Tarzan one for when we go to the show and she randomly asked if she could have a tee with the lighthouse on (from the hotel) so I might make her a Newport Bay tee, with Donald and Daisy on (she thinks they live there!)

I've left it too late to order her autograph book, so need to buy some card and a book so I can make and print her one...we'll see if I manage it!

So very excited now...

 

[RoseBug]

SINGLE FIGURES!

This time next week we will be on the plane to Paris!!!

I am usually very last minute with EVERYTHING, and determined not to be this time - so whilst we were housebound today thanks to another massive thunderstorm I did most of our holiday admin:

• Ordered our holiday money through Travelex
• Added our luggage to our easyjet booking
• Emailed Ezyshuttle to confirm our times etc.

Just need more paper to print off boarding cards and hotel admin!

Then we went shopping and I bought all our toiletries and some Disney bits from Asda, so I may start packing tomorrow!!! Still have lots of other bits to do, but so long as the admin is done as I am usually running round an hour before we go trying to print stuff off!

And I have just ordered some Minnie nail transfers from ebay! Dear god!

Rosebug is getting silly excited, won't go to sleep at night because she is so excited about it all! You've got a week to go crazy girl!