Help!!! Custom Gift Basket Ideas needed

[jacksmom]

I love the "boy" ideas! When should I order?

 

[dreamakermom]

The timing of when to order is a hard one for me because I am not going until the end of Feb and I want to order now!!! I am so excited!!! But I DID at least put my ideas together so when it IS time, I am ready to go. I have my items to send put aside also so I can get them there when they need to be instead of trying to hunt them down last minute!!! This is the most organized I have een in all my 47 years!!!! Have fun!! Karen

 

[Mickey&Co]

When should I order?

You should order 2-3 weeks before your cruise in order to give Shirley enough time to put your basket together. She does a wonderful job and I am sure you will be happy with the final product.

Mickey&Co

 

[Cruella de mom]

Last year when we went to WDW my Dad had a box shipped to our hotel waiting for us when we arrived. It was basically a huge gift basket for the kids. He included 2' high stuffed Mickey, Minnie, & Goofy. Three mickey baseball hats, three matching tshirts, mickey socks, mickey sunglasses, kid sized fanny packs with disposable cameras, and some mickey mouse crackers he got at a dollar store. There was also an envelope with Disney Dollars for each child. I think he emptied his local disney store....
The kids wore their entire outfits for the first day in the Park and we got there early enough to get their pictures taken with the entire bus load of Charactors before the park opened (and the tshirts were still clean!)

 

[Laurabearz]

Yesterday, as I was driving up to our house, I saw a large Mickey Mouse pouch and got all giddy.... until I picked it up and saw that my Aunt sent me some books on dolls in a Mickey envelope!

I booked Via Dreams Unlimited.... will DU get the docs first, then pass them along to me???

Gosh... 3 weeks to go!!!

 

[mott]

Yesterday, as I was driving up to our house, I saw a large Mickey Mouse pouch and got all giddy.... until I picked it up and saw that my Aunt sent me some books on dolls in a Mickey envelope!

I booked Via Dreams Unlimited.... will DU get the docs first, then pass them along to me???

Gosh... 3 weeks to go!!!

Yes, DCL will send docs to your TA (in your case DU) and then they will send them to you. DCL told me that I could have the TA put a request in to have the docs sent directly from DCL to me and bypass the TA, but my TA (Costco) said that is not possible. They have some of their own docs to add. I'm sure you'll get your docs soon....

 

[Lisa0503]

Well I just ordered my gift basket from Shirley yesterday. What I requested was:
Sand Pail/Shovel
Disposible Water Camera
Bubbles
Eye Patch (Shirley is trying to get them but currently doesn't have them so I may not get this)
Glow Neaklaces
Cups w/Lids for Soda

Candy:
Resees Pieces
Sweedish Fish(May not get this item as she was not sure what this candy was)
Resees PB Cups
Milky Way
M&M's
Hershey Kisses

Cookies:
NutterButters
Oreos
Animal Crackers
Goldfish Bags

And a Micky Mouse Mylar Balloon attached!!! (all items are provided by Shirley...I am much to disorganized with two little ones to ship anything ahead)

I can't wait to get the basket on our cruise Thanks so much for all of you who helped me with what I should get in our basket.

As far as when to order, it seems like Shirley would like the order 1-2 weeks in advance....she is afraid she may lose/forget the order if she gets it too far in advance...

Oh, and Laura...don't fret over your cruise docs. I just got mine yesterday

 

[Laurabearz]

You should order 2-3 weeks before your cruise in order to give Shirley enough time to put your basket together. She does a wonderful job and I am sure you will be happy with the final product.

Mickey&Co

I called The Perfect Gift this afternoon. OUr cruise is 21 days out and Cheryl (I think that was her name... she handles the flower end, while Shirley does the Cruise baskets)anyway she told me plenty of time. They are busy making all the baskets for this weeks cruises. I left my name and number and Cheryl said to expect a call by Monday.

UGH... I just thought of something! Poor Shirley (and all the passengers) on the diverted embarktion port.... a pain for them, and a pain for her.... I wonder if those baskets will be canceled? (but from what I know of Shirley, I am sure if posible the baskets will make it to their haapy customers!

 

[Laurabearz]

Mott... Lisa... thanks for the doc hugs... lol I was waiting patiently until that darn package yesterday!!!

1-2 weeks out seems right.... UNLESS you are shipping something to her to include... I would have a chat with her at least a month out, and finalize later...

 

[snelsonbrown]

Hello all,
Most of the time, I just don't like to bump in so that it will sound like I am advertising my shop (I was told that about 4 or so years ago so I kinda lurk in this territory)
Anyhow for most part, I always try to work with your budget so you won't have any surprises - we have now started carrying pirate's nights stuff but it won't be in for a couple of weeks - I put the delivery off due to the time of the year and didn't want to take the loss as we did last year.
As for sending items down, I really try to encourage this for it helps you make it more personable but it really got so out of hand that I had to put a limit to the items sent - it was there for awhile I was just putting in time to put the baskets together and I saw where the shop was going and I needed for it to make a profit in order to stay above the water. It's not that I minded in the beginning but when boxes after boxes started arriving, I was
stunned and didn't know what to say for I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. As it is DCL charges me $12.50 for items I take accross and I can NOT in good conscience charge extra delivery - I enjoy making the baskets - I visionlize what the child or adult will think, say, act when they open the door and their baskets are there - as a number of folks also know I always donate baskets for the special children of MAW - I was very blessed when a disboard member learned of this, went out and purchased a bunch of stuff and sent it to me for my MAW children - I didn't know what to say to her except thank you, but please not to do it any more for I felt like I was taking from her - she made it possible for me to make the baskets more filling for these children and still am - I divide her stuff with mine and put her name on the cards as Cinderella's Fairy Godmother for the girls and I put fairy Prince Charming for the boys to honor her thoughtfulness (and no do not go out and send me stuff - I am just sharing with you ok?)
Anyhow getting on to the gift basket - I will try to help you any way I can and if you feel you want to go another direction, it will not hurt my feelings for I do understand and please know if I help you in some way this is NOT a pressure point to buy something from the shop -
anyhow I am going to walk my little 4 legged child down to the beach to see how things are going with the weather.
Blessings always to each of you
most of all know I am here cause I love you all
Always your friend
Shirley and Norm

 

[LoveMyLAP-BAND]

Hey Shirley,

What kind of pirate night stuff do you have?

Oh, and I don't think you are intruding on the post or pumping your business. I am glad someone posted about you. Hubby isn't going on the cruise and would love to have a gift waiting for his three kids (that I didn't have to lug!). I had no idea you were around. Your baskets are going to be perfect!

Thanks!

 

[jacksmom]

I would also love to know what kind of pirate stuff is/will be available for my mid-Oct cruise?? It would be so much easier to order it in a basket than to have to go out and hunt it!

 

[Cindi0511]

As it is DCL charges me $12.50 for items I take accross and I can NOT in good conscience charge extra delivery - I enjoy making the baskets - I visionlize what the child or adult will think, say, act when they open the door and their baskets are there. Blessings always to each of you -- most all know I am here cause I love you all.
Always your friend
Shirley and Norm

Miss Shirley -- does DCL charge you $12.50 per basket (or bag or whatever the outside "holder of goodies" is) for delivery?? That is extremely helpful info. It helps me justify costs. I am ALWAYS looking for ways to justify the cost of surprises, and that is a HUGE justification right there. Remember you are a business, Miss Shirley, and I'm sure NO ONE here would take advantage of you knowingly. You certainly deserve to, and really NEED to, make a decent profit off these magical surprises. Thank you so much for all you do for us DISsers. We do appreciate it.

 

[Marypoppinsiam]

Thanks Shirley for the update. I understand where you are coming from and hey it helps me out because I don't have to go around looking for all that stuff,pack it up and then head off to the dreaded post office. I just love your baskets and can't wait to order mine.
Hope the weather holds out for you.

Mary

 

[LoveMyLAP-BAND]

Hey Shirley,

Can you also do things for the Sail Away party? I don't know what people get for it, but maybe you or someone has ideas.

 

[Laurabearz]

I just got off the phone with Shirley! Such a sweetie! I places an order for 3 med sand pails and listed what types of candy etc each kid likes. Went smoothly and she will call me tomorrow with the prices since she was quite busy today!

I am soooooooo very very excited about this trip!!

 

[Cruella de mom]

I just found some fun things for my kids on sale at the Disney store.

I found:

Little Minnie Mouse washcloths - the kind you have to soak in water to get them to expand. I got a couple from FInding Nemo as well since the ocean theme works for a cruise. They were about $2 each

Small little pouches with clips on them for their backpacks. I got Kim Possible, Lizzie McGuire and Buzz light year but they always need places to store their treasures (seashells, etc) These were on sale for $1

I also found a silly little Mickey Mouse toy that can stand or sit. Its kind of worthless, but they can rearrange him and it was cute and cheap. I don't remember how much but nothing I got was over $3

They had little bitty stuffed Mickey and Minnies for $6 each but I have a $3 limit on my surprise items.

Also, I found cheap mickey mouse watches for the kids to wear on the cruise so they will know when its time for the next activity. I found them at Wal Mart for about $6 each. They have really nice ones, but I wanted something easy to replace and cheap so that if they got wet or lost it wouldn't be a big deal.

Other ideas I am thinking about include red. blue and yellow M&M's in a special cup, some swim goggles, sunglasses, and perhaps ballcaps. I am also going to stock up on some eyepatches when I find them in the Halloween decorations.

My kids are past the age of sandtoys and rarely eat candy (Dh will eat the M&M's) so I have to get very creative to find things they might actually use.

 

[Marypoppinsiam]

I need to get to the disney store soon. I am making up a suprise backpack for my son the day we leave for the cruise. You had some cute ideas. We are having Shirley make us an Easter basket for the Easter cruise.

 

[Lisa0503]

They had little bitty stuffed Mickey and Minnies for $6 each but I have a $3 limit on my surprise items

My mom just bought these for DD & DS. They are soooo cute. DD has not put Minnie down all week!!! Needless to say, Minnie will be sailing with us next week!!!!

 

[Cindi0511]

I think the web site is www.costumesexpress.com, but I just got the catelogue, and there is an ADORABLE little girl's pirate costume in there for $54, but since I'm not cruising until NEXT September, I'm waiting for it to go on clearance.

HOWEVER, this is the cutest little girl's pirate costume I have seen -- it's not sleazy, and it will cover her and it looks well made, although I am not a seamstress.

I know there are boy pirate costumes, too, but since I only have girls, I didn't really pay attention, but they have great stuff.