Hip Hip Hooray for Christmas Vacation... Disney Style!!! A Dec 2010 PTR

[DevonsDisneyMom]

I could never go without checking a bag... or 3... this is why I need an airline with bags included

I have started to get the kids school supplies too. My kids don't have to wear uniforms till high school here and that makes me really happy since they are pretty expensive

Yeah, it will be a stinking miracle if I can go without checking a bag... But I am going to try my hardest not to!

I still can't believe how quickly the summer is going. Geese before we know it, the kids will be going back to school!! I don't mind the uniforms, it is a lot of $$$ you have to put out in the beginning, but then he's set for the year.

 

[oregonmommyof2]

In unrelated Disney News, Devon when off the high dive at the pool for the first time this weekend (Toni I have pics of it on facebook) and I also managed to buy pretty much all of Devon’s school supplies for the upcoming school year. Being that he goes to Catholic school he wears a uniform so now all I have to do is figure out what doesn’t fit him from last school year and buy him new school shoes and the boy is ready to start 3rd grade come September 8th!!! Geese, I can’t believe my baby is going to 3rd grade, it literally feels like yesterday that he went to Kindergarten!!! My how time flys!

I totally saw the pics on your facebook, but I am a poo head and didn't comment... Sorry... BUT GO DEV!!! I couldn't do it!!!

I got my kids all ready for school too!! I am done with all school clothes and we did supplies just this last weekend...

I am liking your gift card thing you got going!!! My closest Disney store is an hour away so I couldn't do it... They do sell them at Wal-Greens though but then I would end up with like 10 gifts cards... lol... I will have to stop in there and see if I can reload those ones or not...

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

I totally saw the pics on your facebook, but I am a poo head and didn't comment... Sorry... BUT GO DEV!!! I couldn't do it!!!

I got my kids all ready for school too!! I am done with all school clothes and we did supplies just this last weekend...

I am liking your gift card thing you got going!!! My closest Disney store is an hour away so I couldn't do it... They do sell them at Wal-Greens though but then I would end up with like 10 gifts cards... lol... I will have to stop in there and see if I can reload those ones or not...

Glad you saw the pics of my little no fear boy!!! He makes me nervous up there!!!

I seriously can not believe it is back to school time already!!! I think next weekend I will pick up the last few things that I need to get him and get his uniform and school shoes the week we get back from Disney. The boy is growing like a freakin weed and I'm scared to get anything too early!!

Yeah, the gift card is really great! I love being able to just add the $$$ to the card... The tricky part is, like I said I have 2 card, 1 for each trip... Devon is usually with me and when u add $$$ to the cards each has to be a separate transaction so I have to make sure he doesn't see the one for December!!! I'm not sure that you can add funds to the ones you buy at other stores, but I read on another board that people that don't have a Disney store near them and end of having to get a million gift cards will bring a a few to the parks with them, but them charge everything else to their KTTW card and then just pay off the balance at the front desk with the gifts cards, eliminating have to carry them all with you daily! Just a thought!

 

[nessz79]

I found your PTR! Very exciting things in here- you upgraded to AKL for one thing- how wonderful! And another mini-trip in August! Devon will be caught off guard when you tell him you're going on ANOTHER trip!

I love your idea for the Thanksgiving reveal. I think I might do something similar. We have a tradition of decorating the house for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. I think that morning (or the night before if the balloons can handle it), I'm going to put a wrapped present in one of the boxes for the decorations. Then, when we open that box, there it will be! I don't know exactly what I'll put inside yet, but I'm planning on a couple of balloons with a note saying they are going to Disney for Christmas (or close).

BTW, Devon is SUCH a handsome little man! You're going to have to fight off the girls with a bat later .

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

I found your PTR! Very exciting things in here- you upgraded to AKL for one thing- how wonderful! And another mini-trip in August! Devon will be caught off guard when you tell him you're going on ANOTHER trip!

I love your idea for the Thanksgiving reveal. I think I might do something similar. We have a tradition of decorating the house for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. I think that morning (or the night before if the balloons can handle it), I'm going to put a wrapped present in one of the boxes for the decorations. Then, when we open that box, there it will be! I don't know exactly what I'll put inside yet, but I'm planning on a couple of balloons with a note saying they are going to Disney for Christmas (or close).

BTW, Devon is SUCH a handsome little man! You're going to have to fight off the girls with a bat later .

Welcome!!! Thanks so much for coming over to my PTR!!! We are super excited for the upgrade to AKL! I sure hope Devon feels the same way!!

I'm planning on putting up all the decorations that weekend after Thanksgiving too!!! All I want to worry about that Monday before the trip and the rest of the week is getting ready for Disney!!!

I am still up in the air about how to tell him about the trip!!! I have some time to think things thru... I want to do the ballons, but I am afraid they won't last in the box. Decisions, Decisions!!!

Thanks so much too, I am aften told I am going to have to bat the girls away from Devon!

 

[nessz79]

Welcome!!! Thanks so much for coming over to my PTR!!! We are super excited for the upgrade to AKL! I sure hope Devon feels the same way!!

I'm planning on putting up all the decorations that weekend after Thanksgiving too!!! All I want to worry about that Monday before the trip and the rest of the week is getting ready for Disney!!!

I am still up in the air about how to tell him about the trip!!! I have some time to think things thru... I want to do the ballons, but I am afraid they won't last in the box. Decisions, Decisions!!!

Thanks so much too, I am aften told I am going to have to bat the girls away from Devon!

That's my dilemma, too (with the balloons, although the bat and girls thing, too- )! Maybe the foil kind of balloons would be best- they tend to last really long. Have you ever noticed that they can last months if you let them?

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

That's my dilemma, too (with the balloons, although the bat and girls thing, too- )! Maybe the foil kind of balloons would be best- they tend to last really long. Have you ever noticed that they can last months if you let them?

I hear you on both accounts!!! those stinking balloons do seem to float around the house FOREVER!!!

I am now thinking of just giving him a christmas card (they should be out by Thanksgiving time right?) with a note that says something alone the lines of... I know Christmas in a month away but Santa said to give you this presnt early and then have a boxed wrapped up with a letter saying "you're going to Disney World" Pack your bags you leave Friday! I don't know thou, I'm so up in the air on what to do... I have the gift card I could put in the box with the note as well as a few vouchers that I found on here and printed out that he can turn into me for a pin, or a mickey ice cream bar and other little things like that during the trip!

 

[oregonmommyof2]

Hey Reese... Have you checked out the Disneystore website?? If you look in the Park Authentic section maybe you can find a few thing to put in the box??

Like autograph book and pen, mouse ears, a 2010 pin.... I dunno, just little things...

Crap, now I want a box....

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

Hey Reese... Have you checked out the Disneystore website?? If you look in the Park Authentic section maybe you can find a few thing to put in the box??

Like autograph book and pen, mouse ears, a 2010 pin.... I dunno, just little things...

Crap, now I want a box....

Ugh!!! I did see all the stuff!!! I'm trying not to spend $$$ but I so want to buy some things on there!!!

I may pick up a thing or two when we are there in August! I'm so indecisive on the surprise now!!!

 

[oregonmommyof2]

Ugh!!! I did see all the stuff!!! I'm trying not to spend $$$ but I so want to buy some things on there!!!

I may pick up a thing or two when we are there in August! I'm so indecisive on the surprise now!!!

I forgot about August again!!

That would be a great time to pick some things up!! I saw they had some of the park stuff on sale on the website so I may cheat a bit on the kids souvies, then I won't have to pay tax and make room in the suitcase... lol

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

I forgot about August again!!

That would be a great time to pick some things up!! I saw they had some of the park stuff on sale on the website so I may cheat a bit on the kids souvies, then I won't have to pay tax and make room in the suitcase... lol

That's a great idea!!!

 

[nessz79]

I hear you on both accounts!!! those stinking balloons do seem to float around the house FOREVER!!!

I am now thinking of just giving him a christmas card (they should be out by Thanksgiving time right?) with a note that says something alone the lines of... I know Christmas in a month away but Santa said to give you this presnt early and then have a boxed wrapped up with a letter saying "you're going to Disney World" Pack your bags you leave Friday! I don't know thou, I'm so up in the air on what to do... I have the gift card I could put in the box with the note as well as a few vouchers that I found on here and printed out that he can turn into me for a pin, or a mickey ice cream bar and other little things like that during the trip!

Have you ever done a scavenger hunt? You could try that. I did that a couple years ago when we took the dreaded Rv to Fort Wilderness and my oldest still talks about it.

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

Have you ever done a scavenger hunt? You could try that. I did that a couple years ago when we took the dreaded Rv to Fort Wilderness and my oldest still talks about it.

I have thought about a scavenger hunt? But where do I begin with that???

 

[oregonmommyof2]

I have thought about a scavenger hunt? But where do I begin with that???

We did that to tell the kids they were going last year...

I printed a page with a letter on it and hid that and made a clue to send the to that place... (in the microwave, under Tailor's bed, just random places...) once they found all the letters they had to figure out what it spelled... We had it spell "WALT DISNEY WORLD"

Took them a few minutes to get it...

They loved it and have been asking for us to do that again...

 

[nessz79]

I have thought about a scavenger hunt? But where do I begin with that???

We also start out with a letter that has some simple rhyme to it and it hints that there's a surprise, but they'll have to look for it. It gives hints as to where to look. The kids figure it out (adjust it for age level, of course) and look in that place. If they get really stuck, I'll help them. They look there and there is their next rhyming hint. Our kids were really young at the time- 5 and 3- so I had to make it simple and I did a lot of hinting. It ended with them looking in the RV (which is the basis for that first family trip). Inside the RV we had balloons, Mickey Mouse confetti (made with a Mickey Mouse puncher I bought at the craft store), and the planning DVD was playing on the tv. They had Disney shirts set out for them and a letter from Mickey telling them they were coming soon.

It was priceless and really set the mood. Like Oregonmommy says, they have asked to do a scavenger hunt again.

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

We did that to tell the kids they were going last year...

I printed a page with a letter on it and hid that and made a clue to send the to that place... (in the microwave, under Tailor's bed, just random places...) once they found all the letters they had to figure out what it spelled... We had it spell "WALT DISNEY WORLD"

Took them a few minutes to get it...

They loved it and have been asking for us to do that again...

I didn't know you did that last year!!! That's a great idea I like that!!! Devon would get a kick out of it too!!! I definitely have some decisions to make on the surprise!!!

We also start out with a letter that has some simple rhyme to it and it hints that there's a surprise, but they'll have to look for it. It gives hints as to where to look. The kids figure it out (adjust it for age level, of course) and look in that place. If they get really stuck, I'll help them. They look there and there is their next rhyming hint. Our kids were really young at the time- 5 and 3- so I had to make it simple and I did a lot of hinting. It ended with them looking in the RV (which is the basis for that first family trip). Inside the RV we had balloons, Mickey Mouse confetti (made with a Mickey Mouse puncher I bought at the craft store), and the planning DVD was playing on the tv. They had Disney shirts set out for them and a letter from Mickey telling them they were coming soon.

It was priceless and really set the mood. Like Oregonmommy says, they have asked to do a scavenger hunt again.

I'm liking this idea more and more!!!

 

[2kids2luv]

How exciting that your mini-trip is only 3 weeks away! I wish we had a Disney store near us. The gift card would make it easy for the kids to keep track of their own spending. We got the Disney visa once we decided we were going. I'm amazed how fast we've racked up points (charging MVMCP and airline tickets sure helps) I"ve been using it for groceries too. It's a rainy day here today so we're going shopping for school supplies and haircuts.

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

How exciting that your mini-trip is only 3 weeks away! I wish we had a Disney store near us. The gift card would make it easy for the kids to keep track of their own spending. We got the Disney visa once we decided we were going. I'm amazed how fast we've racked up points (charging MVMCP and airline tickets sure helps) I"ve been using it for groceries too. It's a rainy day here today so we're going shopping for school supplies and haircuts.

I know I am so excited... I am about to post a mini update as soon as I am done typing this response! I just got rid of my Disney Visa b/c I paid off all my credit card debt and cut them up! But I loved it! When we went in Dec 2008 I used that card for EVERYTHING before the trip and they were running a special that you got 5x the reward if you booked airfare or used it for gas etc... And I had close to $600!!! IT was great!

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

Oh my goodness!!!! So I am sitting at my desk at work (tired as all heck b/c I was up entirely too late last night) and my assistant brought me in a Fed-Ex package… Looking at it completely clueless for a minute (because my brain is not fully functional today) it dawned on me what it was!!!! MY TICKETS TO DISNEY AND UNIVERSAL for our trip, which I would like to add, we leave for exactly 3 weeks from today!!!! Yeah Buddy!!!

Ok that’s about all I got! Hope everyone is having a wonderful day!

 

[oregonmommyof2]

YAY for tickets!!!

It was fun talking to you last night... Sounded like you were having a good time at the soccer game!!