Hoping to make fun memories for cousins

[auntlulu]

Hi everyone! I am going to Disney World next summer with my nieces, ages 5 and 6, my nephew age 7, my sister, brother, brother-in-law and DH. This will be the first trip to DW for most of us.

So, how did this trip come to be? Well....about 4 years ago I was waiting in line at the post office and just happened to see the cute Mickey boxes and shipping envelopes. I thought how fun it would be to ship something to my nieces and nephew in those pretty boxes. Then I thought, what would I send? How about invitations to DW?? My creativity started getting the best of me, and I started making (secret) plans. I've been saving $100 per month for the past four years. I called my brother and sister and got them on board. So, we are going to DW next summer! I can't wait!

I am hoping this will be a fun time for all of us, and that the little cousins will make some precious memories that will stay with them the rest of their lives. When I was growing up I spent a lot of time playing with my cousins and those are the memories that have helped me through difficult times in my life. My plan is to take LOTS of pictures while we are there and then make each one of the kids a scrapbook that I will give to them the following Christmas.

We are staying off-property - we've already got our house reserved. It is a five bedroom, four bathroom house with a pool, gameroom, etc. That way we can all have our space as well as time together. We have made some tentative plans about what we are going to do while we are there.

Looking forward to hearing from anyone with great ideas!

 

[auntlulu]

So, here are the cast of characters:

Myself - 37 years old, married for 13 years, no kids, two yellow Labs, LOTS of nieces and nephews

DH - 40 years old, loves the outdoors and still very young for his age

Sister - 40-something, two kids, married for 23 years

BIL - 40-something, great guy, very easy-going

Brother - 30-something, one daughter

Nephew - will be 7 years old during our trip, very fun and active

Niece #1 - nephew's sister, will be 5 years old during our trip

Niece #2 - will be 6 years old during our trip

This will be our first trip together with all of us. I have such high hopes and expectations that this will be a trip to remember forever. We are staying seven nights and plan to visit the parks and take one day to go to Cocoa Beach, since none of the kids have ever seen the ocean. I can't wait to see how they react! We are hoping to have Breakfast with Cinderella one day. The park we will probably spend the most time in is MK.

I am working on getting in great shape before our trip. I've been riding my bike almost every day and have been taking Pilates classes. I am trying to convince my sister to start working out, also. After all, the trip will be so much more fun if we are all in great shape.

 

[auntlulu]

A little more about everyone:

My husband and I live several states away from all of our family, and we don't get to see them very often. My family members are all pretty conservative and don't often take vacations (most of them would never consider going to DW because of the expense). So, I am so happy that we got my sister and her family, and my brother to agree to go with us. Their kids are the cutest little things and I am so excited to see how they will react to the characters, rides and new things to see. They all live in pretty small towns, so it will all be such an adventure for them.

Since we are staying off-property, we plan to rent two cars. That way we can have a little flexibility with our plans. My husband and I both enjoy cooking, so we will have some great meals at the house we are renting.

My husband says to not get my expectations up too high about how the trip will work out. He is a little skeptical about everyone getting along the whole time. But I will remain excited and will keep reading Disney guidebooks. That will help me get through a long, cold winter!

 

[auntlulu]

OK - so the countdown is on! I've been planning and thinking about this trip for so long, now we only have 8 months to go! I am going to the library today to see if they have any new Disney guidebooks. My plan is to start sending little Disney trinkets to the kids about three months before we go.

Scrapbooking: I am new to scrapbooking but am looking forward to learning how to do all the neat pages I see in magazines. I think I will go shopping this weekend for the main scrapbooks and then slowly start gathering the supplies. I plan to give each kid a scrapbook for Christmas after our trip.

 

[indimom]

Hello there! What exciting plans!! I'm relatively new to the Dis, but am also hoping/planning a trip for about 8 months from now! Yeah!!! I'll try to keep up with your PTR when I can, and hopefully start working on my own as well. I'm kinda computer-challenged! Have fun planning! I know I will!!!

 

[auntlulu]

Hi indimom, I'm so excited to get my 1st reply to my PTR! Planning is probably almost as much fun as the actual trip! I'm looking forward to reading your PTR.

 

[auntlulu]

So, my brother just wrote me a note and said that his daughter is so excited to go with us next summer! We are all really looking forward to our FIRST real family vacation. I have had company in town off-and-on for the past month, so I haven't done much planning for a while. But with the colder temperatures setting in (I live near Chicago), it will soon be time to start dreaming of fun and sun in Florida.

My goals for November:
1) put written budget/expense plan together
2) start researching the best airfare
3) buy more scrapbooking materials
4) work with everyone to get an idea which attractions are "must see"