How do you make your Disney trip extra special?

[acf_1991]

I was reading on the DISigner boards about how many people do extra little things to make it special for their family. I've seen the little penny tubes, homemade tshirts, I guess in a way a homemade grand welcome. Has anyone done this? And what did you do to make it special?

 

[daisyduck123]

I was reading on the DISigner boards about how many people do extra little things to make it special for their family. I've seen the little penny tubes, homemade tshirts, I guess in a way a homemade grand welcome. Has anyone done this? And what did you do to make it special?

I'm not sure if other people will consider these special, but here are some things we do that I consider "special":

1) Usually wear matching Disney t-shirts (and all wear black shorts so we REALLY match)

2) We have a dinner ADR every night & we always book at least one new/different restaurant

3) Book something new/different to do each trip..some things we've done:
Cirque de Solei
MVMCP
Epcot Segway tour
Illuminations Celebration cruise
renting waverunners at the Contemporary
renting boats at the Poly
Poly Luau
Hoop de Doo
mini-golf
DVC tour (ended up buying!)
manicures at the resort salon

 

[Scarlett81]

DD and DS are going to wear minnie and mickey outfits on the flight down!
DS has a mickey onesie and infant mickey hat,
and DD has a minnie tshirt with matching tutu and leggings-comfy enough for lo's but still in the spirit of things.

Last time we went we had an inroom celebration-princess themed bc DS wasn't born yet.
we'll see if I break down and do that again this year!

 

[santa's surpriz]

DD gets personalized letters from Mickey each morning to let her what is in store for that day. They are super corny and I have fun writing them. She loves them so much she made a special mailbox I take on each trip. ( a backseat car organizer I let het decorate and hang on a door or the nightstand.)

 

[BuzzLiteyear]

I am the planner for our family and I like to add something new that I don't spring on my family until we are there. It could be our resort, an ADR, the type of room, etc.

 

[Tricia's mom]

With this next trip being DD (5 when we go) 7th time to WDW... I am thinking she's pretty lucky she is going AGAIN...and that the trip in its self is SPECIAL. We are also going (and usually do) during Easter so she does get quite the Disney theme easter basket. She is allowed ONE souviner ONE. I usually buy a little bag of junk from the dollar store for the flight down.. if it gets lost oh well.. its for my own sanity on the plan although the ipod has really served that purpose.. I might just download a new app or movie.

I ALWAYS buy a couple of tubes of glow sticks and bracletes for the night time shows... I refuse to buy the light up stuff they sell.. There is always extra for DD to share with a new friend
I also Might give a "personel" invitation this time for DD to go to the HDDMR ..

 

[merbobear]

I made matching shirts for our family to wear one day, on our first day my dd wore a shirt I made that said "My mom & dad just surprised me with this trip to Walt Disney World!"

I used a combination of pages I found on the dis and pages I made myself and had them bound into a hardcover book, gave it to dd for her autograph book.

I made pages (in photoshop) and bound them together with ribbons for her Epcot passport.

I made a little book with our ADR's, flight #'s, park maps, etc..not really a special addition to the trip, but it gave me something to do to pass the time while counting down to vacation! lol

Little presents each morning before we left..mostly just little dollar store toys or things I picked up on clearance at target (all disney themed).

Brought tons of glow sticks, bracelets, etc and shared them with others.

Gave unused FP's to other families (spreading some magic is a great way to enhance your own vacation too!).

Embrace the little things that make family vacations fun...one of dd's favorite activities was jumping in a random puddle at DHS. I'll never forget how happy she was at that moment!

 

[merbobear]

Jeesh, forgot to add:
We did lots of character meals...I will indulge my dd in all the character meetings she can handle since she loves them so much!

Also we got her first haircut (she was 3) at the Main Street Barbershop. This coming year we will be doing a princess hair style at BBB.

 

[Colleen27]

I make custom outfits for my girls based on our park plans for each day.

Both of my girls had their first haircuts at Harmony Barbershop in the MK.

We did BBB for older DD and the Magic Behind Our Steam Trains tour for DS on our last trip as a family of four (I was pregnant with younger DD).

We make a point of a couple of new dining experiences each trip, and have made a family tradition of dinner at California Grill.

I make personalized/custom autograph books for my girls. This coming trip we're trying something new; the little one still wants an autograph book but I'm going to make a totebag for the characters to sign for the 10yo.

 

[KristenFNJ]

This year I got the Hidden Mickey book, and we had a blast looking for them. It made rides we had been on and restaurants we have been to many times before a little more "fresh" and the waits even better.

I also made the older boys (9 & 7) "smash" books-travel type journals with sections for each day, and gave them markers, glue sticks and stickers so they could keep things like receipts and tickets and write down their memories. (just $1 journals decorated with scrapbooking papers and ribbons) My older one loved it, the younger isn't that into it, but may be a great idea for girls his age.

 

[acf_1991]

These are all great ideas! Ive added some to my list. anyone have pictures of their custom stuff?
Pp I also do hidden mickeys! Makes everything so much fun!

 

[ont/ohana]

Hi We have dd14 and dd11, Every year I guy new matching disney shirts wash them and pack them for our DD's. Last year I didn't get matching ones because we went to Vero and DD14 complained!! So..this year will do it again! We always collect different pressed pennies, use our hidden Mickey book, and get choc covered marshmellows at Goofys Candy company and take pics of us eating them!
Every year our DD's have to try something they have never done in the world before. Last year it was staying at SSR prior to Vero for 3 nights and not going to parks!! Never again! This year is Star tours!!

 

[luvmy2babies]

I did shirts last time. One for Crystal Palace, one for Chef Mickey's and one that said Happy Thanksgiving since we were there then. We also had a Happy Thanksgiving hoodie but it never got cold enough. I've become addicted to making the shirts, so that is my treat for the trip.

I did shirts for our Sea World trip this week. I've already downloaded a slew of designs for our trip to WDW next June. We're going for 10 days and I have had way too much fun dowloading already. I also downloaded the Disney font so if the design was blank or the spot for the name was a solid color, I could open the design in "paint" and put the names in myself. I'm also going to have a welcome letter for my children. I've already downloaded invitations (also from the design board) for most of the restaurants I hope to get for our TS meals, and plan to put them out each day for my dd to read to my ds. Designer Dnatalie I believe had a lot of blank ones in her shared file.

I've also decided to add an appointment at Bippity Boppity Boutique for my dd this time. I hope to schedule it around my son's nap time on our 2nd MK day. I hope to do the appointment, the Princess meet and greet and the Rapunzel meet and greet. Hopefully by the time he wakes up the girly fest will be over.

I have several character meals on my hopeful list, but later in the week, dd will get her meal with the Princesses like last time in a formal dress from ebay again at her request. Ds will get his special treat later in the trip in the form of a breakfast at Hollywood and Vine. He's a big Disney Junior fan. The moment of truth (aka my 180 day) is Christmas Eve.

 

[Colleen27]

These are all great ideas! Ive added some to my list. anyone have pictures of their custom stuff?

Of course.

Autograph book, using DonNatalie's designs from the DISigns board and a little Photoshop work of my own, printed as a 4x6 spiral-bound photobook from Snapfish.

Sample page:

This was a GREAT idea because the characters really hammed it up over having personalized pages. The interaction was awesome, especially with the face characters. I've done others, scrapbook style with a decorated cover but blank pages, and I liked the photobook so much better.

Matching outfits. They look cute, character inspired styles are great for encouraging interaction, and they make it really easy to keep an eye on the girls in the parks. Plus if one of them does get lost there's no trying to remember what she was wearing.

And a note about the outfits... I am no seamstress. I started sewing less than 3 years ago and everything pictured was done on a $100 machine from Walmart, so I'm not exaggerating at all when I say this IS something that just about anyone can do with a little time & patience.

 

[acf_1991]

awesome! I looove the autograph book! anyone else with unique ideas?

 

[dassjs]

Mickey and Minnie always mail a care package to the kids at home before we leave for the trip. It can include Phineas and Ferb fruit snacks, camera, Minnie coloring books, etc. Whuile at Disney, Mickey and the gang leave them little Disney presents on the bed. sometimes I buy them at home and bring them with us and sometimes I buy them there. When we get home, mickey always mails them a postcard and a little prize-Minnie cookies or Disney pens or key chains-just a little something to keep the magic alive. Then we print the pics with the characters and put them in the notebook next to the autographs. I usually make the kids each their own small Disney photo album too. Fun!

 

[tanyaandallie]

I usually make both kids all types of outfits. I don't that it makes it more special for them but I love it!!!!

I will say, though, that our most recent trip was an add on to a trip to the grandparents and we had not planned for it at all. It really was one of our best trips and we didn't do anything I would consider "special". No character meals, no cutesy clothing, we didn't even collect autographs! But we had a truly awesome time!

 

[2girlsR2good]

Mickey always leaves the girls new seasonally appropriate Disney PJ's under their pillows the first night we are there--that's how they know where they are "supposed" to sleep no fussing if Mickey said it!

How does Mickey do it? Well--when we get to the resort and check in, one parent is always dying to go see the pool--the other waits in line and goes to see that the room is clean. . . so far the kids have always been eager to see the pool instead of wait.

I also do the dollar store trip for cheapie princess crayons and coloring books too.

We have used seasonally appropriate picture books (Sweet and Spooky Halloween, Disney Christmas Tales, etc) for autographs on the last few trips, but this time the girls want "real" autograph books. YMMV on that

 

[sp0ngem0nkey]

* huge red package from Mickey inviting them to Disney at 6 am. Tinkerbell turned my daughters CD player on with Disney magical music that was playing softly to wake them up.

*morning invitations to each the character meal breakfast. Place next mornings invite by front door like they slide it under the door. Kids checked the door each morning. Use different font for each invite.

* Made Disney or Bust t-shirts with retro Mickey. Made family shirt with name of our family and the word 'Ohana instead of family. We got one CM who read it and got it.

* We had a note for hubby (his bday) from Phenius and Ferb saying "I know what we are going to do today" and it explained that he will be driving a NASCAR.

* got a Haunted Mansion Anniversary cake made for hubby and me as a surprise to him. It was super cool.

* Decorate each night for what we were celebrating the next day while kids were asleep. birthday and anniversary. Printed out things to hang on door. Also shiny streamers for room.

* Made autograph books. I did mine by my printer. Get them done my snapfish if they allow Disney pics. The one on this thread looks amazing.

* Ask bus, train, monorail, boat captains for transportation tickets. Little collection cards for kiddos.

* If at Wilderness Lodge ask to be flag family.

* Bring all costume princess dresses for your daughter. She can were them at special character meals. Epcot's Akershus features Belle (photo with).

* Plenty of pirate stuff to get there for the boys.

* we had a special day for our daughter and then a special day for our son. She was princess and got a special dinner with Cinderella. Next day he got to see his favorite Donald Duck and he got pirate shirts, sword, and rubber ducky. They both really liked individual attention.

* Each night we hid something under their pillow from Tinkerbell. We did stock up at Walgreens with Mickey Halloween stuff that was perfect!

* Epcot passports were signed by each representative and wrote each child name in their language. That was something special Epcot did.

* The females of the trip all went to Japan and got pearls that were picked by the guys in the family. The only one who got to pick hers was my DD4. We wear them daily in our cage necklace. Mine is Cinderellas carriage.

* We made license plates for the stroller with each child's favorite character and name on it and lit it up with Halloween Christmas lights.

* We all were a themed costume for the party. Wizard of Oz. Very fun.

* For anyone who does not like scary rides make a pirate hunt for them and find gold deblumes (aka pressed pennies) while you meet up the the rest of the party. This works with waiting on dinner table, too. Just go hunt in the lobby.

* Have a secret time with one child if you can. Me and my DD4 got separated from the rest and while (thru a call) I know they were heading back to the resort, we looked for the ring at the Haunted Mansion, we rode Aladdin while the moon was out, and took pics in front of the castle just her and me. It felt like it was special and sneaky that we didn't hurry back with the rest of the group. She remembers that moment the most.

 

[sp0ngem0nkey]

Shesh! This person writes too much ^