It wouldn't be spring without an Epcot F&G Festival! New pg 35

[disneyfan61]

I do the "last" thing before our trip too!! I always think I am the only one doing these things.

Aw so cute about Zach saying he gets a belly ache if he knows ahead of time. We know what you mean Zach!!

I am so anxious to hear about Test Track!! I told my sons about it & Ryan says (not too excitedly) I guess we will have to ride Soarin over & over again.

I didn't realize they would post updated hours. I will have to look out for that.

Refund?? What is that?? We used to get good refunds when Ryan was in college & we got the college credit. Now not so much. But Cody will be in college this Fall so hopefully next year we will get a good one again.

Yeah I need to talk to my hairdresser about a cut & highlighting. I will probably get mine cut next week & then a highlight & trim before we go.

 

[DisMomAmy]

REFUND? I have a jealous.

The last time (2008) we surprised our kids I had a collage puzzle made at Walmart... with pictures from our previous trips. It said "We are going back to Disney" (or some such thing. It was 25 pieces or so and we did a scavenger hunt. We wrote on the back of each piece where to find the next piece. When they found all the bits they made it and we were out the door! They loved the surprise!

Another time (2007) we told the boys we had to pick up so and so from the Airport. They didn't realize we were gong some where until we were in the line to go through security.

You red "DONE" is impressive! I'm a tad jealous. I'm getting there. @ birthday parties to get through and then I can really get to work.

We have extra money withheld to make sure we get our vacation refund every year. I know it's not the way we should do it but it works for us. Last year the refund was almost nothing so we started withholding more & it paid off this year!

We did the scavenger hunt in November so they would know right away if we tried to do that again this year. I suspect we're just going to have to wake them up with a big surprise (after they open their eyes of course) since it will be 5am.

Congrats on your tax refund!

Congrats on getting so much accomplished on your "to do" list!

I don't think the boys are on to you. I think surprising them created an awesome memory and they were reliving it! Now you know what you have to do! How fun!

They probably aren't on to us or they would have said something but it was just so funny that they brought it up!

I do the "last" thing before our trip too!! I always think I am the only one doing these things.

Aw so cute about Zach saying he gets a belly ache if he knows ahead of time. We know what you mean Zach!!

I am so anxious to hear about Test Track!! I told my sons about it & Ryan says (not too excitedly) I guess we will have to ride Soarin over & over again.

I didn't realize they would post updated hours. I will have to look out for that.

Refund?? What is that?? We used to get good refunds when Ryan was in college & we got the college credit. Now not so much. But Cody will be in college this Fall so hopefully next year we will get a good one again.

Yeah I need to talk to my hairdresser about a cut & highlighting. I will probably get mine cut next week & then a highlight & trim before we go.

There may or may not be updates to the April hours. When they release the October hours, they usually finalize the April hours. Sometimes it's just an hour here & an extra parade there. Sometimes it's nothing!

I'll be sure to post here if I hear anything about Test Track!

As far as our tax refund... We just make sure to have too much withheld every year. I know it's not the best way to save, but it works for us!

 

[jeremysdisneymom]

How cute that the boys want to be surprised! My problem is that I can't keep the surprise and usually end up telling it.

I, too, do the last time before our trip all the time. My hair needs color desperately but I am holding off until closer to departure. Not sure I will make it though. I almost took scissors to it last night and whacked it all off.

Yay for a nice tax refund! We got one too and it has been so nice getting things done that we had been putting off.

 

[mommytothreeboys]

I love that you are surprising them again! SO fun!

We are about 30 days out from our Spring Break trip, sadly not to Disney, but I can relate with the "last time before the trip" activities! I'm ordering meds today and scheduling a hair cut for myself!

Yay for a tax refund! We do it that way as well. I have plenty of people tell me it's not the best way to handle taxes, etc, but, like you said, it works for us. I like having the lump sum in the spring to be able to do a big project or take a trip!

 

[momtwoboys]

I do the same thing with the "last time" before the trip! I too got my hair done last Friday and now am all set! I was getting all giddy in the Juice aisle at the grocery store when I grabbed the O.J. and said out loud, Oh we will be at the MK on this day. Don't care who thought I was nuts?!?!!? Don't think I could get away with not telling my guys, for them it would cause more anxiety. I have our schedule typed out and they look at it everyday. Even though Luke knows where we are staying he asks me every day. One year they knew we were going, but thought we weren't leaving until late afterschool, well I booked an earlier flight and picked they up at school mid day and my husband came out of the building carrying Luke as he was crying freaking out He was shaking and crying and we asked him why? His brain was all confused he said, and what about school? Was his teacher mad? This went on and on all the way to the airport He was happy to be going but it was overload and not good. So we stick to telling them, but I think a surprise is awesome for those that can handle it Enjoy the warm sunshine this week!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

If anybody still needs park tickets-
We usually get them from Maple Leaf, or UT. DH called AAA and asked for tix prices- they were cheaper than both ML & UT! by just a few dollars, but I can just pick them up, not paying shipping too.
I was surprised about this but DH said it depends on the year.

Sorry Amy- I thought I posted this on the April thread.

 

[disneyfan61]

I do the same thing with the "last time" before the trip! I too got my hair done last Friday and now am all set! I was getting all giddy in the Juice aisle at the grocery store when I grabbed the O.J. and said out loud, Oh we will be at the MK on this day. Don't care who thought I was nuts?!?!!? Don't think I could get away with not telling my guys, for them it would cause more anxiety. I have our schedule typed out and they look at it everyday. Even though Luke knows where we are staying he asks me every day. One year they knew we were going, but thought we weren't leaving until late afterschool, well I booked an earlier flight and picked they up at school mid day and my husband came out of the building carrying Luke as he was crying freaking out He was shaking and crying and we asked him why? His brain was all confused he said, and what about school? Was his teacher mad? This went on and on all the way to the airport He was happy to be going but it was overload and not good. So we stick to telling them, but I think a surprise is awesome for those that can handle it Enjoy the warm sunshine this week!

Aw poor kid wondering if his teacher was mad. I guess in your case it is good to let them know in advance.

If anybody still needs park tickets-
We usually get them from Maple Leaf, or UT. DH called AAA and asked for tix prices- they were cheaper than both ML & UT! by just a few dollars, but I can just pick them up, not paying shipping too.
I was surprised about this but DH said it depends on the year.

Sorry Amy- I thought I posted this on the April thread.

This is good to know though as we are AAA members. I have always gotten our tickets through UT also so next time I need tickets I will check with AAA also.

 

[Charleston Princess]

So cute that the boys want to be surprised! I love that Alex said Disney is more fun than anything else. I agree!

 

[DisMomAmy]

How cute that the boys want to be surprised! My problem is that I can't keep the surprise and usually end up telling it.

I, too, do the last time before our trip all the time. My hair needs color desperately but I am holding off until closer to departure. Not sure I will make it though. I almost took scissors to it last night and whacked it all off.

Yay for a nice tax refund! We got one too and it has been so nice getting things done that we had been putting off.

Let me tell you, it's been SOOOO hard for me to keep the secret this time! But hearing Zach tell me he doesn't want a belly ache has given me the incentive to keep it to myself.

I'll need another haircut before we go but at least the coloring is done.

Yay for tax refunds!!

I love that you are surprising them again! SO fun!

We are about 30 days out from our Spring Break trip, sadly not to Disney, but I can relate with the "last time before the trip" activities! I'm ordering meds today and scheduling a hair cut for myself!

Yay for a tax refund! We do it that way as well. I have plenty of people tell me it's not the best way to handle taxes, etc, but, like you said, it works for us. I like having the lump sum in the spring to be able to do a big project or take a trip!

I hope you decide to write a TR on the community board about your spring break trip!! I'd love to read about it.

When we didn't always get a refund, it was very stressful waiting to find out if/how much we would owe. At least this way we know there is a refund, it's just a matter of how big.

Thanks for the hello on facebook!!

I do the same thing with the "last time" before the trip! I too got my hair done last Friday and now am all set! I was getting all giddy in the Juice aisle at the grocery store when I grabbed the O.J. and said out loud, Oh we will be at the MK on this day. Don't care who thought I was nuts?!?!!? Don't think I could get away with not telling my guys, for them it would cause more anxiety. I have our schedule typed out and they look at it everyday. Even though Luke knows where we are staying he asks me every day. One year they knew we were going, but thought we weren't leaving until late afterschool, well I booked an earlier flight and picked they up at school mid day and my husband came out of the building carrying Luke as he was crying freaking out He was shaking and crying and we asked him why? His brain was all confused he said, and what about school? Was his teacher mad? This went on and on all the way to the airport He was happy to be going but it was overload and not good. So we stick to telling them, but I think a surprise is awesome for those that can handle it Enjoy the warm sunshine this week!

I love the OJ comment! That's something I'd say... I'd probably say it in my head though!

I have always thought that surprising the boys would cause too much anxiety but now that they have been so many times, there aren't as many questions. They still need to know the schedule, etc. but it worked out really well that I had a booklet made up for them when we surprised them in November. Alex, who is especially dependent on schedules, read the booklet cover to cover. He still had questions but not as much. When we tell them ahead of time, they seem to find more things to be anxious about. We'll see what happens this time when they don't even know we are going somewhere. At least last time they were expecting a trip, this time they have no idea... I think.

If anybody still needs park tickets-
We usually get them from Maple Leaf, or UT. DH called AAA and asked for tix prices- they were cheaper than both ML & UT! by just a few dollars, but I can just pick them up, not paying shipping too.
I was surprised about this but DH said it depends on the year.

Sorry Amy- I thought I posted this on the April thread.

No problem! There are a bunch of us April folks here! We finally have AAA so I may check them out next time we need tickets. We've always used UT.

Aw poor kid wondering if his teacher was mad. I guess in your case it is good to let them know in advance.

This is good to know though as we are AAA members. I have always gotten our tickets through UT also so next time I need tickets I will check with AAA also.

So cute that the boys want to be surprised! I love that Alex said Disney is more fun than anything else. I agree!

Disney IS more fun than anything else!!

 

[momtwoboys]

Luke is 11 and this will be his 12th trip, but the questions never cease! He asked this morning if on the day we get there he can have a Itzakadootzie Do your boys have a harder time sleeping when on vacation?

Has anyone else looked at the wonderful pics of the Topiaries for this years festival? They look so nice, can't wait to see them in person

 

[DisMomAmy]

6 weeks to go!!!​

Today is going to be a beautiful day here in southern NH! It was already warm out when I took the boys to school this morning. The snow is melting quickly & we have bulbs popping up through the ground. It's only in the low 50s but I opened a window! The cat loves to sit in that window & it will help air things about around here. It should get up into the low-mid 60s later on today. On Sunday when we went to see The Lorax, I broke a tooth! It's just a little piece that broke off one of my molars, but I have to go see the dentist this morning to get it fixed. Hopefully it's just a minor repair.

Then I get to take Alex to the orthodontist. He needs braces but we're moving in baby steps. He couldn't even get the empty tray in his mouth last week (that they use for impressions) but we took one home to practice & I think he might be able to do it for the orthodonotist today! Plus they are going to put in a couple spacers for him to get used to things in his teeth. We'll see how it goes. I want to hold off until May to get the actual braces because of his trip to environmental camp & our Disney trip. He's supposed to have a palate expander first (if they can get accurate impressions), which involves turning a key every night for a couple weeks and can be very painful. We definitely don't want to start that right now!

Next up on my park tour is Epcot!

(2009)

(Feb 2011)

Favorites:

Enter through the IG:

Soarin

Kim Possible

Sum of All Thrills

Mission: Space

Sorry for the fuzzy picture, but Alex was very specific about which job each of us should have:

Kaki Gori – I know I have pictures of the boys eating Kaki Gori… why can’t I find them??

Flowers & Gardens!!

Kidcots

(2010)

Continued...​

 

[DisMomAmy]

Continued...

Closures: Test Track!! Hopefully not – but probably!

What NEW things are we hoping to do this time?
Character connection
Living with the Land (It's been a long time)
Ellen’s Energy Adventure (Alex always asks, we always skip – too long)
Figment (The boys have never been)
American Adventure (The boys have never seen it & I think they'll be intesrested now.)

Where wil we be eating?

Teppan Edo

(2009)

Le Cellier

I hope you all enjoy this beautiful day (& the weather is just as nice where you are)!

 

[DisMomAmy]

Luke is 11 and this will be his 12th trip, but the questions never cease! He asked this morning if on the day we get there he can have a Itzakadootzie Do your boys have a harder time sleeping when on vacation?

Has anyone else looked at the wonderful pics of the Topiaries for this years festival? They look so nice, can't wait to see them in person

I have VERY bad news for you... They don't have Itzakadoozie's at Disney any more! Now they have the Triple Blast, which tastes similar but looks more like a regular popsicle shape. Alex was the same way and ALWAYS wanted Itzakadoozies. Luckily he likes the new one because it had the potential to be very bad. Good luck!!

This year's festival looks amazing!! I can't wait!!

My boys are so tired on vacation that they sleep great! Alex takes melatonin to sleep so I'm sure that helps too.

 

[mommytothreeboys]

As far as the orthodontist goes...both Dan and Jonah have had palate expanders. Dan's was removable ( kind of like a retainer) and he could take it out for meals. Jonah's is cemented in his mouth. We did the key turning for both of them. Neither boy complained that the process was painful. Getting used to the device in their mouths was the hardest part. I know everyone is different, but I thought I'd at least pass along our experience!

LOVE EPCOT! And going during F&G Fest is the best! I hope you get to ride Test Track. I know my boys would be disappointed if they missed that one!

I am considering writing a trip report on the Community Board. Not sure yet, but if I do, I will definitely let you know!

 

[SilverMickey]

LOVE LOVE LOVE your pictures!

I have the windows wide and spring cleaning well under way. I love opening the windows in my youngest son's room on days like this. He is alergic to grass so in the summer we don't do that much!

Disney break is over! back to chase the cob webs away and shampoo a rug!

 

[jeremysdisneymom]

We have rain today, but yesterday was gorgeous. It was close to 70 degrees and we, too had the windows up airing out the house.

Great plans for Epcot! I think your boys will like the American Adventure. Jeremy loves it.

Have you seen the F&G pictures for this year? I saw some this morning. I was giddy with excitement. This will be our first time there. I can hardly wait.

 

[momtwoboys]

OMG!!! WHAAAAAT? This is going to be very very bad, I am so glad that you let me know. He is going to be so mad. Both my boys take Melatonin to sleep, but on vacation it seems like the dose is not enough for Luke, he gets very restless. Thinking of just upping the amount just for those 9 nights. Enjoy the weather....

 

[momtwoboys]

also, Good Luck with the chipped tooth and the Ortho!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

It is so warm today!!! It was 50 degrees at 8am!!! It's 65 now. I love spring I like it even more when it comes early
I am trying to do some spring cleaning today not too much fun. I opened some windows too.
My DS14 has braces but never had that key turning thing. His expander was "head gear" he had to wear around his head that attached to his braces- sounds so weird describing it at night. I hope it works out for Alex- poor thing. My son is getting them off this year but DS10 will be getting them soon.
Loved your pics- they were a nice Disney break while I had lunch.
This will be our 4th F&G festival. Do you know what the theme is this yr.?
We've never done KP does it take long?
We loved Teppan Edo and Le Cellier. This yr. we're eating at Le Chefs (one of our faves) and Via Napoli (first time)

 

[disneyfan61]

What a beautiful day!! This type of weather gives me Spring Fever big time!!!

I have been through the braces with Cody. He had them on for like 4 years. Before each visit to the orthodontist to get them tightened I would give him an Advil to try to keep ahead of the pain. It seemed to work for him. Good luck with that. Thank goodness they have payment plans.

I did not realize Disney does not have the Itzakadoozie any more! I even enjoyed one once in a while.

6 Weeks!!