My Deep Descent into Disney Madness/May 2013...updated 6x 1/1 and completed

A fellow Wildcat! Bear down! Your trip is almost here, I hope you guys have a great time!
 
A fellow Wildcat! Bear down! Your trip is almost here, I hope you guys have a great time!

Bear Down! I love connecting with other Wildcats, not many of them out here on the east coast and I miss Tucson terribly. Thanks for stopping by.
 
A Super Secret Surprise Mickeys Grand Welcome

So, as I was wandering around Cyber-Disneyfandom, I kept noticing this thing called Mickeys Grand Welcome. It looked AWE-some. But, I couldnt afford the huge price tag, so I started searching for a DIY version. I found a few different blogs and a VERY informative thread here on Disboards and I started making my plans. I decided to surprise everyone with it except DH because Im going to need his help keeping everyone out of the room. Its like a big thank you to my parents AND I want to start illustrating what the Disney magic is all about. We get that here on the Disboards, but they really dont. They will enjoy the trip 10 times more once they realize what can happen if you let go and let Disney. Let me show you what Ive created&

These are magnets for the front door. The Mickey Balloon graphic is from RustManFan, and the Eat, Sleep, Mickey Mouse graphic is from another Disigner that I cannot find the name of right now. I'll be back to add it when I do. The rest I made. I did white out our last name of the one that says The .... Do Disney. I'm always a leery of putting too much info out there in cyberland. It does sound cute when said though. :)
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These are Mickey Footsteps to lead them to the kitchen table. The Tinkerbelle is window cling I printed out and I'm using that for Tinkerbell gifts each day (but that's for another post). I found those Disney magnetic clips to put on the refridgerator and each day they will hold invitations to ADR's and any other special things we have planned. They all came from the Photobuckets of wonderful Disigners, who I will come back and credit. When I made them, I didn't know I was going to do a TR so I didn't write them all down.
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Decorations I found on sale at Party City and Walmart. I found 5 sheets of Disney window clings on sale for 25 cents each at a drugstore at an after Valentine Sale. SCORE.
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DS's Mickey bag. It's got the Pressed Penny container I made using Mandy's Disigns, filled with quarters and pennies, a light toy, a lanyard I got for free when I "opened" up the local Disney store one morning and a couple of pins in case he wants to trade with me, a few dollar store goodies, and a water bottle. The picture is missing a pair of cute Nemo pj's with Bruce saying "You're Shark Bait".
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Basically the same stuff oriented to her tastes. She LOVES New York City, so I had to get that Minnie when she went on sale.
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My parent's bag... Those pins are grape soda pins from UP that I found on Etsy. Couldn't resist, I got DH and I some too.
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DH and I have a bag too, but it doesn't have much in it. HA HA. But I liked these big zipper bags to put all the stuff we accumulate into it during the week to take home.

Finally, here are the shirts I made for our first day. I'll have them laying out somewhere else but I will tell them I made them. I have to because they saw the blank tshirts arrive in the mail and caught me opening them. Grrrr. I'm pretty proud of them. I found the template of the CM badge online, but I personalized them all. I also found that great Jiminy Cricket head on a disigner's photobucket, but I also can't remember her name. I will be back to credit though.
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My parents have the Nana & Jampa one on the back of their shirts and the other one is on the back of the rest of our shirts.
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If all goes as planned, we will be at Bay Lake by noon. We are doing on-line check-in, but it is on a Saturday. So, the lines will probably still be long and room availability will probably still be close to 3 or 4pm. We are bringing swim stuff with us, since ME wont deliver the luggage for hours. Im hoping I can give the check-in CMs my cell number to text when the room is ready. Then, I can grab my carry-ons where all this stuff will be, well, stuffed from the magic holding room, swing up there and set this up while they are still at the pool. Casually, come back down, and THEN announce that the text has come through. IF we are lucky to get a room earlier, then I will just have to do it while we go down to the pool. We will also be waiting for groceries to be delivered that afternoon too, and I put it under my name and cell number, so I can avoid mom trying to sneak up there to take care of that without my knowledge. I promise to take pictures of it set up for everyone to see. I really cannot wait to see their reactions!

Continued in next post...
 
Real Life Update
ONLY 11 DAYS to GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm coming back this evening with another update with some of my other crafty projects, but I just got some exciting news. I made our school system's eligibility list for Library Media Specialists (aka school librarian), which was the last hurdle I needed to get through before interviews start in another month or two. The process to get on the list included a lengthy interview and a lesson plan executed during it, so it was a little stressful. I have such mixed emotions going back to work after 8 years, but at least all my ducks are in a row at the moment! :dance3: And if anyone is following along, we got my grandma's sister to fly out to stay with her during our trip so we can all rest a little easier and enjoy the trip. Did I mention it is only 11 DAYS AWAY??????​
 

Crafty Time

Well, I'm getting towards the end of my PTR, nothing that exciting other than I'm definitely seeing some changes and use of the park hopper more during the week. I'm also trying to see if I can do an ADR moving around, but the computer system was down AGAIN this afternoon. It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out. For now, I will share with you the rest of the T-shirts I made.

For Star Wars Weekend Day at HS (I made these both using graphics from the internet and embellishing in Photoshop):

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And probably my favorite shirt for DD! Can you find Princess Leia? I actually added all the lightsabers to the princesses. I think she will LOVE it.
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Matching Mommy and Daughter shirts for me and DD (created this one too with found graphic):

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Last Day shirts for the kiddos to wear since we don't leave until 8pm. I'm hoping CM's will send them home with a little extra magic! This was inspired by RustManFan's disign, but I did my own take on it.

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I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Crush from Finding Nemo, so I knew I needed a shirt for myself. I got the mickey head with Crush from another Disigner (I'll credit as soon as I can) and added the fish and text. The mickey head is really fantastic quality!
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The Incredibles has been a family favorite for years and I can never get enough of Edna Mode. So I had to make myself another shirt. I created this one. I debated heavily between this quote and "No Capes". Seriously two of the most memorable lines in Disney Pixar movies!!!
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I have run out of transfers and I don't think I'll do any more. If I did, I wanted to make DD and I matching Ariel shirts that say Mermaids in Disguise. And I found a shirt disign with Belle in glasses that look like mine that say Real Princesses wear Glasses. So, we'll see if my OCD kicks in and I JUST have to have them, but I'm running seriously low on time.

I wanted a Pascal shirt, because he is my favorite sidekick of all time. BUT, I've gotten another cute idea to do with him and you'll have to wait for my TR to find out what I've got in store.

Continued in next post...
 
Ok, I've read enough TR's (specifically Jess aka DisneyFreak508's Xmas Trip one) about the Poly's restaurants and I just changed our O'hana's breakfast to Kona. That coffee, that juice, the Tonga toast and Macadamia pancakes were calling out to me like a siren. We only get one breakfast out and I think food is more important than characters this time. Hopefully we'll see Stitch and Lilo in the parks. I may never want to leave the Poly once we get there. LOL.​
 
More Last Minute Madness!

Since this is a surprise, we haven't told ANYBODY for fear of an accidental reveal to the kiddos. So, I was talking with our neighbors as we ventured outdoors for the first time in forever (it is the coldest spring ever, we are all still cocooned in our houses) and just realized that we will be in Disney AT THE SAME TIME. So, we had to coordinate. As I was going over stuff, I realize that she has the deluxe dining plan and only had 4 ADR's, unacceptable! So I got her times for Raglan Road, Le Cellier, Whispering Canyon, Kona and Be Our Guest for quick service. She didn't even know you could do that. It was fun using my obsessive powers for good, and we'll be able to meet up with them once or twice during the week and let the kids pal around.

On a whim, I did book a Le Cellier ADR for one afternoon, but the time is awful. 2:55 with a 6:55 dinner at Akershus, ugh. I will keep trying to get an earlier lunch, but we'll see. I'm just obsessing about a soup I've never even tried.

I'm also making two more pair of shirts, I'll be sharing them soon.

What else will change in the next 5 days?​
 
Awesome PTR! Can I just say that I LOVE your shirts!!! I got some personalized family shirts from a seller on ebay and Mommy/Daughter rhinestone Minnie tank tops on etsy. You are really talented! Reading this has made me all the more excited for my family's upcoming trip. We will just miss each other. We go from 5/19-5/24 at AoA. I love the idea of being able to walk to MK. Can't wait to hear all about your magical trip.:yay:
 
My niece LOVED the Little Mermaid when she was little. She would have lost her mind over that outfit. So cute.

Ahhhh and Edna Mode. Love that shirt. She is one of my favorites.

Hope the week goes fast for you. Can't to read about your trip !
 
Awesome PTR! Can I just say that I LOVE your shirts!!! I got some personalized family shirts from a seller on ebay and Mommy/Daughter rhinestone Minnie tank tops on etsy. You are really talented! Reading this has made me all the more excited for my family's upcoming trip. We will just miss each other. We go from 5/19-5/24 at AoA. I love the idea of being able to walk to MK. Can't wait to hear all about your magical trip.:yay:

Thank you so much, the shirts were really easy to make. Oooh, what rooms are you staying in at AoA? I would love to get into the Little Mermaid rooms one time. Have a great trip!

Joining in!! Very excited to hear more! :cheer2:

Thanks so much! My crew can do & say some crazy stuff, so it should be entertaining.

My niece LOVED the Little Mermaid when she was little. She would have lost her mind over that outfit. So cute.

Ahhhh and Edna Mode. Love that shirt. She is one of my favorites.

Hope the week goes fast for you. Can't to read about your trip !

Thanks so much! Edna is truly magical, isn't she? I wish they would have done a sequel just so I could get some more of her.
 
The beginning of the end....of waiting

It is getting down to the wire, people, only 3 MORE DAYS until we leave at some ungodly hour in the morning. I have been a busy little beaver, doing all kinds of last minute things and getting super-duper, out-of-my-mind excited.

* Cleaning house b/c in-laws are staying here to take care of dog
* Getting work from teachers for the days we will miss next week
* Getting cameras charged, packed and ready
* Making new shirts (b/c who doesn't need more matching shirts)
* Replanning park days
* Trying to get a Le Cellier reservation
* PACKING

Yep, the to do list is dwindling quickly. In fact, I need to get upstairs and pack a bit more before DD comes home from kindergarten. This surprise angle really creates a giant logistical hassle! Here are the new shirts I just finished today. I LOVE Amy's Transfers, they were so soft and easy to use and the shipping is FAST. I made all of these, although the Incredibles one is copy of one tebi73's design.

Father & Son matching shirts
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Another Mommy & Daughter matching shirt
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And one last Mommy shirt with my beloved Pascal...
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Tinkerbelle gifts.
In order to help improve my kiddo's behavior this time around I'm carrying around coupons that I'll give out when I catch them spreading the magic to those around them. I'm also doing the Tinkerbell gifts each night if they've been good, and I have NO PROBLEM not giving them if need be. I even made a cute note from her talking about how sad she was not to leave her gift. Here's a pic of my baggies for each night. It also has the invitations I made and a few other things to keep me organzied. I've been collecting things on sale for 5 months, and none of the gifts are that huge. Just a little something to help keep them on track!

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And Finally...our Mother's Day Bippity Boppity Boutique experience will be first thing on Sunday and Cinderella is stopping by to bring some special gifts. And, let's be honest, I want this for my DD even more than she will I think. I would have been GAGA over this at her age. She loves doing make-up, nails, and such, so I think she will love it. I got her the Ariel dress on sale with a few other things. She won't wear it all day, it's going to be way TOO hot on Sunday. But, she'll have it as an option if she wants it.

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I made this, although the words are copied from the actual certificate they give in the Disney Floral gift set.
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Invitation to BBB I made
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And here is the tricky part, my son. He doesn't like face paint or anything done with his hair, but I didn't want him to feel left out. So I booked the knight's package at the same time. He'll love the sword that comes with it. But, I'm going to have to show it to him Friday night and see if he really wants to do it b/c if not, I need to cancel it. I just figured if I didn't schedule it, he'd definitely want to do it and I'd be outta luck. So I made him this invite:
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And he'll get this from Cinderella (missing in the photo is a new Redskins ball cap that I hope is here before Friday).
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I'll have to let you all know how it ALL pans out.

Funny story to end things on. I made my last Amazon purchase at the end of April, just a few things I couldn't find around town, and I realized yesterday while shopping that none of them had come. Weird. I look back at the website, and realize I had put in my Grandma's old address in TX where she hasn't lived in a year. PANIC MODE, people. :crazy2:I had once sent her something and that address got set to default. I was in too much of a hurry to pay attention. So there I am calling Amazon, freaking out, and finally find the tracking page and Mickey Mouse was looking out for my crazy self. They were all forwarded to her new address here and my parents had already picked up 3 of the 5 items. They were wondering if someone had stolen my grandma's identity b/c what would she need Tattoo ID labels and BodyGlide for? That, folks, is some early Disney magic for you.

party:

Trip Report begins in the next post....
 
Jumping in. Wow just think 3 more days!! Just a heads up and don't stress it' will be fine, FL schools get out in a couple of weeks and some schools do class trips there. Mosly to MK. They are well behaved tho. I can't wait to see the kids reaction when you tell them.
 
Cara, just read your entire PTR!! Still cannot believe I did not find it myself!! So excited for you, I know you will all have a spectacular time!! Your planning will really pay off! Your shirts are great!! I am jealous of your BLT stay! Cannot wait to see the video surprise and trip report! Thanks for letting me know that you post here on the DIS as well!!
 
Jumping in. Wow just think 3 more days!! Just a heads up and don't stress it' will be fine, FL schools get out in a couple of weeks and some schools do class trips there. Mosly to MK. They are well behaved tho. I can't wait to see the kids reaction when you tell them.

Thank you for the heads up! The video will be priceless.

Cara, just read your entire PTR!! Still cannot believe I did not find it myself!! So excited for you, I know you will all have a spectacular time!! Your planning will really pay off! Your shirts are great!! I am jealous of your BLT stay! Cannot wait to see the video surprise and trip report! Thanks for letting me know that you post here on the DIS as well!!

Oh, old friend, I'm so glad you did find me. Your own magical trip was inspiring!
 
We're Going to Disneyworld!

The surprise has been sprung, the kids reactions were priceless. There was lots of screaming, jumping, running around saying "We're going to Disneyworld" and "This is the best day ever in my life". So, mission accomplished. This is one happy, excited Momma.

Although one glitch, the planning DVD was missing and I'm bummed because they really don't remember much from last trip and we only went to MK so I wanted to get them excited.

I'll be back 8 days to tell you just how magical, crazy, looney and ah-mazing this trip will hopefully turn out to be. Thanks for tagging along fellow DISsers!​
 
Ohhh I"m so glad the kids were excited and you wee able to carry it off. Have a magicall time there and a safe trip there. Can'r wait to read all about it and see the pictures. Love all the things you made, very creative.
 
Ohhh I"m so glad the kids were excited and you wee able to carry it off. Have a magicall time there and a safe trip there. Can'r wait to read all about it and see the pictures. Love all the things you made, very creative.

Thank you so much, can't wait to get writing about my week!
 
WHEW! We just got back from 8 glorious days submersed in what my daughter calls "Mickey Magic". So much happened and my family and I had so many new adventures that I'm glad I trip journaled each night because I don't think I'd remember everything even now. Seriously, though, I learned so much this trip about how my family does Disney the best. I can't wait to plan a return trip!!!!! I'll be back this week with my first installment of my trip report while I wait for my photopass pics to come in.
 
WHEW! We just got back from 8 glorious days submersed in what my daughter calls "Mickey Magic". So much happened and my family and I had so many new adventures that I'm glad I trip journaled each night because I don't think I'd remember everything even now. Seriously, though, I learned so much this trip about how my family does Disney the best. I can't wait to plan a return trip!!!!! I'll be back this week with my first installment of my trip report while I wait for my photopass pics to come in.

Cannot wait to hear all about your trip, Cara!!
 















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