My vacation planning DVD arrived while we were gone...

[Karibeth19]

and watching it tonight made me cry!!! Specifically, the attraction preview section was what did it. See, even more than "Tip for Today", the thing I love most on the resort channel is the commercial for La Nouba. I love that show so much, and the song they play, "Liama" is my absolute favorite. Whenever the commercial plays, I have to stop what I'm doing and watch it, and it's what makes me feel like I'm really at WDW. So, anyway, the DVD was in our stack of mail when we got home on Sunday (kinda cruel, huh?), but I haven't had time to pop it in until tonight. I started with the attraction previews, and there it was! My commercial!!!!
I'm so happy to finally have it at home where I can watch it anytime I miss Disney, even if it does make me cry.

I wanna go back!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Selket]

Mine arrived before our trip last August but we still enjoy watching it! Ours doesn't have the La Nouba commercial on it though - we must have an older version.

The only way to get over the post Disney blues is start planning that next trip!

 

[from Canada]

We just got ours today. It really is good, don't you think. This is our first disney vacation planning DVD, and it has so much more than the old videos. My kids were home for lunch and watched some of it. It really helps you get into the spirit. The kids saw the part about Mission:Space, and are now asking that Epcot be the first park we visit.
Well, I hope you can enjoy reminising about your recent trip.
K.

 

[Karibeth19]

What ever the kids want...they obviously get... (just an excuse for my obsession )

Isn't it amazing what sacrifices we parents will make for our children?

It is a great DVD. I have ones from the last three years and I think this is the best. By the way, the Mission:Space preview is also the same commercial you see on resort tv. I hope your kids love Epcot, it's one of my DD's favorite places.

 

[from Canada]

Karibeth...yes, its a sacrifice, but since THEY want to go, I guess I'll HAVE to take them!! LOL
Last visit they enjoyed Future World at Epcot. Spent a lot of time at innoventions. As we were watching the planning DVD I suggested to them that we should take some more time for World Showcase. Last time we quickly walked around, but didn't actually go into any countries. Which countries do you think are the best to visit? I understand some have rides? My kids are 7,10 and 13.
TTFN
Karen

 

[Karibeth19]

Karen,

My DD is 6 and she absolutely loves World Showcase. Her favorite part is making masks at the Kidcot stations. In each country there is a table set up where kids can decorate a mask and have the representative from each country stamp it and hang a tag that signifies that country on it. Some countries that use different characters for their alphabets, like Japan, China, and Morocco, will write your child's name on the back in that language. It is really a lot of fun, and the interaction between the kids and the country representatives can be really fun to watch. The guy working the Morocco Kidcot station was really charmed by my daughter and they had a great time working on her mask together. It's a great experience to interact with people from other countries. As for rides, there is the boat ride in Mexico, which is on a par with It's a Small World, and then in Norway there's Maelstrom, a little bit wilder boat ride with a couple of drops (nothing big though; definitely not like Splash Mtn!) There's entertainment going on, from the moving statues in Italy, a street performing group in the UK, and several bands that play great music. And, of course you can find characters in some of the countries. Belle and the Beast are in France, Mulan in China, Pooh and Friends in UK, Snow White in Germany, and Brother Bear in Canada. Then there's the food!!!!! I'd be hard pressed to give you a favorite country in WS; I really love them all! I think your kids will enjoy it too. I hope you have fun, and I want you to know how jealous I am that you HAVE to go for two whole weeks! We just spent 7 days and it wasn't enough!

Kari

 

[from Canada]

Karibeth, those masks sound like a great idea. They would be great to bring back and show the class. And, for my DH, who thinks they are missing too much school, this makes it somewhat educational. Did you do WS and FW all in one day? Did you find a great spot for illuminations?
TTFN,
Karen

 

[Karibeth19]

Karen,
For the most part, we did both in one day. On our dedicated Epcot day, it rained off and on, but we were able to do everything except Test Track (shut down because of the rain). We also skipped the Land and Energy pavillions (don't really care for them), and didn't do Living Seas that day, because we were in FW for a couple of hours the day before after the Princess Breakfast at Norway and had done it then. We did leave around 5:00 because we had done everything we wanted to do and were tired of being wet. So, we didn't stay for Illuminations, but if it hadn't been for the rain, we might have stayed that long. On our last day, we went to MK in the morning, and then got to Epcot around 5:00. We did Spaceship Earth and TT first thing, and then we headed to WS, where DD worked on another mask, and we ate dinner. The crowds were pretty small since it's January, so we didn't see people lining up around the lagoon for Illuminations as early as usual. We waited until 8:40 and still got a great spot against the rail between China and Norway, right behind one of the torches. We had a really good view from there. So even though we spread it out over three days, I think you can do both in one without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. Hope this helps!

 

[noopy]

I still haven't received my planning dvd and will be going in early April. I ordered it quite a while back.
Is there anyone to contact about getting it sooner? I'm a first timer and I really want some help planning my trip!

 

[Karibeth19]

Noopy, I don't know of any way to contact someone to get it sooner. I think if you call 407-W-DISNEY, they have an option on the menu to order a planning kit, but I think that is automated and you don't talk to a real person. You might call and get through to reservations and ask a CM if they can help you. It took me a while to get mine, and I had to try twice for a DVD. I ordered the first one in early November and three weeks later it came, but it was a video, not a DVD. So I ordered another one (end of November) and it didn't come until last week. I have read other posts from people complaining about how long it took to get theirs, so yours may take a while also.

Until then, keep reading these boards for help planning your trip! People here have great ideas and advice and are more than willing to answer any questions you might have. Last week was my 7th trip to Disney, but I still learn new things everytime I'm on here!