Trip Report (Not so) Secret Squirrel - A Halloween 2013 PTR

[HappyPanda]

Did you order the costumes?

Well, today I accidently lmao won a Dalmation Onesie for DD on eBay. So I'm hoping that when it arrives it will be a fairly thick one, but also big enough to have a few layers of clothes on under it. Haven't quite worked out how I am going to suss out the sizing without showing it to DD, but I'm sure I'll find a way!

Insidedlparis has great pics up of the decorations that just went up in Frontierland.

I saw these last night, I love it already! I think I actually squeeled!

 

[HappyPanda]

The secret will soon be revealed!

As you can see from above, I had orginally intended to keep this a surprise until the weekend before we went. But sadly DH's Dad passed away earlier this month and I've been so proud of the way DD has not only handled her own grief but ow she's also spent time making sure everyone else was ok, too.

So, I think I am going to reveal the surprise this weekend as a way of thanking her for being so good and also a nice way to bring a bit of happiness back to our household.

Sunday also happens to coincide with our 30 day countdown of our trip, so I am going to be rushing around the next few days to try and put together not only something to reveal the surprise (I'm thinking a treasure hunt) but also a Kizzabel inspired countdown calendar!

 

[HappyPanda]

I've written these treasure hunt clues, ready to print out for tomorrow! They're not very good, as I only had a few minutes to write them! But Olivia will love it I'm sure!


Clue Number 1:
I’m here for you when you are tired and need somewhere to rest your head. Clue number two is hiding somewhere in your xxx.

Answer - Bed

Clue Number 2:
Mummy loves it when your clothes are not left on the floor. Clue number three can be found in your clothes xxxxxx.

Answer - Drawer

Clue Number 3:
The next clue is hidden in your new xxxx xxx, where your school books go. It’s pink and sparkles in the sun and Kitty says ‘Hello’.

Answer - Book bag

Clue Number 4:
Clue number five is somewhere warm, where clothes feel like they’re on fire. Quick! Go and save it from the xxxxxx xxxxx.

Answer - Tumble Dryer

Clue Number 5:
Sometimes when you have a shower, the water makes you laugh. It tickles you all over your body before landing in the xxxx.

Answer - Bath

Clue Number 6:
Your treasure hunt is nearly done, it’s time to find your prize! Go and find the grumpy man who hates it when we say ‘Guys’!

Answer - Grandad!

 

[HappyPanda]

The secret is out!!

I now have one very, very, very excited girl and one equally excited Mummy.

I used the above clues and did a fun treasure hunt around the house, which each clue giving her a gift bag containing one of the below:

Doc McStuffins T-Shirt
Gloves
Minnie Hair Clips
Witches Hair Band
Disney Puzzle

Even with all the Disney/Halloween inspired clues, she still did not have a clue what the big reveal was going to be.

As we were pushed for time, I didn't have time to make the video or game reveal I had originally planned. Instead I used the scrolling text app that I had on my iPad to reveal the message:

"31 Days until Halloween.... at Disneyland"

She read it and read it again and then again.. but I don't think it really stuck in straight away and she was more interested in going to build her new puzzle!

After about 30 minutes, it had finally hit her and she was bouncing round the house and off the walls! So this more than made up for the rather lacklustre initial reaction!

After we told her, we let her try on her Dalmation outfit - it fits perfectly and the ears & tail I bought help to finish the outfit off perfectly! I didn't take any pics, but will obviously take lots on the night itself

 

[cruisingteacher]

awww that's so sweet!!

I love how the reaction had to sink in for her....

 

[HappyPanda]

awww that's so sweet!!

I love how the reaction had to sink in for her....

It's a good job I chose not to record her reaction.. as that would have been even more of an anti-climax!

 

[kizzabel]

Aaah I thought I'd commented already :/
I'd say DD is on cloud 9!! Mine was the same on our reveal day for her bday trip in 2011!! I was like thats it?! And then we arrived at the airport and it was like a hyper explosion!! So excited about your trip!! Its going to be aah-maah-zing!

 

[HappyPanda]

26 Days to Go!

Yesterday I booked our Wild West Show tickets, so that's the final piece of our meal plan puzzle in place!

Here is our plan:



I've booked all that I can and for the counter service days, I will just take my chance and see what's open! I'm hoping Fuente Del Oro will be though as that's my favourite!

I also need to try and squeeze a trip to EOS in somewhere. I might do that on our last day to take on the Eurostar with us!

 

[HappyPanda]

Another day closer!

Not much of an update from yesterday, but thought I'd share these pictures of Olivia and her lovely countdown calendar that someone on the DISigns board made for her!





The other countdown you can see to the right of this one, is one that Olivia made for her Teddies to countdown to a Teddy Bear picnic!

She is beyond excited for DLP now, it's the first thing she talks about when she wakes up and all she wants to talk about while I'm putting her to bed!

 

[ILOVEDLP]

Fab pics Helen
Not long now x

 

[cruisingteacher]

What a cutie!!!

 

[HappyPanda]

19 Days to go or, more importantly, 12 working days to go! I am definitely ready for a break now!

I am currently trying to start to get a list of clothes to pack but I'm finding it hard to gauge what we will need. A lot of people that went last year reported back sub-zero temperatures, so I went out and bought DD and I big winter coats from Mountain Warehouse.

However, from looking at the long term weather forecast it's predicting it will be around 15c each day. Now I know from experience that these long-term weather forecasts can be highly inaccurate (I started looking at them 30 days before my wedding day and they changed 2 or 3 times a day!) but I'm hoping for once they are right!

I've also been thinking about doing a daytrip to Paris, I think it's a crime that this will be DDs 4th trip to France but yet the only thing we've seen is Disneyland! Especially as she's 6 now and is starting to learn French and did some topic work last year on Paris. I'm just a bit worried about taking her on my own. I think I need to research it a bit more and see how do-able it would be and then take if from there!

 

[HappyPanda]

I'm beginning to regret booking using the good deal I found on the Spanish site (I know it was too good to be true!) - I've just tried to add the Disney Express Luggage Service to my booking, but as no trains from Spain arrive into Marne Le Vallee, they don't offer it.

So I'm now, for the first time EVER, going to have to make a trip to the Santa Fe to drop off our bags before we hit the parks! It's not the end of the world, but I do just love dropping the bags off at the station and then heading straight out into the magic!

 

[ILOVEDLP]

I'm beginning to regret booking using the good deal I found on the Spanish site (I know it was too good to be true!) - I've just tried to add the Disney Express Luggage Service to my booking, but as no trains from Spain arrive into Marne Le Vallee, they don't offer it.

So I'm now, for the first time EVER, going to have to make a trip to the Santa Fe to drop off our bags before we hit the parks! It's not the end of the world, but I do just love dropping the bags off at the station and then heading straight out into the magic!

I know how you feel Helen I do like that service but when to adults it's just far to much money,
You will have a perfect trip I'm sure how ever it starts.
Not like you cram everything in u going next year

 

[Mum to Belle]

Hello - bit late catching up here as I've not been on the boards for a while

I just LOVE the countdown calendar!!!

The treasure hunt sounded fab - love that it took her a while to get the ending & she was more interested in her prizes!

I did something similar with Isabelle this year with clues to solve, great fun!

Can't wait to see photos of the onesie!!!

Happy planning! x

 

[HappyPanda]

I know how you feel Helen I do like that service but when to adults it's just far to much money,
You will have a perfect trip I'm sure how ever it starts.
Not like you cram everything in u going next year

that's why it would have been good for us this time, as it's just DD and I so would have only had to pay for one adult! I've kind of come round to the idea now and don't think it will too bad having to pop there first. At least it saves having to check-in after a long day at the parks!

Hello - bit late catching up here as I've not been on the boards for a while

I just LOVE the countdown calendar!!!

The treasure hunt sounded fab - love that it took her a while to get the ending & she was more interested in her prizes!

I did something similar with Isabelle this year with clues to solve, great fun!

Can't wait to see photos of the onesie!!!

Happy planning! x

Thank you and welcome back to the DIS!

I was going to try and get pics of the whole outfit together this weekend and as I wanted to practise her face paint, but I'm not quite sure where the time went!

 

[HappyPanda]

Weather watch continues:



I'd be happy with that! The week before (15-19th) looks really nice though, 20C most days! It's certainly looking better than the sub-zero temperatures I was planning for.

I really don't know where to start with packing! As it's just DD and I, I really don't want to take too much stuff as I have shoulder problems which are greatly aggrivated by carrying and lifting heavy bags.. but with the autumn weather being so changeable it's going to be difficult to pack light!

 

[ILOVEDLP]

Weather looking great Helen !
I know I do like to drop bags off and hit the parks, but I also don't like checking in late as we always had a long day.
you just want to get to your room a relax, take your shoes off.
So may work out better.
You never know.

 

[HappyPanda]

14 days to go!

I have finally chosen my outfit for the Halloween Party. I had originally intended to go as Cruella but I really loathed the idea of having to wear a wig, so DD suggested that I should go as a Dalmatian the same as her! So last night I purchased a big fleecy Dalmatian onesie and a pin on tail!

Now I just have to hope it arrives it time! *fingers crossed* I'm also still waiting for Olivia's autograph book to arrive that I bought from a seller in the US, it was posted international 1st class last Wednesday, so I'm hoping it won't be too much longer!

 

[HappyPanda]

Look what arrived today...



Olivia doesn't know I've ordered this so I'm going to give it to her on the Eurostar on the way! She's going to love it and it's so nice having it in its own bag, one less thing for Mummy to carry!