November/December 2012?

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

I am also going to skip the dwarves - not interested enough to wait that long to meet anyone!

My big plans for the
- the parade (I hope we can last long enough to see the second parade)
- the dance parties (especially the one with Woody and Jessie, she is Alexis' favourite character)
- the shows (celebrate the season and a very tomorrow land Christmas)
- photo with Santa
and I just want the time to wander and soak up the atmosphere. Maybe a ride or two, a hot chocolate, some people watching... Happiness

Ms Shuttergirl - NPH would be great!

My plans are the same as yours, although I would also like to see the princesses in the town square theatre.

I agree that all of the shows look awesome. The whole thing is going to be fun.

 

[dabecs]

Ms Shuttergirl - We are eating at 1900 park fare (dinner), Akershus and CRT so hopefully we will have enough princess meet and greets! The princess queuing time isn't too long though looking at that article you linked. So you never know - we might need to stop again

Looking at the expected wait times you could spend the whole party time queuing just for a few characters! I know a lot of people enjoy meeting rare characters but for a first visit I feel like it would be a waste of the party night.

Reading about the party has got me very excited

22 days to go!!

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

I think where the party is concerned it all comes down to your family's stamina. I doubt my family will be able to make it to the end of the party, even though my kids are older. I will gauge how the mood is early in the piece to see if the boys of our family can last to the second parade. If not, we can watch the first one with them and if DD and I think we can make it until later and line up for a few characters we will. Otherwise we will just be wandering and soaking it all up.

You guys are going to love everything about it I'm sure.

 

[shushh]

It is nearly 1am and I am still up trying to buy my train tickets for Italy. About to scream at trenitalia website shortly...will check in tomorrow to chat more. Need Sleep now

 

[dabecs]

It is nearly 1am and I am still up trying to buy my train tickets for Italy. About to scream at trenitalia website shortly...will check in tomorrow to chat more. Need Sleep now

Hope it worked out! Funny how these problems always occur late at night when the stress mixed with the time make everything so much worse. When I was booking our Amtrak train tickets it was nearly midnight and the website wouldn't accept my phone number - it nearly drove me round the bend!

 

[shushh]

Thanks Dabecs! Its nice to have someone who can empathise with the train ticket angst! It thankfully all worked out this morning, but at a cost of 40 euros more and after nearly a whole day of panic! I managed to buy our french leg relatively quickly but even so, within less than one day, the price for our particular train had jumped from 30 euros per person to 85 euros per person! I'm so tired today having only had 4 hours sleep. I'm one who needs her minumum 8 hours of beauty sleep...

 

[shushh]

OK, had to go back and quickly skim through the posts...

Welcome Princess to the thread! So happy to hear about your surprise solo visit to the DLR A little sad that DS appears to be "growing up" and prefering to be at "home". Looking forward to your thoughts on Carsland.

Everyone's countdowns is now making me panic. Dabecs, how did your countdown get to 22 so quickly!?!? And I just realised that we leave in about 56 days or so. Arghhh!!!

Everyone seems so prepared...down to strategies for the MVMCP! So proud of you all All I remember from when we went was how happy I was! Watching the Christmas parade in the cold munching on a cookie and sipping hot chocolate seemed so special.

 

[shushh]

I feel so scatterbrained...

Ms Shuttergirl, I saw that ONJ is no longer a narrator. What a bummer! Did you manage to find out who is replacing her?

As for me, the cruise is no longer to Egypt but is now docking at Naples and Crete instead. Oh well. We've been to Naples so it would be a good opportunity to do a relaxing shore excursion like visiting mozarella farms and vineyards. Or perhaps we'll go visit the Island of Capri.

As for Crete, DH has managed to find another one of his "unique" tour operators. I trust him and so I'll go with the flow and enjoy the day! Its one less thing I have to arrange

As for Venice, we arrive late afternoon on Sunday 30 Dec. So many things will be closed. We essentially have 1 day on the Mon to see the city as once again, most things are closed on Tuesdays. Being New Years Day won't help matters much either...

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

I feel so scatterbrained...

Ms Shuttergirl, I saw that ONJ is no longer a narrator. What a bummer! Did you manage to find out who is replacing her?

As for me, the cruise is no longer to Egypt but is now docking at Naples and Crete instead. Oh well. We've been to Naples so it would be a good opportunity to do a relaxing shore excursion like visiting mozarella farms and vineyards. Or perhaps we'll go visit the Island of Capri.

As for Crete, DH has managed to find another one of his "unique" tour operators. I trust him and so I'll go with the flow and enjoy the day! Its one less thing I have to arrange

As for Venice, we arrive late afternoon on Sunday 30 Dec. So many things will be closed. We essentially have 1 day on the Mon to see the city as once again, most things are closed on Tuesdays. Being New Years Day won't help matters much either...

No I don't know who is replacing ONJ yet. It's a bummer but it will still be a wonderful thing to see.

Glad you got the train thing sorted. Sounds stressful. Remember everything for when I'm organising my Italian adventure in 2014 .

Bummer about missing Egypt, did you make the change or did the cruise company? Naples won't suck too much though I'm sure .

Venice is going to be tight going. Have you considered a private tour guide for there? A small run operation will likely run that day and will be less stressful than trying to do it yourself.

Your husband clearly has a knack for finding unique tour guides. Please keep notes for me .

Sounds like you are more organised than you think!!!!! I sometimes have days where I think I am organised and then I can get up the next day and start freaking out that there is so much to do .

 

[dabecs]

20 days to go

Ms Shuttergirl - in Washington are you using a town car at all? Our train leaves at 5am Thanksgiving morning and I need to book a car to take us from our hotel to Union Station. There are quite a few online but I am very nervous because if they don't turn up it would be hard to find someone else at that time of the day! I would love a recommendation if you have one

Shushh - I hope you are as lucky with this unique tour operator as last time

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

dabecs - we are just planning on using a cab. A while ago I used that taxi fare calculator thing and read on Trip Advisor and cabs look to be the most economical option. And I would dare say at 5am you'll get one fairly quickly

Sorry I couldn't be more help.

 

[PrincessInOz]

OK, had to go back and quickly skim through the posts...

Welcome Princess to the thread! So happy to hear about your surprise solo visit to the DLR A little sad that DS appears to be "growing up" and prefering to be at "home". Looking forward to your thoughts on Carsland.

Everyone's countdowns is now making me panic. Dabecs, how did your countdown get to 22 so quickly!?!? And I just realised that we leave in about 56 days or so. Arghhh!!!

Everyone seems so prepared...down to strategies for the MVMCP! So proud of you all All I remember from when we went was how happy I was! Watching the Christmas parade in the cold munching on a cookie and sipping hot chocolate seemed so special.

Thanks shushh.

Glad you got your Italian tix, even if it costed more. For future reference. Do you need to prebook everything now? It used to be that there was always tickets to get at the station....

 

[dabecs]

dabecs - we are just planning on using a cab. A while ago I used that taxi fare calculator thing and read on Trip Advisor and cabs look to be the most economical option. And I would dare say at 5am you'll get one fairly quickly

Sorry I couldn't be more help.

Thanks, I have heard that DC cabs are not known for their reliability! I think we might try Über, I guess as long as I have a few phone numbers of different companies someone will turn up!

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Thanks, I have heard that DC cabs are not known for their reliability! I think we might try Über, I guess as long as I have a few phone numbers of different companies someone will turn up!

Oh really??? What do you mean by unreliable. I'm having a little heart attack now . I thought we would just get the front desk to call us a cab and it would come but now you've got me thinking that won't work????

 

[Royal Consort]

I've done so much planning but I still feel I've completely forgotten something dreadfully vital.

Resort changed 9000 times: check
ADR's re-arranged 894729130000000 times: check
Free dining added: check
Transport: check
ESTAs: check


It seems the less I've got to plan, the more stressed I'm becoming! And we still don't have Dec Disneyland hours so I'll have about a week before we fly out to actually plan Disneyland. First world problems!! I'm like one of those manic mothers with the exception of being a guy and having no kids. So nothing like a manic mother at all really.

I can't imagine what I'm going to be like in a couple of weeks before we go.

 

[dabecs]

Oh really??? What do you mean by unreliable. I'm having a little heart attack now . I thought we would just get the front desk to call us a cab and it would come but now you've got me thinking that won't work????

I was told by a DC resident they were unreliable, she said for our early morning we should make 2 bookings 15 mins apart. That way if the first comes we can ring and cancel the second and if the first doesn't turn up we have a back up. I'm sure it will be fine but I am prone to be nervous about these things!

 

[dabecs]

My Mickey balloon in my ticker is nearly past the castle!

Started the ticker at 1 year out - can't believe in less than 3 weeks we are leaving

I have organised an 'activity' bag for on the plane - does anyone know if you can take the 28g pots of play-dough on the plane? I have googled with conflicting reports (I have 2 pots which I have put in a snack size ziplock bag and I thought if security said it wasn't allowed then I could just bin it). I just think it could be a good way to keep busy.

The packing has officially begun!

 

[Libby]

With just under 6 weeks to go I have finally made all bookings for our WDW/Carribean cruise trip. Only thing outstanding is whether to see La Nouba or not. It would be on our last night but I don't know whether to keep it free to either go back to a park or have a relax. Or maybe a 2nd Xmas Party.
The weeks are going by so fast now that I know it will be departure day before I know it.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

My Mickey balloon in my ticker is nearly past the castle!

Started the ticker at 1 year out - can't believe in less than 3 weeks we are leaving

I have organised an 'activity' bag for on the plane - does anyone know if you can take the 28g pots of play-dough on the plane? I have googled with conflicting reports (I have 2 pots which I have put in a snack size ziplock bag and I thought if security said it wasn't allowed then I could just bin it). I just think it could be a good way to keep busy.

The packing has officially begun!

dabecs, this just sounds soooo messy for on a plane. It will fall on their seats, get mushed into their clothing and stuff. I don't think the airline staff would be overly thrilled with it to be honest.

What did the conflicting reviews say?

 

[dabecs]

dabecs, this just sounds soooo messy for on a plane. It will fall on their seats, get mushed into their clothing and stuff. I don't think the airline staff would be overly thrilled with it to be honest.

What did the conflicting reviews say?

I don't find play dough messy - we have even had the girls play with it in the car no probs. They always play with it on a tray and being 5 and 6 they are over the smoosh it into things stage. I was looking for more tactile activities and a few websites had it listed as a good idea for plane travel. I hadn't thought of it before that but it is an activity that can occupy them for an hour at home which made it enticing

Most reviews said it was fine to take on board as long as it is under 100ml but a few said security restrictions banned it because of the risk it could be plastic explosives.

I will leave play dough in the maybe pile!