Our Surprise Adventure of a Lifetime. Lots of Pics Along the Way!

[spoonfulofsugr]

I love how creative you are, and you ideas for disney movie nights are amazing, we do that also in my house, but it consists of my sons each getting to pick a movie and I get to order the pizza

I am doing a twelve days before disney thing for my sons. Each day twelve days before we leave they are going to get a gift bag that I will decorate with stickers for them, and inside will be something that we need for the trip. Waterproof disposable cameras for the water park, m&m contairs full of pennies and quaters for the pressed penny machines and a list of all the pressed penny machines, binoculars for the safari ride, and I don't know what else yet.

Looking forward to reading your pre trip.

Sometimes I wish all I did was order pizza, it would be much cheaper and less time-consuming but I do love putting together our fun nights. And think of how cute our Disney night scrapbook will be!

That is a great idea for your 12 days of Disney. I still haven't decided how far in advance to tell the girls but I will figure it out. I mean should I tell them like a week before so they can get an idea of the restaurants and attractions or completely surprise them the night before? Decisions, decisions. Keep the ideas coming people! Thanks for reading and as always, sending a little magic your way.

 

[spoonfulofsugr]

Hi everyone, just wanted to post some pictures of the ornaments I made for my tree this year. They took a long time to make but they are super cute and exactly what I wanted so it was worth it. Hope you like them!

These are wooden snowflakes. I cut cardstock out the same shape as the snowflake and then used sparkly mod podge to make them look "frosted". Then I used ribbons... pink and red to make the hooks. Each snowflake... even each side of each snowflake has a different paper on it.

These are wooden squares. I painted them a sparkly white color and they look kind of like snow. I then took Mary Engelbreit stickers and put them on the front and back of the ornament (I had 18 different stickers). Then I used a shimmery Jelly Roll pen and did the border around it. I drilled two hole in the top and then used ribbon as before.

I followed the same procedure here as with the snowflakes except I had to drill holes in the top to get the ribbon through. These also have a different paper for each side of each star.

These are actually cookie cutters that I used ribbon to create a loop and then hot glue gunned a bow to the front.

I also have white Christmas balls that I painted red and green polka dots on and jingle bells that I am tying to the branches with the same ribbon as the gingerbread bows.

Thanks for checking out my ornaments! Stay tuned for pictures from our Disney dinner tonight! Until then...

 

[2BoysMom]

Great ornaments. I remember how fun it was to do crafty things before the kids came along....... haven't done much since.

Have you thought about putting your initials and the year on the backs of some of these ornaments. Time flies..... and it would be nice for you or your recipients to remember "way back when these were made..."

You know what I mean?

 

[spoonfulofsugr]

Great ornaments. I remember how fun it was to do crafty things before the kids came along....... haven't done much since.

Have you thought about putting your initials and the year on the backs of some of these ornaments. Time flies..... and it would be nice for you or your recipients to remember "way back when these were made..."

You know what I mean?

Great idea! I think I will do that! I like these because they are EXACTLY what I wanted. It's hard to buy things that are exactly what you want, but if you make them, it's all about your preference.

 

[ty&brenmom]

Love your ornaments. You are very creative and talented when it comes to crafts.
My sons and I also make ornaments each year. Each year we do a different design, last year we made beaded snowflakes, the year before we made reindeer out of jingle bells and that kind of thing. While they won't win any awards for creativity they are fun to make.

 

[spoonfulofsugr]

Love your ornaments. You are very creative and talented when it comes to crafts.
My sons and I also make ornaments each year. Each year we do a different design, last year we made beaded snowflakes, the year before we made reindeer out of jingle bells and that kind of thing. While they won't win any awards for creativity they are fun to make.

Thank you for your compliment! I like doing crafty things. It helps pass the time while my "invisible" husband is at work. I love him dearly but he isn't around very often because he is a restaurant manager. So, while I am home alone, crafts keep my hands and mind busy. And as for them not being complete works of art, you are right, the only thing that matters is that you have fun making them.

Last night was 101 Dalmations night! I decorated the house with spots I made out of cardstock all over the walls:

On the menu: hot dogs, pepperoni pizza (the spots!), and french fries with chocolate chip cookies (the spots again!) for dessert.

Last night, Courtney got into a fight with my mom so she wasn't allowed to come She was really, really upset. So, my other DB and DSis came over to enjoy with Hannah. So, first we ate dinner:

"Say Disney!"

Then, we made our 101 Dalmation BINGO boards. I made boards with 16 squares on each then made a list of 16 words to listen for in the movie and had everyone write in the words on their board in whatever order they wanted. Whoever won the most BINGO's was promised a prize at our next Disney night. I thought BINGO would be perfect as you mark your words off with spots! Or poker chips in our case

Just as we were about to start the movie, my mom called and said that Courtney would be coming over... YAY! I was glad she could come over after all especially becase these Disney nights are to get them ready for our trip. So, Courtney came over and I fed her a hot dog and some pretzels...

And then we started the movie. Everyone got at least on BINGO except for Hannah She was sad but, of course, she gets a prize next time too. Our DVD player stopped working about 20 minutes before the movie was over but it was fun anyway.

Hope you enjoyed our 101 Dalmations night. Stay tuned for more crazy ramblings, complaints about the May hours not being available yet, my over the top binder contents, and more Disney fun. Until next time, keep your goodie bag ideas coming and as always, sending a little magic your way!

 

[spoonfulofsugr]

I am officially making my reservation this Friday!! As all of you who have been reading along, we were keeping our money in a glass bottle making it more difficult for us to get to but I came up with an even better idea! We will be making our reservation and every time we get paid, we will call Disney and put the set amount directly towards our vacation. That makes it not difficult, but IMPOSSIBLE to get to unless we call Disney and cancel our trip. I'm sure there are a lot of you who already do this... I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier.

I have started compiling a trip binder. Well, I will have at least two anyway. The one that has already been completed is my dining binder. As you know, we will not be making ADRs. I have printed out the menus (available courtesy of allears) from all of the restaurants (currently) on the DDP and categorized them by park and resorts in the area of those parks. I have also separated them by counter service and table service. Since we will be there for 8 days, that means 16 meals and there are 4 of us. So each of us gets to pick four meals. Every day, one person will pick our counter service and one person will pick our table service. They will be able to look at the menus in our hotel room before we even leave in the morning. I know it really stinks when you eat somewhere on vacation and then pass somewhere else you would have rather eaten. Hopefully, being able to look at the menus will eliminate that disappointment.

I wish the May hours would just go up already!! I am getting the itch and need to start planning what parks we will go to and when. All I know is that the day we arrive, we will do Magic Kingdom and the PnPP. Yay! What a perfect start to vacation. I know a lot of you don't do the parks on your first day but our plane ride is only a two hour trip and we will be there before 9 AM. This gives us a full first day to enjoy the parks. On our last day, our flight doesn't leave until after 9 PM so we will also have most of a full day on our last day. Our trip is starting to seem like it is right around the corner and I am getting way too excited for my own good. Until next time, sending a little magic your way!

P.S. I haven't heard from most of you since I have been back. Are you still out there? And all you lurkers, come on out of Lurkland and let me know what you think!

 

[erinmomof2]

Just wanted to say that it's so exciting for you to be able to make your reservations Friday. I'm a little jealous I'm trying to talk my husband into a May or June trip.... but it's not going so well.

Were you able to figure out dates that work for you?

 

[spoonfulofsugr]

Just wanted to say that it's so exciting for you to be able to make your reservations Friday. I'm a little jealous I'm trying to talk my husband into a May or June trip.... but it's not going so well.

Were you able to figure out dates that work for you?

We will be going from May 1-May 8 as long as DH can get off work (which we anticipate being no problem). It is literally the ONLY week that will work for us so, if DH cannot get off, we will have to wait until September which wouldn't be TOO bad because we can do FD but I don't want to wait!!

My new dilemma is deciding whether or not to get the dining plan. It would be good for us to have those meals paid for beforehand except we are not making any ADRs and the only way the DDP would be worth it to us would be if we ate at expensive places which are not guaranteed to be available for walk-ups. We will also have to pay OOP for appetizers and tip anyway. So confused.... someone help! Also, does Disney set aside tables at restaurants for walk-ups? I have been 3 times and have never had to wait for a table.

I also need to advice. What special things can we do with the girls that will make the trip even more special. Something just for them. Any suggestions?

Here is our itinerary (not day specific)

1. MK and PnPP
2. EPCOT
3. DHS
4. Typhoon Lagoon and the Boardwalk
5. Universal, IOA and City Walk
6. AK, DTD and La Nouba
7. Another day at EPCOT (may change)
8. Another park day or shopping day at DTD

How does it look?

 

[2BoysMom]

I'm still here. I love your PTR too much.

I have to admit that I am a little worried about you not having ADR's. I totally understand the "want to be flexible and free" idea, but as you yourself have stated, the DDP really only works if you have a certain amount of table service meals and that often means having an ADR.

You know, that just b/c you "make" an ADR, doesn't mean you have to "keep" your ADR if it doesn't work for you on a particular day.

Having said all that (can you tell I'm a mother), you are going in the first week of May. It is not a crowded time, compared to others, so if you really want to gamble, then it just might work out for you.

Disney announced in November, that this past October had the lowest number of people coming to the parks since 1993. That is why you are seeing so many great deals right now. Unless the economy really improves dramatically in the next few months, I imagine crowd numbers will still be lower than average (except with us Disney Fanatics, ooops...I mean Enthusiasts!)

Was this more advice than you were looking for?

 

[spoonfulofsugr]

I'm still here. I love your PTR too much.

Was this more advice than you were looking for?

Perfect amount of advice! I'll take all the advice I can get. I am starting to get a little stressed about the trip and planning so any tips you guys can give me is great. It's nice to know you are still there and thanks for stickin' with me!

 

[spoonfulofsugr]

DH can't get off for our dates in May. We will be waiting to go in September. I am trying not to be too depressed by telling myself that we may be able to do free dining, we will be there for the food and wine festival, it will be over my birthday, we will have more time to save more money, we will be able to have more Disney nights before we go, and I won't be missing the last week of classes before finals in May. I don't even want to think about waiting another 4 months for our vaca. but it will be good. Hey, lighter crowds right? Last time we went in September, we didn't wait more than 10 minutes to get on a ride and usually we didn't have to wait at all. We didn't go on Soarin' because the line was 20 minutes long. I know, snobs right? haha.

Not only am I stressed about that but starting tomorrow my 18 year old brother who is a senior in high school is moving in with me and DH. My family is moving out of our town but DB wants to stay in the same school so we told him he could stay with us as long as he follows my rules. We will see how long that lasts. This will be difficult for us. We will have no more privacy, I will have to get up early to drive DB to school, I have to worry about him (where he is, making sure his grades are kept up, keeping on top of his college apps. etc...) and, worst of all, we can't talk openly about our WDW trip because we don't want DB to know! That is gonna be really hard. The worst part is, I don't think DB gets it. I think he thinks it will just be one big party and he will get to do whatever he wants. Don't get me wrong I love him and we are friends but this will be a hardship. I mean, there is a reason DH and I haven't had kids yet. So, wish me luck as we go through this transition. Any encouragement for the trip reschedule would also be greatly appreciated. Let's hear why it is a blessing in disguise. Anyone? As always....

 

[erinmomof2]

I think September sounds good. You'll also be able to get the gift card since you'll be going for your birthday... so that's some extra spending money. Plus you'll save so much if you can get free dining. Although, if you go during free dining you'll probably need to make some ADRs... the restaurants had no walk up opening when we were there this past September.

I hope it all works out with your brother. I have a brother who sounds very similar to yours and he's stayed with me before. It's hard to get the right balance... my brother thinks of me as his friend and sister (and I am) but when he's staying with me I'm also the "lawmaker" (his words) and he gets so annoyed by it all. But in the end it's always worked out okay. Here's hoping that it all goes smoothly for you.

Have a great day!
Erin

 

[spoonfulofsugr]

I think September sounds good.... you'll probably need to make some ADRs... the restaurants had no walk up opening when we were there this past September.
Erin

NOOOOO! Say it ain't so!!! If it were just DH and I going, I would totally make ADRs but I want the girls to have a say in where we eat and I can't get that input without letting on about the trip. We will probably still not make ADRs but call the restaurants that morning to see if they have any availability. I think 3 things are in our favor... 1. crowds are down at WDW in general 2. September is usually less crowded (albeit maybe more crowded than usual because of free dining popularity) and 3. we will probably be eating dinner late.. like around 8 or 9 at night. I am hoping that everything will work out the way we want it to.

Thanks for the pixie dust you sent over. I'm going to look at the silver lining. As for my brother, hopefully everything will turn out fine. I know we will always love each other so I am not all THAT worried. Until next time..

 

[spoonfulofsugr]

Just wanted to celebrate and pass on some information in this post. DSis12 birthday is at the end of January. You may remember that she asked us to take her to see Wicked in NYC. I was surfing the web today and came across a fabulous deal. For any of the Disney shows on Broadway, buy one ticket get one free!!! If we take advantage of this deal, we will be able to take her out for dinner and ice skating before the show. She wanted to see Wicked but I hope she won't be disappointed by the change. When I talked to her earlier today, at first she said she wanted to see Wicked, then brought up Phantom of the Opera. When I told her about the Disney deal and about dinner and ice skating, she said it sounded like a lot of fun. It is hard for me to really guage how she feels because she is a total people pleaser. Whenevr we do anything, her line is "I don't care, whatever you want". So, I jsut have to hope she will be excited. DH took me to see Lion King for my birthday a couple of years ago and it was FANTASTIC. DSis said she would probably want to see Mary Poppins. Anyway, just wanted to leave that info. and if anyone would like that code for the tickets, please let me know and I will let the cat out of the bag! Until next time...

 

[SheaBear]

Hey girl!

Sorry to hear things didn't work out to go in May. But you never know. It may be a blessing in disguise. You'll get to celebrate your birthday while you are there and have more time to save up.

I think my family is planning a trip for May. Not too sure though. It would have been fun to be there at the same time, figuring the last time I was at Disney World was with you and the rest of the crew. LOL!

 

[spoonfulofsugr]

Hi! Sorry, everyone, for the temporary moratorium as I have been mourning the loss of over 3,000 pictures, 7 DVD's I have made, and over 1,000 songs, not mention all of my files saved on my computer. Yes, my computer crashed, I had to get the hard drive replaced, and I didn't have anything backed up... I know, I know! So, here I am, back again. Since we have last caught up, DH and I bought tickets to take my sister and mom to see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway for their birthday. Their b-day is the same day at the end of January and we will be going to NYC at the beginning of February. Courtney knows we are going but not my mom. She will be so excited! Neither of them has ever seen a show on Broadway so it will be great. I hope everyone has a great week and Happy Holidays to everyone!! Well, everyone that's still out there. Let's hear from all of you that are!! Until next time..

 

[elt0307]

I'm usually just a "lurker" but I'll make an exception since I feel your pain with the hard drive crash I learned the hard way and now I back everything up!

Looking forward to hearing more updates - I LOVE the creative things you do for your sisters! And have a happy holiday!

 

[spoonfulofsugr]

I'm usually just a "lurker" but I'll make an exception since I feel your pain with the hard drive crash I learned the hard way and now I back everything up!

Looking forward to hearing more updates - I LOVE the creative things you do for your sisters! And have a happy holiday!

I am glad you joined us in the outside world! Thank you for your holiday wishes. We had a pretty good holiday with one small problem... I will post about that later but I wanted to pop in and tell everyone I hope they had a merry Christmas or happy kwanzaa or whatever you may be celebrating this time of year!

 

[kafitty]

hi! i'm in the same boat as you, kinda - we were going to go in May, but my best friend and i aren't graduating in January so we're just going to wait until October or November for the Food & Wine Festival!

i love your parties! they look so fun. Your crafts are great too! i wish i had the patience and/or creativity to do anything like that!

i'm subscribing, so i'll be back.