PHXscuba's Club 33 Christmas

[PHXscuba]

Well, it's a momentous day. It's December 1, and we now have just ...

99 days

until our trip!!!

It seems like so long and so short at the same time. I know the next month will be lost to planning (other than the Trip Reveal as I have dubbed it). I love the holidays but I have much to do as I mentioned a couple days ago.

In honor of it being a short, sweet 99 days away, I gift y'all with NINE photos (you really didn't want to sit through NINETY-NINE now, did you?) of our last big trip in October 2009. As I was exporting these photos, it kills me how young my kids look in them. Three years is a world of difference, whether it's from 4 to 7, from 13 to 16, or in between.

Behold!

(apologies for the hugeness -- I think my exporting screwed up and I'm too lazy to re-do all 9 again)

From the "you can't do that at Disneyland any more" file, my kids on the Mickey statue at the DLH just after we arrived.

Posing on the Dumbo prop after riding it.

DD (then 10) and I just behind the empty seat (and DS13 next to us). I can't believe DH caught the takeoff on camera. DD was really scared for the first 1.5 seconds and then spent the rest of the ride yelling, "This is so awesome!" Yep, another generation of coaster fans.

DD and DS hugging Stitch, DS's favorite. A CM had told me Stitch wouldn't be out that day, but we came around a corner in Hollywood and there he was!!

The kids with the must-have Mickey bars. Whatever these three don't eat, DS16 will mop up.

DS contemplating how to get the sword out of the stone.

We got to meet Tinkerbell and Fawn in the rain. Thankfully our CM friend helped us jump ahead of the half-hour line and get us in quickly. I need to find out where she will be working in March!

Another thing you can't do any more ... feed a swarm of koi at the Disneyland Hotel.

The ubiquitous picture in front of the Partners statue and the castle. I think we just traded with another family.
​

I hope you enjoyed these photos. I can't wait to go back and take more!!

 

[PHXscuba]

All right, I need some help and inspiration!

As I have mentioned, my kids don't know we're going yet, at least not specifics. All inquiries have been met with a disinterested, "yeah, we'll probably go sometime next year," and a deft change of subject.

So I am planning to tell them officially at Christmas, so they have a date, and something to count down to (75 days as of Christmas Day). I don't expect a Youtube-quality reaction to this Trip Reveal ... they've been before and they've known they would be back.

What I DO need from all of you reading along are any ideas to supplement what I've already bought ... I still have time to make or ship items to add.

So here's what I've bought so far (and yes, I got the photo sizing wrangled):

Mickey Peeps! For eating right away. ($1.99 at Walgreens if anyone else wants a stocking stuffer)

The glow sticks are great for waiting on Fantasmic, WoC, fireworks, etc. Best $1 I spend for each Disney trip. The book is mostly for DS16 ... plus I will be borrowing it to read!

New lanyards and pins for DD13, DD10, and DS7. For me too! We will likely do a blind draw for the pins and do some trading amongst ourselves over the next few months. They sometimes decide what they will collect for the trip based on what they start with. At WDW DD13 had Cuties, DD10 had Chip and Dale and Tink, I got almost the whole set of holiday snowflakes.

PEZ!! Somehow this has become a trip tradition. I hate reloading them, but the kids think they're the best thing ever. C3PO for DS16, Pooh for DD13, Rapunzel for DD10, and Perry for DS7.​

..........................

So anyone have any ideas I could add to this? I also have the perfect size box and just bought a roll of Mickey wrapping paper at the dollar store. Plus the little brochure Disneyland sent me about our trip. I am toying with including a countdown, but I think 75 days out is too early for me to maintain. DS7 will figure out we will be there for his 8th birthday, but it doesn't feel like the Trip Reveal is the place to emphasize it.

PHXscuba

 

[kaoden39]

For the countdown a paper chain might be fun. The kids can help you and then they can take turns tearing a link off of the chain each day.


If you want to buy more things to round out their stuff we were in the 99 cent store the other day and they had a ton of Disney stuff in there. Just an option if you want it.

 

[tksbaskets]

I don't think I have any great ideas but I sure like yours. I love those PEEPS!

 

[PHXscuba]

For the countdown a paper chain might be fun. The kids can help you and then they can take turns tearing a link off of the chain each day.


If you want to buy more things to round out their stuff we were in the 99 cent store the other day and they had a ton of Disney stuff in there. Just an option if you want it.

I will probably wait on the paper chain. DD13 is a want-to-do-it-myself type and she'd have a paper chain circling her bedroom if I let her! Maybe at 30 days out. I have been to Dollar Tree but will probably also hit the 99 Cent store before Christmas for stocking stuffers and to see if they have anything else marvelous. I'm sure we'll find things for the car ride as it gets closer.

I don't think I have any great ideas but I sure like yours. I love those PEEPS!

The Peeps are really cute! I am glad I'm not trying to stuff them in a stocking because I'm not sure they'd fit. Someone posted them on another DIS section and I knew I had to find them. They are perfect for what I am doing!

PHXscuba

 

[PHXscuba]

(this has nothing to do with my trip but everything to do with Disney, so tune in at your own peril)

I just saw on a friend's Facebook update that they are at Hong Kong Disneyland!! I am so excited for them and a little jealous. She has been on sabbatical in New Zealand (she's a professor in Canada and we grew up together in CA) and they are traveling home by way of Hong Kong to visit family.

Actually, of all the foreign Disney parks, it would be slightly more likely for me to visit Hong Kong Disneyland than some of the others. My brother lives in Beijing and DH, and I have been there once to visit him. I should probably hold out for Shanghai Disneyland in a couple years. OOO, a Disney Parks road trip, hitting Tokyo, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. Yeah, that would blow the vacation budget for the rest of my life!

I have seen some amazing photos of the foreign parks. I don't really have an official "bucket list," but if I am ever in France, Japan, or Hong Kong, I am putting my foot down and spending at least a day at Disney!

But for now I will be content with California

PHXscuba

 

[cristyhas3]

We're going in March, too (7-12)! Your planning is fantastic! My DH says I have Disney on the brain. He says we *still* have 3 months. I say, we *only* have 3 months!

I live AZ, too (Tempe).

 

[rentayenta]

Love the Pez and Peeps. I better run to Walgreens in case DH changes his mind.


Your family is just adorable. The Mickey bars look so yummy!

 

[PHXscuba]

We're going in March, too (7-12)! Your planning is fantastic! My DH says I have Disney on the brain. He says we *still* have 3 months. I say, we *only* have 3 months!

I live AZ, too (Tempe).

Welcome, CristyHas3!! Yes, this trip report is group therapy for OverPlanners Anonymous. I write here because you people understand that it's *only* three months!! When is your next Disneyland trip?

Love the Pez and Peeps. I better run to Walgreens in case DH changes his mind.


Your family is just adorable. The Mickey bars look so yummy!

You can never have too many Peeps! Even if they're not part of a Trip Reveal, they would make fun treats. Without the packaging, they're just red Mickey heads!

We think the kids are above-average on the adorable scale. They clean up pretty nice and know when to smile for pictures!

PHXscuba

 

[cristyhas3]

Welcome, CristyHas3!! Yes, this trip report is group therapy for OverPlanners Anonymous. I write here because you people understand that it's *only* three months!! When is your next Disneyland trip?

You can never have too many Peeps! Even if they're not part of a Trip Reveal, they would make fun treats. Without the packaging, they're just red Mickey heads!

We think the kids are above-average on the adorable scale. They clean up pretty nice and know when to smile for pictures!

PHXscuba

We'll be there March 7-12!

 

[PHXscuba]

We'll be there March 7-12!

Cool! We'll overlap a little. I'm hoping it's not too spring-break crowded yet then.

PHXscuba

 

[PHXscuba]

So waaaay back on page 2 of this PTR, I found out about the "Limited Time Magic" promo that is Disney's big marketing effort for the year. Color me largely unimpressed. The one I found most amusing was the "Dapper Dans Sing Boy Bands" idea, which kaoden39 and I determined had to be a bottom-of-the-barrel, coffee-aided, fill-the-press-release Hail Mary of an idea.

Apparently they were NOT joking. A Disney blogger attended the "what's next" media event at WDW last week and posted this clip of the Dapper Dan/Boy Band week o' fun. They really start into it after the first minute.

Okay ....

It appears they won't be announcing many of the promos until the Friday before, as a "surprise" for visitors (although one could argue anyone who doesn't do much homework for a Disney trip is "surprised" by a lot of things and wouldn't know it was actually anything special).

I'm not sure I agree with the blogger's assertion near the end that "These sorts of promotions are targeted at and designed for the more infrequent visitor." I think at least at Disneyland they are more targeted to AP holders or locals who can drop in on short notice if they see something they like. An infrequent visitor like me isn't going to come more often (or spend more money) for something I don't know about in advance or might not even notice in the park.

OK, enough amateur analysis. If I have time, I'll post some of my holiday Disneyland photos in the next couple days. Two weeks until Christmas Eve!

PHXscuba

 

[PHXscuba]

So I am stuck here this afternoon waiting on the pest control guy, a necessary evil. I got all my work done so now I get a little time to play.

I'll share a few pictures I took on my girls' getaway holiday trip with my best friend L, in December 2010.

The Santa in the Disneyland Hotel lobby was hidden around the corner from Goofy's Kitchen. We walked right up and got our picture!

Thanks to a great suggestion from Sherry E, we hung out in the grand lobby of the Grand Californian. It was so beautiful and relaxing. I think we both put it on our bucket list to stay there someday ... maybe when all of our kids are out of the house!

I tested out several gingerbread Mickeys that trip. Yum, yum, yum!

This was one of my favorite photos I took. I just love the contrast of the castle icicles and the red leaves.

Since we scored free park tickets through my husband's CM friend, we splurged on the Holiday Tour. We both agreed that it was well worth it, including front-of-the-line access to IASWH.

This photo is small enough resolution that it disguises the sad truth that I don't take good night/light pictures. But it's a rule you have to try at Disneyland!

I didn't take many pictures in DCA (gray day, not much exciting and Christmas-y), but I did like the reflection of Mickey's Fun Wheel with the big tree beside it.​

We had a wonderful trip and making it back next Christmas season (perhaps with the same friend in tow) is part of my plot if I can manage to come home with an AP from our March trip!

PHXscuba

 

[kaoden39]

So waaaay back on page 2 of this PTR, I found out about the "Limited Time Magic" promo that is Disney's big marketing effort for the year. Color me largely unimpressed. The one I found most amusing was the "Dapper Dans Sing Boy Bands" idea, which kaoden39 and I determined had to be a bottom-of-the-barrel, coffee-aided, fill-the-press-release Hail Mary of an idea.

Apparently they were NOT joking. A Disney blogger attended the "what's next" media event at WDW last week and posted this clip of the Dapper Dan/Boy Band week o' fun. They really start into it after the first minute.

Okay ....

It appears they won't be announcing many of the promos until the Friday before, as a "surprise" for visitors (although one could argue anyone who doesn't do much homework for a Disney trip is "surprised" by a lot of things and wouldn't know it was actually anything special).

I'm not sure I agree with the blogger's assertion near the end that "These sorts of promotions are targeted at and designed for the more infrequent visitor." I think at least at Disneyland they are more targeted to AP holders or locals who can drop in on short notice if they see something they like. An infrequent visitor like me isn't going to come more often (or spend more money) for something I don't know about in advance or might not even notice in the park.

OK, enough amateur analysis. If I have time, I'll post some of my holiday Disneyland photos in the next couple days. Two weeks until Christmas Eve!

PHXscuba

I am so underwhelmed by the whole thing.


The one thing I took away from the video is how short the Dapper Dan in yellow is.

 

[tksbaskets]

Love the pictures of your girls trip!

 

[PHXscuba]

I am so underwhelmed by the whole thing.


The one thing I took away from the video is how short the Dapper Dan in yellow is.

Underwhelmed is a good word to describe it. I suppose I will be on the computer just before we go to see if there is anything interesting going on our week, but nothing to plan on. I wonder if I ask CMs in the park if they will even be aware of the "special" theme week stuff?

Love the pictures of your girls trip!

Thanks! We had so much fun doing all the things we can't do with all the kids in tow -- shopping, tours, eating things besides burgers and pizza ... Our 13-year-old daughters (also best friends) think that we don't know they are scheming behind our backs to have the next girls' trip be mother/daughter! Hmmm.....

PHXscuba

 

[kaoden39]

Just another fun thing for them to have to know. Can you imagine the things they have to remember.

 

[PHXscuba]

So I've been a slacker again keeping this updated ... I think I feel guilty when it drops too low on the first page.

But I have an unanticipated (and unwelcome) day stuck home today with DS7 semi-sick. I made the mistake of saying Sunday night that I was so grateful all of the kids made it through their combined 5 Christmas concerts without getting sick. And the universe laughed. Ugh. I now have to hold my breath for the next 3 days hoping no one else gets sick. And shove all of today's appointments into tomorrow.

I need advice on the next topic ...

So last night DH and I were discussing the Christmas plans -- whose house dinner is at, when we're opening gifts, etc. and I reminded him that I wanted to give the kids the Trip Reveal box during Christmas sometime, not right with the other gifts preferably. He kinda blew my mind when he suggested maybe holding it until New Year's -- making it about what we get to do next year.

I'm unsure if I like this idea or not. Pros: There's not really anything in the box that is strictly Christmas-y, and some of it won't get used much until the trip, like the lanyards. I like moving it away from the other gifts. Cons: I think part of my reluctance is that I Had A Plan, and now it's changing (I like things my way, surprise ) And I'll have to keep the darn secret another week!! And if I'm keeping the secret, it's going to be harder to talk to my parents about them joining us for a day. I don't expect my dad to give me an answer right away, but I was hoping to do it in person.

Any words of wisdom from the collective brain trust reading this?

PHXscuba

 

[tksbaskets]

Well since you asked - the kiddos will have so many happy things on Christmas it might be fun to keep it for NYE (countdown and open the box).

My 2cents worth. Frankly any time is a great time to find out you are going to DL!

 

[PHXscuba]

I think I'm coming around to the idea of giving the kids the Trip Reveal on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day (depending on when I can get them all in the same room ... ahhh teenagers).

It was never really a "Christmas present;" Christmas just happened to fall in the generally right timeframe. I have some unused silver wrapping paper that I can use for a gift that doesn't scream Christmas. OIf course if I do this, they may expect New Year's gifts every year ... NOT!

Tomorrow's goal: must finish the holiday shopping!! And restock the pantry for the oversized kids that will be home too much of the next two weeks.

PHXscuba