PTR: Don't break your sister or we can't go to Disneyworld!

[lmbcdb]

We are off to Disneyworld in less than 20 days, so this will be a SHORT pre-trip report! I didn't start until now because I have been so busy reading the boards and learning things since this is our first trip. So, here goes:

Where we are staying: Fort Wildnerness Cabins

When: January 3rd, 2010

How long: 7 days

Our cast:

Lisa Marie, 39 (me)

My wonderful husband of 9 years, Chris: (40 tomorrow!)

Our entertaining and super-intelligent son, Daniel: (6 1/2)

Our precious and beautiful daughter, Claire, who is 2:

Technically, my husband and I have been before, but we were 8 and 10 years old and don't remember lick about our trip. So, we are considering the whole family virgins to the World.

 

[CantWaitToGo2007]

You're kids are so cute! I wish I was going in 20 days

Nanette

 

[lmbcdb]

Thanks! I wish it was 2 instead of 20 so I could start packing!

 

[Northern Disney Girl]

Hey there!

It is never too early to start packing! If it weren't for a pesky thing called Christmas, I would be packing already! We don't leave until the 24th of January! I promised DH that I would wait until we had all the Christmas stuff put away beofre I started to pack!

More information PLEASE!!! My sister and her family ar staying the Cabins in MArch and I would LOVE to hear about your experience so I pass the info along to her!

 

[lmbcdb]

Hey there!

It is never too early to start packing! If it weren't for a pesky thing called Christmas, I would be packing already! We don't leave until the 24th of January! I promised DH that I would wait until we had all the Christmas stuff put away before I started to pack!

More information PLEASE!!! My sister and her family ar staying the Cabins in MArch and I would LOVE to hear about your experience so I pass the info along to her!

If we had enough clothes, trust me, I would be packing already! I think I will wait until the day after Christmas. We are actually flying out the 31st to visit my BIL for a few days.

As for the cabins, so far I only know what I have read. I decided to rent a golf cart and a double stroller. While my son is 6, I think we are going to need it for both kids. I got the cart just because I read enough posts about it being helpful at the end of a long day with tired kids and trying to get back to your cabin. I don't want to wait for another bus! (FW internal ones)

We got the cabin mainly for the bedroom, so that the kids can take a nap, and we don't have to go to bed when they do.

 

[lmbcdb]

I was a little disappointed today. UPS told me our personalized ear hats would be here today, then about 5:00, they changed the delivery date to tomorrow. Bummer.

Anyway, here's the ADRs I made:

Princess Lunch Epcot Akershus Royal Dining Hall
Sci Fi dine in HS
Hollywood/Vine HS
Hoop de do Ft Wildnerness
Safari AK
Chef Mickey's Contemporary

I made them based on which park we were going to be at for the day. I picked our parks using TourGuide Mike's least crowded parks day. I hope it works out for us. I am going to attempt his sample tours, and hopefully my 6yo will go along with it. I am just afraid once he sees something he will "have" to go do it. We will see.

The only one I am not too sure about is the Hoop de do. I don't want to waste 2 TS credits on something that my little ones will be bored with after 20 minutes.

 

[lmbcdb]

Our personalized mouse ears came today! My family is going to think I am a big dork when I make them all wear them on plane....

They are really cute! My daughter's Minnie Ears are even cuter! I had wanted a pair so she and I could match, but they only had them in children's sizes. Well, it gets here, I try hers on, and it fits! If my Mickey Ears weren't personalized, I'd send them back! The Minnie Ears with the bow is SOOO cute!

Or maybe I'll just eat the $15 I paid for my Mickey Ears and buy a Minnie pair too, now that I know that they fit! hmmmm...

 

[lmbcdb]

I figured out how give everyone their personalized ears: I hung them off the stockings so they were "from Santa"!

My son told my mom on the phone this morning: "Somehow Santa knew we are going to Disneyworld and brought us Mickey ears with our names on them!"

We had 3" of snow here in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, so for the first time ever, we had a white Christmas! Here's "Minnie the Snow Mouse"

She's a little short, but by the time we got out a lot of the snow had melted.

We are 9 days out at this point, but only 7 from flying out. I almost have my packing list finished, and told my husband we were starting to pack on Sunday. We are going to do a little every day, and just wear old clothes.

I went to check in online today, and was disappointed. All the hype about checking in early online, and all you do is check to see if your information is correct and give them a phone # and credit card. Whoop de do.

Getting closer. I think I am going to have to pack a lot, for warm days and cool nights.

 

[lmbcdb]

This PTR is going to be even shorter than I expected! My thread got moved over to completed trip reports for a few days. I couldn't edit it or add to it.

Summary:

• we are in Florida. Staying in Tampa for 3 days with my BIL. Headed to our cabin on Sunday early.
• started packing 3 days before we flew out. Thanks goodness!
• used the gallon and 2 gallon bags to pack outfits. Excited to see how that will work out. Defintely got more clothes in.
• All ready to go (except bathroom stuff) 2 nights before. Good thing, because we spent the day before we flew out at the doctors. DD and I both have ear infections!
• packed the van the night before and made the kids sleep in their clothes. (left the house at 5:00 am for a 7:00 flight)
• had to leave a few essentials at home - big pack of diapers, laundry soap packets. Luckily, my SIL is taking me to Target tomorrow for that and all our breakfast foods.
• tried to save $ by checking only 2 bags and carrying on 3. NOT a good idea - 3 carry ons, a "plane/diaper" bag, a 2 year old, a 6 year old, a car seat, and a stroller. NOT work the savings. The stroller was helpful in that we attached the carseat to the stroller for our layover, but getting all that off and on the plane was NOT worth $15 we saved by not checking another bag. We WILL be spending $30 to check 2 more bags on the way home.
• glad I put all the bathroom stuff in ziplocs. Something leaked on the way.

"Don't break your sister or we can't go to Disneyworld."

On the first day of packing, DS's job was to entertain the 2 year old. I let him go get her out bed upstairs and walk her downstairs. ( a first) They came down on their bottoms, and I told him to be careful and not "break" his sister or we couldn't go to Disneyworld. This became our slogan for the rest of the day! Wrestling, running, etc.

And of course, and one point, she asked to be pushed around in her new stroller, which we had already packed in the van. So he came in our room and asked if he could push her in the baby doll stroller. Which of course, we said no, and he asked why, and we responded, "cuz you'll break your sister and we can't go to Disneyworld."

What did he go do? Guess. Of course, it fell over, she hit the back of head on the tile and the tears from both ensued. Luckily, it was just a big bump.

We're in Florida and no one is broken.