**The Official January 2012 WDW Thread**

[krd315]

46 days for us...
made our final payment today!

now the hard part is waiting....
I don't want to wish the holidays away but soo ready to go!

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

I was discussing ths w/ my DH and he said the same thing about the waist, but he forgets how Pooh sized I am. Bless him. It's quite litterally a s-t-r-e-t-c-h to do that. But I'll seek me out the lockers. I've never had to before. Are they only in the front of the parks?

I'm a large woman and I wouldn't think of putting anything extra aroud my waist...LOL

Yes, the only lockers are at the front of the parks.

I carry a backpack and just roll our sweatshirts up when we're not using them. They fit perfectly. But there's only three of us. If you have a larger family, it may not work.

We got our Mickey magical express mail today. But is that the only mail I receive? I thought we rec'd another piece of mail last trip with our reservation info, and I thought it included a discount/coupon book thing and those plastic luggage tags in it. DH said he thought we got the luggage tags with the Mickey magical express info, so maybe they're not doing them this year... And then he thought we got the coupon book when we checked in. I really can't remember, so he could be right... Anyone else know?

Yes, you will get more Mickey Mail if you booked a package, it usually comes a few days after your Magical Express stuff.

 

[readytogotodisney]

I've noticed that there are quite a few of us who going doing a surprise trip for the kids.

How and when are you revealing the surprise?

We're telling the kids on Christmas morning. At Grandma & Grandpa's house their last gift will be a suitcase.
Inside the suitcase is going to be Disney t-shirts that I made, park maps, an itinerary of the trip, Disney gift cards and, an autograph book for my niece, a stuffed Mickey for my son, and for my nephew the Dessert party invite. They more then likely won't actually open the suitcase until they see the 2nd part of their gift.

In the box that the suitcase is wrapped in, there is going to be a false bottom. In there is going to be a helium filled Mickey balloon with a countdown chain attached. They we'll tell them to open up the suitcase and see what all is inside.

I'm so excited to tell them!! We started planning our trip on the return flight from last years trip and we all decided right then to keep it a secret. That was 11 months ago!

They keep asking to go, but we all keep telling them that we just can't go every year, but maybe in 2013 we can go again.

 

[sabnrob06]

Jus saw this thread and had to say HI!! I will be traveling with my mom (no kids who are 16 & 17 and tired of Disney. Who knows what the heck they are thinking!!LOL ) from Jan. 19-22nd. She hasn't been to Disney in about 10 years so this is my Xmas gift to her. She has never stayed on property before either!! I am super excited for her!! Not sure why she hasn't been in so long since we live in Ft Lauderdale??? Anyways, we can't wait!!! Woo hoo!!!

 

[ppony]

I've noticed that there are quite a few of us who going doing a surprise trip for the kids.

How and when are you revealing the surprise?

This isn't our surprise trip but our trip before our youngest was born was. Our only son at the time didn't know anything was up. We got him up at o'dark-thirty in the AM to say we had to take grandma to the airport. He was none the wiser, until SHE got in the car and drove away leaving us standing there at the airport w/ what he figured out was our luggage.

 

[Momfoaj]

45 Days!!

Paid off trip today. Is it too early to start packing, I am ready.

I do need to start working on our touring plan. My DS has a heart condition and tires easily so rest time will be very important.

 

[carebee21]

Yes, you will get more Mickey Mail if you booked a package, it usually comes a few days after your Magical Express stuff.

Thank you!

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

I've noticed that there are quite a few of us who going doing a surprise trip for the kids.

How and when are you revealing the surprise?

Yep..we are surprising our DD's. Not on Xmas morning this time...although we have done that before. We are going to drive to the airport and tell them either there or on the way there, we think. We haven't decided for sure. Our flight isn't until 11 so we have time to surprise them without getting up at a ridiculous hour. We've done that before too, not pretty!

 

[krd315]

I've noticed that there are quite a few of us who going doing a surprise trip for the kids.

How and when are you revealing the surprise?

we are picking them up after school and going straight to the airport. We have 2 plush minnie's that will be in their seats holding a "surprise you are going to Disney card" with a Disney shirt to wear on the plane.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

Thank you!

You're welcome, I am excitedly waiting for mine that should come any day now!!!

For anybody that is trying to surprise somebody, have you tried one of the Enchanted calls? They are so cute. I had Mickey call my mom on our way down to WDW one time, she knew we were going, but the call came to her cell phone and she wasn't expecting it, she was like a little kid getting that call. I had also arranged one a few days before our trip and it said something about see you real soon or see you for the holidays, she loved that one, too.

Here is the link. the call is $2.49, but so worth it. You also get to her a preview of the call

https://secure.uvoxnetworks.com/disney/

If you have Disney Movie Rewards, I think there is an option to get one for free.

 

[RFrank9504]

Going to Ft. Wilderness Cabin Jan 2-6! Really excited. lots to plan little time!

 

[keypooh90]

30 days to go for us!!!

 

[PyxiiDustt]

I can't believe I never stopped in to visit!!

We'll be down January 8-13 at AKL 28 days!!

 

[KuyaJeff]

45 days left...I've reached the point of no return

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

So when can we expect to see a change to January's Park hours? I wanna say the middle of this month? I'm not too worried about the changes, but I know that they are notorious for always changing last minute.

 

[carebee21]

So when can we expect to see a change to January's Park hours? I wanna say the middle of this month? I'm not too worried about the changes, but I know that they are notorious for always changing last minute.

They change park hours? Yikes! I didn't know they did that. I thought once the schedule was released that was it. Hopefully there's no major changes (unless they want to add a few extra park hours )

 

[PoohsFan1]

They change park hours? Yikes! I didn't know they did that. I thought once the schedule was released that was it. Hopefully there's no major changes (unless they want to add a few extra park hours )

We will be there from 1/22-1/28 and on 1/22 we will be in MK. At first it was scheduled to close at 11pm (even with EMH), however I decided to check them one day about a week or so ago and noticed that that day they changed the hours, so now the park is closing at midnight (still evening EMH) . This is our arrival night so we were really happy to see that change. I too am wondering if there will be any changes for January. Just keep looking at the calendars I suppose.

 

[PoohsFan1]

How and when are you revealing the surprise?

For us, our kids only know part of what our whole vacation is going to entail. We are leaving on 1/14 because we will be sailing off on our first ever non-Disney cruise on 1/15 (wanted to get down there a day early to make sure there won't be any flight problems before our cruise). My ILs are going to pick us up from MCO and head to our hotel for the night. Our kids know that Grandma and Grandpa will be in Florida for the month of January, therefore they think we are just going to spend the day/night with them and then it will be off to Disney in the morning. Not sure how we are going to explain going to Cape Canaveral instead of Disney, but DH and DFIL have a plan for that. Then after our cruise we are due to check into BCV for 3 nights (this is the only part that the girls know about), but they don't know that grandma and grandpa are going to be joining us there too. After our BCV stay we are heading over to our new "home resort" of SSR for 3 more nights in a 1 bedroom villa (DFIL and DMIL will be going on their own way then). We were going to surprise them with that during our trip, but we decided to make that one of their Christmas presents. DH is going to make certificates for each of the girls telling them that since they were so good this past year, Santa is going to allow them 3 more nights at SSR. We can't wait

 

[jesse0418]

So excited! We just changed our reservations for May to January 21th-28th. It ended up saving us over $2000 This will be our first time going in January. What's the weather and crowds like? I'm from Maine so I'm used to it being cold. We have a rule that when we are in Florida we have to wear shorts everyday (except for nights when we stay late)

 

[Colleen27]

They change park hours? Yikes! I didn't know they did that. I thought once the schedule was released that was it. Hopefully there's no major changes (unless they want to add a few extra park hours )

Usually the changes are just additions, concentrated mostly around busier times. Basically they release the 'minimum' schedule 6 months in advance and then add hours, particularly at MK, if bookings demand it. We should see the updates come in a week or so at most but I don't expect to see a whole lot of changes outside of the first week of the month.