Who else is sleepless the night before going to WDW?

[chicky monkey]

I never get any sleep the night before I go to Disneyworld. I lay there in bed all excited...thinking about how I'll actually be at my most favorite place in the world!!! I also get thoughts of how I can't believe that there's no more waiting. No more watching my countdown counter...the time has come...I also wonder if I've forgotten to put anything in my suitcase.

Who else is sleepless the night before? Is there any cure? Any suggestions are appreciated!

 

[MouseMan]

I never get any sleep the night before either. I just lay there, stairing into outerspace and waiting for the alarm to go off I think this time will be even worst. Our flight leaves at 7am so that means we have to be to the airport by 5-5:30, with 6 kids ready to go.............................................................................................


12 Days 14 Hours 18 Minutes and 40 Seconds As of 04/04/05 @ 4:41pm (est)

 

[Ilovestitch]

I never get any sleep either. For our Dec. trip, I slept for like 3 hrs that night! Of course I had a headache the next day and felt kinda yucky and cranky.

 

[dzneelvr]

My suggestion is to quit worrying about what you've forgotten to pack as everyone forgets something. Just make sure you write a comprehensive list of the most important items, check them off, and then forget it! You can always buy what you need once you arrive.
Our flight is the early morning one, so we're up to leave the house by 5:30am anyway...sleep comes easily and it's so easy getting everyone up.
Have a wonderful time....don't stress....

 

[bunnyfoo]

I'm the same way... I usually just sleep at the airport and on the plane. It makes the time go by faster

 

[dudspizza]

Last trip we did a park and fly near the airport. It was great. We swam and had a nice dinner before going to bed.

We were with my MIL and FIL plus our family of 4 in a room. We finally got everyone settled and quiet, when MIL hits a button on her watch and "It's a Small World" starts playing. That dang woman was sleeping 10 minutes earlier!

We all laughed and didn't sleep much anyway!

Duds

 

[DisneyPhD]

Same here, Like MouseMan we normally take the 1st flight out and need to be at the airport by 5:00 am or so, so we normally wake up at 3:00 am. Just as well since I can never sleep to start with.

 

[mommytutu]

I can remember telling dh "I'm gonna go ake a nap before we have to leave for the airport". We had to leave out house around 5:30 and it was around 2:00am when I was crawling into bed. I was busy cleaning house, making copies of insurance cards, etc., leaving notes for the housesitter. That was also the day the school called and said I need to come pick up ds. He was running a fever, so fitting in a last minute dr. appt. and taking care of of horrible allergies kinda threw my day before Disney schedule out of wack which is why I was up so late.

 

[Tigger113]

It's the same with me!! I can't stop thinking about the next few days at the best place, WDW!!

 

[buzzriders]

Same here!! this year our flight was supposed to be at 3:15pm and it was changed to 11:46. My DD15 is so excited it changed, more time in WDW!! But the 1 problem is that my son has school which starts at 9:15 so he will only be in school on the last day(and last day of elementary school) for 30 min but im sure he wont mind to miss school for WDW!

 

[DZNYMGCFAM]

Yeah, same here...do not sleep to well the night before...try having a little fun before actually trying to go to sleep...that seems to help me and my husband sleep a little better !!

We also have to get up at 4am...we have a ferry to catch by 5:20 am. All I have to do to wake up our kids is go into their room and say...time to go to Disney and they pretty much get right up and start getting dressed, etc.!!

We drive, we love driving....the anticipation of actually arriving is so much more fun...we stop in Richmond Hill, GA the first day so we can arrive at Disney by 10:30am...gives us plenty of time to check-in and do some shopping !!!

 

[ziggystardust]

This last trip was the worst for a sleepless night.

Our flight was the first one out at 7. Me being the crazy one I had to repack at about midnight just incase I forgot anything. By like 3:00 I gave up all together on sleeping. At about 4 when my DBF was slated to pick me up, he didn't. It seems that he had slept too much, and hadn't even finished packing!!!

We were off to Dunkin Donuts and then back to his house to throw some stuff in a bag and headed out to the airport.

I was so tired that I couldn't even watch illuminations that night ( I was delirious sp?) I was so mad at myself for not sleeping!

 

[ksoehrlein]

I'm sleepless the night before we leave (although it's usually because I'm still packing)! DH throws his stuff in a duffel bag with the attitude of "If I forgot something, we can always buy a replacement." That leaves me with figuring out what to pack for DD4, DS2, and myself. Unlike him, I feel the need to worry about every contingency. So we each have an outfit for chilly weather, hot weather, rainy weather, pre-swim, post-swim, and emergency clothes just in case someone has an accident. It's my job to remember all toiletries, sunscreen, toys, raingear, autograph books, penny books, etc, etc. Then DH has the nerve to brag about how quickly he can pack! Argh! (Sorry for the rant; guess I'm still bitter about our last trip!)

Anyway, after all that, I usually have sleepless nights at WDW too. I'm too excited when we're there, and there's so much to see and do, who can sleep? I usually go to bed around 11, wake up around 4, do laundry if we're at a DVC resort, wander around the grounds, read every scrap of paper they gave us at check-in, and just revel in the Disney feeling until it's time to wake everyone up. No wonder I love getting the earliest PS times for breakfast!

All those sleepless nights always leave me wanting a vacation after our vacation, though.

 

[Jen D]

I'm always sleepless... but rarely lying in bed staring at the ceiling; usually I'm up until 2am packing, cleaning, getting all the "devices" ready for the trip (sync the iPod. Charge the phones. Clear off all the memory cards on digital camera and charge those batteries.) Sending last minute e-mails. Wish it wasn't always that way, but it always is. Then when I finally get to sleep around 2am.... the alarm goes off 2 hours later, it is almost time to go to the airport.

I'm really going to try to be different next time, because my dh and I are usually sleepless and cranky on vacation Day 1.

 

[JDarling]

The cure? Tylenol PM! LOL It's just about the only thing that works for me! But it's not just the night before for me. It comes and goes during my count down. The night before, I usually try not to sleep too much so that I can sleep on the plane ride. It's 6 hours! Then I can be somewhat fresh for WDW!

 

[Momof6]

We are the same way. I always say, "I don't want to be up until 2am this time...but I end up cleaning and doing the last item in the laundry and double checking everything! After arriving and checking in and getting the groceries into the room we always take a nap for a couple hours!

Denise

 

[maxaroni]

I never sleep the night before. I'm tossing and turning all nite long. Besides the packing and whatnot, I need to leave my house clean. Therefore, that last day, I'm cleaning the house and doing the last bit of laundry, ironing shirts and stuff....It's a major ordeal to go away! But it's worth it!

 

[maxaroni]

Yeah, same here...do not sleep to well the night before...try having a little fun before actually trying to go to sleep...that seems to help me and my husband sleep a little better !!

We also have to get up at 4am...we have a ferry to catch by 5:20 am. All I have to do to wake up our kids is go into their room and say...time to go to Disney and they pretty much get right up and start getting dressed, etc.!!

We drive, we love driving....the anticipation of actually arriving is so much more fun...we stop in Richmond Hill, GA the first day so we can arrive at Disney by 10:30am...gives us plenty of time to check-in and do some shopping !!!

Where do you stay in GA?? We are driving this year and thinking of stopping in GA for an overnite? How far is where you stay and WDW?

 

[DZNYMGCFAM]

Where do you stay in GA?? We are driving this year and thinking of stopping in GA for an overnite? How far is where you stay and WDW?

We stay in Richmond Hill, GA, just below Savanah...it is about 4 to 4/12 hour drive from there to front door of POR . We stay at the Hampton Inn.. I believe it is exit 87 off I-95. We have been staying at this hotel every year since they opened (2000). It is very clean and very nice. Their exact address is 4679 Highway 17, Richmond Hill, GA 31324...direct number is (912) 756-2272. They have a contenintal (sp?) breakfast in the morning...alot of variety. We usually get up and time it right as they start serving breakfast, we check-out, grab something to eat real quick and off we go. Usually on road by 7:30 ish at the latest. Usually arrive at POR around 10:30 - 11:00 (depending on traffic) and that is stopping at the Florida Welcome Center for photo opps.

FYI, there is a couple different hotels right there..Econo Lodge is right next door...I do not remeber the other ones, there was a brand new one being built on the other side of the Hampton Inn when we stayed last summer.

Good luck!!!

 

[Mady/Sophiemom]

I never sleep the night before. I'm tossing and turning all nite long. Besides the packing and whatnot, I need to leave my house clean. Therefore, that last day, I'm cleaning the house and doing the last bit of laundry, ironing shirts and stuff....It's a major ordeal to go away! But it's worth it!

Me too!! My house is always it's cleanest when I'm on vacation. I can't stand the thought of it being a mess when I get home. Not sure why I care, but I actually said to DH one time, that if I die in a plane crash, I don't want people thinking I lived in a messy/dirty house.

Funny though- I don't seem to worry about it, the other 50 weeks a year????