Countdown to Disney.....We did it!

 We did it. We actually managed to make it to Disney without the children figuring it out. It was a LONG rainy drive from Atlanta to Orlando and every one of us was pretty tired but we got lots of renewed energy when the kids saw that famous sign! There was a lot of squealing and disbelief and a whole lot of happy smiles and laughter. That moment made it all worth it to me. The sheer joy in that vehicle made everything worth it and it still makes me smile just thinking about it. 

It was such a wonderful vacation. Everyone had the best time. We did almost all of the things that we wanted to do. We did things we hadn't even planned. We wore all of the shirts. We ate all of the food. We rode all of the rides. We did new attractions and old favorites. We even went antiquing! It was definitely one of our very best family vacations ever and we brought home some great souvenirs but most importantly....fantastic memories! I can't wait to dig in to each day's event and document those memories right here.

From the beautiful immersive Van Gogh Experience that was such a hit with all of us to the Lakeland Antique Mall that we stopped at on the way back home, the entire trip was full of fun and new adventures. 

Countdown to Disney....keeping the surprise

Making a Walt Disney World vacation a surprise is super fun and super hard! Part of the joy of planning is everyone picking their favorites: rides, foods, attractions, etc, reminiscing about past vacations, picking a resort, and watching videos/looking at pictures. It is all so fun to do as a family. When you make the trip a surprise it is hard to NOT do those things. We are so excited and keep mentioning things that we probably shouldn't be saying out loud! The good thing is that we all watched a YouTube video one day that happened to mention that park reservations are completely sold out through July! So luckily, everyone seems to think that we can't go anyway. SO, we are getting to watch videos together with everyone assuming we are speaking about a trip next year. It just kind of happened that way, thankfully. 

This is such an odd situation and strange time in our world. Uncertainity about the trip makes us want to keep it a secret as long as possibly but we are prepared that it might slip out at some point or little smarty pants P9 might put the peices together and figure it out on her own. As we keep watchig videos about how things are changing so rapidly in WDW, we keep getting more and more excited about the possibility of a more normal Disney Vacation. Social Distancing markers are slowing going away, mask requirements are slowly going away, restaurants and shows are slowly opening back up. Fireworks shows are being tested.  I am STILL crossing my fingers that Disney Dining Plans will magically reappear soon too! 🤞

Since the day that video mentioned the park being sold out, keeping our surprise as been much easier. We are able to talk about our next visit and ask questions about what we want to do and what we want to skip. We have done some meal planning, meaning the kids litterally picked out meals and snacks. We have watched POV videos of rides and marked them as dos an don'ts for each kid. 

We are now working on plans for the big reveal IF they don't figure it out. We thought about just driving to WDW and heading to the resort and filming them as they see us approach the famous sign. Or, maybe letting each of them open a small Disney themed gift since this is a Birthday/Graduation celebration. Or maybe playing some type of clue game. We do love a good scavenger hunt! 

What do you think? How would you do the big reveal!?

Countdown to Disney....resort

 We are less than a month away from our surprise trip. So, let's talk about resorts. We will be staying at A Finding Nemo Family Suite at Art of Animation. Finding the right accommadations can be fun if you don't let it stress you out. I always let it stress me out! 😂We like to stay somewhere different each time we go. We have stayed at Art of Animation in a Cars Suite on a previous trip so we know we can make that work. When it comes to staying at Disney for larger groups, there are limited options that won't leave you broke. I know that these Family Suites are actually a bit crowded but I am not concerned becuase I also know that we spend VERY little time in our room while at Disney World. Basically, the room is a place to shower and sleep so don't worry too much about it. I just like to make sure that transportation to the park is easy. Finding Nemo is pretty close to the bus stop and skyliner (YAY!) so I think it is a great option. Plus, they were recently remodeled! 

Previous trips have seen Old Key West, Port Orleans Riverside, Cars Suite and more. While we have loved them all, some of them weren't very spacious. Old Key West was a two bedroom and definitely my favorite but we honestly spend so little time in the room that I don't think I should worry about it as much as I do.Something that I always stress about even though after so many trips I know it doesn't really make a big difference. I think it is just my natural reaction because I am used to that being difficult to plan for us on most trips. Though it is getting easier. I think most places are starting to adapt to the fact that the traditional idea of a family being two parents and two kids is not realistic. In the grand scheme of things our family isn't huge but it does take some extra thought and planning. 

If you find yourself worrying too much about the resort options, don't. ALL of them make for a magical stay. All of them give you a shower and sleep. Just play around with resort options and worry less about space and more about fun! Just pick one that works best for your budget. Our resort motto is to Shower, Sleep and Have a Magical Day. 

In the end....Our room is booked and I have marked that stress off my list! 😉 I can't wait to show you around the Finding Nemo Family Suite. 

Next Stop....Dining reservations.

A Big Surprise to Come.....

 It has been a big year for us. The oldest child (she's still not an adult, I won't allow it) moved out. The 2nd one graduated high school and is about to start is IT career (IT Student of the year!) and we just had 9th and 10th Birthdays for the youngest. After the chaos that was 2020, we decided it was time for some fun to celebrate! For the girls' birthdays, we gave them a quick trip to Atlanta to see the Van Gogh Experience. They are super excited little art lovers!  What they don't know? When we leave Atlanta that day, we aren't headed home. We are going to Disney! We plan to keep it a secret until they figure it out on there own. We are currently placing bets on how long it will take and which kid will be the one to realize what is happening. 

Planning a surprise trip is quite the endeavor in normal times. Covid-times has made it even more interesting. I can't wait to be in Disney with smaller crowds though! 

Stayed tuned to learn more about  the planning process and of course, the big reveal!