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......packing

    Packing for a vacation literally takes me weeks. I have already started packing for this trip. I like to keep Rubbermaid containers in my bedroom and as I am doing laundry come across things that I KNOW need to go with us, I place them in the container. I have a second container that I use for other things, ponchos, fans, park bags, etc. As I come across those things (or as Amazon delivers things), I mark them off my list and they go in the container. Since this trip is a surprise, I am packing for everyone, not just the littlest of littles.  I decided to use Gallon Ziploc bags to organize everyone's clothes each day. This is helping me make sure I have an outfit per person per day and I can label the bag for the kids to grab each day on their own as they are getting ready for the day. I am excited to see how this works out for us. 

My packing list does keep getting longer and longer somehow. Every time I think I have thought about it all, I see another idea about something Disney vacation related that I add to the list. But my work in progress is going well so far:

Clothing

• 1 outfit per person per day + one spare outfit
• underwear, bras, socks for each person 
• shoes (tennis shoes x2, flip flops, sandals)

Toiletries

• toothbrush/toothpaste/floss/mouthwash
• shampoo/conditioner
• dry shampoo
• deodorant
• soap/body wash
• makeup
• makeup remover/face wash/moisturizer/toner
• sunscreen (spray and face stick)
• aloe lotion
• wipes
• brushes/combos/hair ties
• hair spray/mouse/volumizer/curl spray

Electronics        

• Camera/batteries/chargers/gimbal
• Phones
• Phone Chargers    
• Electronic wipes
• Kids games (switch, 3DS, etc) and chargers
• laptops/chargers
• extra memory cards

Medicines

• tylenol
• ibuprofen
• vitamins
• ACV
• Ashwaganda
• pepto
• colon cleanse
• allergy meds
• bandaids/ointment
• eczema cream
• ice packs
• compression we

Other

• Ponchos
• park sling bags
• hand santizer
• masks
• ears
• hairbows
• snacks/drinks for the room
• cleaning wipes for the room

For the Ride

• books
• coloring books/crayons/art supplies
• food/drinks/snacks
• blankets
• pillows
• stuffed animals

What am I still forgetting? What are your must haves for traveling with the family?

Countdown to Disney....souvenirs

 Souvenirs are a big deal in Walt Disney World. So many options to choice from and so many places to purchase and so many high prices! Do we pick ears, Loungeflys, shirts, pins!? Which parks? Which Stores? All of them!? 

Each child usually gets a couple of souvenirs of their choosing. Pretty wide open, as long as it isn't too pricey. No Light Sabers that cost $300 over here !Typically, we use leftover Dining Credits at the end of our trip and get snacks that double as souvenirs. I love that we are able to do so. It let's the magic take use home, to school, wherever we go for a little while longer. The kids love a Mickey shaped snack from the trip to pop up in their lunchbox at school! So again, I really miss Disney Dining Plans! 

Another new adventure for this trip leaves me thinking about what to do on the last day before we leave the parks. Our tradition of trading in snack credits isn't an option. How do we cap off the trip and make sure we bring a little magic home? For one thing, I have decided to pick souvenirs very carefully. 

When I think back on my favorite souvenir, it is from our second family trip to disney. Our youngest was 4 years old and fell in love with "Chip & Dip"  while we were there. She would get so excited every time that we saw them. She had never so much as mentioned them before that trip. We searched and searched and finally found a Mickey hat with a little Chip & Dale plush set. It documented the year on the ears and had Chip & Dip to help us remember those moments. It was a little tough to find but was the perfect represenation of that memory. Every time we clean the playroom and I see it, it makes my heart happy. I can see her sweet little 4 year old smile and her that cute litte voice, "It's Chip  & Dip!" 

I can't wait to see what we experience this year that becomes our favorite memory. And, I look forward to searching stores for that 'just right' souvenir to help us remember that moment for years to come. This is what Disney Magic is all about. 

I also have done a lot of thinking about ways to keep the magic flowing. I love the idea of a Disney puzzle to put together as a family after we return home. Maybe a Disney cookbook so we can recreate some of our favorite meals and snacks. I have also considered stopping by one of the local antique malls and bringing home a legitiate piece of Disney! I really hope that time allows for that option. A pillow from the Grand Floridian or a Lamp from the Polynesian. Wouldn't that just be the coolest!?

What's your favorite Disney Souvenir?

Countdown to Disney.....shopping

 Shopping....ugh. I am not a big fan of shopping but I have been doing a lot of it for this trip. It has been a few years since our last trip in 2018 so kids have outgrown Disney gear. Plus, with the lack of Disney Dining Plan, we are taking Breakfast foods to have breakfast in the room and we won't have our refillable mugs. I feel like there are so many extra things that we need for this visit. I may overthink things a little but I have been shopping around for months. Shirts, ears, water bottles, backpacks, chargers, etc. 'Save for Later' has been my friend lately.  I am so indecisive about the silliest things, like shirts and always think I can find something better or cheaper. I worry about whether the kids will like them or my husband will think they are silly. The majority of things I place in the cart, usually end up in save for later. I did that this time and then ended up ordering it all at once. I actually think I prefer this method. It gave me time to look around and order with no regrets because I knew I had really searched the ends of the interwebs! I even have some items saved for the next trip. I orignally planned to share my purchases with you now but ultimately, I think the better option is to wait until our trip is over. I will be able to give great reviews and feedback on lots of great new Disney themed merch. Glad I can do all of the overthinking for you! 😂

Up next....souvenirs.....

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!?