What special things do you do before you go to Disney/DCL

[Carie Baker]

Some of the things we do leading up to a trip are:

Start watch Disney Movies... example we'll watch Frozen, Up, and Toy Story and our DVD of classic Mickey Mouse Cartoons prior to our Alaska trip.

I've pulled together interesting facts from the places will be going... Fact sheets on Vancouver, Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan. Vancouver has been fun b/c of the world cup the last few weeks. We'll go over the others one each week before we leave.

Just before we leave I do my nails Disney style. Since I have to have my nails painted all the time for work either a nice pink or french manicure or red at Christmas. Its fun to be fun with the polish.

This next trip... I'm having iced cookies nautical/Disney themed made for everyone going so cute... Etsy is so cool.

We are doing the fish extender this time so we've had fun getting that together too although not finished with that.

We start using the shampoo and stuff that we took home from the trip before... it gets us in the mood... also it get our skin and hair use to that stuff and so not frizzy with a new shampoo and then we can leave all of that at home...saves room in the suitcase.

This is just a few things... what do you do?

 

[Tiffylv]

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[firepuppy]

We start with counting our pins to trade and get more ordered.

If we are going on a cruise we will start looking at what fun things there are to do and try something new. We also do fish extender so the plaining starts early.

The biggest thing we do is looking at the cost of flights.

 

[MommyMeNDisney]

I make DS Mickey Mouse pancakes for breakfast

I make DS Mickey Mouse and Lightening McQueen shaped sandwiches for lunch

I made a Mickey Ears shaped chalkboard (using chalkboard paint) that we use to countdown the days 'til our vacation

I let DS watch Mickey Clubhouse clips on YouTube (he doesn't watch tv yet...at the most, maybe 10 min a day). When he's older, we'll watch Disney/Pixar movies.

I buy us matching Mickey shirts to wear on embarkation day

I buy us matching Mickey PJs to wear to bed every night on the cruise

I record DS receiving his character call inviting him on the cruise

I do a mini Disney "photo shoot" of DS with all his Disney stuffed characters. I shoot the session myself with my DSLR

I made DS Mickey Mouse Popsicles the other day, because he loves Popsicles and because it made me think about our Alaska cruise. Lol

 

[Carie Baker]

I'm a geologist and work as a manager for a privately owned very high end jewelry company. It's better to show jewelry with nails done.

 

[MommyMeNDisney]

I'm a geologist and work as a manager for a privately owned very high end jewelry company. It's better to show jewelry with nails done.

Wow, I don't think I've ever known a geologist!

 

[Carie Baker]

We start with counting our pins to trade and get more ordered.

If we are going on a cruise we will start looking at what fun things there are to do and try something new. We also do fish extender so the plaining starts early.

The biggest thing we do is looking at the cost of flights.

We haven't really gotten into pins. Mostly b/c DS doesn't want to give up any. Hehe
How do you like the fish extender?

 

[Carie Baker]

Wow, I don't think I've ever known a geologist!

Not a lot of us.

 

[Tiffylv]

.

 

[englanddg]

Not a lot of us.

I wish you'd been near me and the kiddo last trip at Wilderness Lodge. She found the rock display there fascinating (it's a little display over near the indoor "spring" area, right before you get to Artists Point), and kept asking me stuff. I refuse to "google answer" her, so I gave a lot of "I don't know honey..." answers.

Geology is cool, but something that I know pretty much nothing about.

 

[englanddg]

I clean the house down to the last centimeter (even the blinds, and I hate doing blinds). I like to come back to a spotless house.

That said, I don't tell the kiddo anything. We keep the trips a secret from her.

 

[MsMamaBear]

Lat time was our first trip and we talked about it and counted down.

This time is a surprise for her, so I'm not doing anything. She's gotten 2 dresses to wear which are just nice ones my coworker made for her because she did so good at school. LOL! That's what I told her.

 

[jamnmom]

We are going on Fantasy (Western Caribbean) in November followed by 9 days in parks (staying off site). This is our first cruise, so just trying to learn what we can do. My DS (15) and I are only ones travelling. He's excited about it; but prefers to not be heavily involved in the planning. When he was little (we started WDW vacations when he was 5), he was very actively involved, but feels that it's more 'routine' now. I still get all giddy about the planning. We will be doing the FEs; planning excursions at each port (he has LOTS of input for these). I will also be doing my nails in a special DISNEY theme to include both DCL and WDW. I am very seriously getting one or two new tattoos, as well. We will have a few special shirts to celebrate our first Cruise and we have already planned our cabin door decor.

 

[MommyMeNDisney]

We are going on Fantasy (Western Caribbean) in November followed by 9 days in parks (staying off site). This is our first cruise, so just trying to learn what we can do. My DS (15) and I are only ones travelling. He's excited about it; but prefers to not be heavily involved in the planning. When he was little (we started WDW vacations when he was 5), he was very actively involved, but feels that it's more 'routine' now. I still get all giddy about the planning. We will be doing the FEs; planning excursions at each port (he has LOTS of input for these). I will also be doing my nails in a special DISNEY theme to include both DCL and WDW. I am very seriously getting one or two new tattoos, as well. We will have a few special shirts to celebrate our first Cruise and we have already planned our cabin door decor.

Wow, 15 days of Disney! I wish I had that much time with DS in a row! Sounds fun! Enjoy!

 

[kalynn]

We spend a bit of time on youtube and review sites seeing other peoples videos of their experiences.

We also look at old photos from previous trips.

Google Earth can be fun to navigate too.

 

[Carolina26]

We make, edit, and review our trip "schedule" which includes parks we plan to visit by day, fastpasses booked, dining plans, parades, fireworks, and resort activities. And then we realize it's all subject to change..we overpack and get on the plane.

 

[KikiFan]

Before our first trip, I told my daughter that she'd have to do a lot of walking to be at Disney. So that started a ritual - about a month before the trip we'd start "training" for Disney. We'd go for long walks - getting ready to walk all around the parks. My daughter thought it was about physical fitness but really? It gave us a great time talking about the trip, imagining what we'd do when we got there, what our favorite things to see are etc. We talk about things we did on the previous trip that we loved or hated. I really loved those times - and I believe it was part of what made my daughter and I so close. What started as a conversation about Disney always evolved into a deep conversation about other things. and yes, I felt like it also helped her not to be so whiny walking around the parks all day

 

[jennasmommyinMS]

If I'm going somewhere new to us in the area, I'll spend some time "driving" around on Google Earth so that I can get my bearings, trying to save myself from getting lost while actually driving in the area. Next year my daughter really wants to see Titanic: The Experience, so I was navigating around it, when I saw a building next door with CSI on it. My interest was piqued, so I searched it and found out about CSI: The Experience--something that would be right up our alley! It's been added to our plans for May of 2016.

I do plan where we're going on each day, and I write our touring plans for the parks, but I try to keep it a bit loose so that we can alter things on the spur of the moment. I try to research each restaurant that we might visit and print out the menus for my vacation binder. Yes, I have one of those.....

 

[Jalou0405]

If I'm going somewhere new to us in the area, I'll spend some time "driving" around on Google Earth so that I can get my bearings, trying to save myself from getting lost while actually driving in the area. Next year my daughter really wants to see Titanic: The Experience, so I was navigating around it, when I saw a building next door with CSI on it. My interest was piqued, so I searched it and found out about CSI: The Experience--something that would be right up our alley! It's been added to our plans for May of 2016.

I do plan where we're going on each day, and I write our touring plans for the parks, but I try to keep it a bit loose so that we can alter things on the spur of the moment. I try to research each restaurant that we might visit and print out the menus for my vacation binder. Yes, I have one of those.....

I am actually really nervous about driving in Orlando and never thought to use google earth to familiarise myself with the area. What a great tip. Thanks

 

[MsMamaBear]

If I'm going somewhere new to us in the area, I'll spend some time "driving" around on Google Earth so that I can get my bearings, trying to save myself from getting lost while actually driving in the area. Next year my daughter really wants to see Titanic: The Experience, so I was navigating around it, when I saw a building next door with CSI on it. My interest was piqued, so I searched it and found out about CSI: The Experience--something that would be right up our alley! It's been added to our plans for May of 2016.

I do plan where we're going on each day, and I write our touring plans for the parks, but I try to keep it a bit loose so that we can alter things on the spur of the moment. I try to research each restaurant that we might visit and print out the menus for my vacation binder. Yes, I have one of those.....

Oh, I'm going to try the Google Earth trick! That CSI sounds fun, my mom would love that!