171 Days Out!

It's been awhile since I updated the blog! I assure you, I have not lost my love for all things Disney, but sometimes life just gets busy and some of my side projects slip out of focus. Since our first trip to Walt Disney World in 2014, we have traveled to Disneyland 3 times. For our family, the smaller scale of Disneyland and the affordability and convenience of staying offsite just worked better. This February we spent a week in Palm Springs, California and made a day trip to Disneyland. It wasn't the full scale Disney vacation we were used to, but it gave us a Disney fix to hold us off until our next adventure. I am so excited to share that we will be heading back east to Walt Disney World in March 2018. The countdown is officially on, and it's only 171 days until we're back at the place Where Dreams Come True!

                                         

As I mentioned, our last 3 Disney visits have been to Disneyland in California. With a young daughter who is more interested in characters than thrill rides, Disneyland had everything we needed on a smaller scale. We saved thousands of dollars by staying offsite in hotels across the street and could walk to and from our hotel throughout the day. Disneyland is so much easier to maneuver, and definitely much simpler to plan. Without MagicBands and FastPass+, all I needed to do was organize a flexible itinerary for our days and book dining reservations to accommodate those plans. Now that we're headed back to Walt Disney World, I'm finding that I'm a bit out of my element. I have spent hours researching hotels, restaurants, and tips and we're still 6 months out. I am a firm believer that you have to plan, research, and organize ahead of time in order to enjoy a trip to Disney. If you have been to Disney and didn't love it, come talk to me and I'll help you organize your next vacation. Disney is not a place where you can just "wing it". You also have to expect that you will likely come home more tired than you were when you left. BUT, if you do it right, you will also leave with so many magical memories and experiences that make it all worth it. Nothing compares to the joy I get watching my daughter burst with excitement when she sees Pluto, or seeing her eyes light up while she watches a Main Street Parade. Personally, we would forego an adult all-inclusive vacation any day to share that experience with her. It might just be the best feeling in the world. 💗
(Don't get me wrong -- I would looooooove an all-inclusive vacation. Maybe when Sophie's a bit older....)

Why Disney World this time? Well, unfortunately we haven't won the lottery or had a huge increase in our annual salaries. However, I did experience a bit of a lucky streak last winter. First, I won a contest through Sasktel and won a substantial mobile credit and a Samsung Galaxy. Not long after, I bought a raffle ticket to support the Weyburn & District Hospital Foundation. I was laying in bed one night (probably watching Narcos) when I received a message from my friend who sold me the tickets. Apparently, I won the grand prize --- a $4000 travel voucher from Weyburn CAA! My absolute favourite thing to do is travel, so this was the ultimate prize for me. My husband, Shane and I began discussing where we wanted to go and narrowed it down to a few options:

 - Disney's Au'lani in Hawaii
 - All inclusive somewhere HOT (Jamaica, Mexico, Cuba)
 - Walt Disney World

We soon realized that even with a $4000 credit, we could never afford Au'lani. We left the final choice up to our six year old daughter, Sophie, and that's how we ended up booking Walt Disney World! What can I say, she's one lucky girl. From there, all we needed to do was pay a visit to our favourite travel agent, Donna, and decide on a resort. Ahh.... so begins the research.

The last time we traveled to Disney World, we stayed at a value resort, The Art of Animation. The theming of this resort is incredible, inside and out. We stayed in a family suite and the dual bathrooms and separate sleeping areas fit our needs perfectly. We loved the main pool and were very impressed with the Landscape of Flavors Food Court. We LOVED it. This time, with the added bonus of our travel voucher, we wanted to step it up a notch and try a Moderate Resort. After a lot of research on quality, dining, theming, and refurbishment schedules, we settled on Port Orleans - Riverside. I have to tell you, the more I read about this place, the more excited I am. The resort is themed around the antebellum south of the Mississippi River and it is the perfect combination of elegance and rustic charm. I can't wait to take the riverboat to Disney Springs and explore the gardens and grounds of this incredible property! I have a feeling we may become repeat visitors to this resort... I mean, c'mon! Check this place out!

Seriously, this place is stunning. 

I have so much more to share about how the planning process is going, but let's save that for another time. At 180 days out, we were eligible to book our dining reservations so stay tuned to read about what restaurants and dining experiences we settled on...

Until next time,

xo Lisa

                                           

What's in Her Bag?

As I have mentioned time and time again, I am a planner. A researcher, a reviewer, an organizer, and then a planner. I pore over restaurant reviews, hotel ratings, blogs, and videos before each and every Disney trip. I have to admit, I love it. Plus, it gives me an excuse not to do laundry.

Of all of the blogs, reviews, and tips that I have read, some of the most useful have been packing checklists. I hope that this can be similarly useful to you! I am sure I will forget something and have to amend it later, but here's a start.

**** note - this is how I pack for my daughter. I'm 15 days out so packing for me will wait for another week or so.

The absolute best part of packing for Disney is planning the outfits (of course)! Luckily, my daughter looks adorable in EVERYTHING so she is much easier to outfit plan for than I am. I am significantly less cute than she is. Let's start with her outfits.Clothing:

                                       Here are a couple of her outfits that are ready to go.

• Firstly, I pack outfits, socks, underthings, and accessories in Ziplock bags. It keeps things together and saves time on busy morning. Check the forecast, pick a bag that suits the weather, and get going! I pack about twice as many bags as we have days in the park. I live by the philosophy that it's better to have too much than not enough!

This gives me piece of mind. Even her Dad can get her ready with this system!

• Remember to throw an extra outfit in your backpack to have at the park. A spare change of clothes is always handy, and the ziplock bag can be used for any wet/soiled/messy belongings that you may acquire throughout the day.
• Pack layers. Mornings and evenings can be cool so it's nice to have leggings/pants, socks, and a light jacket or sweater. I also have plenty of shorts, dresses, and tank tops as 24 degrees Celsius feels pretty warm in February when you're coming from Saskatchewan.
• Pyjamas. 2-3 pairs is more than enough.
• Swim Gear. Sometimes your kids (or you) just need a break from the park. My daughter's favourite way to chill out is by the pool. I pack 2 swimsuits and a pair of flip flops for trips to the pool.
• Sun Protection. A hat and sunglasses are a must for little ones' sensitive skin and eyes.
• Comfy shoes are a must. We spend over 12 hours in the park each day, so it is definitely comfort first. We packed 2 pairs of runners and 2 pairs of sandals for her.
  
  
  
                                        
                       These girls' Etnies Scout shoes are the softest, lightest shoes EVER
  
• Buy Disney themed clothing ahead of time. It is way cheaper to buy at Target, Wal-Mart, Old Navy etc than it is to buy at the Disney Store.
• A rain poncho. It's much cheaper to get at Dollarama ahead of time than it is to buy one in the park. These might come in handy for Splash Mountain or Kali River Rapids!
• Etsy is a gold-mine for unique pieces. Sophie has 6 handmade Disney bows, 3 bubblegum necklaces, and that to-die-for mermaid outfit -- all purchased from Etsy shops.
  
  
  
  Okay, the fun stuff is over. Now it's time for the nitty-gritty.
  
  
  Medication:
  The first time we went to Disney World, I forgot to pack Sophie's puffers. We were already in Regina and were due to take off in hours. Her asthma was a lot worse then than it is now, and a flare-up could put her out for days. Luckily, a family friend of ours is a doctor and was able to call a pharmacy with her prescription for us to pick up before we headed to the airport.
  
  I also forgot to throw some band-aids in the backpack. They were in the hotel which did me very little good. Seriously, WTF?
                                           
  I learned my lesson the second Disney trip. These are must-haves:
  
• Children's Gravol (for the airplane - or if you decide to take your 4 year old on Space Mountain. Again. What the actual eff was I thinking?)
• Benadryl
• Advil/Tylenol
• Polysporin
• INHALERS IF YOUR CHILD IS ASTHMATIC (obviously)
• Benadryl itch-stick for bug bites
• Band-aids (Disney themed ones are a bonus)
• Cepacol children's cough candies
• Bug spray - I like the natural coconut-lime spray from Pharmasave
• Sun-tan lotion - check your expiry dates!
• And, of course, a Medi Buddy kit to throw in your backpack or purse. Don't leave it in the hotel room.
  
  

Entertainment:

This is mostly for the travel portion of the trip, but there are definitely times in the room, and even in the park, when some of these come in handy.

• Portable DVD Player, plenty of Disney movies, and headphones. We throw this in the backpack that hubby uses for his carry-on. It has always made flying really easy with her.



This is being released February 2nd, 2016 - perfect timing!

• A Leap-Pad or iPad. Maybe your kids aren't technology junkies, but mine sort of totally is.
• Disney themed coloring books, stickers, and activity booklets.
                        
                              We picked up a few of these from Dollarama ahead of time.
  

• A couple of stories to read at bedtime. We don't break from our bedtime routine ever. It's important to read together every day - even on holidays!
• A journal or notebook. Take 10 minutes to write about your day. What a perfect keepsake!

Extras:

These are just a few extras to make your child's experience especially magical!

                                             

                                        Find this and more at momapprovedcostumes.com

• A princess dress. My daughter has decided on Jasmine, but I really like this light-weight Cinderella Day Dress from Mom Approved Costumes...
• 
  
  Character stuffies. My daughter got so much extra attention from characters, cast members, and the performers at parades because of her stuffies. She was even named Pluto's Official Dog Walker thanks to a stuffy!
  
                                 
         Here Sophie is walking hand-in-hand with Pluto all the way down Buena Vista Street!
  
• Pins and Lanyards. If your child is collector, make sure to bring along your pins to trade with Cast Members! Sophie is really into collecting, but has yet to make a trade.
• Autograph Book and Sharpie. We like to have this ahead of time so we are ready for any impromptu meet and greets with characters. I've made mine in the past, but this year we ordered ahead of time from the Disney Store. Time is money!

Essentials:
Of course I would forget to add this! They are obvious...and necessary!

• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Hairbrush, clips, ponytails
• Shampoo and Conditioner from home
• Snacks for the airport, plane, and hotel room - think goldfish, nutrigrain, snap pea crisps, and dried fruit

Well... I think that about wraps it up! Hope this helps!

What are your packing list must-haves? Let me know in the comments!

                                                                                                                          xo Lisa

Dining Reservations

Hubby and I are big foodies - our vacation planning ALWAYS includes "where are we going to eat?". The wonderful thing about Disney is that they open their Dining reservations well ahead of time - 90 days prior at Disney World and 60 days prior at Disneyland. We don't mess around when it comes to our reservations. I put an alarm in my phone exactly 60 days out to book our choices at optimal times.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we are vacationing on a bit of a budget compared to how we're used to travelling. We do, however, see value in booking one sit-down meal a day. It isn't always easy to find a shady spot to sit on a busy day at the park, and a dining reservation at a sit-down restaurant allows everyone the opportunity to relax and recharge.

Our upcoming trip to Disney will be 5 days, so we do have 5 reservations in place.

Day 1 (February 15th)
This is President's Day so a lot of people have the day off. This means that Disneyland will be busier than a typical Monday. Our daughter LOVED her first visit to the ocean last year, so we have decided to skip the crowds, rent a car, and head to Huntington Beach for the day.

Sophie at Newport Beach in 2015

 

 

This will also give us the chance to have a day to recover from 14 hrs of airports and airplanes. Before heading to Huntington Beach, we have reservations at Disney's PCH Grill at the Paradise Pier Hotel. PCH has character dining for breakfast, and it is a MUST for our family as Sophie is dying to meet Daisy Duck. Somehow, she evaded us in both Disney World and Disneyland, and Sophie would really like to add her autograph to her collection.

Day 2 (February 16th)

Of the 2 west coast parks, Disneyland is definitely our favourite! I couldn't possible wait until Day 3 to hit it up, so we have planned to spend our Tuesday here. We will try to take advantage or Disneyland Magic Morning and check out a few rides before the rest of the masses arrive.

We didn't add on the Park Hopper option to our tickets, as honestly, we have never used it. That being said, our dining reservation for this day will be in Disneyland Park. This was an easy one for us. Shane's favourite restaurant from last year's trip was Blue Bayou, so we're splurging and giving it another go. If you haven't tried this restaurant, you must! It is set inside of the Pirate of the Caribbean ride and the food is PHENOMENAL. Blue Bayou serves Cajun-Creole food and is located at New Orleans Square. We are really looking forward to dining here again. We booked an early dinner so we can try to catch the earlier showing of the Paint the Night Parade.

                                                           photo courtesy of Flickr

Disney has recently added a Paint The Night dining package, but we just didn't have enough information about it to book at this time. It is quite expensive, and if the preferred seating is anything like Fantasmic, then it's not worth it to us.

If you are wanting to try Blue Bayou, do so as close to the 60 days in advance as possible - this popular destination books up quick!

Day 3 (February 17th)

We will be spending our third day at California Adventure. We decided to break up the day with lunch at Ariel's Grotto. We chose this because Ariel's Grotto offers character dining at breakfast and lunch. Sophie loves the princesses, and this is a great opportunity to meet 4 or 5 of them without standing in line. Ariel greets all of her guests in the foyer, and typically, the other princesses makes their rounds to all of the tables to take pictures, visit, and sign autographs. Our shy little girl doesn't need much more time than that!

                                              Sophie and Ariel at Cinderella's Royal Table
                                                           in Disney World 2 years ago.

Ariel's Grotto is located at Paradise Pier in California Adventure. It was closed last year when we visited, so we are really looking forward to checking it out!

Day 4 (February 18th)

Back to back days at California Adventure! Last year we found that CA didn't have as much to offer us as Disneyland, so we will be splitting this day between the park and Downtown Disney. Mind you, a lot was closed last year in preparation for Disneyland's Diamond Celebration, so perhaps we will be pleasantly surprised! We will likely spend most of the morning and early afternoon in the park, and the step out to explore the resorts and shops of Downtown Disney. We have early dinner reservations at Tortilla Jo's (they had me at tableside guacamole) and then we'll return to CA to take in the World of Color show. Again, this was down last year so we are really excited to see it this time around.

                                     World of Color photo courtesy of disneytouristblog.com

Day 5 (February 19th)

When planning our trip, I knew we had to spend our last day at Disneyland Park. It really is one of the most magical places on earth. We will pound the pavement from park opening until the end of the firework show, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

For our final day, we will be having the Character Breakfast with Minnie & Friends at The Plaza Inn. We did this last year, and it was a shoe-in again this time. For breakfast, The Plaza Inn offers a buffet. The food is good, not spectacular, but good. (Really, it's a buffet - I don't expect spectacular.) The experience is what makes this place truly memorable.

Firstly, I recommend getting the first seating of the day. We were able to book in for 8:10am. This is good for a couple of reasons:

1) There is a special entry gate to the park for dining reservations. Last year we were among the first 10 people allowed entry into the park. It was amazing. Walking down Main Street without a crowd is breath taking. It felt like we had the whole place to ourselves!

2) There are SO MANY CHARACTERS at the first reservation of the day! Sophie's absolute favourite part about Disney is meeting the characters, and she got SO much extra attention at our breakfast here last year. We were greeted by Eeyore, Rafiki, and Chip (or was it Dale?).

Once inside, we had many visitors make the round to our table, sometimes twice! We were visited by Tigger, Rafiki, Chip, Dale, Eeyore, Captain Hook, Peter Pan, Max, Rabbit, and of course, Minnie Mouse herself!

Captain Hook admired Sophie's "jewels" (a bubblegum style necklace) and even gave her kisses and some of his treasure (plastic jewels).

Dale (or was it Chip?) had a duel with Captain Hook and Peter Pan hid behind the window and stuck his tongue at him. Tigger bounced around the restaurant with Sophie by his side. This place was an absolute GOLD MINE for Sophie. We couldn't NOT go back!

Extras
Obviously, I only listed one meal a day. To fill in the rest of our meals, we will be stopping by the quick service and snack counters. Top on our list is the Corndog Castle and The Enchanted Tiki Room for a Dole Whip. We walk tens of thousands of steps a day, so we don't mind indulging! We will also be picking up groceries on our first day. In the past, we typically have a light breakfast in our room (yogurt, cereal, fruit) and pack lots of healthy snacks and water to have on hand throughout the day. I highly recommend picking up some food to have on hand, especially when travelling with young children!

Now I want to know, what are your favourite Disney restaurants, foods, or dining tips? Can't wait to hear from you!

Lower Expectations

Good morning!

Just a quick note this morning to let you know how "the big reveal" went. On Christmas Eve, we allowed Sophie to open her Disney gift in front of her grandparents. We wanted it to be exciting and special, so we didn't want her to open it while she was in the middle of opening the dozens of other presents that evening. She was tired and a bit overwhelmed by all the excitement of the holiday, but I assumed that her gift would help her snap out of her crummy mood. I had my phone out, ready to take the video. She (rather unenthusiastically) pulled the gifts out one by one. When she got to the letter at the bottom, she opened it, and I read it to her.

Dear Sophie,

“Arf!” I am so excited to tell you that you are going to disneyland! I hope that you will come and visit me in ToonTown and around the parks. I have really missed you!

Merry Christmas and see you real soon!

                Your friend,

                pluto

No reaction.

Not a smile, no tears, not a squeal. Nothing.

Daddy said to her, "Do you know what this means, Sophie? You're going to Disneyland again!"

Her response? She snarled, "YES DAD! I KNOW!"

Needless to say, I will not be sharing her reaction via video or photographs. Five year olds can be so unpredictable.

Note to self: Don't over-plan the big reveal. I wanted it to happen at that moment, even knowing that Sophie was tired and overstimulated. Next time, I will let her mood guide me.

Now that she has had time to digest the information, she is BEYOND excited. Every morning she excitedly tells me how many days are left until we go. 39 and counting!

                                                                                                                                               xoxo Lisa

The Big Reveal!

So as I mentioned in my last post, we will be surprising our daughter on Christmas with our Disney vacation. Sophie just turned 5 on Saturday, so in order for it to mean something, it has to be tangible.

 Last year, we gave her a photo frame with a countdown to Disneyland picture in it. We used dry erase markers to change the day every morning.

                                          find the printable at http://allforthememories.com

A month before takeoff, we hung up Minnie themed chain countdown (thanks Pinterest!) Every morning she would tear off the bottom loop and be able to visualize how many days were remaining. I imagine we will do something similar again this year! (maybe princess or Pluto themed?)

      check this out at http://oneshetwoshe.com/2014/01/disneyland-vacation-countdown-chain.html


This year, we have made up a gift-bag full of Disney gifts - clothes, coloring travel sets (hello Dollarama!), and puzzles. Included in the gift bag is a ticket that I found on Etsy and customized with our information and a letter from Pluto that I put together with a little help from Google images. I can't wait to see the look on her face when she finds out we are going! She talked about going to Disneyland literally every day. (She is also a little impatient to return as she has heard that ToonTown will be replaced with Star Wars Land and this makes her more than a little angry.)

                           This is the customizable ticket we added in her gift bag. Find it at:
                       https://www.etsy.com/shop/KirstensKreation?ref=l2-shopheader-name


What ideas have you tried to break the news to your kids or grandkids? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

                                                                                                                                                xo Lisa

The Countdown Is On!

I've been gone awhile... and I can explain!

My husband works in the Oil & Gas industry, and the industry is experiencing a significant downturn. I am an incurable optimist and told hubby that oil would come around in a few months time, and we would be fine. This was over a year ago. The industry is not fine. We are lucky, and my husband is still employed, but the future of his company is unknown. This means our financial situation is a little unstable. Because of this, last April my husband told me we would be unable to go to Disney the following year. The expense was too much of a risk. I was crushed. To add insult to injury, he kept looking up vacations and would sporadically blurt out the awesome Disney deals he was finding.

To say I was miserable is an understatement. I kept trying to convince him that we could go. I would pay for half of it! (Hilarious. I'm a teacher. And I work part time. I can barely save enough money to get myself through the summer.) The answer was always the same - a resounding "no".

As it turns out, my hubby had booked us flights to Anaheim for February when one of the incredibly cheap deals came up. He was planning to wait until our anniversary, October 3rd, to surprise me. My incessant pouting and whining over not being able to go to Disney was getting out of control, and he showed me the travel itinerary in the summer. I was actually driving him crazy! Needless to say, I was overjoyed!

Unfortunately, things with the Oil industry continued to worsen, so hubs held off on buying Park Tickets in case "things went sideways" (ie: he becomes unemployed). He reminded me that if things continued to worsen, the financially responsible thing to do would be to cancel the trip. We decided to keep things quiet from our daughter until Christmas, to spare her from any possible disappointment. I have tried to keep my excitement at bay, and not get too carried away with planning to spare MYSELF from possible disappointment.

Well, my friends, we are 5 days away from Christmas and so I am letting loose! The countdown is on, and I am letting myself feel the excitement of our upcoming vacation.

Keep following me for updates on planning and how we plan to surprise Sophie with her Disney Vacation.

xo

City Stroller Rentals - St. Patrick's Day

In my previous post about what to pack, I included a shout-out to City Stroller Rentals in Southern California. The stroller rental service helped ease the stress of packing and planning, and we were so pleased with the Valentine's Day Mickey love bag that Sophie received upon arrival.

After featuring them on the blog, I was in contact with Jewel, a mompreneur for City Stroller Rentals. She sent me a picture with the adorable gift bag that they are including for arrivals on St. Patrick's Day. I absolutely love how this amazing company is going above and beyond to make their customer's vacations a little more magical!

Have you had any "magical" moments from a Cast Member or Disney-related business? Share in the comments!

 

xo Lisa