10 Below? Do Something That Warms You Up!
I woke up this morning, took a look at the outdoor
thermometer and ouch! 10 degrees below zero. Can someone,
please remind me why I live in Wisconsin?The one thing I started doing to stay warm, is to begin thinking warm.
We just started planning our Disney Vacation for the end of this year.
I've been to DisneyWorld three times so far--none of those times with kids. This year will definitely be different with our 4 year old daughter, Amanda.
Even without kids, when my husband and I visited Disney when we were first married nearly 11 years ago, we did quite a bit of planning. Neither of us are ones to waste time wandering aimlessly or getting mad because we didn't make a reservation for dinner and now we have to wait an hour or two to be seated.
This year, the planning is even more in depth.
1) Get info from others. A few friends of mine have shared their planning tools and strategies from their Disney experiences. Why not learn from what others have been through?
2) I picked up 'The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World.' It has already proven to be a magnificent resource.
3) We have our hotel reservations all set at one of the Disney Resorts.
4) We purchased the Deluxe Dining Plan, so our meals will be paid for once we get there. I've already begun making a spreadsheet of when we'll eat and where, and we'll make reservations shortly.
5) I'll be securing our airline tickets over the next few weeks.
6) In February and March, I plan to have a rough itinerary including the Disney sights and activities we want to see.
Come spring, we should be well ahead of the game, and we'll be able to use the rest of the year to make any necessary adjustments to our itinerary, based on shows that come up or new attractions.
We're so looking forward to this trip, and planning for it is the perfect way to stay warm during these frigid January days.
Our family just took a trip to Disney this past year in late November to early December. It was a wonderful time to go. The weather was warm and the holiday decorations were unbelieveable! The Osborne Spectacular of lights was our favorite. The Holiday Firework show over the Castle was great too! It was set to Christmas music and very nice.
We made our reservations for the dining plan well in advance too. I am so glad we did. I saw many of people who did not have prior reservations turned away at the door due to no availability.
You will definately want to do a character meal since you have a young daughter. We enjoyed the Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom and the Tusker House at Animal Kingdom. The characters come to every table and we got some great pictures with our kids. It sure beat standing in line waiting to meet the characters!
If you do any shopping you can have your packages sent back to your resort if you are staying at any of the Disney resorts. This was great- not having to worry about carrying packages with us!
Whatever you do I am sure you'll have a great time. There is so much to do and seeing your child's face light up with all the excitement is a wonderful experience. We can't wait to go back. Have a wonderful time and happy planning!
Posted by: Cammi | January 25, 2008 at 08:11 AM
Just a suggestion from a friend who worked at the parks - head to the left as you enter the parks - more people go to the right so if you start at the left you will hit shorter lines.
Posted by: Erika | January 27, 2008 at 07:13 PM
The Disney parks website has a wonderful planning tool to help you organize which attractions you will visit in each park. When you're finished selecting, they'll mail you (for free!)beautiful customized maps with only your sites highlighted. The site is http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/myVacation/customizedMaps/index?id=CustomizedMapsSampleMapsPage
Posted by: Cynthia | January 28, 2008 at 12:41 PM
I've been to Disney World 5 times. Twice with my ex, Twice with my new husband & last September was the first time with 3, almost 4 yr old. The suggestion to do character dining is wonderful ! At 4 yrs old they're just enthralled with all the characters and magic. We did the princess breakfast in Cinderellas castle. The princesses all take their time with each child. It's slighty pricey for breakfast but I wouldn't have missed seeing my little one meet the princesses. Alot of the girls wear some type of princess dress. If your trip is at the end of the year, you can find an inexpensive one at Halloween. Have a great trip
Posted by: JudyG1227 | February 03, 2008 at 01:27 PM
Also, my husband laughs at me because I'm fanatic about planning ahead & keeping with a schedule, but believe, it's worth it !
Posted by: JudyG1227 | February 03, 2008 at 01:29 PM
When I was planning a trip to Disney World, I got really obsessed about the planning process. I planned for months and months...constantly. But I had a ton of fun doing it. Check out tourguidemike.com. It does have a nominal fee - but it was sooooo worth it! It was such a great resource & I learned so much! I highly recommend it.
Posted by: Jen | February 10, 2008 at 12:40 PM
We took our kids to Disney at year-end and had a great trip. You will _definately_ want to stay on site. You get extra perks and there are resorts for all budgets. But my main tip was to echo the need for a princess dress for your little princess --I could not believe how many little girls were wearing one. My 6-year-old is tomboyish and didn't mind being in her regular play clothes, but she did stand out in the crowds.
Posted by: Ange | February 16, 2008 at 10:02 PM