Mike’s Mousefest Chronicles: The Pre-Trip Lists

Well with less than a week to go before heading to Mousefest it’s time for me to go through the first of my annual pre-trip rituals and that is to compile my sanity lists.

My sanity lists are my packing lists and my to-do lists.

The packing list is self-explanatory”¦it’s everything I need or want to take to Mousefest. I’m sure everyone at one time or another will put together a packing list for an impending Walt Disney World vacation.

I used to make these lists for every trip”¦not so any more”¦.the list has been ingrained in my head”¦well the regular list”¦but not the Mousefest list.

As Mousefest adjusts every year the list also adjusts.

The items I had on my Mousefest 2003 list are certainly not the same as I have for the Mousefest 2008 list.

Why?

Well, with every Mousefest comes changes in the forms of meets I may host or co-host and with that comes the need to bring some trinkets to the meet to handout or give as prizes. So the “treasures” I may have brought a year or two ago are far different than those making the trip this year.

Also, depending upon my schedule I may need to bring something other than jeans or shorts which are my basic code of dress for any WDW trip. I may need to pack some business casual wear one year but not the next.

So how do I compile this year’s packing list? The easiest way for me is to sit back and say, “Okay, what do I need to bring for Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and so on. To me that breaks it down real easily and as I go through each day of Mousefest I will be checking off my needs for that day.

Of course there is the general WDW trip packing list that includes the basics”¦camera”¦batteries”¦laptop”¦toiletries”¦and all that jazz.

The to-do list is my baby however.

On this list I write down everything I need to do prior to my leaving for the airport and I take it one step further”¦I assign not just a task but when to complete it.

For instance”¦.for Mousefest I always make sure that my outside holiday decorations are all set up with timers and all that jazz. I live in a State in which I’ve seen it snow as early as October 20th and as late as May 15th so I need to be ready.

Of course that also means making sure the interior of the house is all decorated for Christmas as well.

I use a wood pellet stove to heat my house and so prior to leaving for WDW and Mousefest I make sure there is a good supply of wood pellet bags in my back porch”¦easier for my wife Carol to feed the stove. Also, starting two weeks before I leave I feed the stove half-bags and save the other half for Carol. That way she does not have to lift a 40-50 pound bag of pellets while I’m gone but instead a 25 pound bag.

I also need to give the snow thrower a test drive to make sure that thing is ready to rock ‘n’ roll with Old Man Winter says, “It”¦is”¦.TIME!”

So the to-do list includes a lot of winterizing tasks to complete before I step onto that plane.
Of course there are things like charging all my batteries, maybe getting a haircut, and other basic trip preparedness tasks to handle but the fact that Mousefest takes place in December makes for more pre-trip work.

So the ritual has begun”¦my lists have been made.

Once the lists have been compiled I then take the next step which is to dig out the luggage.
In the past I’ve shipped stuff down to MF rather than take it with me on the plane.
This year I plan to bring a second, but smaller piece of luggage with me”¦for the trinkets and extra stuff.

So”¦.without further ado”¦I must get started and bring out the luggage because, just as Rafiki and Old Man Winter”¦.I too must say, “It”¦is”¦.TIME!”