Tips about Countdown and Planning
We are planning a trip to WDW this December-January. I was surprised to find out that some tours do not take place the last two weeks in December. We were interested in Backstage Magic, which is one of the tours that does not go when the park is that crowded. Readers might want to check on available tours when planing their trips. - Sue Lykins
Pick up some 3M Command hooks with the removable adhesive and put them, along with some extra adhesive, into your suitcase. We are a family of six, and I have the problem of too many wet things and not enough room, too, and this seems to solve the problem. They're easily removed when you leave and don't take paint off the walls. - Beth McMeekin
Just saw saw that someone mentioned in a recent newsletter that they were used to traveling with a sound machine, and suggested that guests bring them to help drown out noise from traffic. Wanted to share my tip -- we found it helpful to just put the room's clock radio to a static channel. - Tracey DiMillo
Going to a sit-down, outdoor presentation on a cold winter's night? Here's a simple, easy-to-carry way to keep your rump from freezing: bring one of those bubble-wrap filled envelopes of an appropriate size to sit on. The bubble-wrap insulates your nether regions from that cold, cold seat, is light as a feather and is easily carried in one of those many Disney World plastic bags you've acquired. It makes quite a difference! - Mamayama
It's always so exciting counting down the days until the next Disney trip. There are SO many good ideas out there, but this is one I hadn't heard of and used for my girls this past September. A few days before we left for Disney, I typed up a letter from their favorite character. I said things like, "I can't wait to see you next week, remember I'll be at the Character Spot at Epcot," as well as things like, "I see you are joining me for dinner at Chef Mickey's!" You get the idea. My girls LOVED it! I took a copy of the autographs from their last visit and had that character 'sign' the letter! - Melissa
Free Dining is sometimes offered with a resort package. My trip dates didn't include all of the free dining dates. I called Disney reservations to ask how I could take advantage of the free dining that is being offered and got a wonderful agent who checked into it for me. When she came back on the line, she had booked my trip for free dining for all 10 days. My tip is even if your dates are only partially covered, CALL! You may be able to get the whole trip included. It definitely made for a magical day in my house. - Stefanie
When our daughter was younger we decided to countdown to Disney. We got a Disney-themed calendar and wrote the countdown days on it. On each day we would attach stars (or small Disney stickers) that represented money our daughter earned doing her chores. She got $.50 to $2 per day. She enjoyed counting the stickers on the pages. I enjoyed knowing she had her own money for souvenirs. - David Colvard
When we go to Disney World there are many children of all ages because it basically becomes a family reunion. To help the kids in the family count down the days until the vacation, my husband and I send them a package each month stating how much time is left until vacation (9 more months!). We begin a year out from our vacation. The packages contain little gifts that get the kids excited but won't break the bank. We may send lip balm with SPF and a note telling them to use it while at Disney, or a pack of gum with a note telling them to chew the gum on the plane during take-offs and landings, or a magazine to read while waiting for flights, or $5.00 to spend at the Main Street Confectionery. The kids love it and look forward to their package each month. - Angela
We normally book our Disney trips well in advance so we have a lot of wait time until the big day. To keep the excitement of Disney going throughout this wait time, we do anything we can that reminds us of Disney. We will make posters of Disney from unused travel brochures and hang them around the house. We will wear our Disney tee shirts to bed. We use our Disney cups at mealtime. When the departure date is near, about a week or so, I will surprise my daughter with a different Disney theme day -- when she gets off the bus, she has no clue what she will find. One day it could be a Princess Day -- I will dig out everything we have on Disney Princesses and decorate her room, then maybe read a Disney Princess story. Other themes we've had are High School Musical Day, 101 Dalmatians Day, Finding Nemo Day. We play music from that theme and maybe watch a Disney movie, etc. Our last visit was over Halloween so I took her Mickey stuffed animal and dressed it up in a witch's costume. I put Minnie Ears on our scarecrow. You get the idea -- use your imagination! - Carol Kuhar
We're taking my niece and nephew to Disney World for the first time (they're 9 and 10), but not until next year. They already know they're going and are excited, but a year is a long time to wait. To help them pass the time, I went to www.disneyphotopass.com and created a personalized calendar using photos from the Disney album. I then personalized it so that it counted down 11 months to go, 10 months to go, all the way until 1 day to go and "We Leave TODAY!" That way, they not only have a nice reminder about our trip, but also a way to pass the days until it's time to go. - Kimberly Kahl
