You probably noticed the ticker at the top and thinking "Didn't they just get back from a Disney cruise?"
We were (and probably still are) planning to go to the Disney Resort in FL when Josh returns from Iraq. While investigating options for budgeting purposes I learned that this year Disney is offering great deal for the military. The Active Duty service member gets in free for 5 days. Family members can get 5 days for $99 each. Hotels at the Disney resort are 40% off for active duty military.
Josh will get to come home for anywhere from 6 to 21 days between the time he finishes training in Kansas and the time he leaves for Iraq. This will be the last time we see him until Nov/Dec for 2 weeks when he gets his mid-tour RandR. We decided to get away as a family and had been thinking about getting a hotel in New Orleans and seeing the Aquarium, zoo, etc. With all the discounts Disney is offering the military, it is about the same price to go to Disney and we don't have to worry about the kids accidentally seeing something inappropriate at Disney! :)
So we decided that we want to surprise the kids (ok, surprise Andrew because Leah and Leila are clueless at this age :) ). We are trying to come up with a creative way to surprise him and we have a few in mind. Andrew is quite perceptive and will notice if I start packing bags or something so we'll probably tell him a day or two beforehand. He's seen my planning guides and I told him that I'm looking at them for our trip when Daddy gets back from Iraq.
So, I probably crazy for attempting to take twin 20 month olds to Disney World but it can't be any more crazy than going to New Orleans! :) We are going with the approach that we will not be able to see and do everything. Our goal is to spend a fun time together. :)
3 years ago
5 comments:
I think you should pack and tell him you're going on a trip while Daddy is in town, but don't tell him where you're going. When you get closer, he may start asking and just tell him you're going to Kissimmee, Fl...it's the truth :) When you arrive he will be so excited!
I'm sure at his age he's smarter than I'm thinking, but it'd be worth trying!
My girls had a blast at Disney last week!! I can't wait to take them when they will remember it.
We love the aquarium and zoo in N.O. but would go to Disney over that in a heartbeat. Have a blast!
Maybe tell them Dad needs to do something with his work (like a conference) and you wanted the family to be able to go along with him to spend some more time with everyone.
The work related conference just turns out to be--using his military discount at Disney World.
I think the girls will have a great time! Well, I think everyone will!
Don't forget that Disney offers ride swapping so you can ride with Andrew when Josh gets off or vice a versa. I wish someone had told us about that when Theresa was little. The person who goes firs just has to tell the person at the front before they get on the ride that you want to ride swap since you have children too little for the ride. That way you only stand in line once and you both can ride to cool rides. Have loads of fun.
A couple of Christmas's ago we decided to take a trip to Disney. We wanted to surprise the kids, as that WAS their Christmas present pretty much!
Bill printed a picture of the Disney Castle, and he had the word's written on it... 'Go Pack Your Bags, we're going to Disney World! Right Now..." or something like that. Then he had it printed on a puzzle and when it came to us in the mail, we separated the puzzle pieces out and put them in several different small boxes and packages that I then wrapped and put under the Christmas tree. When the kids got up in the morning on Christmas, there were all these little packages. We had them open them, and they started putting the puzzle together. Each one adding their pieces as they opened the next package. They were sooooo excited!
I had been doing laundry and stealing out some of the clothes I knew I wanted to pack for the kids, so they didn't wear them. I had a packing list for each kid, and sent them off with it to go get their things together. For the older girls who do their own laundry it was a bit more challenging, but we stayed at a small house with laundry facilities and we literally had them pack some of their dirty clothes and we washed them when we arrived in FL. I had also been encouraging them to 'clean their room' and wash clothes in preparation for Christmas gifts, etc. We all had a great time and it was a definite surprise!
We had our days planned out so that we had Christmas day to pack and travel (and we stopped over night half way there, and arrived the next day - so that we weren't stressed aobut geting packed and out of the house way early in the morning. We got things together, got on the road and went as far as we had already planned and noone was stressed or worried we were missing out on Disney time, since we planned for that travel time.)
I had also made small coupon books for each child. 1 ticket good for a desert item/icecream treat, etc., 1 ticket good for 1 t-shirt or other article of clothing up to a certain $ amt. 1 ticket good for choosing what ride we go on, or area of the park we go to next... stuff like that, so that they knew what they were allowed to ask for, and if they used all their coupons the first day... they couldn't ask for anything else really for the time we were there. That helped us a lot to keep expenses down somewhat, and not buy everything they saw... as well as sort of keeping the peace with so many kids all wanting to run here and there and different levels of ability and what they could ride based on height, etc.
Check out the ride swap! It really is helpful! You don't have to stand in line twice, the second parent gets to go through to pretty much the front of the line to get their chance to ride on the ride, after the first parent gets off the ride. Have a fabulous time! I think this is a great idea! We did a big trip to TOkyo Disney as a family before Bill was deployed when we lived there. It was fun to have those memories and fun times together before he left. (We staed at the Sano over night and did two days, at Tokyo Disney and then Disney Sea). Took lots of pic's and had a great time together!
Enjoy your vacation!
I think the couple days before you go put a Mickey cut out on his bed. When he comes home from school he will see it and ask you what it is for. Then have the camera ready for his face. I want to see that. Beings our cruise didn't work out I think we are doing Euro Disney over spring break.
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