Tickets? Check. Hotel? Check. Tootbrush?...Uhhh...

Eeeeppp!!! Just one week until I'm back, zooming across Space Mountain, dodging the yeti on Everest, and speeding around Test Track. Wow, those 100 days went by fast! Now we're getting down to crunch time. This is the part of planning where you "dot your i's and cross your t's." Everyone has their own way of doing things, but here's my "Week Before" checklist. 

#1. Vouchers and Reservation Information

About a month or so before your vacation, you will receive a packet in the mail of maps, brochures, vouchers and details about your reservation (see my "Magical Mail" post). Be sure you hang on to this packet, especially your voucher book. If you flip through it, you'll see that one of the very first vouchers is for your hotel room. You'll need to bring this with you when you check in. You can use the other vouchers throughout your visit. It's also not a bad idea to hold onto your reservation confirmation number. Although I've never had an occasion come up where I needed it, I always like to have it on hand just in case.

#2. Double-Check the Park Calendars

It's always a good idea to take another look at the park calendars on the website as your vacation date approaches. Disney has been known to move things around a bit. For example, I had planned on us watching the Main Street Electrical parade on our last night. But last week when I went to confirm the start time on the calendar, I noticed that the showing for that night had been canceled, as were all the showings for that week. Needless to say, I was totally bummed, but now I can adjust our schedule to allow time for other attractions.

#3. Check the Extended Weather Forecast

This probably won't surprise you, but I am one of those silly people who gets so anxious that I'm packed a week in advance. LOL All that effort would probably go to waste though, if not for that ever-helpful extended weather forecast. As soon as it's available, I check the weather for Lake Buena Vista, Florida during the dates of our trip. (FYI: Disney World is not actually in Orlando. It's just a few miles outside the city in beautiful Lake Buena Vista :). This time I was happy to see highs were all in the upper 70s and lows were in the upper 50s/low 60s. AWESOME Disney weather!

#4. Don't Forget the Snack Bag!

This one is another tip I learned from my super-resourceful Mom. Snacks and drinks in the park are expensive! Just one bottle of Coke can cost you nearly five bucks. If you don't purchase the dining plan (and we didn't), then it's never a bad idea to pack a cooler of drinks and easy snacks. Feeding the whole family inside the parks for three meals a day can be very pricey, so we usually opt for a parking lot picnic in the back of the car. My mom always packs a cooler full of drinks and sandwich meats for lunch and a snack bag of cereal bars and muffins for breakfast. That way, the only meal we had to worrying about buying was supper. Trust me, it saves a LOT of money, and it gives you a little break from the crowds without having to go all the way back your resort. 

And of course, don't forget your toothbrush! LOL But if you do, don't worry, Disney's got ya covered ;).

See ya real, real soon!

Miranda

Magical Mail

There's nothing like going to the mailbox to find Mickey's face smiling back at you. I call it "magical mail." No matter how horrible my day has been, opening mail from Disney always makes me smile. But when that mail is concerning my very soon-to-be visit back, that grin gets even bigger.
When I got home yesterday from a nearly 6-hour photo shoot, I found two such envelopes waiting for me. My sister-in-law, Kayla (who is also my ever-handy photo assistant) and I both squealed with delight. What we had received was the first "welcome" package from Disney. Guests receive it shortly after booking their vacation, usually in about a month. I've mentioned this packet in one of my earliest posts, but in case you missed it, here's a look at what kinds of goodies you get.

• In the first envelope (top of the picture), you'll find park maps and a personalized booklet filled with details about your resort, dining plan options and special tips for your family. The last page also has a ready-made note card to record all your reservation information.
• The second envelope (bottom right) contains all of the vouchers you receive when you book your stay at a Disney World Resort hotel. These vouchers include everything from a free round of mini-golf, to restaurant discounts, jetski rentals, arcade points, spa services and merchandise discounts. But the most important voucher is the very first one which details your hotel reservations. This is the first voucher you'll use. When you check in at your resort hotel, be sure to tear it out and take it with you.
• Also included in the second envelope are luggage tags (bottom left) for everyone in your party. They change the look of these every year, but they are always so adorable. It adds that little touch of magic to even the most boring old suitcases.
• One other piece of magical mail I received (not pictured) is something kind of new that Disney has started doing. Now when you book a vacation, you'll receive a card in the mail with a personal URL. Type the URL into your browser and you'll find custom tips and suggestions for your vacation. You can also keep track of all your reservation information on this page. It's pretty neat to have your space on Disney's piece of the web.

See ya soon!
Miranda

A little note from the heart...

As I sit here less than a month away from my 15^th visit to Walt Disney World, I feel all kinds of sentimental nostalgia toward my favorite place on earth. The closer it gets, the more I think about it, the more I talk about it, and the more I reminisce about every happy moment I’ve spent there throughout my life.

Some people just don’t get it. They can’t understand how a 24-year-old could still be so much in love with something that most people lose interest in by the age of 10. Why do I love Disney so much? It’s something that’s kind of hard to explain, but today I’ve decided to try.

First of all I have to say, I think it’s different for me than it is for most people I know. Most of them didn’t grow up with it the same way I did, visiting the parks every Spring for the better part of their childhood. I know I am extremely blessed to have been able to do that. My children probably won’t get to do that, although I will do everything I can to take them as often as possible. I love my mom and dad to pieces for everything they did to give me unforgettable childhood memories.

Now on to a few of the reasons why I am, and will always be, a Disney kid.

#1: Magic is real.

You can’t see the face of a three-year-old as they meet Mickey Mouse or Cinderella for the first time and say that magic doesn’t exist. If there is one thing I’ve learned from my Disney adventures, it’s that magic lives inside all of us. It’s not something that can be seen or touched. It’s something you feel in your heart, and it will be there as long as you believe in it. To a child, Mickey isn’t a cartoon character, he’s a real friend; Cinderella really does live in the highest room of the highest tower of the castle; and “happily ever after” is not a dream, but an everyday reality. Children can feel the magic no matter where they are, but at Disney World, they can really live in it.

#2: Every day is an adventure.

While most kids were sharing stories about their trip to the beach or the mountains over Spring break, I would tell about zooming into outer space or riding on a runaway mine train or traveling all over the world in less than an hour. It sounded crazy, but I wasn’t exaggerating because it really felt that way. The difference between a Disney park and any other theme park is the incredible attention to detail that Disney puts into every attraction. When you step onto a pirate ship on Peter Pan’s Flight you really feel like you’re flying over Neverland. When you hop on the train at Expedition Everest, you really feel like you’re running from a yeti. When you eat lunch under the Eiffel Tower at the French pavilion, you really feel like you’ve been to France. You can do things on a Disney vacation that you can’t do on any other kind of vacation. But then again, it’s not really a vacation… It’s an adventure you never forget.

#3: That feeling.

There’s something that happens to you the first time you walk through the gates at Magic Kingdom. It’s something unexplainable, a feeling that you can only get at that moment. It’s different for everyone. For some, it’s pure excitement; for others, it’s like being a kid again. But for me, it’s like coming home. For someone who’s never really fit in anywhere, those streets and passageways are like a sanctuary. At Disney World, everyone is welcomed with open arms; everyone belongs. Cast members go out of their way to make each guest feel special and appreciated. Everyone is given the opportunity to shine, no matter who you are. Of all the places I’ve ever been, Disney World is the only place where I seem to truly relax and be happy. Once I’m on Disney property the rest of the world melts away. I’m not worried about work or bills or any other part of everyday life. I just get that feeling, and I’m home.

See ya real soon!
Miranda