How do you get ready for WDW?

[laurabelle]

I just took the kids out for a power walk, then an ice cream- talking all the while about our Disney favs.
How about you?

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

Many times my children were asking me to buy things and I would say, "I can't because we're saving money for our trip to Disney."

One Sunday our church was taking up shoeboxes full of goodies for poor children. I hadn't gotten a box because I had been home with a different, sick child for several Sundays.

My daughter, age 7, asked, "Mom, why didn't we do a shoebox this year? Oh, I know because we're going to Disney."

Lori

 

[Micca]

For WDW, I am in a constant state of readiness When do I need to be at the airport? The airport is about 15 minutes from my house, so I'll need about 30 minutes notice.

 

[yecats]

Plan, dream, plan, dream, plan and overdream. My brain is almost always on Disneytime - my body just isn't there. I also get ready by reading these boards. Its nice to see that most people here feel like I do.

 

[zen1]

Just look at what the tag fairy wrote, "I eat, sleep, talk and dream Disney all day long! I also vist the DISboards a lot and I like to go to The Disney Store, to get my Disney fix! I can't wait for Oct. to get here, so I can go to Disney World!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cdpa4d]

I go to the local bookstore and read books about Disney and Universal to prepare. There are some great tips in these books that refresh your mind. There is so much to do that reading helps prepare you with little tips and other ideas. Plus it excites me for the trip even more. Most bookstores have a Travel section with Disney literature.
Enjoy,
ADP

 

[carone0318]

I read the boards, I read the books and this year I am using the Magical Gatherings vacation planner because we have extended family coming with us.

One thing I do for my kids, especially dd (7) is at the 60 day mark, we make the paper chain and count the days down to the trip. This makes it real for her.

 

[DISNEYBIGGDOGG]

DISBOARDS,DISBOARDS,DISBOARDS

 

[scotthart]

At our house we cut 30 strips of paper and make a paper "chain". We all (Me, DW, DS, 2 DD's) divide the strips up and write our name on the outside and something we love about WDW (rides, shows, etc) on the inside. Each night, starting one month before WDW DAY, we break of a link and read what is inside. Its a great way to build the anticipation!

 

[cmarsh01]

10 weeks out from our trip we put 10 Disney world nights on the calendar. 4 of the 10 nights were disney movie choices of myself, my wife and 2 daughters. We eat popcorn and watch the disney movie of choice that night. 4 other nights we do concentrated park planning 1) MK 2) EPcot 3) MGM 4) AK. We read from the "unofficial" Planning book and watch the DVD of disney vacation planning of those parks on the right night. The midway point, we go out to dinner and then to the Disney store to buy our passes. The last night, is 2 days before we leave and we are having a family disney dinner getting out the pictures and video from last year, giving the kids some travel gifts and going over our plan of attack and doing a craft.
We have left 2 movie nights DD's choices, AK planning and the disney dinner party. Excitement is building.

 

[DNBois]

DH and I watch videos from our past two trips over and over again for about 4-6 weeks before we leave (and we don't have any kids YET): We love watching where we have been and places that we realized we never videotaped that we will need to this time - we are heading out in exactly 17 days and cannot wait!!!

 

[CamColt]

I do all the actual trip planning stuff, so reading the boards is key. I also pack for the kids and myself so Im always looking for stuff to buy and put away, especially toiletries when they are on sale.
To get the kids ready/excited we watch videos from our old trips and Im always telling them 5 weeks from right now...etc.
2 trips ago we made a countdown chain and took a link off each day, and for our last trip we had bags with m&ms in them(thanks to Halloween candy) and each night after dinner the kids would eat one. I will also try to show the kids pictures that I run across here on the Dis of certian stuff I know they like to get them pumped.