Anyone else got a Disney Florida trip planned? Want to get excited together and share plans?

[PaintingTheFlowersRed]

We are off to DisneyWorld next year and I am already really excited about it. Anyone else? I'd love to compare notes on what you are doing to prepare. I'm starting to think about how to do a big surprise for the DC when we tell them we are going.

V jealous. We're not going but I LOVE Florida. We went this summer. Trying to figure out how we could go back next year... (We def can't, saving for our wedding!)

However I'd be sooo pleased to give any advice and generally be v v jealous

I can sit in the corner and be jealous if you like, we went this year and it was amazing.

Where are you staying btw?

We booked just before Christmas last year, gave DS a Christmas card on the day with it written inside. He was underwhelmed!!!

smoulder snap

Aww we didn't do it as we had one of those free calendars up on the wall with Disney/universal theming so the dc could cross off a day at a time. I think it was 80 days out when it started but I had been planning for a lot longer than that because of the 180 days out restaurant booking.

We're doing 10 nights at the Port Orleans Riverside in January, our 3rd time at that hotel so at least we know exactly what to expect from the hotel.

Last time we saved a fortune by buying little Disney gifts here and taking them with us so we didn't need to spend much in the gift shops and the DC still got lots of little treats through the holiday. I've just started doing the same again this week, picked up some Rapunzel brushes in Claire's accessories in the sale so my stash has begun!

I want to think of a way to surprise the girls with the holiday, they loved it last time and regularly ask to see the photos so I think they will be pretty excited when we tell them.

Love the nickname btw youbroke!!

I'm not sure with the surprise, will have a think about it. But we did get lots of trading pins and 2 lanyards delivered to the hotel and each morning the dc saved the pins they wanted to keep into their luggage and chose 5 swappers to go out with that day. They loved it.

Will Storybook Circus be open? I can't remember the soft opening date.

This is our plan to tell them at the moment, see what you think, its a work in progress.

We fly on a Monday, so the Monday before a letter arrives for each of them in a posh envelope with a mysterious note inside that says 'We miss you, we hope you will come and visit again soon' but nothing more.

On the Wednesday a box arrives in the post with a small Disney something inside for each of them, but no message, lots of confetti in there too to make it more exciting.

On the Friday a letter comes to say make sure you are in tomorrow, you will get an important delivery. The next day, Saturday, my lovely neighbour plants their trunki's on our doorstep, with a balloon and pretend plane tickets attached, rings the door bell and legs it. We let them find them and hope they figure it out from there, they are only preschoolers so hope they will. Then it would only be '2 sleeps' until we fly and we can all get very excited.

What do you think? Too much?

Me!!!!!!

This time next year, I'll be on day 2 of my 21 day Orlando odyssey!!!

Got countdowns for everything: online check in, booking Disney dining/events, booking, travelling to Manchester and flying out!!

Painting - that is a really lovely reveal!

I'm sure they'll get it and be super excited for the 2 day countdown!

21 days?! Wow, that is amazing. We've only ever done 7 nights before, so can't wait for this time to be 10 nights but 21 nights is a.m.a.z.i.n.g!

Ahem - my name is Scrappy and I have a problem. I am addicted to planning my Disney holiday.
We have flights and hotels booked and will be buying tickets tomorrow. I have planned each day and am itching for Wednesday when my adr window opens. V excited about seeing the new fantasyland
The dibb have a free planning tool which is very helpful as are the busy day guides and the forums are a great source of info and full of like minded people.

Scrappy Maybe we need to start a support group? We could have our very own Disney addicts 12 step program. As long as one of the steps is 'eat as many Mickey shaped food items as you can manage' I'd love it!

We've been a few times pre kids, and took the kids for 14 days in 2010, which was brilliant - our first time at a villa rather than a hotel.

But, as we're at a villa again, we've worked out that it's not much more expensive, as we've learned from last time that the kids wanted to spend more time at their 'own' pool rather that at the parks, so we'll not buy as many park days this time round - and not eat out as much, just shop at Publix and eat at the villa.

SERIOUSLY can't wait, and no holiday this year to help us save for it!

We went for 14 days in 2010 - October break - it was FAB - did the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party - had a brilliant time... I'm also sitting enviously in the corner.......

Where are you staying Scrappy? Been before?

Bytheway - that's when I went last!

Loved MNSSHP! Such a lovely night / with such a lot of free candy

Tobago We looked into a villa for this time, because 4 of us in a hotel room isn't ideal and with some dietary needs self catering would be easier but I am a really nervous driver and really, really don't want to drive over there so we decided to stay on-site. We love the PO Riverside though so its no problem.

If we had more $$$ we would have gone for a 1 bed villa in Saratoga Springs, but we'll save that for next time when the girls are bigger.

Me!!! We're all booked up for Summer 2013- we're doing a 4 week road trip starting in Washington DC, then Myrtle Beach in South Carolina and finally a fortnight in Orlando....Can't wait!! We were last in Disneyworld in 2009 so I'm really excited to see what has changed and think it'll be an entirely different experience with the DC's being 4 years older.

I second the DIBB forum planner- has spaces to fill in everything- hotel details, flight details, restaurant reservations and other planned activities.

Ooooooohhhh, have butterflies just thinking about it!!

Bytheway We were originally planning for October 2013 but we couldn't get the time off so we hastily booked for January. It means we have a lot less time to save up though and a lot less Jack and Sally stuff, DH loves Jack Skellington.

Us! Next April .

We're off in November - can't wait! 37 days to go!

Staying at Port Orleans too, also our third time there. Love it there, so relaxed and great after a day at the parks.

We don't plan, we just see how we feel each day and take advantage of the extra magic hours, and also sometimes just see which bus turns up first! I know this will sound horrifying to some Disney fans but it is the way we like it. Only thing we have planned this time is tickets for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.

January is a great time to go - so quiet and generally good weather. You will have a great time!

That sounds fab Lumpy, 4 weeks - wow!

akaemmafrost What are your plans? Where are you staying etc?