vacation Archives - Palmettos and Pigtails

Summer Bucket List

June 5, 2013 posted by Shara

I don’t know about your Pinterest Feed, but mine has been stocked with summer activities for the Pinterest Perfect Mom lately. You know, designer BBQ parties for whole neighborhoods {thrown together, of course}, perfectly constructed lemonade stands, and science-experiment worthy concoctions.

And although I may not be crafty/organized/energetic enough to pull any of those things off, there is no reason we can’t have some summertime goals! A bucket list, perhaps? So, one rainy afternoon, Jayna and I sat down and made a list of all the things we thought we might want to do this summer. I also consulted these sites for some additional ideas:

Go Dansker Mom

The Happy Family Movement

U-Create Crafts

Creative Family Fun

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t expect to check off everything on this list, but it’s a start, at least. And frankly, I just needed a rainy-day activity to do with my cranky and bored four-year-old. Brainstorming fun summer activities was just the ticket! Here’s the list we came up with:

go to the waterpark
have a BBQ with friends
go to the pool
go on a bike ride
play hopscotch
go to a baseball game
go to the beach
make glow in the dark bubbles
visit a farm
pick blueberries
make homemade freezie pops
ride a horse
play soccer
have a hula hoop contest
build a fort
see a play
learn to tie shoes
see a movie in the theater
make salsa from our garden veggies
eat popsicles in our underwear
read 100 books
go tubing
catch a fish
go camping
read Charlotte’s Web
have a lemonade stand
go on a bug scavenger hunt
play in the sprinklers
go to the lake
take a bubble bath
go to the zoo

Stay tuned for photos and updates throughout the summer as we check things off the bucket list!

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Filed Under: Life

{Walt Disney World} The Wrap Up

May 3, 2013 posted by Shara

Are you all Disney-ed out? We kinda are. In the we-just-had-a-fabulous-vacation-and-now-back-to-real-life kind of way. So I thought I’d do one final post with some of our pictures and some final thoughts and observations about the parks, hotel and trip. So pardon the sweaty pictures of my kids (Tip#1…it’s still HOT in Florida in April!)!

Part 1: The Hotel

So, if you remember, we stayed at Wyndham Bonnet Creek, which is about 3 miles from any and all of the Disney Parks…including Downtown Disney and Disney Boardwalk. We rented our specific condo from Farrell’s Vacation Rentals, and were VERY impressed with the unit and all of the amenities that were included for just over $100 a night (two bedroom unit that slept 8). Our regret was that we didn’t spend more time at the resort….tons of kids’ activities, 5 pools., mini-golf, 2 lazy rivers, a kiddie splash pad, etc. Next time we go, we’ll prob spend more time at the pool {especially the pirate ship themed one!}! The shuttle to Disney Parks does cost $5 a head though, but we wouldn’t have used it anyway because we didn’t want to have to wait around for the scheduled shuttle pick-ups, and you can’t bring strollers on!! And we definitely needed a stroller! So, we used A Baby’s Best Friend to rent a double jogger and a booster highchair for the hotel. Once again, we were thrilled. It cost a total of $75 for both for the entire week, including delivery and pick-up to the resort. The items were clean and worked perfectly for the parks. I highly recommend them!

Part 2: The Parks

Hollywood Studios

We followed all the advice I found online and went straight to Toy Story {AWESOME ride!}….we walked right on and also grabbed a Fast Pass to ride again a couple of hours later. Woody and Buzz were signing autographs in an air-conditioned room across from Toy Story…a 30 minute wait that went fast, thanks to some interactive areas in the line. The girls also unexpectedly liked The Studio BackLot Tour {which shows how they create the special effects stunts in movies}….lots of loud {explosions} noises, some fire, and an adventurous tram ride all led to a display of props from various movies. It was the first kind of “scary” thing we did, but it was a great way to explain how Disney makes everything LOOK real. Some new vocab words {props, sets, stunts, illusions, special effects} helped Jayna cope later with other intense rides like Haunted Mansion. Regrets? We didn’t get to do any “grown-up” rides! I would have loved to try out Rockin’ Roller Coaster!

Don’t Miss: Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground….great place for shade and rest for mom/dad and slides and climbing for all ages!

Gifts for this park: Autograph Books and Waterbottles

Hollywood Studios Tips from Palmettos and Pigtails

Toy Story at Hollywood Studios from Palmettos and Pigtails

3D Glasses on Toy Story Ride from Palmettos and Pigtails

Animal Kingdom

This park was such a pleasure to just walk around in. The girls loved looking at all of the details in each of the continents. And even though we packed lunches, I really appreciated the culturally {and vegetarian friendly} diverse food choices throughout the park. Dave and I used Child Swap and Fast Passes for Expedition Everest, and then went to the safari early in the day, when we had heard that the animals were more active. Not sure if I agree with the activity level of the animals, but the lines were certainly shorter. Jayna loved the Kali River Rapids {which I actually thought were kind of lame and a very short ride!}, because she LOVED seeing me get soaked! A nice perk was The Boneyard, where Jayna and Amelia both had appropriate-sized playground equipment to play on. We also managed to catch Minnie and Mickey in their camp gear {and shorter lines than MK} for an autograph.

Don’t Miss: Finding Nemo {the show}. Broadway caliber…..so entertaining for everyone!

Gifts for this park: Little Towels {for water rides}

Camp Minnie Mickey at Animal Kingdom from Palmettos and Pigtails

The Boneyard at Animal Kingdom from Palmettos and Pigtails

Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom from Palmettos and Pigtails

Animal Kingdom tips from Palmettos and Pigtails

Epcot

We got there for their “soft opening” around 8:45 and went directly to the Finding Nemo ride and Turtle Talk with Crush….very cool, but we didn’t have a chance to see the rest of the aquarium features because we had to head over to breakfast with the princesses in Norway. We ended up paying $120 for a buffet breakfast for three {Mills was free}, but had fantastic extended meets with Ariel, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella. In the price, the little girls got to parade around the castle, and we also got our photo taken with Belle….getting one 8×10 and four 5X7′s of that photo. It was a great experience.

Don’t Miss: The International Flower & Garden Festival in the Spring {topiaries all through the park}, and the Oz-themed playground

Gift for this park: I wrapped up some princess dress up clothes for them to wear to breakfast

Princesses at Character Breakfast at Disney from Palmettos and Pigtails

Breakfast at Epcot with the Princesses from Palmettos and Pigtails

Topiaries at Epcot from Palmettos and Pigtails

Tips for Epcot from Palmettos and Pigtails

Oz-themed Playground at Epcot from Palmettos and Pigtails

Magic Kingdom

Three words: Belle’s Enchanted Tales. Run there. It’s an awesome, interactive {as in ALL kids get a part!}, magical show and meet with Belle. And it’s HUGELY popular. As in hours long wait and no shade. Get it done first, before anything else! We got in line while Dave ran and got Fast Passes for Peter Pan or Splash Mountain. As for Splash Mountain…child swap is a must! And the shaded playground for the Littles while you wait, is also a great perk {located under the railroad station}. My girls aren’t a huge fan of fireworks, but we found we could literally walk onto rides while the Electrical Parade and Fireworks shows were on. Also, hope for rain {it cools things off and scares people away…easing up the lines!}. The oh-so-popular Electrical Parade starts on Main Street {where most gather to watch on their way out of the park} and ends in Frontier Land….we found the least crowded spot to be on the porch of Country Bear Jamboree, where the parade passes by starting at 9:20pm. Jayna ended up riding on Haunted Mansion twice….and I attribute her bravery to watching youtube videos of the ride. We walked on both times, so we didn’t even get to play with the new interactive activities in line!

Don’t Miss: The Little Mermaid Ride….we rode on it multiple times, and the wait is just as entertaining as the ride {and in the AC!}

Gifts for this park: Glowsticks and Spinny Princesses for the Parades, Minnie Mouse Ears {for pictures mostly!}

People Mover at Magic Kingdom from Palmettos and Pigtails

Waiting at Enchanted Tales with Belle at Magic Kingdom from Palmettos and Pigtails

Tips for Magic Kingdom from Palmettos and Pigtails

After the Vacation: Tips for Traveling to Disney from Palmettos and Pigtails

Part 3: The Schedule

We actually stayed pretty true to the itinerary that I created. And I think the order of the parks worked perfectly for us! Jayna turned out to be kind of an adrenaline junky, so going to see the shows at Hollywood Studios on the first day was a score for us {as I’m sure she would have been bored by them after the thrill of Splash Mountain!}. Another great perk was the multiple opportunities to use the 3D glasses! We got Fast Passes for all the rides we HAD to ride, and were able to time lunch and bathroom breaks around the wait times, so the girls never really waited more than like 30 minutes at any of the parks. We packed sandwiches and lots of snacks, and frozen waterbottles….and ate in the strollers while waiting in line or walking. Not only did it save money, but time!

We got to all the parks by opening {9:00am}, with Hollywood Studios doing a soft opening at 8:45 {park was open, but rides didn’t open until 9…Fast Pass machines were running at 8:45 though!}. But I seriously underestimated how long it took to get into Magic Kingdom, between parking, trams, and Ferry/Monorail. We got to the parking lot at 9am the first MK day {along with everyone else} and it took us an hour an a half to get into the park and get to Fantasyland {our first destination}. So, the second MK day we were parking by 8am, and were at the park entrance by 8:45 {rope drop} and getting to Fantasyland by 9:00. Get there early! And bring stuff to entertain the kids in the stroller while you wait for parks to open {i.e. bubbles, spray fans, etc.}

Thursday, we took the day off from parks, and went to Downtown Disney instead. And it proved to be just as entertaining as the parks! We hit the Lego Store, two toy stores {where we picked up the coveted Disney-themed Mr. Potato Head accessories}, a couple of fountains and had lunch. And that took up most of the day! That night, Dave and I were able to sneak away with Bets and Jay for a grown-ups night out. We went to Disney Boardwalk and had dinner and strolled on the boardwalk. Nothing there for Littles, but it was great for a double date!

What a wonderful vacation!

Miss one of my other Disney Posts?

Mr. Mickey Mouse Head Felt Bag from Palmettos and Pigtails

Mr. Mickey Mouse Head Felt Bags

Mickey Mouse Travel Ticket from Palmettos and Pigtails

Mickey Mouse Travel Ticket (and other vacation travel tips and goodies)

Disney Princess Wand Tutorial

Get your kids pumped for your Disney vacation with these Disney Activities!

Disney Countdown Chain

Secrets of the Kingdom: A Collection of Walt Disney World Tips

Walt Disney World: A Mom with a Plan

Filed Under: Life, Travel

{Walt Disney World} Notes for Preggo Travel: A Guest Post

April 29, 2013 posted by Shara

Remember I told you that we traveled to Disney with our friends, Betsy and Jay {and their lovely Lulabelle and Baby Ethel?}….and no, her name probably won’t be Ethel, but who knows?!?!?! Well, I let Bets take the reins today and give you some hints for traveling 6 months pregnant to Disney! Enjoy!My Disney vacation may be atypical from most and certainly from Shara’s in that my awesome husband took the reins of planning! We discussed everything we decided, but as you read my recap, know that I don’t take credit for the plans he came up with or our schedule. We both tried to be flexible with plans and just have fun because that’s all you can do with a 2-year-old and your in-laws in tow!

We rode with my in-laws in their RV so we were able to save money on food and stay at a campground overnight on the way to and from Florida {4 days total of travel to/from Disney from Maryland, and 6 days of Florida}.

Accommodations

We chose to stay at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground for a few key reasons.

We were making this trip with my in-laws and wanted to be near them to make plans to meet up and eat meals together as easy as possible. We could have all squeezed in their RV all week, but Fort Wilderness has cabins, so the three of us opted for one of those for everyone’s sanity. It was great! We really liked everything about it.

Fort Wilderness is a really nicely laid out campground that has spoiled me for campgrounds everywhere. Disney just knows how to do things right. It is expansive, interspersed beautifully with trees and wildlife so you don’t see a million RVs everywhere you look, and there is bus transportation to help you get all around, though most everyone ends up splurging on renting golf carts for the week (including my father-in-law! Even after we had planned not to splurge on renting one and sticking to the bus transport, he decided it would be well worth it for the ease of getting around, so we were fine with that!). Two great pools, several playgrounds, two well-stocked shops with lots of food and drink essentials as well as gifty Disney stuff, pony rides, a delicious buffet, and easy free transportation to all of the parks plus Downtown Disney all made it a great choice for our family. They also had an awesome campfire sing-a-long featuring Chip and Dale every night with marshmallow roasting and a movie under the stars.

Note 1. Bring your own marshmallows/s’mores stuff. They sell everything there, but its pricey!
Note 2. Go during the weekdays. We went on Wednesday night and again on Friday night (though I think some people go every night, hey its free entertainment) and Wednesday was nice and calm and peaceful while Friday was packed and slightly chaotic!The cabins can sleep up to 6 people total, so our little family of 3 was able to spread out quite nicely. The cabin had a full kitchen and one full bathroom, one bedroom with bunkbeds and a double bed, and a livingroom with a Murphy bed. Jason and I chose to sleep out on the Murphy bed so we could put Lulabelle to bed at bedtime and stay up to watch TV for awhile without disturbing her. It worked out really well. Plus we had the luxury of housekeeping everyday… that’s my kind of camping! We researched ahead of time and found that RV lots are not really intermixed with cabins in their layout, but you can call ahead to request specific areas if possible, so we so did that and got loops next to each other……ended up within walking distance to my in-law’s but not so close that we got on each others’ nerves.Parks

We also opted for the 4 tickets and got the 5^th day free, but to save money we forewent the park hopper option and just did straight days. The hopper would have been beneficial to some extent, but we didn’t really miss it.

Magic Kingdom notes:

-Be Our Guest restaurant

Ridiculous line just to get inside to eat, but I’ve decided it was worth it! Disney made the Beast’s castle look so realistic and amazing, it was really a treat to get to sit there and eat! A delicious feast for the tummy and for the eyes.
I was frustrated by the ordering process – touchscreen computers each party orders on themselves are a bad idea when a Disney staff person has to run from computer to computer helping all the people figure out how to take the accidental extra beverages off their total or swipe their credit card! But my note to poor starving preggos or people with toddlers would be to just have a little snack while in line so you’re not dead or ready to kill someone by the time you get to the ordering screens.
The meals were pricey, but in reality quite comparable to the other restaurants in the parks – 4 adult meals with drinks and one kid’s meal with milk came to $55 – and the food was really quite good – I got a quiche that came with a good-sized spinach salad and champagne vinaigrette, mmm….
The other pretty cool thing to note was the servers bringing out your food using some method of GPS or tracking to figure out exactly where your party is seated. It was done via a little red, circular rose that you take with you after ordering and set on the table you’ve chosen, and then within a few minutes a waiter comes wheeling out a fancy food cart directly to your table. When my husband asked how he knew where we were, the waiter just said “magic,” we were in an enchanted castle after all. Anyway, we sat in the main ballroom, in fancy chairs, under gorgeous chandeliers, with computer-generated snow falling outside beautiful windows – I absolutely loved it.Epcot notes:

-Nemo ride + big aquarium afterwards!

We knew about Turtle Talk with Crush after the Nemo ride, but I did not know there was a full-fledged aquarium to check out in there as well with manatees, dolphins, turtles, fish! We ended up staying in that one building for close to 2 hours even with no line to get on the Nemo ride at all!
Note: bring a snack in if you’re pregnant and hungry every half an hour.Hollywood Studios notes:

-Disney Jr. show

This was pretty much the main thing we thought Lu would want to do so we got in line early on and excitedly got front row seats inside the theater. Terrible idea. We could not see anything from the front row because they have you sit on the floor (my other bone to pick with that show – I don’t get up and down all that easily these days!) and the characters are all puppets. Most times we could see just the tops of characters’ heads, but sometimes we couldn’t see them at all when they were talking.
We also had a Disney staff member who kept making little Lu sit down when she tried to see a little better (even though in the middle rows all the kids were standing up and even though the only people she could have been blocking were her dad and grandpa). SO, aim for the center of the theater, maybe even towards the back.
And warn the grandparents and preggos in your family they’ll be sitting on the floor.

And finally, a shout-out to my shoes! I researched good, supportive sandals for walking before we left, and these are what I decided on. They are Spencos http://www.zappos.com/spenco-kholo-straw-java~1 I ordered from zappos.com, and they did a great job supporting me in all of our walking. According to the reviews, they run a little wide, which was great for me as I have slightly wide feet on a normal day and was very worried my pregnant lady feet might swell especially in the heat. They have great arch support, and I never had a day of discomfort with extended walking every day we were there. Yay!

Overall, it was a magical Disney vacation! In a nutshell, if you choose to do Disney while pregnant, make sure you wear good shoes, bring lots of water and snacks, and stay in the shade. We can’t wait to go back, or at least go on vacation with Shara and Dave again soon! Thanks for reading!

Betsy

Betsy is the cake creator over at Betsy’s Cakes, the Godmother of Jayna and Amelia, and the Mommy of Lullabelle. She’s also the wife of Jay, and lover of all things Disney. She’s also Shara’s best friend, and can be found in this post, this one, and this one. Oh yeah, she also is the mastermind behind the Super Popular Dr. Suess Party post!

Filed Under: Life, Travel

{Walt Disney World} The Itinerary and Worksheets

April 22, 2013 posted by Shara

I think we have finally finalized our tentative final plans for Disney. I call these plans our “I’m-too-OCD-to-go-to-Disney-without-some-sort-of-spreadsheet-but-am-realistic-about-knowing-we-probably-won’t-follow-it-at-all” itinerary! I’m not going to lie….I spent several hours this week gleefully combing the web for info on rides, characters, parks, parades, times, etc. to create a spreadsheet of our loose plans. {Yes, this is my idea of fun…} Before I show it to you, understand that I know we will stray from these plans. I have no intention of pushing my ~~husband~~ kids past their limit…so the ultimate plan revolves around them. We purchased 4-day park hoppper passes, and got a deal for the 5th day free. Which cost a little more than our original 3-day plan, but the flexibility it gives us for leaving by naptime if needed or coming back to the parks later in the evening for date night, is totally worth it.

Here’s a blank itinerary for ya!

If you don’t like my boring ‘ole Exel sheets….check out this site, which has some more creative customizable itineraries!

I filled in the exact times of the parades, shows and character meals that we intend to do, but other than that, we are flexible. I also spent a lot of time looking for the most popular rides at each park, and trying to figure out which ones to ride first thing, and which Fast Passes to grab immediately. And then I decided to research the whole Fast Pass deal on WDW Prep School. And when I was reading that article, my eye caught another article title on the sidebar…..

QR Codes and Touring Plans for Disney

Basically, these are lists of the rides you should plan on hitting {and the best order for riding them}, and Fast Pass locations and info, all loaded into your phone! So…..basically all the work I’ve done all week. Already done. And loaded on my phone. Incredible. {What made me think I needed to reinvent the wheel?!?!?} So I started exploring the site more. Really, everything I needed to plan this trip from day one.

Map of Magic Kingdom

Map of Animal Kingdom

Map of Hollywood Studios

Map of Epcot

Map of Magic Kingdom Parade Route

I also found a chart for the best and worst parks to visit each day of our trip {and all the other days of the year!}, which helped me choose which days to do which parks. Info is based on crowds, but also lists weather, hotel pricing and special entertainment! Parks are listed from best to worst each day, with the red ones being highly recommended to avoid.

{Source courtesy of Easy WDW}

{Click here to get your vacation month or see this month closer}

And the last couple of sites that I found and used for planning our trip were:

DIS: everything from tips to dieting at Disney to parade and show times

Build a Better Mouse Trip: everything from itineraries to free Disney activities {including free hotel activities like the campfire!}

I also invented another wheel by creating a little spreadsheet of where the characters are, and when. I know I missed some, but it’s a good start! Let me know if you have some to add! {I got most of the princess time info from here, and the other character info from here} Just a note, all of the time-specific princesses are only in Magic Kingdom…most of the other characters listed are in their areas throughout the day. {Soooo…don’t pay too much attention to the times except for the princesses!}

Click on the picture for a larger view

Hope some of these planning tips helped you! If you love anything you see, please pin it or share it on facebook! Thanks!

Have you seen the rest of my recent Disney obsession?

Meeska Mouska Mix-A Disney Snack

Mickey Mouse Travel Ticket (and other vacation travel tips and goodies)

Mr. Mickey Mouse Head Felt Bags

Disney Princess Wand Tutorial

Get your kids pumped for your Disney vacation with these Disney Activities!

Disney Countdown Chain

Secrets of the Kingdom: A Collection of Walt Disney World Tips

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Filed Under: Travel

{Walt Disney World} A Packing List

April 17, 2013 posted by Shara

After scouring all of the Pinterest Packing lists and reading multiple Disney Blogs…I think I have our packing list down to a science….and it’s not all what I expected! Sure there is the swim suit/sunscreen/bug spray/band aid typical vacation stuff….but check out my Unexpecteds Category!

Unexpecteds

glow sticks (fun ones for the kids at night to wave around during the parades and fireworks, AND bracelet ones to loop around your stroller for identification purposes!)
clothes pins (to pin to the top of your closed shower curtain so your towels don’t have to be draped over the dingy old shower rod/curtain)…also good for holding ponchos over strollers, makeshift bibs (plastic bag and two clothes pins on the shoulder!), etc.
sunscreen wipes (in addition to your other creams and sprays) for quick application in the parks without having to get the kids out of the stroller
gallon ziplock bags (for wet clothes/accidents in the parks, also handy to put your wallet and cell in on potentially wet rides)
baby powder (sprinkle it over wet and sandy feet to get them dry and sand-free)
a small across the chest diaper bag or a small backpack to keep your phone/wallet/1 diaper/wipes/essentials in….you can keep it close to your body (even wear it on your chest instead of back)…the one we have was actually the free gift from Parenting Magazine when I had Jayna (I knew that too-tiny-bag would come in handy for something!)
post-its in your bag for placing over sensors in automatic toilets {and of course anti-bacterial wipes for the seat!}
M&M candy tubes {from Walmart}, emptied out, they are the perfect size for carrying around pennies and quarters for the penny press machines in the parks {see here for my tutorial!}.

I have a copy that you can download and print out, but it’s showing up weird on my account….so if you can’t get it, email me or leave me a comment and I’ll email you a copy.

signature linkin’up!

Have you seen my other Disney posts?

Mr. Mickey Mouse Head Felt Bags

Mickey Mouse Travel Ticket (and other vacation travel tips and goodies)

Disney Princess Wand Tutorial

Get your kids pumped for your Disney vacation with these Disney Activities!

Disney Countdown Chain

Secrets of the Kingdom: A Collection of Walt Disney World Tips

Walt Disney World: A Mom with a Plan

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Filed Under: Calendars and Organization, Life, Travel

{Walt Disney World} Meeska Mouska Mix

April 9, 2013 posted by Shara

Morning! Are you totally over my Disney posts yet? Hopefully not because I still have a few up my sleeve as we count down these final weeks til our vacation! So hang with me!We’ve started the beginning stages of making lists and are starting to pack for the trip. I got to thinking, while making my food lists for the car and for the parks, that we needed a “signature snack” just for the Disney occasion!So after a quick trip to Target to buy pretzels, yellow M&M’s, dried strawberries, yogurt covered raisins and semi-sweet chocolate chips, we had our perfect Mickey Mouse snack mix!So far, it’s been a big hit with the girls…hopefully it will stand up to the Florida heat!Although, would it be terrible if the chocolate melted over the pretzels and strawberries?!?!? {I think not…..}Got any other ideas for a red, white, black and yellow trail mix? Leave me a comment! Palmettos and Pigtails linkin’ up this week!

Have you checked out some of my other Disney Posts?

Get your kids pumped for your Disney vacation with these Disney Activities!

Disney Countdown Chain

Secrets of the Kingdom: A Collection of Walt Disney World Tips

Walt Disney World: A Mom with a Plan

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Filed Under: Recipes, Travel, Tutorials

{Walt Disney World} Traveling to Disney with Kids

April 3, 2013 posted by Shara

I know I’ve written about how I travel with the girls before, but I decided to do it again….but in the spirit of Disney this time!Usually, we use the ticket system with Jayna. She receives a ticket every thirty minutes of our trip and can redeem them for various treats throughout the trip.

One ticket=a new book to read

Two tickets=a snack or 20 minutes of Jayna music (on Pandora)

Three tickets=a treat from the surprise bag (dollar store goodies)

Four tickets=a movie

Works like a charm! She doesn’t bug me about being bored or hungry, and I don’t have to listen to Mary Poppins on repeat the entire trip. She’s learned quickly to save up her tickets! So, I made some special tickets for our Disney trip. Disney World Travel Tickets from Palmettos and Pigtails Click here to download and print your own!

Jayna has been very involved in the planning and saving for this trip. And of course, she is all about Dave Ramsey and “cash only,” so it was only natural that we needed a special Disney piggy bank. So I covered the lid of a cookie jar and let Jayna decorate the jar with stickers. And we’ve been filling it up with all the pennies and nickels we can find! {and it’s amazing how quickly those little coins add up…it’s paying for our Character Breakfast!!}Some of the activities I made were for the car, and some were used for the Countdown Chain Activities. Remember the Bibbity Bobbity Boo Wands? Hopefully the pom-pom on the end will be soft enough to prevent any eyes from being poked out in the car….Another Countdown activity was our own little Bibbity Bobbity Boutique. A little pink and white nail polish {use a toothpick to drip dots onto the nails}, and presto! you’ve got Minnie Mouse nails!I found {but didn’t photograph} some scrapbook paper at A.C. Moore that was made of squares, and each square had a Mickey Mouse character in it. So I cut them all apart and made a Memory Game and BINGO out of them. I figure the Memory won’t be great for the car, but I plan on using the BINGO on cookie sheets with magnets in the car.And my favorite, the Mr. Mickey Mouse Head Bags! A gem of a car activity in itself, but the bag will also be great for holding other small car ~~crap~~ toys {in our case: little plastic Disney princess dolls, crayons, a Minnie Mouse coloring book, some Disney stickers, and any other Disney Dollar Store stuff I can find}.And of course, all of the goodies that I’ve made for the actual park. First of all, the obligatory matching shirts….{and yes, I made them, and no, I don’t have an embroidery machine!} Minnie Mouse Matching Shirts for Disneyworld The kids should be able to stay well hydrated with these cute water bottles (from HobLob) that I modge-podged with stickers and letters.And the girls each got an autograph book (from Target $1 spot, modge-podged with scrapbook paper and letters)…or for the littler girls who don’t care about autographs, a great doodle book! I found two huge click pens that I gave to Jayna and Lulabelle to use, but now I know that the clicky-Sharpie markers are preferred by the big-handed characters….so Staples, here I come!One of the Countdown Chain activities we did was collecting quarters and pennies for the Penny Press machines that are around the parks. So I took an empty M&M canister and modge-podged some scrapbook paper on the outside. Keeping the quarters and pennies handy will prevent us scrounging around the diaper bag for them, and the pressed pennies will be a nice little keepsake for Jayna.And, I didn’t photograph them, but I found Disney Bubbles at Walmart {for standing in lines}, and got Dollar Store glow stick bracelets for kids to wear and to put on the stroller for nighttime stroller parking. I’m also making a few fun matchy outfits for the girls, but they aren’t Disney-themed, so I’ll show them to you later! What fun stuff did you pack for your Disney Car trip?

linkin’ up this week!

Check out my other Disney related posts!

Mr. Mickey Mouse Head Felt Bags

Disney Princess Wand Tutorial

Get your kids pumped for your Disney vacation with these Disney Activities!

Disney Countdown Chain

Secrets of the Kingdom: A Collection of Walt Disney World Tips

Walt Disney World: A Mom with a Plan

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Filed Under: Life, Travel

{Walt Disney World} Mr. Mickey Mouse Head Bags

March 22, 2013 posted by Shara

Is it pathetic that I spent like, 3 whole minutes trying to come up with a clever name for these? Essentially, they are Mr. Potato Head felt bags…..but with Mickey Mouse heads instead. What would you call them?As you know, we are headed to Disneyworld soon on our family vacation with our best friends, Bets and Jay and their daughter, Lulabelle. And since Lu might as well be my third daughter, she reaps the benefits of any craftiness attempts I make!I bought new sheets awhile back and them came in these cute little bags with snaps…so of course I kept them, waiting for something that needed containment….and these ended up being perfect!! I bought a bunch of felt and cut out accessories in various colors (I sketched them out on cardboard first, then traced, since I had to make three of everything!). My favorites are the pink sunglasses and the purple “nerd” glasses.What a Southern lady, with her pearls on!Any guesses on how long it takes for the little felt eyes to go missing?!?! Hopefully these bags will keep the littles busy in the bakseat for a little while!

(linking up this week!)

Check out my other Disney Posts!

Get your kids pumped for your Disney vacation with these Disney Activities!

Disney Countdown Chain

Secrets of the Kingdom: A Collection of Walt Disney World Tips

Disney Princess Wand Tutorial

Filed Under: Crafts, Travel, Tutorials

{Walt Disney World} A Countdown Chain

January 30, 2013 posted by Shara

You might say there is a little Disney excitement going on inside our house lately. And the kids are excited too! But, I finally grew tired of the “Is it Disney World Day yet Mommy?” {Plus, I kind of wanted to know how many days left too!}. And we all know that kids {and I} learn better with visual aides. So I scoured my Disney Pinterest Board for ideas.By far, my favorite was the Countdown Chain by Get Away Today. Plus, it allowed me to control how many links were included {which was key since we had over 90 days left until D-Day}. Several of the other countdown ideas were only for the last month. Jayna and I had a great time making it too. We did it in several parts….spreading out the “Disney Project” over several days. Lately she is all about projects and having some quality {no-Millie} time with Mama. I let her cut out the circles and 2 in ch strips. Then we used glue sticks to add white hole-punched dots to the red strips to make them look like Mickey’s pants.Then DAYS later {when Jayna needed some more Mama time}, we connected the chains. Jayna worked on her patterning skills while I attached the chains with tape.Because we kept spreading out this project, I had to keep modifying the number of chains used….we waited another couple of days to finish the project with a cute topper {with fun, sparkly scrapbooking stickers and paper}, and hang it up in our dining room. I kind of underestimated how long the chain would be!To add to the excitement, on the white strips, I drew a little Mickey…and every time Jayna cuts a white strip, she gets to choose a fun-filled Disney Stick from our Bucket o’ Fun Disney Activities! More Jayna and Mama time later that day with a special Disney activity!

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I’m linkin’ up!

Check out my other Disney-related posts and stay tuned on Wednesdays….plenty more to come!!

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Filed Under: Crafts, Travel

{Walt Disney World} Secrets of the Kingdom

January 23, 2013 posted by Shara

Throughout all of my research, I kept stumbling across all of these great little tidbits and facts…..secrets to Disney World. So, I compiled everything and I thought that I would share! Before I even start, can I just say that Your First Visit is by far the best Disney site I have seen, for planning purposes. It’s full of spreadsheets and different scenarios for crowds, prices and weather….great for all of us Type A’s!

**Update! Please scroll to the bottom for some updates to our tips!**

The first blog I found had a lot of great tips….but that’s because Ally Jean used to be a cast member at Disney!

On non-park days, pool hop at the resorts! You’ll have to park (and pay) at the Ticket and Transportation Center, Magic Kingdom, or Downtown Disney, but then you can walk or take the monorail to several Disney resorts where you can swim in the pools and explore the hotels.**
Find one of the {cheesy} but air-conditioned and less populated animatronics shows at the parks to cool off, take a break, or even let little ones take a nap (many have foyer-areas where guests can wait for the next show, which are perfect for parking strollers).
Buy a Hidden Mickeys book (available on Amazon too!), which has clues and hints for finding the Mickeys that hidden around the parks (over 1,000 of them)…makes waiting in long lines a little more bearable! Or, skip the book and just see how many you can find on your own!
You are welcome to bring food and drinks into the parks (no alcohol though), so pack up those coolers!

Here are some park tips straight from Southern Living.

Pick up a guide at the main gate to where all the characters are located at each park. Remember that they will be wearing gloves for autographs, so big retractable markers are best….always have your autograph book turned to a blank page before approaching!
Waiting in line has never been more fun? Southern Living says that the in-line entertainment for Expedition Everest {The “line” starts at a remote village at the base of Mt. Everest and winds through The Yeti Museum}, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: {There’s a great play area for kids to run free while Mom and Dad stay in line}, and Toy Story Mania! {If the line’s only 30 or 45 minutes, it’s worth waiting in order to hang out with the amazing Mr. Potato Head} are the best!
Stock up on FASTPASSes as soon as you get to the park, even though they have designated end times on them, you can use them anytime after the start time {but they expire at the end of the day!}.**
Most parks open at 9, crowds really start piling up around 10. If you can get there by 8:30 or 8:45, quite often characters will arrive on trains or fun cars and may sign autographs while you wait.
Club Cool in Epcot has free sodas from all over the world to try!
Watch the Magic Kingdom Fireworks display from the beach at the Polynesian Resort….less crowded and still spectacular!If you have a princess OR need a fully scheduled day including character times, check out WDW Prep School’s article on all things Princess. I’ll be referring to this one to see locations and times of some of the other characters. They also mention the best times to grab FASTPASSes for some of the more popular rides.

AlphaMom had 65 Must Sees, but I grabbed what I thought were the most unique and valuable tips to share with you.

The animals on the Kilimanjaro Safari are most active first thing in the morning, so grab a FASTPASS for the {popular} Expedition Everest and book it to the animals. You can get a FASTPASS for the safari too, but if you go straight there first, hopefully you won’t have to wait!
The Boneyard at Animal Kingdom is a ~~sand~~ pebblebox and playground if the kids just need some space to run around. Pebbles make it no mess!
DeVine is a street performer {on the path between Asia and Africa in Animal Kingdom} who blends in with the foliage, don’t be startled if she rests one of her long leafy branches on your shoulder!
At Fort Wilderness Campground, you can join in the Campfire Sing-Along with Chip and Dale for FREE. BYOM {Marshmallows! Or, buy them there!}

And finally, some last thoughts from research I did on my own!

Jayna and I have really enjoyed viewing all of the rides on YouTube. The link I gave you for OnlyHDVideos shoots you to the playlist that includes videos of all of the shows, parades and rides. We plan on watching these again closer to the trip, so there won’t be any surprises for the girls!
If you eat a meal in a park or hotel that you really enjoy, you can ask for the recipe!!!! {It may be in bulk when you receive it though!}**
Rent a stroller {for about $70 a week} from A Baby’s Best Friend or Kingdom Strollers {they also have toys, movies, monitors, cribs, etc.} rather than from the parks {$30 a day}. They are comfortable, have baskets/cupholders/cushioned reclining seats/adjustable canopies. AND you will have them walking to the shuttle or parking lot as well {which will come in handy as kids crash on the way back to the hotel}, whereas the Disney strollers you have to turn in before leaving the park.
Rumor has it that you get a pager instead of lines at the new Dumbo ride, and your kids can play in the playground under the bigtop circus tent while you rest your weary feet…when the pager goes off, it’s time to fly with Dumbo!
As I try to remember to do with the kids anytime we are in a big, crowded place….have your name and cell number somewhere on your child. You could write it on a piece of paper and stick it in their pocket, write it with permanent marker on their forearm {as to not get washed off}, or invest in a temporary tattoo. Jayna also has a beaded bracelet that has my number on it. Also, take a photo of each kid each day, so you will have a current photo of what they are wearing to show park officials.
Get the App! Wait times, FASTPASS times, games, GPS to find characters and interactive maps.
Take pictures to capture the memories….but don’t forget to relax, go with the flow and be a part of making the memories!

PS. If you link this or Pin it, please pin my images (the first one and the last one!). Thanks!

**UPDATES: Lauren from Momazine.com, was nice enough to feature me on her Disney-site, and to list some discounts that FL residents can take advantage of. She also informed me (as a frequent Mousekateer), that there have been some updates to some of the tips above. Apparently, you MUST use Fast Passes within the timeframe listed now (no more hoarding!). Disney chefs are happy to prepare non-allergenic meals for you, but make sure you ask and double check about ingredients at each restaurant. And pool-hopping is a social no-no now! Many of the resorts are asking to see room keys to get in…wouldn’t you want to swim in private if you are staying in $450 a night rooms?!?! Thanks for the updates Lauren!**

Check out my other Disney World related posts! Click below:

Walt Disney World: A Mom With a Plan

Disney Countdown Chain

Get your kids pumped for your Disney vacation with these Disney Activities!