"This is the Best Trip Ever!" An August PTR with lots of Pics! NEW 8/14

[pooksma]

Can't believe I missed this but read through all and as usual, LOVING it!

Congrats David on your graduation!

 

[UncleOrville]

I'm late to the party, but just read through your whole pre-TR and your plans look great! I'm excited to hear what you think of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! We're planning on going when we're in Disney a few weeks later (just for a day trip). I follow your regular Twitter account, but did you say you'll be making another account for this trip? Let us know what your name is and I'll be sure to follow along!

David's 18th birthday cake was amazing! And I can't believe something that looked so awesome actually tasted good, too. You got the best of both worlds, indeed!

Love the shirts you made - the Up badges are such a great idea!

And congratulations, David, on graduating! Sounds like this trip will be a perfect way to celebrate such an important accomplishment!

 

[Native NYer]

Your trip is only one month away!!!

 

[Nicole786]

I can't believe our trips are approaching! I need a vacation now!
Love the surprise! I can't keep a secret....

Amanda

OMG I know, I am just counting down the hours at this point!!

The shirts look awesome! You guys did a great job on them.

Thank you!! We can't wait to wear them in a month!!

I've been stalking your TR but I just wanted to let you know that your shirts look amazing!!!

Nancy...

Thank you again! And I never answered your PM but I can answer any questions you got!

Can't believe I missed this but read through all and as usual, LOVING it!

Congrats David on your graduation!

Thanks for joining us!! Hopefully we'll see you on the TR too!

I'm late to the party, but just read through your whole pre-TR and your plans look great! I'm excited to hear what you think of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! We're planning on going when we're in Disney a few weeks later (just for a day trip). I follow your regular Twitter account, but did you say you'll be making another account for this trip? Let us know what your name is and I'll be sure to follow along!

David's 18th birthday cake was amazing! And I can't believe something that looked so awesome actually tasted good, too. You got the best of both worlds, indeed!

Love the shirts you made - the Up badges are such a great idea!

And congratulations, David, on graduating! Sounds like this trip will be a perfect way to celebrate such an important accomplishment!

So glad you made it here! I enjoy following you on twitter, and I'm contemplating making a separate account for when we're in Disney, but i'm not sure we will. I'll definitely post here if we do! We're stoked for WWoHP!! Can't wait to check it out and share!

Your trip is only one month away!!!

AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!! Which means in 2 hours we'll be in the 20s!!!

 

[Nicole786]

I just can't believe how close our trip is!!! As of today we are 25 days away, which means this Friday, we are 3 weeks!!!! And we still have a lot to do and talk about, so now is a great time to wrap up our Top 7!! With our number one Disney moment/memory…drumroll please…..



Surprising our Parents with a Disney cruise!!

I think this will live on in our family as our top Disney memory. I'm going to borrow the details from a previous trip report, but share a few things in retrospect. First, the planning and plotting was a year in the making and it was so much fun to sneak things around the house, send mail to my grandparents house, and since i'm not very good with secrets, it killed me to hold this inside for so long, but it was so worth it!! We all went to Universal in May 2009, staying 2 nights at the Royal Pacific Hotel. The morning they departed, David and I drove them to MCO, and we checked out and moved over to the WL for 5 nights before Mom and Dad came back and we all checked in to the AKL for 3 nights. It was a great family trip, and since we don't go away very often as a family, it was something to treasure. But back to the surprise I'll let the photos and video do the talking!!

So like I said in an earlier post, the surprise went really well! mom and dad were super surprised, and you can see they have tears in their eyes at the end of the video below. Needless to say, its all worth it, and they haven't stopped beeming all day! But before we get to the video, i'd like to go back in time to all the photos of the "setup" which i've had for quite some time!

Setting Up
The idea and concept were that we would have 2 pieces of treasure, each with a clue that led to the next, and eventually the treasure box with the t-shirts in them! So the first idea was this disney cruise line pin, I got for a few dollars on ebay:

The second idea required a little work, so I made a post on the dis boards asking a favor of someone who would be traveling to Disney soon. The request were two "happy anniversary" buttons (the kind you get for free from guest services) and of course I would pay any mail expenses! Lucky for me, glitterkittyy was willing to help! She had 2 extras from an earlier trip and mailed them to me the next week! gotta love the people on the dis! So now we had that all set:

and here is what the pin looked like all wrapped!

The hardest thing to do believe it or not, was to find a cardboard treasure chest. David and I took a day a few weeks ago to check all over. We went to party city, ac moore (craft store), michaels (craft store) hallmark etc. until finally we just gave up and I decided I would order it online! I'm so glad I did! For $5 i found it at AnytimeCostumes.com! And it was perfect!! Here is David putting it together!

finished:

And of course, the t-shirts that went inside of them! 2 identical tees!

After those photos, David said I should post them on "that disney board"...oh silly David!

And now for the important part, the "scrolls!"

Printed, decorated, and presentable:

So how did it go?? Judge for yourself!! Here is the video!

With all of that, its any wonder that this would live on to be our top Disney memory!! Okay so we've counted down our Top 7, and now its almost time to create new memories!! We're bouncing off the walls over here, so excited!! So coming up is more trip related stuff to share!!

 

[jenjolt]

What a great gift and what a great surprise!!!!! Love how you decided to tell them...so creative!

 

[wdwgirl03]

I remember reading your other PTR and seeing that video when you surprised your parents. Love it!

 

[DrMomof3]

Totally cool surprise cruise! You are so creative!

Amanda

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

I'm in! Just go caught up and loving your PTR. That letter you wrote to your brother is so sweet. I wish my sisters and I were that close. Love the surprise -- so creative and such a great idea!!!

 

[pooksma]

3 weeks from today...

 

[Nicole786]

What a great gift and what a great surprise!!!!! Love how you decided to tell them...so creative!

Thanks!! It was a lot of work, but so worth it

I remember reading your other PTR and seeing that video when you surprised your parents. Love it!

Yeah, i was reading through that old TR with all the planning - so fun!

Totally cool surprise cruise! You are so creative!

Amanda

Thanks!!

I'm in! Just go caught up and loving your PTR. That letter you wrote to your brother is so sweet. I wish my sisters and I were that close. Love the surprise -- so creative and such a great idea!!!

Welcome! David and I are really close--we consider eachother friends, but we're also very far apart in age! Thanks for reading

3 weeks from today...

AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!! We've been freaking out via text all day!

 

[MeMom]

3 weeks from today...

Which would now mean three weeks from today, you'll be waking up in Disney World?

I would love to go in late August or September, but the start of a new school year interferes with that plan every time. It'll have to wait until retirement.

How are David's school plans coming? Is he going to culinary school in the fall?

 

[YukiPhnx]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW, that is such an amazing surprise!!!

My siblings and I have also been planning a cruise for our parents, but we didn't even think to get creative like that. That's so cool! I love the shirts.

Oh, speaking of shirts, I don't know if I ever told you how much I love those P&F shirts. I love Candance. I think she makes the show. I would not watch it without her. I'm also a fan of Ashley Tisdale. :luvstruck:

I'm taking a trip with my sibs and cousins in 3 yrs, maybe I'll make some shirts for us to wear then? But they'll be budding teenagers, so the embarassment of wearing matching shirts MAY kill them.

 

[Nicole786]

Which would now mean three weeks from today, you'll be waking up in Disney World?

I would love to go in late August or September, but the start of a new school year interferes with that plan every time. It'll have to wait until retirement.

How are David's school plans coming? Is he going to culinary school in the fall?

David is going to Culinary school in the fall, he's excited about it! Late august is still hot and crowded don't let it fool you!! September is the best time I've been there with crowds.

At the time you wrote this, we would have been waking up in Universal, but three weeks from NOW we'll be waking up in Disney!! Sometime next week I'll have to play "2 weeks from now we'll be..."

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW, that is such an amazing surprise!!!

My siblings and I have also been planning a cruise for our parents, but we didn't even think to get creative like that. That's so cool! I love the shirts.

Oh, speaking of shirts, I don't know if I ever told you how much I love those P&F shirts. I love Candance. I think she makes the show. I would not watch it without her. I'm also a fan of Ashley Tisdale. :luvstruck:

I'm taking a trip with my sibs and cousins in 3 yrs, maybe I'll make some shirts for us to wear then? But they'll be budding teenagers, so the embarassment of wearing matching shirts MAY kill them.

Thanks!! I love P&F too!! Its hard to see, but the candace shirt I'm wearing faintly in the background says "MooooooOOOOOOOOOOmmm!!!"

Presenting the gift that way was half the fun! We were so anxious that we gave it to them early!! But awesome for cruises to parents! LOL!

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

That's great you're so close. I'm like that w/ one of my sisters. We're 7 years apart -- I think I was the afterthought of the family.

 

[YukiPhnx]

Thanks!! I love P&F too!! Its hard to see, but the candace shirt I'm wearing faintly in the background says "MooooooOOOOOOOOOOmmm!!!"

I actually DID see that! Did you keep the "Hey, where's Perry?" and "Oh, there you are Perry." on the shirts?? That was VERY SUPER COOL AWESOME

 

[Nicole786]

That's great you're so close. I'm like that w/ one of my sisters. We're 7 years apart -- I think I was the afterthought of the family.

Hey! I love your TR, I was just showing someone your photos just this morning!

David and I are 6 years apart, so I think that could be why we're so close. It wasn't always that way, I used to torment him by telling him things like he was the afterthought, and our parents found him in a dumpster and felt bad so we kept him

I actually DID see that! Did you keep the "Hey, where's Perry?" and "Oh, there you are Perry." on the shirts?? That was VERY SUPER COOL AWESOME

Yes we did! We're so excited for those shirts--we're gonna be wearing them Check in day at WDW (the 22nd) So look out for them at Boma!! We'll take our time eating So close now!

 

[YukiPhnx]

Hey! I love your TR, I was just showing someone your photos just this morning!

David and I are 6 years apart, so I think that could be why we're so close. It wasn't always that way, I used to torment him by telling him things like he was the afterthought, and our parents found him in a dumpster and felt bad so we kept him

Haha, we tell our sister (the middle child) that she was found in a dumpster too! Our families are great, aren't they? We say that cause she looks nothing like my brother and I. You could never tell we were sisters

Yes we did! We're so excited for those shirts--we're gonna be wearing them Check in day at WDW (the 22nd) So look out for them at Boma!! We'll take our time eating So close now!

Yes, I'll have to keep an eye out for them! Yes, take your time, and we'll try to show up earlier too! It'd be great to bump into you guys

 

[Native NYer]

Less than three weeks to go!!!
When do you usually start packing? I'm so tempted to start now, but I'll try to control myself

 

[Nicole786]

I had a pretty stressfull day off today! I was supposed to get contacts today, something i've been looking forward to for a while now--but the doctor called out sick! So my impatient mind tried to get another appointment elsewhere, no luck until I called Wal-Mart! I was a bit nervous about it, but really wanted contacts, so I went for it. Well, I get there and find out that I was given incorrect information over the phone, and my insurance is not accepted. So that put me in a foul mood already. But I got over it, I rescheduled with my original doctor for this Saturday, and I'm more comfortable with the decision because I really want a doctor I feel in my "comfort zone" about--I'm not too keen on the whole contacts thing, if anybody has ever seen the episode of Friends where Rachel has to put drops in her eye--thats me! Here's a clip to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NiO639g4HY

But I talked myself up to it, and I don't want to wear glasses my whole life, so I'm ready. But I digress, the contacts fiasco wasn't the end of my woes today! The worst of it, was getting home and recieving a phone call from Bank of America that my debit card numbers had been compromised and they would need to issue me a new card, and cancel the current one. HELLO!! The debit card I'm using on Friday to pay off my Disney trip?? The debit card my Room only reservation deposit is going back on?? SO needless to say, the next couple of hours and tying loose ends with this was very nerve-wracking, but I would take it over losing money any day. I don't feel 100% confident about my account, but so far there are no fraudulent charges (KNOCK ON WOOD, FOR THE LOVE OF PETE, KNOCK ON WOOD!) So what does one do when in this stressful mode? Think about nothing but happy little Disney thoughts. So I turned on my D-Cot playlist cracked open Photoshop, and got to working on Mousekeeping Envelopes. And if you're still around after that long story--here's a picture of what I created!

Thanks for listening! I'll be back here on Friday reporting how well (or not well) calling Disney and paying off the trip goes! Send happy thoughts!