The trip that I introduce my family to DLP - TR - 5th to 9th Jan 2016

Anemone

DIS Veteran
Joined
May 29, 2013
So I finished my California TR and can now start my PTR for next January :cool1:

:welcome:

A bit of background. My boys were only 2 and 3 when their dad and I split up and although I was working, he wasn't and contributed nothing so money was pretty tight. :charac2: Only kidding with the violin - we were actually really lucky as we had everything we needed but Disney holidays were impossible. By the time I was able to afford holidays abroad the boys were teenagers and way too cool for such childishness. :rolleyes1

Then a year ago last weekend my DS2 and his girlfriend had a little boy, my beautiful grandson, and suddenly all things Disney were cool again. pixiedust: So I decided last October to book a trip for us all to go to DLP in January 16 and surprised them with it as a Christmas present. :santa: This gave them a year to save some money to spend - if nothing else they will have their birthday and Christmas money from me this year. I've printed off "fake" notes from the internet to put in their birthday cards as IOUs and will give them the actual Euros when we go.

So the cast...

Me, Anne, 21 and 3/4 - usually go to Disney with my sister but this trip is going to be a little bit different. :wave:


My DS1, John, 24.


DS2, Mark, 22, his girlfriend Ruth, 20, and the light of my life, Tyler-James, who was 1 last week. :love:
Ruth is Mickey Mouse crazy and has also never been so is really looking forward to the trip.


This "family photo" was also taken at Tyler's birthday party :cake: DS1 is in disguise. Catherine hadn't a clue which was very sweet. :rotfl2:


We are flying Ryanair from Dublin to Beauvais and I have booked Ezyshuttle for the transfers. Flights are early - 6.25am so we will arrive in Beauvais at 9.05 and should be checked in and in the park by lunch time. John from Ezyshuttle said the journey time is about 75 mins. Departure flights are at 22.35 so we get a good part of our last day in the parks too. :thumbsup2

We live about 2 hours drive from the airport and I have a very small car so we won't all fit with luggage and Tyler's buggy. It's cramped with 2 adults and the car seat in the back as it is. I think the solution is to send the 2 boys on the aircoach then drive me, Ruth and Tyler down with the luggage. Neither of my boys have learned to drive yet and they're not sure if their dad will help out. They can ask him nearer the time or I'll drop them at the bus. We could stay overnight at the airport but would need 2 rooms so I think I'd rather just drive down that night. Hopefully the baby will sleep in his car seat.

We're staying in Santa Fe in 2 standard rooms. For the same money we could have shared 1 room in a more expensive hotel but with 4 adults and a cot I thought it would be too cramped. This way there are 2 bathrooms and I will ask for interconnecting rooms so we can share looking after Tyler.

I could be wrong as it is a long time since either boy lived at home, but memory tells me they won't be keen to get up early whereas I'll be getting up for 7am brekkie every day and doing EMH with the little one if he's up. Maybe they will surprise me and get up for EMH too. I am so looking forward to seeing Tyler's reaction to everything. It will still be Christmas season for our first couple of days so hopefully we can get photos with the characters in their Christmas outfits. We'll miss Santa of course but a pre-Christmas trip just wasn't affordable.

With Catherine I've only stayed in DLH and HNY and we do all the character meals so I'm looking forward to experiencing a more budget conscious trip.

I haven't booked any extras at this stage. I will definitely get photopass+ - will decide nearer the time whether to add it to the package if available or if there's a discount coupon about get it in the parks.

I think everyone will love BBWWS so need to find cheap tickets for the 6.30 show. ticketmaster.fr, fnac and the french disneylandparis site only have cheap tickets for the 9.30 show. Is it possible to get cheap tickets for the early show? Maybe nearer the time?

I would also like to do a character meal and am thinking Cafe Mickey breakfast. I need to talk to the kids about it before I book but think I might add this to the booking so we're sure of getting the day and time we want. Either 1st or last morning.

I want to see Dreams every night - based on what happened this year I think we will get a couple of nights Dreams of Christmas and a couple of normal Dreams - and will do some of the scarier things I've never done in DLP with Catherine. I am absolutely gutted that BTM will be down for refurb. I finally got to ride it in California this spring and loved it. Everything I read suggests DLP's version is even better. However I am glad that IASW should be running and am looking forward to lots of baby rides - Tyler will be 20 months when we're there.

We'll be eating in more QS places than I've done before and I'm looking forward to having a meal in the hotel buffet too. Am considering whether it would be worth paying for a meal plan for 1 room so we have meals paid for all of us on 2 nights but think I'll stick with standard and use the standard buffets. I'd quite like to try Plaza Gardens as well. A "cocktails around the lake" evening could be on the cards too.

We have loads of time left to plan and change our minds over and over. :rotfl: Any Santa Fe tips welcome especially on what the best block to stay in might be. :goodvibes

Thanks for reading. :hug:
 
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I'm in! they're gonna love it. it will be a different trip for you but that's good.
I've stayed in Santa Fe twice but a long time ago now! The only tip I have is to get breakfast early. I know you will anyway but tell the others to aswell. it can be a bit manic there so the earlier the better.
 
Thanks Dhidra. :goodvibes Oh, I'll tell them but I won't wait for them if they don't listen. :rotfl2:

It will be different but as you say that will have its positives. :thumbsup2
 
I read this when you first posted Anne been Soooo busy no time to post mad times !!!!
What a good looking family you have there your going to have so much fun it's not true !!!
Xx
 


Thanks Shelley. :goodvibes It's a long way off so won't have much to say for a while but it's good to have somewhere to note things down. :thumbsup2
 


Wonderful! Best nana ever!!!
I'm so excited for you guys! You are going to have a ball lovey!
I highly recommend the hotel buffet. It got a big thumbs up from us on our last stay at the SF.
I've a feeling the cheap bbwws tickets may be only for the later showing.
Looking forward to following your plans xxx
 
Thanks Kizzy :hug: great that you enjoyed La Cantina and thanks for the info on Buffalo Bills. I won't pre-book anything as I have a vague memory the 6.30 show might have been included in a fnac flash sale a while back and there's plenty of time for one of those. Otherwise I can just add the cost to my prepaid mastercard before we go which will be cheaper than adding to our package in sterling. :thumbsup2

One slight downer is the news that IASW won't be opening for Christmas after all so I'll keep fingers crossed it opens early in January and not later. Would be a pity to miss that on Tyler's first visit. :goodvibes
 
Hi Dee. I got the Mickey Era lace-ups for me and the slip on Mickey ones for Catherine.

It's her birthday on 24th June so they're in hiding until after it.





Then today I saw a post on one of the facebook groups about £30 off a first very.co.uk order and have ordered the slip on Mickey shoes for Ruth's birthday present (not until November)and a Mickey Mouse costume for Tyler (will give it to him for halloween but it should still fit for our January trip). £40 for both instead of £70. Spent another £5 on ebay getting black tights and a long sleeved black T shirt for under it.

 
What a lovely trip you've got planned Anne - your family look lovely and I'm sure they'll all really enjoy it :thumbsup2
 
Thanks Julie. Fingers crossed. :goodvibes It'll be the first holiday together since the boys were teenagers and the first ever with more than just the 3 of us.

I will have to make a big effort not to try to organise everyone all of the time - most of the time perhaps but not all. :rolleyes1 :rotfl2:
 
Thank you ExpatDisneyLover. :goodvibes

I've a GP appointment for Catherine tomorrow to see if they will clear her to travel for a DLP trip in September. She was signed off at fracture clinic last week. If GP says ok then I have to write to the court for permission to spend her money. I've been looking at the different country's options and the netherlands offer looks best. Fingers crossed :hug:
 
Oh I hope you get the go-ahead! does Catherine like Frozen? Frozen summer fun ends on 13th I think. either way, the weather is nice and mild in September so it should be a nice time to visit. what hotel are you looking at?
 
Thanks Dee - I hope so too - fingers and toes crossed! GP cleared her for travel today so I've printed out quotations and typed up a letter for the court this afternoon and will drop it in tomorrow.

I'm hoping for Aristocats Brunch on 27th September if we get the all clear so Frozen Summer Fun will be over but to be honest we did Frozen to death at Christmas - met Anna and Elsa too so we won't be disappointed to miss them. We can have daily meet and greets with her favourite, Mickey, instead.

Looking at trying Sequoia Lodge, Golden Forest this time. We always have an afternoon break so would make use of the afternoon drinks and buns and the no-set-time breakfast would also be very helpful. The Netherlands offer is 20% off + half board and with the Euro exchange rate is way less than the UK offer. Flights aren't too bad either which surprised me - less than we paid for our June trip last year.

Wishing upon the sun, moon and stars - I really can't afford to fund another trip for her this year so if the court won't let me spend her money it's a no-o and I'll have to think of something else entirely.
 

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