So our trip is still 2 years away but all my spare time is taken up with planning, finding good tips etc. I'm not one of these - see what happens on the day - people. I like to know about what food to try, what the rides will be like.

I've just ordered The Unofficial guide to disneyland plus a couple of other disney related books from Amazon (so should be here next week).

AND.... I've passed my addiction on to my DD3yo. She talks all day about visiting minnie and mickey and she plays house and makes pretend phonecalls to Minnie. Now I've ALWAYS been addicted to all things disney. Books, toys, clothes etc so I guess my girls never really had a chance of avoiding some throwback addiction.

Does anyone else have it this bad??? Is it ever going to improve?? And is there some good reading about things to do with pre-schoolers (wanting info on good food, rest spots, other activities etc).

Also is a 5 day hopper pass enough? we don't plan on spending all day in the parks. We will stop and rest in the middle of the day etc. I want to be able to see all the attractions, ride all the rides but do it at a leisurely place without the wee ones being "over it". We will be there in October and our holiday is spread out over about 10-14days :)


For once in my life I'm gutted that I live in New Zealand as it's soooo far away from disneyland :( Is there any other families out this way who can share their tips on flying with youngsters (12 hour flight) and which airline is the best?? I was thinking of AirNZ just because they have the personal tvs etc.

Anyway enough jibber jabber from me :)

Thanks

Leah

Well, I don't live in New Zealand, so I don't have the same kind of far away agony that you do :) BUT! I am a planner!! We are a whole year away from our trip to WDW and I've been planning that trip since this past February when my in-laws just mentioned the "idea" of going to WDW during the holiday season. I JUMPED at the chance to do some research and planning. I can't get enough of it.

I have a three-year-old boy and he's totally into Disney like his mommy. His room is decorated in airplanes and Mickey Mouse. He totes his Disney friends around with him all the time and does a pretty good Donald Duck impression! I'm so proud! ;)

We are lucky that my father-in-law lives in the LA area and we get to go Disneyland just about every year with our son. We may skip this year since we are planning the big trip to Florida. He gets so excited when I show him pictures of WDW and what we'll get to see there. Not many three-year-olds know the differences between Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Again, so proud!

I'm so excited for you. I don't envy the long plane ride. We want to come to New Zealand some day, but it's mostly the plane trip that is making us wait until our son is much older. Traveling and planning is such a blast (I guess that's why I became a travel agent!! - not anymore, now.) Go! Plan! Have fun! Your trip will be better for it! oh, and go check out www.allearsnet.com for some more good info if you haven't already. :)

Thanks - I'm glad I'm not alone. Yep an ex travel agent here too :D Though it's much different planning a trip of this size for yourself and adding kidlets (new thing to our holidays) in the mix too (I also think that the TA part is the reason for my over planning and wanting the perfect holiday).

We will be travelling with my very good friend (who works in travel too) her mum who is like a gran to my kids, my 2 DD's (they will be almost 3 and almost 5) my DH, possibly my sister and myself. So a big group to organise getting over.

I'll look at that website - I don't think I've explored too far from MP as it is such a great site :D

OH! FUN! That's a nice size group to organize! We are going with my in-laws this coming trip. The last big vacation we took together was to Las Vegas in 2000. I ended up planning most of that trip too and although it was a busy itinerary, my mother-in-law said she appreciated haveing everything so well planned out so we didn't miss anything important. She's all excited to hear what I have to share about WDW when we go over to their house each weekend. Last weekend was the big, "where will we stay" discusssion. We sat down at their computer and I showed her what I found. SHe was giggling like a little kid - she was so excited!

Disney really does bring out the best in people! ;) Of course, most of the trip is planned around my son, but Nana and Opa can't wait to see everything too!

Here's another good site with suggestions for little ones:
http://www.disneymouselinks.com/

OH, and just to clarify, my "father-in-law" that lives in California and my mother-in-law are divorced . . . she and my other father-in-law live up here in Seattle. We don't go down to CA every weekend! LOL I thought that may have sounded kind of odd!

And its a daughter you have? I have been so addicted to planning/going that I too passed it down ( built in genetics?) wait till you get to help plan your dd's wedding at Disneyland ! If you think the playing with charactes and phone calls are a start you havent seen nothing yet... and small little disney grandbabies in their fist mouse years ...priceless.

disneyjunkie, you have made me all sentimental now. =sniff= I can only hope my son marries a nice Disney girl and that they want to do a Disney wedding . . . Flea, you say you have a 3-y-o daughter? Is it too early to start arranging marriages? :D Hahahahaha!

2 girls (I is 3yo and E is 11mths)- ahhhh the dream wedding. Maybe I need to start planting those disney seeds in now. ;)

If not the seeds, at least the 'seed money'!!!

And here I was worried about saving up for college . . . I'll have to start a whole other account just for his future visits to Disney parks accross the world! You know how different companies have college savings and life insurance for children that you can start when they are born? Well, maybe Disney needs to do the same. "Keep the Magic Alive - invest in your Disney child's future" program, or something like that. LOL

Congratulations on your upcoming trip! Well, for me, the addiction has gotten worse and worse over the months. I have been over thirty times this year and I plan to renew my annual pass.........

I have an 19 month old and I bring my own food for her, I live about an hour away from the park.

They do offer todler meals at the counter service places, mac and cheese and there is another that is chicken and rice.

I think five days will be good, when I had gone years ago, no baby yet, it was great to take a break in the heat of the day and go back to our room and rest and then hit the parks again once the sun started to go down.

That way you can just take your time and really enjoy yourselves, let the kids take a nap, it so sad to see kids have meltdowns in the park, they just get so tired........

Thanks ^^^^^ I want to see everything but want to enjoy everything too. I plan to buy some snacky foods the day we arrive in Anaheim as no doubt the girls will want to snack at different times. We'll most probably do McD's for lunch on the way back to the hotel or maybe a late lunch/early dinner in the park. Though - i've now found pictures of the yummy food that is on offer so much to choose from and nothing like what is available here. I'm showing DH pictures and he is starting to plan his holiday around his stomach ;):D The meals look huge so no doubt I'll be able to share with my girls (DH doesn't share food).

I'm so excited this week I received my copy of the "unofficial guide" so I'm having fun reading that (from cover to cover)