So what do YOU do to get ready for Disneyland??

[toyshop3]

So excited we are leaving in 35 days!!!!!! AND we are staying at the DLH for the first time so......what do you do to get ready besides packing??

I'll start:
1. Start listening to our Disney CDs in the car whenever we are running errands
2. Created a countdown chain, we used Mickey Mouse scrap paper to make a chain. Each chain represents a day so 35 days, 35 paper chains linked together, every night before my son goes to bed he cuts a chain off.
3. Watch youtube videos of our favorite rides

add yours!!!

[monkeyboy]

So excited we are leaving in 35 days!!!!!! AND we are staying at the DLH for the first time so......what do you do to get ready besides packing??

I'll start:
1. Start listening to our Disney CDs in the car whenever we are running errands
2. Created a countdown chain, we used Mickey Mouse scrap paper to make a chain. Each chain represents a day so 35 days, 35 paper chains linked together, every night before my son goes to bed he cuts a chain off.
3. Watch youtube videos of our favorite rides

add yours!!!

I like the countdown chain, I bet your son loves that part.. Makes it easier to see time is going by and Disneyland is drawing closer. And staying at the DLH! Way cool!!
I have a medley of Disney songs done by various artists (Tom Waits doing a steam punk version of "Heigh Ho", Buster Poindexter doing "Castle in Spain", etc) on my miniclip, I listen to it often but more so as my trip draws closer. I check, double check and quadruple check I have my AP. I watch a lot of my Disney DVDs and go through my pins and lanyards, deciding which ones to take for trading ... One lanyard is Hallowe'en specific with villains and Haunted Mansion pins. I'll go online and pull up my flight reservations and look at my reserved seats on the chart, just makes it seem more real. I'll go back and check I have my AP a few dozen more times. The day before my flight I'll check in and print my boarding pass, Supershuttle tickets, hotel reservations and put it all together in my carry on bag, and check I have my AP. That night I'll only get a couple hours sleep because I'm too excited, and because I'm not sure if I have my AP so I'll get up and check a few more times....

[grammyof4]

I start socking money away! LOL!

[mrsdisney68]

I start socking money away! LOL!

Me too...lol!!!! We have already been saving for three months now for our Christmas trip

[ALB2277]

I start socking money away! LOL!

yep cash is saved in the safe (not real good at saving it in the bank to easy to get to when out) change jar almost full im only 114 days out for the kids first trip thought about showing them the vudeos on youtube but i changed my mind i dont want them to know all about it befor we get there lots and lots of disney movies and disney channal and waighting on pins and needles for the trick or treat party information to be released

[toyshop3]

We also start saving money. My son and I recyled an old clear glass jar and decorated it with Disneyland stickers. We add all or our spare change and any extra money we get. My son just lost his first tooth and he put his tooth fairy money in the Disney Dollars jar, it was so cute!!!
I also download and print all the disneyland maps and then I laminate them so he can read them in the car. He tells me all the rides that he wants to go on. I also download and print all the menus to the resturants that I think we might be going to so I can read and dream about all the yummy food we are going to eat!!

[UsBurchs]

This time will be the first road trip down to CA that includes a trip to Disneyland, so my preparations for the park will be teamed up with preparations for the car trip! I go through my big box of travel gear and double check which mini-sized toilettries I have and what I need to buy. I make lists - LOTS of lists of all the things to remember, and after my crazy nightmare last night about only have ONE camera battery, I'll make sure to find all three and the charger and put it with the gear to go!

The week before our trip, I do a Disneyland Dinner - I have park napkins from previous trips and we watch a Disney movie and watch YouTube videos of the rides.

I look on the pin trading site to see what's new and what will be issued while we are there and make a list of what I want. I go to the Disneyland pressed penny site and print up a list of locations for penny's I don't have. I look at personal Disney shopper sites/Disneystore.com and see if there is anything at the parks I just HAVE to have.

This will be my first trip to a Disney park with my new smart phone, so I'll have access to the official Disney Parks app as well as several others, so I've been busy looking those up and loading things on to the phone. Now I'm thinking I might need a second phone battery too, come to think of it . . . haha!

I'll have to find kitty and hamster care for the week and get snacks and entertainment ready for the car trip.

Before our day at Disneyland, we'll be visiting Walt's Barn at Griffith Park, so I'm sure that will get me into the spirit for sure!

So much to do . . . so much to do!

[UsBurchs]

I also download and print all the disneyland maps and then I laminate them so he can read them in the car. He tells me all the rides that he wants to go on.

I love that idea! How fun!

[UsBurchs]

OH! And I also LOVE LOVE LOVE the day that Disneyland.com posts the official park schedule for the day/days we are going! That day for me was this past Wednesday. THAT's when the real planning begins!

[bennette]

I pick the appropriately sized, preloaded Disney bag and go. (Locals!)

We do have to decide where to park.

[monkeyboy]

I pick the appropriately sized, preloaded Disney bag and go. (Locals!)

We do have to decide where to park.

Man, you locals feel you're just so entitl... nah, not going there (grin).
I don't have a preloaded bag, per se, but when I get back from a disney trip I unpack all the clothes, and the things that I'll reuse for the next trip (clear bag with toiletries, dryer sheets, coin purse with quarters for laundry, etc) I'll re-load with the appropriate items and put it back in the suitcase so it's ready for the next trip. I also make two envelopes for money, one for cash to take, one for a gift card for souvenir purchases (since most places don't honor travelers checks and they're hard to find anyway, I put money on a gift card and give it to myself - always a nice surprise to me from me... yep, proud to be weird...).

Edited to correct spelling of weird... now that's wierd!

[bennette]

Man, you locals feel you're just so entitl...

I do have a protocol for packing for WDW but that would be another thread.

Also, occasionally I do have to reload the packets of Advil and antihistimes. Feel better?

[monkeyboy]

I do have a protocol for packing for WDW but that would be another thread.

Also, occasionally I do have to reload the packets of Advil and antihistimes. Feel better?

Much better, thanks (grin).
I have to keep an eye on my prescription meds (mostly painkillers/muscle relaxers) along with Tylenol and antihistemines. I used to pack shaving cream, mouthwash, sunblock, toothpaste, etc. but then realized there is a 7-11 real close to most of the hotels, so I just stop there on the way back from the parks and get those instead of having to pack all that extra.

[tea4two]

...I also download and print all the disneyland maps and then I laminate them so he can read them in the car. He tells me all the rides that he wants to go on...

We used to do that, too, for our nephews. The maps make great placemats for trip planning discussions at meals and great magic-extenders for after the return home.

[SigalTchelet]

Don't forget to make your dining reservations if you are going to any table service restaurants or Character meals.

[3Princesses1Prince]

I stash a big plastic tote in my closet and add things for our trip like our Disney shirts, new pool floaties, our lanyards, new sunscreen, etc.

I make travel bags for the kids with activities for the car (plane if we are going to WDW), hotel, lines. Get most of the stuff from the dollar store/section or the party store.

[dngnb8]

when my DD15 was young, we would pull every Disney Movie that was also a ride at the park (Dumbo, Snow White, Mr Toad, Peter Pan etc). We would stack them next to the TV. Every night, we watched a movie. When they were gone, we would be leaving for the park the next day

[Escape2Disney]

when my DD15 was young, we would pull every Disney Movie that was also a ride at the park (Dumbo, Snow White, Mr Toad, Peter Pan etc). We would stack them next to the TV. Every night, we watched a movie. When they were gone, we would be leaving for the park the next day

We still do this....and my DD still at home is 18 :-)

Here are some more things we do:

• I create a planning mini-binder with everything we'll need. There are separate pockets for gift cards, tickets, and coupons; sections for travel reservations, important numbers, dining reservations, maps (for the LA portion for our trip); and a section with blank sheets to work on my trip report
• I arrange for a pet sitter for my DD's dog
• I gather all of my service dog's travel papers (and put them in the handy-dandy binder)
• I prepay any bills that are due while we're gone
• I make sure I have enough of my meds to make it through the trip
• I pull together things that I tend to forget if I do it last minute - travel sized toiletries, ziplocs with laundry soap if we'll be gone more than a week, etc.

I know, these are all practical and BORING, but by doing it our trip is much more stress-free!

[Rufus T Firefly]

I start socking money away! LOL!

Best advice of all.

[ESS Heckler]

I start reading MP everyday! Every Thread. Every Blog post. And every DL article.
I update my RideMax subscription and start playing with that - endlessly.
I check the weather forecasts, incessantly - hoping HOPING HOPING for rain!
And of course the lists - the endless lists.
Love my lists!

[cfrith5]

So excited we are leaving in 35 days!!!!!! AND we are staying at the DLH for the first time so......what do you do to get ready besides packing??

I'll start:
1. Start listening to our Disney CDs in the car whenever we are running errands
2. Created a countdown chain, we used Mickey Mouse scrap paper to make a chain. Each chain represents a day so 35 days, 35 paper chains linked together, every night before my son goes to bed he cuts a chain off.
3. Watch youtube videos of our favorite rides

add yours!!!

So glad you posted this! We're going in July too! We made a countdown chain also. Our 4 year old son thought we were leaving on his last day of preschool. We had been telling him "this summer" and "when school is out". So I picked him up and he said "We're going to Disneyland now?!!"

We've been borrowing Disney movies we don't have and watching as many as possible.

[cfrith5]

My son just lost his first tooth and he put his tooth fairy money in the Disney Dollars jar, it was so cute!!!

Awwww!

[cfrith5]

The week before our trip, I do a Disneyland Dinner - I have park napkins from previous trips and we watch a Disney movie and watch YouTube videos of the rides.
!

What a fun idea!

[curtsinore]

It is garage sale season here in the Pacific Northwest Rainforest, so I start looking for Mint in Package ponchos for 50 cents or less to wear on night adventures on Grizzly and Splash.

[toyshop3]

I LOVE reading everyone's ideas, this is fun!!