Originally Posted By MerryMouseWife What a fun thread! The only thing I have to do because it is tradition is make a poppyseed cake. This is a recipe found on the Solo poppyseed filling can. We always leave very early in the morning, 5 a.m. or earlier, and it is the first breakfast food we eat and then every morning before we leave for the parks. When the DDs were younger, I used to make little coupon cards that said "How much longer?" and "How many more miles?" Each girl got 5 of each and if they asked either question, they had to hand it over. Once they "spent" their cards, they were done and could not ask anymore. It was wonderful and saved us from answering those questions over and over in the 6-7 hours it takes to drive. Our oldest always let her sisters use theirs up before she ever used hers and then would bargain for something for hers if the other girls wanted to ask once more and theirs were all gone. Sigh. Now 2 of those little darlings are driving and is about to graduate high school. Waaaahhhh! No trip in the foreseeable future for us as there are some house things that are taking up any Disneyland appointed dollars I might put away. Although, I just don't understand why we can't use the money for the new roof for a trip to Disneyland instead!
Originally Posted By Shiva >>Agree Shiva. My daughters cannot part with any they have traded or bought.<< Tinkeroon and I are more "accumulators" than collectors. We generally only buy pins for ourselves that we think are really cute and tend to hold on to them. I also have quite a few cast exclusives that CM friends have given me and, of course, they hold a special place of honor. There's just something fun about putting on your Disney bling and going to the park. We tend not to wear the lanyards on days when we're trying to get in some serious ridage though. >>So....does it get in the way or your belly? Or the rides? Or tables at restaurants?<< not much, on some attractions I do have to move it to my side a bit so that it's not in the way of the safety bar. other than that, the advantages far outweigh any disadvantages.
Originally Posted By rockcow1 <<why we can't use the money for the new roof for a trip to Disneyland instead!>> Totally understand! Our money is going to reseed our pasture but thanks to the tax rebate checks, we will have a couple of quick days at DLR.
Originally Posted By Pollyana Did I mention,,,I need to get new socks for every DL trip. As you can guess, I got a drawer full of old ones........is this a fettish???
Originally Posted By WDWdreamin I like to go in through the left tunnel. The right tunnel feels wrong to me. I have always raced trough Main Street and started to the left with Tiki Room or Indy. (Maybe this is why I felt I needd to go through the left tunnel.) After reading a couple guide books/webpages, I am going to be at the park before opening this June and start with Space Mountain and Nemo's Subs. Following their plan is supposed to cut down line time throughout the day and we will see if it works, or back-fires. Any time saved in June will be appreciated since there are attractions I would be very sad to miss. I've always just taken my wallet and keys, but I think this time the sunglasses and digital camera are coming so I might take a small purse. I want an LP pin. If I have to wait for a meet it'll take a long time though (to my chagrin).
Originally Posted By sdlovesmickey <<Okay, I've been debating the use of a fannypack/belt pack thing for years. I have found it to be a cliche of some kind and didn't want to look like an old middle-aged woman (okay, which I AM, but didn't want to just scream it out to the world). Could you take a moment to tell me how it works for you please? Thanks, because I'm really curious.>> I found an absolutely adorable and very functional small nylon (I think it is nylon)bag from Travelon. Compact with lots of little compartments for cell phones, etc. I think it will be just perfect. The two straps also zip up into one so it can be slung across the back that way as well. I carried a bigger bag like that last year to the parks and really liked it, but this one is smaller so I think it will be much better.
Originally Posted By Shiva Tinkeroon also has a small beltpack. I have no idea where she got it or who made it but it's about the smallest I've ever seen (just a little bigger than a dollar bill), It's completely flat and is just big enough to carry money, credit cards and AP's and maybe a couple of hair clips for her Ears. It's so small that the security inspection station will miss it if she forgets to take it off.
Originally Posted By SoThisIsLove Shiva, sdlovesmickey, THANK YOU. I will be using your suggestions and giving it a shot in July and September. WDWdreamin: LP has pins?!?!? (And congrats on the vet thing...you are an awesome person for doing that particular profession xoxo)
Originally Posted By SoThisIsLove <<When the DDs were younger, I used to make little coupon cards that said "How much longer?" and "How many more miles?" Each girl got 5 of each and if they asked either question, they had to hand it over. Once they "spent" their cards, they were done and could not ask anymore.>> Brilliant. And so bittersweet... <<Now 2 of those little darlings are driving and is about to graduate high school.>> I hear you. It's like that sensational Erma Bombeck column: No More Oatmeal Kisses--January 29, 1969 A young mother writes: "I know you've written before about the empty-nest syndrome, that lonely period after the children are grown and gone. Right now I'm up to my eyeballs in laundry and muddy boots. The baby is teething; the boys are fighting. My husband just called and said to eat without him, and I fell off my diet. Lay it on me again, will you?" OK. One of these days, you'll shout, "Why don't you kids grow up and act your age!" And they will. Or, "You guys get outside and find yourselves something to do . . . and don't slam the door!" And they won't. You'll straighten up the boys' bedroom neat and tidy: bumper stickers discarded, bedspread tucked and smooth, toys displayed on the shelves. Hangers in the closet. Animals caged. And you'll say out loud, "Now I want it to stay this way." And it will. You'll prepare a perfect dinner with a salad that hasn't been picked to death and a cake with no finger traces in the icing, and you'll say, "Now, there's a meal for company." And you'll eat it alone. You'll say, "I want complete privacy on the phone. No dancing around. No demolition crews. Silence! Do you hear?" And you'll have it. No more plastic tablecloths stained with spaghetti. No more bedspreads to protect the sofa from damp bottoms. No more gates to stumble over at the top of the basement steps. No more clothespins under the sofa. No more playpens to arrange a room around. No more anxious nights under a vaporizer tent. No more sand on the sheets or Popeye movies in the bathroom. No more iron-on patches, rubber bands for ponytails, tight boots or wet knotted shoestrings. Imagine. A lipstick with a point on it. No baby-sitter for New Year's Eve. Washing only once a week. Seeing a steak that isn't ground. Having your teeth cleaned without a baby on your lap. No PTA meetings. No car pools. No blaring radios. No one washing her hair at 11 o'clock at night. Having your own roll of Scotch tape. Think about it. No more Christmas presents out of toothpicks and library paste. No more sloppy oatmeal kisses. No more tooth fairy. No giggles in the dark. No knees to heal, no responsibility. Only a voice crying, "Why don't you grow up?" and the silence echoing, "I did." (C) 1996 Estate of Erma Bombeck All rights reserved. ISBN: 0-8362-2684-4 (hd)
Originally Posted By kari12177 I like to watch the video for pirates and splash to get myself more excited than usual
Originally Posted By MerryMouseWife SoThisIsLove, I remember that column and loved Erma Bombeck. She always hit the nail on the head and was so poignant. I have her books around somewhere. We have great memories of going to DL for all those years. Now that the girls are older, they still love going to DL with us, their parents! What a great feeling to know that they actually want to spend time with us. Sigh. Another tradition is to watch the old, and dated, Sing-A-Long Disneyland Fun. We have almost entirely worn out that old VHS recording. I know the box is taped together within an inch of it's life.
Originally Posted By BoyStory Sothisislove, I am officially a mess; all choked up thanks to your Erma Bombeck post (I've loved her writing since I was a teen but don't recall that one). That was exactly what I needed to read today. It's hard to be the perfectionist I strive to be when I have five little boys running around. Someday my "house" will finally be perfect and my "home" will be missing; uggh, depressing! Merrymousewife, that SAL Disneyland Fun video still makes it's way out and to the only VHS player in the house. Now my fifth son (ds3) SCREAMS and jumps up and down in delight when I put it on. Viewing that movie in anticipation of a Disneyland vacation has been a tradition in our family since my oldest (ds13) was about a year old, ! When I think about it, I am a VERY ritualistic person when it comes to planning my family’s Disneyland vacations. My hubby wants nothing to do with the planning so I am the one who’s in charge of the planning; from top to bottom and it’s my job to make certain everything goes along without a hitch; including the building of anticipation. When we get to 50 days, I suck the kids into the anticipation with our famous family “refrigerator post-it" countdown that I create. From then on, the kids take turns each morning taking one number down from the countdown on the fridge. It is at this point that I really crank up the Disneyland Park music in the car and at home. I also encourage my kids to dust off those old less popular Disney movies on VHS and build up to the more popular Pixar/Disney DVD’s as we approach our date of departure. Six weeks prior to the trip I update the our “Things to Pack on Our Disneyland Vacation†list to fit our weather-type, etc. About 1 month prior to departure , if there are any Disney Wherehouses in the area, I usually check it out and get the kids a few things. A few trips to the Disney Store at the Mall (often with my cousin/bff, DyGDisney) is MUST. About 10 days prior to our trip our house becomes that “staging area†for the trip. Clothing that we will be wearing on the vacation goes straight from the laundry and is folded and placed directly on each child’s dresser. One week prior, the duffle bags (with name-tags) come out and clothes start going into those as I check each item off “the listâ€..which will be checked twice before the bag is finally zipped up for the LAST time. About 1-2 days prior to departure I clean out the van and wash it so there will be a nice clean surface for all the I-5 bugs to spill their guts upon. When I was a little girl/teen, no trip down I-5 to Disneyland would be complete without my dad's famous line, "it took a lot of GUT for those bugs to ride down with us" P) The McD’s in Westly off I-5 has been our breakfast for as long as I can remember. Another tradition I started about 4 years ago is stopping at the Buttonwillow (Bakersfield 58 exit) Starbucks before going over the Grapevine. Oh and re: the tunnel.. ever since I was a small child, we used to ALWAYS enter through the rt side of the tunnel on the 1st day- until a few years ago my hubby insisted we enter through the left- just to make a new tradition. I swear I start off the whole vacation a little thrown off course when we do that, !
Originally Posted By ShivaThDestroyer >>Another tradition I started about 4 years ago is stopping at the Buttonwillow (Bakersfield 58 exit) Starbucks before going over the Grapevine.<< we usually stop at the Buttonwillow rest area. Tinkeroon and I always look at each other and say, "Buttonwillow" just because it sounds so cute. >>Oh and re: the tunnel.. ever since I was a small child, we used to ALWAYS enter through the rt side of the tunnel on the 1st day- until a few years ago my hubby insisted we enter through the left- just to make a new tradition. I swear I start off the whole vacation a little thrown off course when we do that, !<< Although Tinkeroon and I started our 1st day/right tunnel tradition because of the proximity of the potties, I also like the fact that you get that incredible, first impression, front-on view of City Hall, the Fire Station and Walt's apartment the moment you pass through the tunnel. For me, it's not quite the same from the left.
Originally Posted By Pollyana When our boys were little, years ago, I would prepare breakfast right before our trip to Disneyland. Mickey pancakes, Donald Duck Orange Juice, and Goofy Logs (sausage) while playing Disney music. We all loved those days. Such good, warm memories. Family traditions are made to carry on. Soon, I will be re-creating the same breakfast for Drew, the new grandson. I cannot wait to take him and share that Disney Magic!
Originally Posted By MerryMouseWife Speaking of stopping off at required places to eat, we stop at a dive diner in Blythe for breakfast. It is like something out of a time capsule. The decor is right out of the 60s and has not changed in the least since then. Probably just new vinyl on the boothes. However, the breakfast is really good, the coffee tasty, and the price is quite reasonable. We generally leave at 5 am and along the way discuss what the first ride should be, who gets to pick it, play Disney Who Am I, a guessing game in which the person who is It thinks of a Disney character and gives 3 clues. The rest of us have to guess. If no one guesses in 5 trys, then another clue may be given. The one who guesses correctly gets to be It next, and so on and so forth. We still play that game even now that the kids are teens. This is cruel. I so want to go to Disneyland. Maybe I will win the lottery by fall. Do you have to play to win the lottery?
Originally Posted By BoyStory ^^^Hmmmm, maybe that's why I never win the Lotto either, I never play. It's also our tradition on every Disneyland to go to "Po' Folks" in Buena Park (accross from Midevil Times). We either go there for dinner one night during our stay or it's our breakfast the morning we depart for home (to soften the blowMerrymousewife, I thought of that when you mentioned a place being in a time capsule; except their decor is stuck in the early 80's Shiva, prior to my conforming our Buttonwillow stop into a Starbucks stop (when mom's happy, everybody's happy we always stopped at that rest area as well. Now we just use the Starbucks restrooms, In fact our vacations when I was a child always included Buttonwillow as a stop. What kind of "time" we were making on the road was always determined by how much travel time it was from home to Buttonwillow, LOL. For example, I can still hear my mom saying "it's only taken us 3 1/2 hours to get to Buttonwillow; we're making really good time!" Or conversly, "It's been 4 1/2 hours and we're only to Buttonwillow, we're not making very good time" LOL! One of the reasons my hubby had changed our entrance to the left tunnel was b/c he really liked those [courtyard]restrooms on the left, LOL. Then they closed them down for a while (don't know if they are still closed).
Originally Posted By SoThisIsLove This is such a fun topic. I'm really enjoying everything you guys are talking about. Keep it up....
Originally Posted By sdlovesmickey I agree Shiva...entering the park on the right is a must and we always do! I am officially making a new tradition as well; never being away from the park for more than a few months at a time I am getting ready to start our countdown chain-maybe we will make it today and I agree that it is time to dust off all the Disney Movies we have in abundance and begin family movie night. I have been sitting here today making lists of what I need to be sure to buy before we go, what to bring, etc. I have a million word documents to that effect, but it is always fun to tweak them.
