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Travel With Kid

January 5, 2012 by · Comments Off on Travel With Kid 

Travel With Kid, As the new year begins, we look for more opportunities to plan perfect Disney vacations for our families; or at the very least to try! This week, our Parenting Panel took time out from their holiday celebrations to share: What Disney-related resolutions do you have for 2012?

Chris, also known as GusMan, is always planning his next family trip to the Walt Disney World Resort and loves to help others plan their trips, as well sharing his experiences. Chris writes:

Thinking back at 2011, our family had a lot going on. We made three Disney trips this year, including one that was somewhat of a surprise. And while many might think that would give us our Disney fix for a long while, there is always something else to look forward to. It might be an old favorite or it might be something you never tried before. Regardless, it seems like we start planning for our next trip before we have even left the Orlando area.

When it comes to 2012, I have some ideas and goals that I would like to work toward when it comes to our Disney vacations and home life. Here are a few examples:

I want to decorate. I want to take a select few pictures, out of the thousands that I have on file, and enlarge them into near-poster size. I have several empty walls in our family room that need some Disney magic and I think this is just the way to do it. Granted, one of the reasons I have not done this yet is related to the cost of framing such pictures. However, I think it would be a great finishing touch and fun conversation starters.
I want to write my trip reports while still on the trip so that I do not forget any details. This is something I’m genuinely bad at doing. I tend to have to go through my pictures and video files to remember a lot of things, yet I know that some details are missing. I want to get better at documenting the trips so that others can have fun reading them online, as well as entering the information within the photo scrapbooks that my wife often creates.
I would like to be able to plan out our trips in such a way that uses time in a more efficient manner. While I feel like our trips are much better and well-organized since our first-ever Disney trip, there is always room for improvement. Keep in mind, there is always a need to strike a balance between keeping to a plan and maintaining flexibility, but sometimes you learn how to do things even better. That way, you can get more done in a shorter period of time. I’d like to share my findings with others more often, as well.
I want to eat somewhere on Disney property that I have never tried before. Maybe also include trying a type of cuisine that may be somewhat new or something I would not normally eat. After all, dining at Disney is half the fun and why not be more adventurous away from home?
I want to finally put the “My Other Car is a Monorail” decal on my car. The Disney “family” decal is already on my wife’s vehicle and she has been bugging me to Disney-fy my ride.
I would like to make it a plan to see more of my friends who might only be a day trip away, especially if they are somewhat near my route down to Disney. Not only would that be able to extend our trip a bit, but seeing old friends is never a bad idea.
Most of all, I want to treat my 2012 trip, which is already planned, and make it the best ever. Of course, I say that before every trip. But it is also a reminder that time with my family is precious. Regardless if we are at the Walt Disney World Resort or doing something locally, I need to cherish every moment.

Mary Kraemer is an avid Disney fan and travel consultant with CruisingCo/MouseEarVacations who loves to travel with her husband and children to Disney destinations as often as possible! Mary writes:

Our family’s Disney resolutions are fairly simple this year. First, we cannot wait to see the new Carsland attractions at Disney California Adventure, so we plan to visit the Disneyland Resort as soon as we possibly can when that area opens. We want to ride on Luigi’s Flying Tires as much as possible and check out the Radiator Springs Racers.

Before then, we are going to spend a long weekend at the Disneyland Resort in February at the Disneyland Hotel, now that the renovations are complete. My kids are really looking forward to enjoying the Monorail pool and I am eager to see the fiber optic fireworks in the room.! We are also planning on going on the Lights, Camera, Magic tour, which is a one-day Adventures by Disney tour, shortened from the longer Backstage Magic tour. I’m hoping, as a travel agent, that this one-day offering is successful because it seems like it would be a great option for folks who’d like to venture outside the Disney parks, experience a little more of Southern California, and have the chance to visit the Walt Disney Studios, too. Personally, it’s been a dream for me to visit the Studios, so I’m really excited about this opportunity.

It’s been nearly five years since our first family visit to Disneyland Paris, so we are working on plans to include a couple days there this summer, after our Mediterranean cruise in June. My family truly loves that park and are eager to see the changes, as well as ride some favorites (their Big Thunder Mountain is the best!).

I have a particular fondness for the Halloween decorations at Disneyland Park, so I have the resolution to visit in October to be able to enjoy the decorations once again. It seems like Disneyland makes the fall decorations better each year, and we haven’t been there in a few Octobers, so we’re itching to go again.

It’s not a resolution, but if we could find fairly inexpensive airfare from the West Coast, we’d love to spend a few days at Disney Vacation Club’s Aulani resort in Hawaii. We saw it under construction, know the area, and would love to have the chance to enjoy the resort, with its great amenities such as the teen spa, snorkeling, beautiful lagoon, or just enjoy the beauty of Oahu.

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