Random Thoughts As We Get Closer To Our Summer 2015 Disneyland/Legoland Vacation

I sort of have this running check-list in my head along with other random thoughts and questions leading up to our summer Disneyland/Legoland vacation.  In addition, I’m keeping an eye out for anything we might need for our next Disney Cruise in December.

While our vacation is booked (and even some portions paid for) I have yet to figure out transportation.  I logged into Super Shuttle’s website to inquire about costs—it’s going to be expensive—only to have my e-mail inbox ding with a 5% discount message from Super Shuttle.  That’s a start!

Good thing that Disneyland has a 60 day window to make Advanced Dining Reservations as we are not ready.  Oh, I’m sure we could be ready.  I remember pulling together a twelve day Disney World vacation right at the 180 day mark and very quickly compiling a list of restaurants.  So far, we’ve printed the list of restaurants from the Disneyland website and have selected ones we would like to try.  Interestingly, some of the restaurants we want are part of special dining packages such as World of Color and Fantasmic.  And, we’ve added character dining to our reservation—prepaying for vouchers that include the meal, tax, and gratuity. 

Packing is another random thought.  I know, we’ve got PLENTY of time.  First, we needed a new suitcase—one with wheels!  Each year, we’ve added a new suitcase/duffle to our arsenal and I just ordered and received a new rolling duffle to complete the checked luggage.  Our luggage takes a beating and the wheels are the first to go—though the suitcase we acquired two years ago is still going strong!

Another packing issue is that we are flying with a new-to-us airline this trip and there checked baggage weight limit is 40 pounds.  Every other airline we have flown with has a 50 pound limit.  And, I’m pretty good at estimating when we are close to or have hit the 50 pound limit (to .8 of a pound!) so I’m going to have to readjust my “scale”.  And, I may also employ the same type of packing we did last summer which was a bag for all of us for each “leg” or portion of our trip.  That way, the other bags can remain closed until the contents are needed for their portion of the vacation.

Also, this trip, no rolling carry-on bags.  Again, this new-to-us airline charges for carry-on bags!  $15 per bag per way--$30 round trip!  That would make it $90 for each of us to take a carry-on rolling bag with us and there is a weight limit for those, too!  Historically, I have packed at least one rolling bag full of shoes.  So with a reduced weight limit on checked luggage and no carry-on bags, I told the husband that each of us would be carrying a pair of shoes in our “personal” carry-ons, which are still allowed free of charge.  I’m actually looking forward to navigating the airports without the rolling carry-on bags—just not the packing challenge.

As far as the December cruise goes, I’ve got alerts set for Kayak to notify us of flight price changes.  Since our sailing includes a formal night and is over New Year’s I’m looking at dresses and have added several to my Amazon “save for later” cart.  My goal is to get the dress for FREE using gift cards earned through Swagbucks.  Speaking of free and wardrobe for our winter Disney vacation—I snagged a new denim jacket for the boy on Amazon for free.  I had the jacket in my “cart” and noticed that the price was reduced dramatically—over half—so I used gift cards already in my account and it is on its way along with a new rash guard.  I told the husband that I was already working on the wardrobe for our December trip.  He just smiled, knowingly.  He’s well aware of the running check-list!

You Know Your Child Has Stayed In Too Many Hotels When. . .

In the lobby of the Hyatt Regency at Orlando International Airport

You know your child has stayed in too many hotels when. . . 

The boy’s middle school has a great travel program and offers trips for students in all grades.  Later this spring, the boy will be taking his first trip with the group—a week-end, overnight trip with a one night stay in a hotel.  The other evening the conversation went something like this:

“What hotel?”  asked the boy, which meant what hotel brand would the group’s residence for the evening.

“I don’t know.”  Really, I couldn’t recall.  The hotel was shared at the informational meeting attended by parents in October, but I could not say for sure.  Hampton Inn maybe?

“Is there a pool?”

“I don’t know.”  Okay, most hotel chains such as Hampton Inn have an indoor pool, but since I didn’t know for sure which hotel brand I couldn’t be sure about the availability of a pool and whether or not the traveling group would be using the pool.

“What time will we go to bed?  What time do we get up?  Can I watch TV?  Can I have coffee with breakfast?”

“I don’t know.  I don’t know. Yes.  Yes.”  Oh, I love our guy!  I could tell by his questions he was planning and visualizing his stay.  And, yes, I know exactly where this comes from! 

And, yes, I did say “yes” to coffee with his breakfast.  Getting a coffee is a treat for him and it is more sugar and crème than coffee.  We first discovered he liked coffee on one of our family trips.  We were staying in a hotel for the night prior to flying to Orlando the next morning.  While breakfast wasn’t served at the hotel, coffee was available in the hotel lobby.  The husband went to a nearby fast food establishment to get breakfast and the boy wandered down the hall to the lobby (he was 5 or 6) while I finished up packing the bags in the room with the door open.  I’ll always remember him walking down the hall towards our room with one hand in his khaki pants pocket and the other carrying a cup of coffee that he had negotiated on his own in the lobby.  He looked decades older than he was.  Now, coffee is a treat—sometimes at restaurants or when we have lunch with Grandma Carol.  So, “yes” he can have coffee with breakfast at the restaurant at the hotel.

As this exchange wrapped up it dawned on me that this guy has probably logged 100 nights or more in hotel and resort rooms so he knows what he’s talking about when asking about hotel amenities. 

Can A Disney Vacation Make You Happy?

 Can Disney make you happy?  We’ve all seen the Facebook posts about going to Disney makes you happy and that people who think money can’t buy happiness haven’t been to Disney—I’m assuming that implies paying for a Disney vacation.

I know I’m happier when a Disney vacation is on the horizon.  And less than a handful of years ago European scientists proved that anticipation is a more pleasurable feeling than surprise—which meant that all of my anticipation leading up to a Disney vacation was a pleasurable feeling.

Well, yesterday, I was reading an article (10 Ways To Get Happy Every Day) in a magazine (All You—February 20, 2015 edition) and was able to connect many of the ideas asserted in the article to either planning or taking a Disney vacation.

An idea shared in the article to increase one’s happiness was to savor events and moments by utilizing senses—such as the sense of smell.  I don’t know about you, but opening a bottle of shampoo we brought home from the resort or the tube of body lotion from a Disney ship takes me right back to the middle of the magic.  Or just imagining the tastes and smells at ‘Ohanas or the music in Soarin’.  Definitely savoring!

Another suggestion was to think happy thoughts and on tough days recall something made you happy.  I can do that!  Almost daily I peruse our Disney photos to post on Facebook and each time just looking at the photos recalls happy memories.  The sub-tip was to smile as it involves muscles and changes brain activity.  Again—when recalling happy Disney memories, I can’t help but smile!

The article also suggests that going on vacation—off the grid—can bring a greater, deeper feeling of joy. The suggested length of vacation—two weeks!  And, the article cites Dutch research indicating that the bliss associated with the trip can start months prior because of the anticipation!  Do I need to say more?  We definitely leave the world behind on a Disney vacation and for us, the bliss starts the moment we begin to plan and only becomes greater as the plans for our vacation take shape.  Disney=blissful!

“Social Snacking” or talking to strangers was another suggestion to build happiness.  Anyone who knows or has traveled with me knows that I talk to strangers, especially on a Disney vacation.  Cast members and fellow guests are all fair fodder for a short and happy conversation.  The article goes on to suggests that talking to strangers builds a sense of camaraderie, which is comforting.  Well, I know that talking to fellow Disney guests standing in the same queue as I am can be comforting—“we’re all waiting for the same thing!”

The tip of buying the right kind of happiness spoke to me.  The article suggests the adrenalin rush of a purchase of something over priced and trendy wears off quickly and that there is less happiness when purchasing “stuff” vs. purchasing experiences.  Several years ago, our family made experiences a priority.  So the next time I looked at purchasing that colorful knick-knack I said “no, no” as it wasn’t a priority for our family. I sure did admire the beauty in the moment, though.  Investing in a Disney vacation is a priority for our family as it is memorable and shared experience.  If the price tag is too much for your family, consider other experiences and enjoy the anticipation as the experience nears. 

Other tips throughout the article included planning your fun ahead of time—oh, my, oh, this is definitely Disney, being nicer, and strategic about what gets your attention.

All of the tips about being happier can and do apply to a Disney vacation—before, during, and after!  Therefore, the conclusion to my hypothesis and answer to my original question is that yes, indeed, a Disney vacation can make you happy!

Let the planning commence and anticipation build!

P.S.  I do have a subscription to All You magazine as a result of a free offer.  I do not typically purchase women's magazines as the juxtaposition of exercise and weight loss tips next to cooking and recipes or money saving advice next to articles about purchasing fashion items to boost your image demonstrate publishing hypocrisy.  I will say this particular issue had multiple coupons that have been removed for future savings!