Do They Know Its Christmas? NO! A Surprise PTR

Guest · 17 Aug 14, 05:52 PM

Hi, hello and welcome to our very special and very secret Christmas PTR! :wave

There is loads to tell so I’ll start at the beginning!

How this trip came about:

So let’s go back in time to last November! I found an awesome offer for January 2015 at the Newport and just couldn’t let it pass me by.

Myself and the two kids (Jemma, will be 9 when we go and James, will be 5) were booked (although they didn’t know it!) and I was so happy with the thoughts of a cosily wrapped up, hot chocolate filled, crowd free trip to the best place in the world! And very excited to be seeing the newly refurbished hotel, although I was a little worried about it being still mid-build but hey it was a bargain!

But then as November and December passed us by I was browsing the DIS and the DLP blogs I read and was overcome by how very well turned out DLP was looking for Christmas and was reading about the amazing time everyone was having and I got very nostalgic about our November 2011 surprise trip. It started innocently with a bit of pricing up and shuffling about and I sat DH (Shane) down and had the chat!

You see Shane is one of these crazy people who don’t really get the whole Disney thing! I know, he’s nuts! It actually didn’t take much convincing and he agreed to come with us! :yay: :banana: And no need to do anything with the booking except change the dates as I have my trusty AP. Result! And I knew this would really make the trip special because the kids both miss their Daddy way too much when we are away.

Well I was now ecstatic! All my favourite people, going on holidays during my favourite season to my favourite place! What more could I ask for!

Weeeeeeeeeeell it turns out – lots! Myself, my Mam and the 2 kids were lucky enough to spend 4 nights at the DLH in May and I just fell in love! The rooms, the very grand theme, the Nespresso machine, proximity to the parks, even the smell! I was sitting in the lobby of the hotel on May 22nd and just said I would have a little peek at the cost… and send a tiny email…. And the price wasn’t very much extra.

So I debated it all and found so many reasons why it would be madness not to upgrade! We’ve had a miserable year losing Shanes Dad, Shane has had operations on two collapsed discs in his back and has more slipping so walking at DLP can be quite an issue and boy does he love coffee so I knew the Nespresso machine would seal the deal!

I had a chat with my Mam when the kids were out of earshot and she said just go for it! She speaks sense! So I rang while still sitting in the lobby and upgraded our hotel!

But no happy dancing as I’m keeping this one to myself until we arrive! The kids are completely in the dark and Shane is in the dark on our fabulous hotel. And me, I’m bursting to tell someone and no one better then you lovely lot!

Well that was long winded lol! Hope I’m not waffling too much and you are all still with me! Let’s get onto the nitty gritty of it all!

Guest · 17 Aug 14, 05:54 PM

Where:

The beautiful, dreamy surroundings of

When:

Monday November 24th until Friday November 28th
So 4 glorious nights and 5 lovely days at DLP!

The Big Reveal:

Here is our plan eeeeeek! :banana:

On Sunday November 23rd I will tell the kids we have a huge surprise for them in the sitting room. Before I let them in I will reveal we are going to DLP in the morning and let them into the sitting rom. They will be faced with letters from Mickey, Duffy and Santa, two Christmas paper wrapped presents which will have airline tickets, coupons and new PJs (the crafty bits are courtesy of Creative Dis and I will post pics later on – they are amazing). And in the middle of the room will be a huge, wrapped box.
That is the last thing to be opened and I’m going to tell them this is a super special, extra surprise. And that’s when Shane is going to pop out of the box! They really miss him loads when we are away in DLP and always ask him to go but he tells them he has to mind the dog and cat. They are going to be thrilled he is coming with us this time :yay: And then it’s time to hop in the car and set out for Dublin. I am hoping for a great reaction and know they will be on cloud nine.

Guest · 17 Aug 14, 05:56 PM

Cast:

Here we are!

Kizzy – 28 – addicted!
I love Alice, Tangled and Duffy!
I’m looking forward to seeing the whole magical thing that is DLP at Christmas again and buying lovely new Christmas decorations. Super excited about trying Ratatouille for the 1st time and hopefully seeing some fab extra Christmas scenes in Dreams!
Favourite rides: IASW, Casey JR, Tower of Terror (even if it is on my own!) and our firm favourite, BTM!

Shane – 31 – my gorgeous husband!
Shane is looking forward to getting into the Christmas spirit, having a go on Ratatouille and POTC! He thinks Tangled is hilarious and loves seeing the kids happy! He hates rollercoaster or spinny rides!
Favourite rides: Slinky Dog and POTC

Jemma – 9 – our beautiful daughter!
Jemma is oblivious to all that is ahead but I know if there is any chance the rumours are to be believed that she will be so excited to meet Anna and Elsa! She also loves Christmas and will be delighted to see DLP all done up for the season!
Favourite rides: BTM, IASW and Flying Carpets over Agrabah.

James – 5 – our cheeky son!
James is also totally unaware that we are surprising them with this trip! He is a fan of Pinocchio, Toy Story and Ratatouille. So he is going to be excited to get to see the new land and ride dedicated to his favourite rat! James was a bit unsure of Santa when we last visited but I expect he won’t be as shy this year! He is also, like Jem, besotted about Duffy and since we didn’t get to meet him on our last visit so I know this will be top of our list of must dos!

Guest · 17 Aug 14, 05:59 PM

Itinery and Day Plans:

We won’t have it all totally planned until the park hours and programme are released but this is our rough draft so far!

Sunday:
We will reveal the surprise to the kids and set off for our overnight at the Premier Inn! Dinner will be at either TGI Fridays or Pizza Hut, depending on what Tesco vouchers allow! Early to bed and early to rise!
Monday:
We land at 12.40pm and will be collected by RS Transport before we check into the DLH! I reckon we will spend this day in the DLP Park and try to catch the parade.
Tuesday:
We will probably spend the morning in the Studios Park, get our first spin on Ratatouille and have a proper look around the new area. Shane will hopefully talk the kids into doing Parachutes again! Perhaps we can last until Dreams tonight. Who knows we may even have a swim in the pool at the DLH!
Wednesday:
Today we will more than likely spend the morning in the DLP Park and try to make EMH and get back for 10am breakfast. I can taste the pancakes and bacon already! Swoon! We might try to catch Dreams again tonight.
Thursday:
We are thinking a trip to Val D’Europe may be on the cards today but either way we’ll do EMH and if there is to be no shopping we can spend the afternoon in the Studios and have a good mooch about.
Friday:
We fly at 4.20pm so we won’t have a huge amount of time but we will be sure to pack in our favourite rides again. And then we will cry!

Meal Plans:

This has been the topic of discussion this week with Shane and me. We have some loose plans and ideas so far.
Monday: Counter service for lunch and The Chuckwagon for dinner.
Tuesday: Bistrot Chez Remy for lunch and Eos or McDs for late supper.
Wednesday: CS lunch and Café Mickey for dinner.
Thursday: Val D’Europe or CS for lunch and Rainforest Café for dinner.
Friday: A big breakfast and maybe EoS for the airport.

We are pretty easy with choices for CS meals and Victoria’s, Café Hyperion, Col. Haithi’s, Café en Coulisse, Blockbuster Café, The Lucky Nugget, Chalet du Marionette and Fuente del Oro are all possibilities. I will be keeping an eye on Disney Gazette’s website to see what should be open so we won’t spend too long traipsing around at lunchtime.

Must do’s:

Meet Santa, Duffy and Anna and Elsa if they will be meeting and greeting.
Soak up the Christmas atmosphere and see the seasonal shows and parades. Fingers crossed for these!
See the new Ratatouille land, ride the new attraction and have a good look around.
Try to talk Shane into BTM! And beat his score on Buzz’s laser blast.
Many hot chocolates and Christmas decorations.
A nice cocktail and beer in Café Fantasia. Or maybe a happy hour beer in King Ludwig’s Castle.
Have a great time!

To Do List:

Get passport photographs taken and apply for passports.
Send off for my new Annual Pass.
Change our times with RS Transport as per our newly changes flight times. Don’t you just love flight time changes? Grrr
Print coupons and letters for the kid’s surprise reveal.
Buy PJs for myself and James. And a new coat for myself and maybe Jemma. And wrapping paper.
Send off our Tesco vouchers.
Book restaurants.
Pack.
Pay the balance off the hotel.

So that is it for now. Thanks so much for reading along. I am sure I have forgotten loads but no doubt I will be back.
Finally would anyone like to join me for a Double Digit Dance?!? !
99 SLEEPS!

fd1972uk · 18 Aug 14, 10:20 AM

Well you got it all planned.

How long do you intend to keep him in the box btw?

FD

JRB · 22 Aug 14, 11:34 AM

jumping and dancing with you Kizzy - we're going at the beginning of November, just when the Christmas season starts, and I'm super excited too - the days are going so slowly

Guest · 13 Sep 14, 11:58 PM

Originally Posted by fd1972uk

Well you got it all planned.

How long do you intend to keep him in the box btw?

FD

A couple of hours but I'll poke loads of air holes in it for him!

LOL! I must buy the wrapping paper to cover the box. Thanks for reminding me

Originally Posted by JRB

jumping and dancing with you Kizzy - we're going at the beginning of November, just when the Christmas season starts, and I'm super excited too - the days are going so slowly

Its like slow motion! We visited in 2011 during the 1st week of Christmas and it was beautiful. How are your plans coming along?

I'm going to post a big update tomorrow. Life is super hectic at the minute!

fd1972uk · 15 Sep 14, 02:03 PM

Remember to poke holes in the paper then.

FD

17 Aug 14, 05:52 PM	#1
	17 Aug 14, 05:52 PM Guest Guest
Guest Guest	Do They Know Its Christmas? NO! A Surprise PTR Hi, hello and welcome to our very special and very secret Christmas PTR! :wave There is loads to tell so I’ll start at the beginning! How this trip came about: So let’s go back in time to last November! I found an awesome offer for January 2015 at the Newport and just couldn’t let it pass me by. Myself and the two kids (Jemma, will be 9 when we go and James, will be 5) were booked (although they didn’t know it!) and I was so happy with the thoughts of a cosily wrapped up, hot chocolate filled, crowd free trip to the best place in the world! And very excited to be seeing the newly refurbished hotel, although I was a little worried about it being still mid-build but hey it was a bargain! But then as November and December passed us by I was browsing the DIS and the DLP blogs I read and was overcome by how very well turned out DLP was looking for Christmas and was reading about the amazing time everyone was having and I got very nostalgic about our November 2011 surprise trip. It started innocently with a bit of pricing up and shuffling about and I sat DH (Shane) down and had the chat! You see Shane is one of these crazy people who don’t really get the whole Disney thing! I know, he’s nuts! It actually didn’t take much convincing and he agreed to come with us! :yay: :banana: And no need to do anything with the booking except change the dates as I have my trusty AP. Result! And I knew this would really make the trip special because the kids both miss their Daddy way too much when we are away. Well I was now ecstatic! All my favourite people, going on holidays during my favourite season to my favourite place! What more could I ask for! Weeeeeeeeeeell it turns out – lots! Myself, my Mam and the 2 kids were lucky enough to spend 4 nights at the DLH in May and I just fell in love! The rooms, the very grand theme, the Nespresso machine, proximity to the parks, even the smell! I was sitting in the lobby of the hotel on May 22nd and just said I would have a little peek at the cost… and send a tiny email…. And the price wasn’t very much extra. So I debated it all and found so many reasons why it would be madness not to upgrade! We’ve had a miserable year losing Shanes Dad, Shane has had operations on two collapsed discs in his back and has more slipping so walking at DLP can be quite an issue and boy does he love coffee so I knew the Nespresso machine would seal the deal! I had a chat with my Mam when the kids were out of earshot and she said just go for it! She speaks sense! So I rang while still sitting in the lobby and upgraded our hotel! But no happy dancing as I’m keeping this one to myself until we arrive! The kids are completely in the dark and Shane is in the dark on our fabulous hotel. And me, I’m bursting to tell someone and no one better then you lovely lot! Well that was long winded lol! Hope I’m not waffling too much and you are all still with me! Let’s get onto the nitty gritty of it all! Edited at 06:00 PM.

17 Aug 14, 05:54 PM	#2
	17 Aug 14, 05:54 PM Guest Guest
Guest Guest	Where: The beautiful, dreamy surroundings of When: Monday November 24th until Friday November 28th So 4 glorious nights and 5 lovely days at DLP! The Big Reveal: Here is our plan eeeeeek! :banana: On Sunday November 23rd I will tell the kids we have a huge surprise for them in the sitting room. Before I let them in I will reveal we are going to DLP in the morning and let them into the sitting rom. They will be faced with letters from Mickey, Duffy and Santa, two Christmas paper wrapped presents which will have airline tickets, coupons and new PJs (the crafty bits are courtesy of Creative Dis and I will post pics later on – they are amazing). And in the middle of the room will be a huge, wrapped box. That is the last thing to be opened and I’m going to tell them this is a super special, extra surprise. And that’s when Shane is going to pop out of the box! They really miss him loads when we are away in DLP and always ask him to go but he tells them he has to mind the dog and cat. They are going to be thrilled he is coming with us this time :yay: And then it’s time to hop in the car and set out for Dublin. I am hoping for a great reaction and know they will be on cloud nine. Edited at 06:00 PM.

17 Aug 14, 05:56 PM	#3
	17 Aug 14, 05:56 PM Guest Guest
Guest Guest	Cast: Here we are! Kizzy – 28 – addicted! I love Alice, Tangled and Duffy! I’m looking forward to seeing the whole magical thing that is DLP at Christmas again and buying lovely new Christmas decorations. Super excited about trying Ratatouille for the 1st time and hopefully seeing some fab extra Christmas scenes in Dreams! Favourite rides: IASW, Casey JR, Tower of Terror (even if it is on my own!) and our firm favourite, BTM! Shane – 31 – my gorgeous husband! Shane is looking forward to getting into the Christmas spirit, having a go on Ratatouille and POTC! He thinks Tangled is hilarious and loves seeing the kids happy! He hates rollercoaster or spinny rides! Favourite rides: Slinky Dog and POTC Jemma – 9 – our beautiful daughter! Jemma is oblivious to all that is ahead but I know if there is any chance the rumours are to be believed that she will be so excited to meet Anna and Elsa! She also loves Christmas and will be delighted to see DLP all done up for the season! Favourite rides: BTM, IASW and Flying Carpets over Agrabah. James – 5 – our cheeky son! James is also totally unaware that we are surprising them with this trip! He is a fan of Pinocchio, Toy Story and Ratatouille. So he is going to be excited to get to see the new land and ride dedicated to his favourite rat! James was a bit unsure of Santa when we last visited but I expect he won’t be as shy this year! He is also, like Jem, besotted about Duffy and since we didn’t get to meet him on our last visit so I know this will be top of our list of must dos! Edited at 06:01 PM.

17 Aug 14, 05:59 PM	#4
	17 Aug 14, 05:59 PM Guest Guest
Guest Guest	Itinery and Day Plans: We won’t have it all totally planned until the park hours and programme are released but this is our rough draft so far! Sunday: We will reveal the surprise to the kids and set off for our overnight at the Premier Inn! Dinner will be at either TGI Fridays or Pizza Hut, depending on what Tesco vouchers allow! Early to bed and early to rise! Monday: We land at 12.40pm and will be collected by RS Transport before we check into the DLH! I reckon we will spend this day in the DLP Park and try to catch the parade. Tuesday: We will probably spend the morning in the Studios Park, get our first spin on Ratatouille and have a proper look around the new area. Shane will hopefully talk the kids into doing Parachutes again! Perhaps we can last until Dreams tonight. Who knows we may even have a swim in the pool at the DLH! Wednesday: Today we will more than likely spend the morning in the DLP Park and try to make EMH and get back for 10am breakfast. I can taste the pancakes and bacon already! Swoon! We might try to catch Dreams again tonight. Thursday: We are thinking a trip to Val D’Europe may be on the cards today but either way we’ll do EMH and if there is to be no shopping we can spend the afternoon in the Studios and have a good mooch about. Friday: We fly at 4.20pm so we won’t have a huge amount of time but we will be sure to pack in our favourite rides again. And then we will cry! Meal Plans: This has been the topic of discussion this week with Shane and me. We have some loose plans and ideas so far. Monday: Counter service for lunch and The Chuckwagon for dinner. Tuesday: Bistrot Chez Remy for lunch and Eos or McDs for late supper. Wednesday: CS lunch and Café Mickey for dinner. Thursday: Val D’Europe or CS for lunch and Rainforest Café for dinner. Friday: A big breakfast and maybe EoS for the airport. We are pretty easy with choices for CS meals and Victoria’s, Café Hyperion, Col. Haithi’s, Café en Coulisse, Blockbuster Café, The Lucky Nugget, Chalet du Marionette and Fuente del Oro are all possibilities. I will be keeping an eye on Disney Gazette’s website to see what should be open so we won’t spend too long traipsing around at lunchtime. Must do’s: Meet Santa, Duffy and Anna and Elsa if they will be meeting and greeting. Soak up the Christmas atmosphere and see the seasonal shows and parades. Fingers crossed for these! See the new Ratatouille land, ride the new attraction and have a good look around. Try to talk Shane into BTM! And beat his score on Buzz’s laser blast. Many hot chocolates and Christmas decorations. A nice cocktail and beer in Café Fantasia. Or maybe a happy hour beer in King Ludwig’s Castle. Have a great time! To Do List: Get passport photographs taken and apply for passports. Send off for my new Annual Pass. Change our times with RS Transport as per our newly changes flight times. Don’t you just love flight time changes? Grrr Print coupons and letters for the kid’s surprise reveal. Buy PJs for myself and James. And a new coat for myself and maybe Jemma. And wrapping paper. Send off our Tesco vouchers. Book restaurants. Pack. Pay the balance off the hotel. So that is it for now. Thanks so much for reading along. I am sure I have forgotten loads but no doubt I will be back. Finally would anyone like to join me for a Double Digit Dance?!? ! 99 SLEEPS!