theDIBB - "They can sing, they can dance - after all, this is France!" Pre-trippie

The prologue is that we went to WDW in March 2012 with our 5 year old and almost one year old - booked as a carrot to myself to work hard, save hard after being sad to go back to work when DD2 was 3 months old - it worked.

The day I went back to work (literally!) after Florida, I got a call from the top HR Director giving me a sneaky heads up that my role was about to be made redundant. So I accepted a secondment until the end of the year. Job was made redundant, I started hunting - secondment was great but meant overnight travel every week and plenty of commuting. Was successful at an internal transfer from January which meant I worked from home 2-3 days away and worked 200 miles from home on the other days - not so great for family life, but a job I loved.

Long (very long and I think we'll agree, it's been long enough already!) story short, I got another job, accepted redundancy and decided I needed some magic to 'reward' us for getting through a stressful year (am only breadwinner for family, so responsibility feels huge!). Started looking at WDW for Easter 2014 (HOW much are flights?!? We paid £460 each with VA for 2012 trip!) and decided it would be too much of a stretch financially - so hopefully October 2014, then...

Mon Dieu! I needed some magic this year! So started to investigate DLP. I justified this to myself (who didn't need much convincing, it has to be said!) that DD2 has now grown an incredibly HUGE love and affection for the Mouse (actually, both mice) and the whole 'Big 6' as well as 'Willie the Pooh' (!) and his gang.

Done! Booked for October half term at SL using the "2 days free" and "kids stay and play for free". After wrangling with the dates, decided we couldn't possibly leave on DD1's 7th birthday (the Saturday), so we're doing 4 nights from 30th October, leaving 3rd November.

Played around with Eurostar prices/times; connecting trains - getting Le Shuttle and realised, we were going to spend a whole day travelling - each way. So booked flights from Birmingham instead - carry on luggage only!

Flights were booked for 2 days before our arrival at DLP, so I *had* to find a hotel for a little visit into Paris - never before seen the Eiffel Tower - took the plunge for a 'blind/top secret' hotel on Last Minute.com and have a booking at the rather bizarrely decorated, but pretty close to Notre Dame (and the Pantheon) - Hotel du Pantheon.

I will argue - I mean negotiate - with DH about what time we depart Paris for DLP (strikes me it'd be pretty random walking around Paris with our bags all day ;))

So - all booked - there are 4 of us. Me - 39 - I'm a Disney nut (and pretty much arranged it so our children would be with early exposure to DVDs and other such magic :d:) and love to plan. DH -37 (will turn 38 on our departure day) is not so much the Disney freak, although has enjoyed previous trips particularly when seeing the magic through our children's eyes, and is the anti-planner. I will have my work cut out for me! (he did gracefully wear the Grumpy t-shirt I bought him in Florida and liked the response it received!). And our 2 Disney mad DD's - age 6 (will be 7) and 2.5 (or will be when we get there).

NEXT! Dibb-addiction kicks in and very clear messages of the madness which is Halloween week - coinciding with French holidays. Surely only a fool would book this week, let alone the following weekend?! :erm: Oops.

OK, well, we'll have to get there early on the Wednesday and make the most of the week days. Plus, of course, we're staying onsite, so will get up at the crack of sparrow fart and be in DLP for 8am every morning so we can ride some of the long queue, slow loading Fantasyland rides that children love so much; will try to have breakfast in the park at least once for a more leisurely start for us.

THEN! They release park hours - on Halloween, the park opens at 9am, which means EMH is only one hour. OK, will rely on the next 3 mornings. But, wait! What's that?! EMH is in WDS? For the rest of our stay?! What will that mean?! Where can we eat Breakfast in the park? What rides will we get on? Will we ever see the inside of DLP for all the crowds and holidayers?!?!

But now, I'm calm (ish) and reflective. Que sera sera. It's a good thing that DLP closes at 7pm on Halloween, should mean we get to see Dreams at least once, as the park closes late the other nights (and we have a 2 year old in tow!) - some pressure to get a good spot there, then!

I've booked Dinner at Inventions for our arrival evening and at Auberge de Cendrillon for DD's birthday meal (she thinks we're staying in Paris for the week and as a special birthday treat, getting the train out to DLP on her b'day, so she has chosen this as her even more special meal! ). We're not going to book elsewhere as DH doesn't want to plan too much :confused2:omg: I've got over my initial sulk and am now quite happy with us eating/sharing meals at CS restaurants; EOS or even take away from Annette's.

ETA- I've caved under my own pressure and booked Brunch at Inventions on the Sunday before we leave and booked the shuttle to and from the airport; collection from DLH on Sunday around 4.30/5pm, maybe just time to see 'Descent of the Stairs' one last time!?

Still to arrange: what we're going to pack - not sure how it'll go with 4 of us sharing a room at DLP (we have 2 rooms in Paris) - and whether DDs will share a double happily, so might take small blow up bed. At least it should mean we're ready to get up early for EMH, wherever that takes us!