Getting ready for Disney!!!

I can be VERY OCD when it comes to planning for Disney....just a little bit.  Of course, if you ask anyone I know, they think I am crazy, insane and just plain nuts.

I love to enjoy every single minute of our trips and that takes lots of planning.  I have notebooks, journals, and spreadsheets.  I told you...crazy.

The best part is that these notes are so private and my family never sees them.  If they did, they would lock me away somewhere and never let me out.  They don't like to plan anything!  But I have a strategy.

I have put together some fun scavenger hunt books.  Lots of the notes are just facts about the parks that not too many people know.  There are so many tiny details that are added to every bit of Disney.  These books are filled with those little facts and details and my kids enjoy discovering them.

 In between some of those pages, are hidden ideas that turn everything into a scavenger hunt.  I add little notes about a character, a pin, a certain photo op....things they not only have to look for, but I love that they are so excited, that they take lots of fun photos...for me.   :)

These books are put together with a few pieces of chipboard, covered in card stock and some Disney stickers.  The tags are from Home Depot...from a HUGE package of garage sale tags.  I think I paid $5 for 500 tags...not that I need that many!!   Maybe...
The books are held together with giant jump rings.  This way, the tags can be removed or more tags can be added very easily.

Then there is the always fun, Character Hunt.  I love the photos, my oldest loves the autograph hunt, and my youngest loves the interaction with all the characters.  Again, they have no idea that they are really "working" for me....lol.  I keep this book handy so we know what characters we have found and who we have to look out for.  This book stays in the room and we check characters off every night before bed.

One thing that they love is the number of characters they see and autographs they have collected.  These autograph books are made from some chipboard covers and lots of tags.  I put a lot of tags into the books and send them on their way.  As the tags get filled, we can easily pop them out and add a bunch of blank tags.  Once we get home, the tags are put away until I start working on the layouts.  I use white tags so they can be easily embellished, colored, inked, stamped, even cut into different shapes.  This way they are easy to customize to the pages and the actual character colors and themes.

And finally...the most exciting part is the countdown calendar.  This was made from a wooden frame from Michael's.  I simply added some fun Disney papers and stickers.  The cover for the opening is a piece of thin plastic from a package of stickers.  I have a sheet of Thickers number stickers handy and they can be switched out every day very easily.  The plastic can be wiped clean when necessary, and the numbers can be reused many times.

All of these projects are recycled from our trip a few years ago.  That's probably my favorite part.  The kids remember them and the fun they had.

However, for this trip we are also added a few days at Universal Studios.  So now, I have to put together a few autograph books for a new park!  I also have a short scavenger hunt list to put together.

I am so excited to be able to work some fun vacation projects!  Off to find some supplies!

Have a "magical" day!!!