Our bags are not packed yet but hey, we have 76 days until we hit Disney World with our granddaughter, Maddy! This will be her first trip to Disney World so we have been planning this trip since we made the reservations back in November. Lala and Papa can hardly wait to show her all the fun things to do at Disney! Soooo… over the next few weeks, 2 months and 14 days to be exact, I plan to share with you some of our plans to make Maddy’s trip truly magical and unforgettable! Well, duh, you say, of course, Disney is fun… However, we want to make this first trip for Maddy memorable and magical without going bankrupt!
Since Maddy is now 9, almost 10, I asked her about wearing a princess dress; however she declined on that one. However, she is really into fun and funky clothes so I found cute red polka dot fabric to make her a skirt, aka Minnie mouse skirt, for her to wear with a white tee or sweater and her Minnie ears, which are a fashion must for all first-time Mouseketeers. Now for those non-sewers out there, there are some really cute skirts to be had that won’t break your budget. In fact, if your Mouseketeer is into princess or pirate attire, be sure to shop for those items prior to hitting Disney parks to save a ton! The official Disney Store also has some great costumes but shop early… you might catch a sale!
I know I talked about Disney Gift Cards last time, but hey, they are great… we are giving Maddy a Disney gift card with her souvenir dollars loaded on there. She can spend it anywhere she wants but our rule here is we will shop for souvenirs the last full day. We’ll go back to any shop or park she wants to get that special souvenir but she has a budget so the souvenir she takes home will mean something to her. Since I always have my phone and tablet in my backpack, I’ll take pictures of each item she sees so she can look through the pictures the night before as a reminder of her favorite item. Just for convenience in saving search time, be sure to name each photo with shop and park location.
By the way, always, go to Downtown Disney to shop for souvenirs at World of Disney store. If you have a Disney annual pass or happen to be a DVC member, you receive automatic discounts on any item in the store!
Make your Disney memory magical, not expensive!
Till Next Time, Leigh Anne
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Leigh Anne, originally from Mississippi, lives in North Alabama with her husband and a menagerie of furry kids (FIDS), including dogs, cats, exotic birds, fish and a lionhead rabbit. Figment, her African Grey parrot, is named after Disney’s small purple dragon, Figment. She works as a motivational speaker and pastoral counselor. In 1974, Leigh Anne marched with the Enka High Marching Band in the Magic Kingdom daytime parade. Leigh Anne fell in love with Disney while on her Disney honeymoon with her husband in 2002. They have made an annual trip back to Disney to celebrate their anniversary every year since. Since they own a piece of the mouse with their Disney Vacation Club (DVC), some years they go twice! She also plans to be the grandmother that introduces all her grandchildren to Disney World first. She has a great start ~ 2 out of 3 so far! As a DVC member married to the best Disney shopper in the world, Leigh Anne has lots of experience in finding the most frugal way to have the most fun in the parks and resorts! Leigh Anne admits to being spoiled as a DVC member but is always on the lookout to keep their WDW vacations fun and frugal! She blogs at Queen of Hysteria and tweets @la_haygood
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