Shhh it is our secret

[jandeeah]

Well, the money is in the bank so today was supposed to be the day we told AnnaMay that we are going to Disney this October. BUT last Friday she told us she wants to be surprised that she is going and not know. Now, I can’t tell her. I figure since I can’t talk to her about it I will start a trip report so I can bore you all with all my details. She knows we are going back to Disney but she thinks it will be at least a year and half not 7 months!
Our Cast
Me (Andrea) The planner of the family
DH (Jay) likes that I plan the trip. His help in planning is if I ask him what he thinks I should do for something he agrees with whatever I have said I think. He loves Disney.
DD (AnnaMay) 6 now will be 7 when we go. She has Sensory Processing Disorder and Severe Anxiety. She loves Disney in her own way. She does not usually want to do what most kids do but she has an awesome time there.
DM (Virginia or to AnnaMay “Nanny”) She comes with us in her words “to watch AnnaMay have fun” She is 68 and has bad knees. We are very excited that she has agreed to get an EVC for the whole trip this time.

I'll come back and tell you in a little while what we have planned so far. Right now I need to call the Doctor since AnnaMay woke up with a fever of 103.

[jandeeah]

Well, the doctors appointment is made and while I was out of the room she dragged all her Disney planning stuff out and is laying on the floor planning our "next trip" How am I going to manage to keep keep this secret for over 7 months!!!

[jilly7896]

Well, the doctors appointment is made and while I was out of the room she dragged all her Disney planning stuff out and is laying on the floor planning our "next trip" How am I going to manage to keep keep this secret for over 7 months!!!

It's tough, but you can do it!!! I hope AnnaMay feels better soon...

[ke_page]

Sounds great I'm in! Planning is half the fun!

[pfalcioni]

while I was out of the room she dragged all her Disney planning stuff out and is laying on the floor planning our "next trip"

Oh man, she's really going to test your willpower!

[LizD]

When in Oct are you going? We'll be there Oct 10-18! (Haven't told our kiddos yet!) And I need to look up how to add one of those tickers!

[jandeeah]

We are going to leave Friday afternoon Oct 12th and coming back on Saturday the 20th. We are driving since it is only 8 hours and AnnaMay is terrified of planes. We will be staying at the POP. We have stayed there before and there food court seems to be the best place to deal with mine and AnnaMay’s food allergies. I am sitting on pins and needles waiting for the October calendar to come out. I do know we are going to go to the party one night other than that I am waiting impatiently to work out our details.

[jandeeah]

When in Oct are you going? We'll be there Oct 10-18! (Haven't told our kiddos yet!) And I need to look up how to add one of those tickers!

I am afraid I am going to have to take my ticker off so she does not see it!!!

[LizD]

I am afraid I am going to have to take my ticker off so she does not see it!!!

HA! Good thinking! Hoping none of my nosey parkers notice mine...I've been lusting over having one for so long I think I'll risk it! (Plus we will tell them eventually! Ds8 is not a child who handles surprises all that well!)

[jandeeah]

I just realized that I had to pick AnnaMay's costume for the MNSSHP. Other than Peter Pan who she is in love with she has been enjoying Jessie lately so I thought that would be a good choice. The problem is that with her sensory issues she needs a comfortable costume that is not much of a costume. Well I went to Disney.com they have a t shirt that looks like Jessie's shirt and they had red sparkly Jessie boots (she loves cowboy boots) and a Jessie Hat. I am so excited! It is the perfect thing for her she can just wear her cotton shorts that look like denim with it. And I will take some comfy shoes for if they hurt her feet.
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[jandeeah]

Ohhh and I could even write ANDY on the bottom of one of them!

[pfalcioni]

Those are really cute! I hope they're comfortable for her.

[nolarookie]

I just realized that I had to pick AnnaMay's costume for the MNSSHP. Other than Peter Pan who she is in love with she has been enjoying Jessie lately so I thought that would be a good choice. The problem is that with her sensory issues she needs a comfortable costume that is not much of a costume. Well I went to Disney.com they have a t shirt that looks like Jessie's shirt and they had red sparkly Jessie boots (she loves cowboy boots) and a Jessie Hat. I am so excited! It is the perfect thing for her she can just wear her cotton shorts that look like denim with it. And I will take some comfy shoes for if they hurt her feet.
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Those are cute!! love the costume idea! My kids love the Buzz and Woody costume style t-shirts. Do the boots come in adult sizes? I'd wear them to work, on casual Friday of course.

[Claire]

We told our son5 days before we left. It was great! Enjoy

[jandeeah]

The box with the "Jessie Boots" came today....They are too cute. I want to start planning so bad. I keep coming up with ideas but then I realize I can't plan it until I know what days we will be where which all depends on that calendar. Did I mention I am a very impatient person...and I am keeping a secret for the next 7 months. I am insane to think I can do this. But I will find a way!

[jillyb]

Love those boots!! Looking forward to following along with the planning. I love that AnnaMarie has her own Disney planning stuff and that she's already planning even though she doesn't know when she's going back!

[aclassofherown]

Those boots are awesome! I love the costume plan.

[jandeeah]

I thought I would come back and update everyone. We are now staying at AoA. We got a Little Mermaid room. AnnaMay loves Little Mermaid so I think she will be very excited. I can't decide if I should tell her about the new rooms and the new hotel in general or if I should let it be part of the surprise. We have decided what parks we will be in on what days but I have not started making our daily plans yet other than ADRs. She says she is going to go on the barnstormer this time. I have a hard time believing it but she has watched the video of it a few times and says she wants to try it. She watched the video for pirates and informed me "I do not think it is appropriate for someone my age to see dead bodies yet so I will skip it" At least she knows what she can handle This whole not telling her is killing me. But the day we go is going to me amazing!!!

[clanmcculloch]

AnnaMay cracks me up. Her wording is so grown up; what a great kid. I can picture that kind of a phrase coming out of one of my kids' mouths as well which is part of the reason it cracks me up so much.

Barnstormer will be re-opened as the Great Goofini I think is the name. I haven't been paying attention to what will be different about it but I thought you'd need to know. If she's expecting it to be EXACTLY like Barnstormer of old then she'll definitely not get on it if it looks different.

Love the costume idea!!

For MNSSHP, make sure to stop by Town Hall to get allergy safe candies. I doubt you'll be able to find out ahead of time what candies they're handing out considering how little information Special Diets is willing to send out these days but at a minimum you should be able to get something safe at Town Hall.

[jandeeah]

Trudy,
Thanks for the info about the name I did not think about that. I found a video of the new ride. I think Josh posted it on his blog. That is what she has been watching. She has never been on the old one. We did not manage to get her on Peter Pan until the last night which is why I have my doubts about the Barnstormer. (she hates Pooh because of the bouncing too)

We stopped by town hall last year to get her candy and can I say they did not go cheap! It was really good dark chocolate and such. She did still collect some other but only where convenient we did not wait in any lines. About have of it was safe for her.

[clanmcculloch]

Was the chocolate the Enjoy Life bars or was it something else? It's great to hear that there was so much she could eat. I've always been hesitant about the parties partly because I wasn't sure my kids could actually eat much if any food they offer (though mostly because we're early to rise early to bed people and going off our schedule just doesn't go over well so spending that much money on a late night party seems like a waste, but the food is also a small factor). I'll enjoy the party vicariously through you.

[jandeeah]

It was not enjoy life bars. It was a brand I had not heard of but it was made in a dedicated facility and it was shaped like spider webs and such really went with the party theme. I will take pictures this trip for you and note the ingredients. I was not sure last year about her handling the party I told her ahead of time if she had problems that we would have to leave and it included fussing and whining. She was so excited about staying up until midnight that she did great the whole time. I was really quite surprised. I was sure we would be back in our room by 10:00 but she made it until 11:55 when she fell asleep in the stroller.

[pfalcioni]

I do not think it is appropriate for someone my age to see dead bodies yet so I will skip it"

Haha!! What an awesome kid. I love the way her mind works!

[Bernie2003]

I've been following along since my oldest son and your daughter could be related! LOL. Sounds like they are so alike!

[aclassofherown]

The AoA sounds awesome. I am so excited for you I almost wish I had kept our a secret, maybe on our next trip.