"Amuck, amuck, amuck!" A Pre-TR (link to TR in the first post)

[mommaU4]

(Scroll to bottom of page for links to specific planning posts.)
~~~Link to actual trip report: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1988356~~~

Well, after finishing my last trip report, I wasn't sure I would do another.
But we are planning another trip back to Disneyland/California Adventure in October!! YAY! I'm looking forward to it.....and yet I'm not.
Obviously I cannot wait to be back at Disney. That's a given. But sadly our annual passes will be expiring that month and we cannot afford to renew them. We are a family of 6 so that's just too much money, especially combined with the rising hotel, food and gas costs for each trip.

So we'll be going one more time as a family in October, then I'll be going for a few days on my own with the DIS Girls Only Trip in March, and that will pretty much be it for Disney for awhile. It's a sad thought.

BUT I'm not going to let it get me down. We've had some really wonderful trips with our passes and made some great family memories. I know there are some families who can't afford to go at all, so I am truly lucky we were able to do as much as we did.

And I know at some point we will be back in the parks as a family. You can't keep me away from Disney for too long..... Maybe once the DCA refurbishment is complete in a few years. That would be awesome!!

OK, back to this Trip Report. I finally decided since it was our last trip as AP holders I simply had to do a report. Last time I started my pre-trip report it was about 2 weeks before trip time, so it feels a little weird for me to be doing one so far out, but I think it will be a way for me to savor the trip a little more if that makes any sense. LOL
Also I thought it would be a way to keep me busy during the long Las Vegas summer on days when it's just too hot to set foot outside.






LINKS TO VARIOUS *PRE-TRIP* HIGHLIGHTS FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO SKIP THE CHATTER:

Cast and Crew
It's the most wonderful time of the year..... (or why I love Halloween!)
Pictures from our Halloweentime 2007 trip
Fun with Tigger!
The Kid's "To Do" Lists
More of my Halloweentime 2007 pics
A "mysterious" box, what's in it??
Autumn pictures from Michigan
And now it's time to answer that burning question......WHAT was in the box????
More items from the box....
Matching kids tees
Tote bags
Ariel's Grotto?
Random DL and DCA pics
More DL Halloween shots from last October
Who's hungry?
Food Talk
More 2007 Halloweentime pics
Oh, I am so doing this!!!
Online DCA party pics
Snacking around the parks
Look what I found!
Costumes
Halloweentime 2008 information
Travel items for the trip (or who else is addicted to travel sized items??)
Two itineraries??
Bored........ (or a trip down memory lane)
Changes?? Umm, I don't deal well with changes!!
Not a bad way to spend a Monday....
We added another night!!
A night out at Planet Hollywood
Night out continued...
Priority Seating reservations
Cafe Orleans, party of 18 please!
Back to School
Awesome Halloween party pics!! Thanks MJ! lol
More great pics!
To breakfast or not to breakfast? That is the question!
I will not freak out, I will not freak out.....OK, I'm freaking out!!!
[URL="http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27428840&postcount=543"] Vegas pics and dessert porn.....yum!
[URL="http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27561910&postcount=580"]San Gennaro Feast[/URL][/URL]
We'll be Walking in Walt's Footsteps
My must-do list

 

[Phalene]

I'm in! We're going in October too, and I'm just counting down the days

 

[mommaU4]

Even though I've talked about my family on my other trip report (June '08 TR), I figured maybe I should give a refresher course.

Well, there's me, obviously. A 36 yr old SAHM, who grew up in SoCal going to Disneyland and has so many special memories of the place. I've got four wonderful kids and a husband who is a saint for putting up with me and my wacky Disney addiction.
Oh, and I can't forget to mention my keen sense of fashion. Note the stylish paper hat as proof.

Next up is Ruben, my husband. Ummm, I don't think I have any pics of him since he's usually the one behind the camera. Huh. Note to self: Pry camera from hubby's hands and make him pose more!
He likes Disney, just not as much as I do, which is why I say he's a saint for putting up with it all and taking me to Disney as often as he does.


And finally our kiddos.
My son Adam age 13, daughter Noelle age 11, and twins Lindsey and Hannah age 8. The last two are fraternal twins so they look nothing alike. Thank goodness. Can you imagine the tricks they'd play on me??

My son is the oldest by two years, but my daughter Noelle is actually taller which annoys him to no end. LOL So in pics it might appear that she's older, but she's not.

Anyway, here is a photo from last October at Disneyland during Halloweentime:

And there you have it, the whole cast and crew.


I'm editing this post to include a weight loss ticker just for my own reference. I would love to reach my goal before leaving for this trip which is why I'm adding this in here. It helps that everytime I am tempted to eat something I shouldn't be eating, I remind myself that if I eat healthy now, I can splurge more in Disney!!

 

[mommaU4]

I'm in! We're going in October too, and I'm just counting down the days

Hi! I saw your PTR too. It's such a great time to go. I'm very excited.
Thanks for joining in.

 

[mommaU4]

Nope, I'm not talking about Christmas. I'm talking about Halloween!!!

I LOVE Halloween. Love everything to do with it. I love scary Halloween stuff, love cutesy Halloween stuff, love Halloween movies, Halloween decorations, Halloween candy/food, you name it.

I enjoy the other holidays too of course. Christmastime at Disneyland is very beautiful. But for me Halloween is all about fun. It doesn't have the same pressures that can come with Christmas and buying expensive presents, or the family drama that can sometimes happen at Thanksgiving. Just dress up and have fun. Oh, and free candy to boot! What could be better?
Which is why it's very fitting that our last trip to Disneyland as AP holders will be during Halloweentime.

We went last year and I couldn't get enough of all the decorations. They did an amazing job. We didn't do the Halloween party last year because I just wasn't sure it was worth the extra money when we were already forking out ALOT for our passes. But this time whether it's worth it or not, we are going. Already bought our tickets.

The title of my report is inspired by a Halloween move in fact; Disney's Hocus Pocus. The scene where Sarah says "amuck, amuck, amuck". It's a kids movie but I think it's pretty cute.
Here's that scene for those who haven't seen it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lxMwfbUrYE

So you'll probably find lots of Halloween "stuff" posted in this PTR. Like one of my favorite Halloween quotes:

When witches go riding,
and black cats are seen,
the moon laughs and whispers,
‘tis near Halloween.

 

[dwheatl]

Subbing in. I'm trying to talk DH and my kids into a New Year's visit before our passes expire. The pressure, the pressure!

 

[mommaU4]

Subbing in. I'm trying to talk DH and my kids into a New Year's visit before our passes expire. The pressure, the pressure!

You can do it!!!! For the DIS Girls Only trip we have a way of using gentle persuasion and "stripper" shoes to convince the hubbys to go along with the plan!

Maybe I should loan you a pair from our collection to help with the cause.

For the true DISer at heart we've got the DIS Lime Green, also known as Tinkerbell Green:

But if the situation calls for something more drastic we've got Disney Fire Engine Red:

Or Mickey Ears Black:

Or I could just wish you the best of luck and hope you get to go again before your passes expire!

 

[kaoden39]

I was thrilled to see your new thread. I love Halloween myself. For fear of the cyber slaps I shall probably receive Halloween is my favorite holiday. There I have said it. I always make a big deal out of Halloween and it is great fun.

 

[mommaU4]

I was thrilled to see your new thread. I love Halloween myself. For fear of the cyber slaps I shall probably receive Halloween is my favorite holiday. There I have said it. I always make a big deal out of Halloween and it is great fun.

Hey, good to see ya! Oh and don't worry, you'll get no cyber slaps from me! Halloween is my favorite holiday too in case I hadn't already made that clear.

For most people their favorite holiday is Christmas which I also really enjoy, but I always feel pressure at Christmas to make it as "magical" as on some made for t.v. Lifetime movie or something you know?

At Halloween it's just about dressing up and having a good time. Along with some good old fashioned spooky scares!

 

[kaoden39]

You know had I thought about it I would have planned our trip for a couple of weeks later but I was thinking about the fact that it would be slower at that time so I was jumping on it.

 

[mommaU4]

You know had I thought about it I would have planned our trip for a couple of weeks later but I was thinking about the fact that it would be slower at that time so I was jumping on it.

Well, you're probably right about that. I do think that September is a slower time of year.

October used to be considered off season before they started doing the Halloweentime at Disneyland. Now it's one of their busier times and I'm prepared for the real possibility of large crowds.

As long as the weather isn't too hot, I'll be ok. I can handle large crowds or hot weather, NOT both!
Unfortunately I know from growing up there that CA. weather in October can go either way.

So we'll just have to hope for the best!

 

[mommaU4]

Since I do still have quite a wait until October arrives, I thought it would be fun to post some pics from our 2007 October trip every now and then.

So here are two for today. This is a scene we saw on the tram ride from the Mickey and Friends parking lot on the way to the park.
Again, any pics I post now will be from last Halloweentime.

 

[kaoden39]

I am hoping October isn't too hot for you. The thing with California and October is we hardly ever get any measurable rain until after Halloween, so that can be good for an October trip. And you are so right about the weather. When the kids were little invariably we would have a costume like Tinkerbell and it would get cold before Halloween or one year DD was Pooh and it was hot. There is no happy medium. I planned our trip to be on the anniversary of my release from the hospital last year.

 

[dwheatl]

You can do it!!!! For the DIS Girls Only trip we have a way of using gentle persuasion and "stripper" shoes to convince the hubbys to go along with the plan!

Maybe I should loan you a pair from our collection to help with the cause.

For the true DISer at heart we've got the DIS Lime Green, also known as Tinkerbell Green:

But if the situation calls for something more drastic we've got Disney Fire Engine Red:

Or Mickey Ears Black:

Or I could just wish you the best of luck and hope you get to go again before your passes expire!

That might work. DH is always in a better mood when he's had a good laugh.

 

[mommaU4]

I planned our trip to be on the anniversary of my release from the hospital last year.

Aw, it will be extra special then.

That might work. DH is always in a better mood when he's had a good laugh.

See. There ya go!

 

[DisneyLaura]

Beth - So glad you're doing another report. I think it's a must too. I don't get to go to Disney too often, DH is not that much of a fan, so every 5 years is alls I'm allowed. I like Halloween as well just not the scary stuff, I'm a chicken.

Anyway, here is a photo from last October at Disneyland during Halloweentime:

And there you have it, the whole cast and crew.

EWWWW are they in a skeleton cage, that's kind of cool.

We went last year and I couldn't get enough of all the decorations.

The title of my report is inspired by a Halloween move in fact; Disney's Hocus Pocus. The scene where Sarah says "amuck, amuck, amuck". It's a kids movie but I think it's pretty cute.
Here's that scene for those who haven't seen it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lxMwfbUrYE

I love this movie too, of course I watch all the kids shows on Disney with my two sons too.

Maybe I should loan you a pair from our collection to help with the cause.

For the true DISer at heart we've got the DIS Lime Green, also known as Tinkerbell Green:

But if the situation calls for something more drastic we've got Disney Fire Engine Red:

Or Mickey Ears Black:

My DH would faint if I ever put these on.

Since I do still have quite a wait until October arrives, I thought it would be fun to post some pics from our 2007 October trip every now and then.

So here are two for today. This is a scene we saw on the tram ride from the Mickey and Friends parking lot on the way to the park.
Again, any pics I post now will be from last Halloweentime.

I love the fall decorations / Halloween decorations at Disney. Me and DH went in 1997, we arrived in WDW on Oct 19th and they had no fall or Halloween decorations out. I wonder when they started doing all of that? Anyone know? One day I plan on going down for Halloween but my kids will probably be too old to go to Trick or Treating in Disney (rememeber we can only go every 5 years and we're going in Nov 2009, wer arrive the day before Thanksgiving and staying for 10 days so we can see Christmas too)

 

[mommaU4]

Beth - So glad you're doing another report. I think it's a must too. I don't get to go to Disney too often, DH is not that much of a fan, so every 5 years is alls I'm allowed. I like Halloween as well just not the scary stuff, I'm a chicken.

Thanks, I'm glad you joined us!
I love the scary stuff! Oh who am I kidding, I love it all, but we used to go every year to Knott's Scary Farm when Ruben and I were dating. So much fun!!! I love the haunted houses. Those are the best.

One year Ruben and I were in charge of putting together a haunted house at the Rec Center near where he grew up. This was years ago, right after high school, but I still remember how much fun we had putting it together and then seeing everyone get scared.

EWWWW are they in a skeleton cage, that's kind of cool.

LOL That was on Tom Sawyers Island. Well, now it's the Pirate's Lair or some such nonsense, but to me it will always be TSI.

I love this movie too, of course I watch all the kids shows on Disney with my two sons too.

Yeah, it's a fun movie. Not scary at all so it's perfect for kids. I LOVE the Fall scenes from the movie. I miss that.
I grew up in SoCal, but from 2004-2007 we lived in Northern MI where I have family, and one of the things I miss about being there is the air getting crisper and the leaves changing colors. That was so pretty. And everyone would decorate their yards with tons of pumpkins, corn stalks, bales of hay and scarecrows. It was really neat.

Here is Vegas, it's not the same. Fall looks like Summer, which looks like Winter which looks like Spring.

My DH would faint if I ever put these on.

Well, that's an odd approach but it could work. Just wait until he's passed out then grab the wallet, book a trip and voila!
Then when he comes to, insist that he said you could and must have just forgotten saying that.

I love the fall decorations / Halloween decorations at Disney. Me and DH went in 1997, we arrived in WDW on Oct 19th and they had no fall or Halloween decorations out. I wonder when they started doing all of that? Anyone know? One day I plan on going down for Halloween but my kids will probably be too old to go to Trick or Treating in Disney (rememeber we can only go every 5 years and we're going in Nov 2009, wer arrive the day before Thanksgiving and staying for 10 days so we can see Christmas too)

I don't know about WDW but I know that DL didn't used to do anything for Halloween. Nothing. They didn't start doing decorations or a party there until 2005 I think is when it was.
So maybe WDW was the same way.

Halloween is rising in popularity as a holiday now and I think Disney knows a good thing when they see it. What better way to draw more people into the park then to offer Halloween parades, parties and other activites. It worked too! October is now one of the busier times.

In 2006 I went to WDW from the end of September to the beginning of October, and they were fully decked out for Halloween. We went to the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and it was fun, but man it was packed!

This year I think DL will have their Halloween decorations up around the end of September and keep them up through November 2 or 3.

Christmas at the parks is really fun too though. You'll like that. We've been to both DL and WDW at Christmas time and even I will admit it's a really special time to be in the parks.

 

[mommaU4]

More pics from last Halloweentime in Disneyland.

We went to see Tigger and this was the first pic we took with him:

Then Tigger kind of stepped back and looked at the kids and shook his head. The kids were wondering what was going on, and the CM said "Is something wrong Tigger"?
He shook his head yes, then made a motion with his finger as if to say "Ah ha, I have an idea" and proceeded to rearrange the kids in a different order, so they looked like this instead:

Clearly he was much happier with that arrangement because he wanted them to match his stripes! It was cute and we were all cracking up over it.

 

[thmar]

Another pre-trip report...loved the last one...I'm in!!

 

[Phalene]

That's so cool that Tigger arranged the kids into his stripe pattern!