Travel Tuesday

We're taking the family to Disneyworld for Thanksgiving. We put Sandy and Mindy in charge of the planning. We are a family that is way over the top when it comes to Disney. Putting Sandy and Mindy in charge was perfect. For them it was frustrating---a lot! Literally, things are changing every day. They would find out one thing one day and then find that it changed the next. We're not sure what we're going to experience once we get there, but we're sure to have fun no matter what.

Anyway, we came back from the beach on Saturday since Mindy and Sandy had "the big reveal" about our plans. The guys in the family are like, "Wait, what? Big reveal?" Like I said, we're a bit over the top! We all met at Stephanie's--and there was champagne involved!

We each got a gift bag:

Mindy and Sandy arranged for those who could not attend--to have their gift bags and join us with a Zoom call. Sandy started by telling us what we were going to be doing. Little by little, they revealed the contents of the bags.

We always have family t-shirts. We're to wear ours on Thanksgiving for a good family picture. They gave us the itinerary for the trip with all the details including the best rides and restaurants in each park. We'll meet every morning--ready to go--by 6:45. The new "genie" requires that you "sign up" for the rides you want to ride that day--promptly at 7 a.m. If you don't do this, you will not be able to get a spot and time for the best rides. There is no longer any standing in lines. 

Mindy got "magic bands" for each person. She put a lot of thought in to exactly the right one for each person. I got Mrs. Jumbo and Dumbo---in pink--of course. The magic bands are linked to our credit card and are used for everything--room key, park entry, ride entry and to charge food and souvenirs. The bands are also linked to each other so that we can schedule things together. Sandy and Mindy are planning to meet with the concierge as soon as they arrive to make sure they fully understand the whole new program. 

The badge on the lanyard is a passport to go around the world at Epcot. It comes with a little sharpie so you can mark each country and what you ate or drank there. Because our family is so competitive, there's a prize for the person who experiences the most countries. There is also a scavenger hunt that we'll be doing too.

The little snack bag is Pepperidge Farm goldfish with little Micky heads--just for fun! These girls thought of everything and did a great job building the excitement. We can't wait. 

It will be interesting. Gone are the days where you just buy a pass at the gate. Now everything has to be carefully planned. Sandy and Mindy could definitely be those "guides" who get paid to plan trips for people. They are truly Disney experts. And we're so glad!!