That "once in a lifetime" trip! :D

[faulknerm]

What a lovely top!!!! I love Ebay for all stuff but i've found some lovely Disney bits on there!

You must be getting really excited now!!!

There are some lovely Disney items at the moment, if fact I'm bidding on about 5 of them I think the kids fleeces are fantastic, and as it's likely to be cold when we're there in March I've got an excuse to buy Abi a couple.

Excited really doesn't even come close...anybody in my office would tell you that I've not stopped talking about Disney for weeks, in fact I think they probably can't wait as much as me, as at least once we've been I may get some work done again.

 

[faulknerm]

I ended up winning the fleece and the coat that I was bidding on, as the prices for the others went silly in the end. Got another couple of bids in now, again I probably wont win but it's worth a shot whilst the prices are just a pound or 2!

Day off work tomorrow so I may just have to make a "trip planning" visit to the Disney store!

 

[faulknerm]

Day off work tomorrow so I may just have to make a "trip planning" visit to the Disney store!

Naughtiness complete...and I managed to only spend £25.99

I'll post a photo of the growing Disney collection later

 

[faulknerm]

Sorry folks, photo's will have to wait until tomorrow - as I've just discovered that I've left my camera in work.

Anyway, todays purchases from Disney Store -

Minnie Ears
Eeyore Backpack
Minnie Messenger Bag
I Love Mickey T-Shire
Reusable Mickey Shopping Bag

My mum has also just emailed to say that she went out today, and also decided she had to go into the Disney Store. She came away with a Minnie dress

 

[faulknerm]

I'd managed to find bags for all of the other 3, but not for myself. Was just looking for a messenger type bag to carry with me whilst we're in the park with "essentials" in in. Just come across this and it's perfect, so I'm going to order myself one and then try and sell a couple of bits on Ebay to pay for it.

 

[faulknerm]

Got a copy of the Brit guide on Amazon today for a couple of quid, so that should be here in the next couple of days...will give me something new to read!

That really does have to be the last of the Disney spending until at least payday though, unless I get my Ebay account sorted out and manage to make a few sales...

 

[faulknerm]

Just decided, after much deliberation, that I'm definitely going to buy some shares so that I can join the Shareholders club.

Apart from access to Salon Mickey, which will be a great bonus, I'm sure that I'd soon recoup at least some of the investment in discounts whilst we're there - as I'm bound to spend a fortune!! (and obviously I'd make sure the rest of the family got the benefit of discounts too )

I'm hoping that the share prices manage to drop a bit more before I get my order in, as today's 5% drop still leaves them quite expensive compared to 6 months ago, but at the same time I've just sold off some other shares and locked in enough profit to pay for the Disney ones.

Once I've got my shareholders card, it gives me an excuse to spend even more whilst we're there as I'll need to get my moneysworth from the discounts!

 

[faulknerm]

Got a copy of the Brit guide on Amazon today for a couple of quid, so that should be here in the next couple of days...will give me something new to read!

And how's that for service? Ordered yesterday lunchtime, delivered this morning before I left for work!!

I'm only about 20 pages in so far, but it's a great read - massive thumbs up to Simon and Susan.

 

[faulknerm]

As promised earlier in the week, some photo's of the Disney goodies below.

Sorry they're a bit rushed, X Factor was just starting when I was taking them so I had to hurry lol.

The Ebay bits haven't arrived yet, but all payments were received by the sellers today so they should be here in the next few days.

I'm going to watch the end of X Factor (wow, Ethan's voice was amazing!) and then go and relax in the bath with a glass of red and the Brit guide.

 

[faulknerm]

Ooh, sorry it's been so long since I last posted an update.

Anyway, Mum and Abi's passports have come through now meaning that all the paperwork is in order for our trip.

I've got a big custom printed card to give to Sarah at Christmas - with Winnie the Pooh on the front, and a "surprise" message printed inside. Can't wait to see the look on her face.

Less than 5 months to go...!!!

 

[faulknerm]

What's going on with the Euro rate?? It's painful!

Last time I bought Euro's, the rate was about 1.26-1.27 which I didn't think was too bad, but the current rates are appauling. Fingers crossed for some sort of recovery in the next few months.

 

[kizzabel]

Hi Marc
thats such a nice caring sweet thing to do. what a cool brother!
the best mine gave me was a dead arm!! lol

what dates are you over? im 1st to 3rd march. we could only plan a couple of days cause my mam is minding our 8month ds and it wouldnt be fair..... but the next trip i think i'll just bring my dd, leave dad and son at home to bond

hows the planning going??
ive filled up the passport forms, bought lots of tshirts from ebay, booked and paid flights and thats it! only 2 million more things to do.... Budget s done though and we can go mad!!!

did you get free meals??

 

[faulknerm]

Hi Marc
thats such a nice caring sweet thing to do. what a cool brother!
the best mine gave me was a dead arm!! lol

what dates are you over? im 1st to 3rd march. we could only plan a couple of days cause my mam is minding our 8month ds and it wouldnt be fair..... but the next trip i think i'll just bring my dd, leave dad and son at home to bond

hows the planning going??
ive filled up the passport forms, bought lots of tshirts from ebay, booked and paid flights and thats it! only 2 million more things to do.... Budget s done though and we can go mad!!!

did you get free meals??

Hi Kizzabel,

We're over for 5 nights/6 days from 1st March - so you never know, we may bump into each other.

I'm pretty much at the same stage as you in terms of planning, especially the Ebay bit - I bought WAAAY too much lol. Still, I'd rather buy it cheap over here as it will leave us with more money to spend whilst we're away.

No free meals I'm afraid, as I booked just before the free night deal ended, but we're planning on being off site one day (to see the sights of Paris) and tend to have strange eating patterns, so I think we're best off just paying as we go.

 

[kizzabel]

am i jealous??
much!!
id love to go for 5 days!!

so what are you most looking forward to seeing or doing??
everything looks so good! i cant wait to get in the main gates and see the castle. it really is what dreams are made of!

where are you flying into?
we fly into beauvais (not loving that we have to be in dublin airport at crazy o clock but we should be in the park at 11am!!)

have you told the girls yet?
we told our almost 4 year old **groan**....
shes been fairly constant with the questions since lol!!

 

[faulknerm]

In all honestly, the think I'm most looking forward to is the look on Abi's face when she realises where we are - as we're not telling her until we pull up outside!! Other than that, I personally can't wait to go on TOT.

We're flying from Liverpool to CDG.

Neither of the girls know yet, but I'm planning on telling Sarah at Christmas. Abi hopefully won't find out until we get there though, unless anybody says anything before we go...

I bet your little 'un won't stop with the questions until you get there.

 

[faulknerm]

Made the final payment for our holiday today!!

I was originally going to pay it all when I made the booking, but the money I had to pay for it was tied up in a bond which only matured last week - so if I'd withdrawn it early I would have been penalised, and I figured that it was interest free with Disney so I may as well wait until it had matured.

It feels so real now that I know it's all paid for...and I'm getting so excited!

 

[kizzabel]

yaaay! thats brill marc!
only 128days til im there!
any more organising done pet?
getting kinda lazy here lol! going to get christmas a bit more sorted before i do anymore.
questions are still constant from the 4 year old!

 

[faulknerm]

No real updates I'm afraid, like you say Christmas is getting in the way a bit at the moment.

One minor crisis did pop up in that my passport has gone missing I had to send it off as ID to a bank and it didn't arrive with them, so I'm having to apply for a new one!! At least it's happened now though rather than a few days before we leave...

It's still a secret at the moment. Abi keeps commenting everytime that she see's the DLRP adverts on TV that she could go free, but we're making a big thing out of the cost for the rest of us so that she doesn't think we can go...I really hope that we can keep it from her until we actually arrive.

 

[eeyorefanuk]

I love it when the children do not know until they go, wont be long now

 

[kizzabel]

Hiya Marc
any planning since?
booking transfers and the airport hotel for the night brfore we fly this weekend! Goin to do my PTR early dec. we're nearly at the 100 day mark! cant wait til it gets down to double digits!