94 DAYS TO GO . . .

     WEDNESDAY JANUARY 19, 2011

     TODAY, DESPITE STILL BEING 94 DAYS OUT, I'M TALKING ABOUT SAVING ON SOUVENIRS, AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE I'M 94 DAYS OUT.  YOU SEE PEOPLE TEND TO GET LOST IN THE THOUGHT OF SOUVENIRS AND WHAT THEY HAVE TO BRING HOME, EITHER FOR THEMSELVES OR THEIR FAMILY.  WHEN REALLY SOUVENIRS ARE THE MEMORIES AND WHAT REMINDS YOU OF YOUR TRIP.  OFTEN IN THE LONG RUN IT'S YOUR PICTURES OR VIDEOS THAT ARE MOST TREASURED.
     TWO SEPARATE TIMES I HAVE TAKEN MY SON TO DISNEY FOR A WEEK, AT AGE 4 AND AGE 6, AND PLANNED MY SOUVENIRS IN ADVANCE.  HOW?  BY BUYING THEM IN ADVANCE.  "OH YOU'RE TAKING AWAY THE SPONTANEITY!"  YOU KNOW WHAT SPONTANEITY IS?  EXPENSIVE!  lol  PLAN A TRIP TO DISNEY AT THE LAST MINUTE AND SEE IF IT DOESN'T COST YOU WAY MORE THAN IF YOU PLANNED AHEAD.  SO WHY NOT TRY TO DO THE SAME WITH YOUR SOUVENIRS.  YOU SHOULD ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SOME ROOM IN YOUR LUGGAGE OR THE LIKE FOR THEM ON YOUR RETURN HOME RIGHT?  SO WHY NOT PACK THEM IN ADVANCE AND YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY'LL TAKE UP.  SOME MAY BE WORRIED ABOUT PAYING FOR EXTRA LUGGAGE, BUT I FLY SPIRIT AIRLINES, SINCE ATLANTIC CITY AIRPORT IS PRACTICALLY IN MY BACK YARD, AND THEY INVENTED THE EXTRA FEES!  SO FOR THE TWO OF US I PACK ONE BIG SUITCASE AND ONE LITTLE ONE, AND MAYBE A NO CHARGE BACKPACK OR EVEN TWO.  NO FEES FOR THEM AT ALL!  WHAT DO I MEAN?  WHEN MY SON WAS 4 ON HIS FIRST DISNEY TRIP, I PLANNED STUFFED ANIMALS FOR EVERY DAY WE WERE THERE.  ONLY THE "CRUSH" (TURTLE) WAS A LITTLE BIGGER.  THE REST WERE ALL FAIRLY SMALL AND THEY WERE ALL SOFT AND BENDABLE AND EASY TO PACK.  WHY?  I SHOPPED AT THE DISNEY STORE, THRIFT STORES, ON-LINE, ETC. FOR CLEARANCE PRICES FOR NEW THINGS.  WE ALL KNOW HOW RIDICULOUS THE PRICES ARE IN AND AROUND THE PARKS.  I EXPECT THE SAME ON A DISNEY CRUISE.  YES, THERE ARE ALWAYS A COUPLE DEALS TO BE HAD, BUT REALISTICALLY, MOST ARE OVERPRICED.  SO FOR VERY LITTLE MONEY MY SON HAD A PRESENT WAITING FOR HIM ON HIS BED EVERY DAY WHEN WE GOT BACK TO OUR ROOM.  BEST OF ALL, HE WAS CONVINCED THAT MICKEY MOUSE HAD LEFT THEM JUST FOR HIM.  AND THE SAME PREMISE WORKED WHEN WE WENT BACK WHEN HE WAS 6 YRS OLD; JUST THE GIFTS HAD CHANGED.
     TIME IS YOUR FRIEND, NOT YOUR ENEMY.  THE MORE YOU HAVE, THE MORE YOU SAVE.  PLUS, WHEN NOT PRESSED FOR TIME OR CHOICES, YOU CAN SHOP MORE FOR WHAT YOU KNOW YOUR KIDS, OR FAMILY, OR FRIENDS REALLY LIKE, AND AT A MUCH BETTER PRICE.  OF COURSE THERE MAY BE SOMETHING YOU WANT TO BUY ON-BOARD, BUT NOW YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'VE EARNED THE RIGHT TO SPLURGE A LITTLE, BECAUSE, UNLIKE MOST, YOU'VE ALREADY SAVED A LOT.
     WE'RE SAILING AT EASTER.  I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT MY SONS EASTER BASKET.  I WAS GOING TO PACK A SMALL WICKER BASKET AND THEN STILL BE ABLE TO USE IT FOR FRUIT IN THE ROOM AFTER, AND LEAVE IT BEHIND AT THE END.  OR MAYBE ONE OF THOSE CLOTH EASTER BASKETS THAT WOULD TAKE UP NO SPACE ON THE WAY DOWN, AND I COULD STILL PROBABLY LEAVE IT IF I CHOSE.  FINALLY, I FOUND A 17" STUFFED DISNEY CRUISE SHIP WITH A SET OF FOUR 6" STUFFED CAPTAIN MICKEY, MINNIE AND SAILOR DONALD AND GOOFY THAT SIT IN IT, ON EBAY (WWW.SHOP.EBAY.COM/?_NKW=DISNEY%20CRUISE).  I FOUND OUT LATER THAT THESE WERE FROM LIKE THE ORIGINAL SAILINGS OF THE DISNEY CRUISE LINE AND I GOT EM DIRT CHEAP.  SOME ARE SELLING THE SAME ON EBAY FOR CLOSE TO $100.  SO I CAN ALWAYS RE-SELL THEM FOR MORE LATER TOO.  SO NOW I HAVE THIS AWESOME CRUISE SHIP COLLECTORS ITEM THAT I CAN FILL WITH CANDY AND SURROUND WITH CHARACTERS AND USE AS DECORATION ON A CRUISE!  BECAUSE I TOOK THE TIME TO LOOK EARLY.  I ALSO BOUGHT DISNEY CRUISE LINE PICTURE FRAMES, TRADING PINS, STICKERS, ALL AHEAD OF TIME AND ALL REALLY CHEAP.  SO DON'T FEEL LOCKED INTO BUYING WHILE ON VACATION.  NO YOUR TASTES AND THOSE YOU'RE BUYING FOR AND YOU CAN SAVE A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY.
      NOT SURE WHAT'S UP FOR TOMORROW.  I'LL HAVE TO SEE WHERE MY MIND IS AT THEN.  SEE YA REAL SOON!   ºOº