Our local community theaters love to get donated costumes.

It would depend on the breed you are seeking and how available it is. We wanted a Klee Kai. Unfortunately, the breed is rare enough that there are no breeders in Florida where we live. I searched online for breeders. When I found the breeder who had a 3 page application and a 5 page contract to purchase, I knew she probably wasn't running a puppy mill. I did email her numerous times, however, to be sure. I also saw photos of her with her winning show dogs and agility dogs. She did have about 7 or 8 litters per year with her various dogs, which put me off a little. But, I just kept shooting off more emails until I felt extremely comfortable with her breeding skill and intentions. Of course, she was doing the same to me. She was very uncomfortable that I lived with alligators in my back yard. And she put a clause in the contract that states our dog can never be off leash. This is no problem since we would never allow her to be off leash where we live. At any rate, our sweet little klee kai at age 9 weeks was flown to us all the way from California. I'm sure it was a traumatic trip for her, but she is 3 years old now and doing fine. Enjoy your search.

From the Beach Club Villas you can walk to Epcot or Hollywood Studios. You can also take a boat to both. The bus will take you to other parks and Downtown Disney. You can also rent boats for the fireworks display at Epcot. The boat dock is just in front of The Yacht Club. For a little extra, you can add chocolate covered strawberries to the trip. There's Club May for dining which offers a fun character breakfast. Finally for kiddos about 6 to 10, there is a pirate cruise available. Book very early to get in. You can get a blue print of the rooms by visiting the Disney site. Also several new Disney downloadable apps help make the vacation a breeze. Head out on the Boardwalk at night which makes a big circle in front of the 3 Epcot resorts. The kiddos will enjoy popcorn, musicians, and magicians.

Here are a few other options you may not have thought about: 1. One of you buy a premium annual pass. The hotel room savings runs about 30 to 40% per night which on a 5 to 7 night stay will pay for itself, especially if you are thinking about 2 rooms or a villa. You will also get 20% off merchandise if you remember to pull out your card and ask. (Regular annual pass only gives 10% off). 2. You can purchase a Tables in Wonderland card for about $75 or $80. This will allow up to 8 people eating at the same time 20% off of food purchases. It doesn't include alcohol. But when you are feeding as many people as you are, this might be a good option for you. All Disney owned sit down restaurants are included. Counter service is not included. People would have to eat together as one cannot share the card with others. 3. Landry's has a similar card which covers their restaurants. It costs $25 and the $25 is given back to you on the first visit. It covers Yak & Yeti, Trek, and Rainforest Cafe. These restaurants will give you 10% off if you have an annual pass even without their own Landry's card. Personally, if I were in your shoes, I'd go with the cheapest option at Port Orleans Riverside. The rooms are very small, but the charm of the resort is unequaled. One can ride boats to downtown Disney, fish, swim, jog, rent Surrey bikes, and ride a horse and carriage. There will be plenty of things to do the two days you are having down time. And there are some cute gazebos for the kiddos to pretend play. The first week in December has recently become one of the busiest weeks of the year. It seems a ton of companies have discovered it to be a good week for conventions. The second week is hit or miss depending on how many conventions are scheduled that week. January and February have less crowds, but there is more risk with the weather. Happy planning. You can check out the DisBoards for specific questions as well.