M A G I C A L – 5 things I learned at Disney

It was kind of last minute and we went back and forth and back and forth on taking this trip. BUT, we went. AND, I am so happy we did.

It was so refreshing spending time with my mom and Thing 1 & Thing 2 before we welcome their baby brother/sister in 8 short weeks. Oy.

5 things I learned from this trip to Disney:

1. SLOW DOWN

Being 7 months pregnant helped that. Vacation is overwhelming for little kids. It’s new, out of their routine, and there is a lot to absorb. Some of the greatest memories on this trip were dancing by the castle…watching a bunny eat (yes we did this for almost an entire hour)…running in the rain…and riding the monorail.

By nature, we (adults) want to go go go. Mom and I really slowed down and just let the kids explore. Luke was Buzz Lightyear until about day 3 and then he became a pirate searching for buried treasure. Eden was a princess on day 1 and still a princess on day 5. (She was also a cat hoarder. We purchased two more cats, a cat hat and cat coffee mug.)

2. ARRIVE EARLY

This is the first time we have done this. My kids are not early risers, but they were this trip. We made early breakfast reservations so we could get into the park first. Try to make reservations before the parks even open if you can. Yes, everyone will hate life, but it’s SO worth it. It wasn’t super hot and the park was empty.

3. GO WITH THE FLOW

Things will not go as planned. You won’t get to do nearly as much as you hoped for, it could rain (or hurricane) kids can get sick (which both of mine did a few days before we left). It’s all OK! These are the things that make the memories you’ll remember. I saw so many parents rushing everyone around while kids were having meltdowns. Granted, I am not perfect… but just go with the flow. It’ll make everyone’s life easier and happier.

4. NAPS and SNACKS

Duh.

5. TAKE YOUR CAMERA

Also a first this trip. Usually I just depend on my iPhone and those Photo Pass people to take pictures. Let’s admit it, iPhone pics aren’t the greatest. The Photo Pass is great….BUT…it’s super expensive. I’m also a fan of candid pics and not staged smiling snapshots. The pros won’t take these kind of pics. I thought taking my camera would be a giant pain in the a**, but it wasn’t bad at all. And I’m really happy to have these pictures now.

***WARNING*** picture overload: