A New Tradition: Disney For Two

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A couple years ago my dear friend and I stumbled on an awesome tradition, a double date to Disney. Not with our husbands, just us and one of our kids. And it is amazing. So amazing we did it again two years later with the same results. A New Tradition: Disney For Two | East Valley Moms Blog

Let me back up a little, I am a mom of 5. She is a mom of 3. Included in my big family we have two “littles” and our oldest is severely disabled and wheelchair bound. Spontaneity is not a reality for us. Any travel either it be to California or Phoenix requires thought and planning. Travelling with our family is usually more stressful than enjoyable. Basically “vacation” mom is a stressed hag.

A little over 2 years ago Disneyland was shutting down Tower of Terror to change the ride to Guardians of the Galaxy, this was a bummer in our home. We were huge TOT fans and when our daughter (12 at the time) heard about it she was so sad. She’d ask all the time if we could please go one last time and I sadly told her no. We had a newborn and a one year old we were fostering at the time and Disneyland…no way. Then my friend called and asked “what if we take the girls to Disney for their Christmas gift?” (our daughters are best friends) My initial reaction was no. I tend to lean towards no for most things because of the work it takes to figure it all out is almost as exhausting as going, but my friend knows me and she told me it would be a quick turn around, she couldn’t be gone long either. And after talking to my husband, I said yes. 

The surprise was a hit! Our daughter was sobbing her face off when she opened her gift and read my poem that she was off to Disney with her best friend. The fun began a couple days later. We drove up, slept and woke up early and went to Disneyland. It was raining and cold and the crowds parted, we felt like we had Disney to ourselves for a couple hours! We rode Tower of Terror all day long! We laughed, we ran, we ate, we rode all the rides. My girlfriend and I sat and had a beer on the pier while the girls rode California Screaming (now Incredicoaster). The day was perfection. The day let us be spontaneous. It let us be friends with our kids. We didn’t have to say no to anything. It was all of us just playing on the same level for one precious day. 

Fast forward two years later and it’s Christmas again and my friend calls and asks if we want to do a round two. I’m hesitant because I am me, but I say yes. And this time we took my middle son (9) and her middle daughter (10) who have also been best friends for years and same results.

We had so much fun! The days started a little iffy with an hour long wait just to get our bags checked, but in true Disney magic, it all worked out. We rode all the new rides, checked out the new pier and even enjoyed a beer on it again. We laughed, we ran, we stopped for a churro and a pretzel (because when you only have to pay for one kid, why not) and hung nearly til closing time. I think my son couldn’t believe how fun I could be. He laughed so hard on rides he was too scared to ride just a few years ago. He was brave to ride the scary and not too cool to stand in awe of Elsa in the Christmas parade. It was another perfect day that will go down in the memory books. 

Disney is expensive. When you have a big family it seems practically impossible. And even when you save and go with a big family, especially ours, we are making sure places are wheelchair accessible, packing the medial necessities. We have to bring strollers for the little ones and plan on naps and meltdowns. These individual trips with our “big” kids has shown them a different side of their mom. A fun mom. A she’s not gonna blow any second on this family vacation mom. It’s bonding and showing them they are special and they matter so much to me. What better way to celebrate each individual relationship I have with each kid than in the most magical place on earth?

I don’t know who gets the next trip and what it will be but I already can’t wait to think no and still go! 

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