My Real-Life Prince Charming

In between the kids' temper tantrums, arguments, and the other stresses that come our way, I remember how lucky I am to feel like I am living a fairy tale straight out of a Disney movie. I have my children and my castle, but it really all started with my Prince.

On the anniversary of our 6th wedding anniversary, I thought I'd dedicate this post to him, because without him, this blog probably wouldn't exist.

As I've mentioned in the past, I've always been a big Disney and Walt Disney World fan. Every year I'd ask my parents to take us to WDW, and I was very lucky that some years they listened! We always had a great time, and I secretly hoped that whomever I married would enjoy it as much as I so we could return when we had a family of our own!

Once my soon-to-be-husband and I got closer to marriage, I began to put the bug in his ear: "You know, we should really visit Disney World one day," I'd say. Unfortunately for me, it seemed to go in one ear and out the other. He had absolutely no interest in visiting an "amusement park" (as he called it).

That all changed, however, in October 2007, when for some reason, he decided to give it a shot! I don't remember how I convinced him, but I think the perk of free dining helped. Of course I thoroughly enjoyed that trip. I cried at the end of the week because I didn't know when we would ever come back. What if once was enough for him? Well, to my surprise, he wanted to return just as much as I did! That was music to my ears.

We defied the misconception that WDW is just for kids. Only 8 months after our firat trip, we returned, newly pregnant with our first child. Again, we had an amazing time, despite my all-day nausea.

Now, two children later, we return to Walt Disney World two to three times per year, and have also included Disney cruises into our repertoire. We love it even more now with our children, than we did by ourselves.

I am so thankful to my husband. He has a job that allows us to frequent the World so often, but what's more is that he doesn't just agree to the trips for me. He gets it. I don't have to explain what's so great about seeing the Castle when you first walk onto Main Street or why I get goosebumps when I watch SpectroMagic or Fantasmic. I just look at his face and I know that he gets it. I am so thankful to have him to share the Disney magic with.

So, today, and everyday, I am thankful for what he's brought to my life. Happy Anniversary to my very own real-life Prince. I love you.



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Letting Disney in

My husband and I often joke that my sister and brother-in-law need to "let Disney into their lives". They don't have children yet, so they feel they have no need to visit Walt Disney World. They like to tease us about going to WDW so often and about how we probably have just as much fun there as the kids.

They're right. We go to WDW just as much for us as we do for our children. Probably more so right now, as our children are very young. But, letting Disney into your life does not simply mean making the obligatory once-in-a-lifetime visit to the World.

In my household, Disney is not just a brand of movies, toys or the Most Magical Place on Earth. It's a lifestyle.

Some people take issue with what Disney promotes. One such example is the focus on princesses for little girls. The argument is that girls should be taught to be strong leaders, rather than to be dependent on a "prince" for happiness. Well, we have no issue exposing our children to Disney's overarching mantra: believing in your dreams and making them come true.

As such, we have no problem "letting Disney in". Our children regularly watch Disney movies, wear Disney clothing, listen to Disney music and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Knowing that one of my son's first words was Goofy makes me proud. Watching as my daughter asks to be measured every day by my husband in order to see if she will be able to go on a new ride at WDW makes me happy.

We have definitely let Disney in and will never go back. I am proud to show my children that, in a world with so much negativity, anything is possible... dreams do come true. And when we sometimes forget this, there is a "World" out there, filled with pixie dust, waiting to remind us.


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Why we never tire of Walt Disney World

I have been coming to Walt Disney World since I was a child, but my visits became more frequent after I got married. One trip was all it took to get my husband on board and he was converted. We have been coming two to three times per year since 2007. This is partially due to the fact that in 2010, we became Disney Vacation Club members. We have been truly blessed to be able to vacation at the Most Magical Place On Earth as often as we do.

Of course, not everyone sees it as a "blessing". We often hear, "again?!" or "aren't you sick of that place yet?!". Yes, it becomes annoying feeling like you have to defend your vacation choices, but I decide to try to enlighten people with my answers instead.

I tell them it's not just about the rides. It's about the feeling I get when I step on the Magical Express and all my worries and stresses of the real world vanish. It's not about seeing people dressed up as stuffed animals. It's about seeing my daughter's eyes light up as she approaches Mickey, thinking she is about to meet one of her best friends. Surely, you can never grow tired of those special feelings and experiences.

Of course, when traveling with children, it is about the rides and characters in their eyes. The beauty of beginning their Disney trips when they are young is that you can watch them grow a bit each vacation. My son, Max, is currently 19 months old, but has been to Walt Disney World five times. He has always been afraid of the characters, but this trip, something changed. For the first time yet, he approached Princess Tiana on his own and handed her a flower that he picked. That, to me, was Disney magic. On our first trip with Max, he was afraid of the Uzima Pool at Animal Kingdom Lodge. We spent most of our pool time that trip holding him above water. This trip, he was happily diving about, not caring whether we were there or not. My daughter, Claire, rode Splash Mountain for the very first time this trip! Although she has been to Walt Disney World eight times so far, she is just at the very beginning of her thrill ride adventures!

I am happy to explain this all when people ask. To my family, Walt Disney World is not just a theme park, but a wealth of memories that we add to each and every trip. Creating memories as a family will never grow old for us.


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[Disney] Decisions, Decisions

I know this is a good dilemma to have, so I'm definitely not complaining... But I still need a decision!

I guess it's no secret that I REALLY enjoyed our first Disney cruise: 4 nights on board the Disney Dream. We had cruised four times prior to this one, but none were on DCL. There was something about a cruise combined with the Disney atmosphere reminiscent of that found in Walt Disney World that made this cruise incredibly magical for me!

So, we are currently booked on the same 4 night Bahamian cruise in September. This is the vacation week we were supposed to spend in WDW, but have now made it into a land and sea-type idea. Because we booked it in May onboard the Dream, though, staterooms were limited, and we were booked into an expensive verandah cabin. Whatever.

Now, because I'm obsessed with Disney travel planning, I'm always trying to think of new ideas and find ways of getting good deals. Well, it turns out that if we book a 7 night Caribbean cruise onboard the Fantasy (Disney's newest ship!!), stay in an ocean view stateroom (no balcony), pay for part of it with the DVC points we were going to use on the "land" portion of our vacation, we could actually save some money. This is, in part, due to the fact that we will no longer have to pay for our meals while in WDW.

Well, I'm all ready to switch my reservation because I'm dying now to try a 7 night Disney cruise! My husband, though, is resisting. He really doesn't want to give up those days in WDW. I see it as Disney is Disney, and I get that same warm and fuzzy feeling whether I'm on a Disney cruise or in Disney World.... But he still really wants the WDW aspect!

Truth be told, when I really want something, I can usually work my magic to eventually convince him, but will it work this time? And in time before all the inside ocean view cabins sell out?! Oh, and I should mention that we are also already booked on the 4 night Bahamian in May again.

Any advice?


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Happy Anniversary Goofy!

It's May 25, 2012. 80 years ago today, a yet-to-be-named Goofy made his debut in the animated short, Mickey's Revue. In honour of Goofy's anniversary, and the fact that he's my daughter, Claire's favourite pal, I decided to blog about my favourite Goofy encounters.

One of my daughter's favourite Goofys is Pirate Goofy, located outside of the Pirates of The Caribbean attraction in Walt Disney World. I think she really enjoys his elaborate pirate costume, and his overall "goofy-ness". On our most recent trip, he made a big fuss about her Goofy doll and gave her a huge bear hug!






We had another great Goofy experience at Chef Mickey's this trip. Claire always gets a kick out of the spilled ketchup and mustard on his chef's smock. What really stood out to me that night, though, was that Goofy kicked my husband out of his chair so that he could have a seat beside both my daughter AND son for a picture. Most characters at character dinners usually make a bigger fuss over Claire because she is more excited and Max is usually more shy, and Max sits in a high chair so he is immobile. Goofy, however, took the initiative to include Max in the encounter, and that meant a lot to me.



Another fun Goofy, that we, unfortunately, missed on this trip was Epcot Goofy at the Character Spot. He loves to do "goofy" poses with Claire!



Finally, we had a really special Goofy experience in Castaway Cay this trip, while on our first Disney cruise. While it was a brief encounter, posing for a photo, it was a novel experience posing with Goofy in his swim suit in The Bahamas!!



Happy Anniversary, Goofy! Thanks for the laughs!


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New in-room WDW toiletries

We returned from our day at Animal Kingdom to find new shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, bath soap and facial soap! This must be a very recent change since we were given the usual bottles when checking in. I'm not sure if this change affects all Disney resorts, or just the deluxe level resorts. We are at Animal Kingdom Villas.



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The end of a Disney vacation

It is the last day of our 10-day vacation. My daughter notices my sadness and when I tell her why, she reminds me, "mommy, we'll come back". Isn't it funny? My three year-old has more perspective than me.
She's right. As long as God wills it, we will be back, and in less than four short months. I have to admit, the planning of my Disney vacations is almost as fun as the trip itself! This prospect, along with the fact that our wait will take place during the summer months makes it all the more bearable! Swimming at our trailer every weekend is surely the best way to pass the time!
What will also make my wait more enjoyable is the fact that, again, this upcoming trip will not only be a Walt Disney World vacation, but also one which includes a Disney Cruise! We were bit by the Disney cruise bug and booked our September cruise while on board.
So, although we head home tomorrow, I return having lots to be thankful for and lots to look forward to!



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