We’re Going to DISNEYLAND!

That ^^^ is no joke how our Disneyland trip begins. 

A few weeks ago, shortly after I found out I was expecting I was passed out for a nap with Max and had the most vivid, magical dream. That’s the best thing about nap dreams, I always remember them and tend to wake up inspired and motivated. Sometimes sad. That’s what happened the day of the Disneyland dream.

I dreamt that I took Jemma. Her first ever trip and she loved it, of course. I woke up with tears in my eyes. So badly I wanted to make my dream come true! But, well, money. And logistics. And a new baby on the way. None of that really aligned with a dream-induced, spur of the moment trip to Disneyland.

So, I did what every pregnant and hormonal woman would do. I texted my husband.

It went something like this … “Just had a really great dream that I took Jemma to Disneyland. Wouldn’t that be so cool if I could take her before the baby is born?”

He replied, “Totally!” One word answers to my texts while he is at work is about as good as it gets so I was pumped that he at least acknowledged my jabbering!

Ah! Totally? What does that mean?!? Does that equate to “Totally, yes, honey, book it before I get home from work today” or “Totally, in your dreams, crazy lady”?

Once we were all up from rest I sat those kidlets of mine down for an extra long movie and started my Dream Disneyland Budget. Dominic is WAY more likely to consider a shenanigan of mine if I have an Excel budget breakdown for him to review. So this was my obvious first step in planning. 

That evening (and many evenings after) I casually tossed out Disney snippets, timeline options and money saving ideas that had come my way. At the time we were making decisions on how to spend some of our tax return savings because we ended up only owing $60 and had put away more than that in our tax fund. Woohoo! An entertainment center re-design was big on my list of ways to spend said money and one night I negotiated giving up the entertainment center in exchange for a Disney trip. In fact, according to my calculations and our entertainment center quote, going to Disneyland would be CHEAPER than getting an entertainment center!

Dominic was enticed! I was on the verge of happy tears!

He liked my idea of doing something extra special for Jem before she becomes a big sister again. She was practically a baby herself when Max was born (just 22 months) and so this time, at 5 years old, we’re both expecting and excited to see her fill a big helper role in our family when we welcome her next sibling. A whole family trip seemed overwhelming (and more costly) and we’re not really up for juggling a baby at the happiest place on earth so, I reasoned, if Jem and I don’t go now, it will be another 3-4 years before a Disney opportunity arises. 

Plus, as I’ve learned through my evening orange juice sips and Disney reading, going to Disneyland while pregnant has its perks. We’ll be able to take a slower pace so Jem can soak everything up and so I can keep up. She most likely won’t be tall enough or interested in the rides I can’t go on. And we can relax and watch shows and parades to our heart’s content – something I feel like I’ve missed in the past while racing from ride to ride.

Still, a decision hadn’t been made. Dominic is meticulous and organized and would never book a vacation based on a dream. It’s not his style and one of the reasons we make such a good duo. And so while he mulled over my proposition, I continued to research and plan and hope and dream. Then one day, Southwest Airlines had a mega sale and the chance to save big dollars convinced Dominic that it was time to pull the trigger on tickets! EEK! My dreams are finally a reality! I’d say our dreams, but Jemma doesn’t know about the trip yet! 

Disneyland, Jem and I are coming your way in September! And blog land, stay tuned for some fun updates on my planning and pre-trip purchases that will hopefully make this a memorable and cost-effective getaway :)

Photo Credit