We are now in the throws of planning our third trip to Walt Disney World, Florida (WDW). Unfortunately, our budget restrictions have not changed and so our trip is shaping up to be very similar to past trips. With a little innovative thinking, I have decided that one of the main areas where I can express creativity in the planning of this trip is by creating a new theme for the visit.
The first trip was to celebrate Annika's 5th Birthday.
The second trip was Lex' First visit AND Annika's 8th birthday.
This next trip, Annika will turn 11. But I do not want to focus this trip on any one traveller. I want the theme to be more original then that.
So I have been thinking about what each person wants to get out of this trip. Let's start with Daddy..David. He wants a low-budget, low-stress vacation where he can watch his children get excited and no doubt, feel some satisfaction for creating it. I can handle that...CHECK
Next is Annika, who loves to learn new things and be hands-on in exploring and discovering but HATES rides and amusement parks in general. So she will need to engage in activities and experiences that do not involve rides. I can handle that...CHECK
Then there is Lex, who will be four and who loves pretty much everything! He will enjoy rides and character visits and playgrounds and pools. Aside from exhaustion which will be a main part of his trip, he will be easy...so...CHECK
Last is Me. I want what David wants pretty-much, but I am also like Lex because that childlike side of me really wants to go on every ride. Then again, I am like Annika, I also long to discover something new or deepen my passion for discovering more about Walt Disney and the creation of the Parks and Resorts. I know that David is also a person who enjoys learning new facts and likes history. So the History of the creation of Walt Disney World is a wonderful backdrop for our trip.
What conclusion can I draw from this? A trip for discovery, collecting, experiencing, inspiring and relaxing. We certainly chose the right destination! We will travel in a budget-friendly way by choosing the least-costly but still Disney-owned resort. There are four in this value category. Add to that we will travel at a value-period of the year and still get the benefit of the Christmas-themed park. Christmas at Disney is practically a necessity for me now. We started Pin-collecting on our last trip, so we have that to continue. Pins can get expensive, but it is a fun and engaging hobby. The pins are so beautiful. As a family, I have been gathering any and all "old" or "used" Tee-shirts that reflect any Disney themes or parks or characters. I have a found a really awesome website to purchase Disney merchandise and I receive regular updates:
www.laughingplacestore.com
So this is the first step to anything enriching...asking and answering the question, "WHY"?
Our "why" is answered with a simple, "because life is for the living". So let's enrich our visit, our trip and our family connection by embracing each little step and victory and each thing we see and hear and feel. Let us make loose enough plans to allow room to discover while having enough of a plan to get us to the place we should be.
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