Less Than 5 Months...

Grand Californian at Christmas!. Image from http://www.mousewait.com/

It feels like my wedding. I am counting down hours in excitement and trepidation. I have a folder on my desktop and it's very own board on Pinterest. I have to-do lists, shopping lists, packing lists, and lists of "must haves" (where to go, and what to do). Reservations are made, and we have our timeline for when to book things we can't yet.

This trip is more than just a family vacation for us. There are so many layers to this trip.

1) It's the Happiest Place on Earth - For me. The feeling I get when I walk through the gates. There's something about the sights and sounds of the park. I feel like I'm 5 again. Mickey Mouse is REAL, and that really is Sleeping Beauty's castle. I love the people, the rides, the characters, the cast members, and the shows. I love the food and the shopping. I love every minute of it, and it really feels like I've been transported to a whole new world.

2) It's Their First Time - I will have a REAL 5 year old with me this time. That will be the biggest difference between this and our last trip. Princess and Tobes will be there, experiencing everything for the first time. To them, we WILL be visiting Minnie's house. Tobes will meet the REAL Mater (yay CarsLand), and Princess will get to see REAL princesses. Every time I get caught up in what I want to experience, I take a pause and realize that every little sight and sound will be magical to them. We are going to have 2 cameras plus a video camera with us on the trip to capture as much as we can - the look on their faces when we finally tell them where we're going (Tobes won't understand at first, but Princess will blow her mind), the gleam in their eyes as we enter the park. The screams of joy when they see their favorite characters walking (or rolling) down the street.

3) It will be Christmas! - Christmas!! Christmas!!! That's another thing - every time I think about the sights and sounds of Disneyland, I forget that it will all be combined with the sights and sounds of my favorite season as well!! Every last part of the park will be decked out in Christmas decor including trees, ornaments, snowflakes, and candy canes. Some of the rides will  have special themes like the Haunted Mansion and It's a Small World. There are special shows and parades. The hotel we're staying at has a HUGE tree in the middle of it's massive lobby every year. We can do some of our CHRISTMAS SHOPPING while we're there! We've never been during the holiday season (the closest we've gotten  has been a month later).

The countdown continues...