Ahh, the magic of Disney. As parents, we plan our kids’ Disney trips with excitement and anticipation. We book the “princess luncheon” and pore over the park maps while the kids are happily snoozing away oblivious to the greatness that awaits them.
And if you are like us, you rouse your kidlets at 4 a.m. one morning to jump a plane and pop over to Disneyland, ready for memories to be made and lives to be changed. The excitement charges the air like an electrical storm, and everyone is ready to be thrilled to bits.
And, if like us, you land in one of the worst rain storms California has ever experienced, you try and look on the bright side.
And if, on your first day at the Magic Kingdom, Mainstreet USA is flooded and the outdoor rides are closed, and the only people in the park are travellers from the “wet” coast of Canada, well, you dig down deep and you make the most of it.
Because there IS magic at Disney. We found it, even with dark and threatening storm clouds above us. The magic shone through.
We pushed our stroller (covered in plastic garbage bags) with our 10 week old son snug and warm inside, and we purchased every ounce of raingear the local shop had available, and we surrendered ourselves to the Disney experience.
We rode, and we laughed. We dined with Princesses and even the rare Prince. We sat in our Gortex and our soggy sneakers and we let Disney’ world fill our hearts with its happiness.
We found the dry spots in the park and ate long lunches. We excitedly ran down to rides (yes ran, there were no lineups THAT day) and revelled in our luck! We splashed our way through the puddles outside and we even ate ice cream. (We WERE in California, you know.)
We didn’t let the weather stop us, not for a single second. We did long days, and embraced our opportunity, and we found our magic. We came back to our hotel, soggy, but happy, exhausted and content.
And we learned so very much. We learned that no matter the weather or how tired you feel, as soon as you put yourself in the moment and step outside, you will find something magical to be explored.
Our Disney Trip was almost four years ago, but we have kept that with us. As parents, that was a test for us, and we passed! Our kids didn’t notice the rain, and no one complained. We “parents” were on our best behaviour and pulled out all the stops to make this memory fabulous.
And we now know just how strong, and resilient we can be. We know what we can last through, and can dig deep to find that Disney magic, even when we are home. We layer the kids in gear and we take them outside. We make the most of every day, despite the weather, and we have learned to always embrace whatever the day may give us.