Disney DTs

Last year was the first year since 2008 that I haven't gone to either Disneyland, Disney World, or on a Disney Cruise at least once.  (I even went to Disneyland when I was pregnant with Rose, and while I had to miss all my favorite wild rides, I STILL had a blast.)  Since she was a new baby and I was having such a hard time breastfeeding, I was a little sad about not going last year, but I knew it wasn't feasible and I had consoled myself with the thought that someday we would return.

I should mention here, before we went in 2008, I thought all those Disney Disney Disney people were nuts.  I had gone twice, and had had meh experiences both times (the first one because I was there with extended family and I am a nuclear kind of gal, and the second one because it was two weeks after my father died and I was in the early stages of pregnancy, and my sole purpose for being there was to take my rather ungrateful niece to the bathroom.  We also had stayed off-site both times, and my experiences have shown me that that will never happen again.) Anyhoo, I digress.  That 2008 trip was everything I ever wanted in a vacation.  It was in CA, where Coffeeguy has relatives, so we got to visit; it was in CA, 'nuff said; and it was my first vacation in 10 years.  It was also shortly after I was diagnosed with celiac disease, and let me tell you, Disney knows how to feed an allergic guest!! I carried boxes of Imodium "just in case" because my experiences with eating "gluten free" at restaurants were not encouraging.  I worried that if either have to starve or my stomach would pay the price for cross-contamination.  But no...Disney's chefs emailed me back & forth, and they had a gluten free meal for me at every restaurant where I had a reservation--and some I didn't! It was paradise.  I got to eat delicious meals and then go enjoy the park, without fear of having to stop every ten feet because a crumb got into my food! All of my food at the buffet was prepared separately in the back, and they even made me gluten free Mickey Mouse waffles that were to die for.  

Add to this the fact that my then-5 year old boy got to walk around the park in a fairy costume and not one cast member batted an eyelash, and my then-7 year old daughter got to take on Darth Vader at Jedi Training, and it was easily the best vacation I have ever been on.

Now, back to the DTs.  I had hoped to use my tax returns for a trip this year.  Rose is 15 months old now, but would be closer to two, and she adores Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and absolutely can't get enough of Wendy & Peter Pan.  My older two are 13 and 11, and the time when a family trip will cease being a bonding experience is fast approaching.  I feel like now would be the perfect time to take a short trip to WDW, to get me out of this withdrawal stage!  Alas, Coffeeguy doesn't seem to be on the same page.  While our tax returns were healthy (thank you, Rose, my beautiful little tax deduction), we do have to get our second car back on the road--which still leaves some money, but maybe not quite as much as we'd hoped.  I vote for a short trip (though we are adamantly against value hotels with a little one due to the long bus ride) in a moderate hotel, and if we include the meal plan we won't have to worry about gluten free foods or bringing money for dinners.  

Maybe that's not reasonable, but this mama is dying to see Rose's reaction to the Happiest Place On Earth!