I Must Be Dreaming

Our little princess had quite the outing.  In fact, she had a Royal ball!

Scott had an impulse, and usually his impulses tend to be big.  This time it was grand.  

Let me backup a little.  The first time we went to Disneyland as a family (Megan was 3), it was magical.  It was the most amazing experience.  It was absolutely perfect.  Megan was so taken by the characters.  She couldn't get enough of the rides.  We had such a fabulous time as a family.  (I honestly think Disneyland is much more fun to go as a parent than a child).  We had such a grand time that we decided to buy annual passports.  That year we went to Disneyland 4 times.  It was wonderful.  We were there just days before our passes were to expire.  There is no incentive to renew.  So we thought we would be smart and buy annual passports the next time we came and maximize our time.  Well that was two years ago and we haven't been back.  Megan asks all the time when we are going.  We keep telling her soon.  Yet, we haven't been.

So back to Scott's impulse.  He was sitting at work when the Southwest Airlines "Ding" alert popped up on his computer.  They were offering extremely cheap tickets to fly down south.  With Disney Dollars itching to be spent, Scott bought tickets for Megan and him to fly down early on Wednesday morning, spend the day at Disneyland, and fly home that night.  

When he first told me his idea, I wasn't quite sure what to think.  I was afraid of overdoing it for a six year old.  But this obviously isn't something that happens often in this house.  In fact, excluding trips to grandma and grandpa in Utah, we haven't been on a vacation since that last trip to Disneyland two years ago.  

Now that this is a memory, I am so happy they did this.  They had an amazing time together, a memory that will last forever.  I'll let Scott share the details.

SCOTT SHARING THE DETAILS:

So, I went in to wake up Megan at 4:45 a.m.  She had no idea that we were going to go to Disneyland.  It took her about a minute to wake up, and even then, when I would say "Wake up Megan," she would open her eyes, look at me and close them again.  Then I said, "Megan, do you want to go to Disneyland with me?"  She opened her eyes, looked at me and said, "Are you serious?"  I said that I was and she said, "Okay" and mustered a sleep-deprived smile on her face.  After good-byes to Debbie, we were off to the airport at about 5:15 for a 6:45 a.m. flight to Orange County.  Megan was very excited and she couldn't stop talking about what she wanted to do at Disneyland first, second, etc.  When we got to the airport, I asked if she wanted some breakfast and she said that she wanted to wait until we got to Disneyland.  I told her that would be fine and, since it was her day, we would do whatever she wanted.

So we get on the airplane and the Southern Belle flight attendant immediately notices that something is different than usual.  The 6:45 flight to the OC is usually a business-person only flight.  With one exception, it was.  So Miss Southern Belle asks Megan if she is going anywhere special, like Disneyland.  Megan was beaming from ear to ear and she told her that we were going to Disneyland.  The very short flight was seemingly endless for Megan. 

When we arrived, Megan was so excited.  She had decided what the first ride was going to be and, true to form, it kept changing.  The first ride ended up being Alice in Wonderland, followed by the Tea Cups.

When I asked Megan if she wanted breakfast, she continuously rejected the idea opting for more and more rides.  Finally, at 11:45, I told her that we had to stop and get something to eat.  Throughout the day, we went from ride to ride at the whim of a 6 year-old.  It was awesome!

Initially, Megan did not want to go on any roller coasters.  So we went to Toon Town and I told her that we needed to look at the Gadget's Go Coaster (the kiddie roller coaster).  After seeing it, she decided that we could ride it, but "only one time!"  After riding the Go Coaster, she insisted that we go again...and again...and again.  That's right...for those keeping score at home... we rode it 4 times!  

So I decided to up the ante.  I told her that we needed to go on another roller coaster that was just like the kiddie coaster, but was a little longer.  I am referring to Thunder Mountain Railroad.  At first she just wanted to see it.  Then she agreed to go on the ride.  After riding Thunder Mountain, she wanted to go again...and again...and again.  It was great!

From there we went on Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, and back to all of the Fantasy Land Favorites.

We were able to catch about 15 minutes of the Parade of Dreams.  Then we had to run off to the airport.  I had Megan change into pajamas before the flight home, knowing that she would crash out on the flight home.  We had barely taken off when she put her head down on my lap and she fell asleep!

There were so many highlights of the day, I wouldn't know where to begin if I tried to tell them all.  For brevity, I will include only a couple.  When we were waiting for the flight in Sacramento, Megan said, "Dad, it feels like I am dreaming."  I replied, "I know sweetheart, me too!"

The other was when she traded pins with a cast member.  There are several cast members whose job it is to trade pins with kids.  After trading pins with this nice young cast member, she told him that it was her first time ever trading pins.  So he reached into his bag and pulled out a Tinkerbell pin.  He told her that she should never trade it because it was a limited edition pin and you can't buy it in a store.  She handed it to me to put in the backpack.  She said, "I'm never going to trade it because it will always remind me of our trip."  I must admit that I had to hold back the tears.  I hope that she always does remember it.  

For me, I will never forget how great it was to spend the day with her at the Happiest Place on Earth!