Memories of Mom and Mickey-Our First Disney Family Vacation

Here at Walt Express, we have a whole new series asking our guest bloggers and readers to tell us about their first Disney vacation.  Our fourth installment is from a new guest blogger and Walt Express follower, Brandalyn Breaux.

“If there ever comes a day when we can’t be together keep me in your heart, I’ll stay there forever” – Winnie the Pooh.

Our whole family went to Disney World for Christmas in 2012. We were taking the dream trip that my mother had started planning a few years earlier – a trip she wouldn’t live to make. We called it our “memorial to mom” trip. Dad was thrilled to take his girls and their families and my sister and I were determined to do everything mom had on her list. There was also a small surprise in store for my sister on this trip, but I digress.

My parents had gone to Disney with my sister before so she knew what mom had enjoyed, which made it easier for us to plan our days in the parks. Dining at Cinderella’s Castle was a must. On the night we were going to eat dinner at the Castle, my son had made his way back to our suite to change his clothes. Imagine my surprise when he met us all decked out in his suit and tie in anticipation of meeting Cinderella in person. She was so impressed that she took a special photo just with him before we were seated. My son loves telling that story.

Momma loved Tinkerbelle so my sister decided that she and I would sneak away from the group to meet her and her sister, Periwinkle. Honestly, I wasn’t sure about this. Weren’t we kind of old to be standing in line with all the little girls and none of our own? My sister hushed me and we went. As we stood, I started talking about our mom and how she never knew that Tinkerbelle had a sister and how she would have loved that. Then I saw then and I got giddy. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. We got to hug them, and tell them how much our mom loved them and it was probably one of the most precious memories of the whole trip.

Waking up early to see Magic Kingdom opened was another favorite memory. My dad and the 3 kids stayed behind that morning. My sister told me that on a previous trip, she and my mother had stumbled upon the opening performance. She said I had to see it. So my hubby, my sister and her fiancé woke extra early to do just that.  I won’t give anything away but I cried watching it, thinking of our mom and how she must have loved that morning surprise, years earlier.  

Speaking of surprises, remember I mentioned earlier that my sister had a surprise coming? Her boyfriend became her fiancé during the trip. He proposed to her early one morning, on the balcony of their room overlooking Bay Lake. I knew he was going to do it, but neither of us knew how or when. He knew she wasn’t a fan of spectacles so he decided a private moment shared between the two of them made more sense. I remember sitting on the viewing deck of the Contemporary, drinking my morning coffee when she came running out to show me the ring. How’s that for making memories?

For one week in 2012, we experienced Christmas magic and Disney magic all rolled up together. We laughed, we cried and sometimes someone made a crude joke at the dinner table.  What really mattered most was that we spent it together as a family honoring the woman who made us a family. Thanks Mickey!  

More My First Disney Vacation Stories

• Reasons You Should Take Your Kids to Walt Disney World NOW!
• Secrets to Making Your Walt Disney World Expectations Become Reality
• Finding Joy at Disney After Loss: Our First Disney Vacation

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