Magical Monday || We are DISNEY BOUND! - Southern State of Mind Blog by Heather

I. Am. So. Excited. Because…We are DISNEY BOUND! Yep- we are taking our boys to Disney FOR THE FIRST TIME next week and we are all eagerly counting down the days! Since it has been such a crazy year we are thrilled to be able to put a little magic in 2020 for our family. Just watching the current Disney commercials literally is bringing tears to my eyes. And you know what was a happy surprise that I realized after we booked? The park will be decorated for the holidays! So of course I needed some sequin Minnie Ears to celebrate.

Obviously the world is a very different place right now and we cannot ignore that there is a pandemic. However, after reading up about the safety precautions and talking about it with Amanda over at Dixie Delights/Glass Slipper Concierge (who has spent 19 days at Disney since the pandemic began), we feel that the timing is right for our family to safely enjoy this adventure. To read a first hand experience about the safety protocols- you can see what Disney is doing over at Amanda’s blog.

Our boys are ages 9 and 6 and Disney has come up in passing over the years but never been a main thing that they have begged to do. I priced it out a few years ago but ultimately always ended up choosing to spend our vacation dollars on other trips. Honestly, I don’t know what changed but something just clicked a few months ago and it all just seemed to feel like the right time for us to visit Disney. I think after reading that the park capacity is much much lower and that everything is so clean it really seemed attractive for the first time ever. I was always fearful of long lines, bratty cranky kids (mine and others ha ha) and hot steamy Orlando weather. ( I have lived in Florida for 12 years (Orlando for 3) of my life so I know the pros and cons of Florida weather!)

We kept it a secret from the boys until last weekend when we planned a scavenger hunt with clues and Disney trinkets throughout the house. I don’t know who had more fun doing it- my husband putting the hunt together, or the boys doing the hunt! I set up my phone to record the reveal and here are a few screen shots. Can you see the joy!?!

We’ve been enjoying the countdown and updating this chalk board the first thing Sweet B does every morning before school!

And this weekend I surprised everyone with Mickey Christmas pajama pants. Aren’t these so cute? They are from Target and I couldn’t resist.

We are really enjoying the anticipation of this trip and it has been a really nice thing for the boys to look forward to. Will Disney look different? Yep. But will it still feel magical? I truly believe it will! Since they have been face-to-face in school all year, they are pros at wearing a mask all day. Also since this is our first time- there won’t be any let down for some of the things that are closed at the parks such as the parade and fireworks. I think 2020 has also taught me a lot about letting go and I have zero expectations about this trip. If we ride 10 rides or 2- I just want to enjoy this special few days with my family!

Just a few more things I wanted to share below!

TRAVEL AGENT||

Since this is our first trip I am not an expert- but I do have a friend that is! Amanda over at Dixie Delights/Glass Slipper Concierge lives and breathes Disney and is an absolute delight to work with! She’s very responsive and you can really tell she cares deeply about her clients. I would highly recommend if you are looking to plan a trip.

HOTEL||

For this trip, I am thrilled to have partnered with the Four Seasons Orlando. I will be sharing lots of our time at the parks and also our downtime at the hotel. We even planned a non-park day just to enjoy the hotel! With a 5 acre water park including a meandering lazy river- we will certainly enjoy both our time at the parks and our time recharging!