This was my morning greeting to my daughter every day leading up to our second trip to Walt Disney World. We were keeping that trip a surprise, but I still wanted to get her excited and remind her of the rides and shows she loved on our first trip, almost two years before.
So, every morning, I would tell her I dreamt about me and her on a ride, at a show, or at a restaurant which I knew she had enjoyed the first time around. She loved this morning ritual, and it always made for great breakfast conversation.
I loved watching her excitement each morning, and I couldn't wait for the day when we could finally wake her up and tell her we were going to Disney World!
I'm not going to lie - it was really hard keeping our trip a secret, but this morning ritual definitely helped to get me through it.
Finally, the big day arrived. We were up at 4 a.m. (we've always taken the first flight out), and we knew it was going to be hard to get her out of bed. So, there we were - my husband with the camcorder to make sure we captured that special moment and me trying not to get taped onscreen in my pajamas (come on, ladies, you know how it is - especially at 4 a.m.!!!).
Just as I had hoped for all of those long, long months, as soon as I told her we were going to Disney World, she jumped out of bed and was incredibly happy and ready to go! It had been worth the long, long wait.
Needless to say, it was a wonderful trip.
Well, our morning ritual was so enjoyable that it's continued to this day. Every morning, when she comes down to breakfast, I tell her, "Good morning, Sweetie Pie! Did you have sweet dreams? I dreamt that you and me were running down Main Street (or whatever else pops into my mind at the time)."
In between trips to the World, every day in our house starts out with a little bit of Disney magic - just another little way we keep the Mouse in our house...
I hope you'll share how you've surprised your kids with a trip to Disney World and how you managed to keep it a secret.
Until next time, remember to keep the Mouse in your house!
Monica
