Disney Magic & The Concept of Paying It Forward

A week ago today we arrived back home from what can only be described as the most magical trip of our life. Yes, there were times that were challenging as you can imagine when you travel alone with a toddler, but on the whole, there was not one moment that I wished away. I didn’t get to do everything I wanted to do due to doing things LM wanted to do instead, but by the end of the holiday I stopped caring what ride we went on or who we queued to meet because every single second was an amazing memory. I’m not sad it’s over, but I won’t lie, I wish I was one of those lucky Floridian’s who going to the Disney parks was part of the every day but that’s probably more because I got to experience what that life is like through the many friends we made.

I am going to go on to doing a daily diary, some tips for doing Walt Disney World with a toddler, places we ate and what I thought as well as our best bits. but today I want to share something that I’ve spent bottled up for the better half of this week, and I’m the worst at keeping my own secrets.

Have you ever heard of the concept “paying it forward”? I had, but only in passing. It was never something I had experienced first hand. Until now. For those of you unfamiliar with the phrase, paying it forward is essentially returning a good deed, but rather than returning it to the original person, you pass it on. That’s probably not a great way of describing it but it’s how I described it to my mum. ANYWAY, while we were out in Florida, as I said, we made a lot of new friends. I feel blessed with the amount of people that wanted to get to know LM and I, and for once I could be sure it was genuine as I could offer nothing in return, I was only there for 10 days and these people visit the parks on a weekly basis. On returning home I was contacted by one of the friends we met out there telling me how she wanted to repay a good deed that happened to her years ago by paying for flights back out to Florida for LM and I.

I’m starting a new paragraph here in case you need a minute (or 10 like I did). For me I’d always seen paying it forward like paying for a grocery shop for someone who’d forgot their card, or buying dinner or a newly engaged couple. It didn’t extend to flights from the UK to the US, but for LM and I, it did.

The thing is, I’m a single mother and although I work hard, I don’t really make much so one holiday to Florida alone was a dream come true. Since then I have lost two grandfather’s which have made sequential trips in the future a possibility, but never in a million years did I think I would be able to take my daughter back to Disney World twice in the space of 6 months. I love my daughter more than everything and I do try my hardest to give her everything she deserves. And although it’s mainly my influence, her love for Disney is deep rooted and true. The foundations of this gift was the fact that everyone who met LM while we were out there could see how much she loved it. She fitted in perfectly.

Although this is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to us and I have wanted to scream it from my roof all week, there are people out there who don’t see this as an amazing thing for us. They were bitter about our first trip and will be more so now (yay for the town I call home). Not only that, but I’m not telling my dad just yet and even then it took a few days to have the courage to tell my mum. While I was out there were friends who offered us places to stay if we went back on a budget so they know as I needed to sound out dates before booking but aside from that.. However today I just needed to share, I can’t believe it’s less than 5 months until we’ll be back in the most magical place on earth!