Why I Take My Daughter to Disney

Cocktails in Teacups will be shortly turning into a Disney, Life, Parenting and Travel blog and due to this, I wanted to address today one of the questions I’m most often asked, mainly on my twitter account Livvybirdadventures “Why do I take my 3 year old to Disney?” Technically, I don’t have to justify myself.. I usually just answer the messages politely and move on, but I really just wanted to share my reasons on my blog, so it’s on record.

I understand fully that a holiday from the UK to Walt Disney World isn’t cheap. Trust me, I sit down monthly to ensure I save the right amount to make it happen, and it’s a fair chunk of my earnings. It’s still very much for the privileged few and there are many children who will never get to experience it. I work hard to try and make LM understand how truly lucky she is but with each trip our holiday is becoming more like we’re returning home. Little Miss doesn’t experience it the way I did as a child and that is making it harder for her to convince her that she is lucky because it’s not the norm. However, I still truly stand by the fact you don’t need to treat Magic Kingdom as a playground where you run into people you know at every turn.. the place itself is pure magic regardless of what kind of holiday you experience. Knowing people who work there means I know that this is what they live for, to make magic for every single person who walks through the gates. And in return, Little Miss and I try to give magic back in our own way.

Anyway, I’m moving away from the real point.. although I have briefly mentioned it.. the reason I take my three year old to Disney as much as a possibly can, is because it’s magic. And I want to take her as much as possible before the magic changes.. By changes, I mean she starts to grow up and she starts to understand that there are “friends” of characters. Don’t get me wrong, it’ll still be magical, I swear the place itself has a big vein of the sparkly stuff that runs right through the centre of each resort. I didn’t visit a Disney park until I was 9, and it was still magic. But I want see her face light up 100 more times when Pete and Rapunzel shout her name from the parade. I want her to feel like they know her, to feel like she’s special. And although I know this is deep rooted in the file I like to call my “single parent insecurities” but I feel like it’s my job to give her the best, and right now in her life, the best is our adventures together in Disney.

Before I went out in April, I had a lot of people tell me how it was a waste of money taking her. She won’t remember, she won’t enjoy it, it’ll be too busy, she’ll get too tired.. I had all the excuses under the sun. However, I knew my kid. I’m blessed with a very outgoing friendly bundle of energy. She likes to be friends with everyone. She doesn’t scare easy, she’s brave and intrigued by everything. But, Disney Parks at this age isn’t for every child and I cannot stress enough that you should gauge your child before taking them.. I saw kids older than LM freaking out over Chip & Dale.. LM is the kind of kid who walks right up to them. She’s been like this with everyone. In a way, this is how we’ve made friends. No one wants to be my friend, it’s LM and the way she is. I was lucky enough to be stood with a friend of a character we’d met during Festival of Fantasy in April (LM was asleep in her buggy, we do all try hard to preserve character integrity when she’s around) and she told me she hadn’t expected to have a full blown conversation with a three year old. Most kids LM’s age just stand there be in awe. Little Miss believes these characters from her favourite movies are her friends and wants to talk to them and wants them to play with her. I’m actually done with posed photos, the candids are much better because they’re a great way to capture special memories.

I know a lot of my reasoning is because I’m lucky LM is the way she is. My nephew met Andy Day from cBeebies and freaked out, he would really struggle in this environment. But these are truly my reasons for spending the money I do on a Disney park holiday. I cannot stress enough that I’m blessed to have friends who do make my life easier with offers of accommodation and paying for meals. That’s the reason I want to go back. LM might miss the Disney magic, but I miss the friends we’ve made. People who genuinely care for my kid and want to be around her. Plus I just love the States and I’m so happy I’m almost to double digits on the amount time I’ve visited haha.

These trips are worth every sacrifice I make. I look at my smashed iPhone and I don’t even care. It works still.. I want my daughter to be happy.. and this makes her happy. And at the end of the day, that’s all I care about. I’m sorry if you think it’s a waste of money.. I’m sure there are things you spend your money on that I think is a waste. Making my daughter happy is not a waste. Having known her for her whole life, I have never seen her happier than when she’s rolling around the floor of Cosmic Rays with two of her best friends, or causing chaos with The Tremaines in 1900 Park Fare, or playing shadow tag with Peter Pan.. Not on Christmas morning, not on her birthday.. So to me, ever single penny that goes into our trips is worth it. She might not remember it, but I will. I’ll remember that I did every thing I could give my daughter these magical experiences, I did everything I could to make her the happiest child in the world. Because at the end of the day, that’s my job as her mum.