Bippity Boppity Boo

"A dream is a wish your heart makes..." We dreamed of Disneyland and a couple Fairy Godmothers made it happen! We started the trip with a birthday visit to the Bippity Boppity Boutique. Emma and Gracie got to dress up in sparkly shirts and tutus then get their nails and hair done. Emma was a little overwhelmed at all the noise but enjoyed the look when she was all finished. All dolled up we went to visit the princesses and take pictures. We went on a few rides and played for a couple hours then Emma really started to feel run down so we left for the afternoon to check into the hotel and have dinner.

The next day Auntie Amber came in the morning and we got to play with Sam and Annie at Disneyland. Once again Emma lasted just a few hours then needed a break so we met family for lunch at the Rainforest Cafe and took Emma and Gracie to their Grandparent's house for some quiet time. Mommy, Daddy and Cora returned to the park for the parade and some shopping to get surprises for Emma. On Sunday we had a small

Emma & Uncle Nico

birthday party for Emma and Gracie with their Grandparents and then made the trip back home.

It was a really fun visit. It was so nice to see Emma happy and enjoying life. If anyone with a cancer kid is reading this here are some tips that made the two days happy for her and easier for us,

1. Check in with Disability on Main St. before doing anything else. If you child is under 5 I suggest bringing a stroller and having them put the "stroller = wheelchair" sticker on it. This allows you to go through the wheel chair exits and shortens your wait time to 2-15 minutes. Some rides we just carried Emma right on with no wait!

Carousel

2. Have NO agenda. Just do things as you feel. Do not rush from thing to thing and expect your child to tolerate about 4 happy hours and anything more is a weepy, tired mess. If you can stay at the Disneyland Hotel do it so you can stop for quiet / nap time in the middle of the day.

3. Have a stash of busy work and favorite snacks on you at all times. I am so glad I packed a backpack just for Emma with food. It would have been a nightmare to stop and wait in a line every time she was thirsty or hungry.

Jungle Cruise

For everyone else with a young family thinking of a trip to Disneyland as a vacation here are some worth its and skips,

Worth it: An $8 balloon. No seriously. That silly Mickey balloon kept the girls happy for TWO DAYS! Disney Photo Pass, it is a card that you get and each time you see a Disney person with a camera you have them scan your card then shoot. At the end of the day you log on to a site and you can pick the pictures you like and have them downloaded (for a fee). These photographers will also take pictures with your camera but if you are like me you are not going to chance your nice equipment getting damaged at Dland! Magic Hour, when you stay at one of the three hotels you get into each park an hour before opening. SO COOL! The park is nearly empty! The princess meet and greet. Wait in that line, once you are in you get to see at least 4 princesses one after another and the room has air conditioning. Bippity Boppity Boutique, do it! Just buy your dress ahead of time and have your daughter wear it in then do the small package and it is totally worth it! We did the tutu / shirt upgrade and I do not regret it at all but I kinda wish I had bought dresses before. Last, see a parade and get a front row seat. The characters come up to you to say hello.

Bippity Boppity Boutique

Skip: If you think the Grand Californian will be nicer because it costs more and it is the newest hotel, well, you would be wrong. Giant Disappointment! So many things did not work. The TV sound cut on and off all the time, the WiFi was a joke and you could not log on at all or you would get on and it would kick you off in two minutes, the hotel room was about as nice as Motel 6 which is a huge let down after seeing the lobby. I can say the staff was wonderful but the resort itself was disappointing after Aulani. Not worth the money, stay at Paradise Pier or the original Disneyland Hotel. Last skip is Breakfast with the Characters at the hotel. They told me that Mickey and Stitch would be at the CA hotel breakfast. Nope. Just a bear, a raccoon, and Chip n Dale. The girls were so disappointed! They offered to get us into a different breakfast but two 4 year olds and a 2 year old were not going to wait to eat even longer! The food was nothing to write home about which compared to Aulani was so sad. The Aulani breakfast with characters buffet was the best food ever and totally worth the cost! Overall, big thumbs down for the Grand Californian.

Our trip was amazing. So many happy memories and so much fun! I have a feeling that Emma will be talking about this trip a lot, it made a big impression on her. We are so glad this vacation finally happened, I guess third time is the charm!

My last thing to say about the trip is this, never take for granted that Emma will be here forever. We are so thankful to Uncle Nico, Aunt Amber, Grandma and Grandpa and Bethany who made an effort to see Emma on this trip. We treat her as if she will have a long and happy life but the reality is you should get your memories in while you can. Please make an effort to move other life events around so you can be at birthday parties or Disney visits. It means so much to Emma but also makes Mommy's heart happy to know that you had time with her while she is healthy as possible and able to see you.