Sunday after the Tay Sachs conference ended, we drove to Orlando. We got up bright and early on Monday and headed to Disney World. We did not tell Lauren ahead of time that we were going to Disney, just in case our plans fell thru. We decided it would be fun to keep it a secret until we drove thru the gates! As we drove down the road to Disney, Lauren asked, “Why do all the signs have Mickey ears on them!?” Lauren kept asking where we were and I asked, “Where do you think we are, Lauren?” Lauren yelled, “Boston!” When we stopped to pay the parking toll, Lauren said, “That sign says Magic Kingdom!” (She informed me that she sounded it out. I did not know she could do that!)

We had a wonderful day! Lauren was so ex cited to see Cinderella’s Castle. She and Dave road the carousal and we stood in line to meet Darby, Pooh and Tigger. After meeting Darby, we started to walk away and Darby ran after Dave. She pointed to his University of North Carolina t-shirt and gave two thumbs up! (Darby and Dave must both be in mourning today after UNC’s loss.)

While we were looking around one of the souvenir shops, Lauren was asked to be in a little parade around the shop. She was thrilled to dress up as a princess and march around the store. Lauren has been all about Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty in the past but is now mesmerized by Ariel. So, she picked out an Ariel pin for Carmen’s stroller sunshade, an Ariel Polly pocket type set and an Ariel wand.

We watched the Dreams Come True parade and had a great view because they put us in the handicapped section. Carmen’s Kid Kart stroller does look special needs so we were often directed to the handicapped section. We were very appreciative of this special treatment! A heads up to anyone with special needs kids visiting Disney, I changed Carmen’s diaper several times in the First Aid station. This was much easier than trying to put a 30 lb. baby on a tiny changing table! The First Aid station had private rooms with beds to put Carmen on.

For dinner, we had reservations at the Crystal Palace. Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet came to our table while we were eating. Eeyore gave Lauren a big hug and Pooh held Carmen’s hand. The food was good at the Crystal Palace. It was buffet style and had everything from salmon to chicken nuggets. I especially liked the corn spoon bread.

We ended our day by taking the ferry back to our van. We are so glad we went to Disney and made special memories. We took lots of pictures and video that we will always treasure.

Tuesday morning we got up and headed home. We left around 9:30am and got home at midnight. It was a long day but both girls are wonderful travelers. I am far grumpier on long trips than Lauren or Carmen!

One thing we took away from this trip is that we want to do as much as we can while Carmen is alive so we do have the memories. It’s not easy traveling with all the equipment and being on our own at night (without nurses) but we can try weekend trips.