So back to the "surprise" Disney trip... B found out in September (have I mentioned I am a terrible liar- he guessed). It was impossible for him not to tell his twin brother (Q)..of course. So 2 out of 5 were privy to our plans, and then our 9 year old (I) found out a week before we left; after mass while we were talking to friends...ooopsy!!! So Now 3 of the 5 kids were excited about sun while we were enduring wind and snow. The last to find out was D (age 5) we told him we were going to a "pool" for a few days during Christmas Break. That seemed like a perfectly legitimate reason to have 7 filled-to-the-brim suitcases sprawled out in his parents bedroom. The morning of our flight we told him the pool was a little farther and we would have to take a plane. On the way out of the Orlando airport I mentioned we should go the same way as Disney World, our 5 year old son heard and repeated "DISNEY WORLD???" slack jawed. The cat was out of the bag; and the trip was henceforth referred to as... "My Disney dream come true"....by little D. I made sure my kids (the 18 month old, the 5 and 9 year old) wore tattoos with our cell phone numbers on them (you can personalize and purchase here safety tat website) And D cried ...so hard that he HAD to wear the tattoo. Of course, God is so good and a sweet woman mentioned how much she liked it on the monorail that morning. This was Disney Day one, and later that day my usually mild mannered baby had a complete melt-down on the same monorail. It was seriously one of the worst tantrums I have witnessed (and I have 5 kids!)..just know that when you travel it will not be without a few crosses and hiccups. Plan on them, then you aren't disappointed when they occur. You will also have more to "offer up," as you will be having (mostly) the time of your life.
The Fam, making monkey faces with Rafiki @ Animal Kingdom
All together we took 13 days out of our "over-scheduled" life and enjoyed each other's company. I feel like we spent more time together that week than we do during the rest of the year in our hectic life, of course this is not true but reconnecting as a family was the best gift of this trip. We went to Disney 6 days total. The crowds were crazy for these small-town folks, so we would go early and once the crowds got heavy we left and went to another park: Epcot, Animal Kingdom, or Hollywood Studios. We also went to Sea World, and the beach twice (Christmas Day at Clear Water Beach and New Years Day at CoaCoa Beach). A day at the beach is the closest thing we have to heaven in my opinion. It just doesn't get any better than sun, sand and tranquil waves.
Momma and her 5 gifts in front of the Basilica in Orlando, FL
The best part of our trip was an amazing Basilica Mary Queen of the Universe just a few miles from our condo, which made it convenient to make it to mass the 4 times it was required while we were gone.The Basilica is stunning: the nativity scene was amazing, the art, the stations of the cross...the mother and child garden are all places I could spend the entire day. I love the uniting of God and His Gifts! It made my heart gush as a Catholic that at every mass we attended every pew was packed! Filled to the gills, with people from every walk of life. I am sure many different countries were represented, different languages, all united with praise of Jesus Christ our Savior in our hearts. The same mass resounding in the heavens, the same readings, the same Eucharistic Celebration. The ritual of giving thanks and praise for the grace of our sins being forgiven. It ignites my faith!
So the answer to the first question, can devout Catholics do Disney for Christmas? I am going to say yes, definitely YES!! Be sure to plan, Mass Times will help you find a place to worship. We realize our family, our children, our time together, our life is all a gift. They are gifts to be celebrated. All praise and glory to the giver of all gifts, GOD, our Heavenly Father!
If you are not Catholic but you wish to understand more about the Catholic Faith, I recommend the video Breaking Ground. It is a Pastor and a Priest sitting down and discussing what we can learn from each other. It's beautiful and I think we are called to Christian Unity. Let us not focus on our differences but rejoice in our common love of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. We are united in Christ, our Savior!Video Link
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