If I Had a Crystal Ball...

By: Rebecca Farrell (@RMZFarrell)

Hello, reader…it’s been a while since you’ve heard from me. I promise that I have a very good excuse! In early July, my husband and I relocated from northern New Jersey and our jobs in New York City to Atlanta, Georgia. So in the flurry of getting ready to leave the north and getting set up in the south, as well as prepare for the impending arrival of our son (only 9 weeks to go – eep!), it’s been a bit hectic in the Farrell household.

Just yesterday, I found myself with a little free time in between work assignments and I filled that time with the re-creation of the spreadsheet I’ve been using to plan my son’s first birthday trip to Walt Disney World next October. (Note: I have already put down a deposit on a 9 day/8 night stay at the Polynesian for October 2014 – I did this the same day that the hotel rooms were released).

Even though the hotel rooms, etc., are available, I know that it will be many, many months before I can make any advance dining reservations or get a peek at the park hours for next fall. That didn’t keep me from using THIS year’s park hours and special events calendar to predict how our trip might shape up.

Some special things I’ve included so far are his first haircut at Main Street Barber Shop, a family breakfast at Ohana on his actual birthday (did I mention that date is TBD?), and a day at Animal Kingdom that includes Tusker House (for him) and Boma (for me).

But, as I started to slot things into my trusty spreadsheet, I started to wonder…what if my son is afraid of the characters? What if he hates going to restaurants? What if loud noises like music or fireworks make him cry? Is he going to be ‘that kid’ who kicks Minnie Mouse in the shins?

I love characters... will he?

I shared those fears with my husband, who agreed that all of those things are a possibility. And so now I ask you, dear readers, for your advice on how I can prepare my son for his first trip to Disney. Do you have fun or funny anecdotes to share about taking your child to Disney for the first time? Should we do a trial run at 6-8 months old to see how he reacts? Feel free to leave a comment below or email me directly at mrsfarrellhob@gmail.com.