Hurricane Irma vs. Mama’s Disney Dream

Spoiler: Mama wins.

OOOOOHHH Disney…Like every (or most) mother out there, I dreamed of planning the perfect Disney vacation. I swear, the moment I found out I was pregnant, I ordered the Disney planning DVD. That baby wasn’t even born yet and I was already mapping out character breakfasts and parade routes.

For a full year, I planned and plotted. I booked everything. Our strategy? Go all out for one magical Disney trip, then keep it chill for future visits. So I went big. Venetian Hotel. Meal package. Lightning Lanes. Every character meal known to mouse-kind. I had our days (and nights) jam-packed—even down to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. I was ready to run my 5, 7, and 32-year-old ragged. The spreadsheets were color-coded. The reservations were locked in. I was pumped.

But wouldn’t it be soooo boring if everything went perfectly and “we all lived happily ever after”? Of course it would. Cue dramatic music…

Four days before departure, my husband started a 48-hour shift. I sat glued to the TV, watching the Today Show, when the realization hit: Hurricane Irma wasn’t just coming—it was aiming straight for Orlando. I felt like Cinderella watching her pumpkin carriage explode.

That night, I sat my kids down and tried to explain that the Disney countdown had to pause. I attempted to define “hurricane” in kid terms and why it couldn’t just come another weekend. After bedtime, I did what any stressed-out mom would do—I called my neighborhood girl gang and we drank wine on the porch like it was our job.

Tuesday night: panic. Wednesday morning: mission mode.

We were supposed to leave Saturday. So Disney we would go. I got on the phone with Disney World. They were amazing—full refund, no questions asked. Next up: Delta. I don’t know if it was their customer service or my tear-soaked mom voice, but they rebooked us to LAX instead of Orlando. Then came the call to Disneyland. I told them my story, and they sprinkled pixie dust all over it.

The Disney agent booked us a room overlooking California Adventure with a perfect view of the Ferris wheel. She got us tickets, walked me through Lightning Lanes, helped with restaurant reservations, and even booked a rental car we picked up in Downtown Disney. Since Disneyland only has two parks, she filled the rest of our week with a hotel in San Diego, Legoland tickets, and passes to the San Diego Zoo. To this day, this is not only my proudest mom moment—it’s one of our favorite family vacations ever.

After everything was booked, I called my husband. He sweetly asked, “So babe, what are we going to do about this hurricane?” I told him, “Handled it.” Also told him not to look at the credit card statement. (Come on, Disney World refund!)

The Trip That Almost Wasn’t

We landed in LAX and hopped on the Disney bus to the hotel. The pool was closed, but we walked to the neighboring hotel and swam like rebels. We built souvenir bears at Build-A-Bear and had dinner at Rainforest Café.

Day 2: California Adventure. We rode Cars and Soarin’, met a ton of characters, and the park felt blissfully empty.

Day 3: Disneyland Park. No Halloween party yet, but we did the Bippidi Boppidi Boutique. Our daughter became Cinderella (for five whole minutes before I carried the dress around all day). Our son got knighted by the Fairy Godmothers and lit up like a firework. Later, during the parade, our daughter—on my husband’s shoulders—spotted Princess Tiana. She waved and shouted, “Tiana! Tiana! Princess Tiana!! It’s me! It’s Kate!” And Tiana, being the real MVP, stopped, turned, and gave her the biggest, brightest princess wave. Cue mom tears.

Day 4: Morning at Disneyland, evening at California Adventure. We ended the night with VIP seating for the World of Color water show. It was jaw-dropping and the perfect send-off to San Diego.

San Diego Shenanigans

Day 5: I packed up while my husband went to get the rental car. Minor panic—no car. But they found one and we hit the road. Stopped at Laguna Beach (IYKYK) and headed to Legoland. SO. MANY. LEGOS. My son was in heaven. But let’s be real—going from Disney’s efficiency to Legoland was like switching from a Tesla to a tricycle. We stayed a few hours, then headed to our hotel and the beach.

We stayed at The Dana. It was perfect. Gorgeous pool, great location. We hit Mission Beach, watched Coast Guard and Navy helicopters, and played in the sand.

Day 6: Breakfast at The Great Maple—ABSOLUTELY TO DIE FOR. I give it a 1000000/10. Then off to the San Diego Zoo. It lives up to the hype. Animal shows, incredible exhibits… they have a freaking panda! We ended the trip with dinner at an Italian spot on Coronado Beach.

Moral of the Story?

Don’t underestimate a mom who promised her babies Disney. Hurricane Irma tried to rain on our parade. But this mama? She rerouted the parade to California and made it magical.