Surprising two little boys on a Friday morning when they think they’re getting ready for school hits core-memory status.

Their older brother (“A”) orchestrated the whole thing.
A scavenger hunt, a trail of clues and a slow burn reveal.

First, he set the mood, as any proper gentleman should:
six items laid out, each tagged with a number, three of which were beach-vacation vibes. 

Those numbers unlocked the code on our luggage 🧳

Inside the suitcase:
A carry-on with 8 folders, each with a word needed to expose the hidden truth.

With (more than) a little help, a 7-year-old and a 4-year-old cracked the 8-word code:

Let’s skip school and go to Disney today!

As they shouted out with glee “WE’RE GOING TO DISNEY!!!” 🎉

The couch became a launch pad. Arms flailed and feet bounced. 

Reality paused for about 2 minutes, then we corralled the kids, zipped the bags, and hit the road.

Flying out of Milwaukee is easier. No debate there. (especially as a dad chauffeur 👨🏻‍✈️)

But saving over $500 on flights for a family of five will convince you to take a 90-minute drive too, I bet🤑

Watch out Chi-town, because O’Hare we come. 

$12/day economy parking.  Bus to the transport hub.  Monorail to check-in.

And naturally, TSA lines stretched the entire length of the lobby 😵‍💫

One hour later, we were gate-side officially trading Midwest winter for Florida sunshine 😎

Travel tip:
Google Flights and KAYAK.ai - AI Travel Planner are our go-to tools. Plug in dates, set alerts, wait for price drops. It’s almost like they want us to travel more 🤭

Sometimes trips go sideways. You don’t fight it, you wing it ✈️

Uncontrollables were the main theme of this trip.

This flight was super packed with the most amount of crying kids and the most… distinct smells, like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ sewer vibes.

We endured. We always do.

Arrival meant a shuttle to the rental car: more aroma included.
Somewhere between a locker room and forgotten basement socks 💩

Rental line: 30–40 minutes. Honestly, not terrible compared to other experiences. 

 A very basic Kia Sedona secured: Manual everything. We settled for boring. No frills. No flair.  

Pro tip: Pack extra patience this time.  You’re gonna need it 😉

Saturday morning (December 6th) kicked off with a St. Nick tradition 🎅🏻

Stockings were stuffed, and not just for the kids.

Seven adults donned matching Christmas jammies.  Kodak moment 📸

Fueled by coffee and breakfast, time to get down to Dis-ness. 

First stop: Disney Springs. (Downtown Disney for the OG’s)

With shops everywhere, holiday energy is in the air.

Low and behold another scavenger hunt!

Disney Christmas trees lined the area, each uniquely themed, with maps provided to place corresponding stickers at their location. 

Always stick to the golden vacation rules for kids:

These just make life easier. ☮️

The boys snagged Stance socks and explored the World of Disney, where they spent gift cards like pros.

While we were almost finished gallivanting for the night, the sky turned on us 😬
And didn’t turn back.

Have you ever seen the rain…

Forecast: Rain.  80-100% all damn zippity day.

Radar at 6:30pm said it all…

Buckle up buttercup, this visit to Cinderella castle will be one for the ages.

This wasn’t the Magical day we envisioned.

All of our matching outfits and bucket loads of holiday cheer was simply NOT enough to prepare us for this night.  

Monsoon-level rain, puddles swirling into drains and water deep enough to soak the top of your hip Nike crew socks.

Not enough to drown us out though, our hope was still intact! 💪🏻

Stop #1: Jack & Sally 💀
First building inside the park, an indoor line with temporary refuge.

Jack as Sandy Claws. Sally perfectly eerie.
The boys love Nightmare Before Christmas. 
Bonus: Packers vs Bears streaming on our phones 🏈
This was a great start all things considered.

We chased all indoor rides:

Dinner at Pinocchio’s Patio—deep-fried lasagna that absolutely delivered 🤤

Eventually, we said screw it and stomped around in puddles.

Becka had to ride Dumbo.  Rain be damned.

Only at Disney do you ride classics in a downpour with soaked kids and still smile.

I took the two older boys on holiday-themed Space Mountain with red and green lights cutting through the darkness. 

Sooooo much better than the standard version. 🚨

Eventually, reality won.
Cold, wet and miserable, we were done.

We headed home seeking a dry, warm asylum

This was not the day we planned.

And yet… magic still found a way ✨

Midway through the park, a notification popped up in the Disney parks app.

Tickets converted to a future admission.

But wait!  We paid extra for the Christmas party 😖

One call, that’s all.  Guest Services provided a FULL REFUND. 💥

Sometimes things don’t go as planned.  Sometimes they still work out.  But EVERY time you take your kids to Disney will be a trip they’ll remember forever. 

Next week:
Hollywood Studios recap 🎬
Christmas Traditions 🎄
Our very first top 10 list! 📋

"However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light." - Stanley Kubrick