Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Gotta Have A Plan

So I've been called out on my post about taking the twins to Mardi Gras. That if planning a Disney trip was mostly for my enjoyment, isn't the same true for a trip to Mardi Gras.

Well, yes, but maybe not the way you're thinking. It's the planning. Disney is just more and harder planning.

Not unlike a lot of moms I know, I'm a planner. I've always been a planner but you hit a different level or maybe a different mode of planning as a Mom. I'm more of a ninja planner now. I share the broad strokes of my plan with the family, but try to be as flexible as possible to account for the inevitable changes. 

For the stage of life we're in now it means a change of clothes in the back of the car and always lots of snacks ready to go. Sometimes I even have a couple of bags of unknown gummy snacks for when I need to break out a bribe or reward. Usually a bribe.


The other day I was making a list of restaurants near where we're staying in New Orleans. Everything is close enough to walk and I don't plan on making reservations since I don't really know our schedule. I think that will work out fine.

To go to Disney on the other hand, requires strategic family vacation planning with detailed execution of the tactics. You can't simply look up a few restaurants you'd like to try, you need to know where you want to go and specifically when you want to go. You can't decide this a week before you head out either, you have to get up a 5 a.m., exactly 6 months before you plan to go to call in and "try" to get your preferred restaurants. And this is only the dining part.

You could try to go to Disney without making a big plan, but if you do, you're probably doing it wrong.

So is trip to Mardi Gras more for me than the kids? Sure, but also because it's a lot less planning and more fun for all.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

No comments: