Introducing Stress Free Mickey

Let’s start by introducing ourselves. When you’re reading, you’ll notice different colours. Four sisters, four colours. When you read black, you’re hearing from Erica, the eldest. Red is Heidi, second born. Then comes Elisia as yellow. And Danielle, the fourth and final sister is grey. See what we did there? We each have strong opinions (that’s an understatement), and unique knowledge about all things Disney. As you follow this journey with us, we hope you can relate to at least one out of the four of us. 

Erica

I am the oldest of the sisters, and have 3 daughters. Audrey (11), Addie (almost 9) and Lexie (just turned 6). Before I was married we went as a family every 3-4 years to Disney. Once Dan and I were married we often had the chance to go to Disney annually, whether with the family, or with work opportunities. My husband is the Generational Pastor at our church, and we’ve had the great privilege of being to Disney a lot because of work. 

We have driven to Mexico a lot over the years and on the way home we always plan to have a  team building day in the park… and a few leadership conferences have been near Disney as well! I am an A-type personality and love lists, so here are all of the times I’ve been to Disney (21 as far as I can count):

Whole family trips (with my parents and sisters):
1988, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2016 (WDW!)

Individual family trips (with Dan and our girls… and friends!):
2010, 2011, 2012, 2017

Mexico Trips:
2008, 2009, 2015, 2016, 2017

Conference Trips:
2006, 2007

Anniversary trip to WDW:
2019

I am a Travel Agent specializing in Disney and I would love to give you a free quote for your next trip! My services are complimentary and include booking Dining, car rentals or shuttles, extra activities, and a personalized itinerary for your trip!
Contact me at erica@enchanted-vacations.ca.

Heidi

I have been to Disney a total of 21 trips, many of those with my husband and kids. My husband and I have been married since 2005. We have a daughter Ava, born in 2008, and a son Evan, born 2011. We have basically gone every year since we had our daughter! It’s no surprise that our kids are just as crazy about Disney as we are. I believe that Disney isn’t just a destination, it’s a way of life. This means I love Disney crafting, including DIY ears, shirts… you name it, I’ve probably made it! I love recreating the foods we have eaten in the park once we get home. It’s a way of keeping the magic alive for me. I could talk about Disney for hours. It’s truly one of my favourite things!

Elisia

I’ve been a total of 23 times. It’s been a mix of large family, individual family, graduation, birthday, band, youth group and missions trips. I feel like there aren’t many places that suit such a wide range of ages, so when my husband and I get to talking about where to go on vacation, my default is Disney! I’m a high school teacher currently teaching a grab bag of home ec and humanities. My husband and I have been married for nine years, and we have two boys.

Danielle 

Oh gosh, I can’t even remember all of the times, but let me think…. I think my count is 18. Mostly with the whole family, and then for missions trips. I did one trip with my best friend, and then two with my husband, one of which included our daughter who was just 13 months when we went. It is seriously my happy place; if I haven’t been for a while I get that Disney itch. Sadly, we all have to come back to reality sometime. I personally keep the memories alive by painting shoes or canvases for myself and others (with a Disney movie playing while I do this obviously!). 

The Love Affair Begins

We’ve been going to Disneyland since 1988 (I was 4 the first time we went and have memories from that trip). But my most memorable trip by far is our trip in 1992 when our family, our grandparents, and our aunt and uncle with their four kids, took three weeks to drive from Vancouver, BC, Canada, down the Pacific Coast to Disneyland. Our mom did such a good job of making that trip, and every one since then, memorable

. A lot of our tips and tricks have come from her. I was only four and picking my nose in the following picture, so I don’t really remember a lot about that trip. But it’s super fun that this moment has been immortalized on the internet for all to see. Whereas I was only nine months in ‘92, but it was about the whole family, so all I have are videos and pictures, and it’s still super fun!

Don’t let a big age gap between kids stop you from going, because you don’t want your oldest kids to outgrow the magic! In our books, you’re never too old for Disney. There is something special about seeing the wonder in a child’s eyes when they encounter the magic that is Disney.

A lot has changed since ’92, as you can see:

 

 

 

A lot of our tips are for making Disney affordable (hence the name stress-free). We like to go with quantity over quality. Some people want to go one time and budget isn’t an issue. There will still be tips for that crowd, but our goal is to get you there! Planning a vacation shouldn’t be a stressful experience, and the anticipation leading up to your vacation should be part of the fun. We look forward to helping you plan your Disney trip whether it’s your first one, or our fiftieth one.