Mad as a hatter

Dear Daughter is at Disneyland today.  Looks like she is having a great time.  

What is keeping you from your dream vacation?

My guess is Money.  Am I right?  It doesn't seem that way when I go to a Disney park.  It seems that everyone there is spending a ton of money.  There are two very real possibilities.  One, those blessed folk just have more than I do, and that is great.  Two, some of those folks are up to their eyeballs in debt, and have no idea how or when they will eventually have to pay for that vacation.  I believe both of these scenarios are true.

 If you are deeply in debt, kudos to you for not racking up more debt by going on a fancy vacation!  If it were me though, I would make my dream vacation a goal for when I am finally debt-free.  Don't go deeper in debt for a vacation!  And I am not just talking about Disney, I am talking about cruises and Hawaii, and you-name-it fabulous destination.  Instead, use that goal as an incentive to do what you have to do to get out of debt.

  If you are new to the budgeting and get-out-of-debt world, I recommend Dave Ramsey.  Also because there are so many websites and blog posts about that kind of stuff all over Pinterest, I am not going to bore you with redundant information.

 My only advice in order to get out of debt and save is this: have a "why".   If you don't have a really good reason, or reasons, you won't have the strength or discipline that it is going to take.  I love going on vacation.  Its a special time for me and my family.  I want to go on a cruise.  We want to go to Hawaii.  But the truth is that there are other more important things that need my financial interest, like retirement.  Its all about priorities, folks. 

Arias Trip of a Lifetime 2018 Day 2

 Pandora was as beautiful as described and the wait for Avatar was immense. I've never seen anything like it, and I was there for the opening weekend of Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye.  Thankfully we had fastpasses for this amazing ride. 

We actually never tire of the Safari.  We rode it 3 times.

 Being a mom, I also never get tired of Nemo.  I guess all parents can relate to wanting to protect your kids and also wanting them to be able to swim out alone.

My two dearest daughters.  I also have a fantastic son, but he is very camera-shy.

Our day at the Animal Kingdom was long but fantastic.  We tried to get into Avatar early, but even arriving before the supposed park opening, we found that the line was 3 hours long.   Instead we enjoyed a practically empty park in the morning.  We had lunch at Flame Tree BBQ as usual, and it was really good.  I ordered the onion rings even though I wasn't expecting them to be good.  They were incredibly good.  They must have changed their onion-ring-making in the past 3 years.

  Avatar was an amazing ride.  Now, the expectation for rides is going to be so high. People are going to expect total immersion in the story.  I really liked Avatar even though it made me a little queasy.


  There is so much to do and see at the Animal Kingdom.  I wish we had another day to take every little trail and hollow, just to see what I might see and learn.