And the Count is....

15 days, 10 hours, 25 minutes, and 13 some odd seconds until D-Day (but who's really counting, anyways?)! By "D-Day" I mean Disneyland, as in THE Happiest Place on Earth. Well, really, the second Happiest Place on Earth because my heart really belongs in Orlando, but at any rate, it's going to be awesome!

Think I'm a little excited???

For those of you who don't know, this will be our first family trip, and it is long overdue. I have been planning, and planning, this trip since last September. The fact that I have survived the anticipation into the double digit days is a miracle. Oddly, the closer we have gotten to our trip, the more I have wanted to let go of the reigns and let our trip have more of a relaxed, laid back, spontaneous feeling. After all, we won't get to do everything we want in this one trip, and will have to go back one day, so why plan every second out instead of simply enjoying the environment and experience?

As I have wrestled with those feelings, I had to stick to my guns when making ADR's (Advanced Dining Reservations for you non-Disney folk). Though I would love to simply choose a place that looks interesting (and, despite what most say, I know it can be done from my own previous trips, and time of employment as well), but when dealing with a food allergy/sensitivity, it changes everything. While planning, I found out that Disney goes above and beyond to ensure safety for all of its guests when it comes to food.

When I first booked this trip, being at odds with food was no where near my radar. Since then, I have found that I cannot eat much of anything processed without my body reacting harshly - in a manner I will not even think of coping with it in order to have any of the Mickey shaped, delectable treats. As this slowly began to sink in I had a few thoughts bounce around my head: 1. Maybe I could go the entire trip eating things I had shipped to our hotel (for those of you wondering, yes, hotels will gladly accept a shipped package with non perishable items so long as it is received no more than a few days prior to arrival). Things like nuts and special crackers. As long as I'm at Disneyland, I reasoned, nearly starving will be okay. 2. Maybe, just maybe, Disney can accommodate me.

Thankfully, I found out #2 was true. As I got closer to the day to make our ADR's, friends began sending me different links to vlogs where people on Paleo diets successfully ate at the parks, which gave me some hope. Then, I found that Disney has this incredible option to choose from for different food sensitivities/allergies in order to alert their chefs prior to ordering. Unfortunately, this option is mainly available for some of the higher priced dining, and we (like most people) are on a budget.

While wrestling with whether or not I should eat well on the trip, or save money, some brilliance struck. Why not have a combination of both? Because of our hotel, our breakfasts are free and contain things that I can have, which knocks out the cost of one meal a day for four people.  Next up, lunch. I have decided that lunch will be simple, no reservations needed. I will let the family choose, on a whim, where they want to eat, and I am bringing my stock of "goodies" that I am able to fill up on while not going into anaphylaxis shock.

A few of the clean eating items tagging along with us.

While not as delicious as the burgers and what not that they'll have, I will be able to stick with my completely clean eating in a magical environment. Lastly, we have ADR's for dinner, and I will be able to satisfy my cravings with the assistance of the Disney chefs - I cannot wait to see what they come up with in substitutions to still give me an incredible experience!

Stay tuned to see even more about our trip planning, and the results of all of the fun things we will do!!! Magical times await!