Why a trip to Disneyland Paris will forever be my favourite Christmas…
“It’s the best time of the year.”
At least it is according to Mr Bublé and the countless other artists who have declared it a Holly Jolly Christmas over the years.
I’m inclined to agree. Christmas really is the best time of year.
I love getting the family together, enjoying some properly indulgent food (sausage rolls for breakfast, followed by turkey and all the trimmings for dinner), and settling in for a few games that inevitably become more competitive than anyone ever planned.
Having said that, not all Waller Christmases have followed this traditional format. And on the rare occasion we dared to step away from the usual script, it turned out to be one of the best family Christmases we’ve ever had…
It was Christmas 2015, and Mandy and I had decided to surprise the kids with a trip to Disneyland Paris. At the time, replacing familiar comforts with crowds, queues and characters in oversized costumes felt like a bold move. As it turned out, it was inspired.
If you’ve ever stepped inside a Disney park, you’ll know it’s a special place at the best of times. Disney doesn’t do subtle, and at Christmas it dials everything up several notches. The whole place felt as though we’d wandered into a snow globe. Garlands lined Main Street, towering Christmas trees glowed with lights, and the air carried that unmistakable mix of roasted chestnuts and buttery popcorn.
The shows and parades were on another level, with festive costumes, enchanting themed performances, and a kind of polished magic that only Disney can deliver. Pia and Riley were eight and nine at the time, and watching their faces light up at everything – from meeting characters to their first glimpse of the castle – has to be one of the greatest moments of parenthood I’ve experienced over the years. Their excitement was relentless, unfiltered and completely infectious.
That sense of wonder peaked during the shows. I remember Animagique had them perched on the edge of their seats, wide-eyed and silent (a rare occurrence on that trip!), whilst Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show had us all clapping and cheering along.
Whilst I am not sure that being cold, exhausted, and dragged repeatedly onto rollercoasters sounds particularly appealing now, rewind the clock ten years and I was all in, sprinting after my boy as he raced ahead to the next ride.
Big Thunder Mountain became a family favourite, largely because it was never just one ride. “Just one more go, dad!” became the refrain of the week. Of course, I was happy to oblige. It was great fun, and I gradually accepted that nausea was simply part of the experience!
In hindsight, we did set the bar rather high. Mandy and I had to manage the kids’ expectations pretty carefully after that year, tactfully explaining that Christmas with Mickey and Minnie wasn’t going to become an annual event!
The kids might not be so little now (where does the time go!), but that doesn’t mean the magic has disappeared. It just looks a little different these days.
With Pia having recently relocated to the UK, and Riley gracing us with his presence between travels, it will be extra special to get the whole family together again this year. Add in the mother-in-law flying over from South Africa, and it really will be the full Waller clan gathered around the dinner table.
Although my days of chasing wide-eyed children from ride to ride may be behind me, the best parts of Christmas –family, laughter, food, and time – remain reassuringly intact… mouse or no mouse.
Merry Christmas everyone!