Making Room for Mickey (and Max) (Part 1 of Disney Trips)

I’m not exactly sure when my Disneyland obsession began, but at this point, it’s safe to say it’s part of my personality. I don’t just love being at Disneyland—I love everything leading up to it. Planning trips, putting together outfits, making dining reservations... sometimes the anticipation is just as magical as the trip itself. Mickey Mouse has even found his way into my home decor more than once.

Hi, my name is Kelly Thompson—and I’m a Disneyaholic.

When our son Max was little, he came along on family Disneyland trips just like our other kids. In those early days after his autism diagnosis, travel was challenging, but manageable. He was still small enough to carry when needed, and the stroller gave him a place to retreat—plus it kept him from sprinting off into the crowd (as he often wanted to do). But as he got older—and his needs more complex—Disney trips were not an option. After a particularly difficult experience at his brother’s baseball tournament (see the About Us section for that story), the thought of taking Max back to Disneyland seemed out of the question.

Still, it never felt right to leave him behind—or to deprive our other kids of joyful family experiences. It was one of those impossible parenting decisions my husband and I had to wrestle with: Do we go without him, or not go at all? Thankfully, our parents and a few close friends were willing to step in, staying with Max so we could travel. But even when we were off making memories, something always felt incomplete. Looking back at those photos from the “Disney without Max” years, I smile at the memories… but there’s always a pang of sadness over what he missed.

Then everything changed when Max was sixteen.

That year, we had a breakthrough: we discovered that traveling in a trailer worked wonders for Max. It gave him the comfort, structure, and predictability he needed—and it opened up a whole new world for our family. So of course, my very next thought was: Could we do Disneyland now?

Cue the internal panic: twelve hours in a car? Endless lines? The dreaded “Disneyland legs”? My brain ran through every possible worst-case scenario. But the idea of experiencing the magic together—all seven of us—was too tempting to ignore. I couldn’t stop picturing that castle photo. All of us. In one frame.

So, we did it. We packed up the trailer and made the 718-mile journey to Anaheim, staying at the Anaheim Harbor RV Park—just 1.1 miles from Disneyland. It was perfect. Max still had his “home base,” and we had the magic of Disneyland right outside our door.

I’ll share more about the day itself in another post, but I can say this: it was everything I dreamed it would be. Max has his own Disney obsession now, and seeing him light up at the park—right there with the rest of us—was pure magic. And yes, I got my picture in front of the castle, with all seven of us.

The whole Thompson Crew