Keeping Promises and Riding Roller Coasters with My Hands in the Air

A few months ago, I made a promise to my children — that during our trip to Florida I would participate and not just document. Truth be told, moms are the ones that are typically behind the lens telling their little ones to “get together”, “share the ice cream” and to “let go of the bar” once they start picking up some speed on the good rides.

But I thought this trip – it should be slightly different. I thought this trip, instead of being in the cheer section, I should actually enjoy the moments with my babies.  As an Alamo mom, I was asked to make a travel resolution this year, and I couldn’t think of a better one to make.

Vacation with my family – in every sense of the word.

So, I got on the rides and I screamed louder than the rest of them. I ran side by side with them through the mazes. I indulged in treats I would have never thought to allow myself to enjoy. After all, I had jeans to fit into once I got back home! But none of that mattered while we were in Orlando because for those 7 days, it was just about the present moment.

We even started a Instagram account based on all the sweet treats we scarfed down. Dying To Try was created in Epcot. We decided to eat (and drink) something from every country in Epcot. If you scroll down to the bottom of that account – you will notice that every single picture was snapped at DISNEY! This all happened because Alamo told me to make a promise this year. And my promise was to have fun with my kids!!

We tried to take photos while on all the rides but honestly – we were too busy having a blast to remember!! Here are a few moments from our vacation either on line or at the very beginning of a ride getting ready for the action. The kids said it was their best vacation yet! My husband was typically the person to have all the fun with our babies. I was the bag watcher or the documenter as mentioned above. Natalie and Liam REALLY appreciated that I was actually part of their experiences this year.

We got wet. We laughed. I almost lost my sunglasses!! But it was all worth it. Every last second of adventure. Alamo got us to every park that week with ease. We rented a Tahoe XL and was able to house all our luggage (and children) with room to spare. I LOVED the fact that we were able to add in booster seats, car seats and a GPS to help us get around town. We picked the car up right at the Orlando airport and were on our way.

Are you an Alamo Insider? By signing up for this free program, you will enjoy member benefits like 5% off their everyday low prices. My husband booked everything through their website which was SUCH A BREEZE. However, there is also a customer service number for people who like to have that human contact as well.

I want to talk about the convenience of having a rental while on vacation as well. Honestly, normally when we fly down to Orlando, we typically stay on Disney property and never get a car. But this year, we wanted to check out Universal Studios. So, it was important for us to have the ability to get around. Having a car on this vacation was LIFE CHANGING. Not only did we have the ability to run out in the morning and grab my favorite breakfast treat (ahem Starbucks), but we also took advantage of our ride to explore surrounding areas and dined in restaurants that we would have never had access to if we didn’t rent from Alamo. We REALLY LOVED THAT!

My husband is also semi-obsessed with real estate. So, one early morning we just drove around and took a look at properties to see Floridian decor. When you rent a car, you not only get easy access and freedom to do whatever you want, but you also get to build out your own time table. I loved not having to worry about bus schedules or tram lines. We came and went as we pleased – just like home.

For more information about Alamo rentals, click here.

Post originally appeared on Ladyandtheblog.com