Saturday 2nd August 2025, 3am
After hours of the excited kids refusing to sleep because they were going on holiday the next day, they had finally fallen asleep in the living room after they had exhausted themselves around midnight. Five year old Ella was curled up in the armchair and nine year old Daniel was lying down on the larger sofa but Sam and Tom had left it to the last minute for them to wake their children up because they had to leave if they wanted to get to the airport in plenty of time - it would take two hours to get to the airport and their flight was at 7am.
"Ella? Come on sweetheart." Tom said softly as he tickled his daughter under her chin. "Remember what we said? You've just got to get dressed, have a wee and then you can sleep in the car." Tom explained whilst Sam simultaneously woke up Daniel who got up and, though he was tired, he was still excited about his holiday so he rushed upstairs to get ready. "I told you to go to sleep earlier." Tom grinned as Ella was clearly less satisfied with the lack of sleep and she just closed her eyes again. "I thought you were excited about our holiday." Tom laughed.
"I'm tired." Ella mumbled sleepily.
"Right, come on. I'll come and help you get dressed." Sam smirked as she scooped Ella up into her arms and carried her upstairs. Just ten minutes later, the family set off from their home that they wouldn't see for another four weeks...
8am
Just one hour into their 12 hour flight, the Kent Family were still recuperating after staying up most of the night and having an early morning so when their continental breakfast arrived, Sam just asked the air hostess to put their meals on their lap trays because Ella and Daniel were both fast asleep. They were flying on an A380 airbus on the main deck in economy with British Airways and they were seated in a row of four seats in the middle of the plane with an aisle and then three seats at the edge of the plane either side of them.
"Four weeks of no work. I don't think I've ever had this long off of work unless I was unemployed." Tom joked quietly to his wife who were sitting next to each other because both Tom and Daniel wanted an aisle seat, leaving Sam and Ella in the middle of them.
"I have, but only when I had maternity leave." Sam replied as they tucked into their breakfast consisting of a colourful fruit salad, a croissant, butter and jam, a plain fairy cake and a carton of orange juice.
"Ah, I remember the days when I used to come home to a lovely home cooked meal. And then there were other days where I'd come home and you'd be pulling your hair out because neither of them would stop crying." Tom smirked. Then both parents looked to their left because they heard mumbling and they realised that Ella was waking up. "Hello sleeping beauty." Tom grinned as Ella cutely rubbed her eyes and then sat up properly. "That's your breakfast when you want it." Tom added and Ella began picking about on the lap tray in front of her.
"One hour down, eleven more to go." Sam joked exhaustedly.
"Get some sleep, I'll keep an eye on the kids."
"I don't think I can sleep on planes." Sam admitted.
"Well I beg to differ, come on." Tom lifted the armrest between them up and he pulled her into his side so that she could rest her head on his shoulder. "You want me to ask for a blanket?" Tom queried.
"No, I'm fine thanks." Sam smiled with her eyes closed as she wrapped her arms around Tom's left arm before she attempted to drift off.
7pm
Finally, after a very, very, very long flight - which seemed even longer when you considered that Sam and Tom had two hyper active kids with them - they had landed at Orlando International Airport, Florida, and they were just waiting for the plane to stop moving before they could get up.
"Are we there now?" Daniel asked excitedly.
"We just need to collect our bags, then get a bus to our resort and we'll be there." Sam stated wearily as she kicked her hand luggage under the chair in front of her.
"My ears hurt." Ella stated confusedly.
"Don't worry, it's normal and it'll stop soon." Sam said reassuringly. For the first part of their holiday, they were staying within the Disney resort and had free access to the Disney transport with part of their package holiday so they weren't renting a car until the second part of their holiday. They soon went through security, collected their suitcases and then got a bus to Disney Animal Kingdom Resort.
It was 8pm in the UK, but 3pm in Florida time by the time they got a bus and went through reception at the resort. It was scorching hot and Ella had fallen asleep because it had been a long day so Sam was carrying Ella against her chest whilst Tom took Sam's suitcase for her.
"Right, this is our room." Tom announced as he used the key to open the door to reveal a beautifully decorated African themed room to go with the safari and savannah style of the resort. There were two double beds in the centre, a kitchenette and then a living area with sofas, all in the same room with a balcony at one end of the rectangular room and a bathroom at the other.
"Mummy." Ella began to mumble as she opened her sleepy eyes.
"We're here." Sam whispered as she tucked a bit of Ella's wavy thick hair, that went just below her shoulders, behind her ear. "So why don't you go to the toilet, brush your teeth and then get your nightie on and get into bed?" Sam suggested.
"Mmhmm." Ella nodded before she rested her head against Sam's chest again so Sam smiled before she walked her daughter into the bathroom.
"I'm not sharing a bed with Ella am I?" Daniel asked grumpily as he was rather tired after such a long day travelling.
"Nope. You're sharing with me, and Mummy is sharing with Ella." Tom stated as he put the suitcases in the corners of the room to get them out of the way for now before he opened the glass doors to reveal a balcony looking over the amazing jungle where he could see the head of a giraffe poking out of the trees and he was sure to see more if he looked hard enough but for now he was too tired. "Right, if you get your pyjamas on then you can go to the bathroom after those two and then get ready for bed." Tom said to his son however as he turned around, he saw that his son had already laid on one side of the bed on top of the duvet because it was a rather hot evening, and he'd closed his eyes. "Night night then." Tom chuckled as he went over and kissed Daniel on the forehead and then set about finding pyjamas in the four large suitcases.
By the time Sam came out of the bathroom with Ella on her hip, Tom and Daniel were both fast asleep and she smiled before she walked over to the free bed and placed Ella down. She closed the back door that Tom had left open and then switched on the air conditioning to keep it cool.
"No, don't go to sleep sweetheart, you need to get changed first." Sam said softly as she stopped her daughter from lying down.
"But they haven't." Ella protested groggily as he pointed to her father and brother.
"No they haven't have they?" Sam smirked. "Right, let's just take your shoes off then and I'll let you sleep in your clothes but just this once." Sam said sternly as she pulled off Ella's Velcro shoes and then gave her the 'mini shadow' black and white border collie toy that had been passed down to her and it'd been through the washing machine more times than Sam would ever admit because it had been with her children when they both went through teething. "Okay, I'll see you in the morning. Night night." Sam whispered as she kissed Ella on the cheek and then went around her side of the bed. She kicked her shoes off, took her phone out of her pocket and then slide into bed, shuffled up behind her daughter and put an arm around her stomach so that they were snuggled up together.
"I love you mummy." Ella mumbled.
"I love you too baby." Sam smiled.
Sunday 3rd August 2025, 8am
After sleeping for over 12 hours, the Kent Family were feeling so much better, but they were also feeling very hungry as they woke in their room which was cool thanks to the air con that had been on all night.
"Mummy?" Ella whispered to see if her mother was awake.
"Yeah?"
"I need a wee again." Ella admitted as she had woken her mother in the night to take her to the toilet in the strange place.
"Come on then." Sam smiled sleepily before she stretched her arms and legs out and followed her daughter to the bathroom. The bathroom had a toilet, sink, cabinet, shower and separate bath which gave Sam an idea to help the family deal with having to share one bathroom whereas they usually had three at home. "How about you take a bath, while I take a shower so we can get ready for today?" Sam suggested whilst her daughter sat on the toilet.
"What? There?" Ella questioned a she pointed to the shower next to her.
"Yeah, I'll only be next to you so I won't be far." Sam said reassuringly. "And then we can go downstairs and get breakfast somewhere."
"Okay." Ella nodded.
"Right, I'll just go and get what we need while you wash your hands." Sam said as she left the bathroom to collect two complimentary towels, along with the toiletries that they had brought from home and a set of clothes each because she knew that Ella wouldn't get dressed in the same room as her father or brother. "Do you want bubbles?" Sam asked after she closed the door and then turned the hot and cold tap on for the bath.
"Yeah!" Ella smiled so Sam poured in some bubble bath and then splashed it about with her hand to foam it up whilst the little girl got undressed.
"Right, I won't be long, so once you're in the bath, I'll have a shower and then I'll jump out and wash your hair for you." Sam stated before she discreetly took her clothes off and wrapped the bright white towel around her body.
"You're not wet." Ella protested.
"What?"
"Why are you wearing a towel? You're not wet." Ella repeated as she stood with absolutely nothing on without an ounce of self consciousness because the one person who always helped her to bathe and dress was her mother and she didn't have anything to hide.
"Because, it's cold." Sam lied as she didn't want to explain to her daughter that she wasn't comfortable sitting completely naked when she could wrap a towel around herself. She also had nothing to hide but Ella's curiosity often led to personal questions which Sam didn't want to have to answer about her own body.
"No it's not!" Ella shrieked.
"Keep your voice down, daddy and Daniel are still asleep." Sam ordered jokily and Ella giggled quietly before she went back over to the bath.
"Can I get in yet?" Ella asked and Sam walked over and checked the temperature of the water before she lifted her five year old daughter up and sat her down in the bath.
"Right, don't touch the taps, but you can wash yourself if you want." Sam said as she pointed to Ella's favourite strawberry body wash.
"Okay." Ella nodded so Sam walked over to the glass shower which she was thankful for it being transparent so that she could keep an eye on her daughter, though she knew her daughter would also be able to see her. Sam dropped her white towel and then encased herself in the cabinet before she turned the shower on to clean and refresh herself after a long day of travelling the day before.
"So what are you going to spend your Disney money on? Have you decided yet?" Sam asked to make conversation. With their package holiday, they had received 200 free disney dollars which could be spent in the resort or the parks on anything from food and drink to fridge magnets and Sam and Tom had decided to give half each to their children so that they had some spending money and so that they could get some experience with budgeting their money on what they wanted to get and not waste it all in the first day. And Sam had already given the kids some ideas when they were at home.
"I want to get an autograph book." Ella replied almost immediately as Sam watched her splash in the bath.
"Yeah? Is there anyone's signature in particular that you want to get?" Sam asked though she knew the answers already because Ella had created an unrealistic, long list.
"Minnie Mouse and Lilo & Stitch, and Cinderella and Jessie from Toy Story and Pocahontas and..." Sam listen to her daughter's chattering and by the time she'd finished her list, Sam had already shampooed and rinsed her thick hair.
"And what else do you want to spend your money on? Do you want to get some small presents for your friends from the crèche?" Sam suggested. "Or you could get a few toys to play in the pool with."
"Can I get an ice lolly?"
"Don't worry about that sweetheart, me and Daddy will pay for food and drink." Sam stated as she began to condition her hair.
"Mummy?"
"Yes."
"Why doesn't Daniel have nosebleeds but I do?" Ella asked innocently and Sam had to quickly look over to ensure that Ella wasn't having one before she tried to think up an answer. She didn't want to hide Ella's illness from herself, but she knew that Ella wouldn't fully understand until she was a few years older - though she probably wouldn't fully understand what was wrong with her until she was a teenager and had begun biology at a GCSE level.
"Because, Ella... You know when I say someone is ill when they have a cold and then in a week or so, they'll be better?"
"Yes." Ella nodded as she turned around in the bath so that she was directly facing Sam which put even more pressure on her.
"Well sometimes, people can have an condition for their whole life but it doesn't necessarily mean that they'll be suffering all the time. Do you understand what I mean?"
"So you can be ill but not feel ill?" Ella queried.
"Yeah, exactly." Sam nodded. "Well you have got something called Von Willebrand Disease. And it just means that sometimes you have nosebleeds, or you pass blood when you go to the toilet, but it's nothing need to worry about." Sam explained. "But I also need you to remember that because of this disease, you won't be able to go on many rides when we go to the parks. And I want you to understand that if I say no to you, it's not because I want to spoil your fun, it's because I don't want you getting hurt okay?" Sam said softly.
"Can I still swim with the dolphins?" Ella asked innocently as Sam and Tom had made a big deal about that event and both kids were very excited for it.
"Yeah, of course you can." Sam replied. "Now c'mon, wash yourself with the body wash and then I'll come and was your hair." Sam ordered and she watched her daughter do a very good job whilst Sam herself washed her body before she turned the shower off, squeezed the excess water out of her hair and then wrapped her towel tightly around her figure. She knelt down besides the bath and used the shower attachment to wash Ella's hair twice before she pulled the plug out, lifted Ella out onto the bathroom rug and put her hooded towel over her shoulders. "Right, do you think you can get dressed by yourself so that I can get dressed too?" Sam asked as she put a small pile of clothes, socks and a pair of shoes in the closed toilet seat lid just for her daughter.
"You're not leaving me are you?" Ella asked desperately as she always hated being left in a room by herself, even at bedtime at home, she would have to fall asleep until Sam could leave her side.
"No, I'm just going to get dressed right here." Sam replied reassuringly. So Ella set about getting herself dressed whilst Sam did the same before she brushed through her long, thick, wet hair and towel dried it a bit more.
Finally, after spending a good half an hour in the bathroom, Sam exited in blue jeggings and a strapless royal blue top and Ella was wearing some plain jeans with a pink butterfly t-shirt, both with wet hair to find that surprisingly, both of the boys were out of bed.
"Where's Daniel?" Sam asked.
"He's sitting out on the balcony eating breakfast which I've gotten for you two too. It's out on the table." Tom stated.
"Did you use our passes to get it for free?" Sam asked.
"Yep." Tom nodded. "And I collected out refillable mugs." He added. "What did the dining plan include again?"
"It was the deluxe one so we don't have to pay for three meals, either quick service or in a restaurant and 2 snacks per day, and the refillable mug that we can refill here at the resort, and in the parks." Sam stated.
"Right. Go on, you two. Go and sit out on the balcony and have your breakfast while I go for a shower quickly." Tom ordered so Sam walked out of the door holding Ella's hand to find two chairs and a table. But out in front of them was the most incredible orange sunrise as the savanna in front of them came to life with animals everywhere. And they had a perfect view from the third floor.
"Mum! I just saw a giraffe over there!" Daniel said excitedly. "It was massive and it had a really long neck and it started eating off of the trees."
"Really? Well I'm glad I booked a room with a balcony then." Sam smiled as she sat down. "Come here munchkin." Sam lifted Ella onto her lap so that she had somewhere to sit before she pulled the small reflection over besides them.
"The pink cup has got milk in it for Ella, the green one is mine with orange juice and the light blue one is yours and I got apple juice in it for you." Daniel explained as he pointed to the refillable mugs that they could wash up in their kitchenette and refill for free for their entire two week holiday at disney world.
"Thank you Daniel." Sam smiled as she lifted up Ella's one which Tom had wisely only filled up half way because he knew Ella wouldn't drink a full 750ml cup of milk. "There you go." She smiled as Ella began to drink it herself.
"They had Mickey Mouse shaped waffles and a huge breakfast buffet with loads of stuff but Dad said that we could go there tomorrow and just get something to take up to the room today so that we could unpack." Daniel explained.
"Yeah, plus it probably would've finished by the time you and your dad had had showers and gotten dressed." Sam stated as she picked up the box of colourful fruit salad with a plastic fork and put it on Ella's lap for her. "Come on, eat up." Sam ordered.
"Are we going to the park with the big palace in today?" Ella asked and Sam rolled her eyes as she opened the box and began to feed her daughter who was too distracted to feed herself.
"No, we're just going to hang around the pool today and have a look around the resort because I don't think you'd last very long at the park before you fall asleep after a long day yesterday. Maybe we could go and have that buffet breakfast Daniel was saying about, and then go to to the Magic Kingdom for the day." Sam suggested as she put a bit of melon into Ella's mouth.
In the afternoon, Sam and Tom were sitting on their sun loungers under an umbrella for shade whilst they kept an eye on Daniel splashing in the pool close by, and Ella sat at the end of Sam's seat munching away at some carrot and celery sticks because she couldn't go in the pool unless Sam or Tom went in there with her. Sam was in a bikini, Ella was in a tankini and both of the boys were wearing swimming shorts.
"Have you noticed that Daniel's beginning to say mum and dad instead of mummy and daddy?" Sam asked quietly.
"Yeah, it's sad isn't it? But I suppose he is nine; he's got to grow out of it eventually."
"I just don't want her to start calling me mum." Sam admitted as she glanced at her daughter who was oblivious as to what was being said about her. "I love it when she says Mummy, just before she's about to ask a question." Sam admitted humorously as she thought about the dozens of questions that her little girl asked each day.
"She won't, she's a little mummy's girl; she's not gonna grow out of it anytime soon." Tom said reassuringly and with perfect timing, Ella had finished her snack.
"Mummy?" She began.
"Yeah." Sam smiled and Tom chuckled as they knew that was always how she began dialogue to her mother.
"Can I have an ice lolly please?" She asked.
"You've just had carrot and celery sticks." Sam laughed softly but she knew more than anyone that her daughter could go with skipping a meal because she was too busy playing one minute, and then she could eat a lot for her age the next which she presumed was something she got from Tom.
"Pwetty pweeeeeeeeeeease?" Ella asked as she fluttered her eyelids and Tom smirked.
"Come on, I'll take you and we'll get something for everyone." Tom said as he went in Sam's bag that was between their sun loungers and he took out their four Disney ID cards that they could get 8 free snacks per day in total; they also had three free meals so they didn't really need to spend any money on food. "Daniel, do you want an ice cream or an ice lolly?" Tom offered.
"Ooh, can I have that frozen banana thing with nuts on top?" Daniel requested as he swum to the edge of have pool, took his goggles off and jumped out of the pool. He and Tom had had a look around at the menus that morning when they'd tried to find somewhere suitable to get breakfast.
"Yep sure, you stay here because you're all wet and we'll go and get it for you." Tom said and so Daniel wrapped a towel around him and sat on the end of Tom's sun lounger. "What do you want?" Tom asked his wife as Ella jumped up and held her dad's hand.
"Um... Surprise me. But I want something relatively healthy." Sam replied.
"Right. Come on then." Tom smiled as he gave his daughter's hand a squeeze before they began to walk towards an ice cream stall that was near the main building but not far from the swimming pool.
"Ooh, ooh Daddy can I go to the toilet please?" Ella asked as soon as she saw the wooden door with the ladies symbol on it.
"Yeah sure but you're not going in there by yourself; you'll have to come in the men's with me." Tom stated.
"But I don't like it in there, it smells." Ella complained as she dropped her father's hand.
"Excuse me?" A smiling woman interrupted as she stood with her daughter who appeared the same age as Ella. "I could take her in there with me if it'd help you." She offered but Ella then wrapped her arms around Tom's leg and held him tightly as she became scared of the stranger and as Tom looked down at her, she quickly shook her head.
"No, it's alright. She'll come with me, but thank you." Tom replied before he bent down and picked Ella up and put her on his hip. "What's up with you? You haven't scared of other people since you were just beginning to walk." Tom frowned at his daughter as he walked around the corner to the men's toilets.
"I don't like going to the toilet with other people there except mummy and sometimes you." Ella replied innocently.
"Okay then." Tom gave his daughter a reassuring smile that her worries were normal before he placed her on the floor just outside the single cubicle in the men's toilets opposite the urinals. "Do you want me to wait out here or come in with you?" Tom asked as he sometimes forgot that even though his daughter was quite independent, and not far behind Daniel's maturity, she was still only a vulnerable little girl.
"Can you wait outside but put your foot under the door and keep it shut please?" Ella requested.
"Yeah, sure." Tom smiled as he closed the door and did as she had requested, and after lifting her up to the sinks so she could wash her hands, they walked back over to the ice cream cart.
"Right, you can pick anything that has got that white and purple logo on it because it means we can get it for free." Tom stated as he crouched down next to his daughter whilst she looked at the selection of snacks through the clear plastic of the freezer.
"Can I have that please?" She asked politely as she pointed to a Mickey Mouse shaped chocolate covered vanilla ice cream.
"Yeah, sure. We'll have one of those, this for your brother... And I'll get one of these and one of these so that your mother can choose which one she wants and I'll have the left over." Tom concluded as he picked up four frozen treats and placed them on the counter. The man working on the till scanned the barcodes on the ID cards, checked that Tom and Ella's photos matched to their faces and then thanked them so that they could go. "Just wait until we're sitting down." Tom said to his daughter who was eager to get her ice cream as they walked back and then Tom sat on the sun lounger with Daniel by his feet whilst Sam pulled Ella onto the seat and sat her down between her legs. "There's yours." Tom said as he took the wrapper off and handed Ella her ice cream.
"Thank you." Ella smiled before she began licking the chocolate off.
"There's yours." Tom stated as he handed Daniel his package of a frozen banana with chocolate sauce and sprinkled with nuts.
"Thanks."
"And you, my beautiful wife can either have a minute maid, frozen lemonade cup, or an ice lolly made with real strawberries." Tom stated.
"Thank you." Sam smiled as she took the frozen lemonade, took the lid off and began eating the slush like frozen beverage with the spoon that was under the lid.
Coming up : More of the Kent's family holiday as they go to a Disney theme park for the day!
Thanks for reading, please review :)