Special Christmas Present

I would do it. I would also plan ahead and budget some extra money so that in case there is bad weather you can stay a few extra days on either end of the trip in a hotel.

Also, you could look into the Amtrack as well. I bet there is a train that goes between and that would be a fun experience too. Plus the train will do the driving in the snow for you if it comes to that! ;)

Yep, if you can afford it, do it.
So theater tickets plus hotel/lodging/food costs.
Do it for a weekend.
And take lots of photos of you and her on this special weekend.

She will remember this always.
Her Mommy and her.
A girls weekend.
She seems like she would appreciate it, genuinely?
At this age, its a good time to do this.
Once she gets older, she may not want to do things with "Mommy."
;)

Get the tickets, get a hotel room for the night before and the night of the performance-and rent a four wheel drive vehicle-have fun, I am pea green with envy!

Oh, even unpredictable Illinois weather isn't all that bad. The chances of a winter storm messing up your plans is not very high.

I would buy the tickets and keep an eye on the weather. If it looks like things could get dicey, reserve a hotel room.

Chances are, things will be just fine!

what would I do? I would make a weekend out of it...

I would go a day or two before the show - and tour around Chicago - yep - it can get cold!!

I would go....not sure how long it would be before the show came back...

Do it! Go early in the day and plan on staying overnight!

Take Amtrak this way you do not have to worry about weather.

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Take Amtrak this way you do not have to worry about weather.

Oh my goodness!! You will get mom of the year award from her and all her friends. (Not that,that it is what you are looking for. Just pointing out how special this is)

You both will have such a wonderful time making memories that will last forever in her heart.

I am another vote for buying the tickets. Take the Amtrak and stay in a nice,yet inexpensive hotel, find a couple very "Chicago" type restaurants to dine at. Check out groupon.com for dealios.

Make the tickets into a package deal kind of gift for her to unwrap on her magical, Christmas morning . Put her ticket in a beautifully decorated box, find a masquerade mask and a make a nice itinerary typed up of where you will stay, where you will eat and how you are getting there. Oh my...she will go berserk with excitement!! Or...just go with the tickets...I can sometimes go overboard in my head with planning when I am not footing the bill :)

Again...I say go for it!! Don't let weather hold you back. But then again..that is the California girl in me talking. I have absolutely NO CLUE what real harsh weather is like.

Sooooo, if you end up doing this..you have got to come back to MP to tell us how she reacted and how your adventure went!!!!!

Ditto Tori H. Have fun!

I think you should do it. And take Patty's suggestion of Amtrak. You can ride the train right to Union Station and take cabs to your hotel, the theater or anywhere else. Sounds like an AWESOME Christmas gift and some great mother/daughter bonding time. You will both treasure it forever!

OMG go for it!!! The show is amazing and it will be an unforgettable experience for both of you. Bundle up and have fun for a few days in the big city. Maybe it will become an annual tradition :-)

Knowing me, I would get the tickets and pray for good weather.

You live in the midwest. You are capable of driving in inclement weather. Get the tickets and hope that there isn't a blizzard on the day of the show (and there probably won't be anything worse than a bit of snow on any given day).

If you can, make a weekend of it. Assuming you can see the show Saturday evening or afternoon, then you could leave Saturday morning and have spare time in case you run into bad weather. Have lunch or dinner, see the show, maybe check out Shedd or the field museum if you have some extra time. Spend the night in a hotel and then head home Sunday, again with extra time in case of bad weather.

Definitely go!!! Like Wild Woman said, get there a day or two before the show and leave the day after the show.

What an awesome idea! Please buy them. And book a hotel room for the night. Make it an excursion. That way, no matter the weather, you can take it easy driving there, see the show, sleep happy and take it easy driving back.

I would go for it and yes-go a few days early so you aren't driving the day of and miss it. Look on Groupon for hotel deals and other things to do.

How comfortable are you driving in bad weather? Do you have extra money in your budget, and the time to stay another day if necessary.

Personally, I would go. My car is very good in the snow, and although I wouldn't be out driving in blizzard conditions, I would have no problem driving in bad weather.

ooh take Amtrak from Des Moines to Chicago. Allow for one day each way for weather!

Even if it's snowing you can totally drive up to Chicago and go to the show. My parents took me to Phantom when I was about that same age and it was fantastic! I remember the entire trip as if it was just yesterday…

I would get a hotel room for the night. go early in the day. do some window shopping etc. eat , go to the show then get on the road the next morning after sleeping in.