Starting with the end in mind…a reality check
The best way to get started with your Disney vacation is to visualize how you want the trip to end, what is your ultimate goal? It is to enjoy time with your family? Get away from the office? Relax? Spoil the grandchildren? What is it that you want remember at the end of the trip, what are those objectives?
Why ask this question, you may ask. The reason is that many people have bought into the great marketing that the Walt Disney Company kicks out every holiday. Then they save all year, work overtime, and then spend what amounts of a life’s savings on a weeklong trip; spend even more then they had saved so they can enjoy all of their hard work; and then have their child have a melt-down at 3pm on the first day! But since we’ve spend all this money, worked so hard, traveled so far, we drag out family militaristically through the park – because we’re at Disneyland, we have to have fun!
Or here is another scenario… half way through the day your child just rode Autopia for this very first time, and they loved it… they ask to go again. You just waited in a 45 minute line and this was your second ride so far. The reality is that if you tell them, “if we have time later” – it typically doesn’t happen. Why? Because Disneyland is so expansive, with over 100 acres, even with 5 days in Disneyland, you still will not have experienced everything. So typically, there is “no time later”… But, if you’re there as a family – then another time through the ride would be a great memory for them – and it can be great family time together in line.
Another tip we’ll share later centers directly over the vacation or relaxation part of a Disneyland vacation. Many people think it will be relaxing, but the only way for this to be true is if you intentionally make it this. There are many things which are vying for your attention that, if you let it, will consume all of your available time. If you want a Disney vacation to be relaxing, it can be, but just decide that up front and later we’ll share how this can become reality.
Finally, understand what can realistically be accomplished and you’ll have a great time. I recently took a trip with my son (17 months) and our 6 year old friend – yes, a boy’s trip to Disneyland. It was for exactly 24 hours (travel time included). We had an absolutely amazing, fantastic trip – spent only about 10 hours in the park any everyone thorough enjoyed themselves. Tyler loved the fact that he got to drive the Autopia cars twice, experience snowfall, and fight Darth Vader on stage after being selected as a Jedi Padawan. Fantastic trip, very short, but met our expectations.
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The preceeding was an except from my book titled Vacationing Disneyland the Sane Way and is designed to be a guide for the rest of us for visiting the Happiest Place on Earth! This work is (c) 2008 with All Rights Reserved.