There are a million blogs online about Disney World. How to get Fast Passes, where to eat, what to pack, how to avoid the crowds…. All are extremely useful and informative! However, there’s one very important thing that you need to know about your Disney World trip that doesn’t often get covered in the blogs. Only one thing that you really need to understand prior to leaving to make your vacation as stress free as possible….
You aren’t going to be able to do everything!
It seems simple…basic…and a bit ridiculous, I know. But it’s true.
Disney is a big deal. It’s every kid’s (and kid at heart’s) dream come true.
It promises magic…and adventure…and wonder….
The perfect vacation.
It’s easy to get caught up in it all. To want to rush around from activity to activity…to cram it all in…to not miss *anything.* To get frustrated when the realities of the world like crowds and lines and tired, cranky children that missed their naps break the magic spell.
…and it’s easy to forget about why you’re there in the first place.
Which is why the most important advice you need to hear prior to going to Disney is that you won’t be able to do everything you want. It’s impossible. There are just far too many things to see and do and eat. There are too many people. And far too little time. You simply can’t do it all. Coming to terms with this fact in advance will save you lots of frustration during your trip.
So what can you do to make sure that you get the most out of your trip?
Planning can certainly help. Disney is a planner’s dream (or nightmare, depending on how you look at it). It is possible to do Disney without any planning at all (see my recent post on learning to let go of control)…but you would need to be very flexible and keep your expectations realistic. On the other hand, it’s easy to over plan. I’ve seen far too many people with their vacation planned out like a military campaign down practically to the minute…completely focused on checking off their to-do list and missing all the spontaneous magical moments in the parks. It’s important to find a happy medium for your family or group.
You can start this process by figuring out each person’s absolute most important things that they want to do. Not *everything* they want to do…but the one or two things that top their list. Prioritize these first!
Then rank activities in the order of importance to the group. You’ve already identified your must-dos…figure out what would be nice to do if you have time…and what things no one will miss if you skip them. Use this hierarchy to help fill in your day.
But…don’t over pack your schedule. Leave lots of downtime so that you can adjust your plans as the day goes on.
And accept the fact that you’re going to miss things. Even things that you really wanted to do. It happens. It’s a vacation…not a contest. There is no prize for the person that sees the most in a single day.
The prize is being present in the moment…and enjoying your time together.
Disney can certainly be a magical, perfect vacation…but you’re the one that makes that magic.
And all those things that you didn’t have time for…they’re a great excuse to come back again in the future!
