Tip Time Tuesday: Plan YOUR Disney Vacation
This seems like the ultimate common sense tip but you would be amazed at the number of people who don’t plan their dream Disney trip. Instead, they fill out a checklist of what “everybody” tells them to do! I want to meet this elusive “everybody” because they certainly seem to have all the answers. It is always a great idea to talk to friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors who have been to Disney and can give you ideas for your vacation. Getting ideas and opinions can add to your knowledge of what is at Disney and what to expect. Where I think the problem is – most people give their opinions and state them as if they were fact, “You must eat at XYZ restaurant, it is the best at Disney.” Or, “You have to ride ABC ride if you are at Disney.” Then the person who is getting the information puts that opinion in stone and they believe that if they don’t eat at XYZ and ride ABC then their trip is ruined. The heart of the matter is that unless it is something that YOU think is an absolute must-do, it doesn’t matter what anyone else will tell you.
I have had many examples like this: “My Aunt Matilda told me that we must eat at the Castle, so we want to be able to take our kids to eat at the Castle!” Well, if you have three little boys who all think princesses are icky…are you eating there because it is a great idea and your kids (or you) are going to love it or are you eating there because Aunt Matilda thinks it’s a great idea? Don’t get me wrong, I love eating in the Castle, but for some families, it just doesn’t make sense.
Another example is from my own family. My family loves Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. I have had many people tell me that “everybody” told them it was boring and that they wouldn’t like the attraction. I will admit it doesn’t speed, blast or free fall but something about it makes everyone in my family happy. If you ask my kids, they list it in their top 5 attractions at Magic Kingdom. No, that’s not normal but if I had listened to “everybody” they wouldn’t have found one of their favorites!
Gathering information and opinions is a great tool for building your Disney vacation – but the ideal vacation for your family is what is going to work for them and make them happy regardless of what “everybody” tells you you should do.