The top things you HAVE to know when planning a trip to Disney.
Planning a trip to Disney can be super overwhelming and you may think you have to know everything right away or your trip will be an epic fail. BUT, I have the skinny on the things you HAVE to know to secure the success of your adventures at Walt Disney World! And then all the other things will fall into place!
Trip planning for a Disney visit, especially a first visit gives us all expectations of magic and perfection and getting to do and see everything at Disney in a carefully constructed schedule. But even the most well-laid schedules are more times than not are a source of great anxiety and disappointment with a lack of flexibility. It is no secret, Disney is constantly changing, events, parades, and all the things are subject to change on a dime, due to weather, technical issues, and so much more. And if you stake your entire trip on perfectly adhering to a minute-by-minute schedule, you have simply created a recipe for disaster. Kids will have meltdowns, the weather will cancel things, and the app never works 100% of the time. If you are not setting your expectations to include going with the flow with a bit of flexibility throughout your trip, you won’t be the only one that is miserable. Flexibility is definitely something you will need to pack for an amazing trip!
Trip planning for a Disney visit, especially a first visit gives us all expectations of magic and perfection and getting to do and see everything at Disney in a carefully constructed schedule. But even the most well-laid schedules are more times than not are a source of great anxiety and disappointment with a lack of flexibility. It is no secret, Disney is constantly changing, events, parades, and all the things are subject to change on a dime, due to weather, technical issues, and so much more. And if you stake your entire trip on perfectly adhering to a minute-by-minute schedule, you have simply created a recipe for disaster. Kids will have meltdowns, the weather will cancel things, and the app never works 100% of the time. If you are not setting your expectations to include going with the flow with a bit of flexibility throughout your trip, you won’t be the only one that is miserable. Flexibility is definitely something you will need to pack for an amazing trip!
If you are easily offended, then buckle up for this one….I don’t know how many guests I’ve seen have complete mental breakdowns PRIOR to travel by watching the forecast for central Florida on a minute-by-minute basis. While I love thinking ahead, and knowing what to expect weather-wise is key, please know, it is central Florida and it is completely normal for it to rain every single day. And by no means do I mean a day in and day out 24/7, but you most often can expect that late afternoon downpour almost daily! So when you see that forecast calling for rain, don’t think that all hope of an amazing experience is gone. Chances are you’ll get that drizzle or downpour for a time but it usually doesn’t last too long! Here’s where your flexibility can come into play as well. See that afternoon rumble rolling in? Maybe instead of heading for Big Thunder Mountain, maybe it’s better to find a covered patio and have some drinks and snacks while the rain passes thru! Or if you’ve taken my upcoming tip to heart, you may just slap on those ponchos and go!
My next essential is actually a non essential….if that makes sense. And again, if your feelings are easily hurt, skip this. Do not and I repeat, DO NOT bring your bad attitudes to the most magical place on Earth! We don’t need any additional family feuds or guest brawls traumatizing the children! Walt’s vision for Disney was for you to
enter the gates and let the magic take over. IF you go in thinking it’s going to be chaotic or terrible, it will. If you go in with the expectations of having a magical time you can do that too! That experience is wholly up to you and your attitude! I know there are tons of cynics, and you may call me silly, but there IS magic inside those gates, if you let it in your heart! And if you do, I can promise you, you will never be the same!
Now, don’t come after me after I preached flexibility earlier, because now my last point is you must have a plan! So let me clarify just what I mean. There’s a fine line between Planning Princess and PlanZilla! And that is a line you do not want to cross. Of course, I would be a total hypocrite if I said it was cool to not have a plan…here’s the reality though. Disney is NOT a spontaneous destination unless you have zero expectations and love standing around confused. While it’s not required any longer to snag those much-needed reservations for meals, etc 6 months ahead of time, there is still a timeline for getting things set up for your trip and if you want to get to those things without fail, planning is essential for the stress-free experience and a home run of a trip! There’s nothing like rolling up to your character dining reservation like a VIP! So while I don’t think you need a second-by-second regimen for each park day, it is a great idea to have your days mapped out somewhat and be able to breathe a sigh of relief knowing you are getting the experiences that you have your heart set on.
Now I know that a lot of these things are pretty blunt, but in all reality, there’s much more that plays into the success of a Disney trip, or any trip for that matter. And these things can be applied to almost any destination, well, except for the monsoons. All jokes aside tho, having these things in your mind’s arsenal is sure to help you to make memories during your trip that won’t be horror stories later!
And as the book says, the Magic is in you!
