Lessons Learned from Disneyworld

We recently returned from a week at Disneyworld. The trip was a year in planning and went by so quickly. I managed to breathe for a few minutes and learn a few lessons that I think are appropriate for life or a return to Disney.

1) Plan ahead.

All of our planning paid off. We had all of the reservations we wanted. We actually had too many reservations, but when you have a small child, uncertainty is not your friend. If you plan ahead, you always know where you’re headed. You may end up somewhere else, but that forward direction prevents meltdowns and whining.

2) Be flexible.

All of that planning is great, but when you’re in the moment, you have to go with the flow. You can always go back to the plan, but it’s the little detours in life that make the journey fun. I’m so glad we were flexible enough to deviate from our plans and investigate the little nooks. We found surprises we hadn’t expected!

3) Ask for help.

Disneyworld is huge. If you haven’t been there, you cannot imagine the size. We got lost, took wrong turns, and were confused about transportation and reservations. I didn’t waste time wandering. I asked for help right away. I need to do that in life more often. Too often I circle in the dark, when if I just put some of my pride aside and asked for help, I wouldn’t have to struggle.

4) Plan for downtime.

We didn’t do much of this, and it was a mistake. We wanted to squeeze as much as we could into our time. But small kids need time to rest, especially with so much going on. I don’t plan enough rest time in my life either. I work and work until I pretty much collapse. It’s not a very healthy way to live life or vacation. The best thing we did was to remain flexible, and when my daughter was tired, we went back to the room and rested.

5) Leave while you’re still having fun.

I almost think a week is too long. There was so much to see that we needed all the time, but we were on the verge of being short with one another and giving in to exhaustion. Even Disneyworld isn’t fun if you’ve overstayed. The same goes with life. When work or the way you’re doing things in your family isn’t fun anymore, it’s time to change it up.

Have you learned anything from your recent or past travels?

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