A different kind of WDW "strategy"

[WorldNoFace]

Every time my family and I start getting close to a WDW trip (we just crossed the 30-day threshold over the weekend), I start feeling strangely compelled to watch videos and look at photos from the year before. I guess there's only so many ways to deal with the anticipation knowing you can't make it come any faster, so being free to relive the captured memories helps (I'm starting to think this is subconsciously why I'm so camera-happy while I'm there - I need material for my countdown!).
However, while doing this, particularly, watching the videos (in secret, so my wife doesn't make fun of me and say "Seriously, watching them again?"), I couldn't help but notice a theme. The theme was this: I'm kind of an [insert banned word(s) here] on vacation.
It was nothing extreme, but still, I was pretty disgusted with myself. Basically, I ruined every video with my incessant hurrying of our four kids with every imaginable variation of "Let's go!" i.e. "LET'S....GO!", "Let'sssss gOOoooooo...," "YO! COME ON! S'GO!" You get the idea. Every time I started enjoying a clip of us walking to or from somewhere, there I was again, with my big, annoying mouth. At first I tried to tell myself, these are just the moments you happened to capture on video. I'm sure it wasn't like this the whole time. Then it started to set in that I almost definitely WAS like that the whole time, and probably every other time we've gone on vacation.
I could blame it on "Disney brain," I guess. Let's face it, being at WDW puts you in a different state of mind, and it's not exactly a relaxed, idyllic one you think about when you envision a vacation. But, I'm not going to do that. Really, you could say that about anything. "I'm a grouch when I get home from work because my job is stressful," "I have road rage because people drive ridiculously." No, this is on me.
So, I started trying to really break it down. Where was I always in a hurry to? More importantly, why? On one hand, there's the crowds, and the strong will to beat them to your next destination. There's also the fact you spend a lot of money to take your family to Disney, and you could have let them stop to look at ants and sticks for free at home. Sure, it's not a hard question to answer - there are, in fact, lots of reasons to hurry up in Disney. But by that same token, do you pay all that money, do all that planning, put that much energy into a trip just to spend it in a constant state of nagginess? Because just like stopping to play with sticks, nagging can be done for free, at home. Whoa... mind blown.
That being said, this year, I have a new overall Disney strategy that will have nothing to do with how many rides we can hit in a given window of time or anything of that nature. Not that there's anything wrong with that type of strategizing - it's important and it does help you make the most of your time in such an expansive "World" where covering ground is a challenge. This will still be part of our trip, as it must be, but my promise to my family and myself this year is to not let my drive to be time-efficient supersede actually enjoying that time, and more importantly, allowing my family to enjoy it.

 

[I'mfarfaraway]

Good on you for being able to be this self aware. It is true that a Disney vacation is not always going to be a relaxing vacation but it need not be a stress filled one either. I think that you will definitely be able to strike a good balance now that you are are seeing what has happened in the past.
Have a fun filled vacation and I hope you enjoy watching this times videos even more!

 

[BalooFan]

When people complain about what went wrong with their WDW vacation, they tend to blame WDW policies and procedures, rude cast members, crowds, weather, annoying guests, moody and uncooperative family members, Disney transportation, bad food, attraction shutdowns, and so on. Life isn’t perfect in our day to day lives and it isn’t perfect at WDW either. We can allow ourselves to be frustrated and disappointed or make the best of it. Kudos to you for realizing that you may not always be reacting in the best way and wanting to change your behavior. I have to remind myself to do this all the time. Enjoy your upcoming trip!

 

[klmall]

I'm much like you WorldNoFace when it comes to touring at Disney especially since we go only every few years and it all costs so very much.

Luckily, many years ago we decided to break up our group so that I can rope drop while DH and DS sleep in. We meet up later for a FP or lunch or whatever. Since I also stop constantly to take pictures that tends to slow us down too!

Your self-analysis is amazing and should help you and your family enjoy your trip so much more. And forgive yourself if you sometimes slip back into that old pattern; you're human!

Have a great trip!

 

[WorldNoFace]

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement guys. It really is a help! I'm definitely determined to make this the best trip ever (by actually being less determined and more laid back ;-) )!

 

[dreamit]

I'm impressed with your self-reflection. It is hard to not have the mindset of making the most of every (very expensive) minute at WDW. Though, it's really a change in thought of what it means to make the most of every minute. On my dd's first trip, one of her favorite parts of the trip was when mid-day while at MK we spontaneously decided to take the monorail over to the Polynesian for drinks and a treat because I noticed my family was hitting the wall with the heat and crowds. DD recounting this as one of the best parts of the trip was enlightening. I now proactively ask my family to go along with my itinerary and a faster pace the first two hours at the park and after those two hours we can slow down and stray from the plan as desired. This has worked well for us. My family is happier and more relaxed, and it takes stress off of me because I only feel pressure of keeping everyone on track for two hours a day. I hope your next vacation is wonderful, andI hope that when you're watching videos from your next trip, you're very pleased with yourself.

 

[Jess_S]

I grew up in a family where vacation meant keeping up with my dad who needed to see absolutely everything a place had to offer or he wasn't happy. I started my adult life with that kind of attitude about vacation. Then I met my husband, who is very much a let's relax and just be here vacationer. I have moved much closer to his approach over time. So I am here to tell you that it is possible to change and that you might find that you enjoy a more laid back travel approach. I hope your next trip is great.

 

[WorldNoFace]

I really like the idea of breaking the group up for a time and meeting back up. We have a range of ages, heights and nerve-levels (that one mostly comes into play with Tower of Terror). We split up briefly for individual rides, but I'll keep that idea in mind of splitting up for a period of time in the day for certain things. Thank you!

 

[WorldNoFace]

It's good to know I'm not alone. I think I got that trait from my mother AND father. They were a dual-terror when it came to hustlin' on vacation lol

Have a great trip![/QUOTE]

I grew up in a family where vacation meant keeping up with my dad who needed to see absolutely everything a place had to offer or he wasn't happy. I started my adult life with that kind of attitude about vacation. Then I met my husband, who is very much a let's relax and just be here vacationer. I have moved much closer to his approach over time. So I am here to tell you that it is possible to change and that you might find that you enjoy a more laid back travel approach. I hope your next trip is great.

 

[WorldNoFace]

The kind of random excursion to Polynesian like you described is just the type of thing I started realizing really "makes" a trip. I think my "AHA" moment on that was at Epcot while waiting for my wife and son to go on a bathroom run. They were taking a while and something in me just said hey, let's walk over to that nearby water fountain (the one built into the ground in Future World that kids can play in and get wet), which is usually the type of thing we'd never take time out to do. As crazy as it sounds, I think that was one of the funnest moments my kids had on that trip.

I'm impressed with your self-reflection. It is hard to not have the mindset of making the most of every (very expensive) minute at WDW. Though, it's really a change in thought of what it means to make the most of every minute. On my dd's first trip, one of her favorite parts of the trip was when mid-day while at MK we spontaneously decided to take the monorail over to the Polynesian for drinks and a treat because I noticed my family was hitting the wall with the heat and crowds. DD recounting this as one of the best parts of the trip was enlightening. I now proactively ask my family to go along with my itinerary and a faster pace the first two hours at the park and after those two hours we can slow down and stray from the plan as desired. This has worked well for us. My family is happier and more relaxed, and it takes stress off of me because I only feel pressure of keeping everyone on track for two hours a day. I hope your next vacation is wonderful, andI hope that when you're watching videos from your next trip, you're very pleased with yourself.

 

[WorldNoFace]

When people complain about what went wrong with their WDW vacation, they tend to blame WDW policies and procedures, rude cast members, crowds, weather, annoying guests, moody and uncooperative family members, Disney transportation, bad food, attraction shutdowns, and so on. Life isn’t perfect in our day to day lives and it isn’t perfect at WDW either. We can allow ourselves to be frustrated and disappointed or make the best of it. Kudos to you for realizing that you may not always be reacting in the best way and wanting to change your behavior. I have to remind myself to do this all the time. Enjoy your upcoming trip!

Couldn't agree more on that. Just walking around WDW you hear some of the most miserable complaining you've ever heard! Cast members are people - they're not perfect, as much as WDW expects them to be, and fellow tourists DEFINITELY aren't perfect. Why anyone expects them to be, I just don't know. Hearing that kind of misery at WDW always kinda rubbed me the wrong way, which is what made it all that much worse when I watched our videos and heard myself and how grouchy I sounded.