Just got back from an excruciating trip. Mistakes included:
1. Going with
too many people. As many have stated above, everyone has a different pace, different interests and personalities that can ruin a trip for all. I wanted to get on rides and see as much of the park as possible while they walked around super slowly looking for Starbucks, places to just sit and picture moments. Next trip will be kept much smaller, with NO extended family. This not only ruined the trip, but made all the relationships strained. Although most say, split up into smaller groups, the BF's family was very anti-splitting up.
2. Not having day breaks between park visits. We went HARD for 5 days straight and my feet and body were in pain and beyond sore by the end of the trip. Although I wore comfy sneakers and prepped as much as possible. I don't think a mid-day trip would've worked, especially since it took so long to get everyone out of the house we rented, but at least having a 1 to 2 day break in between where we get to relax at the pool would have helped.
3. Going in the rainy season. It rained, downpours, for 4 out of the 5 days. And I don't mean 30 minute downpours, I mean 4-5 hour downpours. Ponchos became uncomfortable and we were all wet dogs by the time the sky semi-cleared. Some rides were also shut down. Next trip will be in the late fall or early spring.
4. Not staying at the resort. While it was much more economical to stay offsite, it was also inconvenient. All the money you 'saved' staying at a rental home, you used up on the rental car and food shopping.
Although this all sounds pretty negative, I tried to make the most of it and enjoyed some moments. The ones where the BF and I disappeared off on our own (which weren't many) were wonderful as we were able to explore the park and get on rides at our pace, without a ton of opinions and without being forced to stay with the group. Yeah, forced. Because if we didn't, we got yelled at.
At least I have my next trip to look forward to.
