Pre-Trip Anxiety... Anyone Else Get This?

[SDSorority]

So I have a good 50 days before my trip... and I'm starting to get the "what if's".

"What if we all catch a cold and have to spend the trip recovering in the room?"
"What if a hurricane comes and it's a total wash out?"
"What if the parks are so hot and crowded that it ends up being miserable?"
"What if Zika spreads to Lake Buena Vista?"
"What if our flight gets so delayed that we can't leave until the next day?"
"What if we get blisters on our feet that make it too painful to get around?"
"What if we get sun poisoning?"
"What if we have to cancel our trip again?"

Irrational, yes, but also very REAL feeling. Does anyone else have weird pre-trip thoughts or anxiety? How do you brush them off and not make things up to worry about?

 

[Klayfish]

To some degree, yes. Probably not to the extent you list, but it definitely crosses my mind. Thoughts like "I hope nobody gets sick". My kids play year round sports "I hope they don't get hurt" (or course, I never want them getting hurt, that goes without saying, but really don't want that happening before Disney). On the drive down, I'm extra cautious.

At the same time, I remember that I can only control the things I can control. It's a bit of a cliché, but it's true. I can't control it if one of us gets sick, or if it rains. We're going to WDW and we're going to make the best of it regardless. Invariably, we wind up at some kind of doctor while in Disney. On our last trip, my oldest broke a bracket on his braces and my younger son got a double ear infection. We went with the flow, because we had no other choice. Getting upset about it could have ruined the day, or the trip.

 

[PeasandCarrots]

To a degree yes. Not all of those worries bother me - I don't worry about hurricanes or Zika. I do worry of getting sick right before going and that kind of thing.

 

[luvgoing2disney]

I think we all do that. But if you look at your lists, with the exception of sunburn and foot blisters, those other things are out of your control You do the best you can and like a PP said, you go with the flow. Of course no one wants anything to mar their trip to WDW, but sometimes stuff just happens.

A couple of trips back, I got a sinus infection but went to the First Aid center in the MK and they gave me some meds to help with it. It did not cure it as prescriptions or shots would have, but I was a good boy, took what they provided and went on. It could have been worse. I could have been at work!

 

[Jennasis]

I do but it's all worry about our business and how it will manage while we are away. We've had uneventful trips where everything was honky dory and then our last trip had many disasters occur while we were gone and I spent a lot of time on the phone trying to fix stuff and worried sick.

 

[Disney_traveler]

I'm 100+ days out and I've already got it.
-what if something happens and we have to cancel everything?

 

[ArwenMarie]

If you can't control it, you have to "let it go" as Elsa would say

 

[Karin1984]

Worrying is most of the time a waste of energy, but you can also use it to prepare for undesired situations. So you have a plan about what to do to make it bearable. To every worry you can think of something to help.

"What if we all catch a cold and have to spend the trip recoveringin the room?"
- pack some extra medication, maybe something that would make you or family feel better. Your own pillow case, favorite plushie for the children, you favorite brand of tea.
"What if a hurricane comes and it's a total wash out?"
- we are not made of sugar, we don't melt when we get wet. The parks will be emptier. When it gets too bad, where are the shows/indoor rides we love. Bring extra shoes as sometimes they can take a long time to dry. Discuss with your family that rain is not something to ruin your vacation
"What if the parks are so hot and crowded that it ends up being miserable?"
- make a plan for extra breaks/pool days. What are indoor rides, restaurants, shows with a/c.
"What if Zika spreads to Lake Buena Vista?"
- absolutely beyond my control, but mainly a thread if you want to get pregnant. Listen to the CDC.
"What if our flight gets so delayed that we can't leave until the next day?"
- then you might get compensation from your airline/insurance that can be used for your next wdw trip. If it would happen at the airport check in advance where the shops and restaurants are near your boarding/check in.
"What if we get blisters on our feet that make it too painful to get around?"
- we will train for the coming days to break in our shoes and to train our feet. Bring extra pair of shoes (switching sometimes helps), medication, and know where disney's medical service is.
"What if we get sun poisoning?"
- we will protect ourselves with clothes, hats, we will bring sunscreen and we know where disney's medical service is
-"What if we have to cancel our trip again?"
Then you will plan a new trip. You will be disappointed, but WDW isn't going anywhere, you can go back.

You will be the best prepared WDW goers in the park

 

[StlJoe]

I'm a planner and a worrier so I feel your pain because my worrying is borderline anxiety at times.

Worrying is most of the time a waste of energy, but you can also use it to prepare for undesired situations.

Yes... agree 100%!!!

While my worry list wasn't quite that extensive, it did help me be prepared for some real-life problems that came up. Blisters, no problem I packed moleskin! Stuff getting wet on water rides? I brought ziploc baggies. I could go on, but most of the stuff I packed we never needed but I felt better for it!

 

[jerseygal]

We always pay for trip insurance for the "what ifs" so that helps. I do worry and hope that my elderly Mom will be okay during the duration of our trip. I worry much more on an international trip or when we went to Hawaii because of the distance. A 3 hour plane ride is much more manageable if there is a crisis in our lives at home if our trip must be interrupted.

 

[nkereina]

Yes, especially about getting sick. I worry to the point where I will start taking probiotics, obsessively wash my hands and desk at work, and before my last trip, I bought $40 hospital grade antibacterial wipes because I thought we'd get norovirus for some reason. LOL.

A few days before we leave, I even get weird feelings that I don't want to go anymore. I don't know if subconsciously I'm bummed that the anticipation of the trip is over, or if it's because I'm stressed and feel like I have so much to do.

But once I get there, everything subsides!

 

[hipporina]

I almost always have at least 1 pre-trip nightmare where everything goes wrong and we have a horrible trip. In the past, I have put too much pressure on myself to make sure that everyone has a good time. We always travel with a big group, and I do most of the planning, so I feel responsible. One year there were over 50 of us and I felt a ton of pressure. This year there are only 25, so it isn't as bad. It is not uncommon for me to have a mini-meltdown on the plane as the stress of planning, packing, and making it on board with all my kiddos finally melts away!

That said, we have had plenty of incidents over the years. It is a running family joke that it is not a Disney vacation until someone has gotten lost, thrown up, and had a bathroom accident because those happen almost every year. We have dealt with illness, bad moods, love bugs, lots of vomit, freezing cold weather (literally), threats of hurricanes, and autistic meltdowns. And we have so much fun that we keep going back. Those things that sound so scary end up becoming funny family stories!

 

[MissouriPrincess]

I mostly stress about the travel itself, either car or plane. I think it's the loss of control. Some horrible accident could happen, and I couldn't do anything about it. But once I'm at my destination, I am great! Until it's time to travel home...

 

[cornflkgrl]

Omg do I get this.

We leave in less than a week to drive (roughly 21 hours) with two.kids that have regressed by light years the last two weeks and I've had my own medical issue going on that I have been afraid was going to cause us to have to cancel altogether (get trip insurance anyone reading this).
My son went to a ballgame last night and had the biggest meltdown he's had in years due to crowds and people. Now I'm thinking what were we thinking with Disney this year?!

My husband and I keep joking saying: well, have a good vacation, honey. Because we plan on one of us being stuck somewhere with a child at all times.

Oh and despite the fact that we are leaving with four people in a car in 5.5 days, I have packed nothing. I have not cleaned out the car. The oil has not been changed. Nothing and I mean nothing has been done to prepare for this trip unless you count ordering a pair of nemo ears off etsy 2 months ago.

 

[MariMama]

So I have a good 50 days before my trip... and I'm starting to get the "what if's".

"What if we all catch a cold and have to spend the trip recovering in the room?"
"What if a hurricane comes and it's a total wash out?"
"What if the parks are so hot and crowded that it ends up being miserable?"
"What if Zika spreads to Lake Buena Vista?"
"What if our flight gets so delayed that we can't leave until the next day?"
"What if we get blisters on our feet that make it too painful to get around?"
"What if we get sun poisoning?"
"What if we have to cancel our trip again?"

Irrational, yes, but also very REAL feeling. Does anyone else have weird pre-trip thoughts or anxiety? How do you brush them off and not make things up to worry about?

Not those exact concerns, but yes, I get pre trip anxiety, no matter where we're going. We are currently just over a month out from our Alaska cruise and we have TONS of stuff we need to do in the next four weeks, all completely unrelated to the cruise and my anxiety is super high for this trip!

 

[cornflkgrl]

Btw, some of the things on your list: hurricane (i think I've read on here theyve only had one actual hurricane make it that far over) and too hot and crowded. It will most likely rain like crazy at some point on your trip and it will be hot and crowded at some point (or feel that way at some point) but those are not things that will ruin your trip and you should try to remind yourself that. We were there last August and got tons of rain but that really was the best time because it cleared out the parks temporarily. So ride lines got shorter.

 

[lizabu]

I always have some anxiety. I'm sure it natural to worry that something will spoil the trip you've planned for so long and put so much energy and effort into.

 

[revdon64]

Yes, but my worries are usually about my own health.
For instance - I spent six days in the hospital in December... right after we got back from our last family trip to WDW.

 

[disney world dreamer]

not anxious but excited.

i really don't think about the what ifs because no matter what does or does not happen i'm at disney world!

some of those what if's have happened to me in the past but it never ruined a trip.

also i'm not at all concerned with zika because i am not pregnant and don't plan on becoming pregnant within 8 weeks after going.

and heck a little part of me is still secretly hoping for gaston to show up while we're there

 

[USCAnna]

Yes, especially about getting sick. I worry to the point where I will start taking probiotics, obsessively wash my hands and desk at work, and before my last trip, I bought $40 hospital grade antibacterial wipes because I thought we'd get norovirus for some reason. LOL.

But once I get there, everything subsides!

I always worry about this too. My daughter came down with bronchitis 3 days before our trip in 2013, but fortunately her antibiotic kicked in enough that she felt well enough to enjoy the parks by the time we arrived. She had to be on antibiotic for the first few days of our trip, but we were able to manage it easily enough.