To all who come to this happy place, welcome.
In 1955, these are the words Walt Disney spoke in dedication of Disneyland, and in 2012 (much less prodigiously), these are the words I typed to christen my blog. At the time, I was just starting out as a travel agent specializing in Disney Destinations, and I wanted a place to celebrate all that I was learning in my new career, and also to capture moments in my personal life to reflect upon later. As babies were born and business picked up, the blog fell by the wayside. Now, nine years, four children, two houses, and one brand new business later, I think it’s time to bring it back.
As I am working to build my travel agency and getting in a rhythm with posting on social media, I’ve found that I miss sharing with you via long-form writing. You’ll still see photos and videos from me on a weekly basis, and you’ll also see some blog posts mixed in, wherein I’ll do my best to paint you a word picture of happy distraction. I like to begin with a Disney quote of some kind for inspiration, and as a jumping-off point for those of you who, like me, enjoy the history behind all the magic.
This will be a place for me to share vacation memories, some new updates, and helpful planning information. I think a good place to start would be for me to explain how our family approaches vacations in general, and why we find that the Disney family of destinations is such a great fit for us. If you’re getting ready to close your browser window because you don’t want to read my elaborate 12-step plan for “how to make the most of every minute,” hang tight. My philosophy is very simple: just slow down.
See, there’s an entire faction of Disney planners out there who want to teach you to “game the system,” “plan every single minute,” “don’t miss a thing!” I have worked with Guests who used these elaborate plans, and came home feeling disappointed because they missed one item by five minutes and that wrecked the rest of their day. I have one goal. I’d like you to come home from your vacation not with a completed check-list of tasks, but with the kind of memories that will bring your family joy well into the future. It’s the difference between a Supermarket Sweep-style mad dash, and a lingering meal with the people you love. Either way you get food, but one is exhausting and the other is energizing in more than just the physical sense. If you’re interested in the science, vacation actually does have beneficial health outcomes that can be measured over a span of several months after you return home — but I digress.
My husband and I visited Walt Disney World for our first anniversary in 2009, and around that time it was becoming popular for people to try to experience all of the attractions in all four parks in a single day. Yes, it can be done. We had a whole week, I reasoned, why not try it out at a slower pace? So, I made stylized checklists for each park, and off we went. I won’t go so far as to say that it was a bad trip, but it did include far more bickering than any of our others (and we didn’t even have kids yet). Why? Because sometimes on vacation, you just want to take a nap. Or sit a little longer over dinner. Or sit and listen to some live music. We didn’t have time for that because we had to go ride the carousel if we were going to check everything off our list.
After that particular vacation, I think we’ve done a much better job of taking a slower pace, which I firmly believe has actually helped us “enjoy every minute” so much more. I’ll give you some examples. In 2013, we took our oldest (nine months old at the time) for his first visit to Walt Disney World. It was just a quick three night stay that I booked on a whim because I got a great discount, and we had a full week vacation coming up with my side of the family. We flew into Orlando and were making our way to the Magical Express, but our son was absolutely fascinated with the fountain in the airport concourse. So, we stopped. We let him sit in his stroller and just cackle at that fountain, extending our time in the airport by about 20 minutes. But we could have spent 20 more minutes in Disney, you say! Sure, but I’ll never forget those contented baby giggles. Not ever. That was money time well spent.
In September of 2014, we took our 2 year old and 3 month old back for a four night stay. When we’re traveling with really little ones, we like to eat a nice lunch and then walk them around the parks in their strollers until they fall asleep. Then we’ll find a cool place to park the strollers and people-watch while they rest. On this particular trip we parked our strollers in the Tomorrowland Terrace, which is always empty, air conditioned, and shaded, but still has a sweeping view of the Magic Kingdom. I can tell you this now because, sadly, we’re aging out of those stroller nap days and steadily toward “let’s ride Thunder Mountain again” days, so it doesn’t matter if you steal my spot. We had a conversation that day that would precipitate some really big life changes for our family, and I still get teary when I think about it. Sometimes the time you “waste” while your kids are napping is the time that knits your family closer together after you’re home. For me, it was the highlight of our whole vacation, and that was money time well spent.
It’s extra important to set this kind of intention when you’re visiting a Disney Destination, because there is a wealth of things for you to see and do. You could be active for every waking moment, and it would take you a long time to run out of new experiences. But, if you’re running through the turnstiles to get to your first attraction, you’re going to miss being serenaded by the Dapper Dans, or exchanging a wave with your favorite princess. If you’re on your phone in line planning which attraction to sprint to next, you might miss those little details the Imagineers have curated in order to engage you in their story. If you don’t ever take a day off from the theme parks, you won’t have a chance to appreciate all the resort amenities around you, or the beauty in every detail of the landscaping and architecture.
Maybe you’re familiar with other theme park destinations, and you enjoy the go-go-go nature of running from one roller coaster to the next. Disney definitely offers some top tier thrill rides, but it is decidedly not the same as other amusement parks, so it makes sense that the way you plan your days should also be different. I could write you a book on the “Disney Difference,” and that’s a lot of what this blog will be, but if you move too fast, you might just miss the opportunity to experience it for yourself. Sometimes your kids will want to ride it’s a small world four times in a row. And while that may not line up with what you had planned for the day, it’s exactly what you paid for. I promise, that very catchy song won’t be stuck in your head forever, but your kids’ joy will.
If you choose to work with me to plan your vacation, I will help you select experiences tailored to your family’s interests and needs, and to balance your wish list with a healthy dose of spontaneity so you have time to be surprised by the Disney magic. I’ll help you with the details ahead of time so you can travel with confidence and come home refreshed.
Here’s hoping that today offers you the chance to “just slow down” and enjoy, even if you’re not on vacation.
To all who come to this happy place; welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America…with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.
