The tip I’m sharing today all comes down to one simple sentence that is so ridiculously easy to implement that it’s mind blowing. I kid you not, if you “get this” and make an effort to truly make the time to apply it I genuinely believe it will change the reality of a Disney vacation for you. Additionally, I share it because I believe it’s so fundamental to taking the Disney experience and changing it from a place where you go to ride attractions to a place that can really connect with you and your family yielding memories that will change the way you look at the parks but sometimes even how you look at your own family. The tip is simple – let Disney be your genuine escape from reality. (Looking for more specific tips? – check out my 102 Excellent Disney World Tips) Those 102 aren’t near as important as this one though.
Before you click off the page and write me off as some insane content creator getting overly sappy, stick with me for just 30 seconds more. Trust me, I know how incredibly valuable your time is and if I wasn’t passionate about this I’d never be this vulnerable about sharing some of these details. However, the greatest way to explain is by example. In this case it’s my own example and often times my own shortcoming along the way in planning vacations very early on.
For years, I looked at Disney as “how can I hit every attraction possible, jump from place to place, and run through my day maximizing every second doing something” (Now I call that concept the Over Planned Disney Trip Disaster). I know this is going to hit home with some of you because I’ve been in your shoes and I can also tell you how valuable this concept is in really changing how much value you can get out of your WDW vacation.
I can remember so vividly getting back from a long day in the parks, being beyond exhausted, and facing the reality of waking up and driving the 14 hours back home to Kentucky the next morning. I took a moment, slid open the sliding glass door of our first floor room at Saratoga Springs, stepped outside and sat down on the metal furniture perched outside our room (For more on Saratoga Springs – check out why it made my Top 5 Resorts for Walt Disney World in 2019). It was near 1:00 am, it was a breezy summer night, the fountains you could hear flowing in the background, and the quiet was overwhelming. I remember sitting there clinging to every single second that ticked by trying to figure out any way I could stay just a few moments longer.
Looking back on it now, I realize that I wasn’t clinging to the experience of Disney, the attractions, or even the food. I was clinging to the escape from reality that often plagued my heart and mind and at points still does.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my life. Truthfully more and more every single day. However, we all have those moments where life can be tough and there’s nothing we can do to change it. Disney, in so many ways offers up the perfect escape from reality. People talk about the “Disney Bubble” effect of being on property and I have to say it’s the most incredible feeling in the world at times. There’s virtually no other place where you can step outside, pause, listen for a moment, and sit there away from everything surrounded by the subtle sounds of the love and laughter of your family.
My friends, that’s what Disney is all about. Forget the attractions, forget the dining, forget the fast passes. Just be present, enjoy the escape from reality, and force yourself to let everything else go in a way that only Disney offers you up the opportunity to do so. It’s a “Less is More” approach that I devoted an entire article to and truly believe in – Why I Always View Disney Trips With a “Less is More” Approach.
Take some time to just sit there and take it all in. Look around you during a meal and see how your family isn’t all on their phones, watch your families eyes light up when the alarm clock goes off every morning of your visit ready to love every second of the day, and take that time to let the world drift away.
We’re all guilty of being too busy in our daily lives and forgetting the simple joys of life. We’re surrounded by distraction and so often we look for an escape but rarely find one. No matter who you are Disney can be your escape if you let it. It’s such a simple tip, but when you’re sitting there having that quiet moment or peering around you as your friends or family’s eyes light up day after day and moment after moment I know you’ll remember reading this. I hope it’s of incredible value in helping you place those perfect memories deep in your mind. That’s my one tip for today and genuinely one of the greatest tips I can ever share.
My friends, I’m so incredibly lucky to live the life that I live. I look back at the last three and half years of this site and the opportunities it’s provided me and my family and the people it’s brought into my life. All of that happened because of you. I know that’s a general statement, but if you’re reading this for the first time or reading this as your 200th article read here, realize that you’re instrumental in making my dream a reality every single day. I’ve got a long way to go to be where I want to be, but I wake up every morning with an escape from reality at my finger tips and the chance to do what I love for a few hours. I could not do that without you. You have no idea how incredibly grateful I am. You are a piece of my story.
This community and these people in this community are so incredible. If you need a place to be and a place that is accepting, I invite you to come hang out with us online or in person wherever you choose to be on social media. If there is anything I can do to ever help any of you all out or offer a word of advice please don’t ever hesitate to ask. You all get me one step closer to my dream every single day and it is the least I can do in return. I appreciate you all.
Often times in life the greatest thing we can do is be kind to people. It’s simple and takes ten seconds of our time but a smile and a word of thanks can change a day. You all show me that level of gratitude any and every time I need it the most. Kindness is lacking in our world today and genuinely caring about people all too often gets pushed aside in our busy lives. Be a gift to someone today. You never know what the cashier at the grocery store is facing, or the coworker in your office, or even the random stranger you talk to on the internet, but you can be the gift of kindness to them. It’s something I can all too often learn from those of you that are oh so kind to me day in and day out.
Be a blessing to someone every day. You never know what’s going on in their mind. It’s something I’m working on myself but it felt like a good thing to share to round out this more heart felt article today. Thanks for reading.
-Collin
If you like this simpler, more heartfelt, content I would love for you to read more just like it in these articles listed below. I think they will mean something to you if this piece of content hit home with you.
Real Talk – Why We All Need to Take a Moment to Think
What Really Matters – A Lesson From Walt
Motivation: What Really Matters at the End of the Day – A Lesson From Walt and Many Others
Your Thoughts
As always, if you have thoughts, concerns, questions, or even some tips of your own to share, don’t hesitate to reach out to us on Facebook or your favorite social media platform. Give us a follow while you’re there, and we’ll keep the conversation going in the future. We’re not the largest Disney community, but we’re one that’s here and one that listens. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day wherever you are!
Need a Travel Planner For Your Disney Vacation?
If you want or simply need a little bit of planning help to make your Disney vacation dream a reality, check out the quote request form below this article for our friends over at Destinations to Travel. They’ll let you do as much or as little of the planning as you’d like and may even save you some money along the way! As always, thanks for supporting those who support us.
Ready to Plan?
Last but certainly not least, if you’re starting the planning process, a great place to start are with some of our top planning articles! Looking for dining? Check out Disney World Dining Tips For 2019. Want to start with some more tips? 44 Excellent Disney World Tips for 2019 or Disney World Planning Guide and Tips For 2019 are a great place to begin!
Looking to save money on tickets? Check out our friends over at The Official Ticket Center for great deals that even made it into our 2019 Discount Disney World Ticket selections and another great way to help us create more content through your contributions at no additional cost to you! You’ll probably even save money along the way!
