Managing Stress
Visiting Disney World is can be pretty stressful for these reasons:
- A lot of money is being spent
- High expectations for making great memories
- Crowds
- Waits
- Conflicting agendas within your party
- Hot/humid weather
- Long days of lots of walking
Going with little kids will add more reasons for stress because the little kids take a lot of personal attention and work.
Strategies for managing stress
Increase your budget now
A big stress creator is exceeding your costs from unplanned expenses. Go back to your budget and add $300/day for ‘other expenses’.
Reduce your expectations now
Dreaming about how much Disney will be is great. Keep on doing it.
Also think about that it might not be the most amazing experience of your life. You might get sick, your kids might get sick, you might get overheated, some people might cut in line in front of you, your favorite ride might be closed.
Focus on the basics that will be true: you’ll be together with your family, you don’t have to work, there will be cool stuff to see and do together.
Reduce your park ambition now
You will not do everything there is to do at Disney on this trip. You will not even do everything you want to do at Disney on this trip.
When you arrive at the Magic Kingdom, you do not have to do everything before you leave.
If you are brining your kids to Disney World when they are this young, you’ll probably be back.
Talk about priorities with your spouse / other adults in party
Ask everyone what are the two things they definitely must do, and two things they are hoping to avoid on this trip.
Take care of your health
Get good sleep, eat healthy foods.
Research and plan in advance
For example the Magic Kingdom: if you show up without having a plan you’ll end up stuck in crowds and feel like you didn’t get to see very much. You’ll also feel stupid for not bringing the things into the parks that you’ll need or bringing stuff into the parks that you don’t need.
Avoid the heat
Orlando summer is hot and humid. Spring and Fall might be hot and humid. Heat will drain you and will really drain your kids.
Make plans to be out of the heat in the middle of the day.
Consider staying at a Disney resort
One way to simplify your Disney trip is to stay at their hotels because they take care transportation to and from the parks.