Disney Lessons for Planning Trips to Other Destinations: A Disney Planner Guide to Travel

I quickly shook myself out of this funk, and thought about what I’d do if I was at a Disney park. Of course, I’d ignore the weather, and go out regardless. So that’s what we did, another perfect example of applying Disney planning to a totally different type of vacation. Sure, it was absolutely freezing outside, but we made the best of it, enjoyed the unique view of the frozen canals, and the skaters on them, and of course ducking inside to any attraction whenever we possibly could.

Everyone is different, but we tend to be morning people rather than night owls, and whenever we’re at Disney, we put that trait to good use, always making sure we hit the parks as early as we can, sometimes using the Extra Magic Hours in the morning. It’s well known by Disney planners that the rides are always at their quietest when the park first opens, as the crowds are lower, with many vacationers choosing to have an extra hour in bed.

Again, why not apply that theory to visiting cities? If you plan on visiting major tourist attractions, then get there before the crowds inundate them. When we last went to the Tower of London, knowing that it’s one of the capital’s biggest visitor draws, we headed there for opening time. We even went one better, ensuring that we were among the first in to see the Crown Jewels, allowing us to linger and admire the amazing Royal collection of jewels. Later in the day, we couldn’t help but smirk when we saw the lines snaking out of there, with people facing a long wait to even get in. I’m pretty sure that they wouldn’t have been able to spend as much time in there as we managed first thing.

Something else I find myself doing increasingly is planning places to eat in cities now, and again that’s down to Disney. We love the dining, it’s one of the reasons that keeps us returning to the parks time, and time again, along with the characters, rides, shows, theming, weather – you get the idea! So if you’re going somewhere else, why not plan ahead, and think about where you want to eat, rather than taking a chance on just being able to get in on the day? With online reservations services now available, you can usually find plenty of options in any major city around the world. It’s much less risky than wandering around an unfamiliar place, wondering where you’re going to eat that night. With a little bit of planning, you can ensure that you’re dining in places that you’re going to enjoy.

So, you see, even when you’re not heading to a Disney park, you can still apply the theory of Disney planning wherever you travel. It’s certainly helped us to enhance our time away, and for that, I will always be grateful to Disney.

London - Tower of London
The Tower of London, a Royal Palace that's now almost 1,000 years old. - photo by chezp