Lessons Learned: Letting Go and Living It Up at Disney

A week later, I was confronted with an almost identical situation, only this time it was me without the bathing suit in a lake near our house. My daughters and mother were happily swimming, encouraging me to come in with just shorts and a t-shirt. I wanted to go, but it went against every obsessive compulsive bone in my body. My daughter said, "Mom, you made me do it!" And she was right. She saw right through me! I let go and went for it and had a wonderful swim as well an important life lesson: It's ok to enjoy yourself.

So how does this pertain to a trip to Disney? It's probably obvious, a trip to Disney is the time to let go and let your kids see the kid in you. I recently saw some photos of my friends' husband in Disney. In every picture he could have easily been mistaken for Grumpy! She said that he was miserable. I started to wonder how many parents go to Disney because it seems like some item on their checklist, “Things they have to do with their kids before they graduate from high school”. How many parents think of it as a responsibility, not a family vacation?

To me, Disney is not a mandatory sentence but a true family vacation. It's a place where we find something for everyone, that we take time to share in each others joy.

So here are a few things to think about before your trip:
1. It will not be perfect, but the way you react to imperfection will make it enjoyable and memorable. Easiest example: rain. If you run back to your hotel annoyed, so will your children. If you decide to throw on a poncho and take advantage of short lines and splashing in puddles, your kids will always remember that you made the best of a situation.