So, I am able to visit Disney Parks maybe once a year, whether that is Walt Disney World or Disneyland. While I certainly understand that is more than others may get in their entire lifetime, for a Disney fan, once a year sometimes seems like hardly enough.
So, in the past I’ve been the park goer who would adamantly refuse to sacrifice park time. That is where I was meant to be….”Out there in the sun….” as Quasimodo sings in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Getting every ride in possible. Park hopping, enjoying every view of Cinderella Castle, every character greeting, and not leaving until after the big “kiss goodnight” from Disney in the form of the night time spectacular.
Sure, my feet hurt by the end of the day, but that is what sleeping is for! To recover, and head back out the next day ready to go!
But then I noticed that those with me were getting kinda frustrated. Some would ditch me in the middle of the day, and I would stick it out and meet up with them later.
At some point I eventually gave in and would take breaks back at the hotel, maybe go in the pool, or to Blizzard Beach etc., and I discovered that it helped make the day more enjoyable. So, I was able to accept the two to three hour loss of park time.
However, I kept hearing from other Disney fans how awesome it is to take a Disney Cruise. I was certainly interested in taking a Disney Cruise and I had never been on a cruise. However, what stopped me was there was no way I could afford both a Disney Cruise and a trip to Disney World. And I wasn’t going to miss visiting Disney World!
Well, at one point, my family said they wanted a break from visiting Disney World (I couldn’t believe it…how could you not want to go to Disney World??) but they were open to going on a cruise. So, I agreed.
You know what? The Disney Cruise was amazing! I don’t need to go into all the details of it, but i still was able to enjoy Disney magic, on the Disney Dream cruise ship. There was still the Disney music playing in the background, Disney characters to meet, the AquaDuck water slide, and great Disney stage shows that make your heart feel like it was pumped full of pixie dust.
So I guess I finally figured that I can sacrifice park time and still experience Disney magic in new and different ways.
If you are like the old me…trust me, take the time to branch out. Start small…take a backstage tour, or spend part of the day at Blizzard Beach. Then ween yourself off a bit further…not from leaving or cutting back on Disney…but to enjoy NEW Disney magic.
Your family, friends, and feet may thank you. ºoº
Fan of Mickey 