But sometimes a vacation at the packed Walt Disney World Resort can leave you feeling just as stressed as the situations you were hoping to escape.
Tempting To Go In Fast Forward
There are so many parks and resorts to visit, attractions to ride, shows to see, and restaurants to try that it’s tempting to rise at the crack of dawn and proceed at a regimented break-neck pace from place to place. It’s tempting to try and schedule every minute of your day in order to fit everything – from what attractions you will visit at what time, to each and every meal. In the midst of all that planning and reserving, many people forget to reserve a bit of time to just relax.
You Can’t Plan It All
For the most part, it is not practical to plan every minute of your days at Walt Disney World. Attraction wait times, crowds, hunger, tiredness, and more are too variable to allow for effective minute-by-minute scheduling. Of course, some things such as character meals or special tours require advance planning, but it can be hard to know exactly how long those events will take – tours and meals can vary in length. As a result, it’s best not to plan for more than one or two scheduled events per day.
If you do set goals for the attractions you want to visit, be sure to allow yourself plenty of time to get between different areas of the parks or different parts of the resort. It’s easy to underestimate the time that it takes to get around Walt Disney World, especially if you are traveling between different parks, or from the parks to a resort. It’s often best to choose a modest number of high priority attractions each day, and then improvise if you end up with extra time.
And not every minute of your day needs to be spent at the theme parks. While the parks are the main destinations during a Walt Disney World vacation, the crowds, queues, and constant sensory stimulation makes it difficult to find places to truly relax. Fortunately, there is a lot more to Walt Disney World than just the parks. The resort boasts over 20 resort hotels, acres of water and shoreline, Disney Springs for shopping and dining, and even world class golf courses.
Some theme park junkies treat their resort as a place to sleep and nothing more, but the resorts have a lot more to offer than just beds. Each resort is equipped with multiple pools, some of which are truly works of aquatic art. The pools may frequently be crowded during hot days, but even a quick dip to cool off is a great way to recharge before your next adventure. Sunbathing on a sandy beach or a relaxing boat ride along one of the many Walt Disney World waterways are also under-appreciated luxuries of a Disney World stay.
Explore The Resorts
If you don’t feel like relaxing in your room or by the water, consider exploring your resort or one of other resorts around Disney World. Many of the moderate and deluxe resorts have beautiful lobbies, as well as other nooks and crannies for relaxing, reading, or television watching. Consider treating yourself to a massage at select resort fitness centers, or even a full spa treatment at the Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa or the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. After all, what are vacations for?