Tuesday, August 6, 2013

LET THE MAGIC COME TO YOU!!


This week’s message is short and sweet and the #1 rule I share with families.  LET THE MAGIC COME TO YOU!!  I am a strong believer in planning and this couldn’t be truer than when you are visiting Disney World or Disneyland.  It’s a huge part of the services I offer my families and I would never suggest to even the most seasoned Disney family to just go and wing it.  However, having said that, I also say plan, plan, plan and then in the words of Captain Barbosa, “[let them be] more what you’d call guidelines than actual rules.”    Every family should have their handful of top must-dos for the day but it’s important to remember it’s the journey, not the destination.  There is magic all around you but if you are racing from ride to ride, you will certainly miss it.  Some of my favorite family moments have been the surprise around the corner whether it’s a troupe of street performers or saxophone bands.  Sometimes it’s taking a closer look at cement walkways that sparkle with fiber optics… oops, I mean pixie magic, when the sun goes down.  Resist the urge to drag the kids away from something that has peaked their interest in an attempt to get to that popular ride while the wait time is low.  Or it could very well be the reverse of that where you want to stop and watch the fountains while your kids are clamoring to grab fastpasses to Soarin’.   Now I completely admit that between things like dining reservations, scheduled character meet and greets, and Disney moving in the direction of fastpasses being pre-scheduled, it is getting harder and harder to let go of your phone or watch and just let your vacation unfold.  No longer can you simply walk up to a restaurant expecting to get in and when you do have reservations, they are getting stricter with the window of time they will hold your reservation.  Vacation is supposed to be rejuvenating by releasing you from the grinds of your everyday life and all these “signs of progress” are making it more challenging to leave your iphone behind and disengage from the outside world.   This makes it even more important to stop and smell the roses - such as when you are leaving the World Showcase making your way through the rose garden path to Future World in Epcot.   Disney is truly a magical place but the real magic is what happens when you slow down and let it reveal itself usually when you least expect it.  It is not the rides and attractions but the time spent with family and the people you love most that is the cornerstone of a Disney vacation.  Make that your priority, let your days unfold together, and the magic will fall in place.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks Debbie!. I want to share our introduction to the Magic Kingdom last year. We arrived before rope drop and were racing to get to our first ride "peter pan" when a man walked up and asked if we wanted a ride down Main Street in a carriage. I thought twice just because of the time but the look on my daughter's face said absolutely YES. As we strolled down Main St. Towards Cinderella Castle and all of the cast members waved I almost cried watching the sheer happiness on my 5 yr olds face. From then on we made sure to "stroll" a little more often!

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  2. That's exactly what I'm talking about!! Thank you for sharing Dawn. I love, love, love this story!

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