Think of all the joy you’ll find…

WRITTEN BY:  Lauren Enochs, DVC Rental Store and Be Our Guest Vacations | 21 Sept 2012

…when you leave the world behind, and bid your cares goodbye!

Peter Pan knows it’s true.  The secret to soaring higher than your wildest imagination is to let go of your worries, and think of only the happy thoughts.

As our inaugural post here on the DVC Rental Store Blog, I think this is the most fitting piece of advice we can all give you about your Disney Vacation plans.  I’m Lauren, one of the proud Cast Members here.  I plan vacations for you lovely people all day long; and it’s just the best job I could ask for.  Really, I love it!  As a lifelong Disney fan and aficionado who has visited the parks too many times to count, it means a lot to me that your vacation wishes come true, and that you really enjoy your time at whichever Disney Destination you have in mind.

To that end, I have heard many of you say to me in your own way: “I am stressed out about seeing everything there is to see on this vacation.”  And it’s a valid concern.  You’ve spent your hard-earned money on a Disney Vacation, set your hand to the task of planning it all out to make it the best it can be, and all that’s left is just to get there and get started.  But if you’ve set your vacation in your mind as a checklist of things you must see and must do; and you’re going to just be devastated if it doesn’t all get done, I hate to tell you this, but you’re doing it all wrong!

I’m qualified to say so, because I tried it once.  Being an extremely “Type A” person, I decided it would be fun to try to ride every single ride at Walt Disney World in the course of a one week vacation with my husband a few years ago.  Let me tell you how that went.  We succeeded in checking every item off our list; but at the expense of wearing ourselves out completely, and probably spending far too much time bickering.  It was no vacation at all.  So don’t do that to yourselves!

Take a deep breath, and picture your vacation in your mind.  Now, tell yourself  “I will miss something.  There are things I will not see.  And that is okay.”  Maybe you don’t believe me, but let me tell you why it’s okay.

Whether you’re traveling with a party of only adults, or it’s your first time taking your children on a Disney Vacation, or you’re experienced Disney travelers, there will be something, probably many things on this trip, that will just absolutely captivate you.  And you shouldn’t rob yourselves of that experience.  The magic of Disney is in every detail.  Stop and listen to the Dapper Dans serenade you as you start your day at the Magic Kingdom.  Take the time to savor a really great meal at your resort, or at any of the Disney Resorts for that matter; the food is impeccable.  Take a few minutes to stand in one place, and just absorb the beauty of your surroundings.

Because here’s the truth.  The vacations I spent running from place to place and doing everything I possibly could are not the ones I remember most fondly.  My favorite Disney memories are times when we lost track of the plan, and got wrapped up in spontaneous enjoyment.  The times when my parents let my brother and I watch the monkeys frolic at the Animal Kingdom for 30 minutes; times when he and I stopped and laughed at the Hollywood Studios street performers when we were supposed to be walking furiously toward Tower of Terror; times when we ruined our cute little outfits with Mickey Premium Bars on a hot summer day.  Or as an adult, I treasure the times my husband and I were able to linger over the remnants of a fantastic meal at Citricos instead of darting back to the Magic Kingdom right away; or the three hours we spent at the Belle Vue Lounge playing Guess Who and enjoying some drinks instead of melting in the mid-day heat.

Wherever you’re headed, Disney is prepared to offer you a myriad of small luxuries and memorable moments.  Take them up on that offer and delight in the intricacies.  That way, instead of coming home tired and stressed, not feeling like you really took a vacation at all; you’ll return with those precious memories and a brand new repertoire of stories to regale friends and family with.

To allay the concerns of our “Type A” friends who are planning their Disney Vacations, I hope you’ll leave us comments about your favorite Disney memories, and the times when deviating from your plan turned out to bring you more enjoyment.

Bon Voyage!