The Next Trip

Just my luck! Two weeks too early. My recent trip to the World was—as always—a joyful time. I knew going into it that Star Tours would be closed. I also knew it would only be a matter of weeks before it re-opened. My wife, being a teacher, only has certain weeks she can take vacation: winter or spring break and the summer months. So year after year we take a trip during Easter and/or one week in July or August (think crowds, heat, long lines, and heat...did I mention Florida is very humid in August?) I’m OK with that. Any week in WDW regardless of the date is well worth it. But this past trip was too much. Each time I walked past a closed Star Tours my lungs unleashed a frustrated wookie yell and my furry arms banged on the construction wall. Once I realized I wasn’t actually Chewbacca, I tried to use an old jedi mind trick on a cast member. Getting nowhere with that, the next logical step was to offer a monetary bribe. Nothing worked, not even the force push or the threatening “I find your lack of faith disturbing” force choke and crush.

Oh well. Nobody to blame but myself. Actually, I can and have blamed the wife, but all that got me was a night’s stay at the K-9 Bed and Biscuit Resort. I should have waited to book a trip during Star Wars Weekends, even if the wife couldn’t go along. Lesson learned!

After my “failure at the cave”, I decided to concentrate my efforts on when I could ride Star Tours 2.0 by planning the next trip. Unfortunately, the family is booked through the summer so there will be no July or August trip. That means, a whole year before I’d get to ride Star Tours. “There is no way I am waiting a whole year!” I said to my wife.

Enter my five-year-old genius of a son who asked. “Mommy, can we pweeze go to Disney Wo’wd fow my biwfday?” I cannot confirm nor deny that he was coaxed (by coaxed, I do mean bribed—as in five bucks) into acting all cute and innocent. Either way it worked. We looked on the calendar and my son’s birthday falls on the Thursday of in-service training for teachers in October. So we booked a trip for the last few days of the month. Now, not only will I get to ride Star Tours 2.0, I’ll also be able to trick or treat at Mickey’s not so scary Halloween party and eat, drink, and eat at Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival. Woo Hoo! They’ll have to roll me back to the hotel. It will be a much shorter trip than I’m accustomed to, but there will be so many fantastic events that I haven’t tried yet. How many days until October 26^th? Let the countdown begin!

"Cycle of Fun"

Vacation can be a fun and rewarding experience. In my opinion, there is no better place to vacation than Walt Disney World. From a wide range of themed resorts to high-speed thrill rides, every moment at Walt Disney World is magical. Though I usually never choose to vacation elsewhere, I have to admit, there is a downside to spending a week at Walt Disney World. What would that downside be? you ask. Leaving, of course. After checking out of the WDW resort, gloominess seems to hang around awhile. Carefree thoughts of when to take a dip in the pool or what attraction to ride are suddenly displaced by worries over the piles of paperwork waiting at the salt mines and the mound of bills sitting on the kitchen table.

When the post vacation blues attack, the next few days can be rough. To help transition from fun, exciting vacation to regular, day in day out routine, several methods are available. The car ride or plane flight home can be lengthy and boring and your mind can go crazy thinking about everything that needs done the moment you get home. This is the perfect time to have a family discussion about memories from the vacation. Take turns talking about favorite attractions, funny moments, best dining experiences...anything you can remember. A family discussion is a great way to relive your vacation while learning more about your family. Park maps not only make great souvenirs but also excellent discussion pieces. Unfold that Magic Kingdom park map and ask your family what they liked about the rides or shows. Another great question to ask the family is “What type of ride would you make if you were an Imagineer?” Ask questions, give answers and before you know it, those post vacation blues will be history.

Vacation photos and videos are a great way to relive your vacation. Upload your pictures and videos the moment you finish unpacking. Gather the family around and start the slideshow or movie. Smiles will spread and laughter will erupt. Don’t forget about the Disney Photopass card. Go to the photopass site, register or log in and enjoy the memories.

Other ideas to combat the post vacation blues are reading WDW guidebooks, fictional works involving WDW; The Kingdom Keepers series by Ridley Pearson is an excellent example. Celebrations Magazine has fantastic articles and pictures devoted to WDW and is a nice way to discover and learn about things you may have missed or never knew existed at WDW. Surf the web for numerous WDW web sites to get an idea of the other resorts available on property.

There are many ways to deal with the post vacation blues, but the best of all...and of course, I saved the best for last...is to plan your next WDW vacation. On the ride home, after you unpack, the next day, or a week later, it doesn’t matter when or how often you discuss the next trip with your family. Your mind will be so focused on what lies ahead that before you know it, you’ll be looking forward to all the pre-planning festivities and all those petty problems about work and bills will magically disappear. Thoughts and ideas about what resort to stay at, what restaurants to try, what stores to shop at, and what attractions to hit will consume your mind. Soon you’ll be booking your next stay and then shortly after that, getting ready to leave for your next vacation. So enjoy everything from the planning of the vacation, to the vacation itself, to the reliving of memories back to the planning. This “cycle of fun” is a guaranteed way to beat the post vacation blues.