Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ALMOST ALL VISITORS ENJOY
Disneyland on some level and find things to see and do
that they like. In fact, for many, the theme park attractions are just the tip of the ice-
berg. The more salient question, then (since this is a family vacation), is whether the
members of your family basically like the same things. If you do, fine. If not, how
will you handle the differing agendas?
A mother from Toronto wrote a couple of years ago describing her husband's
aversion to Disney's (in his terms) “phony, plastic, and idealized version of life.”
Touring the theme parks, he was a real cynic and managed to diminish the experience
for the rest of the family. As it happened, however, Dad's pejorative point of view
didn't extend to the area golf courses. So Mom packed him up and sent him golfing
while the family enjoyed the theme parks.
If you have someone in your family who doesn't like theme parks or, for
whatever reason, doesn't care for Disney's brand of entertainment, it helps to get the
attitude out in the open. We recommend dealing with the person up front. Glossing
over or ignoring the contrary opinion and hoping that “Tom will like it once he gets
there” is naive and unrealistic. Either leave Tom at home or help him discover and
plan activities that he will enjoy, resigning yourself in the process to the fact that the
family won't be together at all times.
DIFFERENT FOLKS, DIFFERENT STROKES
IT'S NO SECRET THAT
we at the Unofficial Guides believe that thorough planning is an
essential key to a successful Disneyland vacation. It's also no secret that our emphasis
on planning rubs some folks the wrong way. Bob's sister and her husband, for ex-
ample, are spontaneous people and do not appreciate the concept of detailed planning
or, more particularly, following one of our touring plans when they visit the theme
parks. To them the most important thing is to relax, take things as they come, and en-
joy the moment. Sometimes they arrive at 10:30 in the morning (impossibly late for
us Unofficial Guide types), walk around enjoying the landscaping and architecture,
and then sit with a cup of espresso, watching other guests race around the park like
maniacs. They would be the first to admit that they don't see many attractions, but
experiencing attractions is not what lights their sparklers.
Not coincidentally, most of our readers are big on planning. When they go to the
theme park, they want to experience the attractions, and the shorter the lines, the bet-
ter. In a word, they are willing to sacrifice some spontaneity for touring efficiency.
We want you to have the best possible time, whatever that means to you, so plan
(or not) according to your preference. The point here is that most families are not
entirely in agreement on this planning versus spontaneity issue. If you are a serious
planner and your oldest daughter and husband are free spirits, you've got the makings
of a problem. In practice, the way this and similar scenarios shake out is that the plan-
