Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
good luck. Chance is what happens when you fail to prepare. Good luck is when pre-
paration meets opportunity.
Your preparation can be organized into several categories, all of which we will
help you undertake. Broadly speaking, you need to prepare yourself and your children
mentally, emotionally, physically, organizationally, and logistically. You also need a
basic understanding of Walt Disney World and a well-considered plan for how to go
about seeing it.
MENTAL
and
EMOTIONAL
PREPARATION
THIS ISASUBJECT THAT WE WILL TOUCH
onhere and return to many times in this topic.
Mental preparation begins with realistic expectations about your Disney vacation and
consideration of what each adult and child in your party most wants and needs from
their Walt Disney World experience. Getting in touch with this aspect of planning re-
quires a lot of introspection and good, open family communication.
DIVISION OF LABOR
TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU AND YOUR PARTNER NEED
and what you expect to happen on
the vacation. This discussion alone can preempt some unpleasant surprises midtrip. If
you are a two-parent family, do you have a clear understanding of how the parenting
workload is to be distributed? We've seen some distinctly disruptive misunderstand-
ings in two-parent households where one parent is (pardon the legalese) the primary
caregiver. Often, the other parent expects the primary caregiver to function on vaca-
tion asshe(orhe)doesat home. The primary caregiver,onthe other hand,isready for
a break. She expects her partner to either shoulder the load equally or perhaps even
assume the lion's share so she can have a
real
vacation. However you divide the re-
sponsibility, of course, is up to you. Just make sure you negotiate a clear understand-
ing
before
you leave home.
