Lessons Learned

Disney World, 1989

Our family has visited Disney World in Orlando five times. I lurk on several Facebook groups focused on Disney World, so I know how infrequent five visits are in an adult’s lifetime. Some people in these groups go multiple times yearly, which sounds fun, but not my life. We went in 1989, 2002, 2012, 2022, and 2023. This marks the beginning of a series of posts discussing how each trip varied based on our life stages and who accompanied me.

Our first trip to Disney World was in June 1989, when the kids were six and ten. I tried to do things that would make it magical and efficient, such as buying Bob Sehlinger's The Unofficial Guide to Disney World. The book claimed it would suggest the best times to visit each park and each ride in the various parks. Unfortunately, it did not prevent me from making several mistakes.

Below is a picture of the hats we bought for the kids that they hardly wore while we were there. That Daisy Duck hat was heavy.

Mistake 1

Going to a park after we arrived to maximize our time at Disney World. We went to Epcot and got on The World of Energy experience. It’s no longer there. About twenty people were put in a large conveyance and moved around a floor. Screens around the room showed Ellen DeGeneres and Bill Nye explaining how energy is created. It was humorous and informative. The cars inched across the floor, and yet I got nauseated. Maybe it was the screens plus the car motion. All I know is that after that ride, I felt sick for the rest of the day. I learned: Don’t go to the park the day you land. Instead, I should have let the kids play in the hotel pool to allow me to recover from the plane ride.

Mistake 2

The book emphasized the importance of getting to the parks early to maximize the time when fewer people are in the park and minimize the heat. I tried, really, but the kids were not on board. Getting them up and ready to go early didn’t happen. I learned: Don’t expect young kids to get up early to suit your schedule without a fight.

Mistake 3

I failed to bring anything to entertain the kids while they waited for attractions. Shoot, I didn't even consider it. Since they were bored, the kids squabbled in the line. I wanted to strangle them both, so I had to stand between them in line to separate them. The picture below shows my mood during some of the trip. I look so tired in the photo; I want to hug my younger self.

I learned: Bring snacks and games to entertain the kids in line.

The Best Part

We enjoyed Typhoon Lagoon. Water parks are the best.

Below is a picture of Becky enjoying the water.

Disney creates a unique story for each park. Typhoon Lagoon’s narrative revolves around a ship stranded by a typhoon on an island, with all the details scattered around the park stemming from that tale. I remember admiring the small touches the Disney Imagineers included, the most notable being a water-spouting, wrecked ship atop a mountain. The water park had just opened in 1989 when we visited. I don’t recall feeling that it appeared sparse in any way.

Home

After we got home from that trip, I swore I wouldn’t return to Disney World for a long time. As it turned out, we didn’t. Our next trip was in the summer of 2002 when Mark took coursework in Orlando. We went to visit him, and if you’re in Orlando, you have to visit Disney World. The next post will describe a much more enjoyable visit to the most magical place in the world.

Have you visited Disney World? What do you recall? What did you learn? Please leave something about your trip in the comments.