Dealing With Disappointment

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Not every moment will be magical 

Walt Disney World is known as the most magical place on Earth. People save up for years and plan for months to be able to experience that magic. So what happens when you don’t get the FastPass+ that you wanted, a ride doesn’t meet your expectations, a meal was less than spectacular, or a Cast Member was out and out rude? You can complain like crazy on Facebook about how horrible your experience was, or you can shake it off and move on. The choice is up to you.

Walt Disney World is all about creating memories. I don’t know about you, but I like to keep the good memories, and push the bad ones out of my mind. When I think back on my favorite vacations from my childhood, I always think of the good things that happened. There were a few memorable flaws as well, but those are things that we have grown to laugh about over the years. I’m sure that those vacations weren’t perfect, but in my memories they were pretty close.

When visiting Walt Disney World, you need to have realistic expectations. There are things that you need to keep in mind before you leave home. There will be lots of time waiting in line. Some meals will be better than others. The buses take time. Rides shut down unexpectedly. Cast Members have bad days too. The weather can be brutal! The easiest way to make sure that your vacation will not be perfect is to expect it to be.

That said, you’ll experience plenty of thrills on your vacation. Many rides will exceed expectations. Some of the meals will be so delicious that you’ll be tempted to lick your plate. The characters will make you feel special. The fireworks are breathtaking. Some Cast Members will make you think that there just might be hope for the human race. There is plenty of magic to be found.

If you have a really bad experience, Disney will want to know about it. Stop by Guest Relations and let them know what happened. If you don’t have time, use the contact form on the Walt Disney World website. They might not be able to do something to fix the issue, but if they can, they will.

The opposite of that is also true. If you had an experience that was even better than you expected, let Disney know. This is especially true if a Cast Member made your day. Disney wants to know what they are doing right, and they also want to know who is going the extra mile. I love stopping by Guest Relations to let them know about a Cast Member who did something special, even if it was just a friendly conversation. It makes my day to know that his or her boss will learn what happened.

No matter what type of day you have, try not to project it onto any little ones that you have in your party. Let them think that you’re having a wonderful time. Children learn from the adults in their lives. I think that the reason why I remember my family vacations so fondly is because my wonderful parents never let my sisters and me know if there was a problem. Naivety can be a great thing sometimes. Don’t ruin the kids’ magic.

When it comes to dealing with disappointment, the choice is yours. I know too many people who will stew about something small all day. They will let it ruin what could have been a great time. Instead, plan to be the person who will brush off the small things, and decide to not think about it again. Often the magic is in our hands. How much magic you fill your vacation with is up to you.