By Before we get into Walt Disney World specifics, we’d like to offer a suggestion about theme park behavior. This isn’t our idea but rather one of the best suggestions we’ve ever heard.
A parent was lamenting that their Disney vacation had gone off the rails, which does happen sometimes. When people get hungry and grumpy – we just say hangry – they can misbehave. We’d like to say that children are worse, but the most aggressive family dust-up we’ve seen involved three middle-aged adults. There’s no age limit on frustration.
After a couple of frustrating days, this mother came up with an idea that we adore. From that moment forward, the family was banned from complaining. If they wanted something, they couldn’t make a vague statement.
Everyone had to handle their emotions in a more mature capacity. The family introduced the rule that rather than complaining, they’d state all their needs instead. For example, here are some frequent whines you’ll hear at Disney:
- I’m hungry!
- I’m tired!
- I’m thirsty!
- So and so got a toy, but I didn’t!
- We never do anything I want!
You want to gouge your eyes and ears out just reading that, don’t you? It’s every vacationer’s nightmare, but this mother solved the problem. They requested an altered behavior. Here’s how the same conversations sound as statements:
- I want to eat a churro, Dole Whip, Jumbo Turkey Leg, etc.
- I will sit on that bench for a moment.
- I want to buy a drink to quench my thirst.
- I want to buy those Mickey Ears, that Stitch Squishable, that sweatshirt, etc.
- After this attraction, I want to do that attraction.
Contrast these actionable requests to the vague, whiny statements above them. You can’t do much with the five complaints. A family can say, “Sure, we’ll get a churro and some Mickey Ears,” though. Obviously, you’re not giving any child carte blanche to grab every toy in sight. It’s more about finding a reasonable way to handle a vacation.
You want everyone in your traveling party to feel like they have a voice and a decent amount of say in the vacation experience. By empowering them to state their needs, you eliminate the complaints and direct the focus on solutions.
Do you know what you won’t hear or say when you follow these tips? “Why do we always fight on vacation?”
Feature Image: Disney