There are some who believe that Walt Disney breathed a sort of life into Walt Disney World upon its inception – a spirit which has driven his vision to new heights, and continues to do so every day. This “vision” is responsible for everything imaginative and wonderful that Disney World sets out to do – to entertain, to amaze, to educate, and to captivate its guests.
This wondrous and wild ever-changing Disney World may, to some, be like magic. However, to others, all this change is a constant source of stress and an all around pain in the butt.
Is Change Bad?
It is easy to take a more pessimistic view on the constant changes at Disney World. Parents who want to bring their children to the nostalgic place they visited during their childhood may find that the way they remembered Disney World and this new Disney World don’t match up.
Loyal patrons who visit Walt Disney World Resort yearly may find that they constantly have to search for that fun attraction they saw last year, or for the new location of their favorite coffee cart. It is easy to become frustrated and negative about these changes, as they are, at the end of the day, rather inconvenient and hard to keep up with.
However, it is important to remember that when Walt Disney kicked off Disney World in Orlando, Florida – back when it was just called “the Florida Project” – that this is what he intended for it to become. He constantly worked with his Imagineers, encouraging them to keep striving to make what was good, better, what was fun, more fun, and what was spectacular, even more spectacular. These changes were intended to happen quickly and completely. And continuously. By design.
This can be hard to deal with as a Disney World guest. Sometimes these changes are nothing short of miraculous, and quite honestly – sometimes they fall short. When they rid the park of a ride you enjoyed – Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride – or a treat – Apple Streusel Cheesecake at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant – it is disappointing.
As a Disney guest, you must make peace with the changes that will inevitably take place in your beloved Walt Disney World Resort. Why? Because getting mad won’t help you have fun on your vacation, and because sometimes, the Imagineers make a change that hits the bull’s-eye, and becomes yet another dream come true in Walt Disney World Resort.
So Where Does That Leave You?
Obviously, you have no control over which changes go through and which ones don’t. You have no hope of freezing Disney World just the way it is, and why would you want to? Does this mean that you are at the whim of a confusing, ever-changing landscape with no way to know if everything you know and love will be ripped away from you in a matter or heart wrenching minutes? No, of course you are not powerless to control the way you encounter the changes happening at Disney World Resort.
Careful planning and research will keep you from ever feeling in the dark in regards to what you may find on your visit to Walt Disney World Resort. It is a bad plan to just show up to Disney, expecting that you will know your way around and know just what you want to do. Turns out, in fact, that it is better to have a real game plan.
Plan For Changes – And To Have Fun
This will not only ensure a more organized and therefore less stressful vacation for you and your family, but it will also give you a way to anticipate changes. You can make your dining reservations 6 months in advance. You can choose your restaurants at that time. If the Disney travel planner you are speaking with knows that they restaurant will be under construction or unavailable for dining for any other reason, they will let you know. Disney travel agents have a direct line to all the most up to date info on all things Disney. If there is a reason that you will not be able to visit a restaurant, they will be the first to know it.
In fact, it is good to book the entirety of your vacation with them for this reason. They not only know how to get you the best discounts, but also will be able to inform you of the changes at Disney to be going on until, during, and after your vacation in the given year. Booking your trip with them is great way to make sure that your child’s favorite ride isn’t going to be closed for queue maintenance, or to learn that a fun new feature has been added to your favorite resort hotel.
Once you have talked to a Disney certified travel agent, the rest is up to you. Most Disney World restaurants have their menus up online. If you want to make sure that your favorite brick oven-fired flatbreads are still available at the California Grill, go ahead and check to make sure. That way, if for some reason, the item has been removed, you don’t have to deal with the disappointment when you arrive there.
Remember – It’s A Vacation
The single best thing you can do to keep unexpected changes at Disney from ruining your vacation – no matter how much you research, you’re bound to miss one – is to just let it go. Don’t sweat the little things. So your favorite flavor of gelato is nowhere to be found, so what? If you try another one, won’t it still be sweet, cold, and delicious? The same goes for a missing ride or attraction. If one is gone, there are probably 3 new ones to take its place. This is the way that Walt Disney intended for guests to experience Walt Disney World Resort.
What better way to make every vacation to Disney World the best than to keep it completely unique, special, and fleeting. Every moment of your Disney World vacation is a once in a lifetime moment, thanks to all the exciting changes happening on the premises every single day.