Accidental Magic

One key to enjoying a trip to Disney World is to be flexible and sometimes to let all your plans to be laid aside. True, the trip is easier if you make at least a rudimentary plan. Certainly, the plans found in guidebooks make sure you experience the maximum number of attractions in the shortest amount of time. However, there is something to be said for going with the flow and letting an attraction or a plan go.

During my last trip, the plan was to see The Voyage of the Little Mermaid, then hop over to Playhouse Disney Live on Stage, see Handy Manny at a character meet and greet and then move on to a less toddler orientated stage of the overall Plan.

What happened instead was that by the time we got out of Voyage, Playhouse Disney had cut off their line for allowing people in, forcing us to wait for about 30 minutes for the next showing. Handy Manny's handler took him in for a break. Randomly, a Castmember came by sweeping the courtyard and mentioned that Mickey was seeing people in the Art of Animation. We must have looked like we were at a loss for what to do. So off we went to check out Mickey.

Mickey's line was short, even when he took a break. As we left we went where we thought was the way out and instead entered a room filled with row upon row of animation light table desks and no crowd. We had walked right into a room where we could be allowed to be animators and given a lesson on drawing a Disney character! Even those in our party who claimed they couldn't draw ended up with a respectable Goofy and it was quite fun using an animator's desk with my scribble happy daughter. When we exited we were right in time for walking right into the next Playhouse Disney Live performance.

Sure all other plans for the day were bumped by about forty minutes and we never saw Handy Manny, but it was well worth it. Sometimes the best part of a vacation isn't special treatment by a Castmember or getting picked to participate in an attraction or parade, but finding something unexpected and unplanned that turns out to be just as entertaining as what was originally on the schedule. It happens to me at least once every trip and I have never regretted the missed attraction or rescheduled plan.

So don't wear yourself rushing from here to there with your fast passes and ADRs. Just go with the flow and remember you're on vacation. Flexibility is essential in order to avoid being those people you see who look cross and irritated, snapping at each other and rude to the Castmembers because their day isn't going as planned or they've become overwhelmed. Not only will you be able to ride out any snags with a cheerfulness that won't diminish your trip, you will often discover something even better.