5. There is No Such Thing as Perfection

Image: Michael Gray, Flickr (license)

This is something I know I didn't learn until I was an adult.  And if you ever went on an Orlando vacation, you learned it very quickly also.  Everyone has a perfect plan about how their vacation will go - there will be no airport delays or traffic problems, your hotel room will be perfect, all the Disney buses will run on time, and there will be little to no wait for each attraction.

However, this never happens.  There is an issue at the airport or the Florida Turnpike is backed up for miles.  Your hotel room is too close to the pool and you hear kids playing all night.  You have to wait forty-five minutes for your bus to the Magic Kingdom, the monorail is down because of the weather, and although the My Disney Experience app said that Space Mountain only has a ten minute wait, by the time you get there it moved up to half an hour.  Or worse, it's down for maintenance.  You may be late or miss your dinner or FastPass reservation and you may not get a great view of the parade because the only spot you could find was under a large tree and behind a garbage can.  Someone in your group needs to visit the first aid center.  And if you are traveling with kids, you can expect at least one meltdown.

Does that mean your trip is ruined?  No, it just means that you are on a realistic vacation.  There is no such thing as a perfect vacation, just like there is no such thing as a perfect essay or a perfect party.  Everything and everyone has flaws, including your vacation.  And that's fine.  It's natural for something to go wrong here and there.  In many cases, there is nothing you can do to fix the situation so just move on and enjoy the parts that are fantastic.

6. Don't Judge People

Image: David Woo, Flickr (license)

I recently got into a conversation with someone about the use of Electric Conveyance Vehicles, also known as ECVs or electric scooters.  The person was stating how they saw a lot of people riding them around the parks in them.  They made the assumption that many of these people didn't really need to use an ECV and were simply using it because they were lazy or didn't feel like walking.

From my experience, this is the furthest thing from the truth.  Personally, I had a family friend who had to use an ECV after getting into a bad car accident that seriously damaged one of his legs.  Although you couldn't tell from just looking at him, he had endured years of surgeries and although he could walk short distances, a long walk around Magic Kingdom and Epcot was out of the question.  At any of the theme parks, I was told to never ask a guest why they needed to use a wheelchair or ECV, just to assist them in any way they needed.  Just because someone doesn't look "disabled" or "handicapped" doesn't mean they don't need assistance walking.

I have also heard people who question others using a Disney Disability Access Service card and their Universal and SeaWorld equivalent.  Once again, not everyone looks like they have an obvious disability.  I once went to the parks with a friend with a chronic illness that made waiting on long lines extremely uncomfortable, if not impossible.  On the outside, she looked like a perfectly healthy twenty-something-year-old woman.  But in reality, she had a serious medical issue and had a good reason for "skipping" the line. 

People are quick to judge others based on everything from how they look to how they speak.  Unfortunately, the judgments they make are often very wrong.  When visiting the theme parks, you will certainly see people who look or dress differently.  And there is nothing wrong with that.  But it is hard for people to constantly deal with other people giving them questioning looks.  If you see someone who looks different or who needs the assistance of a wheelchair or EVC, don't judge them.  You wouldn't want people doing it to you.  So whether you are on line at the Magic Kingdom or in the cashier line at your local grocery store, keep your thoughts (and your eyes) to yourself.  When in doubt, remember to treat others the way you want to be treated.