3. Pay attention to people, cast, and characters

Some of the greatest inspiration comes from observation. We’re so busy most of the time, we fail to stop and really see those around us. If there’s ever a place that offers great opportunities to observe people, it’s Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

On your next trip, lift up your eyes to observe how people act. How are they different from each other? How do they respond differently to rides, environments, even to challenges like a little one having a meltdown or getting scared? How are kids reacting in contrast to adults? Obviously don’t stare at people like a lurking creeper, but there are plenty of ways to do a little people watching as you travel through the parks without making things weird.

Even beyond seeing how guests interact with each other and the environment, observe characters and cast members. For example, pay attention to how masked characters like Mickey or Minnie manage to get emotion and expression across without their faces being revealed. Sit back and watch Gaston troll guests for a school on comic narcissism in characters or observe Mary Poppins for a lesson on class and decorum. It doesn’t even have to be full characters. If you aren’t shy, strike up some conversations with cast members, especially those in World Showcase. Learn a little bit about their stories.

4. Embrace creativity boosting attractions

While most Disney attractions can provide a creativity boost, some really stand heads and tails above the others. Dark rides like Pirates of the Caribbean, the Navi River Journey, and Spaceship Earth are great for letting your imagination wander. High speed thrills like the Indiana Jones Adventure and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (if you can get on it) are great for energized thinking and devising tales of your own. Soarin’ Around the World and Soarin’ Through California are great examples of rides that inspire creativity by massaging your senses with sights, smells, and the feeling of flight.

Hands on experiences are another great way to hack your creativity. A good example is Epcot’s International Festival of the Arts. Throughout the festival guests are encouraged to exercise creativity through painting, clever photography, and by engaging with artists throughout Epcot. For an extreme hands-on experience, considering trying one of the hyper-reality experiences at The Void in Disney Springs or Downtown Disney, like Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire or Ralph Breaks VR. Guests are made into characters in a high-stakes adventure via the use of complex VR rigs that integrate with a maze—you can actually interact with objects in the digital world hands on! Our experience there was one of the most fun times we’ve ever had at Walt Disney World.

Finally, don’t forget the power of nature to inspire creativity. There are so many places in Walt Disney World, in particular, to appreciate animals and the natural world. The easiest one is certainly Disney’s Animal Kingdom, especially its beautiful walking trails like The Maharajah Jungle Trek and Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, but you can also just enjoy Florida’s natural environment throughout the resort. You don’t have to look far in Florida to find all manner of birds, fish, reptiles, and bugs to give some inspiration.

5. Make it easy to record ideas as you go

While it’s great to exercise creativity in our heads, if you want to make the most of the Disney parks environment, you’ll need an easy way to keep track of ideas while you’re exploring the parks. Hauling around a laptop or tablet isn’t ideal in the hustle of a theme park, and typing notes on smartphones can be tedious when you’re on the go.

I used to carry a small journal with me while visiting Disney parks, but these days, I’ve simplified the process down to taking voice notes (artists may still need a small book or the means to be able to draw on your phone as an alternative). Often, these notes have to do with ideas for Theme Park Tourist articles, but I’ve had all sorts of random ideas for projects and stories while touring Disney parks. While a simple voice recorder app can do the trick, if you want to be able to search notes easily, a database app like Evernote or OneNote is a great choice, especially since you can use Speech-to-Text for your notes.

My personal system involves using the IFTTT app to create a bridge between Evernote and Google Assistant. I have my phone set to record voice notes easily to Evernote using an applet like this one in IFTTT—all I have to say is, “Okay, Google. Save a note to Evernote that says ______.” Just like that, the note is saved and synced to the cloud where I can search for it later. However you choose to do it, just make sure you make saving your ideas easy and accessible so you don’t miss that moment when inspiration strikes!