Traveling to Disneyland can feel highly intimidating, especially if you are flying trans-Atlantic.
If it’s your first time, it is natural for you to feel nervous and stressed. And this is especially true if you are going to be planning the majority of your trip.
So, take a deep breath, and let’s go over exactly why and how you can rid yourself of anxiety when traveling to Disneyland.
It is perfectly fine for you to be anxious when heading to Walt Disney World especially if you’re flying for the first time on a trans-Atlantic flight. However, with sufficient planning, research, and delegation, you’ll be able to ease yourself into the idea and have a wonderful time.
In this article, we’re going to go over exactly why you shouldn’t be anxious about going to Walt Disney World and we’ll also talk about valid coping mechanisms to rid yourself of the anxiety of going on the trip.
Identifying Your Anxiety
First things first, you need to identify what’s making you anxious; identifying the cause of your stress and anxiety is the first step to rectifying it. Because if we can recognize why you are in emotional turmoil, we’ll be able to follow tangible principles towards improving them.
Now, we’re travelers and have also met many first-timers who’ve made their first voyage to Walt Disney World. So, we were able to pick out a few concerns that most have in their first journey:
- Do I have everything packed?
- Do I have my visa and passports booked?
- Do I have my tickets for the parks?
- How will I sort out packing?
- Is my flight going to be safe?
- Will everyone with me have fun?
If reading any of the questions we’ve prompted above pulls a knot in your stomach, chances are that’s the cause of your anxiety.
If that’s the case, don’t worry, you are a part of hundreds and thousands of other individuals who are equally stressed about their first trip.
Getting Rid Of Your Anxiety When Traveling To Disneyland
Now that we’ve identified some of the reasons why you may be anxious, let’s walk you through some solutions and remedies you can employ to rid yourself of this anxiety.
Create A Checklist
A checklist helps you place everything in order.
You’ll be able to quickly identify what you’ve packed and what you haven’t. Moreover, you can also make checklists for the entire trip, so you are always on top and are absolutely sure of what has been done.
This helps ensure you don’t forget to do something and haven’t left something for the last second.
Start Delegating Tasks
As soon as you’ve created your checklist, bifurcate it into segments and delegate it to other individuals in your family.
- You don’t need to do everything yourself.
While yes, it’s quite alright for you to do a significant portion of the packing or ticketing, you can always delegate to other capable individuals in your friends/family so no one takes the brunt of the operation.
Plan Ahead
Book your tickets months before your actual date.
This includes both your flight tickets and then, sequentially, your tickets to Walt Disney World and/or any other attractions you’ll be going to like the Busch Gardens.
What’s most anxiety-inducing is when you don’t have an idea of what to expect once you get to Walt Disney World. This includes not being sure of parking, where the good rides are, what the rush is, etc.
So, for that, we recommend researching. And, by that, we mean taking a look at YouTube videos from families and couples like yourself who’ve recently made the journey.
This helps you get a ground-reality check of what’s actually happening at Walt Disney World. We’ve found this tip essential in our own journeys as it helps us be absolutely sure of our route/plans.
Carry Important Documents In One Place
You can often be worried about losing documents if you carry them in separate compartments.
We recommend designating one individual (usually the most responsible one) to carry all your documents, passports, tickets, boarding passes in one place. This helps ensure that no document is misplaced randomly during the journey.
Of course, the person who carries all these documents has to be extra careful. We usually designate this responsibility to the individual who will be at the front of the line when boarding and going through TSA.
This is because they can present the documents to the entire family, allowing for a more seamless process for both you, your family, and the staff at the airport.
Manage Your Finances
Alright, we get that you are on a trip, and a little bit of splurging is okay. But, set a reasonable budget for yourself. You really don’t want to bankrupt yourself on your trip.
This will set off all sorts of anxiety. If you have a budget set up that you actively update with any unforeseen expenditures, you won’t ever be worried about going over budget and, therefore, will save you a lot of financial woes.
Let’s face it Walt Disney World tempts you to spend more on things you might not need.
Plus, it is generally very expensive. And while we’ve been able to spend a lot less money on our trips there, it’s simply because of understanding the very real financial implications of going over budget.
So, by all means, have fun! But, stay within budget.
Flying Isn’t Scary
Flying trans-Atlantic or any other route for that matter is extremely safe.
If it is your first time, you probably still will be very anxious until the plane takes off and safely lands.
But, the flights are a part of the journey. We recommend wearing earplugs to rid yourself of the noise and to follow appropriate safety instructions in case of turbulence.
Moreover, keep your own paper bag with you and pack a good book with you so you remain distracted throughout the journey. A neck pillow is essential for the whole family, especially on the night flights home!
Final Thoughts
It’s perfectly natural for you to be anxious about going to Walt Disney World. I like to think travel anxiety is just excitement in disguise!
You will have a great time!
However, once you’ve started planning your route; you’ll soon see all your anxiety fade away.
Even if that isn’t the case if you’ve gotten everything checked out, a little bit of anxiety will go a long way in helping you stay on track about what you need to do to have a safe and memorable trip.
