5 Things I Learned at Disney World

OK, so most of these "life lessons" are not new to us.  But Disney does have a way of wow-ing you on a completely never-before-seen level. 

5.  Dreams really can come true!  And it's usually imaginative vision and staunch perseverance (read: relentless forward motion even in the face of setbacks) that drives them.  If you go to Disney World today, you can't help but think it takes a lot of cold, hard cash to pull all that off, but Walt Disney didn't start out with all that cash.  Don't believe me?  Check out a brief history of his beginnings here:
http://corporate.disney.go.com/corporate/complete_history_1.html

4.  If it runs smoothly, someone's doing a ton of work behind the scenes.  You ever been to a fancy wedding?  You ever planned one?  You know what I'm talking about.  Multiply that times about 1000, and pull it off every day. The same goes with anything in life and can be applied this way:  If I want it to run smoothly, I've got to make it run smoothly.  That means work. 

3. You appreciate a thing more when you've invested something in it.  Many people travel from far away to visit Disney World, and let's face it, just getting through the gates isn't cheap.  And because of the cost and the sheer size of the place, most people (should) devote some time planning out their days.  Because of all the effort, you have this pervading attitude upon arrival that you will enjoy yourself to the max, come what may!  What a great way to approach anything in life.  Plan, plan, plan, then show up determined to make the most of it.

2.  Not everything is worth the wait.  ("Remember that one time we drove all the way to see Plymouth Rock, and it was nothing more than a large-ish stone?")

(Do I exaggerate?)

Sometimes you wait a long time and you have certain expectations, then the thing upon which you've set your sights for so long turns out to be so-so at best.  If it happens at Disney World, of course it happens in the real world, too.  And that's just life!  No big deal.  Turn it into a great story and move on.

1.  But if we must wait, and we must, make the wait part of the fun.  Most of life is what happens in between the "big events."  In Dr. Seuss' "Oh, the Places You'll Go," the infamous Waiting Place traps people in a perpetual state of just...waiting.  At Disney World, they had long, winding paths for the extensive lines they get in peak season, and often they embodied the theme of the ride.  For Finding Nemo, the line seemed like it was underwater.  It was fun!  Notice your surroundings, smell the roses, engage the people around you.  Do what you can to make the most of wherever you are, and you'll be rewarded. 

This list is not exhaustive.  Or, maybe it is.  After all, I certainly didn't spend my whole time at Disney pondering the lessons I could learn.  We simply pushed ourselves to our physical and mental limits, multiple days in a row, in pursuit of having the most possible fun.  Wait.  Maybe that's another lesson right there.  (Sort of.)