🙏 7 ways to find Zen in a theme park
Enjoy your vacation more genuinely
How to slow down at Disney and Universal
Today I want to take everything down a few notches and talk about finding Zen on your Disney or Universal vacation. Yes, it is there for you if you want it.
On my recent trip to Disneyland, my buddy & I made an intentional decision to slow down. Not the whole time, but for discrete moments. And it was wonderful.
By slowing down, we were able to lose ourselves in the atmosphere and really inhabit another time and place. Kids easily slip into this world of the imagination, but it takes an effort for us adults to get there.
Here are seven ways to help your brain catch up with the fantasy around you
1) Stop
One of the best things you can do is to literally stand or sit still for a few minutes. Find a bench and just look around. Send your gaze up to the rooftops or out to the horizon. You will amazed at the detail you'll find. It will help bring your perspective into the present place and time (even if the "present" is the turn of the twentieth century, or the "place" is somewhere on the outer rim of the galaxy).
2) Be a photographer
Go ahead - take some artsy shots of architecture or art, or signage, or your delightful cupcake. Not only will you create some great souvenirs, you'll be literally looking at the built space around you through a new lens.
Want to take better vacation photos? Be sure to read this post:
3) Go the long way
Take a wrong turn down a dark alley. There are more of them than you might think in the Disney and Universal parks. One of the hidden-in-plain-sight gems of Diagon Alley is the dark backstreet of Knockturn Alley. Epcot's World Showcase is full of back alleys and secret passages. Make time to explore.
4) Get up early or stay up late
First thing in the morning and at the end of the night there are lots of empty spaces in the parks. At rope drop, skip the headliner one morning and go the opposite way of the crowd. You can have the whole place to yourself. During the late hours avoid the fireworks crowd and wander though the empty lands instead.
5) Have a drink
Whether it's a glass of wine or a special hot beverage, find a place to sit and sip. (OK, I know this is basically tip #1 but with a refreshing libation to help you relax further).
6) Be alone
If possible, find some time to experience the park on your own. Split up from your group for awhile so you can go at your own pace and hear your own voice in your head.
7) Create extra time
More time means more chance for a relaxed pace. A few ways to add time to your theme park days:
Start early. You can cover your top priorities while the crowds are low, then slow down later.
Use the park's line-skipping system so you'll have more time away from the ride queues. This means Lightning Lane at Disney, Express Pass at Universal.
Stay close to the parks. You'll spend less time getting there, which means more time in your day to just enjoy your vacation.
Stay longer. Just one day longer might mean the difference between a frantic vacation and a relaxed one. It often doesn't cost much more to add a day - here's some advice.
Want some tips about where to stay to get the most out of your trip? Here are a few resources:
Go Informed Podcast episode 78 is my Disneyland trip report, and it includes lots of discussion about how we found our moments of Zen. You can listen, and see some of the photos from the trip, including a few empty park shots, at GoInformed.net/78.
You can also find the Go Informed: Build a Better Vacation podcast on your favorite podcast app, including: