Vent: I'm exhausted by the pressure to optimize every second with Lightning Lanes, rope drop, and Park Hoppers
I need to vent. We live in the Pacific Northwest and are bringing our two kids, 10 and 13, to Disney. This trip is a big deal for us and I actually want to enjoy it, not treat it like a speedrun. But every time I try to plan with friends or family the conversation turns into an intense debate about rope drop, stacking Lightning Lanes, hopping parks non-stop, and having a minute-by-minute schedule. If we are not booking something at 7:00 am on the dot, the day is apparently ruined.
I knit and I am a pretty calm, DIY kind of person. I like having a plan, but I also want room to breathe. My ideal day is a few priority rides, then a midday reset where nobody is melting down, maybe sitting in the shade for a while and just existing. For some reason that feels controversial.
What really gets to me is the guilt. People act like slowing down is wasting money, but spending extra on Park Hoppers, upgrades, and all the add-ons just to keep up with the optimization mindset feels like a waste too, because that is not how our family actually functions.
How do you set boundaries with your group so it does not turn into a spreadsheet war? And for anyone who did a slower paced trip, did you regret not going full tilt on Lightning Lanes and hopping?