Quit your judging, I’m going back to Disney

I don’t really understand why people feel the need to be so judgmental.  About everything, all the time.  Yes, I go to Disney several times a year.  And people always feel the need to rain on my parade.  To criticize my choices.  And honestly, it makes me sad to see that kind of attitude.

We feel the need to judge everything and everyone nowadays – people that vacation too much, people that vacation too little, stay at home moms, working moms, parents who lose a child in the face of tragedy.  Please, it needs to stop.  We all have reasons for why we do what we do.  No one else needs to know them, and most likely other people won’t or can’t know all the reasons for someone’s actions.

So I’ll just get it out of the way now.  Yes, I’m going back to Disney.  In early August, for a short trip with two friends, one of whom needs some cheering up in life and Disney seems just the thing.  Sometimes when I tell people about this trip I’ll add on and say, “Well, I have friends who wanted to go and invited me along,” like I need an excuse for why I’m going back.  No.  I should be able to say, “I have friends who wanted to go and I want to go back too.”

But maybe, if it helps give you a little understanding, I don’t really mind explaining why I go back to Disney so much.  Sometimes perspective helps.  So here’s why I go to Disney so often, and my response to what people “complain” about when I tell them I’m going:

Value resorts are a great way to save money.

“How can you afford it?”

This is the most common question and frankly it’s the most ridiculous because finances aren’t really anyone else’s business.  Traveling and Disney are very important to me.  I put aside a portion of my paycheck every month specifically for that purpose.  The same way other people save money for the stuff that they want.  I’ve also been able to find affordable ways to go to Disney.  Because of my annual pass (which is a big yearly fee up front, around $700) I can take extra trips without it costing “extra” for tickets.  I keep an eye out for low flight deals, checking Southwest every couple of days.  And I travel with friends and stay in value resorts to split the cost of the hotel.  For this trip, 4 nights, I’m paying under $300 for both my share of the resort and my flight.  I already have my ticket so the only other thing in addition to that is food.  Not bad.

“Don’t you want to go anywhere else?”

Yes.  I have, and I do.  I love traveling.  I’ve been many places and would like to go many more.  We’re going to Germany and France later this year.  I spent 4 months in England.  I’ve been to most of the states on the east coast, Nashville, Texas, California.  And there are many more places I’d like to go!  I’ll get there.  It’s possible to do both if you budget your time and money wisely.

From one of my many non-Disney trips.

“You must have a lot of vacation time.”

No, I don’t.  But I make up for it by planning my trips around the days that I already have off like weekends and holidays.  For example, for this August trip I’ll be in Disney for 5 days but I only need to take 2 days off of work for it.  I will also work extra hours the week before and the week after to make up for it if I have to.  If I want to go, I find a way to make it work.

“Doesn’t it get boring?”

Honestly, no.  Disney is always growing and changing.  Every time I go back there’s something new to check out, whether it’s a new parade, show, restaurant, or ride.  And there’s so much to do at Disney that you can’t do it all in one trip anyway, so I can plan to do different things than I experienced last time.  And of course I love doing my favorite stuff on every trip!  I’ll also just spend time enjoying the parks and not rushing from ride to ride.  I’ll experiment with my photography, people watch, or scope out something interesting for the blog.

“But it’s for kids.”

I can (and probably will) write a whole blog post just responding to this argument.  There is so much more to Disney than just the “kid stuff.”  And I’m a big kid at heart anyway.  But there’s tons for adults!

I still meet the characters as an adult. And it still makes me happy 🙂

It makes me happy.

At the end of the day, this is all that really matters.  I keep going back because Disney makes me happy.  It’s truly a special place for me.  And in this crazy, stressful world we live in, happiness should never be undervalued.  If it makes me happy and it’s not bothering you, why does it matter?

I think a lot of the judgment is a result of jealousy.  Other people who wish they could travel as much, go to Disney as much, but haven’t figured out a way to make it work.  Or just people who don’t understand.  But I think almost everyone has something they are passionate about in this way – mine just happens to be Disney 🙂

Is there something in your life that you feel judged for?  How do you deal with it?