Trip Anxiety

[DisneyMama811]

anyone else experience pre trip anxiety? we are now a month out and I'm starting to have bad dreams about forgetting things and all different kinds of things going wrong!! is this normal? I already struggle with anxiety and depression in my daily life so I don't know if this is just my brain being crazy or if everyone goes through this

 

[VicarJT]

I can absolutely relate to this. It took me years to get to the point where I could say, "They take money there." So as long as I remember my wallet, my meds, and my wife ;-) I know that anything else I forget can be replaced. I hope you are able to calm your anxiety at least a bit and enjoy at least a part of the planning/packing process.

 

[Marrila]

anyone else experience pre trip anxiety? we are now a month out and I'm starting to have bad dreams about forgetting things and all different kinds of things going wrong!! is this normal? I already struggle with anxiety and depression in my daily life so I don't know if this is just my brain being crazy or if everyone goes through this

Have you tried making a packing list? Work on it a bit over the coming weeks.
You can also start setting aside things in a laundry basket or such.
I think taking positive steps can be helpful.

 

[disneyseniors]

I always get panicky because I do all the planning for our trips. Just the way it works out.
I have a big list of the things I need to pack, a list of the things I need to do before leaving such as holding the mail, etc. This helps alot to remind me of what I need to do. I leave the lists out in the open on the bar so I can add something as I think of it! That helps too.

This time we are traveling by car so I can really pack everything but the refrigerator, LOL.

I always over pack, especially clothes but I can't help myself. It isn't like most places don't have clothing stores!

If I have our meds, CCs, and money then that's really all you need to worry about.

Just know you are not alone in this. Our trip is february and I am already making lists!

 

[wabbott]

Have you tried making a packing list? Work on it a bit over the coming weeks.
You can also start setting aside things in a laundry basket or such.
I think taking positive steps can be helpful.

This. And get everyone who is going involved. Leave it out on the kitchen counter with a pen handy so that anyone that walks by can add to it when they think about something.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

It can certainly cause significant anxiety, especially these days with Disney planning. So many good points and ideas already. Keeping a list of things you don't want to forget is a must for us - it also allows me to pencil in an item or two that pops into my head leading up to the trip. But if you are a month out, you probably already have your tickets set, park reservations made, and ADRs made for the dining experiences you want to do. For the rest, cash and credit cards will take care of it while you're there. You'll also want your ID in case you need it at Disney or for flying. If you have that list of things to do and take, it's quite possible your anxiety will start to decline as you get closer! Ideally, by the time you arrive at your destination, you'll be ready to completely decompress and enjoy yourself! Just be sure to enjoy yourself after all the headaches leading up to it! Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

 

[DisneyMama811]

thank you for the tips everyone, reading through it has made me realize I'm a little more prepared than I thought. park tickets, reservations and ADRs are made, passports have arrived (finally ) USD cash has been ordered. we live in Canada where it's currently snowy so I've already packed some of our warm weather clothing plus bathing suits, girls costumes for Bibiddi Bobiddi Boutique are packed.. I'll start working on a master packing and to do list

 

[tguz]

We try not to stress out on packing. We know we will have all the major stuff and realize we can buy incidentals on the way or when we get there. The things my wife and I ask each other about are, money, medication, sunglasses, second pair of shoes, and magic bands. Almost everything else is easily bought later.

 

[Star3]

I can relate to this too. I visited WDW last month and was convinced I’d forget to do something in the weeks leading up to the trip. All I can suggest is writing lists and checking everything off. Once I was at WDW all my worries melted away. I hope you have a wonderful time.

 

[vacay77]

I can definitely relate to this, too. I jot down notes on my phone whenever I think of something I need to pack, so I won’t forget later. Then when it comes time for packing, I go through my checklist.

 

[disneyseniors]

thank you for the tips everyone, reading through it has made me realize I'm a little more prepared than I thought. park tickets, reservations and ADRs are made, passports have arrived (finally ) USD cash has been ordered. we live in Canada where it's currently snowy so I've already packed some of our warm weather clothing plus bathing suits, girls costumes for Bibiddi Bobiddi Boutique are packed.. I'll start working on a master packing and to do list

We are from N. Minnesota, so we always pack colder weather clothes. It's funny, but our "summer clothes" aren't summer clothes in Florida. They are probably their fall/winter clothes, LOL. One year on a February trip, I forgot to pack warm clothes, and it turned Cold for Florida. I wore my husbands sweater the whole time and still froze. Bless him, he sacrificed for me Have a great time

 

[NashvilleMama]

As said above, just keep telling yourself "I can get it there" if you forget something. As long as you have your passports honestly the rest will be ok! And winging it if something goes wrong is just a good exercise in adjusting on the fly and making it work. (Also I *love* the laundry basket packing drop zone idea. amazing.)

 

[Jamie430]

I do this no matter what the vacation. I think I have to make everything perfect for my family and most of the time, they don't really care. Not that they don't appreciate the effort, but they don't need it to be perfect. When something isn't just right, I blame myself .. even when out of my control. I will research forever and still question my decisions
I'm trying to not do all of that for this trip. We have 10-day park hopper tickets. I'm not planning everything because I figure we can always go back and do something we missed with that many days.

 

[LiDa]

anyone else experience pre trip anxiety? we are now a month out and I'm starting to have bad dreams about forgetting things and all different kinds of things going wrong!! is this normal? I already struggle with anxiety and depression in my daily life so I don't know if this is just my brain being crazy or if everyone goes through this

Oh yeah, but try to remember that you're not going into the Arctic Circle. You're going to Orlando. To a resort in Orlando. To a resort in Orlando where they'll even help you get emergency supplies delivered to your room. Our luggage was lost once & my friend went to the front desk & they gave us some emergency supplies, like toothbrushes. [That was before I got smart & never ever checked a bag again.]

I am a list-maker & I have a list for everything. I try to imagine my whole trip from start to finish -- before get exhausted (!), I do think about all the things I'll need.

• Do I have a copy of my ID? Each suitcase can have copies of everyone's IDs packed into an inner pocket.
• Ditto for dining reservations or other things you need to remember while you have Vacation Brain.
• Does someone at home know where we are?
• I leave the customer service lines of my credit cards with someone or buried in a draft email, so I can retrieve them if my wallet gets lost or stolen.

Etc. Just take a few minutes to think it through & you will see that you're doing fine & you really have thought about just about everything. And you don't need to pack your whole house to take with you, either. lol

Have fun!

 

[SleeplessInTO]

I have an electronic packing list. I print it out and just add things as I go. I always make sure to have passports and credit cards. Everything else can be fixed.

 

[JenniferParker]

I'm getting close to the 30-day mark and getting the pre-trip anxiety too. I think it's fairly normal. Thankfully, I have a daughter who helps me when I talk things out with her. She often helps my sense of my scattered brain.

 

[Disney_David]

anyone else experience pre trip anxiety? we are now a month out and I'm starting to have bad dreams about forgetting things and all different kinds of things going wrong!! is this normal? I already struggle with anxiety and depression in my daily life so I don't know if this is just my brain being crazy or if everyone goes through this

I’d echo all the advice so far, as long as you have the essentials, passport, drivers license, meds, money, cards, locked up the house, given a key to a neighbor, etc, you’re all set.

My advice would be not to let the minor things consume you, you want to enjoy the build up, and your time here.

My wife and I are local and in the parks 3-4 times a week some weeks, so if you get stuck and need advice or help, feel free to reach out!

Is there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t get booked?