Anticipation, Or What I Learned From Tangled

As I relaxed over the holiday weekend, there was something building inside of me.  I felt a strange sensation inside, and not just from the massive amounts of Thanksgiving dinner I consumed.  No, this was something more, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

 Then, when I went to see Tangled (which all of you should go see if you haven’t), I realized what it was.  When Rapunzel and Flynn Rider are sitting out in the lagoon in front of the kingdom, waiting for something, Rapunzel explained it perfectly.  To paraphrase, she says that she’s nervous about what’s about to happen.

 If the “big event” is not what she expected, what will she do?  How will she react now that the thing she has dreamed about all this time is not as great as she had hoped?  Conversely, if it is everything she has hoped and dreamed, what’s next?  It was a touching moment in the movie, but it perfectly encapsulated how I feel about my trips to Walt Disney World, especially my upcoming trip.

 I’m talking about anticipation, and what a double edged sword it can be.  Making your plans early helps to build excitement for your trip, and it’s why we all frequent this site and others to get the latest info on what’s going on at the World.  By the same token, I know I am sometimes guilty of building up things in my head to the point where no trip could possibly live up to my daydreams.

 My trip that starts later this week for 2010 Reunion is a definite case study in this point.  Ever since I found out that I would be able to come down for a couple of days, I’ve been studying the schedule to figure out which meets I would be able to go to, talking with friends on Twitter about all the things we’re going to do and trying to hide from my kids the fact that we’re going.  (Shhh…don’t tell them, it’s a surprise.)

I am looking so forward to meeting so many great people at Reunion, but I am of course, also very nervous.  This is my first time at a big gathering of Disney fans.  Add on top of that all the holiday events I want to see and you’ve got a huge bundle of nerves sitting here writing this post.

In the end, what I learned from Tangled is that you can’t stress so much about the future.  I was very similarly worried about my last trip in October, when my wife and I went down without kids for the first time in years.  How would we manage?  Would we be able to get it all done?  Could we make it work?  If you’ve read my posts, you know that we had a marvelous time, just like I’m sure we will this weekend.  It’s fine to plan obsessively for the trip, but in the end, you have to leave time to enjoy it.

What about you?  Do you get this anticipation buildup before your trips?  Are you looking forward to this weekend’s events?  Will I see you there?