Why People Watching is My Favorite Activity at Disney

My family and I travel to the parks every year. By travel, I mean we drive three hours. I live in Southwest Florida, so we leave at 7 and are through the gates before 11. We cram as many rides as we can into three days. Only, I barely go on any. Motion sickness makes me hesitant to ride any contraption that spins, hurls or dips. Hence, I sit out a lot.

And that’s fine by me. Actually, I prefer to people watch, perched on a bench, or walking through the crowds exploring one of the many coffee venues.

I love watching family members interact. I have seen desperate parents trying to console a screaming toddler, while the older children are pulling their hands eager to spot the next attraction.

I remember those days well. Even though I only have one child who is grown, it was a challenge navigating the parks with a tired kid. Actually my son enjoys the parks now, more than he did then.

Honestly, why did we spend all that money? We went when he was six and then again at age 8. He doesn’t remember much. But now, he researches the rides ahead of time and knows exactly which ones to make a beeline for, and which ones to skip.

So, when I see these exasperated moms with their hands full, I want to walk up and tell them, it does get better!

I am also good at spotting couples on their hoooneymoon. Yes, it is a thing! In fact, my good friend went to the parks on her honeymoon decades ago. Even though she and her husband have travelled the world since, it remains one of her favorite trips.

We usually make our yearly pilgrimage to the parks right after Labor Day, to beat the crowds and the high priced hotels. Still, the temperatures are soaring, and I find people have some creative ways to beat the heat. I see folks carrying portable fans and rain ponchos preparing for the predictable afternoon storms.

I love those, because my husband and son can get on rides much faster once the rain starts. (Not all the rides close due to a few drops.) One year they got on three rides in less than an hour, pretty unheard of on sunny days.

My favorite people to watch are the seniors, who act like they are kids all over again. I think they enjoy a special kind of wonderment not having kids in tow. They enjoy the sights and sounds of the Magic Kingdom without the responsibility of keeping a watchful eye on little tikes.

But there are a fair share of grandparents minding various aged grandchildren. Many without the kids’ parents. Wonder what the parents are doing now. (Lounging by the pool back at the hotel, perhaps?)

Those are some special kind of grandparents. I almost want to ask them what the heck they were thinking when they agreed to this little adventure.

I’m not a grandparent yet, but honestly, if my son asked me to ferry his kids to the parks, I would give him a firm no. And I believe my husband feels the same. Umm, we did that. It’s your turn now.

Actually my husband is joining me more and more on the sidelines. He likes to sit with me on the bench while our son rides the serious roller coasters solo. He’s fine with that. And I have been helping my hubby master the art of people watching, and I think he enjoys it now…Even a little more than some of the more intense rides.