I'm afraid to fly.
This is the biggest, baddest, and most common fear people have these days regarding a trip to Disney World, or anywhere else, for that matter. Well, the answer to this one varies per person. Everyone is different, everyone has different reasons for being afraid, and everyone has a different intensity of fear. There are those who are simply nervous about it, and can get through using relaxation techniques and the company of their significant other to distract and calm them. Then there are those with more deep-seated fear who may need medication to make it through. I cannot stress this enough: while a small amount of meds may be alright, you should never, ever, self-medicate without talking to your doctor first.
Don't EVER go to the airport bar and have a few cocktails to 'loosen up'! Booze does nothing but make you a potential danger to yourself and others because, while intoxicated, or even just a little tipsy, your judgment and motor sills are impaired, meaning you might trip going down the jetway and break someone's neck (maybe your own, maybe your kid's, maybe a complete stranger's), and you might become loud, obnoxious, weepy, silly, or otherwise annoying to those around you. I personally hate being around drunk people and would hate to be stuck on a plane for several hours with one. You also have to consider what would happen to you if the plane actually had a problem. Could you make it off the plane safely? Could you get your significant other and kids off if you were buzzed? Would the booze make you sluggish and cause you to block the exit, putting everybody's lives in danger? Do the world a favor, lay off the sauce!
And then there are those who have an aviophobia, or the truly irrational fear of flying. For these poor souls the only way to get on a plane without risk of a sever panic attack is professional counseling. There are many physiologists and other mental health professionals who specialize in helping people overcome phobias; seek one of them out and you can conquer your phobia. Don't let it make you feel ashamed or embarrassed. You can get through it, but you will need help.
I'm nervous about staying at [insert resort name] because I heard the bus service is awful.
While it's true that WDW transportation has its problems, and you will find no greater critic of it than me, you can rest assured that most of the time the busses run on time and conveniently. Still, renting a car, if it's in the budget, will completely remove any doubts you might have, because if the busses are awful to your resort during your stay, then you can drive. Remember, not all the bus service is awful, but some resorts have better service than others, and the boats and monorails can't be beat for their timeliness and convenience. Even if you do have a car, you'll find that WDW transport is more convenient for many of your needs.
I'm afraid that [insert big event name] will make the crowds unbearable during my trip.
This one, again, varies according to the big event. The Epcot Food & Wine Festival in October, the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival in April, the Disney World Marathon, spring break, and a host of other special events make people nervous about crowd levels. Many of these events don't actually have a significant effect on crowds. The Epcot Festivals mentioned don't draw a huge extra crowd to the parks, the marathons and other running events draw a small increase, and Spring Break doesn't really exist! Every college and every public school system in the country has a slightly different period in the spring when there are no classes. Party destinations like Daytona, Ft. Lauderdale, and Miami draw huge crowds of college kids, but family destinations like WDW do not.
Crowds during Easter week do increase slightly, but not to the extent they do during the peak summer season, since most school systems only give the kids an extra day or two off, making it difficult to plan a full-fledged family vacation. Christmas is the one time that the special events seriously impact crowds, since every school system gives kids most or all of the week between Christmas and New Years, and with a whole week, families can plan a trip to WDW. Crowd levels that week are the highest of the year, and the Magic Kingdom often has to shut its gates on Christmas Day because it has reached maximum occupancy.
I'm afraid to go to WDW alone. People might think I'm some sort of weirdo. I might not have a good time. I don't like dining alone in a restaurant. I'm nervous about being mugged/raped/attacked when I travel alone.
Well, I can't say whether you're a weirdo or not, but I can tell you that going to WDW solo is a wonderful experience! I've gone solo 5 times, with a 6th in the works, and they have been the best trips I've had in 13 years of visiting the Mouse.
Experiencing the Magic of Disney World by yourself is easy; it is easier in many ways than experiencing it with a group of people. When solo, you and you alone decide when to get up in the morning, where to have breakfast, what park to visit, what attractions to see, how fast to go, whether or not to repeat an attraction six times in a day, how much time to spend browsing shops, or anything else you can think of.
There are no compromises when you're alone; if you want to ride Rock-N-Roller Coaster 3 or 4 times in a row, not only can you do it without inconveniencing anyone else in your party, but it's easier because you can get in the single-riders line and skip the huge regular line. Those attractions with single-riders lines are pure gold to those who are touring solo; the SRL cuts wait times almost to nothing. On the other hand, if you don't want to ride RnRc or the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, you can easily do so without being called wimp or having to stand outside waiting for the rest of your party to get out of the attraction.
Likewise, if you want to try a new restaurant that your family doesn't like, go for it! They're not with you, so you can eat wherever you like. And don't be nervous about dining alone; WDW Cast Members will make an effort to engage you in conversation to make your dining experience more pleasant. The CMs are terrific people, each of whom has his or her own unique perspective on WDW, and the many conversations I've had with CMs over the years have been some of my most pleasant experiences at WDW.
Traveling alone has its ups and downs. Put some thought into what you pack and how you pack it, because when traveling alone you have to handle your luggage yourself at least part of the time. And when traveling alone, you have no-one to split costs with you, so your budget will require a little extra thought. But traveling alone is no more dangerous than going to the mall alone, or commuting to work alone, or going to visit your Mom alone. If you can do these things, you can handle traveling alone. Exercise basic common sense and a little caution, and you will be just fine. You are safe in the airport, at the hotel, in the parks, and even on the plane. Standing alone on a deserted airport parking lot or garage at 3am might not be totally safe, however, so try to schedule your flights accordingly.
I'm afraid of terrorist attacks.
Well, don't be. Terror attacks can come any place, any time, and are just as likely to strike you at home as they are at WDW. What about on the plane? Since the September 11 attacks, security at American airports has been tightened considerably, making it safer to fly in America now than it has ever been in the history of commercial aviation. In the nearly three years since 9/11, there have been no successful hijackings of comercial airliners in the United States, so I believe that the new security measures have made a definite, measurable difference in the safety levels at American airports.
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Last Revision: 2005-10-08
