Hi there, James,
When I think of ways to make a vacation as magical and stress-free as possible, I look to those who seem to possess the greatest capacity to recognize and create uniquely magical experiences. In 2019, the renowned Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde took to social media to write a mini-essay “on the concept of escapism” and how that concept is sometimes applied pejoratively to destinations such as Theme Parks. In his defense of the Theme Park experience, he said “When we are in an environment that is novel, unusual, challenging, strange, we must be fully alert because our brain has fewer existing models to use. It has to pay attention. We have to be there, in the moment, for real,…sort of the opposite of escapism.” In other words, Rohde highlighted the effectiveness of immersing ourselves in the imaginative environments created by places like the Disneyland Resort to induce a greater sense of wonder, joy, and
magic.
Whether staying on-site or off-site, my number-one recommendation for selecting hotel accommodations for a Disneyland Resort vacation is to stay as close to the magic as possible. On-site hotels, especially the Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, are the obvious choice for offering an uninterrupted magical experience. But if staying off-site is selected, I highly recommend staying in a hotel that is immediately adjacent to the Disneyland Resort, no further away than across the street. Spending as little time as possible traversing through the mundane, “normal” world to arrive at the Theme Parks gives your brain more opportunity to pay attention to and absorb the magic of the Disneyland Resort.
Would a stay at one of the three
Disneyland Resort Hotels make for the most magical vacation? I believe yes! But, for most people, the decision of whether to stay on-site or off-site comes down to the question of budget. Because of the incalculable returns possible, I’m a firm believer in putting significant investment into our vacation experiences. If I could, I would stay
on-site and club-level every time. But I also recognize the importance of vacationing as often as possible. So compromises are inevitable. When staying at an off-site
Good Neighbor Hotel, I have to emphasize the importance of staying at nearby hotels that are well within walking distance of the pedestrian entrances to the Disneyland Resort.
Joe Rohde concluded his essay with this question and summary: “You know how the sky seems bluer, the food tastier, the sights more amazing when you’re on vacation? That’s a function of brain activity...of really seeing, really tasting, etc because of increased awareness in a novel environment. So rather than thinking of a make-believe [environment] as being escapist, we should think of the make-believe environment as being experientialist. Sort of a supercharged version of reality instead of an escape from reality.”
James, during your upcoming Disneyland Resort vacation, may the sky be the
bluest ever. The food,
the tastiest. And may your time at The Happiest Place on Earth be supercharged with magic.
~Tony