Life's a Bench

We're going to get there for rope drop and stay until they kick us out!...This "plan" may sound familiar to many of you. I know it used to for me and my family and perhaps still does for some of them, but not for me generally, unless I can rest throughout the day.

I still love going to the parks and riding the rides, watching the shows and meeting with characters etc. But what I've learned is that I enjoy those activities far more when I'm rested, when my body doesn't ache and when my mind isn't wandering to my bed.

Rest! Yes, rest at Disneyland. As seen in my picture (above), Disney has ingeniously provided benches, chairs, and planters for you to sit on. Some would even argue that you've paid for these with you park admission, and I guess I would agree; so use them. They're a great place to enjoy your snack, sip your coffee or just plain sit and people watch, which is one of my favorite things to do at the parks.

But sitting there, essentially doing nothing, aren't you wasting your time and therefore your money? Yes and no. I would argue that on the surface, yes, because you most likely paid to go into Disneyland or DCA to ride the attractions and see shows etc., sitting there starring at people or plants isn't accomplishing those things. However, think of it this way. If by 8:00PM you are tired, irritated and sore, are you really enjoying those attractions or shows? Probably not as much, so why not take a short break, sit for 15 minutes and perhaps get a whole other hour or more later on in the day. The analogy I would use is putting savings into the bank. Sure it is not as much fun and we can all think of hundreds of things we could spend that money on right now. But if we save it, you can get something far better or bigger down the road.

If you are really cannot accept that this isn't wasting time, then while you sit down, have other members, preferably those that are younger or in better physical shape, go ahead and get in line some where. Take your 10 - 15 minute rest and then go meet up with them. Having said this, you are technically cutting in line, so have the other members of your party who get in line first let those behind them know you're on your way; they can just say you're using the restroom. When you arrive, thank your party for saving your spot and if you feel necessary, thank those behind you as well. Another thing to keep in mind with this method, depending on when you meet up with the rest of your group, they might be inside or in a place in the queue that is more difficult to access. This will be a risk you take by splitting up.

All in all I believe most people understand why I make the argument for resting. Many will continue being on their feet all day because they cannot wrap their head around how beneficial those 15 minutes can be for you and will worry too much that they're missing out on something else. I challenge you to try this. Take a break, sit down, just rest and try to relax. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.