Disney and anxiety: Don’t just survive your family vacation; enjoy it—even if you’re anxious. Here, I share my firsthand experience with anxiety at Disney so that you don’t have to let your worries take over your vacation.

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re like me (and about a quarter of all women in the US): You might have anxiety. That’s no fun; trust me, I know. But even if you have anxiety, you don’t have to swear off family travel—even to the Big Daddy of all kids’ vacations, Disney. I’m proof: You can do more than survive a big family vacation; you can enjoy it! Below, I share what worked for me to manage Disney and anxiety—for moms.

How did this all come about? My anxiety over Disney started as soon as I began planning for a Disneyland vacation, which I took with my husband, two children and in-laws. You see, I’d never been to any amusement park, and I don’t do well in crowds. I’ve dealt with anxiety on and off for years, and when I’m around big groups of people, I can feel my shoulders tighten, my breathing shallow and my heartbeat speed up.  

So it’s no surprise that Disney and anxiety came together in a way that felt like I’d be miserable every minute of the trip. But that simply was not true: I had a hands-down wonderful time at Disney with my family. Want to manage your own anxiety at Disney during your family vacation? Read on for my tips to handle Disney and anxiety for moms and all parents.

I am not a medical or mental health professional. Here, I am sharing what has worked for me to manage anxiety at Disney and other family vacations. If you think you might have anxiety, please talk to your doctor or therapist. Life is better when you talk about mental health challenges openly and seek help.

This post may contain affiliate links. Clicking and buying earns me a small income at no extra expense to you, which allows me to continue offering family travel advice for free.

Anxiety at Disney: Tips to enjoy your vacation for moms

You’re already taking the first step to handle Disney and anxiety: You’re reading this post! Check out the steps below to truly enjoy Disney with your family.

Know the foundation of your anxiety at Disney

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the whirlwind of anxiety and just feel anxious overall. But chances are, there’s something at the root of feeling anxious about Disney: An unknown that much of your anxiety is coming from.

For me, that something was actually two things: Crowds and making sure we (i.e. my kids) had the most fun ever. After all, this was a huge trip for us and not one we will be able to make often. Disney has enormous expectations wrapped into it, so I felt like I had to maximize the trip: See all the features, meet all the characters, ride all the rides—without forcing my kids from A to B like a drill sergeant.

In other words, I wanted everyone to have the most fun possible at Disney.

Ask yourself if it’s true

When you identify the root of your anxiety about Disney, dig a little deeper. Chances are, there’s an ultimatum behind that thought:

I have to make sure everyone has the most fun possible at Disney—or else the trip is a failure.

Is that true? Chances are, it’s not.

I came to realize that my kids would have a wonderful time at Disneyland even if we didn’t see the entire park. They wouldn’t know (or probably care) that we missed the pirate ship or Chip N Dale’s house, so why was I making a huge deal about it in my monkey mind?

Turns out, simply identifying what’s really bugging you will alleviate some of the nerves you feel.

Make a plan to address your worries

When you go into planning and research mode, you retake control. And anxiety often stems from feeling out of control, so by taking concrete steps you can start to feel better about your trip to Disney.

So after you figure out why you are anxious about Disney, ask what would make you feel better.

• Talking to a friend who has recently been to Disney?
• Laminating emergency contact information for your kids to carry in case you’re separated?
• Researching the age-appropriate Disney rides for your kids so you know what to go on—and what to skip?

No matter what your Disney anxiety comes from, there are steps to take to alleviate that. (If you’re having trouble IDing what those might be, scroll to the bottom and write why you’re feeling anxious about Disney in the comments. I’ll respond with my own ideas!)

Make lists

Maybe you’ve felt this way too: When I was planning a family vacation to Disneyland, several million thoughts, to-do tasks, reminders, etc. swirled around in my brain. The second I tried to pin one down, a bunch more swept in and disrupted my thought process like a wind blowing a library’s worth of paper around.

One remedy to this classic mark of anxiety: Write everything down.

Grab a blank notebook, a page in your planner or your favorite app. Write down everything that comes to mind.

It helps me to separate things into categories so my brainstorm feels more organized and less chaotic. Some ways you can organize your Disney list:

• Things to do
• Things to buy
• Things to pack
• Itinerary
• Reminders / Good to know

Once you put it on paper, your brain will be able to let go. You’ll feel more reassured that you won’t forget something important because it’s all written down somewhere safe, and your anxiety about Disney will start to ease.

Delegate, delegate, delegate

The family trip planner (usually the mom, in my experience) often takes on the bulk of the vacation work: Researching a destination, booking transportation, buying trip supplies, the rest of it. But one parent doesn’t have to shoulder all the responsibility. This is still the case for single parents—you don’t have to do everything yourself.

When you look at the list you just made, what can you ask someone else to do? Taking some of the work off your own plate is sure to reduce your Disney anxiety.

Who can you rely on to get things done? Your partner? A travel agent? Someone on TaskRabbit? A friend or another family member? (One thing I don’t love about planning a vacation: finding lodging. So I often ask Hubs to do this part of the research. You can, too: Just ask your partner to look for a place with the right mix of location and price.)

Booking.com

Delegate what you can so you don’t feel anxious about getting everything done in time.

Research to ease your Disney anxiety

Many of us feel anxiety about the unknown (again, it ties into feeling out of control). To combat that feeling, research your trip.

How would that help? If you’re feeling anxious from the overwhelm of seeing and doing all that Disney has to offer, research will help you pick a few priorities. If you know what you and your kids are most excited about, you can plan your days around those must-dos—and ease some of your Disney anxiety.

Find a guru

That said, sometimes falling down the Disney Pinterest rabbit hole can open up a whole new level of anxiety. (Oh my gosh, there are so many Disney pins! Including mine, haha!)

That’s how I felt. At a certain point, I had to stop searching the internet and talk to a real-live person to get me out of my head and back to reality. So I invited my friend Deanna, who goes to Disney at least once a year, over to hang out—and work out some of my Disney anxiety.

I felt so much better because I trust her, and I could get her opinions without sifting through a bunch of internet pages that may or may not be helpful.

I also reached out to a few other friends for specific questions, like Should I buy a MaxPass for kids? And Is the PhotoPass worth the cost?

Organize everything in one place

Finally, once you’ve worked through all the above steps to ease your anxiety at Disney, organize all your plans, reservations and supplies. You might keep all your reservations on an app like TripIt (which is what I do). Or you might feel better to print everything and keep it in a folder. (Have you seen these cute Disney-themed folders? They’d be perfect for planning a trip to Disney!)

Whatever system you use, having everything organized will make you feel confident—a great antidote to anxiety.

Know your resources

Some moms who are anxious about Disney may do all the above steps and still feel overwhelmed about their upcoming vacation. If you’re in that boat, know there are resources at Disney for people who need extra accommodations.

If you’re not able to wait in lines because of a disability (including one that’s not visibly apparent, like anxiety), you can register for a Disability Access Card. You simply fill out some paperwork at the park entrance, then you’ll get a Disability Access Card, which will give you a return time for certain rides—allowing you to move to the front of the line, similar to a FastPass.

If your anxiety is making it hard to imagine surviving a trip to Disney, you are eligible to use these accommodations. Don’t feel like you don’t deserve them. They were created for people who need extra support to enjoy Disney. Why not use them if you need them?

Do you have anxiety at Disney? You are not alone

Finally, please know that if you’re a mom who is anxious about Disney, you are not alone. I’ve already shared about my Disney anxiety, and there are many, many others who struggle, too.

It can be easy to get stuck in your head, thinking you’re the only one who is anxious about going to the supposedly happiest place on earth. Or you might think that the swirling thoughts make you a bad mom.

Let me be the first to tell you neither is true.

If you’re feeling like your anxiety is taking over your life or making your days unmanageable, please reach out to a friend, your doctor or a therapist. Talking about your anxiety truly does help. You can also gather your resources to manage anxiety, whether that is with medication, self-care like yoga and exercise, supplements and essential oils, or a whole other slew of tools.

You can become less anxious about Disney

Now that you have an outline of how to ease your Disney anxiety, you have a plan. You will identify what makes you anxious about Disney, research, plan, delegate and use the resources that will help you make the most of a family vacation.

After all, you and your children deserve to enjoy time together. I truly hope my ideas—all based on my experience of working through my own anxiety at Disney—help you with your family trip. Let me know if there’s something I missed—or something that has worked for you! And don’t forget that if you are stuck coming up with ideas for yourself, write a comment below and I’ll try to help.

Finally, if you’re a mom who’s anxious about Disney, I feel you. I know it’s hard. But feeling nervous/overwhelmed/paralyzed by the thought of a Disney family vacation doesn’t have to control you. You can become less anxious about Disney. After all, I’m proof! Hugs, and travel well!

PS – If money is one reason you’re anxious about Disney, check out my post on how I paid for a 3-day family Disney trip for less than $200.