| The news made headlines around the nation. If you have not seen the article, here's the lowdown: A Florida visitor from Massachusetts accidentally threw away his wife’s three platinum and diamond rings at Walt Disney World Resorts – only to have workers find them buried in the trash.
It was Disney’s “magic,” said the story:
The mom called the incredible find “five star service.” I call it either a stroke of fate or incredible luck!
I am a mom who hates losing things (and I admit to doing this quite a bit). I read once that people spend six weeks a year looking for lost items. Sometimes, in the midst of my searching frenzies, I feel like I spend six months searching for missing toys, Gameboys, socks, etc!
I have a few tips so you can enjoy your family vacations without worrying too much about lost items. Here’s my advice on how to avoid stressful situations like the one above.
Before I leave to go to a theme park, I take off my wedding rings and watch and put them in a safety deposit box at the bank until I return home. I don’t want to be headed down Space Mountain clutching my jewelry or sunglasses.
I bring only things that I don’t care about losing…drugstore sunglasses, an inexpensive waterproof sports watch, disposable cameras, etc.
DO NOT BRING ANYTHING ON A TRIP THAT YOU ARE EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED TO!
I pack sunscreen, $1.00 disposable ponchos (for the water rides), and snacks in my small messenger bag, which lays relatively flat so I can put it over my shoulder and rest on my lap even when the headrest goes down on the rides.
Only once did I becoming the laughing stock of my family when I brought one of those designer hip packs that Sarah Jessica Parker made famous on “Sex in the City” to a theme park. I put the bright, colorful tickets inside and it started to pour. The blue dye ran all over my expensive carrying case. My sister was teasing me for years about my stupidity in wearing such an item to a theme park.
“Who does that?” she asked.
I guess it served me right. I wasn't the Travel Expert yet. Learn from my mistakes: Trying to be fashionable, wearing nice clothes, jewelry, etc. is just an invitation for disaster. Dress comfy, wear comfortable shoes (not heeled sandals), and don’t worry about looking like a “tourist.” Everyone else is a tourist too!
Of course, I don’t want to lose the kids either. They wear kid-friendly waterproof identification bracelets so they can call my cell phone if they should get lost!
Happy - and worry-free - travels!
Jennifer Michaels, Family Travel Expert |
