Last Day Disney Blues

The received wisdom in any Disney community is that the best solution to the end of a Disney vacation is to know when the next one is. After all, at least if it's got to end, then you may as well have something else to look forward to, right? But what happens if your next vacation is too far away to book anything? This can be a huge problem, if you're not planning on heading back for say, another 18 months.

Walt Disney World may not have accommodation on sale yet for the forthcoming year, and airfares certainly won't be out. It's a position we've been in many times before, and just because you can't book anything doesn't mean that you can't plan. I've had many times where I've planned everything out, from the dates we'll be on vacation, to the flights that hopefully we'd take, and the accommodation we'll book, many months before we can actually do anything. Admittedly, sometimes it doesn't work out the way that you plan things, but I've certainly found that being able to go through the planning process helps to stave off the Disney blues.

But what happens if you really can't plan another Disney vacation by the time you get to the last day of your current break? In this current economic climate, I'm sure that's the position that many people find themselves in, and certainly I feel that pain, as finances are a lot tighter for us than they have been for many years.

Well, the first suggestion is to make sure that you go out with a bang! Don't let the blues spoil your last day. Sure, you may be flying later in the day, or perhaps the next day, if your flight is very early. Make the best of every precious moment that you still have at Disney, as it'll help you to forget that your vacation is coming to an end. If you, and your family, have a favorite park, then head to that, and perhaps enjoy your favorite rides there. Treat it as your chance to have some real fun, and enjoy the bits of Disney that you love the most. For us, we love Epcot, so we tend to gravitate there on our last day, and spend our time wandering around World Showcase, taking in all the sights we know and love so much.

If you have a favorite restaurant, then make an Advanced Dining Reservation (ADR) for that for your last day. I'm a huge fan of that wonderfully depressing donkey, Eeyore, so for me, any vacation that sees me dining with him at the Crystal Palace will see me finishing my vacation with a huge smile on my face!

There's also another approach you can take. Perhaps you don't have a day's park admission left to use by your last day? Well, why not head out, and still make the most of your time, and perhaps explore a new part of Walt Disney World? We were out with friends on our last vacation, and their last day happened to be the day that we all got off our cruise on the Disney Dream. We headed back to Downtown Disney, and then had a fun lunch at T-Rex, before renting a boat for an hour, and taking that out on the lake at Downtown Disney. It was a relaxing way to finish the vacation, and perhaps quite an unusual way to end our time at Disney, but still very pleasant all the same.

Depending what time your flight is, you might prefer to stay at your resort, and if the weather's nice, perhaps enjoy some time by the pool, or maybe explore the resort. Of course, don't forget, if you're checking out, the chances are you'll have to be out of your room by 11:00 am, which means that if anyone does go swimming, then you may have to think what to do with the wet swimming items. It's not ideal, but as a regular swimmer, I can tell that you can usually get away with putting them in a plastic bag, and washing them when you get home, even if that happens to be the next day.

Epcot - Japan
The lush greenery of Japan in Epcot with buildings above it.

Whatever you plan on your final day, don't forget to plan out how much time you actually do have. Remember to time out what time you need to be at the airport in time to check-in, get your boarding passes, and check your luggage, if you haven't already done so, and clear security. Then add on the time it will take to get there, as you don't want to cut it too fine. Trust me, we've done that before, and it makes your last vacation day suddenly become very stressful! If you're going to be travelling on Disney's Magical Express, they'll work that out for you, but again, don't forget to allow enough time to be back at your hotel for your bus.

Hopefully that gives you some idea of how to finish your Disney vacation on a high, even if the last day is traditionally a low point of any holiday.

About the Author: Cheryl is the author of the e-book, PassPorter's Walt Disney World for British Holidaymakers, and is the co-author of PassPorter's Disney Vacation Club Guide: For Members and Members-To-Be. Cheryl and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to Disney, and they have travelled around the world, taking in a number of Disney cruises, Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Aulani in Hawai'i, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disney and Hong Kong Disneyland on the way. Click here to view more of Cheryl's articles!