Miserable Time with Mickey Mouse

"How long are they going to take?" asks the impatient dad. He's standing at the Norwegian KIDCOT.

The mom, standing over her two little artists at work says, "They'll be done in a minute."

"When?! WHEN?!" The dad explodes out of frustration. "It's almost one o'clock!"

The dad is irate.

The mother is embarrassed.

The kids are caught in the middle.

The sad thing is that this scenario could happen to any of us on a Park visit. It would be nice to think that we're above a family fight in public, but we're not.

Here are some tips to avoiding those same mistakes:

Remember that the trip is for the kids Grown-ups drag kids around all year long. For once, let the kids be in charge of what they want to do. Give them as much time as they need to enjoy. Sacrifice for the sake of their happiness.

Don't Think about the Money The money has been spent. It's gone. You won't get your money's worth by squeezing it out of the kids. Know what I mean? It's not their fault if you overspent.

Don't Watch the Time Isn't that part of the reason you went on vacation? You wanted to feel free? If you really want to see a particular show or event, then set your cell phone timer to go off as a reminder.

Don't go on vacation to Disney if your marriage is in trouble Sometimes, parents think that a family vacation is all they need to repair a relationship breaking apart. Actually, "the Happiest Place on Earth," only feels that way when you are already getting along. If you can't handle day-to-day life at home, then think how fraught the days will be while packed together in one room every night, navigating tight schedules in the day, and constantly needing to make quick decisions. Seriously, spend the money on counseling to examine the problems, not on escaping the problems.

Eat, Drink, and Sleep You have to take care of your body's basic needs, regardless of anything else. If you get dehydrated or hungry, you'll get irritable as well. As for sleep, kids need more of it. Sure, they'll beg you to stay up later, but you have to keep in mind what will happen the next day. Plus, most parents aren't used to spending 24/7 with their children and need some "me" time in that hotel room to simply re-group.

Let it Go What if you don't see everything on your list? Let it go. What if you misjudged the wait time? Let it go. What if your child begs to go back to the hotel swimming pool? Let it go. Yep, you might as well just live with the reality of the moment. You wished for more, but got less. You can either complain about it (contaminating everyone around you) and try to force reality to change (which hasn't been known to happen yet) or you can go with the flow. You can enjoy what you do have rather than what you don't have.

Keep Perspective If you run across Tomorrow Land to be first in line at Space Mountain, but your child ends up with a skinned knee and in tears...I mean...what's the point? If you want your child to remember a happy time, then give it to them. Simply buying a ticket to the Parks isn't enough to get nominated for "Cool Dad of the Year." You have to really give them those moments of love and caring, kindness and understanding while in the Parks.

As for those of us who pass by the ugly melt-downs, simply say a prayer for them and a wish for us that we don't do it too.