I would like to start off by saying that my parents are not inadequate parents. In fact, I would consider them to be relatively high on the parenting scale. They read me stories, constantly drove me to whatever practice or rehearsal I had that day, and occasionally put me in my place when I needed it. However, there was one common childhood experience that I was not afforded -- my parents never took me to Disney.

In today’s society, it seems like the act of a family vacation to a Disney park is America’s new favorite pastime. The nuclear, four-person family all pile into the car for a long weekend in the most magical place on Earth. Yet, many parents find that the magic of Disney wears off while you’re looking to keep your 5-year-old from climbing over the railing into the Dumbo ride while your 3-year-old won’t stop crying over her spilled Dole Whip. If you haven’t seen Jim Gaffigan’s comedy routine on his slightly terrifying vacation to Disney, I highly recommend it.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Disney, and I really do think it is one of the greatest vacation destinations on the planet. It wasn’t as if I was shunned from Disney as a child either; I grew up being just as terrified of Ursula in the "Little Mermaid" as every other kid in my generation. Instead of going to a Disney park, my parents and I vacationed at the beach, in the city, and even in the mountains to ski. Disney trips simply didn’t play a pivotal role in my childhood. In fact, I think I have become a far bigger Disney fan in the past five years, than in the 13 years prior, partially due to the fact that I finally had the chance to go to Disney World during my junior year of high school. For exactly five days, I ran around all five parks with the enthusiasm and energy level of a 5-year-old who just consumed five pounds of sugar, and I couldn’t have picked a better time to have such a great experience.

I was fortunate to attend a high school with a very large and very exceptional music program. Every year, either our choir or our marching band takes a trip to perform somewhere in the United States -- past trips have included Toronto, Washington D.C., and Chicago. Yet, my junior year, the entire music department decided to pack our bags and take the choir, marching band, and orchestra to perform in Disney World. I traveled with my very best friends, some of my favorite teachers, and absolutely no family supervision. It was a recipe for a good time, and the results proved better than I could have imagined. It truly was one of the best vacations of my life, and the best part is that I’ll remember almost every bit of it for years to come.

Of course, I know that not everyone can have the same Disney experience that I had, but here is my lesson to you, future families. Save yourself a lot of anxiety and stress and wait to take your kids to Disney until they are old enough to truly appreciate (and remember) the experience. It will mean just as much, if not more, to a 7-year-old to see her favorite princess as it will when she’s three. In addition, don’t discredit the experience of going to Disney as a pre-teen or teenager. While some will certainly enjoy it more than others, it doesn’t take very much magic to unlock that little kid in all of us.