There is nothing that makes me feel more
excited than getting to go to Disney. Almost immediately, I am transformed to
eleven years old and can hardly contain myself. Now by no means am I a Disney fanatic
(I don't know everything Disney. I do know some stuff, but not everything). I
am what I would call a Disney Enthusiast ...(how crazy is that my Disney
reminder just went off to tell me there are only four more days until our trip
to the MOST MAGICAL place on earth!!!!!)
Planning trips to Disney is one of my
favorite things to do. So, why wouldn't I find a way to make going to Disney a
learning experience for our family? Plus, I had to make it legit so Sean would
be totally on-board. Now, I know he has probably seen through my rouse just as
easily as Jafar saw through Aladdin's beggar routine, but that hasn't slowed
down my creative ways to make Disney a curriculum opportunity and not just a
fun-filled family vacation.
Now, there are many ways to approach
learning at Disney. You can go straight for the basics—reading, grammar, math,
science, history, and other electives—or the topical approach based on which
park you are at and what time of year you are there. I like to incorporate a
little of both.
Now, just so we are clear, there is nothing
to be gained by going to Disney during the summer, except for possibly a lesson
in anger management and how to identify the symptoms of heat stroke. I love spring
at Disney. The International Flower and Garden Festival could possibly be a
whole year’s curriculum in botany, chemistry, and history (the Flower Power
concert series is a musical history lesson). Besides the holidays at Disney,
the Food and Wine Festival is my ultimate favorite. It is an opportunity to
learn even more about different countries of the world, their cultures, and
their cuisine.
I started writing this before we left, and
now, I am finishing it so I will share with you our latest learning experience
at Disney.
Physics: While riding the Primeval Whirl,
we discussed angular motion, rotational inertia, and centrifugal force vs.
Newton's First Law.
Art/Architecture: There really isn't
anywhere in Disney that doesn't scream art and architecture. Every building you
walk past, every ride that you walk through is oozing with the type of artistic
details that boggle the mind.
Psychology: Every line you wait in at
Disney is a lesson in Psychology. Why do people act the way they do and how we
as normal, mentally stable adults should act in response to their selfish,
childlike behavior.
Math: One of my favorite things to do is
try to figure out if I am getting the best deal possible. My greatest dilemma
has been trying to figure out if the Disney Dining Plan is worth it or not for
our family. So, I make it known to everyone that the cost of what we are eating
would be less than the meal plan; or if we try to stick to what the meal plan
would offer, we would be eating way too much or wasting an obscene amount of
food. I also like to see how close my estimates of spending compare to our
actual spending. Needless to say, I am usually the only one who enjoys this
part of the vacation.
Sociology: We enjoy discussing the
collective behavior of crowds and how different cultures act within these
crowds, in addition to discussing how the Social Contagion Theory seems to
cross all cultural and language barriers to affect most people.
These are just a few examples of how Disney
really is the most magical learning experience of all. Now, I am faced with the
cold, hard fact that the next time we go to Disney, it will be just for the fun
of it.
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