Disney World is the happiest and most magical place on earth. It is a land where princesses and fairies roam the streets, eager to kiss every little girl on the cheek, and where a plausible breakfast consists of Funnel Cake and Mickey shaped ice cream cones.
Only here can you step out of reality and into the world of fantasy, future or past–– a world where you can take a rocket to space, converse with ghouls and ghosts or watch Indiana Jones taunt death. It is the only location on this planet where each and every visitor is special, an essential piece to the magical puzzle of amusement. Let’s be frank––what could be better?
Last spring break, I asked myself this very question, hence making a hasty decision to spend my week of freedom in Disney World. As I reminisced of my childhood family vacations to the Orlando destination, the decision became obvious. I didn’t need an MTV, Cabo Wabo, bikini clad, Jell-O Shot filled, “Springgggg Breaaaaak” when I was presented with the opportunity to hang with Ariel and the gang. So that was that, I booked my ticket…hopped on a plane…and headed to the magical world of Disney.
However, my excitement quickly faded as I stepped foot onto the grounds of the Magic Kingdom. THAT—was Cinderella’s castle!? It appeared so much smaller, and way less impressive than I ever remembered! The Belle character standing at the front gate looked straight creepy in her caked on makeup, clearly counting the minutes to her next break. My disappointment grew tenfold as I raced past the children on leashes and school groups in ugly yellow t-shirts to Space Mountain for my first ride. “An HOUR long wait!”–– Couldn’t be…
I sucked it up anyway and stood in line to find my head pounding from the screaming child behind me, tirelessly wining and violently kicking at his mother’s shins. Was this really the magical, dreamy kingdom that I remembered from childhood? I was so disappointed. I had the highest of expectations, and they didn’t pan out in the slightest.
We’ve all had these moments. Times when we build up events so big in our heads that real life can never quite match up to their imagined brilliance. Maybe it’s the weekend’s anticipated blow out party that fizzles away, leaving you and your roommates eating Peeps on the couch, watching Friends re-runs, and passing out at 10:30pm with your blankie and a strong dose of Advil PM. Or what about that date your boyfriend keeps promising? Of course it evolved into a mediocre meal at Thorne… with all his friends in tow.
Time and time again, our expectations lead us to disappointment. Does this mean that we should lower our expectations in order to be happier and more satisfied people? If we don’t expect to be successful or happy, then if things don’t go our way, we won’t be disappointed–and if they do, then we’ll be pleasantly surprised… right?
As cynical as it sounds, theoretically, this logic is probably the best way to look at life. However, when looked at empirically, lowering our expectations doesn’t have these cut and dry effects on our mentality. Researchers have found that people with high expectations are generally happier—regardless of whether or not their hopes come into fruition.
What truly matters for our happiness and well-being is how we decide to interpret the events that crop up in our lives. An article in Psychology Today quoted a study by two psychologists, Margaret Marshall and Jonathon Brown, who asked students to guess the grade they would get on an exam. Those students who expected an A and got a C were surprised and disappointed, but they did not report feeling any worse than the students who expected to get a C the whole time.
The students who truly convinced themselves they would do poorly took the C as a confirmation of their ineptitude, while those who believed they would get the A attributed their poor performance to lack of effort, not intellect. The students with low expectations from the start took the grade personally, while the optimistic students saw the hardship as an opportunity for future improvement.
In addition to how we interpret events, holding high expectations about the future can make us happier in the here and now, having something to look forward to is a critical component to happiness. Behavioral economist George Loewenstein asked his students how much they were willing to pay to get a kiss from their favorite celebrity crush. He asked them how much they would shell out for an immediate kiss or for a kiss at some later stage in the future. What he found was that most students were willing to pay the most for a kiss three days into the future. They wanted to pay extra for the chance to wait. When we expect something to be fun or exciting in the future, the sheer anticipation will bring us gratification in the present.
This brings me to my conclusion– although the easiest solution seems to point to lowering our expectations for greater happiness, in actuality; this isn’t the case. Instead, we should stay excited about the future to enliven the present, and find a positive spin for our less than satisfying outcomes. In doing so, our biggest flop will become a great learning opportunity, and we will enjoy our lives more fully as we look to the future with a glimmer of hope rather than a gloomy cloud of low expectation.
Maybe Disney World wasn’t the Garden of Eden I made it out to be in my mind, but when I think back to the trip over all, it was still a major success. I could wear a fanny pack and not be judged, eat all sorts of funnel cake for breakfast and spend time with my friends. Most importantly, the excitement for the trip got me through those brutal winter months before break.
So go ahead, keep your expectations high and–if you are disappointed–accept your high expectations for the positive feelings that they brought to you. You’ll be much more satisfied in the end.
Photo Sources:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Cinderella_Castle.jpg
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