Orlando Family Vacation Makeover

Lately it feels like my family vacations have lost their getting-away-from-it-all vibe—in other words, we rush from place to place, checking off items on a lengthy must-see list (which then feels no different than an average weekend). Being a mom has sent my Inner Itinerary Creator into overdrive, and I get really caught up trying to do everything, thinking, "Who knows when we'll be here again?" These action-packed trips are memorable, true—but for me, not always fun. And so that's why, while working with the team at Visitorlando.com on our recent vacation makeover contest, I realized I too was a redo waiting to happen. Here's what I learned on my almost-summer vacation.

Resist Overplanning

The so-called problem with a great destination like Orlando is the temptation to schedule something every second. My usual MO is to head to a big-name attraction straight from the airport. But in my newfound Zen state, my only goal was to check in to the JW Marriott Grande Lakes. My son joined a pickup game of pool basketball, my turbo-charged husband and daughter raced around the lazy river pool and I had blissful time to read. We purposely chose a hotel with wonderful amenities—tennis, volleyball, kayaking—even if I had to remind myself to take advantage of them.