There’s an unwritten rule that says you shouldn’t have dessert before you have your meal. My last visit to Walt Disney World has given me a reason to break that rule.
I recently spent two days exploring Walt Disney World, and somewhere between riding roller coasters, eating festival food, and walking more miles than my feet appreciated, I found myself thinking about the core question I studied while earning my Master's in Applied Positive Psychology - under what conditions do people flourish?
Theme parks are fascinating places to explore that question.
They're intentionally designed to create memorable experiences. The music, storytelling, attractions, food, entertainment, and even the way crowds are guided through the parks are all part of an environment designed for whimsy and delight. However, not everyone experiences the parks this way.
Just because an environment is designed to generate a positive emotion doesn't mean everyone experiences it that way.
Some guests are having the time of their lives. Others are overwhelmed by the crowds, frustrated by the lines, exhausted from the heat, or struggling to figure out what to do next.
They're in the same park, surrounded by many of the same opportunities, but having very different experiences. And I’ve been with a group that experienced these scenarios all in the same "not-so-magical” day.
That got me thinking about the role we play in our own joy. Maybe enjoying an environment designed for joy requires us to be intentional about making joy accessible in our own experience. And I started developing a simple idea:
Win the morning.
What does it mean to “win the morning”?
For me, winning the morning isn't about waking up at 5 AM, checking off a long to-do list, or trying to accomplish as much as possible before lunch.
It's about identifying what would make the day feel worthwhile and creating an early opportunity to experience it.
On my first park day, I was tired! It took me so long to get out of bed that I missed early entry. That could have been the start of a rough and disappointing park day but I just walked a little faster and smiled through it.
I started at Magic Kingdom. I rode Jungle Cruise, enjoyed some castle photos, picked up a treat I'd been looking forward to, and experienced Seven Dwarfs Mine Train for the first time alongside the cutest family whose son was riding his first-ever coaster.
I was feeling happy and accomplished as I ate my chicken and waffles and walked out of Magic Kingdom at 9:20 AM.
I had done several things that mattered to me, enjoyed some delicious food, and taken time to appreciate where I was.
And something interesting happened.
I no longer felt the same pressure to make every remaining minute count.
I still had plenty of things I wanted to do. In fact, I had an ambitious day ahead that included visiting three, maybe all four, parks. But I wasn't depending on the rest of the day to make the experience worthwhile. The morning had already given me enough.
Everything else could add to a good day, not be required for one.
And remember that unwritten rule about not having dessert before your meal? Well, somewhere between Jungle Cruise and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, I enjoyed a delicious piece of sweet bubble bread. Before breakfast. And I don't regret a single bite!
Looking back, that little indulgence captured something about how I approached the entire day. I didn't wait until I'd visited every park, ridden every attraction, or checked everything off my list to enjoy the reward. I gave myself permission to experience some of the things I was most excited about right from the beginning. And because I did, the rest of the day felt like a bonus.
Maybe we don't always have to save the best part for last.
We can enjoy a little sweetness at the beginning and let it carry us into whatever comes next.
Sometimes winning looks like making things easier
The next morning, I visited EPCOT for the Food & Wine Festival. This time, my first win wasn't an attraction. It was a parking spot.
I had researched the availability of electric vehicle charging stations and arrived early enough to secure one near the park entrance. I didn't realize it then, but that parking spot would become one of the best decisions I made all weekend. My rental car could charge while I enjoyed the park. I didn't have to worry about finding a charger later. And after a long day of walking, I would have a relatively short walk back to my car.
I also had time to enjoy breakfast, take pictures, listen to the JAMMitors, and visit Guest Relations to get a celebratory button for completing my first Disney Institute course and get help adjusting my itinerary for the day.
Before the morning was over, I had experienced Test Track and Guardians of the Galaxy, two attractions I love. And then I was ready for coffee. No rush. No frantic attempt to squeeze every possible experience into the day. Just the satisfaction of knowing I had already enjoyed some of the things that mattered most.
2026 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival
A good beginning doesn't guarantee a perfect day
By late afternoon, my EPCOT experience had changed. My feet were tired. World Showcase was crowded. Festival booths and lines made it difficult to move comfortably through the park.
I had more foods on my wish list, but I was full. I had considered completing one of the festival's food challenges, but I no longer wanted to keep eating or walking just to finish it.
So I didn't.
And you know what? I still had a wonderful day. I had enjoyed some of my favorite attractions, tried several foods I was excited about, and experienced plenty of unexpected moments along the way.
I also learned something valuable for future visits: a busy Saturday afternoon at Food & Wine might not be the best time for me to leisurely explore World Showcase. Next time, I'll consider starting at the festival booths when they open and enjoying other attractions later. That's part of the beauty of the experience.
The day didn't have to go perfectly to be good.
And remember that parking spot? By the time I was ready to leave, my car had finished charging, and my tired feet didn't have far to travel. That one decision in the morning had made my entire day easier. I wasn't leaving disappointed by everything I hadn't accomplished. I was leaving grateful for everything I had experienced.
The science of enough
One thing I appreciate about positive psychology is that it encourages us to study what helps people thrive, not only what causes them to struggle. Our expectations, attention, sense of agency, and interpretation of experiences can influence how we feel about our lives.
I think winning the morning offers a practical way to work with those ideas. When we identify a few meaningful priorities, we give ourselves something worthwhile to pursue. When we make progress toward those priorities, we create opportunities to build confidence in our abilities. And when we take time to enjoy and appreciate positive experiences, we give ourselves opportunities to savor them.
Recognizing that we've already experienced something valuable may also make it easier to let go of the pressure to do more. This doesn't mean one good morning will erase a difficult afternoon. It means we can intentionally create a foundation of satisfaction that helps us approach the rest of the day differently. There's a difference between moving through the day thinking, I still haven't done enough, and thinking,
I've already experienced something good. Let's see what else today brings.
Taking the principle beyond the parks
Of course, you don't need a theme park ticket to win the morning. Maybe your morning win is enjoying breakfast without rushing. Maybe it's making progress on something meaningful before opening your email. Maybe it's spending a few minutes connecting with someone you love. Or maybe, in a particularly demanding season of life, winning the morning simply means giving yourself enough time to begin the day with peace.
The point isn't to prescribe what everyone should do. The point is to know what matters to you and make room for it intentionally.
We cannot control everything that happens in a day or eliminate every inconvenience, disappointment, or unexpected challenge. But we can make intentional choices that create more opportunities to experience joy.
And sometimes those choices are surprisingly small. A parking spot, a favorite attraction, a meaningful conversation, a moment of quiet, or a little preparation that gives us more freedom later.
Your turn: What would make today feel like a win?
Before your next busy day, try asking yourself three questions:
What would make today feel worthwhile, even if everything else doesn't go as planned?
What can I do early to make that experience more likely?
What can I prepare or simplify so I have more freedom to enjoy the rest of the day?
You don't have to control the whole day, accomplish everything, or get the morning exactly right. Just create an opportunity to experience something good, recognize it when it happens, and give yourself permission to enjoy whatever comes next.
Win the morning. Then leave room for the day to surprise you.
Park Happy. Live Well.
