I flew to Disney World and back in one day. Here's how it went.

• Day trips offer a revitalizing change of scenery without the burden of extensive planning or costs associated with longer vacations.
• A recent day trip to Disney World focused on relaxation and spending time with friends, highlighting the importance of rest and connection.
• Exploring nearby towns or being a tourist in one's own city can provide a sense of wonder and discovery, contributing to overall wellbeing.

I love a day trip.  

The change in scenery revitalizes me, and the limited time frame makes getting away feel more manageable.  

I don’t have to deal with packing, lodging or taking a bunch of time off work. And it costs much less than a vacation. Travel insurance comparison site SquareMouth projected that a seven-day domestic trip for two averages just over $5,015 this year.  

Recently, I took my furthest day trip yet, from Atlanta to Walt Disney World near Orlando, but you don’t have to go that far to enjoy time away. 

Disney in a day 

I’ve visited all four Disney parks in one day before, which some guests tackle as an unofficial challenge. But I decided to skip the parks entirely this trip and make it a leisurely resort day with friends who live in the area. 

According to a Harris Poll survey on behalf of ResortPass this May, relaxing, recharging and spending time with family and friends during time off top the list of priorities for the more than 2,000 respondents. Those were also key for me, even at Disney World. 

My day began at 4:15 a.m., when I woke up admittedly too late for a 6:45 a.m. flight at the world’s busiest airport. Travelers are advised to arrive at airports at least two hours early for domestic flights. By the time I drove to the airport and found $20 economy parking, it was already 5:45 a.m. Thankfully, security was a breeze and I didn’t have any luggage to check, but I still jogged to my gate to be safe. 

The flight cost just under $38 round trip during a promotion paired with Frontier Discount Den membership. It got me into Orlando by 8:15 a.m. From there, I caught a MEARS Connect shuttle to Disney’s Boardwalk Inn. The shuttles stop at multiple Disney resort hotels and cost $32 round trip, before airport fees and tips. A rideshare or cab would have been faster but more expensive, and I wasn’t in a hurry. 

I got to the Boardwalk 30 minutes before my 10:15 a.m. brunch reservation at Cake Bake Shop Restautant by Gwendolyn Rogers. That gave me time to freshen up and explore before meeting up with my friend Jacqueline for our first languid meal of the day.  

We caught up over decadent eggs benedict, fragrant French toast and much-needed coffee. Then we decided to take the Disney Skyliner to Disney’s Riviera Resort and Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, just for fun. Even though the Skyliner is technically a form of transportation, the gondolas feel like an attraction to me and remind me of the Magic Kingdom Skyway I rode as a kid. 

With what felt like all the time in the world, we strolled through the resorts, taking photos, sharing laughs and trading pins before meeting up with our friend Quincy at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort for drinks at 2 p.m. I’d made reservations for brunch and dinner, but we played the afternoon by ear and wound up at Rix Spors Bar and Grill, which offers but does not require reservations. It was so nice to sit back and relax, without the go-go-go mentality usually associated with theme parks.  

I nearly lost track of time before my 5:05 p.m. dinner with my friend Serena at ‘Ohana in Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. This is one of the most popular restaurants on the property. Though I had been there for breakfast before, this was my first time trying ’Ohana's famous dinnertime noodles and bread pudding, which are also available at neighboring Tambu Lounge. The dishes lived up to the hype, but my favorite part of the meal and the day was the company. 

By 6:45 p.m. I was back on a MEARS shuttle, which I scheduled to pick me up at the Polynesian. My flight was supposed to leave at 9:40 p.m., but it wound up delayed more than three hours. Had I known ahead of time, I would have taken a later shuttle and perhaps monorail-crawled through Magic Kingdom-area resorts or watched the fireworks from the Polynesian’s beach.  

It was nearly 2 a.m. by the time I landed in Atlanta. I got home at about 3:30 a.m., bleary-eyed but grateful.

Getting away  

You don’t have to go as far as Disney World. 

A study published in Nature Neuroscience in May 2020 highlighted the connection between our surroundings and well-being. 

“Our results suggest that people feel happier when they have more variety in their daily routines − when they go to novel places and have a wider array of experiences,” Catherine Hartley, an associate professor of psychology at New York University and a coauthor of the paper, said in a news release at the time. 

Simply exploring a neighboring town can be a getaway. 

“You can still have a sense of wonder and discovery and immersion, even when relating to places that are relatively close,” Dr. Andrew Stevenson, a professor of Psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom and author of “The Psychology of Travel,” told USA TODAY.

A day off 

Just taking a day off can be rewarding. 

More than 50% of respondents in the ResortPass survey said they feel happier and more productive after taking a single day off from work. 

“I would argue that that single day can provide as much of the emotional and physical benefit of a longer time off as that once-a-year long vacation,” ResortPass CEO Michael Wolf told USA TODAY. The company provides paid day access to resorts across North America. 

“I think what's magical about a single day of rest and recharge is that you can do it without  lot of planning, without a lot of cost, without a lot of stress.”

My self-induced rush to the airport and unexpected delay coming home were stressful, but the trip overall was worth every minute.