Feeling overwhelmed? Maybe it was the vacation

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  • As a result of a recentsurvey, Experience Kissimmee aims to help parents solve the vacation balance problem. PHOTO/EXPERIENCE KISSIMMEE
    As a result of a recentsurvey, Experience Kissimmee aims to help parents solve the vacation balance problem. PHOTO/EXPERIENCE KISSIMMEE
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The survey results are in, and it turns out many parents return from vacation more drained and in need of vacation than when they started. The survey, conducted by Experience Kissimmee, the tourism authority for Osceola County, Florida, asked 500 moms and dads about their recent travels.

“Seventy-nine percent of our respondents said they feel like they need a vacation more when they get home from a trip than when the trip started,” said DT Minich, Experience Kissimmee president and CEO.

Those respondents – especially moms – feel exhausted after a family vacation. Overscheduling activities and cramped lodging add undue stress to a setting that should be fun and refreshing. As a result of this survey, Experience Kissimmee aims to help parents solve the vacation balance problem.

Kissimmee is the destination where parents and all travelers can be perfectly Whelmed – meaning, the vacation balance is so satisfying, no one in the group will be overwhelmed or underwhelmed.

With its proximity to world-famous theme parks, extensive ecotourism activities, and more than 45,000 accommodations options, including over 22,000 full-service vacation homes, Kissimmee brings the perfect mix of both exciting and relaxing engagements for families from all over the world. Being perfectly Whelmed is a feeling of elevated contentment that can only be experienced in a place like Kissimmee.

Even the 76 percent of those surveyed by Experience Kissimmee who stated their vacation was “just right” felt they needed a vacation from their vacation. With scheduling noted as one of the major drains, having both “no downtime” and “not enough time,” the hectic pace of a vacation is often working to keep children entertained, and feels more exhausting than relaxing.

“We see a huge opportunity to help parents realize that they, too, can enjoy a vacation,” said Minich. “Parents can find balance by bringing joy to their children and themselves. They can be perfectly Whelmed. We can help parents learn how to vacation the right way.”

About the campaign

The perfectly Whelmed campaign launches with a documentary-style film by award-winning filmmaker Tyler Measom titled “Finding Whelmed.” It follows a global travel show’s film crew as they go in search of their host who has supposedly gone missing in Kissimmee. {LINK} The film will be followed by an integrated campaign around the Whelmed feeling that’s unique to a Kissimmee vacation.