Surely you’re hoping to plan a trip that goes smoothly. Afterall, the whole point of planning is to avoid Disney Vacation Mistakes. Below is a list of common mistakes and related tips so that will help you create that perfect, magical vacation.
Top Disney Vacation Mistakes
1) Disorganization
- One sanity saver is to stay organized from the beginning to end of your vacation.
- Start by getting a Disney Planner. Keep notes, budgeting, and lists organized.
- Next make a Disney folder on you lap top or phone to save sites that you want to reference again.
- Keep track of necessities and items to pack and keep in park bags.
2) Unrealistic Expectations
- Instead of ending up disappointed choose to fully enjoy what you are able to fit in. Accept that you simply will not be able to see everything or meet every character.
- Also, remember that it is predictable for certain times of the year to be crowded. Be prepared for that if you’re visiting during the holidays, summertime, or any school breaks.
- Sometimes its necessary to hop around to different parks to catch certain things in a short period of time. However, if that isn’t the case, we do not recommend park hopping or rushing through the parks.
- At a minimum we recommend 6 full days; one full day for each park, one for check out the Boardwalk and Disney Springs, and another to enjoy your resort. That being said, you may have other interests and should schedule accordingly.
3) Missing out on Experiences
- Although you can not possibly see every show or schedule every experience you can select from those that most interest you and your family.
- Start by gathering information on attractions, entertainment, & events and shows links in under Things to Do on Disney’s Website. Write out a list from most important to least important. Eliminate your interests based on availability or scheduling conflicts during your planned park days.
- Thereafter, select a Disney Guide that provides information on each park, resort, and other properties. These offer some great tips and tricks that we have found very helpful.
4) Navigation Errors
- Disney parks and resorts are large. Check transportation times and leave on time to get to your destinations.
- Studying park maps before heading out will save you a great deal of time and frustration. At a minimum become familiar with park layouts, park sections, ride locations, and dinning destinations.
- Avoid plans that will have you zigzagging across the park. Trekking back and forth is a big time waster.
- Be aware of parade times even if you won’t be watching. Before a parade starts get on whatever side of the float tracks you need to be on. Put parade time alerts in your phone to avoid getting stuck.
5) Underutilizing Disney’s Calendar
- Examining Disney’s Calendar will put park hours, events, and parades on your radar. Either keep a list of the available information for each day or print the calendar to use while you’re making plans.
- Find out what parks are holding extra magic hours before making any dinning or fast pass reservations. Although there is some debate over how to use this information it is nonetheless helpful to be aware of these hours. Use the website by simply changing the date to see the park hours.
- Awareness of park hours can be used 3 ways. Either plan full days at the parks offering magic hours, park hopping after magic hours are over, or avoiding the park offering magic hours all together. Keep in mind that this is a perk offered to only to guests lodging onsite. In our experience early morning and late evening hours are both less busy than midday hours.
6) Failing to Coordinate is a big Disney Vacation Mistake
- Planning park days can get overwhelming. However, it will be less stressful if you tackle it by planning one park day at a time.
- Keep track of park hours, extra magic hours, reservations, dinning plans, entertainment, extras, and fast passes for each of those days.
- Estimate how much time you will need in each section of every park. Wrap up you want to do or see while you’re in each section in order to avoid having to return to those areas.
- Work out your ideal plans before you’re able to make reservations or fast passes that way scheduling goes smoothly.
- Use the My Disney App to help as it will display your reservations and fast passes. However, write down your plans because the app won’t show things that don’t need to be scheduled.
7) Failing to Use Genie +
- Admittedly, Genie + is an added expense that has disappointed many. However, if you can get past that, having it will save a great deal of time and ensure that your family experiences popular rides.
- Be sure to get up by 7am to make your first selection. Otherwise, there’s a good chance that the attraction you wanted won’t be available.
- Remember to snag another ride with Genie + either 2 hours after booking your first ride or after tapping into your first ride. Doing whichever comes first after each selection is the best way to utilize the feature.
- Although it may make you cringe after already paying for Genie + we do encourage you to consider paying for Lighting Lane passes. Without them you very well could miss out on the most popular rides in the park. Again, you can grab another 2 hours after your last LL selection.
8) No Dining Reservations
- Personally, we do not use the dining plan as we simply can’t justify the expense when we compared it to paying for each meal.
- Instead, check out both table service and counter dining in addition to what restaurants offer quick order. Consult park maps, dinning options, and menus in order to prepare before your dinning reservation window opens.
- Dining reservations open up 180 day before your arrival day for a reason. Popular table service restaurants fill up quickly so take advantage of this perk as soon as your window opens. Consider putting a reminder in your phone to alert you about dining reservations.
- Beforehand go to My Disney Experience to update your credit card information. Otherwise, entering it last minute will consume time or contribute to lost reservations.
- Check out Mouse Dining.com for hard to make reservations. Set up an account to alert you via text message when an opening occurs. Using this site we landed a reservation on New Years Eve 2019 so it does in fact work to get desired reservations.
9) Forgetting Park Bag or Bag Items
- Nobody wants their days impacted by discomfort or inconveniences. Therefore, stay organized and keep your bags ready with Disney Park Bag Essentials.
- We strongly urge you to avoid using draw string bags. Throughout the day they will dig into your shoulders and become uncomfortable to carry. Loungefly Disney Backpacks feature padded shoulder straps and various cute character patterns.
- Be sure to pack magic bands, pain relievers, prescription medications, antacids, band aides, sunglasses, sunscreen, body glide, blister bandages, ponchos or rain jackets, light pants, and a change of shoes. Although you may not need it all, you don’t want to regret not taking any of these things into the parks.
10) Disney Vacation Mistakes: Forgetting Signature Book
- Signature books are great keepsakes especially for the kiddos that are really interested in Disney characters. Not bringing one would be a big oversight and will leave you scrambling to find one in the parks.
- Personally we have used and highly recommend the Disney Who’s Who Book. It doubles as a unique signature book and one that features rich images with character details.
- Ask characters to sign on or near the images. Images will come out better if you decide to take pictures of the pages and use them to make a memory book.
11) Forgetting Magic Bands
- Although it’s free to get new bands from guest services at any of the parks it is still a time consuming process no matter how quickly a cast members works.
- Anytime your family isn’t wearing their magic bands keep them in your park bags and be sure that everyone has them on before leaving your resort. Trust us, its a bummer to have to return to your resort because one was forgotten.
12) Disney Vacation Mistake: Overscheduling
- Spending time at your resort is a great past time that doesn’t require a park ticket. All the resorts offer dinning, entertainment, and recreation. As an example Fort Wilderness has two soothing hot tubs and a fun filled dinner show. Use activities like these as opportunities to refuel and relax before anyone gets cranky.
- Other more relaxed ways to enjoy Disney property is to resort hop, visit the Boardwalk, and shopping at Disney Springs. Short days at these locations will leave enough time relax at a spa or enjoy other extras.
13) Unprepared for the Weather
- Be sure to put considerable thought into the weather. Pack and plan accordingly.
- Rain is common in Florida. Take along water resistant jackets that can also be worn on chilly mornings and evenings.
- Summers are hot, hot, hot! Light colors and fabrics will make a big difference. However, don’t opt for flip flops! Without supportive footwear your feet will suffer after walking for miles in the parks.
- Cool mornings and evenings are to be expected during spring, fall, and winter. Remember those jackets! Also, a pair of pants to change into will come in handy if you’re wearing shorts into the park.
- Sunscreen will be needed for every season. Pack a bottle of your sunscreen and keep one in your park bag because you will need to reapply!
