Disney truly is the most magical place in the world! We obviously wouldn’t dedicate so much time and energy on it if we didn’t really believe that. But there are times when it doesn’t feel very magical. That’s why we started this website and blog. We want to help people plan the perfect vacation and there are things we’ve learned along the way that we want to pass along to you. They will help keep you from making the top 5 mistakes people make when visiting Disney.
They Don’t Plan Ahead
We can’t stress this one enough. There is a lot that goes into making a Disney vacation happen. And many First Timers don’t realize that a lot of decisions should be made ahead of time. They go to book their resort stay, or they go to eat at a restaurant, or ride a ride only to find out things are booked and standby lines are hours long! So don’t make this mistake, and be sure to start planning your vacation as soon as possible.
If you’re already overwhelmed with the thought of it, or you want to take the stress out of planning the perfect trip, consider using a certified Disney travel planner. They are free to you, to use their services! In fact, we are partnered with a great one that will give you a free vacation quote, just by clicking HERE! *This is an affiliate link so if you use their services, we may receive a small referral fee but this is at no extra cost to you. To learn more you can read our Disclaimer Policy.*
They Don’t Budget Properly
This is the next biggest of the mistakes people make when visiting Disney. It definitely isn’t a cheap place to visit. And there are a lot of smaller costs that people don’t plan for that crop up. Things like parking fees (or traveling fees for things like Uber/Lyft), tips, snacks, water, special events, resort fees, impulse buys, and professional photo services. There are a lot of small details like this that many who visit Disney just don’t know about or fail to plan for.
Doing your homework (like you are right now!) is the best way to keep from being blindsided by these costs. And of course you should be sure to put some wiggle room in your budget to account for the things you may miss.
If you’d like some help saving for a Disney vacation, check out our cute Disney craft video on how to make a Disney Vacation Savings Jar. There’s just something about a savings jar that makes it a little less painful. It’ll make saving a lot more fun!
They Bring too Much into the Parks
A good rule of thumb is to bring one bag per group if possible. You’re going to be doing a lot of walking, and you’re probably going to be doing a lot of rides. This means having lots of bags or big bulky bags will get old super fast. Not to mention it makes getting into the park more cumbersome. Security will need to check every pocket of every bag before you can enter the park. If you have a lot of bags, this makes the process take a lot longer.
Be sure to stay tuned to our blog (You can sign up to follow our blog to make sure you don’t miss future posts!) for our upcoming post about what to pack in your park bag. We give you advice on the essentials we always bring with us to the parks. But the key is, less is best!
They Don’t Schedule Down Time
Some people aren’t fortunate enough to visit Disney often, or maybe you just don’t have a lot of time to go to the parks. But if you plan on staying a week or longer at Disney, you’re going to want to plan some down time. We call these “pool days” or “resort days.”
This means, don’t buy park tickets for every day of your stay! There is so much to do at the resorts and Downtown Disney and Disney’s Boardwalk, that you can plan some chill days outside of the parks. These rest days have prevented a lot of meltdowns for our little family. If you have little ones, you’re going to thank us for this tip!
They Don’t Go with the Flow
I know this sounds like the opposite of what we said for the first mistake but hear us out. We absolutely recommend planning as soon as you can for your trip to Disney! And feel free to plan as many of the small details as you are able if you so desire, because we certainly do.
But once you have done all that, and you begin your trip, you need to remember that things won’t always go as planned. So be ready to just roll with whatever the trip throws your way. You can’t avoid every setback that comes your way, but you can choose how to react to it.
So look for the positive in each situation. Many times you’ll find that some of your greatest memories come from the unexpected events that traveling throws at you. But only if you choose to look for the good.
These are the top five mistakes people make when visiting Disney. Avoid these and you’ll be on your way to having the most amazing Disney vacation ever!
Be sure to take a look around the rest of our site too, to find more great Tips and Tricks for planning your Disney vacation. We’ve also got lots of videos up on our YouTube channel Dole Whip and Castle. And some great info on our other pages here on our website. We’ve got Treats and Eats for all things tasty at Disney, and Magical Homents where we show you how to bring the Disney magic home! We work hard to bring you the best info and all in one place.
If you have any questions you can leave them in the comments below or email us at dolewhipandcastle@gmail.com.