Walt Disney World is a magical place – but it can be filled with frustrating experiences. Long lines, crowds, sweltering temperatures, crying children – it’s easy to see how the happiest place on earth, can quickly become the scene of your nervous breakdown if you don’t plan your trip well. We have learned on our trips to Disney, how to avoid mistakes that people commonly make, to make our time in the parks more enjoyable, and less stressful. Today, we are sharing the five mistakes we see people make the most, and how to avoid them.
1. Not Making Dining Reservations
One of the biggest mistakes we see people making is not making any dining reservations, or not making dining reservations early enough. If you want to eat at Disney Table Service Restaurants, MAKE RESERVATIONS EARLY! There’s nothing worse than finding out that someone in your party has their heart set on dining with Cinderella, but there aren’t any reservations left because you waited too long.
2. Not Getting To The Parks Early Enough
The biggest piece of advice we give to people is to get to the parks 20 minutes before they open. You will get more accomplished, with lower wait times, in the first hour at the parks, than you will the rest of the day. Crowds start steadily building about an hour after park opening, and keep building after that. You will be much happier waiting in line in the morning, when lines are short.
3. Not Wearing Comfortable Clothing
You walk a lot at a Disney Park. Sometimes, according to our smart phones, as much as 13 miles a day. You NEED to be wearing comfortable shoes and clothing. We see people walking around in flip flops and sandals with no support, and it makes my feet hurt just looking at them. If you don’t want to wear tennis shoes (I never do), find a good pair of cork soled sandals, or my favorite, Mickey Mouse Vans.
4. Going During Peak Season
Yes, you can still have fun if you go during peak season, but we never recommend that a first time guest go during the busiest times of year. The parks will be wall to wall people, lines will be at their longest, you’ll be getting run into with strollers, and people, and the claustrophobia will make you want to cry. Try to travel in the off season, for a much more enjoyable experience
5. Not Allowing Enough Time
Things at Disney take longer than you think. Whether it’s transportation, rides, meal times, whatever – budget more time than you think is necessary.There’s nothing worse than missing your fastpass, or dining reservation, because you didn’t allow enough time to get there.
You’ll love your vacation to Walt Disney World – there’s a reason that this destination empire has legions of loyal fans, that look forward to their yearly trips, and count it as the highlight of their year. We hope that avoiding these common mistakes, will make your trip even more enjoyable, and carefree.