Are you a first-time visitor to Walt Disney World? Or perhaps a regular visitor? We all make mistakes when on vacation. There are plenty of Walt Disney World Mistakes you can make, which can spoil the enjoyment of our vacation. Although it is unlikely, any single mistake will ruin your vacation; it will reduce your fun. Here are our Top 20 Disney World Mistakes to Avoid in 2020.
Not creating a plan.
The fact you are looking at this website suggests you are not going to make this mistake. However, you must make a plan for what you intend to do. There is just too much to do in Walt Disney World to manage without a plan, and the size of the resort is enormous.
Three resources you might find useful to create your plan are:
- Our free printable Walt Disney World Planning Sheets
- Our Walt Disney World Planning Timeline which includes all the key dates for arranging your vacation.
- Collection of Walt Disney World Planning Guides.
You are not pacing yourself when you arrive.
If you go charging around Walt Disney World on your first day, trying to do all those big attractions, you will burn out. Take your time, have rest breaks, and especially in summer, make sure you drink plenty. Sunstroke is one of the few Walt Disney World Mistakes; it takes time to recover from.
You forget the sunscreen.
In summer, many of us will find our skin will burn & the Orlando Sun can be unforgiving. Apply sunscreen and wear a good hat when visiting the parks. Our Guide to Orlando Weather has plenty of tips and tricks.
You didn’t realize how much walking the kids had to do.
Sure they don’t need a stroller when you visit the local park, but for many small children, they will walk a lot more than back at home. Be ready to hire a stroller for all under 5s and some older kids too. Kids will get tired & grumpy in Orlando. Plus, cranky kids often lead to even crankier adults.
Not creating Fastpass reservations.
Fastpass+ is Disney’s attraction reservation system. When visiting any of the Walt Disney World parks, it is essential you understand the basics of Fastpass+. Guests who do not book Fastpass reservations in advance will meet longer waits and will experience fewer attractions.
There are key booking windows when you can make your Fastpass+ reservations, and the best slots will go first to those who know the system and book early.
We have created a Guide to Fastpass+ which will explain everything you need to know.
Not planning dining reservations in advance.
Advanced Dining Reservations at Walt Disney World open 180 days in advance, and the most popular venues book up fast.
Don’t expect to get a favorite dining location on the day, especially during free dining. If standby reservations are available, you will often experience very lengthy waits.
Arrive late morning.
Big mistake, the crowds are now getting busy. Crowds are at their quietest first thing, and you will get more done with reduced waits. If you can’t get to a park early, avoid any park with Early Extra Magic Hours. By the time you get to the park, it will already be jam-packed.
At the time of writing, it is more important than ever to get to parks early. Currently, Hollywood Studios is using a virtual queue rather than Fastpass+ to ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Arrive late and the virtual queue slots for the day may have already been allocated.
Wearing new shoes.
Make sure your shoes are worn in and comfortable, you will be doing a lot of walking at Walt Disney World. Did you know the British Queen hires someone to wear in her shoes?
Don’t forget extra expenses add up.
Before you arrive, you will probably have paid for your hotel and park tickets, but remember dining, gratuities, and souvenirs are not cheap. Do you need that extra pair of Mickey Ears?
Have you wondered who you should tip at Walt Disney World? This handy guide has the information you need.
Try to avoid major holidays
The park is at its busiest during summer and public holidays. The parks during these times are busy, very busy. However, you can still have a great time, but be prepared for added crowds. Our Guide to Avoiding Crowds at Walt Disney World has further information.
Are you wondering what is the best time to visit Walt Disney World in 2020? It isn’t as simple as you think. Our Blog on when to visit Walt Disney World in 2020 will help you with the answer.
You are wasting your Disney Dining Plan credits.
The Disney Dining Plan can be a great way to budget for your vacation. However, the costs of credits can vary significantly. Try and get table service reservations at the most expensive restaurants. Eating at certain restaurants can easily result in you losing money on the dining plan.
For snacks, it is usually better to buy water than use snack credits. Snack credits vary considerably in price. Try and aim for snacks costing $5 or more.
However, make sure you use all your credits. Going home with unused credits is lost money. If you do have any leftover snack or quick service credits, you can use them to purchase candy for home. A quick service meal is worth three snacks.
You are not having a break.
Many people will take a break during the mid-afternoon when the parks are at their busiest and hottest. Consider returning to your hotel for a few hours. If you decide to stay in the parks, make sure you take plenty of time out & don’t skip meal breaks.
Know height requirements before you go.
If the kids can’t ride Splash Mountain, let them know in advance rather than getting turned away in the line. Disney does strictly enforce height restrictions. If the kids are too small, you can use a rider switch to allow the rest of the party to ride.
We have created guides to Rider Switch and Height Requirements at Walt Disney World which have further information.
Forgetting to check what parks your favorite characters are at.
One day left, and you are doing the Magic Kingdom, but you have not seen Anna and Elsa…..You know the rest..oops!
Learn more about meeting your Disney Idols in our handy guide.
Not bringing park essentials
Make a list of what you need, e.g. camera, autograph book, poncho. Pack your bag the night before and recheck it in the morning. Make sure you have a device to access the park WiFi to use My Disney Experience.
However, many guests, in our opinion, bring far too much into the park. Remember, whatever you pack, you will have to carry all day. We have created a guide to what we would recommend putting in your park bag.
Not Using Disney Transportation
When you stay on-site at Disney, you have access to free transportation to the parks and Disney Springs. Disney offers a list of transport options from all resorts, and they will drop you to virtually the front entrance of all parks. To learn more about Disney Transportation visit our guide.
We also think hiring a car is often an unnecessary expense. Visit our blog to see how we do Walt Disney World without a car.
You are not factoring in travel time.
Walt Disney World is big, and getting between places takes time. You must allow adequate time when working between parks. Even if you are driving parking lots can take time to navigate.
If using Disney Transport, to travel between most resorts, you must transfer at either a Park or Disney Springs first. Although Disney Transport is excellent, it can take time.
You are not leaving room for souvenirs in the suitcase.
We have done this mistake. Purchasing an extra suitcase in Animal Kingdom Lodge was not cheap.
It was undoubtedly a Disney World mistake we will not be repeating.
Not buying a Park Hopper Ticket
We think a park hopping ticket for most guests is essential. It does cost a bit more, but for most guests, we believe it is a price worth paying. You can plan your vacation with greater flexibility if you can hop between parks.
You are being too rigid.
You have a plan, FastPass reservations, entertainment planned & dining booked. But make sure you leave some slack for adverse weather, mishaps and to enjoy your vacation.
That is our list of Top 20 Disney World Mistakes to avoid when on vacation in 2020. However, don’t worry; even if you make Walt Disney World Mistakes, it is unlikely to ruin your vacation. Adjust, change your plans and have a great vacation.
Learn More
Our Essential Guide to Walt Disney World is a great place to start planning your Disney World vacation.
We think 2020 is a great year to visit Walt Disney World. Find out why.
In the planning process, learn which parks have extra morning hours and which have extra evening hours so you can plan which parks to go to on which days. Also, if going anywhere from August to Christmas, find the nights that Magic Kingdom will be having their Halloween and Christmas parties. That’s a hard ticket event, so if you don’t purchase a ticket for the party, you’re made to leave the park at 7 pm.
Also, don’t make the mistake of giving up if you can’t get your dining reservation. Keep trying! It took me three months before I finally got one for Be Our Guest. Took me almost six months to finally get one for Beaches & Cream. People cancel, so it’s possible to get one if you keep trying.
Another thing to do in the planning stage is check for refurbishments, both at the resorts and parks. Caribbean Beach Resort has major refurbishments going on that closed the dining facility and gift shop. If that’s important to you, you won’t like the inconvenience. And Disney has to periodically refurbish their attractions. When we went in 2016, I made the mistake of not checking and two of our favorite attractions were closed.
Thanks for your comments.
Very useful advice. At some point, I am going to create a further 20 Walt Disney World Mistakes.
I will feed your advice into this.
I would also add wear the right fabrics to be outdoors in the sun. I had to buy a t-shirt because the sun was intense and I was feeling it on my bag. It was a fresh for the heat but not OK for the middle of the day sun.