MISTAKES

Everyone can make mistakes, but no one wants to make one that is going to affect their wallet or their magical vacation. I however have made many mistakes when visiting/planning my previous Disney World trips, but I have narrowed down a list of ten of the most easily avoidable mistakes made at Disney World. I will dive into each mistake with a pro-tip on how best to avoid making it, so without further ado let’s get to it!

Mistake #1

Not ordering off the kid’s menu, most people go to Disney World not just for the rides but for the diversity of food & snacks they have to offer. (Where are my foodies at?) The Kids menu will always have the basics of chicken tenders and burgers, but most places offer many of the adult options on the kids’ menu in smaller portions which is perfect for someone who wants to enjoy as many different foods as possible without breaking their bank.

In addition, when you order a kids menu item it comes with a drink and a side. The best example as to when I use this tip is at the Satu’li canteen in Animal Kingdoms Pandora. I mobile order a kids Cheeseburger Steamed Pod served with Vegetable Chips and a Cuties® Mandarin with Small DASANI Bottled Water for 8.59$ it’s a great light lunch for under 10$ and I typically keep the mandarin to eat later in the day. The adult portion of this entrée comes with two cheeseburger pods and a side of chips for $13.29 which does not include a drink so by getting off the kids’ menu here you can save $8.75!

This is something you can typically only take advantage of at a quick service or casual dining place but it never hurts to ask when at a table service if you are trying to stay on a specific budget.

Mistake #2

Not bringing a refillable water bottle! I know this sounds like such common knowledge, but this is a mistake I made often! I have spent so much on bottles of water during my trips. My issue was I didn’t want to keep up with the bottle, have it taking up space in my backpack, and I would tell myself I’ll just buy some when I need it. However, purchasing $6 bottles of water 6-7 times a day really adds up! I was determined to find a better solution for my next trip and I did with a collapsible water bottle! I was apprehensive at first but I took this on my last two Disney Trips and it worked so well! When it was empty I could collapse it into an easily storable size and refill it when needed. I will link to the one I used here.

PRO-TIP: at all quick service restaurants you can refill your water-bottle for free! Staying hydrated is so important in Disney World. Being dehydrated can truly hinder your trip so please drink the H2O!

Mistake #3

Not bringing in your own snacks. This is a huge one that I feel so many people don’t know they can do. Disney understands many people have food restrictions, allergies and budgets so they do allow people to bring in their own food & drinks. You can even bring in a cooler. The cooler needs to be smaller than 24″ long x 15″ wide x 18” high. I love eating meals at Disney but I still bring myself and family a few snacks, nothing worse than a hangry family, am I right? A few items to bring that I highly recommend are uncrustable sandwiches that are frozen and thaw overtime, cereal bars, nuts, and fruits.

Below is a direct quote on Outside food from the Walt Disney World website.

“Guests are allowed to bring outside food and nonalcoholic beverage items into the park for self-consumption, provided they are not in glass containers and do not require heating, reheating, processing, refrigeration or temperature control and do not have pungent odors.”

Mistake #4

Not buying Disney gift cards before your trip. Did you know you can use a Disney Gift

 card anywhere on property in Disney World. Starbucks? Yes! Disney shops? Yes! Dining? Yup! Purchasing Park tickets? Yes! Using Disney gift cards is a brilliant way to keep yourself and the family on a budget! I recommend buying a gift card ranging $50-$100 every time you get paid up until you go on your trip and then you can use those cards for all your purchases. This can truly help keep you on budget instead of using a credit card and not keeping track of speeding.

PRO-TIP: if you have the Target Red Card you can save 5% off your Gift card purchases! Costco and Sam’s also run sales on gift card purchases, but you will need to research when those are to take advantage of the sale.

Mistake #5

Not planning a day off. I know you are in the most magical place on earth, and you want to do it all but schedule a break in the middle of your trip rather it be an entire day just lounging by the pool or taking a midday break from the parks every day, schedule it and stick to it! Your feet and family will thank you! I am an open to close girl but when we went on our most recent trip with family and a toddler, I scheduled two days of leisure in our week and they all thanked me for the time to relax, unwind and be ready for the next park day. This is also a great opportunity, when in a large group for everyone to get some space and do their own thing, which can also really make for a happier family when back in the parks together.

Mistake #6

Not familiarizing yourself with the “My Disney Experience” app & Disney Genie. 

My Disney Experience app is an encyclopedia of information that will be useful to you. You can find park maps, park times, bus times, menus, wait times, and much more on this app! This is also where you could make and modify dining reservations and complete your mobile order food. Also within My Disney Experience app this where you can utilize Disney Genie which is a free service and help plan and prep your day. This application is also where you can purchase Genie+ ,which is Disney World’s replacement of the old FastPass system. I highly recommend you take some time to explore the app before you leave for Disney. if you wish to go more in depth with Disney Genie and get some real Pro-tips on using it check out our detailed post about it here

Mistake #7

Not making rsvp for dining 60 days in advance. You really want to make those must have dining experience reservations as soon as you possibly can! i highly recommend for first time visitors to get a Disney travel agent. They are specially trained on how to get you the best dining experiences and make this part of your stay smooth. If you are not using a travel agent and staying at a Disney World resort you can make your dining reservations up to 60 days in advance for your entire stay at one time. If you are not staying at a Disney resort you can make your reservations 60 days in advance but for each day at a time.

If you’re interested in a travel agent, I am linking to McKenzie Choate, who would be happy to help you in planning your entire trip!

Mistake #8

Not being prepared for the weather. Florida is unpredictable, you can pretty much guarantee it is going to rain at some point during the day and always anticipate it is going to be hot and humid. June 1st through November 30th is hurricane season, some years they see multiple hurricanes and other years such as 2022, hurricane season was oddly quiet with only 8 compared to 2021 which had 37 hurricanes.

Be aware of what time of year you’re planning to go. If you are going in July, bring cooling towels, battery fan, and plan time indoors to cool off. If you’re going in September, be sure you’re aware of any upcoming hurricanes and if there is one approaching during your stay, be alert on park closures. No matter the time of the year, the best rule for Florida is to be prepared. PRO-TIP: always pack the following ponchos, cooling towels, battery operated fan, sunscreen. Bonus tip: BUY A STROLLER PONCHO! it sounds crazy but you will thank me! 

Mistake #9

Not using mobile food order for quick service meals. Mobile food ordering was something Disney started in 2017 but it didn’t really blossom until the reopening of the parks after covid 19. I will say I absolutely love this feature! you can Mobile order right from your My Disney Experience app. It’s simple and the app will walk you through the whole process, this truly saves you so much time from waiting in line and you don’t have hangry family members or kids waiting in line either. You can order your breakfast for whatever park you’re going to and pick your arrival window and once you’re there, prepare my order and you pick up from the kiosk window. It’s that simple and then you and your family are off onto your first ride. I will link here to Disney World’s official site if you want to see a play-by-play instruction on how to complete this!

Mistake #10

Not thinking about giving yourself “cushion” time for travel between parks/resorts. Getting from your resort to the parks can take a lot of time whether you’re staying on site or offsite. Some days a 15-minute drive can take 45 mins then you have to park, walk or catch a bus to the park, go through security check in then navigate through the park to your first reservation.

If you plan to utilize Disney transportation, give yourself up to 1.5 hours for “cushion” time. I know it sounds insane but rather be early then late. Your dining reservations will hold for 15 mins over, but your Lighting Lane will only hold for up to 5 mins after your arrival window and I don’t want you to miss that! If you plan to drive/uber, still give yourself and hour. Please note this one is a guideline and depending on the time of year of your visit this will change that “cushion” time greatly, say you were visiting during new year’s, I would say give yourself up to 2.5 hours of cushion time for travel.

Conclusion:

I tried to really narrow down this list to the 10 things I truly thought could hinder someone’s visit to Disney World. I want everyone who plans a trip to this magical place to feel that when they enter the gates, they have the knowledge to navigate their trip and make memories that they will cherish for a lifetime. Save this post for your next trip to be sure to avoid these mistakes