Are you heading on to Walt Disney World and want to set yourself up for a successful trip? Find out how to avoid these top 5 worst common mistakes people make on their first trip!
This list of the 5 worst Walt Disney World mistakes to avoid on your first visit was written by family travel expert Marcie Cheung and contains affiliate links, which means if you purchase something from one of my affiliate links, I may earn a small commission that goes back into maintaining this blog.
Do you want to have the best Walt Disney World vacation ever? Then, we’d want you to avoid these Disney World mistakes to achieve that!
I’ve been visiting the parks for years and know all the tips and tricks to make your trip amazing.
You can have a horrible Disney vacation if you let yourself. Unfortunately, it happens often. I get complaints all the time from people who think Walt Disney World is a waste of money. I see it on guests’ faces in the park when they aren’t having a good time.
The good news is they’re just doing it wrong.
Sometimes Disney drops the ball, but rarely is it enough to ruin an entire vacation. I’m just saying, if you’re having a terrible time at the most magical place on Earth, you might be the drama.
Follow my advice, and you can avoid all the common pitfalls that ruin people’s vacations. With some preparation, you can relax and enjoy yourself in the parks. It’s going to be an incredible experience that you’ll never forget.
Keep scrolling to discover the classic mistakes first-timers make that ruin their Disney trip.
Don’t have time to read many Walt Disney World blog posts and reviews? Here are some of our top picks for visiting Disney World with kids.
Want to Save Money at Disney World?
Check out Get Away Today for the cheapest Disney World packages, including hotel and park tickets. You can also get a park hopper ticket to move between theme parks easily.
Want to Rent a Car in Orlando?
One of the best places to rent a car in Orlando is RentCars because they usually have the cheapest rates and fantastic customer service. Check rates here.
Walt Disney World Mistakes FAQs
One of the biggest mistakes people always make is keeping large families together. This includes multi-generational trips to Disney World and larger families or families with a wide range of ages of children. Instead, try to split off into smaller groups and meet up for meals or for certain rides.
Many families choose a really expensive resort with a ton of cool amenities but end up spending all their time in the parks and just sleeping at the resort. What a waste! Don’t forget to enjoy your on-site resort. Plan a couple of resort days to rest between your long park days. Or come back to your resort in the afternoon to relax or enjoy the pool.
There are many amazing things to buy at The Most Magical Place on Earth. But you don’t want to be stuck carrying around all your Disney souvenirs. Instead, have them send your souvenirs to your resort or wait to purchase them until the end of the day.
Classic Pitfalls That Will Ruin Your Disney Vacation
1. Trying to Do Too Much
It’s a problem many of us face. The cost of a trip to all Disney parks is so high. Not only do we feel pressure to get the value, but we also know we aren’t likely to return for several years at least.
There’s so much to check and do in all these theme parks. Who wouldn’t want to go to Hollywood Studios, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Magic Kingdom?
But wanting to get the most out of your visit means that time is of the essence. There is so much to do, and we have to do it all!
That’s exactly the mind frame many first-timers suffer from, and it can even be a problem for the pros. Even if you could afford a trip every couple of years before the pandemic, so much has changed now that those numbers might not add up.
If you visit Walt Disney World now, chances are you won’t return again for a very long time, so you have to make it count.
But trying to shoehorn too many experiences into your vacation is one of the greatest pitfalls that ruin your Disney trip. It actually diminishes the value of your trip. It adds stress when you should be having fun and keeps you from being present by always making you look forward to the next thing.
Overbooking your schedule will wear you out fast and keep you from getting the maximum enjoyment you crave from this vacation time.
WHAT TO DO INSTEAD
Instead of rushing through the parks too fast, you should schedule some breaks at each park where you can recharge. If it’s built into your schedule, you won’t feel guilty about slowing down.
Plus, it will allow you to sit back and take in all the cool Disney decor details at each park. Trust me, you probably wouldn’t otherwise notice the incredible job Disney does down to the last detail, trying to immerse you in the experience.
2. Picking the Wrong Resort
There are all kinds of ways to pick the wrong resort. There is no right resort, but there are plenty of wrong ones. That’s because the perfect experience for you is not the same as the most fun trip for me.
The thing is that there are so many options to choose from that many of them won’t fit your needs at all. The resorts become pitfalls that ruin your Disney trip when they’re too far away from what is important to you or they’re too expensive.
Maybe there isn’t enough theming, or it isn’t “Disney” enough. Believe it or not, I’ve heard that complaint about deluxe resorts.
Some guests choose cheaper resorts because they feel the characters make the Disney experience more so than the elaborate and atmospheric Deluxe resort hotels like Wilderness Lodge or the Polynesian Village.
The resort you choose must fit the type of trip you want. I suggest using a Disney World cost calculator before booking anything.
WHAT TO DO INSTEAD
It really helps to ask yourself a few questions before you book your Walt Disney World accommodations:
- Will you be in the parks most of the time?
- Which parks?
- How far will you be?
- What transportation options are there?
- Do you want to enjoy other nearby resorts?
- Do you want a lot of pool time?
- A Spa?
All of the answers to these questions point to different resorts for the highest benefit. The wrong choice could kill your time or budget and ruin your vibe, so choose carefully!
3. Forgetting to Make Reservations
Reservations are more important now than ever. It used to be that all you had to reserve were tables at a popular restaurant. Now, you reserve everything from ride access to an entire park ticket.
It never used to be this way, but now you can’t get into a Disney park without first making a reservation, even if you have a ticket. The ticket isn’t time-stamped until you select your date using Park Pass.
Missing this step can be a major blunder. It can potentially be one of the greatest pitfalls that ruin your Disney trip. Once you are in, you’ll still want to make ride reservations for popular attractions with long wait times.
Dining is also an important part of your Walt Disney World trip. Some restaurants will be hard to enter without booking an advance reservation.
When you are in the parks, you especially want to be able to walk right in and be seated. You want to save time and be assured that you have a place to eat, especially if you are trying to duck out of the heat or pouring rain.
Reservations at table service restaurants are important to the theme park survival strategy.
WHAT TO DO INSTEAD
Make a note on your calendar when you can reserve your Walt Disney World park tickets, make dining reservations, and book any special tours or experiences.
Don’t stress out if you don’t get the reservations you’re hoping for. Keep checking at different times of the day to see if you can snag something. Many people cancel reservations, so there’s a good chance you can get what you want if you have a little patience.
4. Not Booking Transportation
Officially now, there is no Disney-sponsored way to get from the airport to Walt Disney World and back.
If you are used to the Magical Express Experience, you must re-learn how to get to Disney World. Unfortunately, that also means you will have to pay an additional fee.
Getting stuck at the airport and having to improvise a way to get to your hotel at the end of a long flight can be one of the toughest pitfalls that ruin your Disney trip, especially if you have to figure out your way back to the airport once you check out.
Find out some Orlando Airport transportation options that will save you time and stress.
WHAT TO DO INSTEAD
The good news is Mears still has a variety of shuttles to take you to your hotel. They just don’t do it for free anymore. Mears isn’t the only option, although it is probably the best.
Whether you book Mears for your airport transit services, call an Uber, or rent a car, you will need to make some sort of transportation arrangements that you never did in previous years.
5. Failure to Plan
Another huge pitfall that too many people make is not planning things out enough. They figure they will just wing it, and everything will be magical.
It’s even worse because Disney Genie Plus plays into this idea. It’s marketed as an app that does all your thinking for you, so you don’t have to figure anything out ahead of time. This is FALSE!
In fact, while Disney Genie Plus can be fun for Magic Keyholders who have already “been there, done that,” the suggestions made by the complimentary Genie service do not consider important factors like geographic location and prioritization.
If you show up without a plan, you will miss out on a lot. You will likely learn about stuff you could have done if you had known beforehand. You will just as likely run into frustrating situations that are totally avoidable.
Know Before You Go is a repeated mantra found all over the Walt Disney World website, and with good reason.
WHAT TO DO INSTEAD
Do your research and plan ahead!
There are so many resources available to help you plan your perfect Walt Disney vacation. Take advantage of them!
Read a few different Disney blogs and join some Disney World Facebook groups to get advice from other families and learn from their Walt Disney World mistakes.
Worst Disney World Mistakes to Avoid Wrap-Up
I hope you’ve learned a few Disney tips to make your next Walt Disney World vacation amazing! Whether you’re looking for the best places to stay, where to eat, or what rides and attractions are worth waiting in line for, we have everything you need.
Check out our other Walt Disney World content here on Marcie and the Mouse and find more information about all of the incredible things this theme park has to offer.
Heading to Disneyland Paris instead? I also have tips on mistakes to avoid when you visit there!