We’ve all been there. You’re standing outside Animal Kingdom, it’s hot, the kids are tired, sweaty, and hungry (how is that possible??), and you’re waiting on a bus that will not seem to come. Everyone is on edge. The stroller is sticky, the bubble wands are failing, and you’ve just spent $8,000 on a vacation that was over in a millisecond, and your husband is telling you, “We should have just stayed home.” Cue the tears.
Let’s rewind.
Where did you go wrong? What mistakes got you here? Will you make those same mistakes again? I see SO many families making the wrong Disney decisions when planning vacations and, yes, I’ve made some myself. In this article, I’ll take you through the top mistakes I see, and hopefully, it will prevent you from making some of these very mistakes for yourself! OR you could just work with an experienced travel advisor, and I’ll help you avoid all of these!
- You didn’t stay onsite.
- You didn’t purchase enough park days.
- You didn’t make dining reservations.
- You didn’t research the attractions or characters.
- You didn’t listen to your kids.
- You tried to do too much.
Staying onsite-
Listen, I know the Hyatt just outside of Lake Buena Vista is cheaper and seems like such a great idea. But take it from me, you don’t get the feeling of the Disney bubble by driving down World Drive every morning and fighting the traffic to get into the Magic Kingdom. It’s a new kind of confusion making your way around Disney property, and you’ll feel like you already ran a 5K by the time you’ve hit the Ticket and Transportation Center. And you’re not even to the turnstiles yet!
Park Days-
I have said it before, and I’ll say it again: one day in the Magic Kingdom does not a Disney trip make. I know it’s cheaper to just pop in for the day, but are you really maximizing your dollar? Have you ever played around with pricing to find that a ten-day ticket is only $269 more than a THREE-day ticket? Disney rewards you when you stay and play longer; you get a better value per day, and you don’t have to worry about trying to squeeze everything in during that one park day.
Dining Reservations-
It seems crazy, right? 60 days before you arrive at Walt Disney World, you’re supposed to log into the app and schedule out all of your meals. How am I supposed to know where I want to eat in 2 months? But trust me, in the moment, you’re going to NEED a break when you’re in the parks. It’s so much smarter to have a spot in mind to plop down, get a drink, a little snacky poo, and sit in the air conditioning for 90 minutes. AND it’s a huge plus if you get to take some pictures with Mickey and his pals while you’re there! You’ll wait in line for 60 minutes sometimes just to see Mickey, why not get a waffle and a mimosa out of it?
Research, Research, Research-
This is where I come in! You are busy. You are the master of all things. You are tired. Tell ME what you think your kids are into, what their heights are, and I’ll assist you in planning out your days. You don’t want to get to the Magic Kingdom and be looking for Woody and his pals, only to find out that they’re in a totally different park! Or take a few mornings while you’re having your coffee, open up the app, and check out what the parks have to offer. Your days will go much smoother if you have a general idea of what to expect in each park.
The My Disney Experience app is the perfect place to start.
Listen to the kiddos!
If they say they’re done, they’re done! This is where Point #2 comes in handy-if your kids need to call it quits but you haven’t quite had enough of the Disney Magic, knowing that you have back up days in the parks will make you feel more at ease saying “let’s go back, we’ll jump in the pool and have an early night.”
We overdid it!
This is where the Disney tired comes into play. We came, we saw, we did too much and exhausted the kiddos (and the grandparents!) These make for cute pictures, but they are typically your sign that everyone needs a little bit of a break. You know your family best and know how far you can push everyone.
To wrap things up, your Disney vacation should look like YOU want it to, but always keep in the back of your mind that you need to be able to be flexible and meet the needs of your kiddos and family as well! If you’re worried about spending a small fortune on a Disney World vacation and looking back with regret, why not work with an agent?
Working with a travel agent will set your trip experience up in the best way possible, and lucky for you, you’ve got one right here!
Come connect with me here, or click here to get your Disney trip quote started.
