5 Mistakes Rookie Make at Walt Disney World and How to Avoid Them

Walt Disney World is known as the “Happiest Place on Earth.” Traveling to Disney can be very exciting but also very overwhelming and if you are traveling to Walt Disney World for the first time, you are going to want to make sure you make all the right decisions and choices that will help your family to have the best vacation ever. Here are 5 mistakes Disney rookies make and how to avoid them.

5. Reservations: It is of the upmost importance that you make reservations for any table service meal that you would like to have. It would be a terrible day, not only for you but also your children if you promised them that they could eat with Mickey Mouse at Chef Mickey’s, if you forgot to make a reservation and they couldn’t fit you into the restaurant. If you are planning your vacation, also plan to start making reservations 180 days from your trip. Reservations fill up very fast and if you don’t make one, you more than likely won’t be able to eat at the restaurant that you want.

4. Fast Pass: Fast Passes aren’t as important as a reservation and aren’t necessary for your trip, but as a new visitor to Walt Disney World, you are going to want to do as much as you possibly can. You don’t want to be standing in line for 3 or 4 hours on a hot summer day. I would suggest that you use your three Fast Passes, everyday, no matter what. If you don’t know which park or what ride to choose, you can schedule your Fast Passes once you get into the parks and see wait times for each ride. Some rides I would suggest you get Fast Passes for would be Toy Story Mania in Hollywood Studios, Space Mountain in Magic Kingdom, Test Track in Epcot, and Kilmanjaro Safari in Animal Kingdom. These are some of the most popular rides in the parks and the lines are always longest at these rides. Also, because you are able to use Fast Passes to meet characters, I would suggest you use one to meet Mickey Mouse and another to meet Anna and Elsa.

3. Crowd Control: If you can help it, don’t travel to Walt Disney World during peak season. If you do enough research, you can find articles and graphs on attendance in the parks. The months of March, May, June, and July are VERY busy months at Walt Disney World. If you can travel during an off season, I would definitely recommend it. It is so wonderful to be able to walk around the park with your own space instead of shoulder to shoulder. If you can’t avoid going during those months, I would suggest you still do your research and find out which parks will be least crowded on each day. Really try to dig into your travel dates as you plan your trip. It will make your trip much more enjoyable in the end.

2. Doing it all: I’m just going to be honest with you: you cannot do everything in a short trip to Walt Disney World. The average length of stay at Walt Disney World is 1-2 weeks. There are so many attractions, characters, shows, trails, and other things that it is impossible to do everything in one or two weeks. My suggestion is that you sit down with your family and discuss which rides, characters, shows, and restaurants that you want to enjoy on your trip. Once you have finished this, you will know your priorities and be able to plan accordingly. On the Disney website you are able to customize Disney maps for free and pinpoint each attraction that you and your family have decided to go to. It helps you to plan your trip better and to know exactly where to go for the attractions you want to go to.

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1. Attitude: Walt Disney World is such a magical place. Like I said, it can be fun but it also can be overwhelming. If you can, try to avoid getting stressed. I know that it might be hot and crowded, but your attitude is going to affect you whole family and if one person is stressed, it might cause the rest of your family to also be stressed. It will be hard, but try to smile most of the time. If you are smiling you are going to have a better time. The Cast Members at Walt Disney World are always so friendly and they will help your attitude as well. A smile is contagious so if you need a little help, find a Cast Member. I’m sure they will shoot you a smile.

If this is your first trip to Walt Disney World, you want to have the time of your life. Try to avoid these mistakes and I can promise that it is going to go smoother and help you to have a great time. I hope that these things have helped you and I hope that your first trip to Walt Disney World is the most magical trip you have ever had.