Top 10 Disney World First-Timer Mistakes
We’ve all been there: that first trip to Walt Disney World and the inevitable “learning experience” that comes with discovering we’ve made a mistake. If you haven’t been there, it’s not because you’re perfect…it’s that you have been there and you just don’t recognize it. (Updated November 18, 2019.)
That, or because you literally haven’t been there, with there being Walt Disney World, and are planning your first visit. If that’s the case, take some solace in the fact that everyone makes some mistake their first trip. No amount of planning can prevent the inevitable error. On second thought, maybe that’s more disconcerting than it is reassuring. I guess just know that you’re in good company.
This post takes a look at what we feel are the “top” (and by top we don’t necessarily mean “best”…more like most common) mistakes first-timers to Walt Disney World make based on various blog post comments, social media feedback, and more. It’s hardly a scientific top 10 list, but hopefully it provides some good food for thought, nonetheless.
So what are the biggest mistakes first time Walt Disney World visitors make? The answers may SHOCK AND ASTOUND YOU. Well, probably not, but we have to trick you into reading this somehow… 😉
10. Not Packing for Florida Weather
Florida is known as the “Sunshine State,” but I think that is a huge misnomer. In fact, I don’t really know why people flock to the state for its weather. Yeah, it doesn’t snow there and it’s sunny much of the year, but the summers are miserable with humidity.
And, as we cover in our Winter Packing Tips for Walt Disney World, weather fluctuates dramatically in winter and humidity can make the feels like temperature much worse than the temperature readout suggests. Between that and single-day temperatures that can have a 30+ degree swing, the weather in Florida can be rough.
Okay, so the weather is still better than in the vast majority of states, but a common first-timer mistake is assuming Florida weather is perfect. You need to account for the reality of what you might encounter, rather than just assuming it’ll be all sunny days and puffy clouds. In the summer, you have to account for humidity and heat. In the early fall, it’s storm season at Walt Disney World. Late fall through winter and you have temperatures that range from freezing to the 80s, requiring that you pack for a variety of situations.
9. Using Disney Dining Plan Credits on Rice Krispie Treats
This is bound to be a controversial one and probably the only thing here that’s not limited to first timers. I would guess that 99% of those reading this would not purchase 5 overpriced Mickey Mouse Rice Krispie Treats at Walt Disney World to take home. You’d have to be a serious Rice Krispie Treat enthusiast to drop that kind of change on them.
Same goes for pretty much anything from Goofy’s Candy Co., or other prepackaged treats–among other things we cover in our Worst Uses of Disney Dining Plan Credits. Most people are not going to pay for these things out of pocket to take home because that’s a waste of money. Yet, countless guests on the Disney Dining Plan do exactly that with extra credits at the end of their trips and consider it a fun little “bonus” that can be enjoyed after the trip.
The point here is not limited to the overpriced Mickey Mouse Rice Krispie Treats, but extends to the Disney Dining Plan, generally. I harp on this constantly, but it bears repeating that the portion of guests who will actually save money on the Disney Dining Plan is small.
It’s imperative that you review menus and do the math beforehand, because if you find your party with *any* leftover credits at the end of your trip that you use on Rice Krispie Treats (or on whatever), you can be almost certain that you wasted money by using the Dining Plan instead of paying out of pocket. Even if you did use every credit, there’s a good chance you didn’t save money. The margin of error is that slim.
8. Going During Major Holidays
“Why was [insert holiday name] so crowded?! I heard before that [insert holiday name] usually isn’t busy because everyone is at home doing [insert activity].” We have received virtually this message from people pertaining to Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and the Super Bowl (not technically a holiday, but celebrated as such in many households). If you’re wondering if the parks are busy during a particular holiday, don’t. They are. Some holidays are slightly less busy than others, but all holidays are busier than the norm. All.
Now, this isn’t to say that you will have an awful experience if you go during a holiday. In fact, we actually like visiting around certain holidays. Longer park hours and a certain ambiance to the parks can make for an enjoyable experience. With that said, there’s no way on earth I would ever have wanted to take my first trip during a major holiday. It would have been overwhelming, and the potential for it being my last trip would have been too great.
7. Eating Burgers, Hot Dogs, and Pizza
Theme park food has a reputation for being uninspired and overpriced. Like sporting events and other entertainment venues, parks often do the bare minimum, realizing they have a captive audience that will simply have to eat during their visit.
This is not necessarily the case at Walt Disney World. There are unquestionably some basic fast food places that phone it in as they feed the masses hot dogs and pizza both so suspect that I am hesitant to categorize them as “food.” Conversely, there are also some really intriguing and unique dining options at Walt Disney World that are quite good. Don’t go for the low-hanging, “safe” fruit.
Try the restaurants that look interesting, and be rewarded. This also helps from a planning perspective–the more ambitious the restaurant’s cuisine, the less popular or busy it tends to be. (In other words, popularity is a terrible barometer of food quality when it comes to Walt Disney World dining.)
6. Sleeping In
The first 2 hours the parks are open are going to be the most productive hours of your day. Getting up at the crack of dawn and being to the parks early doesn’t jive with the notion of relaxing and unwinding on vacation, but the simple reality is that you’d be better off showing up for the first 2 hours and last 2 hours and skipping the (roughly) 8 hours in between than you would by showing up 2 hours late, doing those 8 hours in the middle of the day, and leaving 2 hours before park closing.
If relaxation on your vacation is important, take a break in the middle of the day to go back to your hotel and nap or enjoy the pool. You really benefit greatly from being in the parks right at rope drop, though. Likewise, crowds are lightest again at the end of the night (and the atmosphere then is unbeatable).
This is Walt Disney World 101. It’s hardly unique or even profound advice–it’s something you will see on literally every site that offers Disney trip planning advice. Yet, it’s probably the most common mistake first-timers make.
5. Not Allowing Enough Time for Transit
Walt Disney World’s transportation system makes the metro Detroit bus system look like the pinnacle of efficiency. Buses take convoluted routes, make too many stops, and generally follow a perplexing “schedule”, all of which means it could take you up to an hour to get from your hotel room door to a park. Want to go from hotel to hotel? Good luck!
First-timers (or any logical human, for that matter) might assume that it would behoove Walt Disney World to have an incredibly efficient transportation system, as time lost in commute is time that is not spent in the parks. Instead of waiting for that bus, guests could be spending time–and money–in gift shops or restaurants. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, this is not the case. Transportation–particularly the buses–is inefficient, and it’ll take you longer than you expect to get anywhere.
Fortunately, we have a few resources that will help. First, our Time Saving Walt Disney World Transportation Tips post has some “shortcuts” that can save time. Second, we have a post with Tips for Renting a Car at Walt Disney World that covers the ins and outs of renting a car. Finally, we have some of my tips for using Uber to save time (and money) in the post Uber v. Rental Cars at Walt Disney World
4. Buying the Wrong Tickets
Walt Disney World tickets are highly customizable, which is both a good and bad thing. On the downside, if you haven’t done your research and are prone to being upsold on things, you might end up purchasing more than you need. On the upside, if you have done your research, you can pay for only the options that you really need, passing on extras you likely won’t use.
For example, you might be able to use the Park Hopper Plus Option to extend your trip. You might be able to get away with no Park Hopper if you have small kids. You may find that one person in your party buying an Annual Pass is worth it for the discounts. There is a lot to consider, and no one size fits all solution. We cover the possibilities, pros and cons of each, and offer some recommendations in our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. That’s a great place to start before purchasing your park tickets.
3. Under-planning
If you’ve been a Disney fan long enough, you’ve invariably heard from a friend or colleague who returned from their first trip and had an awful time. Upon probing a bit, usually this is self-inflicted, and the result of under-planning. Did they make Advance Dining Reservations? Nope. Have a plan of attack? Nada. Book FastPass+? Nah. The questions and answers continue in that same fashion (with “what’s that?” often replacing the variants of “no”).
People lament the ‘death of spontaneity’ when it comes to a Walt Disney World vacation, and to some extent, I agree. There’s a lot that it’s imperative to know before you go, and that’s in large part why sites like this exist in the first place. However, I visit a lot of non-Disney destinations, and no matter where you go, you will always (ALWAYS!) come out ahead by planning. I can think of literally no location I have ever been that does not benefit greatly from research and planning.
When it comes to Walt Disney World, you need to know some basics about the place before you go to make the most of your time. You also need to make some plans and reservations prior to arrival. A good starting place for learning the basics is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide, which is comprehensive.
Alternatively or in addition to that, if you’re overwhelmed or simply don’t want to invest the time necessary to planning the trip, and would like the assistance from a professional, click here to get a quote from a no-fee Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. They get their commission from Disney, so there is no charge to you for them to book your trip, help you plan, etc.
2. Over-planning
As paradoxical as these last two entries might seem, the idea here is that you need to find the happy medium. Just as showing up without any plan can lead to a bad experience, so too can planning everything down to the minute or even hour. We cover our ‘planned spontaneity philosophy’ for visiting in our Being Spontaneous at Walt Disney World post.
The problem with a planning binder or minute by minute itinerary is that it sets unrealistic expectations, especially for first timers, and does not allow for spontaneity. If you plan a trip checklist style with 20 things to “accomplish” in a given day, that’s a recipe for disappointment. The practical realities of Florida heat, navigating crowds, or other unplanned variables mean you will almost always accomplish less than expected. And that’s okay–you’ll still have a lot of fun in the process!
It’s better to factor in these variables, be flexible, and lower your expectations. Likewise, if you don’t plan for some spontaneity (another contradiction in terms), you might be reluctant to avail yourself of an opportunity for unplanned fun because it doesn’t fit neatly into your schedule. Walt Disney World does require planning, but you should never become a slave to a checklist or plan. Sometimes we have the most fun when we toss aside our plans.
1. Skipping Country Bear Jamboree
This isn’t just here to underscore my love for Country Bear Jamboree. It’s also here to illustrate the point that tastes absolutely do vary, and you shouldn’t base your itinerary on the preferences of others. I know this advice is somewhat at odds with the premise of an opinion-heavy blog like this one, but the last thing you should do is trust my advice. (Except right now, when I’m telling you not to trust my other advice.)
If you spend enough time on any Disney forums, you will invariably encounter people who love and hate literally every attraction (yes, there are even fans of TriceraTop Spin–like the Great North American Snipe, they are a rare creature, but they do exist). I am a man with exquisite tastes in many things. You know that, I know that. But uh, not a lot a lot of things; a few things. Yet, I find I am sometimes in the minority when it comes to my opinions on certain Walt Disney World attractions.
There’s a good chance you might find yourself liking things others don’t–or disliking things others love. Walt Disney World Park Itineraries can be useful, to be sure, but you also have to account for your personal preferences or be quick to dismiss things out of hand on the basis of what random strangers think about them.
I think that about covers it for the “top” mistakes first timers make when visiting Walt Disney World. Now, there are no shortage of possible mistakes…this is really just the tip of the iceberg. So, if you don’t mind sharing some of the mistakes you or a “friend” have made when visiting Walt Disney World, please share them in the comments. Remember, your learning experience could help someone else avoid running into the same problem. Feel free to change the names to protect the innocent.
If you are planning a first trip to Walt Disney World, make sure to check out our Disney Tips & Tricks page for a lot of helpful tips to outsmart the masses. Also check out our dining reviews to find the best restaurants and our trip planning posts to figure out what to pack, where to buy Walt Disney World tickets to save money, which discounts to look for, and all the other ins and outs of a trip to Walt Disney World, all of which are covered extensively in our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide.
Your Thoughts
Did you make any mistakes before your first trip to Walt Disney World? Planning your first trip now and wondering how to avoid some specific common mistakes? Any tips of your own to add? Please share any of your own stories or questions you have in the comments below!
You can NEVER over plan. But you also must realize that change and improv are possible and sometimes necessary. Know where you are going to eat dinner every day of your vacation. Make reservations. Plan around the reservation. It works.
I do Country Bears every time my wife and kid let me. I am sure it will be removed soon as the content of the songs feels more and more out of place every year. Enjoy it while you can and love it forever.
#6 will always be my downfall…
The one thing about coming from the UK is that the Disney Dining plan may not be “good value” but with political instability varying exchange rates widely it’s just nice to book the holiday pay for the meal credits and not worry about bringing either too much currency or worrying about the exchange rates and charges when the credit card hits.
I remember going to WDW with mum+dad for the first time and dad fretting the whole 2 weeks as the ERM debacle was being played out in the UK and the exchange rates being all the place and luckily trans atlantic credit card processing back in the 90’s was a lot slower and we got away with a good rate.
Mind you it seems Disney are viewing European customers differently as most of this year there has been free disney dining with 2020 holidays and all holidays have the photo pass etc included in the price.
Great post ! I literally laughed out loud when I got to #1. Thanks!!
I had CBJ on my itinerary for FOUR trips – missing it every time (following #2 to allow for spontaneity?). We finally made it there this past November ! I wouldn’t call it a “must-do” for our family , but my DD definitely enjoyed it a lot, and the rest of us were entertained, too. We INFINITELY preferred over the Tiki Lounge, which is off our list for good !
Thanks for the tips. Through our experience when we book 60 days ahead for fast passes, we still can’t get early times for some rides. Sometimes not until 5:30pm late afternoon. We like to get to the park early and then get back to the resort for the afternoon but this forces you to be there all day.
Tom, have you done a Dining Plan calculation that includes children in the last 1-2 years? I used to be anti-DDP. BUT with the recent big increases in menu prices we are finding more often than not some judicious use of the plan saves us money. Primarily if we do a lot of fixed price character meals. The child price for a character meal is often right about the same price as the standatd dining plan for the day, making the kids’ QS and snacks essentially free for the day. We often do some version of a shared deluxe plan (either split stay or 2 rooms with only 1 room on the plan) which saves even more. In all my calculations I only get the dining plan if the core TS and QS meals break even or save $ on the plan. The snacks don’t figure into my calculation and we consider them “free” and therefore don’t mind if a few get squandered on water or bagged snacks for later.
Great articel. I’ve made some of the mistakes listed on our 1st trip however this blog has helped me plan better for subsequent trips. All tips here are excellent: planning is a must & yes arrive to the parks early when there are less crowds & rest in the middle of the day. This worked great for us. Also NEVER buy water bottles, most QSR give free ice & a courtesy cup of water & you can always use the water fountains to refill. Absolutely CBJ it is by far our favorite at MK 🙂
My tip-buy the refillable popcorn bucket, refill often. Bring refillable water bottles, refill often. Pack each person their own snack pack (don’t put in trail mix during hot months!), refill every time you go back to the room. Many of meltdowns have been avoided by doing this. Much money is also saved by doing this.
Don’t miss Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room!
Undoubtedly the best attraction in existence anywhere!
(I love it so much….)
But seriously my best tip is – adapt. Sometimes kids will be in a grump, sometimes Rapunzel won’t be at Princess Hall, sometimes that must have cake will be sold out. But you’re still at WDW and you have so many options to pull your kids out of it, or see Minnie instead, or get that popcorn bucket instead of the cake… make your magic happen!
Don’t over-plan WDW? I don’t even recognize that phrase! Ha!ha!
We passed over CBR the last couple times we were in MK. But we checked out CBR on our most recent visit and found it to be a joy and a treasure!
LOL – the part about packing! Coming from a dry and extremely hot (dry hot) and predictable climate (it will be hot no matter what, rain on the weather forecast refers to two drops), I opted to only pack two pairs of shorts as I had heard of all the great shopping in Orlando so I had planned to buy shorts there (October last year). To my absolute shock, not one place sold just a normal pair of shorts! There were a few extremely short (very short) gym type shorts and that was it. We searched far and wide. I couldn’t believe that a place that is hot enough to swim, did not have shorts in their department stores. Big mistake. Next year, I’m taking shorts from home!
Plan to do as many attractions in one area of the park instead attractions scattered throughout the park. The bouncing around wastes time and energy. For example, in AK, do all the Dinoland attractions before moving onto Africa attractions.
Yes on #1 CBJ! I cannot stress enough not to skip CBJ, Enchanted Tiki Room or Carousel of Progress.
Love the blog – and the photos!!! I’m with you 100% on mistake number 1! Love the Bears, and I ALWAYS drag my family to see them (takes little convincing, we are all fans).
We avoided most of the mistakes on this list and the ones we did commit were by choice. I used this website to plan my summer 2019 first time trip to WDW. I went with a teenage boy so rope drop was way out of the question. I used Fast Pass and ADR, usually one nice place a day and other meals on the fly. Our hotel, CBR, has a fabulous dining option near the Trinidad/Pirate rooms so we ate there once a day. Free tea and coffee too. I didn’t have the math skills to even begin understanding the Dining Plan. We Lyfted to the resorts and took the bus back. Worked out well.
Must say unless you’ve done it before, the heat/humidity of the Florida summer is pretty debilitating so if I had a more compliant companion, the out early, rest then out late dynamic makes alot of sense and not just for crowds. The weather is brutal.
Pack some snacks. I always have a box of crackers or similar for the “in between” munchies. In order to not be overwhelmed, I usually schedule a “down” day to take it easy. When my son was younger, we spent a day at Downtown Disney. He had a blast running through the fountains or just hanging at the pools.