Disney is not only my hobby but it is my business. Every single day I help hundreds of people effectively plan their magical journey to Walt Disney World. One thing I often hear when people contact me for Disney trip planning advice is, “Last time we went to Disney we did____ wrong and will NEVER do that again…that is why we came to you.”
There is nothing worse than going to Walt Disney World unprepared…you must know what to do and when to do it…or else you will not get the full value of your trip. This leads me to the top 5 Disney trip planning errors I hear people have made.
- They did not take advantage of getting to the parks early in the morning. Not only will you be able to take advantage of seeing a rope drop show if you arrive first thing, but you WILL beat the crowds, heat and lines! Being there early is something of a magical secret still…I guarantee you will see more between the hours of 8AM-11AM then you could if you were there all day long.
- People do not use FASTPASS. You must utilize FASTPASS if you plan to do as much as you can with the time you have. I do not care if you have 4 days or have 12 days…FASTPASS will get you the most bang for your buck. If you are a Disney newbie it would be a great idea to op on over to Touring Plans and take a look at their park plans. For a very nominal fee you can have a full play by play for your trip..and yes this does include how to effectively utilize FASTPASS.
- Underestimating the Size!! Do not underestimate the size of the Walt Disney World property. It truly is 47 square miles of property and you will be using some mode of transportation while you are on property. No matter what you do, you NEED 90 minutes to get from point A to point B. Of course, seasoned Disney travelers can go with less time but newbies…do not chance it…you NEED 90 minutes. You do not want to learn the hard way…like missing a dining reservation.
- Relax- While I am the first person to say that Disney travel is not relaxing…it is a working vacation. Listen to your body…if you need a rest, take it. Be sure to schedule in a little bit of downtime for yourself.
All I could think of when I was writing this was Scar from Lion King singing, “Be PREPARED!” and those are my big words of advice. If you avoid making the above errors I know you will be on your way to a SUPER successful trip!
*Tip~Don’t forget that as of 3/7/2012 FASTPASS no long allows you to arrive and utilize your FP Ticket outside of the printed window of time. Be prepared to arrive between the times listed or else they will turn you away.
See ya real soon!!
Kelly
