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
4 Comments.
Wow, I don’t do rope drops or use fast pass very often, and I’ve never felt I’ve missed a thing. We sleep in and stay up late. But then, I tend to travel when the parks are less crowded to begin with so I’m never in a hurry or trying to cram as much as possible into my day. I think I tend to relax… a Disney Vacation CAN be very relaxing, you just have to design it that way.
Hi Kristen!! While in some case I agree with you, keep in mind that most of my clients and people that come to my site are nowhere near as seasoned of a Disney traveler as you or I. For the newly traveling Disney family I whole-heatedly believe that it is in their best interest to avoid making the above errors. In fact, even Touring Plans follows a very similar method as far as entering parks early and utilizing FP.
Going off of the comments I have received from new Disney travelers that have planned alone and then came to me for their second-fifth vacation…the above seem to be a them. :0) Thanks for stopping by today!
Hi Kelly.
I love this article…and its so true. I would like to add that along with arriving early, don’t waste your time with the attractions that are never busy, like Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, Maestrom…instead, use this time to either ride the popular rides or get your Fast Passes to do so! Save the less popular/crowd moving rides for the busier times. (Also, most of the time, these rides are inside with air conditioning, and can be a great break from the sun and heat). Keep rockin it oh mighty Guru!!!
Thanks Missy!! I love your idea as well..thanks for stopping by today. Hugs!