Let's learn from everyone's mistakes....

[twokids0204]

I was always told that the best way to learn a lesson is from your mistakes.

Well I think a better way to learn a lesson is let other people make the mistakes. Hahaha...

With that being said, I would like some pointers, tips, life lessons learned at Disney!!! I am going in March and want the best out of my families trip. I would hate to come back home all the wiser saying "If I only knew ______ before hand, I could have avoided a headache!"

We have a princess who is 6, and a pirate who is 4!

Your feed back is helpful, appreciated, and who knows we may all learn something.

 

[DisneyLover75]

Well, maybe you know about this already, but the first time I went to Disney since the ME started, I didn't know that I should pack all the necessities into the carry-on, because the ME wouldn't get the luggage to the room for about three or four hours after we landed.

So I had a screaming 2 and a half year old on my hands because she wanted to go swimming and her suit was in the suitcase!

So I am saying "If I only knew that I should put our swimsuits into the carry-on beforehand, I could have avoided a headache!"

 

[buffettgirl]

always remember that you're supposed to be ON VACATION enjoying yourselves. If ever during your trip you start feeling like this trip is more work than fun, then it means you need to stop, take a break, and relax. I can't tell you how many miserable people I see walking around disney and I wonder how they went from excitement to misery.

I've also had my share of standing in the middle of fantasyland with my group of 10 extended family members and everyone is having a meltdown - because 10 people cannot agree on what to do next so in that situation it's far better to break up and go your separate ways and join up again later rather than risking the misery of above.

Also, you can't see everything. You can't. Tell yourself that you HAVE TO SEE EVERYTHING in 5 days is just going to set you up for more misery. focus on what you want to see, within reason, and do that.

Lastly, and it goes along with the rest - this trip is supposed to be fun for your kids. If you ever find that they're clearly not having fun then you've gone off track. Your pace has to reflect your kids. If that means that they want to stop and splash in a water feature for an hour, then that's what you do. If that means they feel like sitting at the pool for longer than you had anticipated then that's what you do. Screaming, crying, overtired kids does not make for a fun vacation. You want your memories to be of the fun you had as a family, not of the 4 year old melting down while waiting for dumbo.

Oh, one more thing - everything takes twice as long as you think it's going to take, so plan accordingly.

 

[JimR24]

Never go on a Disney vacation with my in-laws.

 

[mmouse1239]

My first trip was a disaster (1986) I was married to a jerk...he's now remarried for the third or fourth time. He made the trip a nightmare with his temper and inability to handle anything as a mature adult. (He still hasn't learned how to do that) I learned that there would never be another vacation with him!

Only other big mistake was just recently, staying in Downtown Disney rather than staying in a value for a little less money. We traveled over New Years. As DVC members we are used to the convenience of our DVC hotels. This time I didn't plan far enough ahead of time, and there were no DVC rooms availible. The moderates were pretty pricey because of the holiday, so we booked a room at the Royal Plaza. The hotel was fine, but we spent so much time on their shuttle busses that we were unable to get to the parks early which messed up a lot of our plans. They combine hotels and parks. One morning we waited for almost an hour before the bus came. Then we had to go to another hotel or two to pick up people. Then had to drop off at Epcot before going to the DS. Till we finally go to the studios, we had wasted close to two hours. Never again. If I can't get a DVC room or an on property room that I can afford, I'll stay home.

 

[CNYGuy]

Don't underestimate how much walking is at Epcot...my In Laws were out of commission the next day...

Don't try and do too much with little ones...at some point they get a little burned out and just want to go to the pool, which is where they conveniently sell foo-foo drinks for grown ups...

 

[mef78]

Great thread idea!

I would say to definitely plan your meals and make ADRs in advance--there's nothing worse than having starving companions and not having anyplace to eat (or having an hour or two wait!).

Also, learn all about how to use fastpasses. Some of the biggest Disney headaches are the ride lines (especially for things like Fantasyland rides, which your kiddos HAVE to ride, but don't want to wait an hour for).

Meet the characters early in the trip and in the places where the lines are shortest (Epcot's character area, Mickey's Toon Town, a couple of character-infused restaurants, etc.), so you don't find yourself in looooooooooooooong lines for character autographs in the

Finally, I'm agreed 100% with buffettgirl on the "you can't do everything." Go through the guidebooks and figure out the top 10 things you and the kids REALLY want to do/eat/ride. Make sure those are worked into your schedule, then leave the rest of the time to do spontaneous things, like swim in the hotel pool (which is what the kids really want to do most of the time anyway!). This will be an exhausting and exhilirating vacation for the kids--they need time to rest when they need it (and will allow it!).

 

[mark@saratoga]

Whenever Im asked for advice at work from people who are going to disney for the first time I tell them this:

1. Plan Plan Plan.
2. Ensure you have plenty of rest days (people from UK usually go for minimum of 2 weeks).
3. Make sure everyone in your party are enjoying themselves, remember its everyones holiday and not just yours.

Enjoy

 

[swald91]

Never go on a Disney vacation with my in-laws.

 

[buffettgirl]

Finally, I'm agreed 100% with buffettgirl on the "you can't do everything." Go through the guidebooks and figure out the top 10 things you and the kids REALLY want to do/eat/ride. Make sure those are worked into your schedule, then leave the rest of the time to do spontaneous things, like swim in the hotel pool (which is what the kids really want to do most of the time anyway!). This will be an exhausting and exhilirating vacation for the kids--they need time to rest when they need it (and will allow it!).

I even go less than that - we all state the one or two things we really want to do on this trip and if we do nothing else then the trip is a success. LOL. We give ourselves very low expectations. lol.

 

[buffettgirl]

oh one more thing I just thought of.

strollers. Even for your 6 year old. do not convince yourself that your 4 year old who normally walks "everywhere" will be happy to do it in disney. And do not think anything of it when your 6 year old wants to ride in the stroller too.

 

[polineedyan]

Im sure more will come as I think about this..but here's one big one, and a little one..
In our mad dash out of the house to the airport, my wife forgot her identification that she had so meticulously prepared and put on the dishwasher to pick up on the way out. We didnt know until we were at the airline checkin. We had just gotten married, so not all of her documentation that she did have matched! The birth certificate, maiden name..Her credit cards and insurances, first husband's last name..Reservation in my last name..The security was very friendly about it, but it was mortifying for her, because it hit the poor thing all at once..And yes, she was searched in the glass room in front of everyone. Still tease her, but just a little.
My little mistake was on our first trip when we took the four kids to the Polynesian. I made the mistake of thinking I would actually get to sleep in the bed with my wife..Nope, slept on the fold out for 4 nights..

 

[ajleone]

I seem to always make the mistake of not bringing my Excedrin, tums, and petroleum jelly. They may seem silly but they can really make a difference on the kind of week I have. Nothing like a migraine, extreme heartburn, or chaffed thighs to ruin a good day.

 

[jngwright]

Great idea!

Have i.d.'s for your kids We got pin lanyards and let them choose some fun pins the first day. We had an engraved disney "dog tag" with all the relevant info on it. (Names, phone numbers, resort) There are alot of other great ideas on here about i.d'.s for kids.

Make sure your kids can identify cast members, so they know who to go to for help, should the need arise

Don't overburden yourself with Stuff Decide what the essentials are for your day in the park. For us, it is: Wipes, hand sanitizer, sunblock, bandaids/neo-to-go, ibuprofin (for me), and portable snacks that are somewhat healthy (apple, granola bar, jerky)

Have fun!!I agree with all PP who say that if it stops being fun, it is time for some downtime!

 

[disneymomofmyca]

Make sure you know EXACTLY how the child swap works at each ride. They are all different and last year Disney Cast members "misplaced" my sister and DD(5 at the time) for about an hour and a half....30 minutes of which were well after the park had closed for the night and the ride was shut down! They were actually patiently waiting for there turn to swap with me; however, a cast member had given them the wrong area to wait in so no one knew they were there! Also, another lesson...keep you cell phone on you. I had put it in my bag, which my sister had. So I could not call her. A security guard finally found someone with a cell phone to call her. I in the mean time had contacted security and found the ride manager and was in tears! The ride manager insisted they were not in side of the ride building ( even though they certainly were)...but ALAS!...they emerged to me, running up to them crying my eyes out! It seems funny to me now, but at the time I was scared out of my wits! We did;however, enjoy our walk out of DHS at 2 am because we were absolutely the ONLY people left in the park that night! LOL

 

[mrstomrice]

Don't pay for water...it is free with no purchase necessary from all counter service restaurants. I am picky about water, and I don't notice any funny taste like some mention, but I bring in flavor mix ins to make it more interesting.
Don't miss on doing early EMH...you can get so much done in the first hour. we have been during Spring break and summer days and we never have to wait in lines longer than 10-20 minutes (using fastpass as well)

 

[ChelleinNC]

Somethings that I told my Dad & Stepmom before their 1st trip last year:

Wear comfortable shoes! You will never see 99.9% of the people at Disney ever again, so don't worry about fashion! Comfortable shoes can be gym shoes or flip flops, you have to know what's best for your feet but if you show up in a heels, the Disney Vets will laugh at you

You don't want to carry a purse thru the parks. Cinch bag backpacks & fanny packs may not be fashionable, but they're more comfortable to carry and less likely to get left on a ride or at a restaurant.

A tip from Fairy Godmother: Children (and adults) who get grumpy at Disney, are very likely to be dehydrated. Fairy Godmother was right and whenever one of the kids or DH gets grumpy, we make sure to get them something to drink and that usually solves the problem

 

[ilandrazdsw]

If I only knew not to meet up with ANYONE at WDW, I would have avoided a headache. Our "adopted"DD20 come to meet us for 2 days since she is in school close to the Orlando area. Although it was great to see her hopping 2 parks a day on Dec 28 and 29 was just not a good idea. To top it off the 28the was the day (after 4 full early to late days) that dd3 and ds5 decided to melt down.
If I only knew to schedule some down time, I would have avoided a headache. Although our schedules did allow for it, I didn't "schedule" it, but we did take it! When DS asks for a nap we know it is time for a break!
If I only would have checked my pocket for my camera, it would have saved me a huge headache. It slipped out of my jacket pocket in the cab going to Midevil Times. The camera was found thanks to an honest cab driver and the desk CMs of ASSp and CBR (where the driver turned it in).
What we did right:
Scheduled parks and ADRs at 180 days (now I guess it is 90 days).
Used DME & packed a bag with night and next day clothes just in case...but luggage was in our room when we returned from dinner.
We were at opening (or just a few minutes after) for every park AND were able to ride all the rides we wanted.
We used TGM...ride order REALLY helped!!!
We were on the DDP AND scheduled mainly character meals so we didn't have to stand in many lines to see characters & it kept the kids busy.
We knew how to use FPs and used them to our advantage (banking them for later in the day).
We went with open minds and to have fun...making it all about the kids...but we did grown-up rides too.
I joined the DISboards!!!

 

[stepnut]

Make sure your camera battery is fully charged. Make sure the memory card has enough room for the zillions of photos you'll take.

I got 5 photos of Magic Kingdom. Battery died halfway between Tomorrowland and Fantasy Land. And since it was a brand-specific battery (Canon) it wasn't like I could dash into the nearest shop and pick up some AA's.

 

[Inignotlover]

Listen to the people on the dis and bring TWO pairs of shoes! I packed two for the bf, but only one for me. Of course it rained like cats and dogs our second day and my shoes were STILL wet when we got home! I ended up buying a pair of Disney Crocs.

Also, this was my mistake and certainly not the case for everyone, but for me and bf, the ADRs did not work. We didn't care for the places we went to and we didn't like having to be somewhere at a certain time that wasn't a fastpass.

Epcot is a two day park in my opinion. We tried to do it all. I missed half the World Showcase b/c I spent too much time in Futureworld! And I still didn't do everything there!

What I learned doing right: Carry plastic bags. Really came in handy in that downpour and I could save my camera and momentos! Also came in handy for packing and carrying snacks!

moleskin!

Using ME and the disney buses! Such a breeze!

Hope this helps! Have fun!