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

[twokids0204]

ADR's, make them you can always cancel them at the park you at.

Good advice... BUT... Last year, they changed the policy on most ADR's. They are now secured with a credit card, and a no-show OR a cancellation with less than 24 Hours notice is subject to a $10 charger per person. So if you know you are NOT going to make the ADR cancel at least 24 hours prior.

 

[sweeteypie1118]

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

ROFL!!! You are so right! I got stuck with my MIL in '07 during the busy Presidents week. She complained about every meal, never once opened her wallet to buy her grandson so much as an ice cream (she has plenty of money!), complained she was hot, complained she was cold, decided half way through the the EE ride line in AK that she wanted my husband to take her back to the hotel. We were there 10 days! After day 3 we slapped that woman down in a wheel chair and wheeled her *** around. I know that sounds terrible, but theres nothing wrong with her physically, but she brought uncomfortable shoes and was making me crazy with the slow pace.

 

[Megs114]

Loving this!!

I'm sure most of my recommendations have been posted but here is one:

Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get to your ADR's, especially if you are staying on property and your reservation is at a different hotel.

The night DH and I got engaged, we were staying at All-Star Sports and had a reservation at Narcossee's at GF for 5:00. We gave ourselves 45 minutes thinking this was plenty of time to get there. It wasn't. We wound up being 10 minutes late which isn't a big deal but you wind up freaking out that you completely missed your reservation and your DH thinks his whole proposal evening has been ruined lol. Give yourself as much time as needed.

 

[seadd67]

Good advice... BUT... Last year, they changed the policy on most ADR's. They are now secured with a credit card, and a no-show OR a cancellation with less than 24 Hours notice is subject to a $10 charger per person. So if you know you are NOT going to make the ADR cancel at least 24 hours prior.

Wow I have not been back since Sept of 2011, this is news to me. This will make canceling a rev almost impossible. Now this is not very Disney like

 

[Mortlives]

Sadly, it makes sense, though. How many times have we heard of posters complaining that they could not get ADRs, while others (perhaps not so much here, but I have seen it done) recommended that one should make multiple ADRs for the same time, and just cancel the ones you decided not to go to (or just not show up, since there is no penalty)?

 

[seadd67]

Ya I can see the penalty aspect, but 24hr?? why not a 6hr mark. Well??, it will be just my self on this trip so It will not be that diffcult to stick to my adr's but if my DS go'es again i will just have to pay over a extra 10 bucks here there if I have to

 

[Edgehopper]

Our mistake: sleeping in and getting to the MK two hours after opening.

Problem:
- by doing this, we got to the park when it was already crowded (a downer).
- Hard to move down Main Street
- FPs were only available for late afternoon
- stand-by lines were miserably long

This is one I want to call out as only true for crowded times of year. In mid-May, we scheduled a 10:15 Crystal Palace breakfast and didn't start touring the park until 11:30. Had no problems with lines or FPs at all (on a Touring Plans "3" day).

 

[GirlDreamer]

The no show fee has been there for years, they just haven't been very strict about enforcing it. I would assume they would be lenient about the fee if you contact them about it though, like say someone gets sick and you can't make it.

The reason why they had to do it, was because people had a habit of making multiple reservations in several parks for every day of their stay, so they could just pick and choose where they wanted to go on the actual day and time. And obviously the result was that tables stood empty, the restaurants lost money on it and other guest weren't able to get reservations.

 

[GoldieLocks5]

The one mistake I can think of:
- bring a poncho JUST to put on the stroller. When we were at AK we went in to see the Lion King show - and knew it was about to rain... we tucked things in the stroller the best we could to try and keep them from getting wet- but it was a DOWNPOUR and the stroller was dripping wet --- next time i'll have a poncho to put on the stroller if we're leaving it out when it might rain

 

[cindyfan]

If you are going with a large group.....
Make sure you set some ground rules LONG before you go!!
So everyone has time to understand them!!
And..... make sure everyone knows ahead of time what the kids limits are!!!

We went with 3 small kids.... and there seem to be NO limits to what the kids were allowed to do!

Staying in a 2-bedroom villa and as we arrived, they ran around the place like it was a playground..... in and out every room and closet. NO respect or privacy for the rest of the family. Then when asked that they keep their stuff neatly in their room, the mom was totally offended.

Then the kids were eating and drinking everywhere.... on the beds in the bathroom. Spilling stuff everywhere.

I understand differences in life styles..... but if you are going to share living space or have meals together...... be prepared!!!!

 

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

If you are going with a large group.....
Make sure you set some ground rules LONG before you go!!
So everyone has time to understand them!!
And..... make sure everyone knows ahead of time what the kids limits are!!!

We went with 3 small kids.... and there seem to be NO limits to what the kids were allowed to do!

Staying in a 2-bedroom villa and as we arrived, they ran around the place like it was a playground..... in and out every room and closet. NO respect or privacy for the rest of the family. Then when asked that they keep their stuff neatly in their room, the mom was totally offended.

Then the kids were eating and drinking everywhere.... on the beds in the bathroom. Spilling stuff everywhere.

I understand differences in life styles..... but if you are going to share living space or have meals together...... be prepared!!!!

Amen, Sistah! I totally agree.

 

[scotas]

Some of these are already mentioned but:

If you have a large group, don't be afraid to split up. A few years ago we went with a group of 8 adults. The first day we hit MK early, three hours later we had only gone as far as Hall of presidents, and there were essentially no lines. At that point we all exchanged cell numbers and broke off into smaller groups. that way we could meet up here and there for a bit, but everyone still got to see what they wanted.

Plan on a midday break, even if staying in the park. This isn't only for those travelling with little ones. Catch a mid day show, go back to your resort for a couple of hours or find a shady place and people watch. Even though we are an all adult group, we still can have meltdowns when the heat and excessive walking get to be too much!

Ladies, use a drawstring backpack instead of a purse, that way your hubby can carry it. I do this every year, and each year my best friend tells me she wishes she thought of that as she tries to carry her oversized purse.

Check parade times, even if you don't plan on doing parades! Trying to get through a section when everyone is lined up for the parade can be troublesome. My best friend and my hubby were trapped behind the Jungle Parade at AK, while her dh and I were having pizzafari without them.

If your group has split up, be specific when trying to set up a meeting place. A couple of years ago we agreed to meet at the carousell in MK. It took an hour before we finally called them, only to find out they were at the carousell of progress.

 

[ARAITHEL]

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

Great...now you tell me! I planned to take my MIL, SIL, and her two kids with me and my DD(12) in September. I'm certain we will have a great time though...even though my SIL is not talking to my MIL...

 

[alle]

Use a stroller even if you think the kids are too big. Had a 7 & 9 year old last trip and both girls slept in the double stroller at various times during our stay. From starting out saying "We're too old for that thing" they soon were saying "Please let me ride" We rented off-site (Kingdom Strollers) and it was delivered to our resort. Was very handy for hauling our stuff too.

 

[44Majestic]

Avoid, or at least lessen, meltdowns by always having some drinks and snacks available. No matter the range of ages anyone can have a meltdown. They can come on very quickly for no apparent reason.Take brakes and don't think you can do everything. I carry waters and fruit (apples work great) in a draw string back pack for everyone every day. Take naps, visit the pool and relax you are on vacation. Most of all ENJOY the experience

 

[JennyDrake]

Schedule a midday break at least every other day. (I prefer every day.)

And BTDT, do NOT take teens that have never been as a SURPRISE. (Wasn't MY idea, but SIL's--long story) It was a train wreck. The kids had no idea what they wanted to do, were completely overwhelmed, etc.

 

[JennyDrake]

This is one I want to call out as only true for crowded times of year. In mid-May, we scheduled a 10:15 Crystal Palace breakfast and didn't start touring the park until 11:30. Had no problems with lines or FPs at all (on a Touring Plans "3" day).

It also depends upon the day of the week. In my experience, MK is always, always crowded on Saturdays. I still think OP is closer to "right"; MK is my one, must-do-at-rope-drop park due to crowds.

 

[jenniferma]

"Fixed expectations are an awfully hard thing to live up to. If you spend your time measuring your reality against your fantasy, you're inevitably going to lose the joy of just being in that moment." Jennifer Gilbert

I have found that having a positive attitude and making the most of things goes a long way. This is definitely true about a WDW vacation. We had a few mishaps on our last trip-- got the ABSOLUTE worst GF room possible (totally no big deal, but I know a few people that it would have ruined their vacation), had an issue with guest services/laundry facilities that wasn't handled well, and then I ended up in the hospital with food poisoning. I know many people would have complained it was their worst trip, they hated Disney blah blah.. but I try and take things in stride and look at the best of the situation.

Attitude is everything!

 

[>Ash<]

my few are...

take naps - taking a quick catnap in the afternoon before heading out for emh is the best thing to do, on our 3rd trip to the world me and partner has a melt down and said some things we would rather forget. dont underestimate the heat and humidity along with the walking at wdw, you will be drained each and every day.

use fastpass - thebest thing we ever started doing, were not commando people but doing a quick run around the park in the morning grabbing fast pass for all ther major attractions is the best to do.

water - stay hydrated, yes in some parks its nice to relax with alcohol in the sun however dont forget that the heat makes the feeling of drunk so much worse, i had a very bad day at epcot 3 years ago stay hydrated ppl.

snacks - take plenty of snacks healthy and refreshing to keep you going all day long,

ice cream break - a quick ice cream in the shade is a great way to recharge your batteries after a tiresome morning

dont take your shoes off midday!! - i walked that much my feet had swolen in the shoes and guess what i took them off to let my feet breathe whilst sat in the cool shade waiting for the 3pm parade, well when it come time to stand up my shoes wouldnt go back on!!!!

midd day pool - if you have done morning magic hours make sure ur heading back to the pool to cool off after lunch, its great to chill and recharge aswell as cool off.

middrow seats - at HS and places with shows people always rush to the doors thinking they will get the best seats, not true, head to the front of the theatre and let a few people in before you, it seems ike your being areal nice family letting other people in before you, but when you get inside you will be in the middle for the show rather than watching from the far side of the theatre - all the cast members make people move along utnil they reach the end of the row, no stopping in the middle. to make sure they fill the theatre for every show.

Fantasmic - dont underestimate this show, turning up at the last minute you will be standing in the back or even be turned away, get their early and if you can see the last showing of the day it is a little quieter.

delivery - if your staying on property you can send all purchases to your resort rather than carrying them around all day, i forgot about that one on my last few trips.

AK - head to ak for opening in the midday heat alot of the animals will dissapear under the shade, if you can get early magic hours at AK i would head straight to the safari as this will give you the best viewing for animals as they are awaking, if your staying at AKL get the sunrise safari its a great thing to do.

food - make sure you eat and not skip meals, keep your energy levels up, you are walking alot during your stay believe me you are doing alot of cardio you will need to eat some food to keep going or you will start feeling tired. some nice pasta's to keep your energy levels up is my choice.

resorts - check out other resorts whilst on property, you will be coming back you know it so why not take in some of the other resorts so when you come to book another trip you can book a hotel knowing you have already seen it.

parades - once you have sene the parades why not use that time when others are watching to ride your favoriate rides in MK and HS as this is always the best time.

characters - on that note remember characters will dissapear when its time for the parade (mickey cant be in 2 places at once) so make sure you plan accordingly.

Leaving MK - on an evening after the parade and fireworks this is always the worst time to leave the park, if your in Mainstreet maybe head into caseys corner for a hot dog and let the bulk of that crowd go, the shops stay open up to an hour after the park officially closes, and you can always get a bus to the resorts (they never leave a guest behind)

3pm parade - ive always found the best parade viewing in frontierland, lots of shops and kiosks to duck into after it finishes and also not as many people if you arrive in good time. (if you are a wheelchair visitor this has a great roped off seating area for wheelchairs)

 

[ronnie2hotty]

- a great place to see the Pixar Countdown to Fun Parate at DHS is on the steps by the American Idol Experience. You need to get there pretty early (between a half-hour to an hour early), but it's a nice shaded spot to sit and enjoy a mid-day snack.

- when packing it is always a good idea to pack any liquid (sunscreen, medicine, etc) in it's own zip-lock bag. On our last trip, my wife's lotion opened when it was in her purse at some point. While it didn't ruin anything, it was a mess and hassle to clean up.

- bring extra zip-lock bags...you just never know when you're going to need them..plus pulling them out of the box and putting them in a suitcase takes up little to no room.

- if you are staying for more than a few days, put your clothes in the dressers.. reason being is that then, you can put the dirty clothes in a separate spot (usually ours are just in a corner of the room, lol)... this will keep clean and dirty separate.

if staying onsite:

- I always reccomend doing laundry in the middle of your trip. It usually equals less packing and a great excuse for a mid-day break. The best time to do laundry is in the afternoon. Late at night is always jam packed, we're talking hour long waits to get into a machine.

- bring your own detergent from home...especially if you have allergies to a specific brand... most brands sell single serve packets..

- if you plan to go swimming while you wait on your laundry, bring extra towels!!... when that floor in the laundromat gets wet, it is like sliding on ice... mopping up after yourself is just a nice thing to do,....and WAY safer.

- if late night is the only time you have to spare to do your laundry, bring a deck of cards, or a deck of UNO cards... it's a great way to pass what is usually the most boring time of your vacation. Everyone in there is stuck in the exact same position as you are, so why not make it at least a little bit of enjoyable.