Mistake you will not repeat next time...

[rroberts]

the one mistake i've made over and over is planning a park on arrival day - it always turns out to be a bad idea (since we're tired from being up early from the flight, usually have a headache, etc)

last trip we stayed at our resort and soaked our feet in the pool until the room was ready - just relaxed, ate lunch, hung out

by the next morning we were rested and 1000% ready to go

this is what worked for us, and we'll do it again next trip!

Question on this. If you get there before check in, where do you change into / out of your swimwear. Just use the bathrooms? Also some of the resorts are going to start putting in gates that your room key will have to open to get into. Will they give you a key to use before checkin so you could use the pool? I'm thinking how BLT is, but I hear that is going to be used in other places.

 

[lizzi6692]

Question on this. If you get there before check in, where do you change into / out of your swimwear. Just use the bathrooms? Also some of the resorts are going to start putting in gates that your room key will have to open to get into. Will they give you a key to use before checkin so you could use the pool? I'm thinking how BLT is, but I hear that is going to be used in other places.

You can check in before the official check in time, your room just may not be ready yet. Also even though your room may not be ready you will get your key to the world card as soon as you check in.

 

[JustAKid]

Ever see a overweight runner?

Cripes!

 

[orplem]

I agree about not doing too many large meals in one day. Back in 1995, during the day we spent at HS, we had lunch at 50's Prime Time Cafe and made reservations for dinner at the Brown Derby. Mistake #1.

Showed up at the Brown Derby for our reservation, went in, ordered expensive food we weren't hungry for, and left most of it on our plates. Mistake #2.

After making Mistake #1, we should have showed up at the Brown Derby only to cancel our reservation. We would have been happier with a light dinner or snack and would have saved a lot of money.

Thankfully, it only took that one time for me to learn from that mistake. We've never repeated it. In fact, one of our habits at least once during each trip is to have a sundae for lunch at the Plaza Restaurant. Without eating lunch first. It fills us up and we don't feel like we're overindulging on a big lunch plus a big dessert.

Thank you for this advice! I have those exact reservations planned for our trip in June except our HBD reservation is tied to Fantasmic! I have been concerned about this very thing (that it will be too much food for one day) and you have now convinced me to make a change!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!

 

[Racemom17]

Question on this. If you get there before check in, where do you change into / out of your swimwear. Just use the bathrooms? Also some of the resorts are going to start putting in gates that your room key will have to open to get into. Will they give you a key to use before checkin so you could use the pool? I'm thinking how BLT is, but I hear that is going to be used in other places.

They will give you the Key to the World Card...even if the room isn't ready and then text you your room number when it is ready.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I went to WDW in 1998 with two of my cousins, who refused to have a plan and could only get time off work in July. Big mistake. Spent most of the trip standing around trying to decide what to do next, and nearly died from the combined effects of heat/anxiety attack brought on by crowds. By the end of the trip I felt as if I'd just been on the Bataan Death March.

Lessons learned-1. Never go with "No-Plan-More-Fun" people, and 2. NEVER go in July, or at any peak time.

 

[goodfood4ursoul]

I ended up having to call and rent an ECV for the rest of the trip. I got first aid at Epcot first aid station.

Beware of moleskin!!

Egads. You are a trooper!

I have not tried it on something so....widespread, but
New Skin liquid bandage was made for things like that:
http://newskinproducts.com/products/liquid_bandage.aspx

 

[samacita]

Very misinformed statement. I'm a petite woman who's weight flux between 126 - 135 pounds. It does happen when body parts rub but you don't have to be a certain body type. Unless you "body type" is bow legged" it can happen. The Body Glide product I recommended above is primarily sold in running shops. Ever see a overweight runner?

Body Glide is in my bathroom cabinet and I use it for long runs (i.e., over 15 mi.) but never need it for walking or hiking. Running creates unique chafing issues that don't occur in other situations. Didn't intend to offend anyone. Just didn't want the PP to feel pressured into buying it if not needed.

 

[carissa1970]

Body Glide is in my bathroom cabinet and I use it for long runs (i.e., over 15 mi.) but never need it for walking or hiking. Running creates unique chafing issues that don't occur in other situations. Didn't intend to offend anyone. Just didn't want the PP to feel pressured into buying it if not needed.

I appreciated the info, but my motto is to always be prepared!! I will keep my two that I ordered from Amazon, and if we don't need them, that's just fine. Maybe I will see someone else in need of one and I can share.

 

[samacita]

i appreciated the info, but my motto is to always be prepared!! I will keep my two that i ordered from amazon, and if we don't need them, that's just fine. Maybe i will see someone else in need of one and i can share.

http://www.myvacationcountdown.com/

 

[andi95]

My biggest mistake is having my first WDW trip at age 35 and not demanding my parents take me when I was a kid!!!

At 43, I've been to WDW 9 times! I'm addicted!!!

 

[lwells523]

Eating lunch at the House of Blues in Downtown Disney (spicy food) before going on any Disney thrill ride.

We don't eat like this at home. So we already felt calorie overload, before we even saw the plate of food

Then add-in thrill rides designed for maximum G-force, and we both felt it in our stomachs

Live and Learn... as they say!

Holy Cow!!! I want this! We arrive Thursday evening and I may consider this for dinner.

 

[lwells523]

Wow. Obviously I need to purchase some Body Glide before our trip in July. Where do they sell it??

I picked up some at Academy. i heard they sell it at Dicks Sporting Goods also but I dont have one here so I cant confirm.

 

[Anna114]

I ended up having to call and rent an ECV for the rest of the trip. I got first aid at Epcot first aid station.

Beware of moleskin!!

OMG what a story. However, I want to sing the praises of moleskin. I have a terrible time with blisters on my feet when I go to Disney. Bandaids can do just so much. By the end of my trip, I'm limping and my feet are riddled with blisters. SO, about 4 trips ago I saw moleskin at the Mercantile at WL. Best stuff ever. Before we head to the park my husband cuts out pieces to put on my foot by base of my toes... it works brilliant! Now, I buy rolls of it, on Amazon, and keep it in my Owner's Locker. So moral of the two stories.... don't put moleskin on an already sensitive (or chaffed) area of your body otherwise you should be good to go

 

[MarkyMouse]

There have been many mistakes through out all of our trips over the years.

One that I will always remember, If a family member is grumpy, feed them or let them swim, encourage a nap, sleep in the next morning. - Do whatever it takes to make them happy.

It makes our vacation a happy vacation.

This is a good point. We are frequent visitors to the world and for many years our itinerary was go go go! After one particular trip the kids were just impossible. They were grumpy the whole week. So the next time we went we changed things up A LOT! We slowed down, we hung around the resort much more. It was wonderful! Our Disney trips now don't resemble our Disney trips of the past at all!

 

[MarkyMouse]

Our boys are now ages 5, 12 and 13, but when our oldest was a toddler, I thought it was essential to take him back to the resort for a nap. So I took our toddler back to CSR on my own while everyone else stayed at MK. He was way too worked up to nap, but I spent the afternoon in our room trying to get him to fall asleep. It was frustrating. Hours later, I gave up and walked around the resort - he fell asleep in the stroller. So the next day, we just let him nap in the stroller and all was well. He was happy and the stroller nap worked wonders for him. Same for our two younger boys. So I don't think going back to the resort is a mistake for everyone - for some it works really well and IS essential. But I needed to let go of the idea that it was necessary for our kids.

Now we're entirely out of the nap stage, but we take a swim break at our resort just to have some down time away from the parks. I think the moral of the story is to give something a try, but be willing to change it (and continue changing it!) if it doesn't work for you.

We always have done the nap thing, but those weren't for the kiddos, they were for me!!

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

I won't wait until after 8 p.m. on our last night to get DD the Mickey ice cream sandwich she'd been talking about for a year . We trekked all over the park looking for an open ice cream cart to no avail. We ended up at Sunshine Seasons and she got a Mickey bar, which she settled for but she really wanted the sandwich! There were so many goodies earlier on in the trip that we just never got to it until the 11th hour.

 

[Stinky_Pete]

I won't wait until after 8 p.m. on our last night to get DD the Mickey ice cream sandwich she'd been talking about for a year . We trekked all over the park looking for an open ice cream cart to no avail. We ended up at Sunshine Seasons and she got a Mickey bar, which she settled for but she really wanted the sandwich! There were so many goodies earlier on in the trip that we just never got to it until the 11th hour.

Funny you mention this. It used to seem like those ice cream treat carts were everywhere, but in December I wanted one of the Mickey bars and there was only one cart in all of World Showcase (near Norway). I was really shocked!

 

[3girls4me05]

Body Glide is in my bathroom cabinet and I use it for long runs (i.e., over 15 mi.) but never need it for walking or hiking. Running creates unique chafing issues that don't occur in other situations. Didn't intend to offend anyone. Just didn't want the PP to feel pressured into buying it if not needed.

Deodorant can often work as well. We brought a travel size and used it just for this purpose. I didn't have this issue but my daughter did and reported that the deodorant worked great!

 

[shalom]

I'm going to try reeeeaaaaalllly hard next time to remember to pack the tickets. Realizing that they're still at home six hours into an 18 hour drive is not the way to go.

don't put moleskin on an already sensitive (or chaffed) area of your body otherwise you should be good to go.

I've actually used moleskin over blisters; first I put on the blister bandage, then I put the moleskin over it. Then the bandage comes up with the moleskin instead of my skin. But I NEVER pull moleskin off; I soak it off in the tub. Doesn't usually take very long. We stay in condos so I just sit in the big MB tub and watch TV while I soak, can work the moleskin off easily and without pulling before the water gets cold. Takes ten, fifteen minutes maybe.

Then again, I would guess people with sweatier feet wouldn't need to bother soaking, while people whose feet don't sweat as much as mine might need to soak longer. There are also different thicknesses of moleskin; I'm fine with any I've tried on the bottom of my feet, but only like the thin kind the few times I'd needed it on the sides of my feet or my heel. Moleskin may not work for everyone but I agree that it's worth a try for people who're have blister problems.