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9 Rookie Mistakes You’ll Want to Avoid Making at Disney World

If you are heading to Walt Disney World for your first trip, you might need to learn it to make some mistakes. We will share people’s top rookie mistakes when heading to Walt Disney World.

By sharing these with you; you can make a plan so you don’t make the same mistakes on your vacation.

Sanaa sign at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
Credit: Disney Dining

Not Planning Dining

Many rookies think they can just show up at Walt Disney World and eat wherever they want. Even though there are a handful of lounges and quick service locations throughout Disney that this is possible, overall, you will want a dining plan ahead of time.

If it is important to you to have sit-down meals throughout your vacation, these can be made sixty days before your vacation. Even though this might seem extreme, many of the top restaurants at Disney do book up early. You will want to make dining reservations beforehand to ensure you can enjoy them.

For quick service locations, make sure you understand mobile ordering. This is a feature found on the My Disney Experience app. Guests can place their order ahead of time by selecting a return window. This allows them to bypass the lines built for ordering during busy meal times.

Many times rookies spend a lot of time waiting for food while in Disney. Be prepared by making dining reservations or using mobile orders.

My Disney Experience App

Not Downloading My Disney Experience

A big mistake that many Disney rookies make is not downloading the My Disney Experience app before their trip. This is the official app of Walt Disney World and where Guests will connect to the magic throughout their trip.

Make sure that you take time to download the app before your trip. The app has so much to discover that taking time before your trip to navigate it can be beneficial.

We have a few posts on How to Disney to help you discover this app’s main features. Discover all its information so you can be prepared for your trip.

Big-Blue-Pool
Credit: Disney Tips

Plan a Pool Day

Rookies, and even veterans, often make the mistake of not enjoying a pool day during their Walt Disney World vacation. When planning your Walt Disney World trip, schedule some time to hang out at the pool.

It can be easy to focus on the Parks, but taking breaks and relaxing during a Disney trip is essential. Do this by scheduling a whole pool day or afternoon breaks where you can enjoy the pool at your Walt Disney World Resort.

Disney Resorts have some fantastic pools, and you won’t want to miss out on all the fun they offer.

Disney Vacation Club Resorts
Credit: Disney Vacation Club

Resort Activities

Rookies often miss out on all the activities offered at their Walt Disney World Resort. Even if they take time to enjoy the pool and the afternoon activities at the pool, many miss out on all the other activities offered to Guests throughout the Disney Resort.

Disney Resorts will have a list of activities. Guests can participate in during their vacation. Ask for a handout at the front desk so you don’t miss out on anything. These can be campfires, movies under the stars, crafts, or scavenger hunts.

Disney Resorts offer a lot for Guests to do during their vacation. Not taking advantage of it can be a huge mistake.

Pop Century Everything Pop Food Court
Credit: Disney

Not Doing Online Check-in

Online check-in is a My Disney Experience app feature that Guests can take advantage of during their trip. Many rookies don’t know this is an option, so they spend a lot of time waiting in line at their Disney Resort upon arrival.

Take time before you head to Disney to complete the online check-in. It will ask you to put in the form of payment and an estimated arrival time. Once your room is available, you can head right to your room and skip the front desk. This can be a great time saver when arriving at Disney.

Disney Skyliner and Disney Monorail
Disney Skyliner and Disney Monorail

Learning About the Transportation Options

We love that Disney offers free transportation for Guests. This makes it extremely easy to navigate your way around the magic. A rookie mistake is not learning about what transportation options are available.

Ensure you get from your Disney Resort to the different Parks. This can save you frustration during your trip if you plan before arriving at your DisneyResort.

Please take a look at our posts on How to Disney, which walk you through the different modes of transportation at Disney. Also, check out the bus times in the My Disney Experience app. This can help you manage time when you are heading to the Parks.

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa at Sunrise
Credit: Pics from the World of Disney

Not Using Early Entry

Finally, rookies tend not to take advantage of early entry. This allows Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort to enter any of the four Disney Parks thirty minutes before posted opening.

This can be a huge advantage when getting into the Parks and experiencing top rides with low wait times. Rookies are often unaware of this option and don’t take advantage of it.

Those are some of the rookies’ top mistakes when visiting Walt Disney World. Ensure you don’t make these mistakes when heading to Walt Disney World. Be prepared and ready for a magical trip to Walt Disney World.

Jennifer Retzlaff

Jennifer became a lifelong Disney fan during her first trip to Walt Disney World in 6th grade. From that moment, Disney became a big part of her life. She quickly started to introduce her love of Disney to her family with a Disney honeymoon and then family trips when her youngest was 18 months old. She loves the magic that Disney brings to people through theme parks, cruises, and adventures. As a teacher, she tries to bring Disney magic into her classroom to help kids believe that “If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It.” She is also part of the Magic Vacation Planner team as a personal travel advisor. With this team, she can now help others plan magical vacations. She loves bringing her love to Disney to readers with How to Disney.

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