We are getting close to 2023 and that means a lot of us are already planning our 2023 vacations to Walt Disney World. As we prepare and plan for our 2023 vacations, there are some big mistakes that you will want to avoid.
We want to share what these mistakes are and how you can avoid them as you plan. We hope that by bringing them to your attention, you will be more prepared for a magical trip in 2023.
Forgetting to Make Park Pass Reservations
If you haven’t been to Disney in a while, or even if you were just there, it can be easy to forget to make your Park Reservations. Disney is requiring that Guests log onto their My Disney Experience account and select which of the four Disney Parks they are going to visit each day of their Disney ticket.
We highly recommend that you go into your account and make these reservations as soon as you have paid your deposit on your package. By doing it right away, you will have the most Park availability allowing you to choose the Park of your choice.
Disney has recently made adjustments to this process allowing for Guests to modify their reservations in the future, if there is availability, however, having them done early on in the planning process is key.
Not Booking Transportation
2023 will continue to see the need for Guests to book their own transportation to and from the airport and their Walt Disney World Resort hotel. At the beginning of 2022, we saw Disney’s Magical Express be discontinued leaving Guests to add a step to their planning process.
To ensure that you have something booked, we recommend doing this anywhere from six to three months prior to travel. Not only do you need to remember to book your transportation, but you also need to make sure you add this to your budget.
You can choose to have private transportation, rideshare, or even pick to rent a car. There are two companies that offer similar options to Disney’s Magical Express and those are Mears and Sunshine Flyer. You can look into these options to see if they are going to meet your needs.
No matter what your transportation choice is, make sure you don’t make the mistake of not booking anything.
Learn About My Disney Experience
A major mistake you want to avoid is not downloading and navigating the My Disney Experience app prior to your vacation. This is the official app of Walt Disney World and is truly essential to a successful trip.
There are a lot of different features found in the app that are so important to your Disney vacation. Know where they are and how you use them by using the app prior to your arrival. We have a few posts on How to Disney that will provide some guidelines on what features you should be aware of before you arrive at Walt Disney World. Don’t make the mistake of waiting until you arrive at Disney to begin using the app. This will lead to frustration and stress which isn’t needed.
Take Advantage of Disney Resort Perks
If you are staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel during your vacation, make sure that you are aware of the perks you get for staying there. First and foremost is the free transportation that is offered. Guests are able to enjoy the Disney buses, boats, monorails, and Skyliner in order to move around the Walt Disney World Resort Property.
Guests of all Walt Disney World Resort hotels can take advantage of early entry. This allows them to enter any of the four Disney Parks a half hour early. This is a great way to get ahead of the crowd and enjoy lower wait times.
Those staying at a Deluxe Resort can take advantage of the extended evening hours at either EPCOT or Magic Kingdom on select evenings. Again, this is a nice time to visit Disney Park with cooler temperatures and lower wait times.
Knowing that perks come with your Disney Resort stay is important. You don’t want to miss out on a perk because you didn’t know. These are constantly changing so make sure you ask at your Disney Resort to make sure you know what is available to you.
Not Having a Portable Charger
Our mistake that you will want to avoid when traveling to Walt Disney World is forgetting to bring a portable charger. As we mentioned earlier, My Disney Experience is essential to a successful Walt Disney World experience. Because of this, you are on your phone navigating the app which means draining your battery.
Although you will be able to find batteries at Walt Disney World, there are a lot cheaper ones and a lot stronger ones on Amazon and at other stores. Take time to purchase a portable charger for everyone that will be using their phone during the trip.
Having these packed for the Parks will keep everyone happy and connected throughout the day.
Planning a trip to Walt Disney World can be overwhelming. We at How to Disney want you to have a magical and stress-free time during your vacation. By sharing these common mistakes, we hope that you will be able to avoid them during your Disney trip.
As you are thinking about the details of your trip such as where to stay, where to eat, and which rides to visit, make sure you keep in mind these common mistakes and take steps to avoid them.
