Simple Mistakes to Avoid on Your Walt Disney World Vacation

A vacation to Walt Disney World takes a lot of Disney planning and organization.  As you focus on the big decisions such as when to visit, flights, hotels and transportation you might easily make some simple mistakes that could have a big impact on your Disney vacation.

We are here to tell you about some simple mistakes that Guests often make when it comes to a Walt Disney World vacation so you can make sure you are prepared and don’t make them during your Disney vacation.

Forgetting About Park Reservations

If you have been going to the Walt Disney World Resort for years you might easily forget about making your Park Reservations.

When Walt Disney World opened back up in July 2020, Guests were asked to select a Disney Park for the day.  This allowed Disney to monitor crowd levels during these early days.

Now it seems like the Parks are back to normal capacity; however, Disney is still asking Guests to make Park Reservations.

This is a simple step that you do within My Disney Experience after purchasing tickets.  Even though it is a simple step, if you forget to do so you won’t be allowed into a Park and on busy times such as Christmas you might find your Disney Park of choice blocked out.

Make sure that you are making your Park Reservations as soon as you get Walt Disney World Tickets purchased.  This will ensure that you get into the Disney Park of your choice.

Not Having My Disney Experience Ready

My Disney Experience (MDE) is Disney’s official planning app for Walt Disney World.  It is through this app that Guests will do a variety of things in the Theme Parks such as mobile order, see wait times, use Disney Genie and so much more.

A simple mistake that Guests make is waiting until they arrive at Walt Disney World Resort to download MDE.  The reason that this is a mistake is because it means you haven’t taken any time prior to your Disney vacation to get familiar with the app.

Although MDE provides a lot of information and tools to help Guests during their Walt Disney World vacation, it can also be extremely overwhelming to use.

We highly recommend downloading it at home and learning some of the key features it has to offer.  Check out our post HERE on features you should know about before arriving at your Disney Resort.

Forgetting to Prepare for Weather

We all wish that Walt Disney World and Magic Kingdom were in a magical bubble where the weather is perfect all the time, but that isn’t the case.

A simple mistake Guests make when heading to Walt Disney World is not preparing for the weather.

In the winter months, this means not forgetting to pack layers.  We often think of Florida as warm all the time; however, it does get cold and chilly during those winter months so be prepared.

If you are traveling in the summer, be ready for the heat, humidity and rain storms.  Toss in those fans, cooling towels and umbrellas to make sure you are ready to tackle the Parks.

Really check that weather right before you leave as it can change quickly in Walt Disney World and you don’t want to be caught not prepared for it.

Having the Wrong Shoes

Another simple but impactful mistake is having the wrong shoes when in Walt Disney World.  We know that many of us want to have cute outfits for the pictures, but your feet won’t like you much if you aren’t wearing the right shoes.

Guests typically walk between 8 to 12 miles a day, so making sure you have the appropriate shoes is key to doing this successfully.

We highly recommend packing tennis shoes or shoes that support your feet during the long miles.  Don’t choose shoes that aren’t broken in or you haven’t tried walking in as that could end badly.

It is a simple mistake, choosing the wrong shoes, but it can have a big impact on a vacation.  Make sure to think through what shoes will allow you to get those miles in without being uncomfortable.

Not Understanding Genie+

A new mistake that Guests are making revolves around Genie+.  This new paid feature within My Disney Experience allows Guests to bypass the standby lines in a Theme Park.

A mistake that some are making is not doing their research around how this new system works and determining if it is right for them.

Taking some time to figure out how Genie+ works and what rides might be the best use of it can really help you get the most out of this feature if you choose to purchase it for your vacation.

Forgetting Portable Chargers

A simple but costly mistake for a Walt Disney World vacation is forgetting a portable charger for your cell phone.

A Walt Disney World vacation relies heavily on the My Disney Experience app meaning access to your cell phone is important.

Having a dead phone at Walt Disney World can be extremely frustrating because you won’t have access to MDE and the features it offers such as  mobile ordering, wait times or Genie+.

Although there are fuel rod stations around, they are sometimes difficult to find and they are expensive.  Make sure you are prepared by having portable chargers for everyone with a phone.  This will keep everyone happy and connected.

These are a few of the simple mistakes Guests make when it comes to their Walt Disney World vacation that can have a big impact.  Make sure that you are ready by preparing and doing a little planning ahead of time.

We hope that you will now be prepared to avoid these simple mistakes on your Walt Disney World vacation.

Check out tips from Walt Disney World veterans HERE.