Many circumstances can impact your Walt Disney World trip. Weather is one of the more significant impacts. Rain storms, humidity, and heat can significantly affect your overall experience at Walt Disney World.
Ride closures, transportation issues, meltdowns, and more can impact your Walt Disney World vacation. Where all of these can cause frustration, one big mistake can ruin your trip.
We will drive into this significant mistake and give you some pro tips on ensuring it won’t ruin your Walt Disney World vacation.
What is it?
So what big mistake can ruin your Walt Disney World trip? Needing more sleep. This is the number one destroyer of magical vacations. A Walt Disney World trip is busy so you will get worn down.
Starting the day with roping, dropping a Disney Park to avoid the crowds staying late so you won’t miss out on the nighttime shows it a lot. Add in the heat and humidity of Florida, and these long days with little sleep can be a disaster.
A lack of sleep can lead to meltdowns, high emotions, and even to people feeling sick. All of this can have a massive impact on your vacation to Walt Disney World.
So how do you avoid making this mistake? We have a few tips to help prevent a lack of sleep from ruining your magical trip to Walt Disney World.
Be Realistic
The first way to avoid a lack of sleep during your trip is to be realistic in your plans. Walt Disney World is huge. Because of this, you won’t be able to see and do it all during one vacation. Don’t even try to push yourself to this goal.
Before heading down to Walt Disney World, make a must-do list. Having this before you arrive will help you focus your day and have realistic expectations of what you will accomplish. Realistic expectations will allow you to feel accomplished, and that feeling will enable you to walk away from the Parks when you start to feel worn down.
Don’t think your kids or adults can go from rope drop to closing every day of your trip. Set realistic expectations so you can enjoy the whole trip.
Take Breaks
Plan breaks are A big part of ensuring that lack of sleep doesn’t ruin your trip. Even if your kids don’t nap anymore, having time to allow your body to rest will be extremely important. Breaks can be having a friendly table service meal, visiting a nearby Resort, or heading back to your Resort for a nap.
By scheduling breaks throughout your trip, your body can rest and recover. Doing this daily can make a huge difference and allow you to experience more magic.
Have a Break Day
If you plan a more extended vacation to Walt Disney World, consider scheduling a whole break day in the middle of the trip. By having a day that doesn’t have a schedule, you can allow everyone to sleep in and catch up on their rest.
Having a slow start to the day is a lot of fun. You can get breakfast at your Disney Resort, head to the pool, participate in the Resort activities, or even watch a movie in your room. For those more extended vacations, a whole break day is a must-do.
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Stick to Your Routine
For those traveling with younger kids who are still on a schedule, try to stick to that schedule as much as possible throughout your trip. Keeping your kids on their overall schedule will help ensure they get enough sleep.
Don’t expect a happy toddler if you are skipping their regular nap each day of your trip. This will set you up for meltdowns and frustration. Be aware of their regular schedule at home, and try to carry that over as much as possible to your Disney vacation.
Sleep in
We mentioned taking a whole break day for those with more extended vacations, but we would also recommend that everyone schedule a morning without an alarm. Take a morning where you don’t hit up rope drop. Instead, prepare a late breakfast at one of the many great restaurants, Chef Mickey’s, Topolino’s Terrace, or Ohana, and then head into the Park.
Although we are huge fans of getting to the Parks early to avoid large crowds, we also know that having one morning where everyone can sleep in will vastly differ overall attitudes.
With Genie+, you can have a great late start to your day by booking your Lightning Lanes for later in the day. Use this feature to walk into the Park with stacked rides to help limit your wait times. You can also enjoy shows and other entertainment when heading into the Parks later in the day.
Adjust as You Go
Finally, be willing to adjust your plans to avoid a lack of sleep ruining your trip. If you notice that everyone is getting cabby, hot, and tired, adjust your objectives to head back to the Resort for a nap. We know that having a plan is important, but being able to change those plans is also essential.
Don’t force everyone to keep riding rides or seeing shows if tired. This won’t be a magical experience for anyone. Adjust those plans and take time to rest.
Lack of sleep is a big mistake that can quickly ruin a Walt Disney World vacation. Use these tips to help make sure everyone in your group is getting time to sleep. Doing so will help you have a magical time on your Walt Disney World vacation.
