8 Mistakes I made on our Disney Trips:
1. Over scheduling- I’m a HUGE planner (I actually really love it), so before we took my daughter (18 months) for the first time to Disney I planned everything out. I looked at all the different blogs, the crowd calendars, made our fast passes, dinner reservations… I think I even scouted out all the bathrooms in case I needed a last minute diaper change. You know the thing about 18 month olds? They are unpredictable. You never know when they are going to fall asleep or be cranky. That trip I think we skipped over 2 of our fast passes and our breakfast reservation at Tusker House. We still had the best time. I have the best pictures of my daughter on her first trip and we didn’t miss out on anything. I’ve learned since then to plan a little but then leave a lot up to spontaneous moments.
2. Not taking a break during the day- Disney is a very fun and exciting place, especially for little ones. Doing Disney with kids, is definitely different than adults only trips. Our first trip as a family, I think my daughter crashed before dinner… she totally missed the fireworks and didn’t wake up until late the next morning (missing our breakfast reservation). She was worn out. Now on trips we make time to let her run around and play, rest a little and don’t have the “fear of missing out” on something. We either go back to the hotel and lounge by the pool or a find a quiet place at the park. The hub grass in front of the castle is our absolute favorite place to chill out for a bit and you can fence in those rowdy toddlers.
3. It’s a Bug Life– I was warned before I went to Animal Kingdom not to go on It’s a Bug Life. It was one of my favorites visiting the couple of times we went as adults (before my daughter was born) and somehow I forgot how scary it was. I didn’t think it could be that bad and my daughter doesn’t get scared very easily. Boy was I wrong. They warn you when you sit down it may be terrifying for small children but I never expected the screams that came from the toddler that day. We immediately got up and walked out and I think it took us a couple of hours to come down from that terrifying experience. Tip: Youtube rides before you go so you know what to expect.
4. Not taking advantage of the awesome Disney resorts– One thing I regret about one of our recent trips was not spending enough time at our resort. All unique in their own way, each resort has something special about it to experience. When we stayed at the Caribbean Beach, we failed to make enough time to enjoy their awesome pool. I would often bypass the schedules of events at the resort because we were at Disney, wasn’t it supposed to be all about the parks? One night we left the park early and they had a night showing of “The Little Mermaid” by the pool. My daughter made friends with a lot of the other children and it ended up being one of our favorite nights of the trip.
5. Trusting the bus system– The bus system for Disney is confusing. We went to Disney for my Bachelorette trip and we were in a large group (12 of us). We were staying at Art of Animation, which isn’t known for having the fastest bus system to begin with. We had reservations at the Yachtsman steakhouse for their last reservation (8:45pm). From Art of Animation it was not an easy way to get to the Epcot resort area. We ended up going from one bus to another bus. 2 hours later we finally arrived at the Yachtsman Steakhouse (whose kitchen had already closed for the night) and no other restaurant in the area was open or able to take 12 girls. I think I cried to the cast member the front desk for like 30 minutes. We uber everywhere now.
6. Not spending enough time at Disney Springs- I grew up experiencing Downtown Disney, which was cool but not a must see on every Disney Trip. It wasn’t until we happened to have some free time during a recent trip did I really see how much we had been missing by not going to Disney Springs. We ate dinner at Splitsville, which also has bowling and great for all ages. Disney Springs also has some of the best shopping, not only for Disney memorabilia but with stores like Coca-cola, Lilly Pulitzer, Mac, The Lego Store, and so much more! Don’t get me started on the food. I’m a major foodie and we must’ve passed by a million gazillion places I want to eat at, plus little pop up “food trucks”.
7. Making too many fastpasses for characters & princesses- Our first trip to Disney with my daughter, I couldn’t wait for her to take the iconic photos with all the princesses and characters that I grew up loving. She was 18 months and didn’t really get it. Now she loves princesses and seeing Mickey, but that first trip she could’ve cared less.
8. Not making reservations at the Disney Resort restaurants- I am a major foodie, which is a reason why Epcot is my absolute favorite. It wasn’t until our trip in September when I realized how truly magical the resort restaurants are. Each resort has their own theme and these restaurants usually go along with it. A recent favorite of ours was Boma in the Animal Kingdom Lodge. An added plus, you get to see and experience the other resorts while you are at it.
Things I did right…
1. Realizing that Rain Happens- We planned our trip for Labor Day weekend. I packed weeks beforehand. Then the news came that Hurricane Hermine was also planning a trip to Florida the same time we’d be there. I constantly watched the news to see if Disney World would be closed and talked with cast members about cancellation policies. Turns out all she brought was rain (and a lot of it). Good news, that trip I don’t think we had to wait for any lines on any rides. We hit Epcot when it was forecasted to rain the most. We were able to ride Soarin’ 3 times in a row and most other rides had no wait. We sported those ponchos most of that trip but ended up making the most of it.
2. Stocking up on snacks- Disney is expensive and unless you are on the dining plan they don’t come “free”. My daughter loves to snack and you never know when little ones are going to be hungry. Pack plenty of snacks such as granola bars, cereal, fruit snacks, trail mix, or anything easy to transport. You won’t regret it.
3. Using the My Disney App- Wait times, Reservations, Schedule of Events, all at your fingertips. This app is a must use on your Disney trip. Once you have used your 3 fast passes for the day you can also quickly browse other fast pass available for the day.
4. Opted to not buy the memory maker- I wanted to make sure my daughter’s first trip to Disney was well documented. I went back and forth about buying the memory maker and ended up deciding not to. Instead, I rented a nice camera for our trip. I’m not a professional photographer by any means, but the photos we were able to capture in the downtime are very treasured. I bought the extra insurance just in case something were to happen to the camera, but it worked out great!
5. “My First Haircut”- My daughter’s first trip included a lot of firsts. Among all of them I’d say the “my first haircut” experience at the Harmony barbershop was my favorite. We scheduled it around the parade time so we were able to watch the parade right outside while she was getting her haircut. It comes with a certificate, your own mickey ears, and is such a special keepsake.
(Thanks Sara!)
Andrea Fuller says
Totally agree with Sara, as I too, have experienced most of these events. (Can’t express enough – don’t take small children to Bugs’ Life). However, I’ve never had an issue with the bus system. We have flown down, used Magical Express, and all the different transportation available at Disney. We always leave ourselves plenty of time and if we don’t know, we ask. Planning extra time is the key. We even had a wonderful driver bail us out “after hours” one night.