Since we moved out of Florida eight years ago, we have only been back to Disney three times (we waited until my oldest kids were at least 5 years old). I am a native Floridian and grew up going to Disney a LOT. Now that we’re moving back, I look forward to being able to have annual passes and go so much more! That being said, I learn something new EVERY time we go. There is never an absolutely perfect trip because….well….life isn’t perfect and is rather unpredictable at times! Here are 5 things I got wrong….and 5 things I got right over these last three trips!
Nays:
1) Not renting a golf cart at Fort Wilderness
Ok, so this is obviously a non-factor if you aren’t staying here, but we stayed at the cabins this past October. We flew down, thus we had no car with us and were completely at the mercy of the bus system at the campground. If you’ve ever stayed at this resort, you know how HUGE it is! When researching it, the golf cart would have cost us $300 total for our stay. I was cheap and didn’t get it. BIG mistake! We could have saved a lot of time, confusion, and frustration if I had done that. By the time we had the bus system figured out, it was time to go home.
2) Trying to do a double vacation with friends
We did one trip as a double vacation with my best friend, her husband and kids (they live in FL and have annual passes). Now, I love my best friend to death, but we have very different parenting styles and Disney modes. Her kids were a couple years younger than my youngest son (He was 6, so they were 5 and 3 ½ at that time). It was a hot mess, and we just couldn’t seem to coordinate very much due to her kids’ needs versus mine. I think it added more stress than enjoyment for both our vacations. SO, if you double up with anyone, either make sure they are of similar vacation style to you, or pack a lot of extra patience! We had a limited time and a lot we wanted to do, while they either couldn’t do a lot of the rides, or their kids didn’t want to go on them (since they could go anytime) and mine did. It was exhausting!!!! Mental note…..next time meet them at the beach instead!
3) Not seeing a dinner show
This past trip we did the Disney Dining Plan, and though I considered doing a dinner show like the luau at the Polynesian or the Hoop-De-Doo revue at our resort, I scoffed at having to use two dining credits for them. I should have done a dinner show…because every…single…time we passed by there on our way to/from the boat to the MK and the dinner show was going on (you could hear the music and hoopla outside walking by), my kids whined and complained that they wanted to go. It was one of our resort amenities I regret not partaking in! Anyone I talked to there who had gone raved about it, too- still kicking myself in the behind for not doing it!
4) Not building in enough down days
It’s so hard when you only get one Disney trip a year, or every other year, to get to see and do all you want to. In the past I have only built in one down day. It has NEVER been enough. The older you get, the more recovery time you need, both physically and mentally. After days of navigating crowds and herding cats-oops, I mean kids- your patience and stamina will be worn thin. Next time, we’ll have a two day minimum built in!
5) Assuming my tech was good enough for Disney
On our last trip, I went to download the MyDisneyExperience app to my phone the day before our departure. To my utter dismay, I couldn’t download it because it was not compatible with my phone. My phone was only 4.5 years old and an android smartphone…however, I guess that’s ancient by Disney tech standards. My husband had the same phone I did, so neither of us could get it! Lucky for us, my mom was going with us, and had just gotten a new iphone. We just had to use her phone to check ride times, change fast passes, manage our reservations, etc. the whole time we were there. It was super annoying!
Now, as much as I inevitably get something wrong, I at least get roughly an equal number right!
Yays!
1) Bringing clorox wipes, hand sanitizer and EO’s to stay healthy.
Upon returning home from our kids’ first trip to Disney, we found out we had not come home alone. My husband brought bronchitis, my mom brought pneumonia, and my youngest son brought H1N1 flu home with them. NEVER AGAIN!!! I am happy to report since then we take a packet of clorox wipes to clean off eating surfaces and wipe doorknobs or surfaces in the hotel room that are frequently touched. I put Thieves essential oil on my kids daily, beginning a couple days before we leave for Disney until a couple days after we are home. I now have everyone use hand sanitizer before every meal eaten outside the hotel room, even if they just washed their hands. People come from all over the world to visit Disney. I am happy to say we have all stayed healthy before, during and after our subsequent trips!
2) Going off the beaten path
A lot of the focus at Disney is on the rides. While we love the rides, Disney has so much more to offer than just that. We really enjoyed doing things that a lot of people miss. My kids loved taking the train ride to and visiting Rafiki’s Planet Watch at Animal Kingdom. They went to the petting zoo and learned about (and got to pet) a snake in the visitor’s center. Personally, I love to see all the movies in the different countries that have them at Epcot. We tried exotic foods (it was the Food and Wine Festival when we were there) and saw a lot more entertainment this last time around. One of my kids’ favorite rides at Epcot is the ride inside the Mexican temple, funnily enough! It’s slow and not crowded, plus they love the music.
3) Interacting with the Cast Members
We now make it a point to talk to, make eye contact with, and enjoy the people who work at Disney. They can really make your day so special, and we come home with lots of great stories of little things they did to bring us happiness. My kids still remember one singing bus driver in particular. Talking to cast members always makes our vacation such a richer experience, and they are a wealth of knowledge and experience to tap into!
4) Make at least one early breakfast reservation
We recently did a before-park-hours reservation at BOG for breakfast. We had never done it before, and were SO glad we did! We got the best photo shots in front of the castle with pretty much no one there. It was like having the park to ourselves for a short time!
5) Getting the dining plan
I know, I know….it’s not for everyone! For my family, however, I can say without a doubt that we LOVE using the dining plan and it does save us a lot of money. I know a lot of people bring their own food to prepare, but for me, being on vacation means I don’t have to cook! I have also found that my kids are more willing to try new foods when we have such a variety of ethnic restaurants to choose from. We ate in Morocco, Mexico, Yak and Yeti, and Morimoto’s to name a few. My kids ate sushi, curry, lamb and seafood. For us, vacation is a splurging time for food that we can’t normally afford in our budget, and really adds to our enjoyment!
(Thanks Alissa!)