9 Rookie Mistakes to Avoid When Visiting Disney World

9 Rookie Mistakes to Avoid When Visiting Disney World

9 Rookie Mistakes to Avoid When Visiting Disney World

Are you visiting the Most Magical Place on Earth? For many a trip to Walt Disney World is a dream come true. With so many things to do from characters to fireworks and rides, you’ll want to make sure you plan carefully. That’s why we broke down the 9 most common rookie mistakes to avoid when visiting Disney World.

Disney Rookie Mistake #1

Not Staying in Orlando: For first-time Disney goers, we highly recommend staying at a Walt Disney World resort to maximize the magic. Disney offers exceptional guest services from the moment you step foot off the plane and board the Magical Express Bus to your hotel check out.

 If, however, a Disney World resort doesn’t fit within your budget or family’s needs, booking a hotel in Orlando takes a lot of the pressure off transportation, as many hotels offer shuttle services back and forth from all four Disney theme parks. 

Disney Rookie Mistake #2

Waiting Until the Last Minute to Book During Holidays: By using our Disney Crowd Calendar, you’ll see that some of the most popular times to visit Walt Disney World typically lands on holidays when the kids are out of school. (Think Christmastime, summer recess, and spring break.)

While there’s absolutely no “wrong” time to book your Disney vacation, we recommend booking at LEAST 6-12 months in advance. This is especially true for guests staying on property. Booking far in advance will give you access to the best rooms and prices. Plus, Disney takes the pressure off booking by allowing modifications to your stay up to 31 days prior to check-in without any penalties. 

Disney Rookie Mistake #3

Not Downloading the MyDisneyExperience App: Downloading and learning how to use this free app prior to your stay is the ultimate key to a successful Disney vacation. This app will allow you to, book your FastPass+ selections, make dining reservations, avoid lines at the parks by ordering food for pick-up, navigate through the parks, unlock your room, and so much more. 

Disney Rookie Mistake #4

Not Booking Your FastPass+ Selections 60 days in Advance: One of our favorite perks of staying at a Walt Disney World resort is locking in times to ride our absolute attractions. While 60 days might seem way too far in advance to start booking your FastPass+ selections, it’s absolutely not.

Popular rides like Flight of Passage in Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Space Mountain in Disney’s Magic Kingdom are typically out of FastPasses by the time that booking window opens. 

Disney Rookie Mistake #5

Not Booking Your Dining Reservations 180 Days in Advance: If you thought 60 days for FastPasses was a stretch, you’re probably thinking that booking dining reservations 180 days out is even crazier!

Well, guess what Disney newbie? It’s totally not! If booking a character brunch, dinner at Cinderella’s castle or breakfast at the Beast’s Castle are some of your top priorities, you’ll want to take advantage of this booking window. Getting that one-on-one character time in an intimate setting is extremely popular for many families, honeymooners and Disney first-timers. Don’t miss out by waiting until the last minute to reserve your table! 

Disney Rookie Mistake #6

Not Checking the Refurbishment Schedule: If you’re completely new to Disney, you probably have no idea what “refurbishments” means. However, if you’re anything like us and showed up at the Magic Kingdom last January (without checking the refurbishment schedule) to have your dreams crushed when you found out that Peter Pan’s flight was closed, shame on you. Just kidding! Even us pros make mistakes sometimes.

From resorts to rides, Disney has been making tons of updates throughout their entire property. We suggest checking the refurbishment schedule for things like pool closures, ride closures and more. 

Disney Rookie Mistake #7

Not Getting Familiar With the Park Maps Before You Get There: For park warriors in the making, this one is very important! You’ll want to get the lay of the land prior to arriving so that you can game plan your journey throughout the parks successfully. Always start at the park entrance and then head in the direction where your must-do attractions are.

Disney Rookie Mistake #8

Not Packing the right stuff for Florida: The Florida weather can be unpredictable. Guests traveling in summer can expect high temperatures and a few rain showers. While travelers visiting in winter might need shorts and a jacket in the same day. Packing the right items for your Orlando trip can save you a ton of time and money once you get to Disney.

Disney Rookie Mistake #9

Not Using the Park Prodigy to Help Book Your Most Magical Vacation Ever: Yes, we saved the best for last! It goes without saying that there’s a lot of stressful planning involved when it comes to booking a Disney World vacation.

That’s why The Park Prodigy team would love to help. Make sure you take advantage of all of our free tools and resources on this site. And don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions you might have! Help@theparkprodigy.com