If you’re going to Disney World for the first time, you’ll (most likely) want to make the most of your vacation.
Disney World is a pretty big place and there are a lot of systems and moving parts that you may not know about or think about if you’ve never been before.
As a result, there are a handful of mistakes I see time and time again from Disney World first-timers.
Here are the top ten first time Disney World mistakes I’ve come across and how to avoid them!
Not planning ahead
Disney World isn’t really the type of vacation you can play by ear. There are a handful of things you really do need to plan ahead.
This includes things like FastPasses, Dining Reservations, and the Magical Express.
And in order to plan those things, it means you have to have some kind of an idea of what day you’ll be in each park and what time you’ll be there.
For more, here’s a post with 8 things you should plan ahead for in Disney World.
Not booking FastPasses and Dining Reservations
With every Park Ticket comes the ability to book FastPasses and make Dining Reservations.
FastPasses will allow you to ride some of Disney’s most popular rides with a significantly reduced wait time. You can book three per day in advance of your trip.
If you’re staying in a Disney World resort, you can book your FastPasses 60 days before your trip. If you’re staying outside of Disney World, you can book 30 days in advance.
There are only so many FastPasses available per ride, so you want to book yours ASAP.
If you know you want to eat at a table service restaurant, you can make your reservation 180 days in advance. Popular restaurants fill up quickly, so make your reservations as soon as you can.
You can use the My Disney Experience app to do this.
Trying to do everything
If you’ve never been to Disney World before, you may not realize just how massive it is and just how much there is to do.
It can be very easy to get caught up in trying to fit EVERYTHING in.
This would be a mistake (unless you’ve got an extended stay planned).
It takes time and energy to do everything in Disney World and that much go-go-go will likely lead to frustration and disappointment for you and other members of your party.
Instead, do your research before you go and prioritize. Figure out what rides and shows are your Must Dos, which ones are your Would Like To Dos, and which ones you’re okay skipping.
This ensures you don’t miss out on anything massive, and you won’t kill yourself trying to get to everything.
Besides, half the magic of Disney World is that no matter how many times you go, there’s always something you haven’t done before. So if you don’t get to everything, it’s all the more reason to go back.
Not taking downtime
Like we just touched on, Disney World is HUGE and it’s a lot of walking. If you try to go from park open to park close, you will run yourself into the ground by the end of day two.
The best way to pace yourself so you actually have the energy for your entire trip is to plan rest time.
How you structure it will depend on what makes the most sense for you and your group.
You may want to plan several full park days with a couple of complete rest days in between. One your off days, you can hang by the pool or check out the resorts.
Or you may want to be at the park when it opens, take a mid-day break, then go back in the late afternoon/early evening and stay until closing.
Or you may have another variation! Whatever makes the most sense for you and your family or group! Just make sure you do yourself a favor and get that rest time in.
Forgetting water and/or sunscreen
When your main concern is racing to the next attraction, it can be easy to overlook some of the basics like hydrating and wearing sunscreen, but they’re so so important.
All the walking and the Florida temperatures can really catch up with you if you’re not careful. Be sure you’re drinking enough water!
You don’t have to buy water in the parks. Counter Service locations will give you a free cup of water if you ask. You can also bring a water bottle and fill it up at any water fountain or bottle filling station.
It’s worth noting that some people don’t like the taste of Florida water. My preference is to bring a filtered water bottle with me. This way I can fill up at a fountain as I need to and still get good tasting water.
Not sorting out My Disney Experience before you go
My Disney Experience is an awesome app that makes managing your FastPasses, Dining Reservations, and Resort Reservations so much easier.
There are also a handful of other features the app can do for you to enhance your trip.
However, you don’t want to wait until you get to Disney World to get the app squared away and know how to use it.
You want to make sure your family or group members are all linked up before you leave so you can easily make and changes plans.
You also want to have a good idea of what the app can do and how you’re going to use it.
If you try to figure all of this out on the fly, you’ll end up wasting time and may end up frustrated. So take the time before you leave to explore the app as much as you can.
For more on the My Disney Experience App, check out this post for 11 things you can do in it.
Overlooking Disney food
Disney food is a whole lot better than your standard theme park food. This is true for both sitdown table service food and quicker counter service meals.
However, some restaurants are better than others.
Disney posts all of their menus online, and it’s absolutely worth looking at all of them and getting an idea of where you might want to eat.
You can find Disney’s menus here. I also always recommend Disney Food Blog for more in-depth Disney food coverage.
Wasting time
Time is money in Disney World. And while it’s important to take breaks, it’s also important to maximize your time when you’re in the parks.
This means making sure you book and use all your FastPasses so you don’t waste time waiting in line. Also, be sure to keep an eye on wait times in the My Disney Experience app and jumping on rides when the have lower wait times.
It also means using Mobile Order in the My Disney Experience app to order your counter service meals when you can.
Wearing new shoes
One of the worst things you can do is wear brand new shoes–even sneakers–to Disney World.
If you know you want to get new sneakers from your trip, give yourself a month or two to break them in before you go. As we’ve covered, Disney World comes with a TON of walking.
You’re far more likely to end up with blisters and foot pain if you’re wearing new shoes that haven’t been broken in.
Not exploring outside the Parks
Naturally, Disney’s theme parks are the main reason most people go to Disney World. But there’s plenty to do outside the parks too!
This includes visits to Disney Springs, Disney’s BoardWalk, and Disney Resorts.
You don’t have to be staying at a resort to visit! And while you can’t use the pool or other similar amenities, there are other activities that you can take part in.
For example, you can go to Wilderness Lodge for their campfire and s’mores, visit the animals at Animal Kingdom Lodge, or sit on the beach at the Polynesian and watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks–even if you’re not staying at any of these places.
These activities can be money-savers, and they’re often overlooked by first-time visitors.
For more Disney World tips and tricks, check out the other Disney World Posts!
Sound off: What’s the biggest thing you learned from your first Disney trip? Tell us about it in the comments!