What 3 things do you wish you knew before your trip to WDW?

[goNsoon2WDW]

Before heading to WDW I try to make sure that we are prepared with things to take with us, what to expect regarding crowds, plan how our days will be spent, and let's not forget where we will eat. But think back to when you may not have been so on top of things and share three things you wish you knew before visiting WDW.

1) Cast members are truly an attraction of their own. Make a point of talking with them any chance you get. Find out what brought them to work for Disney and what their favorite park of the park is. This is especially true in EPCOT. Make a game of it. Try to find the cast member who is from a place as close to home as possible or from a place you've never heard of before.

2) Go at your own pace. Some families are go-go-go and others are happy to enjoy the sights and sounds at a leisurely pace. There is a time and place for both of these with my family, but I shouldn't be compelled to force anyone else to enjoy my vacation the same way as I choose. We have learned that my sister and her family tour WDW very differently than we do. And that's ok!

3) An afternoon at the resort pools is not a waste of time. Yes, the park tickets are expensive. Yes, you saved a long time. Yes, you may not be back for a very, very long time. Being able to relax and cool off in the middle of the most crowded time not only will refresh you and your family (my hubby takes a nap), but it will pay off for being happier and create some fantastic memories as well. My boys still talk about the fun they had with cousins at the Coronado Springs pool.

I can't wait to hear what others have learned from their trips.

 

[Mom2Stitch]

Good shoes, good shoes, good shoes-and mole skin for just in case. I don't like pain-it hurts!

Stop and look around. It's not just about the next ride. Listen to the music as it changes from land to land. Disney World is in the details, don't miss it!

Have a plan and be ready to throw it away if need be. I know in the FP+/ADR times we are in it's harder to be flexible, but sometimes you have to be.

 

[Accident]

1) Fast Pass Tricks. You can move up your fast pass time from the app while your using them. You'll be surprised what extra fast passes you can get from a kiosk in the evening (even shorter 20 minute lines you can turn into 10 minute lines and enjoy more). Concierge can add a 4th but generally need a reason. The person near the kiosk with a tablet can add a 4th but again needs a reason. Some kiosks are only a person with a tablet.

2) Dining Walk ins. It's easier to walk into a TS meal than you think. The hardest to get reservations, stop in early in the day, ask for a walkin for lunch/dinner and they will give you a time to come back most of the time.

3) Food plans if not free are usually more expensive. If you dine like us, we don't get deserts and appetizers for everyone at every meal. The gratuity really adds up fast and when you factor in the full cost of meals, you probably would have ordered less and overall saved money. (in 2016 with the changes, I can't see how anyone will save money with the dining plan).

And I must add this forth:

4) MORE SOCKS!! Your feet and shoes will get wet. Have some way to get your feet dry or you will rip them up and be miserable the rest of the trip.

 

[crostorfer]

1. Chef Mickey's is an unpleasant experience and not worth the $$$.

2. You cannot, under any circumstances, depend on Disney buses, (or in some cases the monorail), to get you to an ADR on time, especially breakfast. If you are within an hour and a half of your reservation time, just suck it up and take the cab.

3. Don't assume that a coating of sunscreen before you leave the room at 7:30 in the morning will do the job until lunch, even if it is a cloudy day. Bring it with you and re-apply religiously, or you will be miserable. Either you will feel the burn, or you'll have to endure the pain of listening to your little ones throw a tantrum because they can't go swimming due to their blistering red shoulders.

 

[DisneyFive]

1. How bad Stitch's Great Escape is!
2. How to order QS with the dining plan. (Sorry for those that had to stand behind us the first few times)
3. For my FIL who was with us, how easy it is to get blisters.

Dan

 

[Greengirl137]

1. Bring multiple pairs of shoes and change up which pair you wear each day. I don't know why, but I never really thought about doing this or that it would make a difference, but before our 3rd trip a few years ago, I was looking for shoe reviews on the forums and saw several people post how doing this really helps keep your feet from feeling tired and hurting each day. I tried it and was pleasantly suprised just how much it works!

2. Make Lunch and Dinner Reservations. It seems silly, looking back now, but this wasn't something we did all the time the first couple trips. Inevitably, we'd get in engrossed in rides and parades and realize we hadn't eaten or drank anything in hours and were now getting grumpy and uncomfortable. Even if we end up just going in for an appetizer or dessert, we are always glad we have reservations in place as our own little reminder to slow down and take a break.

3. Plan more time then you think you'll need. It's just my husband and I, so we don't have a kids schedule that we need to stick to, but more often than not, we realize we want to spend more time doing something then we thought we would. We are going to be attending F&W for the 3rd time this year and we have learned that it takes way longer to visit all the booths then what we thought 2 years ago, so now we plan to be at Epcot at least for some portion of almost every day during our trip. That way it's not just running from booth to booth trying to cram everything in (literally)!

 

[sharonped]

1. Bring an external battery pack for your phone/device you're using in the park.
2. Try and eat off-hours; especially if you don't have ADRs. Sort of along the same vein: try and zig when the most people are zagging.
3. If you are using Disney transportation, plan more time than you expect.
4. It's worth repeating: really know your shoes are going to work and bring backups.

 

[DizDaD7]

1) Perks with staying onsite.....Our Honeymoon & my 1st trip in 97 we didn't know much about that.
2) Values offer so little, compared to the mods & deluxes/villas
3) People aren't as care free as us, so don't get upset..

 

[SA-TX]

1. No park hoppers. Unless you have a 3 day or less ticket, and you want to see everything, park hoppers can actually cost you time, instead of saving it. There's a lot of time spent between parks.

2. Use the fastpass for soarin' and use the single rider line for test track. The pre-ride is a little over rated.

3. Force the teenagers to go to sleep early so they aren't grumpy in the morning.

 

[DCLogs]

1. It really is THAT hot and humid. Stay hydrated.
2. Don't get upset at people. Just laugh it off. Some people are very rude.
3. You will walk way more than you think. I wear a fitbit and got 10,000 step by noon.

 

[Oneanne]

1. I'm jumping on the shoes bandwagon: never-ever bring/wear new shoes, bring multiple pairs and swap each day (sometimes even from daytime to night)
2. Always plan a minimum of one hour to get from place to place on Disney transportation... I don't like to stress/worry while I'm on vacation and so frequently plan an hour and a half
3. Mix-it-up... getting up at the same time, getting dressed and catching a bus starts to feel like going to work if I do it the same every morning, so I plan early and late mornings

 

[Hisgirl]

1. If the weather is hot, plan to sweat through all clothes, especially bras and bring multiples.
2. Plan to walk up to 7+ miles per day and prepare prior to the trip so joints and shins won't ache.
3. If you aren't used to eating rich food, and heathy & fresh has been the norm, have a care if you are on Club Level and don't nosh on too many rich appetizers. Dinner was ruined for me two days in a row.
4. One more...include a little down time to lay by the pool, or explore other resorts so you aren't so time crunched and rushed all the time.

 

[Hans Olo]

1.) Never wear a skirt without body glide on or some kind of shorts underneath. The chaffing was the worst ever and I could barely walk. My thighs were bruised purple and raw. Chub rub is legit!

2.) People will stand super close to you in line. It is sooo annoying when I can't even move my arms without hitting them cause they're so close. Back it up people! Leaving a foot between us will not hurt anything.

3.) Claustrophobia is real and got the best of me while being shoved in a room as tight as can be waiting to see The Little Mermaid show in Hollywood Studios. It was our first time so I didn't know they packed people in like that. It was horrible

 

[goNsoon2WDW]

These are great! .... and yes, SHOES ARE IMPORTANT! Thanks for sharing!

 

[crostorfer]

1. It really is THAT hot and humid. Stay hydrated.
2. Don't get upset at people. Just laugh it off. Some people are very rude.
3. You will walk way more than you think. I wear a fitbit and got 10,000 step by noon.

I should have put water in my top 3. I am that crazy Mom who is constantly stopping every 50 feet and making everyone gulp down water. Dehydration will seriously ruin your trip. I always make sure I drink at least half of my body weight in ounces, but I drink more than that at WDW. Especially if I'm enjoying adult libations, I always follow each drink with a smaller bottle of water, ESPECIALLY if they are sugary froo-froo drinks. I can't overestimate the importance of hydration.

 

[floydfamily4]

1. Almost every ride ends in a dump shop. Take a picture of your kids choices and let them pick one thing at the end of the trip.
2. It takes longer to get there then you thought. There is anywhere!
3. Not everyone is as happy as you. Do not let others rain on your parade. Walk away and laugh at them while enjoying a Mickey ice cream.
4. You can budget for everyday. Use the resources (menus, prices, plans, etc.) so that you are not surprised. Plan for $5 per day, per person so that everyone can get a popcorn or dole whip or whatever and you are not stressed about it.
5. Finally, for some staying off site is very magical. Do what works for your family!

 

[sleepymouse]

1. Almost every ride ends in a dump shop. Take a picture of your kids choices and let them pick one thing at the end of the trip.

This is such a great idea!

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Stay onsite.

Take moleskin!

Make some ADRs.

By the time of our second trip I found the DIS about 4 weeks before. I made a few ADRs at garden grill, tucker house and crystal palace. I discovered moleskin! Biggest lifesaver ever!

 

[LindsayL]

How to order QS with the dining plan. (Sorry for those that had to stand behind us the first few times)

Wait! How??? What???

 

[DisneyFive]

Wait! How??? What???

We didn't have a clue. Didn't know what was all included with a QS meal. What drinks could we choose from? Could we choose any entree? and any dessert? Which ones?...

We figured it out pretty quick. ANY entree. Any dessert. Any drink (non alcoholic, non specialty). We also found out that if we each ordered all this, we had WAY too much food.

Dan