Any MISTAKES made on past trips?

[ms.ojo]

some more----

-- Buying or bringing soft kleenex from home to have in the hotel room

-- Absolutely, you see a pin or gift you like...buy it right then and there!

-- We now bring 2 digital cameras and the kids have those disposables. Lots of great pictures from all sorts of angles and perspectives and includes everyone in the family

-- Have juice boxes on hand for young kids

-- the nap break: When it was just us and ds...going back to the room for a nap worked great! Once dd was in the picture....it was a disaster. We quickly adapted to naps for her in the park and not very late nights since ds wasn't napping. We also NEVER tour more than 2 days w/out a rest day. Though sometimes we laugh that our "rest" day is pretty active w/ swimming and then some shopping at the resorts or DTD. Still, we sleep in, and we go to bed early...so it's an easier day.

-- i love Rule #3 from another poster. Have a plan...be willing to adapt or ditch it if it isn't working.

 

[ZoZo]

I echo the idea of buying souvenirs when you see them. If you change your mind, you can always return the item for a refund at any DW store before you leave - but you often won't see the same item again elsewhere during your trip.

 

[becca1211]

I had read not to go to the Magic Kingdom on emh days. I went anyway. Never again.

what is emh days. This is our first trip, May 30, And dont wont to be going to MK on the wrong days. We already know not to go on Saturday June 3rd. Thanks Becky

 

[Kath2003]

EMH means Extra Magic Hours - where guests staying in Disney property can enter the park early, or stay later than guests staying off-site. The EMHs are listed on the WDW webpage. Well worth taking advantage of

 

[dj2]

I echo the idea of buying souvenirs when you see them. If you change your mind, you can always return the item for a refund at any DW store before you leave - but you often won't see the same item again elsewhere during your trip.

I never knew that you could return something to any wdw store! this is a great tip!!!

 

[harmonium]

I wore my hat on ToT and never saw it again.

 

[iamjkmb]

preface...I have extremely tall children. I'm 5'9" and am the shortest in my family. My husband is 6'8". Needless to say, our children are TALL! So, our first trip to Disneyworld in Dec. 2000 was, for the most part, awesome because my tall kids could ride on a bunch of rides that normal height children can't do yet. (Each of my 5 kids love big rides)
Mistake #1: Not researching the rides!!!!!
Mistake #2: Taking my very tall, 4 year old dd on Alien Encounter!!!!!
Oh my stars! I was so sad for her. My poor baby totally thought the whole thing was real and came out of the ride hysterically crying and shaking. It traumatized her so badly that she fell asleep in my dad's arms and slept for 3 hours on a park bench. My husband was sitting next to her during the show and couldn't do anything to help her. So, he came out traumatized as well. In fact, we still talk about it quite often.
We've gone back to Florida every other year since and I've never made that mistake again. I do my homework before I let the kids walk on a ride that they are physically ready for but maybe not mentally able to handle.
We're going to Disneyworld this November. My youngest is 3 and already 43" tall. I'm starting to think about what rides I think she can handle and ones that she needs to stay away from. She's most excited to go on BTMRR. We'll see what happens...

 

[stacy6552]

I knew it. I was warned. I was even prepaired. But I still made the mistake......

Leaving the stroller alone without the rain cover on. It only took a few m,inutes but the thing got soaked, but good. Luckily, the disposable diapers helped alot, once I removed the seat cushon.

Oh and one more: Forgetting certain picutres, like at the resort and in front of favorite rides.

 

[luvindis]

Not taking a rain poncho. Btw it didn't rain on us the whole week. Last year was our 1st trip and everyone getting on and off Kali River was either putting on or taking off a rain poncho hmmm out of everyone on the ride with us my ds and I were the only ones that had a huge wave come over the top of their heads. My dh and other ds and everyone else were barely damp and it looked like i had stood under a waterfall. I left a trail of water as I walked I rung water from my nicely done hair and had very little makeup left on except for the smudges of black under my eyes (yes I looked like a clown) People just stared at me as if I were the most pitiful person and looked so sad. I spent over $50 on a pair of shorts and t-shirt went to the restroom to change. To let you know how wet I was when I undressed my underwear still dripped and left puddles on the bathroom floor. So I went the rest of the day in AK with no underwear on. I felt so naked and my mom would have died if she knew her only daughter was walking around WDW with no underwear on

But we leave in 1 week and I am taking that $50 pair of shorts and t-shirt with me and a few rain ponchos!!

 

[jamal]

I never knew that you could return something to any wdw store! this is a great tip!!!

I never knew that either! Oh no. Now I fear our hotel room will be filled with Mickey bags until the last day...when I return things to the Poly gift shop. DH will die when he hears this!

 

[TinkInPink]

not buying a pin lanyard untill the day we left (we didnt go to a park that day) im till waiting to trade one lol!

 

[jetprincess]

I'm a Disney beginner but I have been reading that a common mistake was bringing too much stuff and having to lug it around.

Regarding water bottles, when we go on outings, we bring a lot of little 8oz. water bottles. They are the perfect size for little hands and you dispose of them as the day progresses. If you bring 1 or 2 liter water bottles, it may take you a while to finish them and you are still carrying them around through the day.

 

[harmonium]

We bring at least one 32oz non-disposable unbreakable liquid container to hold our water. We used to bring two, but that was overkill and was indeed too much to bring along. We store the 32oz container along with light lunches and snacks in our cooler bag. We hang the cooler bag on the stroller so we are not carrying it around on a shoulder. We also do not go during the spring/summer months so dehydration has never been an obstacle.

Are there recycling receptacles at WDW? I do not recall since I have not had the need yet to throw out plastic, glass, or cans.

 

[ZoZo]

Overpacking! My new strategy (I'm a real over-packer) is to put out everything I want to bring and then cut the pile down by half. Remember, you can always do laundry mid-trip!

 

[psiprez]

I agree with buying souvenirs as you see them. Anytime I've decided to wait until we are leaving, or until we get to DTD, I always forget and later regret it.

Plus, they have much more meaning when bought all around the World, instead of in bulk on the last day of the trip. They become souvenirs of that moment and place, which is the whole purpose!

 

[STEAMBOAT209]

I'll try not to laugh while thinking of this, DW may throw something at me, she hasn't forgot this nightmare. She had a sight tooth ache a week before our last trip, thought, we'll I'll make an appointment when we get back. Well, we checked into out resort, did the usual; next morning; her face was so huge, one eye was partly closed. She was in misery, we had ressies at AK, rainforest for breakfast, we went, what a trooper; while standing in line wating for Rainforest to open, I was on the cell phone with my dentist back in NJ, of course got the answering service, its only 7:00am, left alll the info necessary for a call back. By 9:40am got the call, got hooked up with a doctor in Orlando, lucky we had a friend here visiting also, took us to the doctors, got a perscription, went to the drug store; about 3:00pm we get back to our resort. I said to my DW; well, this day is shot; her reply, no get ready we're going to the park. wow, what a trooper.....away we went, she had one request......NO PICTURES OF HER......of course I snapped one...

Dentist appts are necessary, now we go a week before our trip. my appt is 6/19 and our trip is 6/20

 

[buzzman88]

I have the same dilemma right now! I started feeling a pain in one of my molars last week, and am scheduled to get a root canal in 3 days. My disney vacation is less than 2 weeks away and now my pain is completely gone. So now I'm contemplating if I should postpone my root canal and have it AFTER my Disney trip.

Now that I read about your story, I might as well keep the root canal appointment.

 

[margepin]

I have been trying to figure out how to enable html's so I can add my ticker and I have no clue. Anyone know?

Thanks =)
Margie

 

[leafette]

Two things:

I placed my cell phone on top of my Key to the World card and de-magnitized it. They issued me a new one, but didn't put the park tix on there, so we got to Epcot and couldn't get in. About 1.5 hours of headache later, we got in.

Also, I made NO dinner reservations during my Presidents' Week trip, except for the Spirit of Aloha show. Luckily, we were able to get to CP due to a last-minute cancellation, but we were shut out of several other things.

 

[medicgirl_911]

I can't believe no one has said not to buy one of those big ole balloons. All it did was hit us and passerby's in the head when we were walking, and obscure everyones view during spectro--our viewing neighbors were not too thrilled with us we tried tying it down but it was so windy it kep bobbing everywhere!!!