Any MISTAKES made on past trips?

[Zooshoveller]

So wish I could get away with a wallet sized bag. But, I have allergies, sinus and skin as well as very fair, non-tanning skin. So, I have to carry tissues, meds, sunscreen, soap (can't use what's in the restrooms or any hand sanitizers), etc. I also have prescription glasses (practically blind without), so have to carry both my regular glasses and sunglasses. Bleh. So much to carry for a single adult.

If you bought little travel containers and just packed what you needed for one day, you might be able to use just a small bag.

We had two massive backpacks, filled. Never again.

 

[cteddiesgirl]

If you bought little travel containers and just packed what you needed for one day, you might be able to use just a small bag.

We had two massive backpacks, filled. Never again.

Oh, I do used travel sized containers. I have bottles/containers for soap and lotion as well as meds that I just refill when needed. But it still gets kind of heavy, especially after carrying it all around for an entire day. I carry everything mentioned (except sunscreen) every day already. I won't load my park bag with everything that's in my purse, but some things I just have to have with me at all times. Some stuff, because of allergies, I can't just run into any store on property and buy.

 

[Gracefulskinny]

Our mistakes...

1) Not training and building up our endurance for extreme walking every day before we went on our trip. I'm already rectifying this for our next as of yet set trip. I am slowly building up my endurance to 10miles a day. I am at about 2 right now. And as a bonus I seem to be losing a bit of weight.

2)Deciding to eat at Sci-Fi Dine In. They made us wait an hour and a half for a two top and then DH and I got sick from the food! The inside wasn't even that impressive.

-Oh if you can't find body glide, deodorant and baby powder work well also.

 

[ashleighbass06]

1. Don't wear denim and ride water rides, doesn't dry

2. Use a travel agent - for my trip in 2010 we had to cut the trip short by a day because I booked our flights a day later than our reservation...

3. Look before you sit - DH ripped his shorts on a seat in CoP. Luckily he had a change in the car in the parking lot.

4. If driving, keep a change of clothes in the car so you don't have to go back to the resort in the event of #3

5. If flying, bring a change if clothes in your carryon. Our luggage got lost once when I was a kid. It was winter and we're from Michigan so we had to buy shorts and T-shirts in the WL gift shop so we wouldn't overheat.

 

[bopper]

1. Don't wear denim and ride water rides, doesn't dry

2. Use a travel agent - for my trip in 2010 we had to cut the trip short by a day because I booked our flights a day later than our reservation...

3. Look before you sit - DH ripped his shorts on a seat in CoP. Luckily he had a change in the car in the parking lot.

4. If driving, keep a change of clothes in the car so you don't have to go back to the resort in the event of #3

5. If flying, bring a change if clothes in your carryon. Our luggage got lost once when I was a kid. It was winter and we're from Michigan so we had to buy shorts and T-shirts in the WL gift shop so we wouldn't overheat.

So basically bring many extra pairs of quick drying clothes?

 

[ashleighbass06]

So basically bring many extra pairs of quick drying clothes?

Yeah, I think that sums it up

 

[Auntrosie]

The seven of us 5 adults, 2 children and we all had a a wonderful vacation at WDW. Here are a few things we will correct for our up coming trip this Sept.

1. Won't miscalculate our TS credits on the DDDP. Came up a little short and paid out of pocket for our last dinner at, where else but, the California Grill. Ouch!

Our research was intense. Our touring plan thorough but.......

2. It took the group over an hour to get from Typhoon Lagoon across the highway to Downtown Disney. Our mistake was not mapping out transportation between the two. So for this upcoming trip in Sept, I will know what mode, how long and save the numbers of a few cab companies in my phone.

I like tours and special experiences we did 4 or 5 of them but.......

3. I did not think the Safari Trek was worth the cost. The pictures are beautiful though.

4. We brought many of the snacks we packed back home with us. So we'd bring less of those this time.

Thank you everyone for all your great advice! I've learned a lot from this tread.

Regards, Rose

 

[Auntrosie]

by the way...it's always easy to say later that you wish you could have slowed down but what would you give up?!! Our kids would have loved to spend more time at the hotel (HIFS at the time) but they weren't willing to give up time at the parks, either! [/QUOTE]

Amen Sister!

 

[COsarah]

Plan a little extra time before the flight. The combination of too many early mornings for work, then up at 4am to catch an early flight made us already exhausted on our first day in WDW. I ended up with a cold as well, which I relate to the lack of sleep. Next time we will fly out in the afternoon so we start our vacation on a full night of sleep!

 

[myrheille]

One mistake was trying to take advantage of "parent swap" (one parent stays with the kid and gets a paper fastpass, the other rides, then they swap), particularly at Soarin'. On the first morning my poor husband was stuck alone with the toddler for an hour - the Soarin' line is long, even with a FP+! Looking back, he could have just gone out to wander with the kid, but he thought we'd basically be right back. After that we decided not to do thrill rides (except at nights when one of us was back at the hotel with the sleeping baby). We know we'll go back when the kid is tall enough to ride, so in the meantime we'll try to do everything with her!

The other mistake was the Dining Plan. Frankly, it was just too much food for us, even if we LOVE the Disney restaurants. We didn't waste any credits but it gets annoying ordering a subpar chocolate mousse at a quick-service just because it's included when there are splendid cupcakes next door. Plus we never get soft drinks with our meals usually, so basically the math didn't add up for us. We didn't even enjoy our last meals because it felt like we were eating non-stop! So when both Free Dining and 30% room-only discounts applied for our next trip we didn't hesitate.

 

[rewilliams]

We went about 5 years ago with my parents and they had this problem....I am going to make sure I don't pack to tightly on the way there and have extra room for the way home(even an extra empty case). My folks did not do this and ended up with a very heavy suitcase and also the zipper broke so they had to rig the case to stay closed.

 

[Quasialamodo]

Yeah, we had a mistake. The last trip was saved for over a period of several months. I found that Disney Dollars were great in that buying them kept me from robbing cash in my savings before the trip. We kept the Disney Dollars in my partner's safe at home. I don't know where she keeps her safe, I don't have a key to it, it's her thing. I am respectful even six years into our relationship about her things being hers. I guess it's the only child in me, but I digress. Gabby is really careful with her money, so I knew that she was going to do better at saving real money and Disney Dollars than I would ever be able to do. So, we packed the car, went over the packing list several times, and chose to head off down the road. Just outside of Valdosta, GA, roughly half way into our road trip, I turn to her and asked playfully, "Did you get the Disney Dollars out of your safe?"

"Holy $#%&!, No!"

It was at that moment that Brad Paisley's song, "Little Moments" quite possibly saved our relationship. I chose to laugh at the situation. We turned around and drove home. Luckily, we were going to be staying with some of her family in FL for a few days prior to WDW, so it didn't do anything other than cost us more in gas. She still will tell you that it's my fault for not reminding her about the over $700 in Disney Dollars in the safe before we left home, but when a woman is as careful about money as she is, it's on her. lol

So, I hope that everyone here that travels with Disney Dollars will make a point to add them to the packing list! Maggie

Just out of curiosity, did you have a Magic Band then? I'm curious as to how they work just in general and then with all that lovely Magic Band magic.

My biggest Disney mistake was the week before Christmas at Disneyland.
NEVER AGAIN. NEVER FORGET.

 

[Quasialamodo]

Couple of things that I'm sure you probably already know:

1) Don't try to do it all! I've gone with my brother's family and before the trip we sat down and tried to plan out the days. He wanted to try to do everything. I advised him to cut back on the amount of "stuff" that he was trying to CRAM into one day. Pick the 5 or 6 things that you feel you MUST do. Leave yourself lots of time to just ENJOY being at the Park. Take the time to look at some of the beauty that the Parks have. Take pictures with your family in them (especially with the roaming characters) Often folks get frustrated because they are not able to keep up the hectic schedule that they've put themselves on and end up exhausted and unsatisfied.

2) If you plan on eating at a "sit down joint", make Priority Seating! If you keep a loose enough schedule, in the long run you save time and frustration by planning ahead when it comes to the dining.

3) Roll with the punches. I sat and watched a guy EXPLODE because the tram from the parking lot couldn't carry all the people who were waiting and he had to wait for a second tram. He was cursing and acting the fool with tons of kids standing within earshot of him. And this is at 8:30 am! Always be prepared for possible delays. WDW services Millions of people every week. There WILL be times when you'll have to wait for stuff. Take it in stride and enjoy the ride!

Have a great time!

WAIT FOR THINGS? DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!? But in all seriousness, you would think people are surprised that Disney is a popular resort destination. Like they're the only ones who ever saw or were inspired by the Mouse and his entourage.

 

[Quasialamodo]

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...

Oh my God, every time someone complains about Mission Space I flash back to being eleven and full fledged screaming out of my gourd on Alien. It was the most horrible ride, and nowhere near Disney appropriate. The ride that replaced it with Stitch doesn't actually seem much better either.

 

[Quasialamodo]

I lost my wallet in DTD when I was trying to contact
Disney Visa Card Company to cancel card,
I realized that I had NO Phone Number anywhere.
Had to call our Disney Resort and lucky
they had Disney Visa Customer Service #.
The Disney Visa booth in DTD never did open
(we waited for anyone to show up, but no one came)
So, never go anywhere without having an extra copy of important
phone #s in a different location than in your Wallet.

I love your avatar with a burning passion. Btw, has anyone ever had mousekeeping at any of the All-Stars take your cup filled with change while cleaning? Welp, that was a mistake my parents never repeated.

 

[ZOOMAMA]

Great summary Dashzap! I can say with 100% certainty that now I will never eat frog legs or lobster buffet the night before I leave on my Disney trip!

Yep, I wrote that one down! Note to self... Also, quick-drying shorts only help after Kali River Rapids if you are also wearing quick-drying underwear.

 

[SingingMom]

Yep, I wrote that one down! Note to self... Also, quick-drying shorts only help after Kali River Rapids if you are also wearing quick-drying underwear.

VERY true! What a miserable feeling!

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[jlay68]

I will not scoff at the little decorative widgets Disney is selling to strap across the bands on your Magic Band as just another attempt to make a buck. I will buy them next time!

Both my husband and I had our bands fall off during the course of our trip. We found his. Mine had to be replaced at City Hall.

 

[harrisb1964]

Taking my 5 year old on that horrible Stitch ride. When the lights went out and Stitch was"running around the room" my son became hysterical. I was yelling "It's not real,"It's not real" at the top of my lungs. I'm sure people thought I was crazy. That was the most horrible experience for my 5 year old. Disney needs to either get rid of that ride or post some kind of child warning. Every single mom I know remembers the Stitch ride has horrible memories of it. I have never met one person that liked that ride!

 

[burne99]

Taking my 5 year old on that horrible Stitch ride. When the lights went out and Stitch was"running around the room" my son became hysterical. I was yelling "It's not real,"It's not real" at the top of my lungs. I'm sure people thought I was crazy. That was the most horrible experience for my 5 year old. Disney needs to either get rid of that ride or post some kind of child warning. Every single mom I know remembers the Stitch ride has horrible memories of it. I have never met one person that liked that ride!

No seriously????? Does anyone like that ride? Anyone??