Any MISTAKES made on past trips?

[metz72]

We have had no problems with taking my mom and dad. Had a great time with them. The one time we went with friends was so frustrating. They were not people who like to get up early and had no problems waiting in ridiculously long lines for no reason. After spending a morning waiting in lines my 2 DD's were fed up. We got to Big Thunder Railroad around 2pm and the line was 60 mins+ in the blazing June sun. My girls said no way so I said we would just meet up with them. We ended up walking past the fastpass machines and the next fastpass time was 1 hour 15 mins so we grabbed those. We got a snack, went shopping and then went to the Country Bears Jamboree. OMG we laughed so hard at that show and really enjoyed ourselves plus rested and cooled off.

Wouldn't you know it our friends got out of the exact car we were about to get into when we went and used the fastpass. They were hot, red and cranky and we were the exact opposite. We did not see them the rest of the trip. They didn't show up for dinner and never responded to our texts. Oh well. We had a great time doing the parks our way

 

[lauradis]

We pushed too hard to get the parks 'done', then were exhausted and cranky at the end of the day. So I never saw fireworks. Not a mistake I'm planning to make again.

I have done this before its a "newbie might never come back mistake".

My last mistake was over packing

Worst mistake I have ever made is over ADR us, omg the food.

 

[-Hope-]

OK - there must be SOMETHING you did, or packed, or bought, on your last trip that you would never do again.

Our mistake was trying for that oft-recommended afternoon nap break back at the resort, before heading back to the park. We left MK at 5pm, and planned to return later for fireworks and E-Ride Nite. The dip in the pool we took was refreshing, but the nap was impossible. The extreme hassle of going back to the resort, then rushing back to MK, zapped any benefit of the break!

This was our BIG mistake. We figured it out but I'd love to have the two days back that we tried this. Now we just look for places we can rest in the parks.

Another mistake was not being prepared for rain on our first trip. We were prepared for quick showers but an several hours of extended downpours threw us for a loop. I wish we'd just powered through because it was another afternoon lost.

And I had to learn to go with the flow. I was trying so hard to make sure everyone was having fun that I didn't realize I was pushing everyone too hard.

And somehow, with all those mistakes we still had a magical first trip.

 

[DISNEYD14]

Our 10day trip was pure bliss however a couple mistakes for my family of 5 and young group especially since already planning Oct 2015 trip

*Dont do MNSSHP, two little kids can't handle the late night and Momma just gets cranky then because Momma really wants to do it
*Too Much Food!! **Schedule less meals
*Don't bring so many clothes
*Don't forget DH's swim suit
*Get MemoryMaker
*Don't get park hopper

 

[Liver lips]

Not buying tickets early enough to get fast pass for Toy Story Mania and then not going in Toy Story Mania when the standby time was only 30 minutes-after that saw only 60 minute or more wait in standby line

 

[mcarr2948]

Trying to do too much in one day. Our last Dat we had breakfast at Wilderness Lodge's Whispering Canyon (great food), then went to Disney Quest, then tried to do shopping. At 4 pm we were still at Downtown Disney, and our plane was leaving from Sanford at 5:45 pm! Very poor planning on my part. Wanted the three grandkids to get to do it all, but it was way too much for one day. Truthfully, to really see all there is at WDW and enjoy it at a human pace, you need a lot longer than a week! Even in the parks we could have spent more time sering everything we wanted to see, including Animal Kingdom. There is lots to do there, and you could easily spend 2 days there and 3 or 4 at Magic Kingdom.

 

[wishes114]

Trying to do too much in one day. Our last Dat we had breakfast at Wilderness Lodge's Whispering Canyon (great food), then went to Disney Quest, then tried to do shopping. At 4 pm we were still at Downtown Disney, and our plane was leaving from Sanford at 5:45 pm! Very poor planning on my part. Wanted the three grandkids to get to do it all, but it was way too much for one day. Truthfully, to really see all there is at WDW and enjoy it at a human pace, you need a lot longer than a week! Even in the parks we could have spent more time sering everything we wanted to see, including Animal Kingdom. There is lots to do there, and you could easily spend 2 days there and 3 or 4 at Magic Kingdom.

Did you make the flight?!

 

[NJlauren]

I loved reading these! I would say my biggest mistake on my last trip was not bringing more snacks to the parks. I love buying all the Disney snacks but its nice to be able to just pull something out of your bag and eat it on line or as you walk. This trip i will be bringing more snacks for sure!

 

[kerplop]

Our first trip our biggest mistake was not looking at a map of DTD before we left, thinking we could just "wing it" when we got there. Didn't realize that place is huge! Parked at the wrong end, walked all the way to the other end and back and on our first day we wore ourselves out just walking around DTD aimlessly. I also wasn't wearing good shoes because I thought it would just be like the mall where I could pop in/out of where we wanted to go without much walking. Blisters galore!

 

[Dashzap]

Biggest mistake last trip: prepaying for a room at the Dolphin. We split our stay: 3 nights first at Cabana Bay. Then switched to the Dolphin.

The Dolphin was disappointing: smelly and worn. Cabana Bay was awesome. I would have switched back if I could!

 

[Stefecatzz]

Drinking around the world in mid August (or any time of year) & not drinking enough water. This happened 2 years ago & I remember it like it was yesterday, unfortunately. Never Again!!

 

[CdnSquirrel]

...he hurled all over the table in Goofy's Kitchen, right in front of Minnie Mouse, who can dodge surprisingly well for someone in a giant plastic head.

bwahahahhahha. I can just picture that. Once, as a child, i puked all over a rental car.

 

[Stefecatzz]

And then there was the next trip where he hurled all over the table in Goofy's Kitchen, right in front of Minnie Mouse, who can dodge surprisingly well for someone in a giant plastic head. This time, the kid's going to eat salads, dagnabit.

One of the many reasons I love the DISBoards...this is not something you'd normally hear in every day conversation, except on here.

Btw, did you report your camera stolen at the resort either time? That's a shame you can't trust the staff to keep your things in the room while you're not there.

 

[stardam]

Know your groups touring style. My biggest mistake was thinking we HAD TO do rope drop because of all the benefits of no lines. I have 2 teenage sons. They are NOT morning people. They were much happier when I gave up on rope drop, slept in, made FPP for early afternoon & stayed late at the parks having shorter lines after fireworks. Then sleep in next day and repeat. We are now night touring people & we're proud! Remember it's everyone's vacation & it's no fun if they're tired & cranky.

 

[tina.tina]

Be well rested before you go, too!

 

[fireflyer]

BIGGEST MISTAKE:
1. Not knowing about the parades. We had ignored the parade details (time/route), as we weren't interested in watching. But we ended up getting blocked inside of MK not once but TWICE in 1 day, by the hoards of people waiting for the parade. Total time lost = 2 hrs.

2. Getting in line for the magic carpet Aladdin ride, at 12:30pm in the blazing sun, when it was never part of the original plan. Total time lost = 1.5 hrs.

Not horrendous, but 3.5 hrs lost (in a day with no Extra Magic Hours) is a large % of the day.

Also, the jury is still on the fence as to whether the mid-day nap was a good idea. The enormous amount of extra walking, plus getting stalled by the parade, were bad enough. But the little tyke had a hard time getting going again, so it was basically dusk once we got back inside MK in the evening. And the night was chilly. Our visit became more of a goal to persevere through -- rather than a dream to live.

Next time, I might entertain the idea of spreading a little blanket on the ground and having a rest period, rather than a 30-minute walk each way to the onsite hotel & back. (Don't forget that the distance hotels quote in their walk-time is only to the ENTRANCE of the park. If you're way back in the depths of the park, that adds to the time.)

 

[tinkpower]

Traveling with extended family was a nightmare. I know my own immediate family and they know me. We've been a few times so we have a routine. Traveling with others put too much stress on planning and touring. Never again. Another was Not "training" enough on the last trip. I had a baby 6 months previous and I was just so out of shape that I was exhausted and hurting. Finally, not spending enough down time at the resort. Midday breaks (at least some days) are important for us.

 

[fireflyer]

I forgot to add that my biggest FOOD mistake was eating a chili-dog in Tomorrowland. It was from a little street-vendor cart, don't remember the name. But the hotdog was uncooked, the cheese was gross and dripped everywhere, and I'm not really sure the chili was chili.

Honestly, none of the details even matter when a hotdog is given to you cold. AVOID!

 

[Stefecatzz]

I'll add that my biggest food mistake recently was getting a corndog in Frontierland from a cart before the MSEP. It definitely had been sitting there all day among the rest of them in the large pile. It was barely warm, stale & a waste of vacation $. Lesson learned.

I'll stick to the corn dog nuggets at Casey's from now on.

 

[JamJamFam]

My biggest mistake echoes that of several others - don't try to do everything! You'll never win! I had a lot more fun when I relaxed and enjoyed what we were actually doing instead of what we were missing out on. It would take a long time to get everything done at WDW!