Looking Back, what did you learn?

[WannaseePooh]

I thought, with all the great people on these boards, it would be helpful to have a thread where they list one mistake they have made at the parks, and one thing they wish they had done.

I'll start.

My mistake is that I waited to long to go to Fantasyland with my family. By the time we got to that area of the park, my kids had been on most,if not all of the thrill rides. They were so bored with the rides in Fantasyland that we had to leave after 3 rides. I should have gone there, if not first, then pretty soon.

I wish that we would have spent more time there after dark. We left after the fireworks.Next time I will be insisting we look around after dark, and ride some rides.

 

[blackjackdelta]

I need to spend more time enjoying the "night music" of the park and porch time at the hotel. I do not need to do everything in a commando mode. Spend more time listening to my family and less time giving marching orders.

Jack

 

[brookies_mommy]

I wish that we would have spent more time there after dark. We left after the fireworks.Next time I will be insisting we look around after dark, and ride some rides.

I agree! We basically left when it got dark.. this year.. NO WAY! lol especially since its a short trip!

 

[Halloweenqueen]

Thanks to many years spent at WDW, I am an overplanner and commando tour guide. I have missed a lot of the little details that make DL so special.

We went in December and my friend's son would often stop to "play" with the ducks. I would impatiently wait to continue our journey. I promised myself to stop and "play with the ducks" this week. This means more bench stops for people watching, more strolls on Main Street, and more picture taking in the Sherry E style!

 

[6Smiles]

I was so worried about the kids and my husband having a wonderful time, I forgot to relax and enjoy myself. We had some magical moments when my daughter was Screamer of the Day (Monsters Inc.), my smallest DD had one on one time with Snow White and gave her a sticker, Snow White was wonderful with her. Went to fireworks and second fantasmic show sitting near the rail in front of Reserved seating. Went to Aladdin and ended up sitting in Reserved seating because they let too many people in to see the show. (Thanks to Everyone for their advice!) I now know everyone will have a lot more fun if Mom (me) would just relax and smell the roses, which we will do while enjoying the parks during our first Halloween time! weeeeeeeeeeee!

 

[MattsPrincess]

Taking too many pictures. Sounds crazy, but I feel like on our first trip I spent too much time behind the camera and not enough time actually being there and having fun. For example, I barely remember the parades because I was so busy taking pictures of them.

This past time, I kept that in mind and laid off a bit. I still got wonderful pictures, and of everything I wanted.

 

[Mackysmycat]

Spend more time listening to my family and less time giving marching orders.

Taking too many pictures.

Both of these things are me. I have to learn to dial back a little, put down the clipboard of fun AND my camera, and just ENJOY THE MOMENTS more instead of trying to capture them all, and in order I say, order! hahaha

 

[ironpig70]

Last trip we did not take the kids and us walking prior to the trip and I wear boots and live in them and I forgot to get new "hi tec" insoles so when there I got some Dr Schools and they are not the same and boy did my feet hurt.

Also we should have taken longer mid day breaks and enforced a nap policy because by 7-8pm the kids where spent and many nights it was not a happy place.

 

[skiingfast]

You know all those rides that you migh want to skip. Don't do them because they have a short line and you are right there thinking why not. Do them in the mid day when the good rides are super busy.

 

[jory29]

Advil is your very best friend besides Mickey and Hojo's, AND... never - ever -go to DL in October, far too busy!!

 

[twopeasonepod]

My biggest mistake was not listening to people that told me to take mid-day breaks at the pool/hotel. Did it once at WDW and....never again!

 

[chrissiecutie]

My biggest mistake was taking my non-Disney loving DH to DL for the 1st time in the middle of August when they were having a heat wave.

The crowds AND the heat did NOT endear DL to my DH.

My 2nd mistake was taking DH back for his 2nd trip on Memorial Day weekend. Who knew with grad nights, dance teams, choirs etc that the crowds would be even WORSE then they were in August! I'm still paying for that one!

And now...on our 3rd trip together, I am SO hoping I finally have the timing just right!

 

[MommyWithDreams]

My biggest mistake was not checking our PP pictures at the store before leaving the park to head home. Our nighttime pictures in front of the castle were awful. I still, after 3 trips in the past 5 years do not have good night pictures in front of that castle. I am determined to make that happen next month.

 

[Dizzy4DL]

Okay, my list:

1. Bring more socks than days. (rain, water rides, hotel floors )
2. Let my group stop to smell the roses (or play with the ducks LOL!)
3. Don't waste Magic Morning on Nemo, wait until weekday evening.
4. Don't forget children need more rest than I do, make breaks/sleep a priority.
Otherwise, be prepared for snappy/tired child.
5. Take more batteries for camera than I can possibly use.
Camera dying during first Mickey meeting, heartbreaking.
6. Don't let rude people bother me.
Keep repeating "This won't matter tomorrow, this won't matter tomorrow."

 

[brookies_mommy]

Okay, my list:

1. Bring more socks than days. (rain, water rides, hotel floors )
2. Let my group stop to smell the roses (or play with the ducks LOL!)
3. Don't waste Magic Morning on Nemo, wait until weekday evening.
4. Don't forget children need more rest than I do, make breaks/sleep a priority.
Otherwise, be prepared for snappy/tired child.
5. Take more batteries for camera than I can possibly use.
Camera dying during first Mickey meeting, heartbreaking.
6. Don't let rude people bother me.
Keep repeating "This won't matter tomorrow, this won't matter tomorrow."

I like your list

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks to many years spent at WDW, I am an overplanner and commando tour guide. I have missed a lot of the little details that make DL so special.

We went in December and my friend's son would often stop to "play" with the ducks. I would impatiently wait to continue our journey. I promised myself to stop and "play with the ducks" this week. This means more bench stops for people watching, more strolls on Main Street, and more picture taking in the Sherry E style!

Woo hoo! I heard my name and came a-runnin'!! Thank you so much, Halloweenqueen - that's very sweet of you to say! I really appreciate it.

I guess that leads me to one thing I've learned - I wouldn't say that this is a mistake I made or something I wish I'd done, but it's something I learned about myself on DLR trips as well, which may be useful as well. And that is - it is so much easier for me to notice the details and take photos - lots and lots and lots of photos - when I am by myself. Even if I am with friends who don't mind my taking pictures, I still feel inhibited somehow and cannot take the same kinds of photos when I'm with people as I can when I'm alone. I have to totally 'get in the zone' to get on a roll with the pictures, and that involves being solo. Then I am a woman on a mission - zig zagging all around DLR (hotels and DTD too), snapping away!

So I learned that I think I prefer going on rides with people (instead of alone) - and I like sharing meals with people. But when it comes to just wandering around and finding little gems in DLR, I have to be solo.

Still, I didn't spend as much time in DCA this past December as I had planned to, so that's one thing I wish I'd done.

 

[davidsprincess]

Okay, my list:

1. Bring more socks than days. (rain, water rides, hotel floors )
2. Let my group stop to smell the roses (or play with the ducks LOL!)
3. Don't waste Magic Morning on Nemo, wait until weekday evening.
4. Don't forget children need more rest than I do, make breaks/sleep a priority.
Otherwise, be prepared for snappy/tired child.
5. Take more batteries for camera than I can possibly use.
Camera dying during first Mickey meeting, heartbreaking.
6. Don't let rude people bother me.
Keep repeating "This won't matter tomorrow, this won't matter tomorrow."

especially #6 had that happen more than once.

 

[ShaunaM]

...castle only around it...I lived in Paris for a year and never made it to the top if the Eiffel tower either....below and 1/2 way up but never all the way up ...sometimes we don't see what is right in front of us and I need to slow down.

We tried doing the big breakfast and then snacks until supper...did not work for our kids...they needed to sit down and eat lunch a real meal and a physical reminder to stop and take a breather.

 

[Dizzy4DL]

I like your list

Thank you!

especially #6 had that happen more than once.

Thanks, on our last trip I let someone's rudeness ruin my last hour in DL.
I'm not giving them the power to bother me this time.

 

[mystic_path]

Attempting to go from DCA to the Rivers of America area for the late showing of Fantasmic right as the Fireworks let out!