Mistake you will not repeat next time...

[Gorechick]

We won't do early mornings every day on our next trip. Although we accomplished a lot, we were way too tired and cranky. Also, feeling like we have to eat differently and diversify our meals just because we're away from home with lots of other choices.

 

[GusGusGirl]

Two things we won't do again:

1. Get any of the dining plans. We're happier just getting what we want and not worrying about how many credits we have, what's included, what's not, etc. I do understand why people like them, but they're just not for us.

2. Try to follow a touring plan, at least a highly detailed one. It worked well for us once when we visited WDW with extended family for Christmas one year. In fact, it was the only thing that saved our sanity. But when it's just me and my DH, we do better just getting to the parks early, hitting our favorites, and then going with the flow.

 

[mattsdragon]

Do any of the parks "commando".

I will not go into detail.

 

[ocean702]

Biggest mistakes we have learned from:

1. Bringing my dd's BFF with us.
2. Getting in line for Maelstrom when you can't see the front of the queue.
3. Showing up hungry at DHS (terrible food options at this park).
4. Nighttime in Animal Kingdom without a clue and without a map.
5. Getting stuck on the "wrong" side of MK during a parade.

I totally agree with # 3 and #5
the 2 best things we learned from our first disney experience...book ADRs at a restaurant that is either in the park you plan to be in or at a resort close to the park you came from or are going to after. And don't hesitate to take a $15 taxi back to the resort after Illuminations or Fantasmic. $15 is totally worth not having to wait for busses back to the resort with EVERYONE ELSE at park close.

 

[#1hoosierfan]

drive again.

We are about 16 hours from WDW. Our first trip with the boys was fairly last minute and a budget trip. After that trip, dh and I decided that if we cannot afford to fly, we won't go.

I really want to see Fantasmic. We try to keep the boys on about the same schedule as at home to avoid meltdowns. That means bedtime about 8-9. I figure that I will get to see it in a few years.........

 

[GusGus77]

1. Never again will we not make my daughter (or any children for that matter) go to the bathroom before The Universe of Energy ride even if she had just gone 30 minutes earlier (which she did.) Daddy ended up a little wet. Thank goodness I had extra clothes for her with me! Didn't realize it was a 30 minute ride with no escape route!

2. Get off the Disney cruise and plan any ADRs that day (at least before 6pm.) We had a 3pm at Chef Mickey's followed by the Halloween party. We were all tired and cranky and didn't enjoy Chef Mickey's at all. (And that WITH the Halloween party was WAY too much.)

3. Rent a double stroller in the park. I thought it would be easier than bringing our stroller on the bus for the day since it was just me and them since DH went to Universal. I had 2 yr old DS and 4yr old DD. They fought each other half the time and DD had to walk the other half of the time when DS kept trying to bite her.

 

[ariamac]

1. Never again will I take my memory card out of my camera
2. I will write my contact info on my memory card
3. The first picture on my memory card will be my contact info...

In case you hadn't guessed by now... I lost 1 of our memory cards full of pictures last time

 

[csummerlin55]

1. Never going during the Holiday Season again. It was freezing, crowded..and flu season. No swimming, hats and mittens in the Parks..then 1/2 the week in the room with sick kids. No thank you.

2. I know...I know....but - We will never go WITHOUT the Dining Plan. . Our past trip was our first without it and it just stressed me out WAAAYYY to much. Maybe we saved some $$$ - but our kids are big eaters so sharing sounded good on paper, but was an epic fail in the Parks. We ate off property a few meals to save some $$$. For the little it saved us, we lost a lot in Park time. I am one of the people Disney had in mind when they created the Dining Plan - don't care about the $ for $ return - The idea that our food is paid for...priceless.

You're not, by chance, referring to a trip in 12/2010?

 

[Peter Fan]

1. Never again will I take my memory card out of my camera
2. I will write my contact info on my memory card
3. The first picture on my memory card will be my contact info...

In case you hadn't guessed by now... I lost 1 of our memory cards full of pictures last time

Similar thing here, I hit the wrong button and deleted all of my pictures!

 

[Peter Fan]

We have NEVER left the park for nap time either. It just seemed like a huge waste of time for us to gather everyone up, go to the car, pack everyone and everything in it, drive back to the resort, etc... Our kids preferred to just nap in the stroller. And for the adults and kids that weren't in the stroller, if we need a rest, we get a snack, and find some shade somewhere.

We never left for naps either! Commando all the way!

 

[mom2rtk]

1. Never again will I take my memory card out of my camera
2. I will write my contact info on my memory card
3. The first picture on my memory card will be my contact info...

In case you hadn't guessed by now... I lost 1 of our memory cards full of pictures last time

Yuck, that hurts. I'm so sorry.

Do take a photo of your contact info and protect it so when you delete the images, that will stay. But remember if you reformat the card you will need to do that again.

 

[TunaSled]

Do any of the parks "commando".

I will not go into detail.

I sense that this is a different type of "commando" than is usually referred to around here...

 

[mom2rtk]

Similar thing here, I hit the wrong button and deleted all of my pictures!

If that ever happens again, immediately stop using the card. Do not reformat, do not take any additional shots. It's very possible that the pictures could have been easily recovered with the right software. Once you write over the space with new files though, it's too late.

 

[Brook1099]

Two things... that NOT using Disney buses makes our trip so much more easier and less stressful, we have driven our own vehicle for the past two trips.

That we should not have waited 4 years to try Ragland Road, we had an amazing lunch there and the Gers Bread Pudding alone is worth going for. Cant wait til Nov.

 

[ErinsMommy]

Booking a trip to the world at the same time Disney decides to change their website. Its gotten to the point that I go from to to to at the end of the day with dreams of it being better the next day, only to find more issues instead of less.

 

[nugov2]

Great tips....I am sure we will make lots of mistakes on our upcoming trip

 

[Eeyore's Wife]

1. Walk the golf course in september.

2. Eat at Chef's de France.

3. Let Magical Express collect my luggage. Now I get it from the carousel and bring it to the ME bus. So, if my luggage does not show up in Orlando I can file a Timely missing Luggage report and ME and my carrier do not fight about who lost the bag while I wear the same outfit day, after day, after day.

4. Pay for the Dining Plan

5. Stay at a DVC unless I rented points.

6. Stay Offsite

7. Endure Stitch's Great Escape

8. Endure Sounds Dangerous

9. Take a convoluted hour long bus adventure to an Early ADR at another resort, just get a cab.

10. Wear new shoes to WDW no matter how cute they are!

 

[TwoCortWort]

When we went to Disney World earlier this month we were super prepared and had the best time of our lives.

One of the things I wanted to do was try a Dole Whip the first day we were at MK. Didn't happen. Second time there... Didn't happen. Third time at MK... Didn't happen. On the last day (4th time at MK) I told my wife that trying a Dole Whip was a priority and it was going to happen.

Well I did get that Dole Whip. I had a taste, my two boys had a taste, my wife had a taste. That Dole Whip was devoured like we were cave people eating a turkey leg!!!! It was Awesome!!!

I wish we would have tried one on day 1!!!!! If we had I can guarantee that the snack credits would have been used up way before our last day at the parks. So next time we go and have the opportunity to try something new earlier in the week we will!

First thing on the agenda next December when we go back is hitting up the Dole Whip stand!

My parents were the same way when they tried the carrot cake cookie, they wished they had tried it before they did.

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

for us the mistake was taking the bus - never again.

We were at DHS and thought it would be fun to take the boat to Epcot - then later took the monorail to MK. At the end of a long day we had to wait for the bus back to DHS where we had left the car. We felt tired and trapped. For us it's car only - hated being at the mercy of the bus system (and yes I know a lot of folks love it but it's not for us)

Big mistake early on that I learned from was not checking out all of the CS menus in advance. Truely the first couple of trips to WDW we just ate at the standard burger/ chicken type places - things were so much better the trip I finally sat down and looked at every single CS menu before we went and made a list of places to try. So much more variety than I thought there was!

 

[tophatgirl]

I have to be careful to not pass the Dole Whip stand more than once a day or I will get one everytime, lol!

We now will never go w/o packing our own breakfast or eating in the room first. Actually, we packed a lunch this last trip too. Saves TONS of $$ and we would rather save that $ for special dinner dining. Besides, we have done the dining plan and it is just TOO much food for our family. We like to eat but we felt like that is all we were doing!

We have also learned to time out our FP better and if we really like a ride, we will get a FP AND go on if the line is quick that way we can ride more than 1 time that day.

Finally, we will bring a stroller for our 6 y/o daughter. She can and will walk most of the time, but for the long walks and convenience of being able to hang a backpack off the back it is priceless!