Mistake you will not repeat next time...

[bumbershoot]

Otherwise if the line was long we just came back later..

And that sentence is the closest to what WE would never do again that I can think of.

Maybe we're wimps, maybe we have delicate little feet, but crisscrossing multiple times, to go check out a ride and then leave and come back, etc, that's just torture. If it's a "must ride", darn the line, if I'm there we should probably ride it. Unless, of course, the point of being at that ride at that moment is to get a FP and there's a plan made.

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.

Sounds like you went from the Dining Plan to the plan of sharing meals, going offsite to save money, etc. There's a middle ground of not having the Plan, but still allowing everyone to get the food they want, and only going offsite if you want to. Might be worth exploring. We like the Tables in Wonderland card, as it allows us to do just what we want, and get a discount on many of our meals. We also like Sweet Tomatoes, which is offsite, and we enjoy going there for the food once or twice during a trip!

Do any of the parks "commando".

I will not go into detail.

Oh, the chafing, the chafing!

Oh, and, don't stay at an off property resort and shop at DTD twice then go home and tell everybody you "went to Disney". No, honey, you vacationed in central Florida.

Same with getting the tickets through UT. They wouldn't have gotten lost in the first place if they'd been on the KTTW card. We just had all these cards and tickets and FP+ passes (which also got misplaced briefly) etc. etc. floating around, it was a giant headache for me, because I was in charge.

You should have been able to put the tickets onto the KTTW card. Concierge desk at the resort can do that.

And, since we are Disneyland veterans, and Disneyland does NOT have tickets on their Keys to the Magic cards, I know that *lanyards* are great for carrying multiple cards.

Or if you really are keeping EVERYONE's, you could get something like the Sideswipe Wallet to hold them all, and put it in your purse or park bag or in a closeable cargo pocket, etc.

3. Eating a gingerbread shingle from the GB house at the Grand Floridian. I would sooner eat an actual shingle before another one of those awful things.

There is something so incredibly wrong about bad gingerbread...

Captain EO, never again. lol...

That's it, that's my mistake! As we left Captain EO, I might have mentioned that every single person involved in making that *thing* should be ashamed of themselves. Every one of them.

Unfortunately, my son LOVED it. And we have "only" seen it at Disneyland so far. So I might have to experience it a second time, just to have the full WDW experience of it. But after that, never again!

 

[PetePanMan]

never again will I ride Mission to Mars or EE without first taking a motion sickness pill

 

[stindall]

Family trips!

Although they haven't been *perfect*, we like doing them. We have extended family that lives in Florida, and we like getting a 2 bedroom villa so they can come stay with us. They don't really do LONG stays normally, so just 3 or 4 nights is good for them. I like visiting with them, and we try to be really open and honest with each other.

I think it's wrong to think that NO families should do big trips. If you do it and it's awful, don't do it again. But it might be good.

Another hint from my experience...either get there some days earlier or stay a bit longer, to have just-your-family time apart from bigger family. The first way makes sure you can get the things in that you know you *have to* do, and the second way lets you decompress.

If you have a suspicion that it might not go so well don't do it. Only go if you KNOW everyone will get along pretty ok.

 

[CdnKayDee]

After staying at Por a few trips we thought we could go back to Asmu. Wrong that mistake lasted one night. Transferred the next day to Por.

 

[mattsdragon]

Oh, the chafing, the chafing!

That's even funnier if you say it like Colonel Kurtz.

 

[ttintagel]

Next time I'll make sure to have a couple of surgical masks and unscented hand sanitizer in my purse in case I get seated next to a sneezing and coughing sick person on the plane down again. I had pneumonia by the time I got home!

Also, as an insanely light sleeper, I have to make a schedule next time for naps back in the room by myself.

 

[Chee Chick]

My biggest mistake was waiting until day 3 of our vacation to tell my in-laws "you all just meet us when you can" and not spend an inordinate amount of time sititng around waiting on them.

It only took me 1 day to leave the in-laws behind. We were all ready to go for rope drop the first morning. We waited and waited for them to finally get out of bed and get ready. By the time we got to the park DS was already hungry and ready for a nap. Then they didn't want to go where we wanted. So I said 'See ya later!' We hardly ever saw them.

Our last two trips we went with my parents and then DH's parents. They both left a few days before us. We much more enjoyed the days by ourselves. I will not return to WDW with extended family again. Lesson learned.

 

[bookgirl]

The mistake I will not make again.....

If you see something you like...BUY IT. Thinking that it will be at another store, or that you could order it online, or that you'll make it back to buy it can be a crapshoot.

I have learned this the hard way.

I am not a huge souvineer/buy the tshirt kinda girl, but if I do find something I like then I should just buy it then. I've had a couple of things that I've missed out on because I figured I'd get it at DTD later or that I'd come back. It never happens and it doesn't always show up online if they sell out in parks.

I did learn on my last years trip that if you buy something you can return it at the register in the resort gift shop. I was looking at a shirt in DHS and they did not have a fitting room and was told I could return it at my resort. Well it didn't fit and I took it back to the register at POFQ and they didn't even blink an eye. Just took my reciept and charged it back to my card.

 

[RandFamily]

The mistake I will not make again.....

If you see something you like...BUY IT. Thinking that it will be at another store, or that you could order it online, or that you'll make it back to buy it can be a crapshoot.

I have learned this the hard way.

Yes! Me too!

 

[Jessica14]

I didn't think I had anything, but there are a couple of things I would do/have done differently:

-Only use Disney transportation in the off season. It was great in January, but I think it would have been a mistake to have used it for our October trip.

-Let go of the fact that you spent a lot of money to get here. I made that mistake last Christmas. It was a great surprise for the kids that morning, but by the time I got to POP two weeks later, I started worrying that we did the wrong thing. It took a couple days to snap out of it.

-Don't skip a park that you really love. We were really tired one day and had a great resort day. However, that meant choosing between AK that we love and DHS that we had never been too. I should have said go to the park we love. I really didn't love DHS and I felt that I cheated myself. I didn't dislike it, but TSM and Starring Rolls cupcakes couldn't make up for all the attractions we missed at AK.

-Never go on the Dumbo line and the Laugh Factory without my anxiety medication. I discovered after the fact that I am claustrophobic to some extent and this was a huge issue for me it the holding area of both attractions.

Jessica

 

[wolf29]

One of these years leaving Disney will only mean heading home, which will be within driving distance (i.e. the central Florida area). Not headed to the airport and flying several hundred miles away....

We sooooo want to do this. Kids always say " We hardly have any homework....if we lived in Florida we could go to Blizzard Beach for an hour, or eat at EPCOT"...someday...

 

[tcherjen]

We sooooo want to do this. Kids always say " We hardly have any homework....if we lived in Florida we could go to Blizzard Beach for an hour, or eat at EPCOT"...someday...

I love reading these!!! I live in Florida and haven't been in 9 years lol and we are only 2 1/2 hours away. We enjoyed visting the USVI, you are lucky to live in such a warm beautiful place.

 

[wolf29]

I love reading these!!! I live in Florida and haven't been in 9 years lol and we are only 2 1/2 hours away. We enjoyed visting the USVI, you are lucky to live in such a warm beautiful place.

Grass is always greener...I grew up on Long Island and know many people that NEVER go to NYC, with all it has to offer. I would be in there at least once every week or two for something, shows, museums, just experiencing everything. I'm certain that if we lived in Orlando that we'd get a lot of use from our APs.

Not really a mistake to correct, but we will never go to WDW without arriving the day prior to our package begins. We get a room and car for about $65 total, spend time in DTD, get our Park Tix & Photopass and make Rope Drop the following am

 

[thedonduck]

We sooooo want to do this. Kids always say " We hardly have any homework....if we lived in Florida we could go to Blizzard Beach for an hour, or eat at EPCOT"...someday...

We moved here in March and I can say we go to Disney weekly for a snack and to let the kids burn off some energy! We will continue to do this until we no longer find it fun, which I truly don't think that will happen for a lonnnngggg time!

 

[kksmom92]

Mine would have to be watching Wishes directly at the front. You can definitely hear the fireworks, but will hardly see any of them. Couldn't believe I made that mistake. I blame the castle for being so awesome and pulling me in like a magnet

That would be one of mine too. We would always watch Wishes outside the gate more by the ferry so we could get on and beat the crowd. Last trip we watched them inside the park over more by the Haunted Mansion and it was so worth it as afterwards we just walked around the back and enjoyed the quiet back there while everyone else left.

 

[princesscate]

That would be one of mine too. We would always watch Wishes outside the gate more by the ferry so we could get on and beat the crowd. Last trip we watched them inside the park over more by the Haunted Mansion and it was so worth it as afterwards we just walked around the back and enjoyed the quiet back there while everyone else left.

Was it noisier back there? I'm thinking it might be .......

One thing we never plan on doing again is switching resorts ...... We settled in for a few days and enjoy a resort then we switched and had a headache at another resort .... Just not worth it to us.

 

[pmaurer74]

1. Have an ADR on the day of arrival. We did not want to go to our ADR the night of arrival at DTD even though we were at a DTD resort but we were meeting people.

2. Make sure you know where your room is at the resort. THe first night we were caught in an awful awful storm and could not see the buildings. SSR has 5 bus stops and I guessed at the stop. I was right but did not know it until we made a run for it.

3. Even in the middle of summer, bring a sweatshirt and jeans. I was freezing after the storm the first night.

4. I agree about buying something when you see it as you may not find it again.

 

[csummerlin55]

We moved here in March and I can say we go to Disney weekly for a snack and to let the kids burn off some energy! We will continue to do this until we no longer find it fun, which I truly don't think that will happen for a lonnnngggg time!

How do you like living there? This is one of our goals but in afraid we won't reach it until after my kiddos are gone.

 

[paysensmom]

I will second, third, etc. going with friends!!!
I LOVE my friends. We spent a ton of time together and love to be around each other. We have children the same age.
I admit I am a commando style tourist. Shame, shame, I know!
They wanted to get up, go to a sit down breakfast and then head to the parks. We ended up meeting at the parks and telling them to call when they arrived. We would always have one or two sets of FPs already and they didn't. We did WAY more than they did and they questioned if the trip was worth it. Their daughter was upset when we were going to ride a ride using our FPs and they couldn't go because they didn't have one and the lines were SO long. We just had to do everything seperately because I wasn't going to miss out because they would rather have a sit down breakfast! They also wanted to eat TS in the parks and I am not willing to waste that amount of park time.
So, in short, they thought I was too fast, I thought they were too slow

 

[bellaally]

Wow so many of these hit the nail on the head


1 never go by anybody else's experiences ie trip reports. Don't get me wrong love reading them but most are pros and know the parks. They jump from one ride to the next to getting something to eat etc. I on the other hand had to keep pulling out the maps stepping to the side as the herds went by. I mean I will eventually know where it all is soon I hope. Also with this when someone has a bad review I take it with a grain of salt. I read so many reviews about Ohana being over rated. It was amazing the atmosphere, the food, service excellent.

2 buy something when you see it. As someelse said you can return the item back at the resort. Your not gonna find any sales lol. Also when you see a food item you want buy it.

3 everyone talks about rental cars. We had some trouble with getting to the parks parking,taking the tram, getting to the park, checking bags, swiping passes....to final be in the park (that's without doing the extra steps at MK) add an hour I always wanted to make rope drop never happened.

4 no going back to the resorts for a nap, we took the kids to the babycare centers to cool down, eat a snack, change there clothes,breastfeed. They napped in there stroller perfectly fine. It would have taken too long to go back to the resorts.

5 meal plan was a waste of money as hubby only picked the burgers, also ADR after or before park times are fine, during it takes too much to try and squeeze it in during touring the park.

Best things ever thought photopass cards, worth every penny, ziplockbags, bringing rain jackets instead of ponchos, buying our own water and juices and bringing them into the parks