Mistake you will not repeat next time...

[brettcw23]

I wouldn't say that we ever made any mistake that really ruined our vacation or anything like that but over the years there certainly have been little things that we do differently based on past experiences.

I'd say the one bigger mistake we made early on that we now no longer do is to return from our Disney vacation the day before we return to work. Now we typically return home with a couple days left before resuming work.

Ditto. We had done that in the past and it was exhausting. This last time I had 2 days/ Sunday and then a Bank holiday!

 

[berryinDC]

I've learned so much from reading this thread! We made plenty of mistakes on our last trip. One I would never do again is choosing a resort that didn't have restaurants we were excited to eat at. I seriously underestimated how often we'd end up eating breakfast and lunch at POR and the food options were so limited. Much better to just stay somewhere that we'd be willing to travel to eat at anyway!

 

[rapunzels]

On our very fist trip to WDW 6 years ago, somehow I left all of my shoes at home, except a pair of leather loafers I wore to the airport. Don't ask, I don't know how I did that. Anyhow, I ended up buying a pair of clunky tennis shoes from Team Mickey. Shoes are like the first thing in my bag now.

 

[rapunzels]

I make sure if I am going to be getting wet on a ride I wear those quick dry shorts and NO JEAN Shorts!!!!

Don't I know it! We were at Busch Gardens Williamsburg 2 years ago, and I was wearing jean shorts-- my tennis shoes got soaked too. I gave my family an ultimatum... be miserable with me, or go back to the room and change. We had only been in the park like 10 minutes, so we had just started the day. We went back to the room, and I put on different non jean shorts and my Teva's. Jeans take FOREVER to dry when your wearing them!

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

LOL...in 2010 on Expedition Everest, I was ion the back...guy up front lost his sombrero and I caught it. He was so thankful.

Wow! Lol I would love to have seen that! Imagine that on youtube!

 

[fla4fun]

Making sure I have my DL with me!

About four years ago my mom and I were headed to Disney. I had worked that day, so I went and picked her up and we headed to the BC to check in. Got to the desk, they asked for ID - no ID. Went out and searched the car - no ID. In a panic at this point, I had mom drive us home (she had her DL) and searched the house. I found it in a bank envelope where I had taken out cash for the trip. I won't make that mistake again!

 

[Albion218]

1. As excited as I am, I will try to sleep as much as I can the night before we leave! I always have a problem getting to bed the night before and it ends up with mom and I on edge and fighting. Plus you're still tired in the next few days from not enough sleep! Blah!

2. I will walk in my shoes for at least 2 full months before trying to wear them to the park. Made this mistake twice now.

3. For chafing AND blisters, the antibacterial cream for small cuts and stuff in the gift shops at the resorts works! I will try to prevent that stuff next time, but if I can't I will go straight to that cream! It worked wonders. The chafing was literally gone overnight.

4. Don't drink and ride soarin. No I didn't throw up but it didn't feel nice. Lol!

5. Don't waste time fighting with anyone in your party. Suggest some seperation time and meet up later. Fighting at Disney is simply not worth it.

That's all I can think of right now but I'm sure I will think of more later.

 

[mikegood2]

Don't let things that are out of control ruin your trip before you even leave! Although it is OK to get upset

On our last trip, we took the time to book a flight that we felt would work best for us. Found a good price, chose a 9am flight, because it was the girls first flight and thought a 6am was too early for them, even though it was $20 a ticket cheaper. We also payed extra for assigned seats. Everything was fine until we went to check on something and found out that changed both our flights without even contacting us about the changes. They moved us to the 6am flight, which we almost chose initially, so we lost $20there. We lost our assigned seats and ended up with bad seats, especially on our return flight (last row). It took multiple calls, but we finally got the money we payed for assigned seating back. Luckily everything turned out Fine, but we let this experience upset us much than it should have.

I would also advise people to check there flight itinerary at least weekly, especially when the trip is getting closer. If we had caught the error earlier we might have been able to get assigned seats atleast.

Sent from my iPad mini using DISBoards

 

[DisneyPups]

All interesting, all families, situations,and priorities are different. Just chill and have a great time. Just don' t go commando with little kids. Major meltdowns sap everyone. YOU are the adult, make adult decisions.

When I first read this, I thought by "don't go commando" you were telling people to wear underwear. I kept reading to see if you saw something you wish you didn't.

 

[2012bella13]

subbing

 

[KapBoy77]

Wow! Never thought this thread would take off like it did.

So turns out this thread proves that there is no such thing as the perfect vacation and mistakes are to be expected. (we all knew that though right?) But we can all learn from those mistakes and other peoples mistakes as well! And the best thing about putting what we have learned to work is that we need to go back!

Man I really really want a Dole Whip right now...

 

[livibug]

Amen to that one.. never again!

I decide to forego the Fast Pass and get in the single rider line at the Rock 'n Roller Coaster. BIG MISTAKE. The single rider line at RNRC is very slow. Get the Fast Pass if you can.

 

[AshleeH]

I've really enjoyed this thread and learned a few new things!

My mistakes:

~Going to DTD on a weekend. We spent over 45 minutes circling the parking lots, looking for any place to park. DH finally had to drop us off at one end and go to the complete opposite end to park. By the time he got there, we had gone to the boys' favorite stores and DH went in Team Mickey (his favorite) and we were ready to go. Weeknights/days only from now on!

~Hurrying up to wait. We got caught in a massive Wishes crowd on our first trip and ended up separating from the crowd at the bag-check and sitting and waiting for over two hours while they dwindled (monorails were sporadic at best and ferries were running slower than normal). Good news for us - when the line got to the bottom of the ramp (as opposed to still backed up into MK) we got up to join it. That was the moment they started redirecting everyone to the resort monorails. Great news for us - we got front of the line, but I can't imagine the frustration of people who had just reached the top of the ramp only to be redirected to the back of the line!

~Riding the monorail when it's crowded - on our second trip we got seats and a family got on and stood with their ponchos and bags hanging in our faces the whole time. Got to our stop and worked our way to the doors - one of the women in the group lunged for our seats, separated my husband and son (who had just turned 5 at the time - actually ran through their hands as if she was playing Red Rover!!) and my DH had to turn around and jump back on to grab him before the doors closed (knocking the witch down in the process, which I wasn't broken up about at all). I had no idea what was happening since older DS and I had gotten off already, we just heard people start yelling at this woman to move and let DH get to his child. I can't imagine the dirty looks she got, but I hope someone chewed her out for me . My poor son is not a little boy who scares easily, but he was shaking and clinging to my husband's neck by the time they caught up to us. He loves riding the "train" (monorail) but now asks if there are any mean ladies on it .

And this wasn't my mistake, but I learned from it: DH said he was crossing MK to get FPs at BTMRR while we stayed in Tomorrowland. He got to the Hub and there was a couple having a huge screaming match. He continued on and got FPs and started back toward Tomorrowland - the couple was still there arguing! This same trip, a meltdown I've witnessed was when we were waiting for ice cream and the couple behind us were having a pleasant conversation that escalated when they couldn't decide whether to go back to the hotel for a break or stay in the park. One wanted to stay and one wanted to go - this escalated more and more until finally the husband said he was leaving and she could do what she wanted.

As a result, DH and I have a standing rule that if either of us makes one snappy comment, we either take a break, get a drink, get a snack, or go back to the hotel - no way will we be one of the meltdowns! It's a good rule for us - three trips in three years and we've never had a single meltdown between adults or kids!

 

[songkat]

I will never ever not take my camera to WDW.

A few years ago, I was going for a long weekend with my adult niece. I had been to the parks earlier that year, and figured there were no other pictures to take. Besides, my niece was taking her camera.

We got to the hotel and it was then I discovered my niece only had one very small data card for her digital camera. Furthermore, it was an older digital camera that took large square cards, not the normal ones sold now. Unfortunately, WDW didn't sell those types of cards. She bought a few single-use 35mm cameras, which of course don't take good photos at all indoors.

So there we were at Disney with virtually no camera. The worst part? I had considered taking my point/shoot just in case, but then decided not to. The double worst part? It was the first time we were there in October, so we have no photos of all the great Halloween decorations.

 

[M&MGirl1]

After our trip last month I will NEVER, EVER, EVER rent a car for a WDW trip again.

It's stressful as heck trying to navigate around the World. Then there's the hundreds of other drivers (just like you) who are driving rental cars they aren't used to and have no clue of where they are going that you have to look out for, and I think we walked way more in the parking lots to get to/from the trams to our car than we would have walking from the buses to the park gates.

 

[DznyCrzy11]

After our trip last month I will NEVER, EVER, EVER rent a car for a WDW trip again.

It's stressful as heck trying to navigate around the World. Then there's the hundreds of other drivers (just like you) who are driving rental cars they aren't used to and have no clue of where they are going that you have to look out for, and I think we walked way more in the parking lots to get to/from the trams to our car than we would have walking from the buses to the park gates.

Exactly!!! We feel the same way! After staying at a WDW Resort and using ME, there's no going back to a rental car for us!

Sent from my Galaxy S II

 

[DznyCrzy11]

The big mistake that I can really remember is a couple years ago we made way too many meal reservations so it felt like we were always checking the time. For us, that's just not vacation.

Sent from my Galaxy S II

 

[wdwrroad]

We were in the MK on Christmas day. We were waiting for the electrical parade on the curb in front of Casey's. After the parade, but before Wishes, our group decided to move over to the smoking section by the plaza. This is a narrow pathway to Tomorrowland. The crowd was shoulder to shoulder. At this same time, many other people decided to go through this same pathway, moving both ways. People were getting pushed and stepped on. No one could move. Finally they opened a gate between the plaza restaurant and Tomorrowland terrace. This led backstage and we were directed back in another gate by Tony's. It was like wading up a rag and shoving it through a funnel. Next time we will never move while it is so crowded. It was dangerous.

 

[starrysky]

The big mistake that I can really remember is a couple years ago we made way too many meal reservations so it felt like we were always checking the time. For us, that's just not vacation.

Sent from my Galaxy S II

We made this same mistake on our most recent trip. We still had a good time but I felt like I was constantly checking my watch and rushing my poor DH around. This year we have dropped back down to the QSP so we can be far more flexible in where we eat. We might make a couple of ADRS but even the we might just wing it and see how we get on. Very glad BOG is counter service during the day,

Another would be not to take so many clothes who cares if I wear the same thing more than once (it's not like I am going to see anyone there again and we do laundry) I won't be worrying about trying to get everything new I bought along with all the stuff I bought home.

 

[kkelder24]

1. Not fast passing Peter Pan. Last time I went 2 years ago I waited in line for 45 minutes and the time before that an hour.

2. Standing pretty close to Spaceship Earth for Illuminations...sitting in the World Showcase this time

3. Waiting for the last minute to get spots for Wishes.

4. I always end up with pictures of things, not pictures of the people I'm there with. You look back at the pictures and they all look the same. This time, I want pictures of me and my friends, not 800 of the castle, or queues or the monorail.