Mistakes I Made at Disney World (& How to FIX Them)

When planning a Disney World vacation, it is like playing Jenga, Yahtzee, and Battleship all at the same time. Do one weird thing, and it can collapse on you. Sometimes you get super lucky out of nowhere! Then there are times where you literally feel like you are playing against others who can unknowingly sabotage your vacation (if you've ever been on the computer at 5am for dining reservations, then you know what I am talking about).

Has anyone every REALLY told you about the mistakes they have made either planning their vacation, or during it? I get it, why dwell on something like that. Why admit you might have been wrong? Well - I want to make sure everyone here is equipped with maximum knowledge, so here are some of the mistakes I have made, and how you can fix them - or hopefully avoid them.

1. Forgetting to Bring the Diaper Bag

Yes. You heard me. I FORGOT to bring the diaper bag with me to the parks once. To give you a little context, this was our 5th day of vacation, and our 4th park day. Everyone was getting tired, we were running a little behind schedule, you know how it is! We had park bags, snacks, replenished supplies, etc. We got the monstrous stroller out the door and all 6 humans, arrive at the park, get about 1/2 way through the parking lot and it hit me - I forgot my son's diapers, sippy cup, and some of the busy toys at the hotel. I was peak level frustrated at this point - a lot rides on a trip like this - and if the children become unhinged, the adults go nuclear. A recipe for disaster! Here is how we fixed this problem thanks to the amazing amenities offered within the parks:

• All parks have Baby Care centers! Here you can change your child, there is a place to nurse, some basic supplies for feeding, and you can purchase diapers, wipes, medicine, even pacifiers and formula! They have planned for your worst case scenario and can help steer you back on course!

• Most quick service locations have something a child can drink.- if you're ok with a small bottle of water, a juice box, etc. then you don't have to go without!

• Always put SOME baby/toddler supplies in an adult bag. For some reason we instinctively reach for our own bags as it usually contains necessary items like credit cards, forms of ID, etc. Throw a few extra diapers, a couple of wipes in a Ziplock bag, some toys and snacks just in case! The divide & conquer technique has saved us since this...unfortunate incident.

• Invest in a stroller bag. Similar to the divide & conquer approach, having a bag that does not come off of your stroller is a huge plus. We had some supplies left in there AND both children's water bottles to get us through one change before we needed to access the Baby Care center. If you are renting a stroller at the parks, most bags do still clip on to their strollers and can help you identify your stroller from everyone else's! The one I use has 2 cup holder slots, a front pocket specifically for dispensing wipes, and a large interior pocket for diapers, snacks, etc.

2. Not Taking Adequate Breaks

This is a skill that does NOT come naturally you guys. This is something that takes multiple visits to the parks to fully grasp. Why? Because every family and child is different! This will also continue to change as children get older and interests change. The first time we took the kids we all kept getting burnt out at weird times, and we were overly paranoid about how much the kids could handle. It wasn't until our second time ever bringing them that we realized they could handle a lot more than we thought, but still needed at least a midday break of some kind. The reason most families don't take breaks is because you paid A LOT of money to be there - leaving and coming back is not the most attractive option and I hear you! Here are some tips for some easy breaks you can place in your day to avoid the inevitable burnout:

• You do NOT have to leave the park! If you utilized an early entry/rope drop strategy then you might be feeling it by about lunchtime. The instinct is to leave because the wait times have started to increase and all the big ticket attractions have been conquered! You can still take a break, and continue through the list of shows and attractions within the park without the fast-paced hustle.

• No wait attractions! Things like the PeopleMover, Dumbo, Carousel of Progress, Mickey's Philharmagic, Triceratop Spin, Journey into Imagination with Figment, Living with the Land, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Alien Swirling Saucers, Star Tours, etc. tend to have consistent low waits and can bring you some relief. These are the rides you DON'T prioritize early so you can knock them out while others are fighting in line for Space Mountain, or waiting for Rise of the Resistance to come back up...Most shows can last 15-20 minutes and sometimes that quick break in air conditioning is heaven!

• Grab a snack and steak-out a spot for one of the upcoming Stage Shows or Parades! If you go early enough you can find a spot to sit down for a while and wait and give kids the chance to eat, sit down, maybe watch a few phone cartoons (we don't judge here). Rest your legs, and enjoy the show!

• Make a dining reservation for the peak meal time of the day (or hottest part of the day). Avoid any kind of literal burnout by booking yourself a guaranteed seat indoors. Quick Service locations do not necessarily guarantee indoor seating in most parks, and even if they did - they are hard to get! Having a dining reservation ensures you will be inside, for a reasonable amount of time and can recharge! Bonus points if you book a reservation at a nearby resort you can feel like you "left the park" without actually having to make the journey all the way back to your resort.

• Go back to the room! I know what I just said about, hear me out! Sometimes there just isn't another option! The children (and probably the adults) are a little over-stimulated and a change of scenery, or some familiarity of the bed they slept in last night, might be necessary. If you have access to upgraded transportation via a Skyliner resort (if visiting Hollywood Studios or EPCOT), or the monorail (if staying at the Monorail resorts and visiting Magic Kingdom or EPCOT) then you don't have a huge hurdle to overcome taking that midday break. Those using bus transportation have a little bit of a wait but I can at least assure you that your trip back in the middle of the day will not be as crowded as it was that morning! Grab the children, check back in the stroller (if you are renting) and head on back. Give yourself 2 hours, let the kids take their sweaty shoes and shirts off, turn on some Bluey and make it an intentional break.

3. Slept in on/ Miscalculated Dining Reservation Window

DISCLAIMER: I am an authorized travel professional that specializes in Walt Disney World vacations and I have NEVER done this for a client.

Anyway! Before I was a professional, I had slept in on one of the 60 day marks to get a lunch reservation at Disney Springs. I felt so stupid and of course it wasn't available. There are two very easy solutions if this happens to you:

• Keep checking back on the app! New reservations come up all the time as families change their plans, or the restaurant itself adds in more availability. If you are vigilant you might get lucky! Does that sound absolutely awful? Invest in a one-time use of a Dining Reservation finder - they will notify you when a booking becomes available and if you act fast you can snag it! Looking for a friendly Disney community, access to discounted tickets AND a built-in Disney Dining Reservation Finder? Feel free to check out Unlocked Magic! A community built by the lovely people of World of DVC. The app is $5.99 per month and you will have access to so many planning tools! If you are interested you can click this (AFFILIATE LINK)

Take me to Unlocked Magic!

• Check and see if the restaurant you are looking for has what is called a Walk-Up Waitlist. If it does, and the constant checking of the app and Dining Reservation Finder has failed you, this might be your last shot! You can plan for this ahead of time by using your My Disney Experience app to find the Walk-up List for each restaurant. Please keep in mind that not all restaurants have this, it can fill up during peak meal times, and you must be near the restaurant to join the list! While it isn't guaranteed, it is worth a shot! If you want to join the list for breakfast I would say be one of the first ones to join the list when the restaurant opens. For dinner you want to be one of the first ones at the start of the designated meal time (even being near the restaurant 30 minutes prior).

• Does all of the above sound dreadful? This is what travel professionals like me can do for you! I can take care of calculating the 60 day mark for you, waking up at 5am when necessary, securing the reservations using the list we come up with during the planning stages of your trip, and if I still can't get the reservation? I have access to Dining Reservation Finders and I check my Disney app daily anyway. I won't stop until we can get you that reservation, or at least have a solid plan B! Using my services is FREE! Saves you the time, the trouble, the headaches and heartaches! All built into the cost of a typical Disney Resort and Ticket Package!

4. Lost an Item!

Have you ever rode the struggle bus so hard that you just forget things exist? You know how people leave their keys in weird places, or try to put the milk back in the cabinet - our brains are WEIRD! Now try to plan and execute a flawless Disney vacation with multiple times, dates, prices, lightning lanes, check-in times, mobile order windows, children....AHH! Naturally the only way for us to cope is to simply forget what items we brought with us onto a ride, or to a restaurant. Here is what you can do if this unfortunate event happens (trigger warning, I will also be discussing lost children as well):

• If you have left your item (hat, sunglasses, water bottle, bag, phone, etc.) on a ride - please speak to a Cast Member at the front of the attraction so they can tell you what to do next. In most cases, they will have you to go Guest Services and fill out a Missing Item Report. From there they can tell you when the item is likely to show up in that location if it is found (don't be shocked when they tell you to come back at the end of the night).

• If you do not know where the item went missing - you can still report it to Guest Services and fill out the same form. If they find the item you will be notified via email. If you have already left to go home when you are notified, it will give you the option to ship the item back home (shipping rates will apply).

• Trigger Warning: in the event of a Lost Child. Speak with the closest available Cast Member the moment you realize they are missing. All children who are found by Cast Members will be taken to the Baby Care Centers in each park after an attempt is made to find the parent nearby. Please make sure to know what your child is wearing that day, if you have a photo from earlier in the day is even better. Stay as calm as possible and follow all of the instructions the Cast Members give you. To avoid this unfortunate situation, make sure you and your child have strict rules about wandering off. We try to have one point of contact at all times if they are not in the stroller, if my hands are full my daughter sticks her hand in my pocket or loops her arm around the strap of my backpack. Investing in a bracelet, temporary tattoo, or button that has your name and phone number on it will really help the Cast Members notify you and return your child in a timely manner.

5. Forgot to Book a Lightning Lane/ Individual Lightning Lane

Sometimes even the best of us get swept up in the magic and can literally forget time exists! I'm going to give you 100% honesty here and tell you I just did this exactly a month ago! We were rope dropping Splash Mountain on its last weekend, the park opening ceremony got me all emotional, we hustled to the start of the ride queue, and next thing you know I'm looking down at the clock and realizing I just missed 15 minutes of my booking window for purchasing Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. I felt like a real genius. This changed the timing of a return window from 4ish to 7:45 was the next available (if you do the math right, that means I was 1 hour away from missing out on the entire day). In the event you become overwhelmed by the magic, here is what you can do:

• FOR GENIE+ SELECTIONS ONLY: Book whatever time becomes available first. It is always better to have a time to ride, than nothing at all. Be mindful if you are park hopping, you don't want a return time for when you are going to be out of the park. The nifty new feature for Genie+ is the ability to modify your booking. If you snagged a late return time, you can modify the current selection to an earlier time if one becomes available. In the past you would have to completely cancel the booking and make a new one which was a huge time waster. In order to find an earlier return time you need to be on the Tip Board and be pulling down the top of the screen to refresh the results. Have the ride(s) you want pinned ahead of time by using the regular Genie features. This will ensure that the ride you want is constantly showing up at the top of your screen.

• FOR INDIVIDUAL LIGHTNING LANES: You CANNOT modify or cancel a paid Individual Lightning Lane Selection. Once you have purchased your time, that is it. Please be careful when making that selection, but if you are remaining in the same park all day - any return time is better than no return time. If the ride you want has sold out, pin that attraction to the top of your tip board and keep refreshing. You will need to have your credit card saved in the app to simplify the process and please verify your travel party before hitting submit! Never pay for someone who is not going to ride, but everyone who IS going to ride needs to have that Individual Lightning Lane linked on their MagicBand or card.

Well there you have it, even the experts are prone to making simple mistakes every once in a while. The trick is learning from them and making sure you know how to correct them going forward! The biggest takeaway is NOT to panic, do NOT take out your frustration on a family member, child, or Cast Member (it kills the vibe), and know you have plenty of options to have a magical day.

As mentioned before I am a professional travel planner that specializes in Disney World Vacations! If you are interested in my free services you will get tips like this AND planning itineraries, walk-through videos on the My Disney Experience app and Genie+, customized rop-drop strategies personalized to you and your family, dining reservation assistance, technical support, all package payments, modifications and enhancements, and more! If you want some power in your corner, maybe some heavy ammunition in your camp? All you gotta do is click this link to get started https://forms.gle/aLmnft9q7ManvQDK8 & I guarantee you ain't never had a friend like ME!

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