8 Easy Mistakes to Avoid When Planning Your Next Disney World Trip

If you’re planning a Disney World trip, you might be laser-focused on getting everything right.

In the midst of all the chaos of booking airfare and hotels and finding transportation, there are some mistakes that are REALLY easy to make.

Trust us, these are mistakes you don’t want to make!

Not Getting Park Reservations

Look, we get it, the Park Reservation system is still a little new, especially if you haven’t visited Disney World in the last two years! But this is a really easy task to add to your planning list to avoid a huge headache if the parks end up “sold out” during your visit.

Don’t take a chance on missing out on your park visits. As soon as you know your dates, decide which parks (and when!) you want to visit and get those park passes secured.

Don’t make these Disney Park Pass mistakes!

Not Downloading the My Disney Experience App

Maybe you’re not a big smart phone person, or you don’t like to rely on apps. We understand, but the My Disney Experience app is an invaluable tool during your Disney World visit. Not only can you check ride wait times, you can also place Mobile Orders, make Genie+ reservations, reserve dining, unlock your Disney World hotel door, and lots more.

It’s also really easy to download it before your visit to start getting familiar with it. You don’t want to be in Disney World testing out the app for the very first time.

Read ALL about the My Disney Experience app here!

Not Researching Genie+

It is a HUGE mistake to plan on using Genie+ without learning how it works and deciding what rides you want to prioritize. Not doing your research can mean the difference between getting the ride reservations you actually want — and not getting them.

We’re not saying you need to earn a PhD in Genie+, but it’s definitely worth checking out some videos and articles to have a basic idea of how it works before your visit. You might even decide you don’t need to buy it!

Everything you need to know about using Genie+!

Only Choosing Popular Restaurants

There’s nothing wrong with choosing a popular restaurant if you actually want to dine there, but make sure you research the menu and the atmosphere before going with the same suggestion everyone makes! You might be missing out on a really cool restaurant that you would enjoy more.

It’s easy to just go with the popular recommendations, but there are SO many amazing restaurants in Disney World that may be a better fit for you or your group. It’s never a mistake to check out menus before making your Advance Dining Reservation.

Bored with Disney World food? Try these underrated restaurants!

Picking the Wrong Disney World Hotel

It’s really important to consider everything you hope to get from your Disney World hotel, including budget, amenities, location, and more. You might not need to stay at that popular Deluxe Disney World Resort if you spend 90% of your time in the parks or if you don’t care about amenities.

Likewise, if you like to spend a lot of time at your hotel, you might want to prioritize hotels with tons of amenities and activities and dining options.

What are the best hotels in Disney World? Here’s what you think!

Not Considering Florida Weather

Florida = hot, right? WRONG. Well, not entirely wrong. But a lot of people don’t know just how cold Orlando can actually get in the winter! Or, on the flip side, just how hot Florida can get in the depths of August. And Florida weather can seriously vary. Your trip might have one day in the 80s and the next two days in the 60s, and you can even experience a hurricane!

Checking the weather right before your visit is an easy way to prevent packing the wrong clothes, whether it’s cold OR hot or, well, hurricane-ing. No one wants to have to interrupt a visit to run to a local store to grab a winter coat because it’s freezing!

What it’s like to do Disney World in severe weather!

Not Breaking In Your Shoes

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it over and over again: Do NOT wear new shoes to Disney World. Even if you specifically bought comfy shoes for all the walking, break them in before your visit.

It’s hard to know just how much walking you do in Disney World until you’re there and you check your stats and find that you walked 20,000 steps in one day. You don’t want to find out during your visit that your new shoes give you blisters or end up hurting after an hour!

The BEST shoes to wear for your Disney World trip!

Forgetting a Battery Charger

It’s getting harder and harder to visit Disney World without a smart phone and trust us, your phone battery will drain quickly. Not only is your phone useful for the My Disney Experience app, it’s also a great tool to keep in touch with your group if you get separated.

You can either bring a battery charger with you (just make sure it’s charged!) or get a FuelRod in Disney World that you can exchange whenever you need a full charge.

Can you even do Disney World without a phone?

These are easy mistakes you do NOT want to make when you visit Disney World, so make sure you add some of these suggestions to your planning list! Keep reading AllEars for more Disney World planning tips and tricks!