We Got Over Our Shyness of Doing These Six Things at Walt Disney World

For many first-timers or people who haven’t been to the Disney parks in quite a while, there can be a reservedness that we’re happy to report goes away with time.

You see, we also had our hang-ups about certain things at Disney World in the beginning, but with repetition and learning how to relax and enjoy ourselves, we got over them!

Here’s our list of the top 10 things we no longer feel embarrassed about doing at Disney World!

Meeting Characters

Sure, you’ll see little kids lined up with their parents to greet Disney characters, but what about if you don’t have any small children with you? Is it still socially-acceptable to ask Stitch for his autograph? We happen to think so! Disney World is for the young and the young at heart, after all! And while some rides may have an age or height requirements, there’s no age limit to the fun you can have while visiting the Disney Parks. So when we see a character we wanna meet, we hop right into line without a moment’s hesitation!

Still feeling a little bashful about meeting Disney characters? Try a Disney character meal where the characters come around to your table instead! You’ll get to fill up on some tasty food, plus you won’t have to wait in any lines to meet your favorite characters!

It’s also important to note there are two types of characters you can meet at Disney World. First, you’ve got your regular characters who wear fuzzy costumes with removable heads who don’t normally speak such as Donald, Pluto, and Goofy. But then you’ve got your “face” characters who are Disney characters dressed in costumes but with their actual heads exposed. These guys and gals talk A LOT and can carry on whole conversations in whichever character they’re portraying. We happen to find it easier at first to meet non-face characters and keep our interactions to a minimum with a hug or a high-five, but that’s just us!

If you choose to meet a face character and you’re not sure what to say, they’ll often take you along on a conversational journey, so just try to relax and have fun.

Ordering off the Kids’ Menu

Here’s another trick we picked up over the years: kids’ menus have some really delicious a la carte options too! Plus the kids’ menu prices are usually significantly cheaper. Or maybe you’re simply trying to eat less because Disney World’s portion sizes are humongous. Whatever the reason, you don’t have to feel weird about ordering something off of the kids’ menu — you won’t get in trouble if you order something for yourself at any quick-service restaurant! And if you’re still feeling kinda funny about it, you can always mobile order your kids’ menu items from the My Disney Experience app, and no one will be any the wiser!

Asking Strangers To Take Our Picture

Hey, we all get it! Having those family photos are super important and precious. To achieve the desired outcome of having EVERY member of your group in your picture often requires asking for help! There are a few ways, though, to go about getting your memories captured. You can opt to buy a PhotoPass which can be costly but takes away some of the discomforts of asking strangers to take a picture using your own personal phone. You simply walk up to any PhotoPass photographer stationed throughout the parks, and they’ll be happy to assist you with taking your family’s portrait with their camera. They’ll even take a few snaps with your phone if you give it to them!

But like we said, this isn’t a cheap option, and popular spots such as the entry points to the parks often have lines to wait for available photographers. We think PhotoPass is totally a worthwhile expense for special trips like honeymoons or reunions, but because we travel to Disney World so frequently, we’d much rather ask other park guests to take a picture for us and hand them our phones or cameras, and then return the favor for them. So far, we’ve found our fellow park visitors to be helpful and courteous when we’ve had the courage to ask, so don’t be afraid to enlist the support of your fellow tourists!

Wearing Disney Attire

There’s got to be close to a million different styles of Minnie Ears Headbands, Mickey Ears Hats, and Spirit Jerseys by now (okay, maybe not quite — but it feels like it!). And if you’re new to the Disney parks scene, you’ll want to fit in. Maybe you’ll be a Disneybounder — a person who wears the colors of a certain Disney character in a casual, everyday style. Or maybe you’re more of a Disney fashionista — someone who follows the latest color trends and sports chic styles from Arendelle Aqua collection all the way up to Disney’s current color craze, Belle of the Ball Bronze. You could wear matching shirts with your family and friends or sport retro-inspired, vintage dresses from The Dress Shop. Whatever your Disney fashion instinct happens to be, we happen to think being at Disney World is even MORE fun when you dress the part!

Asking for Help

While we know we’re often hesitant to ask others for help in our normal, everyday lives fearing we’ll incur an eye roll or rude remark from a stranger, that’s totally not a thing at Disney World! Whether you need to ask for directions, report something lost, get dining or ride recommendations, or inquire about special accommodations, we’ve found Disney park Cast Members to be exceeding helpful. They’ve never made us feel silly for not knowing the answer to our query. Some have even bent over backward to find an out-of-stock t-shirt or went directly to the chef when we had a dietary concern. Cast Members are generally such nice, friendly folks, we love to chat with them!

Making “Bad” Decisions

Staying up all night. Eating ice cream for breakfast. Getting on a roller coaster with a belly full of Mickey pretzel and cheese. These aren’t the choices you’d normally make, but on a Disney World vacation, there are no rules! Afterall, over-eating or not getting enough sleep probably aren’t going to have a lasting impact on your life, so why not live a little and do something reckless like order a fish n’ chips from Epcot’s Yorkshire County Fish Shop AFTER you’ve already had dinner or let your kids have cotton candy instead of a healthy apple — just tell ’em Disney World is a special, magical place, because IT IS, after all!

Are there things you’re still reserved about doing at Disney World? What were some things you were shy about doing at Disney World that you’ve gotten over? Share them with us in the comments section!

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