Planning a Disney World trip is no joke.
Seriously, even those of us who have been countless times still feel lots of pressure when our next trip comes up. Things change in Disney World very frequently, so for those of us who can only visit every year or so, usually something is always different than our last visit. So planning your first trip EVER?! Yeah, that’s a lot to take in. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, these 5 things are what you really need to keep in mind.
You Likely Won’t Be Able To Do Everything, And That’s Okay
Disney World is MASSIVE. There’s so much to do in each park between rides, shows, dining, and everything in between, it may feel impossible to do everything in one trip, and that’s because it is.
But that’s OKAY! It may not feel like it, since you want to experience absolutely everything there is, but unless you’re spending a month or more in the resort, you’re going to miss out on some things.
However, there are likely some things you don’t want to do — maybe it’s most table service restaurants, or certain rides that are motion sickness-inducing. It may not be possible to do everything in Disney World, but if you set your expectations realistically, you can do everything YOU want to do.
Get Used to My Disney Experience BEFORE Your Trip
You can download the My Disney Experience App (aka Disney World app) at any time — whether you’re going on a Disney trip or not! In fact, we highly suggest you download the app and start playing around with it weeks before your trip.
This way, you’re familiar with all the functions and how the app works before you even step foot on Disney World property. You won’t be that person walking around the parks who’s just bought Genie+ but has no idea what it is, or didn’t realize you need to book advance reservations at table service restaurants.
As much as we know it’s frustrating, being able to navigate this app smoothly is a huge part of having a successful Disney World trip (with the least amount of frustration).
Learn about the My Disney Experience App here!
Have Everyone Make A List of The Top 3 Things They’d Like To Do
This number can fluctuate depending on how many people are in your group, but it’s important that everyone feels like they’ve accomplished what they wanted to on the trip. The easiest way to do that is have everyone make a list!
You could choose their top 3 things in each park, their top 5 things overall, or whatever number combination works with your group. This way, everyone feels heard and seen, and you’ll have fewer meltdowns! (Some will still happen, because it’s hot as heck and everyone gets grumpy in the heat.)
Be Prepared For Things To Go Sideways
Being flexible and expecting for things to go sideways is absolutely a necessity on your Disney World trip. Now, we’re not saying to be negative and think that everything will need a Plan B, but HAVING a Plan B is very important.
Rides go down, restaurants/festival booths run out of items, and sometimes there’s even an injury that happens during your vacation. We’re not saying you need to plan for each potential disaster (that’s actually the opposite of what we’re saying), but if you’re planning to ride Rise of the Resistance, recognize that it could go down, and think ahead about what you’ll do instead.
Stay Tuned to AllEars!
Shameless self-plug here, but here at AllEars, we’re in the parks every single day and reporting to you on all the changes we see. Whether it’s that the tiny town in EPCOT has a new tragedy, or that there’s new menu items at a restaurant, we’re covering it all.
We’re here to help you make sure you have the best vacation you can, so stay tuned to our blog and YouTube channel to make sure you’re up-to-date on the latest news!
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What tip would you add to this post? Tell us in the comments!
If you have never been to WDW or its been awhile, my advice in addition to those presented here is talk to someone who has been, especially someone who goes frequently. I am sure there are lots of people in your community like that. And one thing about Disney lovers is they love to talk about Disney. They are more than willing to share lots if ideas and advice. And use the websites out there like AllEars to get more information. When we first started going over 30 years ago we used the Unofficial Guide Books and read them before we went. They were very helpful. But whatever you use, the #1_thing to do is lower your expectations and plan based on YOUR family: eat food they will eat. Don’t “try” food you have never eaten before (look up menus and such)- because its expensive and you don’t want to walk around the parks with doggie bags to eat later or leave lots of food on the table. Expect to do things differently than you do at home. . Plan on long days with lots of walking. And long lines. And decide what your tolerance is before you go. The worst feeling in the world is to go on vacation and be blindsided. You don’t want to go home and say “If I knew there was going to be_________, I would never have gone” . What you want to say on the way home is ” I am exhausted. But I can’t wait to go again”.