I've Been to 22 Disney World Hotels. There Are 6 Mistakes I Always See First-Timers Make.

Here at AllEars, we’ve stayed at EVERY Disney World hotel.

And on top of that, it’s our job to visit the Disney Resorts frequently to check for news and updates. That means we see a lot of guests around the hotel properties, and we’ve seen many of them make some MISTAKES. Today, we’re sharing the 6 mistakes we often see first-timers make when staying at a Disney World Resort.

Not Using Mobile Check-In

Did you know you can check in for your Disney World hotel reservation through the My Disney Experience app? With this handy feature, you can completely skip the front dest at the resort and go straight to your room — it even has a feature to unlock your door.

So many people don’t know about this option and then waste time checking in at the front desk, which sometimes has long lines. Don’t be that person — skip the line and get comfy in your room before everyone else!

Not Requesting More Items for Your Room

If you’re running low on toiletries, linens, pillows, or the like, you can request more of those items for your room. At some hotels, you can even use the handy Hey Disney! virtual assistant in your room to do it.

If you arrive in your room and find it lacking in adequate supplies for your party size, don’t be shy. The housekeeping staff are on standby and very happy to help!

Not Knowing How Transportation Works

Transportation at Disney World can be complicated, and it varies from hotel to hotel. Some resorts have access to the Monorail or Skyliner, while others rely on bus transportation alone. And a few of those resorts are so large that there are MULTIPLE bus stops around the property.

Before you arrive, it’s a good idea to do some research and see what transportation will be like at your hotel. How do you get to each park? How do you get to Disney Springs? Is there an internal bus loop, or do you board the bus at the main building? It’s important to know these things so you don’t waste time in transit.

Not Budgeting Enough Travel Time to the Parks

And speaking of transportation, most people who are new to Disney World will NOT budget enough time to get to the parks! Even though there are buses and Monorails and boats and Skyliners, it will still take you several minutes to transport from your hotel to the park. Not to mention the time you’ll have to wait to board the transportation!

The Skyliner and Monorail in particular can get very long lines first thing in the morning, and we’ve had to wait for multiple buses to transport all the people at the stop in the morning. Disney World property is the size of the city of San Francisco, so you can pretty much count on your ride to ANY location being at the bare minimum 15 minutes…usually more, and sometimes moving from location to location can take 45 minutes to an hour.

Not Knowing You Can Request a Room

Want a specific view from your hotel room? Usually, you have to pay extra for that. But, you can often request specific room locations without any extra charge!

If you want to be close to the main building, transportation, or stay on the ground floor/upper level, you can add those requests on your reservation before you travel or when you do your pre-arrival check-in. They won’t always be accommodated, but it’s handy to know!

Skipping a Resort Day

Last but not least, we see so many first-time visitors skipping resort days, and that’s definitely a mistake! The Disney World hotels have a lot to offer, from pools to dining to activities and more, and it can be challenging to fit that in on a day when you’re also going to the parks.

To get the full experience and enjoyment out of the place where you’re staying, we recommend planning a resort day mid-vacation. It’s a great time to relax and unwind while also enjoying everything your hotel has to offer.

So those are our tips for having a successful stay at your Disney World hotel! We hope these make your trip easy and breezy.