Common Disney World Mistakes to Avoid

Posted by Jennifer Blaske on April 20th, 2019

Are you planning your family's first trip to Walt Disney World? Check out these three common mistakes that first-timers make, so you can avoid them.

Mistake #1: Not choosing your shoes carefully

If you show up at the Disney parks with the same flip-flops you wore to the beach last summer, you're going to have one miserable day. Even if you wear something more sensible like your favorite sneakers and cotton socks, your feet could be hurting by the end of the day if you don't take some extra pre-cautions.

Make sure that you wear sturdy, comfortable shoes that allow a little room for your feet to swell. Also -- and it's easy to forget this one -- make sure that your shoes are NOT brand new. (In other words, make sure you've broken them in by walking in them at least a couple times before your trip).

If you're wearing sneakers, be sure to wear moisture-wicking socks and/or bring an extra pair of socks for each person in the family. Your socks may very well get wet from sweat, rain, or water rides -- and not only are soggy socks uncomfortable, but they can lead to blisters.

You can read more details and reviews of specific brands in my post on what shoes to wear to Disney World.

Mistake #2: Sleeping Late

Yeah, I know ... everyone's different, and if sleeping late is truly how you want to spend your Disney vacation, then it's not a mistake.

Just know that showing up before rope drop versus wandering into the park at 10:00 am can make a HUGE difference in how long you have to stand in line, especially for popular rides like Flight of Passage in Animal Kingdom or Slinky Dog Dash in Hollywood Studios. Another plus to arriving at the park early is you get a couple hours before the heat really starts to kick in.

One compromise that we usually do is to have one "sleep late" day in the middle of the week, where we wake whenever we feel like it and have a leisurely breakfast before hitting the park. Honestly, I don't have the energy to arrive at the park before rope drop every single morning.

Something else that works well is to have certain members of the family who like to sleep late (not naming any names) meet up with us later. This is fairly easy to do if you're staying on Disney property and can use Disney transportation. If you're staying off-property, it might be worth it to take an Uber of Lyft once or twice.

Mistake #3: Not packing correctly for the weather

This one might sound surprising. After all, we know Florida is hot, right? What's so hard about packing the right clothes for that?

While yes, you absolutely want to pack cool clothes like sundresses, shorts, and t-shirts, no matter what time of year your trip is, there are two additional things to consider as well:

a) Rain

In Florida it can start raining fairly hard with little to no warning. We've been caught unprepared in the rain on two separate trips. One time we got drenched (it was just before the park closed, so it wasn't too terrible), and the other time we bought a few overpriced Disney ponchos at over ten dollars each.

We're slow learners, but now we know better and always buy a pack of cheap rain ponchos and make sure we bring a few in our park bag.

Note: You can get a printable checklist of other things to be sure not to forget in my Walt Disney World Packing List 2019.

b) Cold

Yes, cold. In the winter months, Disney can get downright cold in the evenings -- like, cold enough that you need a jacket, gloves, and either a wool hat or earmuffs. The great thing about being prepared for a cold evening at the park is that a lot of other people aren't prepared, and the crowds really thin out.

You can learn more about what to wear in any time of weather in my post about cute outfits and accessories for Disney World.

I hope this post has been helpful -- and I hope you have a fantastic time on your trip!