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Your first trip to Walt Disney World is something you will remember forever – the rides, the shows, the magic, the food – it’s a great place to bring you family for a vacation. The first time you head to WDW, you will probably be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information out there when it comes to planning and what to do and what not to do – so let me make it simple for you. If you catch yourself saying any of the below phrases, then you are in grave danger of making a Disney Rookie Mistake:
“I don’t need Sunscreen” – Just because you don’t normally burn easily doesn’t mean you don’t need sunscreen. You will be out at the parks for hours – and the Florida sun can be really brutal. Bring sunscreen, wear it, love it – just do it. It’s much better than becoming a lobster on day 1 and being miserable for the next week, am I right? Oh – and one more thing – use it even if the sky is overcast – because not only could the sun appear at any moment, but you can still get a sunburn on a partly cloudy Orlando day (trust me – I would know)
“It’s SO HOT out – I am just going to wear flip flops to the Park today” – It is really tempting to ditch the thick socks and sneakers for a nice cool airy pair of flip flops – but you will definitely regret this choice midway through your day. Flip flops (and most sandals for that matter!) provide little to no support and will make your feet ache like crazy at the end of the day. Your best bet is cotton socks and broken-in sneakers – for EVERYONE in your family. This is an especially important one for kids – as they always seem to be losing shoes – with flip flops being particularly susceptible – and then you are dealing with a crying kid who is missing a shoe, and you end up having to scour souvenir stores for shoes that will work…sneakers. Is all I can say.
“We don’t need to plan out our days – let’s just be spontaneous!” – Ok, after attempting to weed through all the information out there – between books, websites, reviews, etc – I can see where this one might seem appealing – planning can get overwhelming, and part of relaxing and having fun is doing what you want, when you want! Disney doesn’t exactly follow that rule all the time though – and a little planning can go a long way. I’m not saying you should plan every minute of every day, but having an idea of what parks you want to visit on what days and what attractions are “must-dos” for you can really help. One thing I would recommend you use is the Fastpass system – which allows you to go online before your trip and pre-select what rides you want fastpasses to (aka which rides you don’t want to wait 2 hours for! As its basically a ticket that allows you to bypass the regular line and go in a much shorter, faster moving fastpass line, so you get to enjoy your favorite rides without spending all day in line!)
“We can tour all 4 Parks in one day – easy!” – Alright, this is technically possible – largely due to the amazing Disney Transportation system which allows you to easily travel between Disney Parks and Resorts – HOWEVER – just because its possible doesn’t mean you should do it. Don’t try it. Seriously – 4 different (large, potentially crowded) theme parks on a hot Florida day? You are just asking for tantrums, meltdowns, crankiness – you name it, its coming your way if you try and do this. If you’re worried you won’t get to see everything – you’re probably right! There is SO MUCH to see and to at WDW that even if you’re there a week you might not see it all (but don’t worry, there’s always next year’s family vacation!) – and that is just something you will have to accept, and use planning to your advantage to figure out which things you really want/need to see/do. That all being said, one park a day really is enough for anyone – it gives you a chance to really explore the Park beyond the rides – the theming, music, entertainment, food, souvenirs, characters – one park a day is the perfect amount, especially for a first timer
“I don’t need to take a break in the middle of the day!” – My family and I used to think this – we traveled over an hour each way to spend a day a Walt Disney World and we wanted to just power through and do 12+ hours straight of rides and shows. Those were some great days full of memories – but they were also full of crankiness, meltdowns, and snapping at each other while the sun beat down on us relentlessly. Over time, we got smart – and started staying at a WDW Resort – which allowed us to not only cut out that long drive to WDW, but it gave us a place to escape to after lunch, where we could swim, read, nap, and just relax and regroup – refreshed and ready to get back out there come dinnertime. If you have kids that usually take afternoon naps, but you’re thinking about skipping that while on vacation – DON’T. And if you’re an adult who doesn’t normally take mid-day naps – DO. It will save you from the hottest part of the day when the crowds are the biggest, and most importantly – it will save your sanity!
These may not seem like that big of a deal, and feel free to ignore my advice and power through how you choose – but I know firsthand how important it is to not make these “rookie mistakes”. Follow this advice and you will have a much more enjoyable WDW experience – and isn’t that what a vacation is all about anyway?
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