How many times have you run into an unexpected problem at Disney World?

We know we can’t be alone in this! No matter how much planning you do, sometimes life’s little dilemmas have a way of showing up — even on your vacay. But instead of getting completely derailed by some commonly occurring disasters, here are some tips for keeping your Disney World trip on track.

Got a Blister

We’ve all been cursed with this annoying issue at some point in our lives, right? If you catch the problem early on, you should still be able to have a good time.

Blisters are normally caused by friction due to excessive walking (which you’ll be doing a lot of at the parks). If you aren’t wearing shoes that have already been broken in, they might rub against your feet, resulting in a blister.

As soon as you start to feel a “hot spot” on your toes, heels, or pads of your feet (where blisters commonly occur) stop in a gift shop and buy moleskin. If they have any first aid ointment, grab some of that too. In a pinch, you can swing by a First Aid Center in one of the theme parks for a bandaid to help as well.

Place the moleskin over the area of your foot that is getting tender. Try not to walk too much on it for the rest of the day (if you can). At night, remove the moleskin, wash and dry your feet thoroughly, and then slather on the first aid ointment.

If you caught the problem quickly enough, you’d be amazed by how much better your feet will feel in the morning. Before you head off to the parks again, consider wearing a different pair of shoes than the ones that caused you blisters or apply more moleskin and bring the rest of the package with you so you can reapply the moleskin as you go.

We also always advise packing more than one pair of broken-in shoes for this reason! Wearing socks with shoes and bringing a backup pair of socks in case the set you’re wearing gets soaked on a ride or in the rain will help, too. Wet socks and lots of walking are a classic recipe for disaster at Disney World!

To be even more prepared, you can buy Moleskin on Amazon or at your local pharmacy to pack in your Disney World park bag. That way you won’t have to stop by a gift shop during your trip.

Click here to learn what the First Aid Centers in Disney World can do for you.

Need a Cake For a Last-Minute Celebration

This next problem isn’t one we encounter very often on our vacations, but it can be a complete headache to solve if it ever happens to you. Maybe you just want to make someone’s birthday a little more special at Disney World or you want to celebrate an anniversary, (or maybe even a proposal! She said YES!).

No matter what the occasion may be, sometimes you unexpectedly need a cake — so what should you do?

You actually have a few solid options! Most cake requests at Disney World require one week of notice to make (as well as other gifts such as flowers, or other in-room celebrations). Order by calling the Disney World cake hotline at 407-827-CAKE or (407-827-2253) or visiting Disney’s Floral and Gifts Guest Service’s website.

But what if you don’t have a week to wait for your cake? Many Disney Table Service restaurants are able to provide a same-day chocolate or vanilla Mickey Ear Celebration Cake that serves 4-6 people. This cake includes the option to add “Happy Birthday” or “Congratulations” to the chocolate Mickey ears on the cake. You can request a cake at a restaurant you have an Advance Dining Reservation for by calling (407) 827-2253 or by asking about it at the check-in podium of your restaurant.

If you want a bit more variety, you can usually order a cake from Sprinkles or Amorette’s Patisserie. You can pick up your order at either of these Disney Springs locations but both bakeries will also deliver your cake to most Disney World hotels or any Disney Springs restaurant (they also recommend notifying your hotel front desk or restaurant in advance).

Sprinkles also offers a few additional features such as curbside pickup and your choice of using either their white glove courier service (which can take up to 4 hours and costs extra) or a third-party food delivery service such as DoorDash or Postmates (which will most likely be faster and maybe even a little cheaper!).

Place your order for Sprinkles’ layer cakes as well as cookies, brownies, and cupcakes online or by calling (888) 220-2210.

You can order custom cakes and creations from Amorette’s Patisserie in Disney Springs by calling 407-934-3500. Most orders for specific cakes will require 72 business hours (weekdays) of advance notice.

Click here to learn about a cake decorating experience at Amorette’s Patisserie!

Chipped a Nail 

VACATION NAILS are a real thing! But what happens if once you arrive, you accidentally chip or break a nail?!?

First of all — try not to panic! All you need to do is go to one of the on-property salons. You’ll find many deluxe Disney World resorts have them. Call ahead to make an appointment, though, because they can get booked up! When it’s time to head over, hire a Minnie Van or Rideshare to get there or hop a bus from one of the theme parks.

Did you know many of the Disney World spas even offer Disney-inspired nail services? 

Having a hard time getting your nail tech back home to do some Minnie Mouse-inspired nail art for you? Just get your manicure done once you arrive at Disney World instead!

Senses – A Disney Spa at both Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort as well as Salon by the Springs at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, La Vida Health Club at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort and Ship Shape Salon Massage and Fitness at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resort will all paint your nails however you’d like them done.

You can further customize your mani-pedi experience with signature aroma blends named after iconic Disney songs! Full nail appointments generally last about an hour and you can book them by calling 407-939-7727 or 407-WDW-SPAS.

You Missed a Dining Reservation Due to An Unforeseeable Event

Now that we’ve gone over chipped nails and covered last-minute cakes, what other common catastrophes could befall you? Well, if you’re anything like us, you might…on RARE occasion…run into a dramatic situation that couldn’t be avoided, (e.g., your kids having a category four meltdown or your Monorail broke down!). AND guess what? You’ve just officially missed your advance dining reservation!

While having to change your meal plans might not seem like that big of a deal, Disney World charges a fee every time you don’t show up for your dining reservation or if you cancel within 2 hours. The policy is meant to discourage folks from booking reservations all willy-nilly that they ever don’t intend on using, but sometimes this surprise charge can really take a chunk out of your vacation budget. It’s a $1o fee applied to EACH PERSON in your party!

We’ve found that Cast Members can be pretty forgiving people given these more “unusual” circumstances. If your kid is completely losing it and you aren’t going to be able to make it to the restaurant on time, try calling the restaurant and telling them about the situation you’re having.

Not all the time, but sometimes, they’ll be able to refund you the cancelation fee. At least, we’ve found it doesn’t hurt to ask!

Learn all about advanced dining reservations in Disney World here.

So there you have four prime examples of what to do if disaster strikes your Disney World vacation — all of which vary in degree of seriousness, but you get the idea. Big problems or small, Disney and its Cast Members will help you get what you need or help you figure out a solution — just reach out and touch someone (you know…metaphorically) and they’ll be happy to help ya out!

Check out our month-by-month guide to planning a Disney World vacation!

Have you ever had a disaster happen to you on your trip to Disney World? Tell us about it in the comments below!