We ALL make mistakes in Disney World — some bigger or more than others.

We’ve already warned you about the check-in mistakes you’re making at your Disney World hotel, the dining mistake you do NOT want to make, and the app mistake TONS of people are making on their vacations. But, now we’re back at it again! Today, we’re going through our list of the 10 worst things EVERYONE does at Disney World! How many of these things have you done and how many will you swear to NEVER do again?

1. Ruining the Magic

If you’re a Disney PRO you might know all of the little secrets, behind-the-scenes trivia, and some awesome facts about how Disney makes everything work. And that’s SO super awesome, we totally love it. BUT, when you’re in the parks, you’ve got to be careful about ruining the magic for others!

You might know just how the magic mirror works in Enchanted Tales With Belle, or you might know all about the characters…if you know what we mean. If you’re sharing those details with your family and friends in the parks, be VERY careful.

Not everyone around you, especially little kiddos, wants to know all of the behind-the-scenes secrets. It can be incredibly frustrating if someone gets an entire ride or experience totally spoiled for them.

You might want to keep those amazing secrets to yourself and share them when you’re out of the parks, or just be sure to speak low enough that others can’t hear you.

Also, be careful not to give a play-by-play of the entire ride before you get on it. This might be another person’s first trip to Disney World or their first time riding that attraction (even if it’s an older ride). They may have avoided watching any videos of it at all so as to not be spoiled. You definitely don’t want to ruin that experience for them!

This also includes saying ride narration out loud while it’s happening. We won’t deny that knowing every word of the Stretching Room scene in The Haunted Mansion is quite an accomplishment. But, while you’re in the park, guests around you want to hear the ACTUAL narration, not your version of it. This can be especially true if this is their one and only trip to Disney World.

We totally get that you want to show off your Disney knowledge, but you could, unfortunately, spoil or impact other people’s experiences. So, consider keeping those cool facts to yourself and sharing them when others aren’t around, so everyone can enjoy the magic in their own way!

If you DO want to know more secrets, click here to see 100 things that will BLOW your mind about Disney World!

2. Holding 2 or More Dining Reservations

Another thing a LOT of people do is hold 2 or more dining reservations scheduled for close to the same time/the same meal on the same day. My Disney Experience will generally prompt you to select 1 dining reservation if you try to book 2 within too close of a time period, but some people will book them sufficiently far apart in time that the system doesn’t trigger that restriction.

We get it, dining reservations can now be made 60 days in advance of your trip and sometimes you just don’t know where you want to eat 2 MONTHS from now!

So, we totally understand if you book 2 dining reservations and then just want to talk to your family about which one you want to keep and you just need a day or two to decide. But, if you hold the reservations until the LAST minute and then cancel one of them, you’re really just holding that reservation spot from other people.

That can be an especially harsh thing to do if that’s a SUPER popular spot. There are lots of people who might only go to Disney World once in their life or this might be their very first trip. They might really, REALLY want to eat at Be Our Guest or somewhere else. If you’ve got that reservation and don’t let go of it until 2 hours before your reservation time, you might be keeping someone else from having the chance to dine there.

So, just be sure to cancel any “backup” or “alternative” reservations you’ve got as soon as you decide you don’t need them. And try to make that decision earlier rather than later, so others can potentially have the chance to dine at those spots!

Click here to see one trick to making restaurant reservations EARLIER than everyone else!

3. Using Your Phone While on a Ride or Attraction

Okay, we feel like EVERYONE (or at least a large majority of people) is guilty of being on their phone while on a ride, but it is one of the worst things you can do in Disney World! It can be really disruptive to have someone in front of you, in a dark ride especially, with their phone out, taking selfies, recording the ride, using their bright phone lights, etc.

Lots of rides have messages on them reminding you NOT to take flash pictures, so be sure to check those and make sure your phone doesn’t have the flash set to “auto” in case you absolutely must take pictures or record the ride.

And if you MUST record the ride (we have to do that a lot to get videos for our posts and whatnot), try to ask to sit in the back of a ride vehicle so your screen isn’t as disruptive to other people’s experiences. 

We know that using your phone on a ride is a thing that happens — it even happens to us! But it really is something that can be super disruptive. Especially if you just waited in a LONG line to ride this ride, you should try to put that phone away and really just give yourself the chance to enjoy it!

Want to know how to use MagicBand features on your phone? Click here to learn about MagicMobile!

4. Not Paying Attention to Your Surroundings

This is a BIG one. We have a feeling that a LOT of us are guilty of walking around the parks while scrolling on our phones, checking emails, answering text messages, looking at wait times, checking for dining reservations, etc. But, if you’re walking and looking down at your phone, you could bump into someone else, force people to awkwardly walk around you, or hold up lines.

So, be sure to pay attention to your surroundings. If you need to look at your phone for one of a million things (we totally get it), step to the side or sit down somewhere so you aren’t running into others.

5. Forgetting Something Important

It’s easy to overpack for Disney World, but it’s also SO easy to forget SUPER important things. You might even pack your phone charger for the trip but then forget to put it in your park bag. That phone charger will do you NO good if it’s just sitting in your hotel room!

And forgetting things at home or in your hotel can make your costs add up big time. You might be stuck buying a $15 poncho or $40 sweater because you forgot to bring your own.

So, what are some absolute ESSENTIALS you need in your park bag?

Click here for our ULTIMATE Disney World packing list for 2024

Our list above has links to ALL the things you’ll need — from phone chargers to cooling towels and a white noise machine!

If you forget your own things, plenty of items are available to buy in the parks (and hotels), but they can be pricey or may not fit exactly as you’d like them to. You could also stop by (or order delivery) from local stores (like Target or Publix) to get some essentials if you forget something at home that you simply must have during your trip, but those costs can add up too. So, try to bring your essentials and check that park bag to make sure you’ve got it all!

6. Forcing Your Kids/Family to Do Things They Don’t Want to Do

Okay, we get it — you might want to watch The American Adventure 5 times and your 5 year old might not think that’s the ideal plan. Sometimes kiddos just have to do things that the adults want to do, and sometimes the adults just gotta ride “it’s a small world” until they literally can’t think of anything but the song lyrics anymore. 😆

But, that’s not exactly what we’re talking about here. We’re talking more about people who force their family and friends to ride Space Mountain when they’re CLEARLY not ready for that. 😞 Or, people who force their family/friends to get on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster when just the kiddie coaster at the fair is too much for their traveling partners.

We’re also talking about people who stuff their kids’ shoes with socks to make them “tall enough” to ride some of the rides with height restrictions. Let’s be real here — safety precautions like height restrictions are there for a reason. Trying to get around them could put a child in danger. It’s just not worth it to risk their safety.

Now, we understand if your child is just a little bit afraid and you’re using this opportunity to work on courage. You know your kids best. But, if they’re clearly not ready to go on a ride, pushing them too far will likely just end in tears and frustration for everyone!

If you absolutely MUST go on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and your little one doesn’t want to, don’t forget about Rider Switch. One adult can wait with your kiddo while you (and the rest of your party) hop in line and enjoy the ride. Once you’re out, whoever waited with your kiddo can board the ride without having to wait in the regular line again.

CLICK HERE to see 20 Pieces of Advice Disney Experts Have Revealed You Should NOT Follow Anymore

7. No-Show to a Dining Reservation Without Cancelling It

Not showing up for a dining reservation can be bad for you and other guests too. With dining reservations, if you don’t cancel or modify within 2 hours of the reservation time, you’ll be charged $10 per person for not showing up. (That is the general rule, but be sure to check your reservations for the exact details because some restaurants have different policies in Disney World!) That can SERIOUSLY add up!

If you know you won’t be using your dining reservation, cancel it and free up that space for someone else. Don’t waste the time and don’t waste the money!

If there’s a legitimate emergency that caused you to miss your reservation (like the monorail got delayed for 30 minutes or something else), talk to a Cast Member. They might be able to modify things or waive the fee for you. And, if you are running late, contact the restaurant to let them know you’re on your way!

Click here for our full page ALL about Dining Reservations in Disney World

8. Not Moving All The Way Across Your Row

You know the deal — if you’re visiting a Disney World attraction that either is a show or has that show-type seating, you’ll typically be asked to move ALL the way across your row and fill in every empty seat.

If you stop in the middle, that could impact the seating, and other guests might have to walk over you to get to the available seats or you’ll awkwardly have to get up anyway and move.

If you want to sit toward the middle and not at the end of a row, let some guests go in the row ahead of you. Don’t RUSH to get in that row. Those guests will fill in some of the seats, and you’ll hopefully get to sit a bit closer to the center! Win, win!

Do Yourself a Favor and Avoid These Disney World Rides (Click here to see which ones to avoid!)

9. Blowing Your Budget

Even experts are SUPER susceptible to this one — the souvenirs in Disney World can be pretty adorable and hard to resist. But, we’ve all got a few (or a few dozen) items we’ve bought on an impulse from the parks and NEVER used. 

All those souvenirs and spending in the parks can totally blow your budget! So, we’ve got a few tips. Set a limit. It’s sometimes a good idea to pre-load a Disney gift card with that budget amount for each member of your party, that way they can manage their money and once it’s gone, it’s GONE!

But remember — Be realistic about yourself! If you are a GIANT Star Wars fan, you’ll probably want to make your own lightsaber in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. If you know that’s the case, then consider not booking as many Table Service meals or consider staying at a less expensive hotel to make those souvenir dreams come true.

Just recognize what you’ll want to spend money on, be realistic, and plan ahead for it!

Click here to see more about how to make your own lightsaber in Disney World!

10. Sitting in a Busy Restroom and Reading Your Phone

And finally, something a lot of us might be guilty of is sitting in the restroom and taking time to read emails, check our phones, etc. If there’s a line for that bathroom (as there often is in Disney World), do your bathroom business and get out!

There are LOTS of other places where you can scroll through your phone, check Instagram, and do all those good things. But don’t hold up the bathroom line just to check on the latest social media posts.

Pssst! These Are the BEST Disney Bathrooms No One Will Tell You About — But We Will!

And that’s our list of the 10 WORST things everyone does at Disney World!

We can ALL make mistakes in Disney World, but hopefully, by reading this list you’ll keep these things in mind and avoid doing some of these things in the future! As always, check back with us here at DFB for more tips and tricks for your future Disney vacations.

Which of these things have you done in Disney World? Tell us in the comments!