Disney World vacations can be very expensive, so the last thing you want to do is completely RUIN your upcoming trip! But with so many things to keep track of and so many dates to remember, it’s terrifyingly easy to slip up and forget an important step in the planning process. There are hotel reservations to make, dining plans to finalize, travel itineraries to complete, and the list goes on and on. So how do you avoid those scary mistakes?

We’re here to help you out! We’ve discovered 3 common mistakes that can completely ruin a Disney World vacation, and we have the solutions to help you avoid those pitfalls.

We know that planning a Disney World vacation can be daunting, especially if this is your first time. Even if you’ve been several times, however, things are constantly changing in the parks and hotels, so it can be tough to keep track of all the updates! That’s where we come in.

We’re constantly keeping up with the latest changes and updates from Disney World, and we’ll let you know about all of the news on our blog, YouTube channel, and social media pages. But for even more help with planning the perfect, fool-proof Disney World vacation, you should check out our official guidebooks. They’ll help you make the best decisions when it comes to planning, dining reservations, EPCOT festivals, and finding the best deals and discounts for your trip.

In fact, reading the DFB guidebooks is one of the best ways to help you avoid these terrifyingly easy ways to ruin your vacation! So what exactly are these dreadful mistakes? Let’s take a look.

Shortchanging Your Planning

You’ve probably invested a lot of time and money into your upcoming Disney World vacation, and we definitely don’t want that to go to waste. If you’re not doing the research, you could end up paying a lot of cash for a lot of mediocre food. And the worst part? You’ll be missing out on the amazing eats that you could have bought instead!

Disney World definitely has some incredible snacks (they’re one of our favorite things about the parks), but there are also plenty of not-so-great options. So how do you make sure you’re getting the BEST bang for your buck?

In our DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2023, we have tips on how to budget for snacks, a guide for turning snacks into full meals, and DOZENS of recommendations for the tastiest snacks to try in the parks and at the hotels.

Each recommendation has a mini-review, so you can decide whether that snack sounds good to you. Our absolute favorites are marked as well, but we were sure to include plenty of great choices that will please every palate.

And if your focus is entirely on snacks, we have full guidebooks about EPCOT snacks, Magic Kingdom snacks, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios & Disney’s Animal Kingdom snacks. You could also order the snack bundle with all of these books!

In those books, you’ll find even more details about all of Disney World’s snack options.

Click here for 23 Disney World snacks you can’t miss in 2023!

Skipping Advance Dining Reservations

In addition to snacks, you’ll also need some meals during your vacation (of course). There are plenty of counter-service (fast-food style) restaurants around the parks, but we recommend having a couple of tables-service (sit-down) meals planned as well.

Although they’re usually more expensive than fast food in the parks, table-service meals allow you to sit down inside the air conditioning and rest your feet for a while, which might provide a much-needed break in the middle of your Disney day. And some of our all-time favorite eats can be found at table service restaurants!

Most table-service restaurants in Disney World require advance dining reservations. You can begin making those reservations 60 days before your vacation, and we recommend reserving your spot ASAP. And we mean that literally — for the best results, you should be at your computer ready to hit “reserve” as soon as 6AM ET hits 60 days before your trip. The most popular restaurants fill up FAST, and we don’t want you to miss out on your top choices.

How do you decide on those top choices? We can help with that too! In our DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2023, we have mini-reviews of EVERY restaurant in Disney World. In those reviews, you can check out some popular dishes at each restaurant, see how much the meals cost, and find links to our full reviews. And of course we’ve marked which restaurants are our favorites so that you know which ones you absolutely can’t miss.

Be sure to read those reviews well before your Disney World vacation begins so that you’re well-informed and ready to make the best possible dining reservations 60 days before your trip.

Click here for more information on how to make advance dining reservations.

Paying MORE When You Don’t Have To

We’ve planned a lot of Disney World trips, so we know that the final price tag can be PAINFUL. That’s why we’re BEGGING you — please don’t spend more than you have to! There are plenty of ways to save money on your Disney World vacation, not least of which is to take advantage of all possible deals and discounts.

In our DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2023, there’s an entire section on Disney Dining Discounts. There, you can find several ways to save money on food during your vacation. From coupons to membership savings to apps, there are all kinds of options to get you every possible discount.

In addition, you’ll find several links in the Dining Discounts section that lead to even more information about using your money wisely in Disney World. We have blog posts about the best snacks under $10 in Disney World, which eats you should get if you’re ballin’ on a budget, what you should order at the cheapest restaurants in Disney World, and more.

Basically, we want to do everything we can to help you avoid overspending on your upcoming vacation. And we have all the tips to make that happen in the Guidebook!

Those are just a few of the DFB Guidebook chapters that can save your Disney World vacation. There are a LOT more helpful tips, tricks, reviews, and details in every book, so be sure to check out all of the options in our online shop. We’re offering readers 25% off with promo code WDW2023!

Click here to check out all of the DFB Guidebooks.

As always, we’ll continue to bring you the latest updates and announcements from Disney World, so stay tuned to DFB for all the Disney news!

Click here to read customer reviews of our DFB Guidebooks.

What questions do you have about planning a Disney World vacation? Let us know in the comments below!