Have you planned for everything that could happen on your trip to Disney World?

What if you’re in a crowded place and lose something at Disney World? Or what if there’s such bad weather, the kind that could even close the parks? We’ve experienced a couple of worst-case scenarios here too, so let’s talk about the ways you can handle them.

There are a lot of different “worst case” scenarios that could happen on your trip to Disney World, so let’s break down some of them. Let’s start right off with one of the most panic-inducing cases.

Losing your Kid

To start, the best thing you can do is to already be mentally prepared for the possibility of your child getting lost in Disney World. It’s not a matter of “if” but “when,” as it happens to many parents every single day.

Now, if your child gets separated from you, the first and most important thing to do is to remain calm and not panic. We know it’s a completely unnerving experience, but Disney World’s Cast Members know what they are doing. They are well-trained and have experience in reuniting families. They handle these kinds of situations regularly and they’re more than ready to help.

Let’s go over a couple things you can do to help the situation.

1 – Stay Put

When a kid gets lost, it’s easy to slip into that mindset of “I’ve got to go find them.” But when you first notice your kid is no longer walking next to you, don’t run off to find them. It often happens that your kid will still be somewhere nearby.

If there happens to be another adult with you, divide and conquer, meaning, you stay put and have them go search for the missing child, or vice-versa.

2 – Wave down a Cast Member

Next, wave down a Cast Member. They are usually not too far from where you are.

Calmly explain the situation to the cast member. They’ll be ready to take action immediately. They will notify their supervisor and security ASAP. They’ll ask you for a recent picture and to list off some defining characteristics (ie: height, age, what they’re wearing, hair color, etc.). As soon as you give them enough details to go off of, the cast member will report the missing kid’s description to the central communication center so all cast members can be on the lookout.

When a Cast Member finds a child, they’ll escort them to the park’s Baby Care Center.

Forgot to Get Park Passes and Parks are Sold Out:

Park Pass availability can change fast! You’ll find that Park Passes for popular dates or even purely random dates will sell out. But don’t let that scare you off. Sometimes, later the same day they may become available again.

There are different availability calendars for those with theme park tickets, those staying at select resort hotels, and Annual Passholders. (Note that the number of Park Passes a Passholder can hold at any one point varies on pass type.)

We definitely recommend making your Park Pass Reservations ASAP. (You can always modify them later). Also, check for changes in availability constantly because you never know when Park Passes for a previously sold-out park may reopen!

Hurricane Happens During Your Vacation

There’s a mantra that we’d recommend keeping in mind: “Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.” Know that if you do choose to travel to Disney World during a hurricane, your plans could be seriously impacted. The parks could close, which would mean that you will be stuck at the hotel with your group. Bring plenty of things to do, just in case, and make sure those laptops and phones are charged with apps, games, and streaming services. You could even bring some board games if you’ve got the room in your luggage!

It’s also a good idea to stock up on snacks. (Also, many hotel restaurants will offer Hurricane Meal Kits or pre-packaged meals and snacks from dining locations.)

If the parks do remain open, be ready for pretty bad weather. Bring all that rain gear like ponchos and umbrellas.

Be Prepared To Cancel Or Reschedule Your Trip

Let’s say you’re headed to Disney World and a hurricane is confirmed to be headed that way, Disney World generally relaxes its cancellation policy. The Disney World website says: “If a hurricane warning is issued by the National Hurricane Center for the Orlando area—or for your place of residence—within 7 days of your scheduled arrival date, you may call in advance to reschedule or cancel your Walt Disney Travel Company Disney Resort hotel packages and most room-only reservations (booked directly with Disney) without any cancellation or change fees imposed by Disney.”

With dining, each Disney World restaurant has its own cancellation policy, although that will likely change during hurricanes. The current cancellation policy for most restaurants allows you to cancel up to two hours in advance of your reservation.

Food Allergy Reaction in the Par

If you start to feel sick while you’re in the theme parks, head straight to First Aid. There are nurses there equipped to help monitor you, and you can even get free over-the-counter medicine for minor ailments.

If you’re sick at your resort, you can find over-the-counter medication from the hotel’s gift shop. If you make it back to your Disney World resort late at night after the gift shop has closed and you need some medicine, contact the front desk, and a Cast Member will usually be able to sell you what you need.

Disney has also partnered with Advent Health to offer several different medical services that include non-urgent healthcare visits and prescription delivery. So while no one wants to be sick on their Disney World trip, there are several ways to handle it if the unexpected occurs.

Someone Gets Sick on a Ride

If you do end up getting motion sickness, let someone in your party or a Cast Member know so they can get you the care you need.

And don’t forget Disney World has First Aid Centers in each park.

If you happen to lose something in the parks or on a Ride

If you lose anything anywhere in the parks, you should always start by immediately going back to the place where you think you lost the item. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, head STRAIGHT back to see if the item is still there. Often, Cast Members in the area will hold on to lost items for a while before sending them on to Guest Relations or Lost and Found, and this is the easiest time to get your item back.

If it’s been a couple of hours or if the Cast Members haven’t seen your lost item, find the nearest Guest Experience Team location (they usually have a blue umbrella over them) or visit the entrance of any park to find the main Guest Relations location.

When one of our reporters lost her wallet, a Cast Member told her to visit the Guest Experiences desk ASAP. It had already been lost for about 4 hours, but the Cast Members at that location still had her wallet and were able to return it to her before they sent it on to Lost and Found.

Overall, it’s entirely possible that something will go wrong on your Disney vacation. While it’s not what anyone wants to plan for, Disney has tons of ways to help handle your worst-case scenarios so they can help solve any issues on your trip. Don’t forget to keep following DFB for all of your Disney vacation tips and tricks!

You Should Know This About the 2023 Hurricane Season.

Have you ever encountered any worst-case scenarios in Disney World? What did you do to resolve the situation? Let us know in the comments!