Okay, I want you to take a deep breath in… and a deep breath out… Because the things we’re talking about today can be stressful. MORE than stressful, really — they can be flat-out panic-inducing.

But that’s why we’re talking about them RIGHT NOW; so that YOU know how to handle these situations on the slight chance that you happen to come across them during your once-in-a-lifetime Disney World vacation.

First, we’re going to talk about some Disney situations that can be frustrating, and then we’ll look at the more serious circumstances that we hope don’t arise during your trip, but are so vital to know how to handle regardless. So, just as a word of warning for ya, those last few points may be rather intense.

When Your Hotel Forgets About You

Even when you do everything RIGHT when it comes to booking your Disney World resort… sometimes technology drops the ball. So there may come a time when you get to your resort and Disney doesn’t have a room recorded for you. (Cue nervous sweats.)

This is why doing the online check via your My Disney Experience App is so so so SO important. Not only will you be able to confirm your stay ahead of time (when you’re 60 days away from vacation), but you’ll also be able to see if any technical slip ups have happened BEFORE you arrive at the resort.

If you’re seeing any issues arise during online check in, THIS is when you can call (407) 939-4357 so Disney can lend you a hand and get this all sorted out. If you had a resort confirmation number sent to your email, make sure to have that at the ready so you don’t have to go searching for it when you’re on the phone. If you DON’T have a confirmation number, then double check your bank account statement. That resort payment you were trying to make may not have gone through (which could be WHY the issues are arising in the first place).

Disney DOES mention on their website that SOMETIMES these hotel reservations don’t pop up on your My Disney Experience App IMMEDIATELY for online check in for three different reasons:

1. You haven’t yet linked your disneyworld.com account to your My Disney Experience Account. If this is the case, just go to the “reservation and purchase linking” page from the Disney World website and click on the “Resort Reservation or Vacation Package” option. From there, enter your Resort Confirmation Number and the last name of the person who made the reservation to link it to your account.
2. You booked a Good Neighbor Hotel. You’ll need to add any Good Neighbor Hotel Reservations to your account by selecting the “My Plans” option, selecting “resort hotel” next, then selecting “link a reservation.” As long as you’ve got that confirmation number handy, you’ll be able to type it in and link away!
3. You booked through a third-party travel agency. You can always contact your agency IF you have any further concerns surrounding your hotel room info (since Disney may not be able to do a whole lot on their end if you didn’t book through them directly).

Okay, so let’s say you DIDN’T check in online ahead of time and you’re stuck in this Disney resort limbo. What THEN?

First and foremost, you’ll need to go to the front desk of your resort. If the front desk isn’t finding your info, they’ll ask for that confirmation number that was sent to your email after you booked the room to help them track it down again.

Basically, how I can sum up a solution for this WHOLE situation is this: HAVE YOUR ROOM CONFIRMATION NUMBER AT ALL TIMES. Check your email RIGHT after you make your room reservation purchase and take screenshots/print/write down/etc. that information so you can have it on hand. Just having that information handy can make all the difference when it comes to solving The Mystery of the Disappearing Hotel Ressie.

When The Fire Alarm Goes Off

Just when you thought you were going to have a NICE and RELAXING time at your Disney resort… the fire alarms decide to give ya a nice jumpscare. (How RUDE.) Okay, they’re not RUDE. But they ARE startling.

On the rare occasion when the fire alarms DO start to go off, they usually don’t last long — guests evacuate from the buildings, the Cast Members address the situation, and if it was a false alarm then people can generally go back in once given the all-clear. If an emergency situation has transpired, however, then it might take more time for an all clear to be given. (But either way, it’s always good to follow safety protocol even IF you assume the situation isn’t an emergency. Because it’s better to keep your family safe above all else.)

On OTHER occasions, the Disney World resorts actually SCHEDULE fire alarm tests — just to make sure everything’s still in tip-top shape. Normally when these tests happen, the resort will schedule them for the afternoon (when the resort’s typically less crowded).

Disney will also WARN you about these tests ahead of time with signs placed around the front lobby and/or on the ground floor of your resort. These signs will also let you know how long these tests are expected to happen throughout the day. Just don’t take any pop-up hotel signs for granted when you come across them! More than likely, they’re gonna fill you in on some IMPORTANT information happening around the hotel that day that you’re NOT gonna want to be in the dark about.

If you DO see a warning sign for fire alarm testing at YOUR resort, you might wanna change your relaxation plans for the afternoon and hit up Disney Springs — or have a nice meal at a DIFFERENT Disney World resort — instead. Then, when you know the fire alarm testing has wrapped up for the day, you can head on back and take a dip in the pool (or hit the hay for a much-needed nap).

When You Lose Your Phone Or Wallet

We’ve all been there. That panicked pat down when you can’t find your wallet in your pants pocket (even though you could’ve SWORN that’s where you last left it). Or how ‘bout that frantic rummaging through your Loungefly bag when your phone has gone eerily quiet — so quiet, in fact, that it’s not INSIDE your bag at all. Or maybe you lost your bag entirely. That happens to the best of us, too.

But what do you DO when the items you can’t afford to lose get lost in Disney World anyway? Your first order of action? Return to the site where you think you may have lost said item. When a Cast Member finds a lost item, they often put it on top of a nearby trash can, in case someone comes back looking for it.

If that doesn’t work, visit the nearest Guest Relations location inside the park — or at the front desk of your resort — to report an item gone MIA. Usually, cast members at guest relations will have you fill out an online web form detailing your missing item, but you can beat them to the punch by going to the website, chargerback.com, and putting in the request yourself.

Chargerback will ask you a few questions about your missing item — then, once you submit your request for a search mission — cast members will be on the look out for you, even when you’re not in the park. They’ll keep you updated with text messages as they continue to search for your item, and if they ARE able to find it for you, Disney will usually mail it back to you free of charge.

But, what if your ability to get home depends on finding that lost wallet because… well… that’s where your ID is?? It may be a bit of a hassle, but Guest Relations can also help you file a report with Orange County, which will hook you up with an official legal document that can get you back onto your plane. (WHEW.)

And how can you try to PREVENT losing these items in the first place?

First off — try to avoid leaving smaller items loosely in those ride storage pockets, if you can. I can’t tell you how many times our fellow DFB team members have lost a pair of sunglasses or had to backtrack for their phones JUST because those inconspicuous pouches had slipped their minds. It’s better to keep smaller items in your bags — or with a non-rider.

Secondly, lockers can be a major life-saver if you don’t wanna stress about carrying around specific items all day long. Usually, locker rentals cost around $10-$14 per day (depending on the size you rent), and are located at the front gates of each of the parks.

And third, try to AVOID slipping smaller items in your pants pockets!

When The My Disney Experience App Isn’t Working

So… if you’ve been around the channel for a while now, then you KNOW how often we talk about the My Disney Experience App and its ability to juggle pretty much EVERYTHING for ya to help make your Disney World vacation go ten times smoother.

But what happens when the My Disney Experience decides to go kaput?

Every so often, the My Disney Experience App decides to just… give up. Sometimes it’s a minor inconvenience — like not showing any of the park’s updated wait times, and sometimes it’s a way BIGGER inconvenience… like your Disney Genie + purchase being on the fritz. We’ve run into issues where our Lightning Lanes have — POOF — suddenly disappeared from our roster…and we’ve also come across issues where we weren’t able to purchase Genie + at all.

Before you panic, see if these tech issues are something you can work out on your end. Sometimes, the WiFi from your hotel room may not have such a great signal and you’d be better off using your own data instead. Other times, it might just be a matter of restarting your app.

If the My Disney Experience IS acting up, Disney’s gonna work QUICKLY to get that back up and running again. But when it IS back online, you’ll more than likely have to re-log into the app with your account info. So make sure you know which email and password you used (just in case you need to input them again)

Whether you were unable to purchase Genie + because of the tech issues OR you lost your Lightning Lane selections because of them, always always ALWAYS head to either the park’s guests services OR your Disney resort’s front lobby. The cast members at these locations are MORE than familiar with Genie + issues (HOW familiar? TOO familiar.) — so just keep in mind that they’re already ON YOUR SIDE and READY to help when you arrive.

It HELPS to have receipts for these cast members to refer back to, if you remember to screenshot any of your Genie + purchases OR Lightning Lane selections before they disappeared into the great unknown. These kind of receipts can help cast members get things sorted out for you EVEN quicker.

But even if you DON’T have screenshots of these issues, guest services should still be able to come up with a solution for you and your family where everyone can just take a HUGE sigh of relief and feel better about the rest of the day moving forward.

When A Hurricane Is Heading To Florida

Hurricane season is a very REAL thing that can make your Disney World trip come to a sudden standstill – it runs from June 1 to November 30th each year. A CRUCIAL thing to remember when it comes to dealing with a MAJOR hurricane while you’re in the Orlando area is that Orlando is in Central Florida, which typically doesn’t get impacted as much by hurricanes when compared to the coastal areas in the state (where MASSIVE damage might happen). But, that being said, Orlando doesn’t have a protective weather bubble around it or anything, keeping ALL hurricane storms at bay (despite what rumors might say) — so high winds, humongous downpours, flooded streets, and all-around dangerous conditions could still keep you cooped up in your hotel room for an extra day or two.

Actually, in 2022, we saw Disney World close not once, but twice due to these types of powerful storms. Regardless of when you might be planning on heading to Disney World, knowing there’s an inclement weather possibility can help soften the blow if it does end up impacting your trip.

While knowing is half the battle, the other half is being prepared. If your trip happens to take place during hurricane season, there are a few extra steps you may want to take to brace yourself for the POTENTIAL of an oncoming storm.

That starts with planning for rain no matter what time you’re visiting. Pack ponchos, umbrellas, rain jackets, and waterproof shoes. Because even if a storm DOES hit the area, that doesn’t always mean the parks are gonna flat-out close each day. Truth be told, Disney World experiences flash rainstorms a LOT — so you might find that even if it’s ABSOLUTELY POURING in the afternoon, things might clear up even an hour or so later.

You may also want to consider booking a Disney World hotel that’s better suited for hurricane-like weather. Essentially, we’re talking about hotels with fully enclosed access to restaurants, shops, and lobby areas — like you’ll find in the Main Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas (which not only have direct access to the main resort area, but ALSO have kitchens inside each room — where you can prepare meals yourself IF you hit up a nearby grocery store BEFORE the storm hits).

Above all else, you’re going to want to mentally prepare yourself and manage your trip’s expectations going forward. Disney World has earned a reputation through several major hurricanes as a safe, secure place to be during one of these intense storms. (So safe, in fact, that some Floridians in coastal areas go ahead and book up rooms here to bunker down — which is why it’s not a bad idea to tack on an extra day or two to your own stay IF you think you might get caught up in the thick of it.)

That being said, the parks and resorts will look a little different in the event of an emergency. Even after the storm passes, attractions may be shut down and restaurants may be closed for a day or so while clean ups take place.
Don’t wanna deal with all the hurricane hassle? Keep an eye on the Accuweather app as you get closer and closer to your trip’s departure date. That way, you’ll know about a hurricane warning AHEAD of time instead of it sneakin’ up on ya.

If you DO see that a hurricane warning might wind up impacting your vacation, and you decide to cancel your trip altogether, THIS is what the Disney World website has to say about weather-related refunds:

“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 Package and most room-only reservations (booked directly with Disney) without any cancellation or change fees imposed by Disney.”

Looking for more storm info to help GET prepared and STAY prepared? Then make sure to check out our DFB video all about how to SURVIVE Hurricane Season and Severe Weather in Disney World. You can watch it right here!

When You Want To Cancel A Dining Reservation… But It’s TOO Late

Welp. It happened. You made an Advance Dining Reservation, you got all hyped up about it, maybe even ordered that tasty food in your head mentally over and over again, but LIFE kinda got in the way BIG time and you’re not gonna be able to make it. Why? Maybe because someone in your group is feeling under the weather. Or maybe you’re stuck in traffic. Whatever the reason may be, it just ain’t happening.

Last November, Disney World changed their dining cancelation policy for MOST of their table service restaurants.

Instead of having to cancel a reservation 24 hours in advance to PREVENT being charged that $10 per person no-show fee, NOW you just have to make sure you cancel on the My Disney Experience App BEFORE the 2-hour window leading up to your reservation to STILL get that full refund. (WAY more convenient.)

(Side note: This same cancellation policy does NOT apply to Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Disney’s Fort Wilderness, Victoria and Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Takumi-Tei in EPCOT, and Monsieur Paul in EPCOT.)

But even WITH this new cancellation convenience, sometimes you STILL have to cancel your reservation past that 2-hour window. If this happens, your BEST bet is to have the person who made the reservation go up to the host stand of the restaurant and explain your situation.

Note: This does not GUARANTEE that you’ll get out of the no-show fee. HOWEVER depending on the circumstances, there’s a better chance at getting those fees waived when you talk to someone about it in-person rather than not saying anything at all and guaranteeing that $10 per person loss. If you have more dining modification and cancellation questions, however, you can always call 407-WDW-DINE (or (407) 824-1391) for further assistance.

If you had to cancel a ressie AND you’re in need of something quick and munchy instead, Disney World has TONS and TONS and TOOOOONS of snacks for you to turn to — which you can learn ALL about via our DFB snack guides for EACH of the parks, available NOW at dfbstore.com.

GRAB OUR SNACK GUIDES!

When You Get Food Poisoning

On the flip opposite side of things… let’s say you DO end up eating at the sit down restaurant you made ressies for — or you decided to grab something on the go on your way to another ride — but the food you got… just didn’t settle well. At all. In fact, that rumbling you’re feeling in your tummy right now might even be the beginning stages of FOOD POISONING. (Ugggggggh….)

If you’re struck with a bout of food poisoning, consider hanging back at your hotel for a day or two to give your body some time to… process things (if you know what I mean). I know that’s not EXACTLY the advice you wanna hear — especially when you’ve already PAID for your park tickets and set aside all this vacation time to, y’know, NOT be sick — but even if you aren’t contagious, heading to the parks isn’t fun while you’re miserable.

Unfortunately, theme park tickets are non-refundable. HOWEVER, if you do have some extra “break days” planned into your trip already, you’re more than welcome to modify your park days and make park pass reservations for THOSE extra days instead (when you’re hopefully feeling MUCH better). All you’ll need to do is open your My Disney Experience app, tap on “Tickets and Passes,” select “Change Ticket,” and follow the prompts from there!

But if you DON’T have the luxury of extra days, you’re still not TOTALLY out of luck… sort of. Even when your tickets expire, the “value of your unused tickets will remain in your account.” So if you’re planning on traveling to Disney again in the future (if this experience hasn’t permanently left a bad taste in your mouth, that is), then you can call Disney’s Ticket Services Team at (407) 939-5277 to redeem that unused ticket value for your Disney World vacation, round TWO.

If you start to feel sick while you’re in the middle of one of your park days, then head straight to First Aid. Like, go there IMMEDIATELY. There are nurses on-call equipped to help monitor you, as well as provide you with free over-the-counter medicine for any non-emergency-related tummy troubles.

If you’re sick at your resort, you can grab over-the-counter medication from your hotel’s gift shop (at a cost). But if you make it back to your Disney World resort late at night after the gift shop’s have already closed and you need some medicine, like, NOW — then 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. Okay. But let’s talk about the REAL elephant in the room here — if you just so happen to get food poisoning ON Disney property, is Disney NOT going to refund you for that?

That’s tricky to answer, but my BEST advice for you is to express your concerns at the front desk of your resort — OR at guest relations at the front of the park. While these types of situations are dealt with on a case-by-case basis, it’s important to inform SOMEBODY about what’s happening so that Disney can be in the know instead of in the dark about what you’ve experienced.

Click Here for More on the First Aid Centers at Disney World

Alright, friends — now it’s time to talk about some heavier topics that you probably DON’T want to think about in terms of your Disney World vacation, but need to be addressed regardless. Sometimes, emergency situations do happen in the parks and resorts that are as far from magical as possible. In fact, they can be downright scary. So let’s discuss how YOU and your family can prepare yourself for these worst case scenarios so panic doesn’t get the best of you.

Allergic Reactions

Let’s start on a high note with this point; Disney World has gotten WAY better at accommodating ALL sorts of different food allergies and sensitivities across ALL their different restaurants. In fact, Disney has shared that Walt Disney Parks and Resorts has received a FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) Award “for dedication to providing a safe and enjoyable dining experience for vacationing families.” (Hopefully that already gives you some peace of mind as we continue forward with this topic.)

Before we talk about what steps YOU can take to PREVENT any major allergic reactions from happening across ANY of the Disney World restaurants, let’s go ahead and talk about the scary stuff — what do you do IF an allergic reaction DOES happen to you or someone in your group?

Remember those first aid centers I was just talking about? Along with over-the-counter medications, these stations are also equipped with EpiPens. The nurses here are able to administer injections (even for diabetes-related instances). They’ve also got special containers on hand for the disposal of hypodermic needles. So if you need an epipen and you don’t have one on hand, don’t panic — just head STRAIGHT to first aid.

That being said, you are absolutely, 110%, a-okay to bring your OWN epipens with you into the parks. (In fact, PLEASE do that. Like, have that be the FIRST thing you pack in your park bag). Also be sure to bring other antihistamines and asthma medications that you may need. (Because even if you THINK you’ll be okay without them, it’s always better to be SAFE.)

Just as a head’s up, epipen needles will more than likely set the security systems off when you walk through them. So when you head over to get your bag checked by a cast member security guard, just let ‘em know that you DO have these medical necessities in your bag so they know what to expect during their search.

But NOW let’s try to PREVENT any allergic reactions from taking place whatsoever! If you’re dining with food sensitivities in Disney World, you’re going to want to do the following three things before eating at any sit down locations:

1. Make a note about your special diet before you submit your advance dining reservation. (The Disney World website will provide you with a space to make any special diet notes that the restaurant should be aware of beforehand)
2. E-mail the Special Diets department ([email protected]) or call them at (407) 824-5967 prior to your trip to discuss what all needs to be done before you arrive
3. Request to talk to the Chef, manager, or Allergy Specialist on-call when you arrive at the restaurant, just to make sure someone’s there to walk you through the menu, as well as walk through the meal preparation process.

For counter service restaurants, you can — and should — request to speak with a cast member who can guide you accordingly. You may receive a physical menu noting your options. But, rest assured, you can always request to speak to a Chef as well.

Additionally, the mobile order function on your My Disney Experience App has an “allergy friendly” icon that you can tap on BEFORE you start ordering your food, which will automatically direct you to the part of the menu with allergy-friendly options

If you have a question at a snack or quick service location regarding food ingredients, you can also ask to look at that restaurant’s nutritional book, which lists every SINGLE ingredient used in each selection. A cast member can help walk you through it, if you’re looking for extra assistance.

In summary, you don’t HAVE to go to Disney World and be scared that you won’t be able to eat anything, OR that Disney won’t be able to do anything for you if you find yourself needing extra allergy-related assistance.

Physical Altercations

Social media can make it feel like fights break out in Disney World ALL the time, but they really don’t. When the parks were starting to reopen back in 2020 — after the historic closures — tensions were high and altercations were a bit more frequent… and we also saw some pretty wild moments between guests during the 50th Anniversary Celebration Kickoff on October 1, 2021, when people were getting WAY TOO passionate about grabbing their limited edition merchandise before anyone else had the chance to.

If you see an altercation happening between two guests — or maybe if you see a guest getting more aggressive toward a cast member — the FIRST thing you’ve gotta do is keep yourself and your family safe. Do NOT intervene and try to be the hero. Because, more often than not, adding an extra person to the fight is just gonna add fuel to the fire and make things WORSE instead of BETTER.

If you REALLY want to help out, the best thing you can do is reach out to a nearby cast member and let them know what’s going on. They’ll be able to contact security ASAP to help intervene and prevent anyone from getting hurt.

There’s also a good possibility that security is already ON the case. If you see someone dressed in everyday theme park attire jump into the situation head on, this COULD still be someone who’s part of Disney’s security team, dressed in casual wear. Disney has plainclothes security guards stationed through each of the parks to keep an eye on things. (So you might end up walking past SEVERAL security guards during your visit without ever realizing it!)

Lost Child

One of the most panic-inducing moments as a parent is losing sight of your kid while in the middle of a crowded theme park, even if just for a moment or two. But the panic increases higher and higher when a minute or two passes and you STILL don’t see your kid nearby — even if they were RIGHT next to you only SECONDS ago.

We don’t even like talking about it because it makes us panicky.

So let’s break this situation down into two, easy-to-digest parts: What happens WHEN a kid goes missing… and what can you do to PREVENT it from happening in the first place.

When you lose sight of your kiddo, the first thing you need to do is freeze, right where you are. Instinct might tell you to rush ahead, looking to see where they’ve wandered off to before they get too far away, but there’s a GOOD chance that they’ve just briefly lost sight of you, too, and are trying to get back to the family. If you’ve got another adult in your party, you can always send them on ahead to start searching while you stay put, or vice-versa.

The next thing you need to do is reach out to the nearest cast member. When cast members are told that a child’s gone missing, they’ll notify their supervisor and security ASAP. They’ll also 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’re trained to keep kiddos calm, cool, and collected as possible. So, while they’ll ask them important questions — like what their parents look like, or when was the last time they saw them — they’ll also help defuse the tension with less serious questions (like “who’s your favorite Disney princess” and “what ride’s been your favorite in the park so far?”).

If the parents aren’t already nearby, kiddos will be escorted to the park’s Baby Care Center or Guest Relations building, where a cast member will continue to stay with them until they’re reunited with their family.

While I hope that NONE of you ever have to go through the panic of not knowing where your kiddo has run off to in Disney World, no matter how brief of a time that may be, the best thing YOU can do is plan ahead to help prevent an accident like this from ever taking place. So HERE are five easy things that you can do BEFORE heading into the parks to help decrease the chances of your kiddo leaving your side (and staying that way):

1. Wear BRIGHT clothes! It’s easier to spot your kid (or any of the members in your party, for that matter) if they’re wearing something neon or eye-catching.
2. Quiz your kiddos to make sure they know your cell phone number. That way, if your kiddo gets lost and finds a cast member, they can give the cast member your number and get in contact with you immediately.
3. Give your kid a tattoo phone number on their wrist if they’re too young to memorize it. You can find them here on Amazon.
4. Create a game plan. Give your kid an easy-to-find spot in the park that they can go to and wait if they can’t find you. (ie: “If we ever get separated, meet me at the back of Cinderella Castle, next to the carousel!”)
5.  Show your kid how to identify a Cast Member. Namely, point out the oval shape of the name tags they wear. That way, your kid will know they’re approaching someone trustworthy and not just a complete stranger.

Medical Emergencies

Call 911. That’s it. That’s the post.

If a major medical emergency happens to someone in your group — like a potential heart attack or stroke — then it doesn’t matter where you are on Disney World property. Do not seek out first aid. Do not try to flag down a Cast Member first and see if it’s okay for you to call for help. Call 911 immediately. I promise you, that’s what Disney WANTS you to do. (It says so on their website.)

For other medical emergencies — that may not be as life threatening but can still be serious nonetheless — Disney and AdventHealth have partnered up to open a BRAND NEW emergency room near Disney World, and in the Flamingo Crossing area.

The emergency room is staffed by a clinical team that includes board-certified emergency physicians and nurses.

One last quick (And IMPORTANT) note before we wrap up here today! Notice how MANY of our solutions for these panic-worthy moments of your trip have to do with the Cast Members. You guys… Cast Members are the GREATEST. They’re the reason the parks stay afloat and don’t… you know… crash and burn when situations arise.

So PLEASE… if/when you reach out to them when you have an issue that needs resolved, remember that y’all have the EXACT same goal in mind — they want you to have a GREAT trip the same way YOU wanna have a great trip.

Keep checking back in for more Disney World updates (so that you can keep the vacation panics at bay and the happiness here to stay)!