Disney World is magical beyond belief, but it can also be massively overwhelming.
Magic Kingdom
You’ve got your own agenda to complete on your vacation, the must-do list that you and your party have created, but so does almost everyone else in the park with you. And when things start to go wrong, you may find yourself starting to get majorly stressed. This means sometimes you forget to think about the people around you, and you may not realize you’re doing something that’s considered rude. Don’t worry, we’ve been there too, so here are some things we’ll NEVER do again in Disney World!
Not Taking Off Our Ears and Lowering Our Balloons During Shows
You know when you and 1,000 of your closest friends are gathered on Main Street U.S.A. for the Magic Kingdom fireworks, and you’re all looking to get the best view of the show you can? You may not think about your ears sitting on your head as being an issue, but they could be partly blocking the view of the guests behind you.
Crowds for Happily Ever After
There’s a simple solution here — just take the ears off for the show! The same goes for balloons that you may be holding or may be attached to your stroller. We know it’s cramped in these areas, but if you can lower the balloon, it’ll majorly help the people behind you.
Stopping in the Middle of a Walkway
Picture this: You’re looking at your phone, checking a wait time, placing a mobile order, or maybe booking a Lightning Lane reservation. You stop where you are so you can focus better, and move on after a minute or so. Doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it 100% depends on where you stop.
Imagine stopping in the MIDDLE of all of this
We strongly encourage you to pull over to the side of the walkway before you stop, even if it takes an extra moment. We know, we know, things may feel like they need to be done THAT minute, or else everything will fall apart, but it’s very inconsiderate to everyone around you to stop right where you’re walking. It can also cause accidents — strollers into ankles, people tripping as they quickly change directions, and worst of all, people falling or dropping what’s in their hands. Long story short, just pull over to the side!
Showing Up To A Genie+ Return Time MORE Than 5 Minutes Early
It’s not really a secret that Disney allows you to return to a Genie+ return time 5 minutes before your actual time, but not everyone knows about it. However, 5 minutes is the MAXIMUM, and showing up earlier can actually cause more issues than you may realize.
Backed up Peter Pan’s Flight Lightning Lane
We highly recommend NOT getting in line earlier in hopes that the Cast Member will just let you on early — it’s very unlikely they will since they need to keep it fair to everyone else around you. However, if you’re going up knowing that you’re too early, you’re also stopping other people from getting on the ride, especially if you decide to stop and argue with the Cast Member (PLEASE DON’T DO THAT). Just wait until 5 minutes before, and then you can go up and tap in!
Saving A Spot For Someone Right Before A Show (Or Longer Than 5 Minutes)
If we’re being technical here, you’re not allowed to save spots for someone else in Disney World. This goes for spots in ride lines, while waiting for shows, and other areas where you may be tempted to hold a spot for more than yourself.
Holding spots in Disney World is not allowed
Now, if someone in your party needs to run to the restroom real quick, we all understand that, although we do recommend going before you get into your spot. However, if you’re holding a spot for an entire family while someone goes and gets food for all of you, it’s not fair to the others around you. When in doubt, stick with the first come, first serve rule, and you’ll be golden!
Shouting to Get Someone’s Attention
Disney World is a BUSY place, so sometimes you may feel the need to yell or raise your voice to make yourself heard for your party. Maybe some of them start going in one direction and you need to tell them one last thing before you go. While we understand why you may feel this is necessary, it’s not being considerate to the people around you.
Main Street, U.S.A.
Now, we totally understand that sometimes as a parent you need to get your child’s attention fast to save them from getting hurt. It’s a fight or flight response sometimes, but we highly suggest keeping any yelling to the absolute bare minimum. Disney is already a loud place with people speaking at a normal volume, we don’t need to add any unnecessary yelling to that noise level!
Tree of Life
Disney World is a wonderful place full of fantastic memories, but everyone’s day will be more enjoyable if we try to remember that the other people around us are also trying to have a magical day. As always, stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Disney news!
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Yes, no stopping on the walkways! That happens so much, not just in Disney, but all theme/amusement parks. I have to slam the brakes or perform evasive maneuvers quite often. I would also add to not randomly point on the walkways, especially pointing for an extended time. I’m also dodging flying fingers all the time. Those figure skating and dance lessons helped teach me moves that come in handy for dodging the stoppers & pointers at theme parks.