Planning a Disney World trip can be downright OVERWHELMING sometimes.
Magic Kingdom
There are lots of things to consider like where you’re going to stay, how many days you’ll visit, whether or not you want to make dining reservations, and more. When you’re in the thick of planning, it can feel like there’s advice coming from every direction. We wanted to know the worst advice our readers had gotten while planning a Disney World trip, so we went over to our Facebook page and asked. Here’s what you said!
One of the most common responses was readers saying that the worst advice they received was from people telling them that trips to Disney World don’t require that much planning and they should just wing it. While a trip to Disney World doesn’t need to be planned down to the minute, it does require at least a little bit of thought as to which park you and your group are going to go to each day, as you’ll need to make Park Pass Reservations for each day you’ll be in the parks.
“It doesn’t have to be a minute to minute itinerary but a bit of planning is required,” one of our readers said.
EPCOT entrance
Conversely, some of our readers said that the worst piece of advice they’ve ever received was people telling them to plan their entire trip! One of our reader said the worst piece of advice they received was: “Make sure you plan everything, or you’ll miss something. Some planning is necessary, but being handcuffed to a schedule can put a damper on your trip.”
Animal Kingdom
This just proves that what works for some families isn’t guaranteed to work for others. For some, planning the trip more intensely is what will ensure a happy time, and for others, just making sure they have a Park Pass and then seeing where the day takes them is good enough. Luckily, there is no “right” way to do Disney. You can still be spontaneous if that’s what you want, no matter what people are saying, and you also have the freedom to plan a more in-depth trip, as well, if that’s what’s going to make you happy.
You can still have whatever kind of trip you want.
One reader said that the worst piece of advice they got was to go to Disney World in August because it won’t be that hot. While there are definitely ways to manage the heat on your Disney World trip, unfortunately, Orlando is still very hot in August and it is still the middle of summer. If you’re wanting to be in the parks when it’s cooler, we recommend going in the winter months, with January tending to have some of the coolest weather that Orlando will see.
Drink lots of water while you’re at Disney World!
In the same vein as the August advice, one of our readers said that someone told them to visit on Christmas Day because the parks wouldn’t be that crowded. Unfortunately, that is just not the case. Christmas Day and the holiday season in general is one of the busiest times of year for Disney World. If you’re wanting to avoid the crowds, do not go near the holidays.
Holiday Crowds in 2021
Several of our readers said that they’d received bad advice regarding dining. One said that they were told by several people to eat a big table service meal for lunch rather than dinner, but they found that it just made them feel sluggish for the rest of the day. If you’re planning a big table service meal, but are worried that you’ll feel sluggish, you can make a reservation for a later dinner slot, or maybe consider having a lighter breakfast as your sit down meal. Lunch will tend to be cheaper at sit down restaurants, but if you worry about feeling sleepy or bogged down, you may want to opt for dinner reservations instead.
You might not want to have a big meal in the middle of the day.
Another reader said that they were told they should make dining reservations at table service restaurants for every day of their vacation. They said that “A few days are fine but it really locks you in and we found it more stressful!” We generally agree that you may not want to make a dining reservation for every single day of your vacation for a few reasons. Firstly, you don’t want your day to feel rushed, and having lots of dining reservations can make you feel rushed. Additionally, there are lots of great quick service options in the parks that you could be missing if you choose to eat all of your meals at table service restaurants. We recommend choosing a few table service restaurants that you absolutely don’t want to miss and sticking to those so you don’t overdo it and feel rushed. But as always, this will depend on you your groups wants and needs!
If you eat at all table service restaurants, you could miss out on some great quick service options!
Another common response was readers saying that they were told not to bring their kids when they were too young because they wouldn’t remember it. In response to that, one of our readers said that that was “terrible advice” and that her daughter still remembers some of the trip she took when she was younger, even years later. There’s no “right” age to bring your kids to Disney World, the best advice is to just do what feels right for you and your family.
A family with matching shirts vacationing in Disney!
If you’re planning a trip to Disney World soon, then you’re in luck because we have lots of resources available for you! You can check out 50 restaurants and attractions that close early in Disney World, plus our best tips for saving money in Disney World!
EPCOT
Plus, you shouldn’t forget to do THIS big thing before your Disney World trip. As always, make sure to stay tuned to DFB for the latest Disney news and information!
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I still think the advice not to take children when they’re too young is valid. I think taking children before they’re 5 or 6 is a waste. That being said, I went with friends who had an 8-year-old and a 2-year-old. We had 3 adults so when the 2-year-old had to nap or had a meltdown, one could stay with her while the others continued their fun. The 8-year-old loved it because with rider swap he got to go on most of the rides twice. But the 2-year-old was scared of the characters, hot and cranky much of the time and really didn’t get much out of the experience at all. She’s now in her 20’s and remembers nothing of the experience. And you have to consider the other guests who have to listen to a crying baby or a child having a tantrum during a show or ride or even while eating. You want to enjoy the experience, you want your child to enjoy the experience and you don’t want to hamper others enjoyment.
On the other hand, we took our daughter’s family, including her not-quite 3 year old son and eight month old daughter. Every single character we encountered (including the ugly step-sisters and two Imperial Storm Troopers) agreed with Fairy Godmother that the happy little girl was adorable. Her brother, who went to the barber shop and had a haircut and a special set of ears, was captivated by Peter Pan, who talked with him for at least 10 minutes and signed the Peter Pan hat our grandson was wearing. Our secret weapon was a double stroller which we brought with us from home. They both napped whenever they wanted to and while the rest of our party (4 adults & 2 teens) went on height-restricted rides, I stayed with “The Littles”.
We had been to WDW before and we’ve been back since and I can honestly say that that was my favorite visit of all.
Our son was 18 months old (and I was pregnant with our daughter) on his first visit. Will I say he remembers everything, no, but he lit up at everything and when he saw Spaceship Earth he screamed BALL and throughout the rest of that trip and the decades worth of trips he remembers that as his first Disney memory (he is 30 and married now). I would NEVER trade those memories for anything so I say to all parents “you do YOU” and what feels right for your family! 🙂 I still get a little teary eyed at those moments in time we don’t get back.