10 Things to Never Do at Disney
In a recent Total Disney survey, we asked our fans “What are the 10 things to NEVER do at Disney World?” We had many, many responses but the top 10 were obvious.
10. Don’t Go Alone
Walt Disney World is a wonderful place, but the real magic comes from what it does to the whole family. The shared experience is 90% of the trip so if you are planning on going alone, we recommend that you think again. Yes, it is the happiest place on earth, and yes, the staff and venue are world class so you will undoubtedly have fun, even by yourself; however, wouldn’t it be so much better for you to be able to look at your family and to have them look at you the way that life intended? With love, anticipation and excitement? Remember it’s magic time – bring those you love. You will remember it forever.
9. Don’t Go Only During the Day
The night-life at Disney is second only to New York City! All kidding aside, there is so much that happens after the sun goes down at Disney World that it’s hard to keep track of it all. The Electric Light Parade is terrific and hundreds of other “must do” activities also happen at night, but the most impressive of all of the events happen at Cinderella’s Castle. The Royal Table is excellent – dinner with Cinderella and other Princesses will make the jaws drop for many a child (and parents too). The Fireworks high above the Magic Kingdom are remarkable, and over a thousand person royal courtier gathering on the steps of the Flagship of the Disney World empire is electric. The lines are much easier to navigate on the rides as well!
8. Don’t Arrive Pessimistic
You will be broken of the pessimism sometime during the trip. You know what I’m talking about: “I’m too cool for this!” “I’m too mature for this!” “They only want my money!” etc. You are not too cool, you are not too mature and, yes, you’ll spend a fair amount of money- this is a given, and it’s worth it. They are not trying to trick you into giving up your money, you will do so willingly (but far less of it if you follow our guidelines!). You will give in because it is the right thing to do, so just get over your pessimism early so you can get on with enjoying the happiest place on earth in the way that it was meant to be enjoyed – like a kid!
7. Don’t Forget Your Camera
My wife and I took 1,200+ photos when we went to Disney a few weeks ago. I ordered 200 of them from Shutterfly.com for my daughter’s first Disney photo album. When they arrived, she hugged me the way she did at Disney and spent hours reliving the memories. She (and we) will always love those photos. Bring your camera – you will be glad you did.
6. Don’t Try to “walk in to” Cinderella’s Royal Table
Cinderella’s Royal Table, the most opulent dining experience at Disney, does not take walk-ins – you need to book it a few months in advance. If you have not done so, do it now (click here). This is the flagship dinner of the trip and I recommend dining there the last night so that the kids have something to look forward to for the entire trip.
5. Don’t Stay Only on the Disney Properties
If you stay at Disney the entire time, you will have tons of fun. But Orlando has so much to offer. On our last trip, I asked my daughter what she wanted for dinner one night and she said a grilled cheese sandwich. I googled “the best grilled cheese in Orlando” and came up with “Toasted.” It took us 30 minutes to drive there, but it was worth it. She will talk about it forever. Memories my friends, memories . . .
4. Don’t Buy Your Park Tickets at the Gate
Yes you can do it, but why pay full price when you know with 100 percent certainty that you are going to go to Disney World’s theme parks? Go to our favorite Disney World Discount ticket broker: Best of Orlando, for the best discount we’ve found to date.
3. Don’t Stand in Line for Rides
If you have not subscribed to Fastpass yet, it is time to do so now. It’s free and you can book three rides per day, in advance. Choose the busy ones like Sorin’ and Space Mountain and walk on the less popular ones that have very little wait time. If you are staying on a Disney property, you can book these one or two months in advance of your arrival at the park. In either instance, you should have enough time to lock down your desired times on your desired rides with virtually no wait. It’s simple and done right through your Disney Experience account. You will need Disney tickets to book the rides so make sure you buy your park tickets early (see above) and they are linked to your free account at MyDisneyExperience.com
2. Don’t Buy a Timeshare Unit
Becky and I LOVE Walt Disney World. So it may be a shock to you when we say that you shouldn’t buy an Orlando timeshare (which virtually ensures you will be back to WDW again and again); however, about the only thing we love more than Walt Disney World is saving money on a vacation to Walt Disney World. The fact is, timeshares are money big wasters if you buy them from the original seller. I know what you’re thinking: you’re there, it’s beautiful and you know 100% that you will use it every year, forever. You might, you might not. I do know that if you went every other year, each visit would be more special. Every third year more special still. Owning a timeshare takes the magic out of the trip because you start going because you have to, not because you want to. But, if you REALLY want to own a Orlando timeshare unit, there are hundreds available in the secondary market for 25 to 50% of the price. We’ll show you how to do this later, but for now, don’t buy the unit – you have too many options available to you both inside and outside of Disney World property from willing sellers at ridiculously low prices. We’ll talk more about this in an upcoming email.
1. Don’t Leave
One of our fans on Facebook said this when we posted the “teaser” for this article and we have to agree. The number one thing to NEVER do at Disney is “leave.” Like Peter Pan who will stay a kid forever, we also want the same! If not, every year or two or three is almost as good!
Until Next Time,
Jonathan and Becky
