6 Things You Should NEVER Do at Walt Disney World

Subtitled: Rookie Disney Mistakes, and how to avoid them!

Disney is my jam. I spend most of my days talking to the Mouse, creating itineraries, and booking families on their most perfect Disney trip to date. When I was thinking of a creative way to pass out a few pointers, I couldn’t help but think about all the mistakes I see people making when they plan their trips. So, without further adieu, I present to you these 6 Walt Disney World mistakes… and how to avoid making them.

You should NEVER stay off property.

Now – okay – take this one with a grain of salt. There are definitely some circumstances that warrant an “off-property” reservation, and there are some great options for your trip. However, when it comes down to it, there are just so many benefits of staying in a Walt Disney World Resort…I can’t imagine staying anywhere else!

There are more than 25 unique resorts to fit pretty much every budget and preference. Plus, you’re able to take advantage of Extra Magic Hours (bonus time in the parks closed to all other guests), you receive complimentary MagicBands (with charging privileges), early access to Dining and Fast Pass planning, complimentary transportation to and from the airport, complimentary transportation and parking at the various parks, and you can also include a dining plan to your stay.

You should NEVER wait to buy a souvenir that you love.

There are gift shops all over Walt Disney World Resort. Seriously, you can find something to buy pretty much everywhere. Last year, I found a small gift for my girls: a little princess watch set with two bands and a few different faces. I saw it within the first 10 minutes of the first park I visited, and told myself I’d pick it up for them later…and I never found it again!

Even though the stores look like they all carry the same merchandise, they don’t! If you see something you like, go ahead and get it because you may not be able to find it again. If you’re staying at a resort on property, then the store can simply send the item right to your room.

You should NEVER skip the PhotoPass.

Disney has a huge team of talented photographers located all over the parks, and not getting your PhotoPass means missing out on a ton of fun. You can let the Disney PhotoPass team capture pictures of your ENTIRE family (not just a mom selfie!) in the parks, during character meet and greets, and at select dining locations…plus, it includes the pictures taken of your family on select rides.

You can purchase your “Memory Maker” in advance and save a little bit of money (here) – and you’ll also have the opportunity to purchase personalized photo products after your trip. As the person who is always the one behind the camera, it’s so nice to be able to have pictures of myself with my kids without having to think about it or plan it in advance. Even when that picture makes it look like I am absolutely terrifying my children on treacherous rides! (Side note – they LOVED that ride, but the photo was snapped on the one part they didn’t: the drop!)

You should NEVER wait in a ridiculously long line.

Well, sometimes you might have to, but bear with me for a minute…

Disney offers Fast Passes to all park guests to book in advance. If you’re staying on property (or in a select good neighbor resort), you can schedule your passes 60 days in advance. If you’re not, then you can begin to book each day you plan to visit the parks 30 days in advance.

Each day you can schedule up to three experiences, per park, for your family. Once you use those three, you can continue to schedule passes one by one for the rest of your day! So, you may end up waiting in some long lines, but not all the long lines. I’ll be the first to say that waiting in the long line for Peter Pan’s Flight, in the air conditioning, in the middle of the Florida summer…isn’t always the worst idea.

You should NEVER plan to walk into the best restaurants.

The big ones: Cinderella’s Royal Table (located in the castle), Be Our Guest, Ohana, to name a few…will be booked solid at 180 days in advance. That’s the magic number; let that sink in. Guests traveling to Walt Disney World will have their dining reservations booked and confirmed SIX MONTHS before their trip.

Now, don’t let this discourage you…there are always going to be spots available for restaurants if you continue to monitor them. Even I have been able to snag some pretty hot last minute reservations…but just remember, if you are dying to eat breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table, you’re going to need to be ready with a plan far in advance.

You should NEVER plan alone.

If you’ve made it all the way to the end of this post, chances are you are new when it comes to Walt Disney World. Let me let you in on a little secret – there is a huge, amazing community of people who know WAY more than any average (um, normal) grown-up knows about Disney. And we are here to help.

Booking your Disney trip with a travel agent who really understands Disney and the intricacies of planning the perfect trip is absolutely the best decision you can make.