subject: Disney World Vacation Planning - Save Yourself from These Mistakes by:Clare Swindlehurst [print this page] If you are planning a Disney World vacation for you and your family then there are five key mistakes that you will want to avoid. They are not appreciating the size of the Resort, staying off property, not making dining reservations, trying to squeeze too much in and not doing any planning. Here's how you can avoid making the same mistakes to make sure your family have a vacation they'll remember forever.
1. It's twice the size of Manhattan
Did you know that the Walt Disney World Resort is twice the size of Manhattan? Well you do now! The first mistake people make when heading out to Disney on vacation is that they expect it to be like Six Flags. They certainly get a shock when they arrive at the gates and discover that there are four themeparks, two waterparks, miniature golf, championship golf courses, a shopping village and more hotels and world class restaurants than you can shake a stick at.
2. Staying off property won't work for everyone
Now some Disney World stalwarts will insist that you have to stay in a Disney World hotel to truly experience the magic. I have to disagree. There are advantages to staying on Disney property including free transportation to and from the theme parks and that Disney magic which extends to your hotel, right down to the shampoo!
But for some people staying off property can also have its benefits. If you have a large family then you will often find it cheaper to rent a private house than to try and squeeze into one hotel room. If you're travelling on a budget then having your own kitchen can cut the cost of meals. You will of course need to factor in the cost of a rental car, parking at the themeparks and the time it will take you to travel to and from the parks.
3. If you want to eat then you need to book
If you do decide to stay on Disney property then you need to think about what you would like to eat and where. It's no good to just turn up at a restaurant when you start to feel hungry, reservations need to be made 180 days in advance. Yes you read that right; Advanced Dining Reservations need to be made either by calling Guest Services or by heading to the Disney website six months before you travel.
4. Fourteen into seven just won't go
People ask me why I continue to visit Walt Disney World year after year, and the answer is that after all this time I still haven't seen everything there is to experience. One of the biggest mistakes people make is to try and cram everything into a seven day trip. The result? They end up worn out and grumpy and wonder why on earth they thought a Disney vacation was a good idea!
You need to accept that you will not see everything there is to see in one trip and instead make a list of your "must sees" and "must dos".
5. Fail to plan and you could ruin your vacation
A trip to Disney World certainly isn't cheap so I guess you've had to do some saving up to be able to take your family. So my question to you is; why would you spend thousands of a dollars on a vacation and then not spend some time researching the Resort and drawing up a list of things you really want to do?
The people who have the most amazing Disney vacations, and then want to return year after year, are those who enjoy planning their trips as much as they love taking them.
About the author
Planning a Disney vacation can be confusing if you don't know where to start. From the best time to travel to how to budget for your trip, and how to use Fastpass or make Advanced Dining Reservations it can be enough to make your head spin. Sign up for our home study course and we'll show you how to plan a magical vacation your family will treasure forever.
