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10 Things NOT to Do on Your Next Disney Vacation: A Walt Disney World Planning Article

by Lisa Smith-Lester, PassPorter Guest Contributor
Last modified 02-12-2015

After coming away from my 2013 trip a little disappointed, I am determined to make changes this time around so that the same does not happen again.

I want to get home from my vacation happy! With this in mind, here is my list of 10 things I really don't want to do on this trip (and I recommend you try not to do, either):

1. Get stressed out with Disney Transportation.
I had a couple of issues with the buses on our last trip which at the time seemed like major problems, but in hindsight, really weren't. One of these issues was a very long bus journey from the Wilderness Lodge back to Saratoga Springs Resort, via Downtown Disney (DTD). The journey took a very long time and was made even worse by the traffic at DTD meaning it took us a good 15 minutes to even be able to pull in to get off the bus! We are hiring a car this time which will help but I will still use the Disney buses and will not worry if a journey takes a little longer than I would like.

2. Rush from one attraction/activity/restaurant to the next without taking in my surroundings and enjoying what I am doing.
Last time around, I feel as if I was thinking of what was coming next, rather than enjoying what I was actually doing. I want to enjoy every moment this time and not worry about how long it will take to walk from Main Street to Enchanted Tales with Belle for example, and just enjoy the walk there and the sights I am seeing in doing so.

3. Worry if I can' get the Advance Dining Reservation (ADR) at the exact time I want on the exact day I want.
I think this is a very stressful part of planning a trip. Of course there are the coveted ADRs that everybody wants and it can be difficult to even get these, let alone at the day and time you want. As long as I can get the ones that are most important to me, I will not worry if I have to change my plans if I have to select a different day or an earlier or later time.

4. Worry about getting FastPasses (FP+).
This will be my first trip using FP's as in 2013, we stayed at SSR and this resort was not part of the test of these, and I am apprehensive about this. I am going to try and not worry about this too much. We have 12 days planned at Disney so that will be more than enough time to do the attractions that are most important to our family.

5. Waste my Disney Dining Plan (DDP) snack credits!
Last time, we 'rationed' our snack credits somewhat during our vacation and ended up spending them in Goofy';s Candy Co at Downtown Disney on our last day on numerous bags of candy. While nice to eat when we got home, I would rather put them to better use at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival or on some of the many delicious treats at the Writers Stop in Hollywood Studios.

6. Worry about keeping our daughters up late.
On our 2013 trip, we only had one "late" night out and that was when my parents looked after our daughters so we could see Wishes. I felt that they needed to be in bed early when really, they easily could have had some later evenings, especially swimming as on our last night when we did this, they loved it. This time, we will let them stay up later as they loved this over the Christmas holidays and just plan a later morning for the following day.

7. Stick to a set plan and allow for no changes.
Obviously with ADR's and FP's, there is planning required but I want to be open to making changes based on the weather, how we are feeling, crowds, etc. All plans can be changed and will hopefully make for a better vacation if I can convince myself that some flexibility may be needed!

8. Say no all the time.
I have a bad habit of saying no far too often and in some cases, without even hearing the question first. Now obviously a request for cookies or something else equally unsuitable for breakfast every day would get a no but to say yes once would be ok. Likewise with souvenirs, within reason, or spending hours queuing for the one character they HAVE to see!

9. Worry about how busy it may be.
It was really busy on our 2013 trip, more so than we had expected and Magic Kingdom in particular was as busy as I have ever seen (including Christmas and the summer when I have previously visited). October is now a busy time to go and I am going to go with the expectation that it will be busy and will make plans accordingly.

10. Worry if we don't do everything.
There is the desire to try and see and do as much as possible and that is where the disappointment comes in. It is looking likely that 2019 will be the earliest we will be back at Walt Disney World, and though there will be many changes for the good in that time, our favorites should still be there when we get to come back 'home' again!

About the Author: Written by Lisa Smith-Lester, a working Mum with two daughters who is visiting again this year, a year earlier than originally planned.

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Updated 02-12-2015

Check for a more updated version at http://www.passporter.com/articles/10-things-avoid-disney-vacation.html