5 Rookie Mistakes to Avoid at Disney World

We’ve all been rookies at one point or another but lucky for you I’ve learned from my mistakes over the years so I can help you with these 5 Rookie Mistakes to Avoid at Disney World.

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Don’t underestimate the FastPass!

Disney’s FastPass+ system is completely free, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be using it! Whether you’re going to be in the parks all day or just for a few hours, book your FastPasses! Seriously, you can book them up to 30 days in advance and you’ll skip the 1-4 hour wait times for your favorite rides.

It’s a no-brainer.

Also, if you’re staying at a Walt Disney World Resort you can book your FastPasses up to 60 days in advance! Do you hear Flight of Passage calling or is that just me?

Here’s where most people make their mistake, they stop after the first 3 FastPasses. Don’t do that! Yes, you are allowed to reserve 3 per day in advance BUT once those 3 have been used, you can go and reserve more on a one-at-a-time basis.

Don’t think you can do it all in one day.

Many have tried but none will ever truly succeed… Disney World is massive. It’s designed that way for a reason, they want you to spend more than a day there. But really, there is so much to do that there’s just absolutely no way to do it all in one day. You can try but I can almost guarantee that you’ll be so rushed you won’t truly spend the day enjoying your time there.

Take your time and plan accordingly. Whether you’re going for a day or a week, there will still be stuff you weren’t able to hit so start by making a list of all the things that are most important to you and aim for those. Trust me, it’s more fun to ride Space Mountain when you can actually walk up the line rather than having your legs feel like they may just fall right off from over doing it your whole trip… (Learned this lesson the hard way)

Don’t pay for water!

This is huge! Florida is HOT for basically 9 months a year – you need water to survive that much heat. A bottle of water is almost $4 anywhere you stop in Disney; That adds up.

Instead, visit a quick-service restaurant or Starbucks and get a cup of water for free. Better yet, bring a refillable water bottle with you in your park bag!

Bring a “Park Bag”!

Most of my rookie trips were spent being one of the few in the “No Bag” lines thinking all the people with bags were crazy… I was so, so wrong. If you bring a bag, you can prepare for any shifts in the weather (which happen frequently in Florida), you can bring a portable power bank for your phone, you can even bring snacks! Trust me, just pack a bag! It’s worth the extra few minutes in line. It’ll also end up saving you money in the long run.

Related: Magically Thrifty – The Ultimate Guide to Saving Money at Disney

Don’t just “wing it” when it comes to dining at Disney!

Dining at Disney is a big deal for several reasons; They offer everything from snack carts to fine dining but they all come at “Disney price”.

Think of what types of dining you will be doing during your trip and consider looking into a Disney Dining Plan to help offset some of your spending. It’s also a good idea to bring snacks in with you. A Mickey pretzel with cheese now costs $7.

Then think about where you will be dining. If you’re looking for character breakfasts or a fine dining evening you’ll want to book your reservations ASAP! Disney allows you to make dining reservations up to 180 days in advance and even then you aren’t guaranteed a reservation.

Related: Best Places to Eat in the Magic Kingdom

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