The idea of creating the most memorable and incredible vacation to Disney World exists within the minds of folks who may not know the sheer size and scope of the decisions that are made before, during and after a trip.
There are times that you may end up wishing that you turned left instead of right, chosen a different meal option or even had a decision made for you…like an attraction going down or a restaurant running out of a specific ingredient.
This article is about things that we’ve done during past trips that were preventable.
NAP THROUGH LUNCH
During one of our vacations, we were completely exhausted on day two due the travel fatigue and having too much pent up excitement. This meant that after our morning Extra Magic Hours and a few hours at Magic Kingdom, we decided to head back to Pop Century for a quick shower and change before going BACK out for lunch at Art of Animation.
We didn’t set an alarm and slept through lunch.
This created a domino effect, which in turn made us have a really late lunch before having an early dinner reservation at Kona Cafe @ the Polynesian. Yea, that didn’t work well at all!
NOT BUYING A SET OF MICKEY EARS
Ok, so this is a lesson we learned in order to share with you! We found a pair of Belle ears and didn’t buy them…thinking that they were common. They were not! We spent the next few days trying to find them in (what seemed like) every store on property.
In the end, our recommendation is to buy what you want when you see it!
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STAYING AT A RESORT FOR PURELY FINANCIAL DECISIONS
It’s not a secret that a vacation to Orlando is incredibly expensive, and this isn’t about the difference between going and not going. It’s more about learning from mistakes that I’ve made in the past, which involves two stories:
- My parents stayed off property (in the Palm Pkwy & Vineland Rd area) which on paper saved them $15 a night over staying closer to Disney Springs. This meant wasting a lot of time and money, as they insisted on walking to and from Disney Springs…which on paper was only a 7 minute drive but a 35 minute walk. Know where your money is better spent, as your vacation could be a once in a lifetime experience!
- We stayed at All Star Sports because it was the cheapest option and the goal was to see the difference between that resort and Pop Century. Oh my, it was a nightmare! If you like spending time at the theme parks, research your options because there are resorts that are so far away from everything on property that you’ll be riding the bus more than you’ll want to!
Overall, do your price shopping and know that there are ways to save money through budgeting and strategically picking your resort. We had a great time at Holiday Inn Disney Springs because the money we saved on location (staying off property), we utilized on mornings and evenings for UBER and other perks.
TAKING THE EARLY FLIGHT
Although it’s a do-over opportunity, I’ll still probably do it again;)
IF you are planning on getting into MCO Orlando International Airport before 10am, know ahead of time that your hotel room probably won’t be ready until 3 or 4pm.
In addition, you’ll probably be at the pinnacle of stress with various delays and vacation hiccups that will only multiply when you make plans…so if you are going early, just enjoy your arrival day and take things as they come.
WAITING MORE THAN 15-MINUTES FOR A DISNEY BUS
Plain and simple – order an UBER/LYFT and save yourself the stress. We actually waited for more than 45 minutes at the Contemporary after the fireworks at Magic Kingdom because the digital bus schedule wasn’t taking into account traffic. Every couple minutes, the time would bump back another 10 minutes until we finally just decided to order an UBER, which showed up within 3 minutes and we were at the Coca Cola Store within 15 minutes!
Are there stories that you wanted to share about things that you want a do-over with? Let me know over on our Facebook page!
