Disney World vacations can be overwhelming and completely subjective, which would make a first-time visitor or a seasoned pro question every single piece of advice that they read on a website. With that being said, there are a number of increasingly uncomfortable topics that are being discussed in private friend groups that could be normalized.
Budget Discussions
- How much did you spend on hotel?
- How did you get a discount on food & merchandise?
- Do you buy ‘x’ before you go down?
- What credit cards get you access to perks?
- If you’re from outside of the USA, are there things that you can do to save money on the exchange rate?
All of these are topics that have been asked on countless group boards and will continue to be a subject of conversation. Don’t be afraid to ask for specifics from friends and if it’s uncomfortable for you to hear about financials – then maybe you should get over your fear of asking, as it’s important to know what you can avoid paying full rates for.
By the way, people lie about costs all the time. If you don’t believe the answer, ask for proof.
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Food Discussions
- When did you actually get your Advanced Dining Reservation?
- How was the food in a non-blog post answer – everything on a vacation can’t be magical. Get credibility by providing honesty
- Have you ever eaten at ‘X’ and was there a reason why you keep going back OR why you haven’t been back since?
- Can you take ‘doggy bags’ (or leftovers)?
- When should you actually go to your reservation and what happens with the reservation fee if you no-show?
- Can an adult order off the kids menu?
It’s become second nature to just assume that everyone knows everything about a Disney World vacation, but we all didn’t go to Disney University (actual thing, btw) and didn’t all graduate from the College of Disney Knowledge (also a real thing).
Dining and food topics tend to be discussed when you’re planning the trip, but can be overlooked when you’re thinking about the tickets and other factors that can make or break your vacation. Ask the questions because some are easier to answer (yes, adults can order off the kids menu when available) than others (we tend to get an original group of reservations 60 days out, but change almost all of them the week before.)
In addition – most people will lie about the experience if they paid a lot for it and want to make it seem like it wasn’t a poor decision on their part. Rule of thumb on our end is to look at reviews and take the average (throw out the best and the worst) and read the experiences that are in-depth and involve similarities to your trip/party.
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Merchandise Questions
- Is everything exclusive to the theme parks?
- Can you still buy Haunted Mansion merchandise online?
- What should I do if the shirt I bought is the wrong size when I get back to the resort?
- How do you see if another store/location has the size you want?
- Is there actually better merchandise at the resorts than in the parks?
These aren’t too uncomfortable, but the best thing to do is to ask before you actually pay for the item. Is there a warranty? Is there a return policy? Are there discounts available? Talk to the cast members who are working the cash registers, as they are able to answer any questions that you have and can point you in the right direction.
If you see a fan-designed theme park inspired shirt, ask if it’s from TeePublic and see if you can get the link or the name of it. We find designs all the time and it’s so much fun to be wearing unique shirts vs an off-the-rack mass-produced product.
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Final Points
The most uncomfortable questions are usually surrounding something that will only affect your family or a specific topic. “We’re planning to go down in three months and are staying at x-resort and are only buying an x-day ticket pack…” are topics that aren’t easy to answer ahead of time, as things are changing all the time in a post-pandemic era and will require time to solve.
The other thing to keep in mind is that things change all the time, including things that you may have experienced first-hand in the past. Staying up-to-date will allow for your trip to stay memorable and not be full of disappointment.
Hope this was helpful!