10 Mistakes First-Time Visitors Make at Disney

Almost all of them are preventable, and almost all of them come at the same cost: time, money, and a good mood. Here is a list of the most common ones, along with a specific solution for each.

Published July 25, 20264 min read

Familia caminando por un parque temático con globos

A trip to Disney is expensive, time-consuming, and requires planning months in advance. That’s exactly why it’s so frustrating to make mistakes that could have been avoided by spending just ten minutes reading up on things. These are the most common ones.

1. Trying to do everything

This is the root of all problems, from which several others stem. Four theme parks, two water parks, a shopping complex, and dozens of restaurants create the feeling that you have to make the most of every minute because you won’t be coming back.

The result is 14-hour days, kids crying at 4 p.m., and adults arguing over the itinerary. The solution: plan one rest day for every three days at the parks. It’s not wasted time; it’s what makes the other days work.

2. Ignore the Florida heat

From May through September, Orlando reaches 35 degrees with very high humidity and nearly daily thunderstorms between 2 and 5 p.m. Walking twenty thousand steps in those conditions is nothing like walking twenty thousand steps anywhere else.

The solution: head to the park early, return to the hotel at noon for a swim and a nap, and go back at 6 p.m. The park is cooler, more pleasant, and less crowded in the evening.

3. Not booking restaurants in advance

Many first-time visitors assume they’ll just eat wherever they can. The most sought-after sit-down restaurants sell out as soon as the 60-day booking window opens.

The solution: Mark the exact day reservations open on your calendar and book them at 6 a.m. Florida time. You can cancel for free up until the day before.

4. Buying souvenirs on the first day

During the first few days, excitement is at its peak and judgment is at its lowest. You end up buying ears, T-shirts, and stuffed animals that you then have to carry around for the rest of the trip and cram into your suitcase.

The solution: Save your shopping for the last two days. You can find almost everything at various parks and at Disney Springs—often for much less.

5. Underestimating the actual distance

The map is misleading. Getting from your hotel to a park can take forty minutes, including waiting for the bus, the ride itself, and going through security. Switching parks in the middle of the afternoon can take an hour and a half.

The solution: Visit one park per day, unless you’re staying right on the monorail or Skyliner line. And always add a thirty-minute buffer to any reservation.

6. New shoes

It sounds like obvious advice, yet it remains the most common problem on the second day. Wearing brand-new sneakers on the trip is a surefire way to get blisters.

The solution: Wear shoes you’ve already broken in and bring a second pair to switch out. Changing your sneakers at midday greatly reduces fatigue.

7. Not using the official app

My Disney Experience manages wait times, advance food orders, reservations, and your location. If you don’t use it, you’ll walk more and wait longer.

The solution: Install it before you travel, log in, link your tickets, and order fast food while waiting in line for the previous attraction. You’ll save twenty minutes per meal.

8. Arriving late for opening

The first hour at the park is worth three hours at noon. The lines are empty, it’s cool out, and people are still having breakfast.

The solution: Be at the entrance thirty minutes before the official opening. If you’re staying at an official hotel, you also get in half an hour before the general public.

9. Buy all your water and food inside

A bottle of water costs about $4 in the park. A family of four drinking four bottles a day spends $64 a day on water alone.

The solution: Disney allows you to bring your own food and drinks, and all food stands will give you glasses of water with ice for free if you ask. A backpack with refillable bottles and some fruit can easily save you USD 60 a day.

10. Not factoring in jet lag and the first day

Many itineraries schedule a park visit the day after a ten-hour overnight flight. The result is an exhausted family spending USD 150 per person on a day they’ll barely remember.

The solution: on the first day, stick to the hotel, the pool, and the supermarket. Start your park visit on the second day.

Bonus: The mistake of overplanning

There’s also the opposite extreme, which ruins trips just as much: minute-by-minute itineraries that leave no room for an attraction to close or for someone to want to stick around and watch a parade.

A good plan has three or four set activities per day and leaves the rest open. The best moments of a trip to Disney are almost never on the itinerary.