Are you interested in booking a trip to Disney? Often claimed to be the happiest place on earth, it’s also one of the most expensive places to explore for a family holiday. That’s why it’s worth making sure that you are taking the right steps to ensure that you have a fantastic time and avoid the key mistakes.
Not Booking Ahead
When you know you have a Disney trip booked then it is vital you try and book in your restaurants for the duration of your stay. These go up six months in advance so you have plenty of time to arrange these. If you are going with a bunch of friends then you should get together and discuss where you are going to eat and at what times. Failure to do this means that the restaurants you want to eat at will be sold out by the time you go.
When you are at DisneyWorld itself then you have the opportunity to book each ride at midnight the day before you visit. This gives you the chance to book onto the more popular rides so you don’t miss out or have to queue for three hours.
Not Booking Enough Days
Something to bear in mind with Disney is that you need enough days to explore all the parks. The average person will visit DisneyWorld and stay for around 14 days. This can be enough to get everything done with a couple of rest days in between. However, you also have the option of 7 days and 21 days to choose from. Be aware, unless you hire a car and have other things to do then three weeks can seem endless just for visiting Disney.
Not Visiting All The Parks
Disney can feel overwhelming, so you might struggle to visit all the parks. Particularly, if you have a limited amount of days. However, it is worth planning your trip so that you can visit all the parks at least once. This includes both water parks which each have a different feel. If you are strapped for time, two days at each park would be perfect, plus one day at each water park. This means that if you are staying for ten days, you will have just enough time. However, this does mean that you won’t have any downtime which isn’t recommended. A little downtime can help you avoid an issue with exhaustion, particularly if you have young kids in tow.
Not Planning For Rainy Days
If you are new to Florida then you might not believe that it has rainy days. If you go to Disney world for fourteen nights then the chances of you having one or two rainy days is quite high. If you don’t have a plan in place for this then you might be at a loss of what to do, especially if you have children with you. When it rains in Disney, it rains and the only thing you can really do is stay in your hotel room. Make sure that you bring stuff to keep you occupied just in case you are met with a rainy day, for instance you could bring board games or play online chess games.
Not Getting The Dining Plan
Yes, the dining plan is back! Whether or not you have heard this, there’s no denial that it was seen as a massive win for Disney World enthusiasts eager to make a Disney vacation a little less stressful. But first, a common question: is the Disney Dining plan cheaper than purchasing food then and there?
The answer is, no. That said, it does make things far simpler. You’ll know you always have enough cash for any food because everything is included and you pay before you travel. That said, not everything is included and it does depend what dining plan you get which restaurants you can access on what days.
Not Hiring A Car
Disney does technically have its own travel system which is free to use. However, at the end of the park days after the fireworks, you’re going to face massive queues for everything from buses to the monorail. There’s no way around this and the best option is to hire a car. This also gives you a little more freedom which means that you can get to the park and leave the park anytime you want.
Not Visiting Universal Studios
You simply cannot go to Disney World and not visit Universal Studios, the two go hand in hand with each other. If you have a couple of spare days, and you will if you visit 14 of them then you should book universal. Here you can ride even more roller coasters, the new Velocicoaster one is a must.
Not Booking A Disney Hotel
There are plenty of places to stay around Disney including beautiful villas that are literally miles away from the entrance point of the park. That said, there is still an argument to be made for booking a Disney hotel instead. Why is this? Well, essentially, if you do decide to book a Disney hotel, you get magical extras. This could include extra time in the hotel or early visits to your favorite rides and restaurants. There are also lots of different hotels to choose from which means that you can find one for your needs, your budget, and your interests.
Not Exploring Extras
Finally, you should think about exploring all of the extras Disney has to offer. While you might think that Disney is just theme parks and rides, that’s far from the case. There’s something for everyone including options like horse riding, camping and various water sports. If you’re not sure what activities are available, ask at the reception of your hotel and they’ll be happy to explore some of the best possibilities for you.
We hope this helps you understand some of the key steps that you can take to ensure that you have a fantastic time on this type of vacation. Ultimately, a Disney Holiday is always going to cost a lot of money so it makes sense to ensure that you get as much out of this trip as possible. Make the right decisions and this can be the trip of a lifetime for you and your loved ones.
Feature Photo: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-castle-during-daytime-3411135/