Don’t Judge Us, But We’re Guilty of These 5 Unforgiveable Disney World Sins

You know that saying “Do as I say, not as I do?” Yeah, that basically sums up my entire career as an AllEars writer.

All of us here do our best to bring you the latest news, tips, and tricks to help you prepare for your next trip to the parks, because Disney World is A LOT and there’s always something new to learn. We’ll give you tips on what shoes to wear, to bring rain gear just in case, how to conquer even the busiest days, and everything in between. The problem? I don’t follow our own advice.

I promise you, I am 100% not joking when I say I’ve written HUNDREDS of posts with tips on how to make your Disney World day the best it can be, and I forget to follow about 90% of them. I know I’m not alone in this either — a TON of us have talked about how we don’t follow the advice we give you all, and then regret it immediately. So here are 5 awful Disney World mistakes I’ve made, even after WRITING to do the opposite, and how I’ve finally learned my lesson.

Waiting in Line For A Ride I KNOW Will Drop Later in the Day

This literally happened a few weeks ago on my last trip. In my defense, I attempted to tell my group that waiting 65 minutes for Under The Sea — Journey of The Little Mermaid wasn’t the best idea because it was going to drop in an hour, but I was outvoted. And that, my friends, is how we waited almost 50 minutes for a ride that had a 30 minute wait time when we hopped off. 

But I will admit, I do this on my own too. I come up with a plan in my head of what I want to ride when, and it’s pretty hard to break myself of it. So even if the wait time has gone up and I know it’ll drop down later, I often still choose to do it next because it was part of my plan. Do I regret it? Pretty much every time, yes. I’m trying to work on being more go-with-the-flow, but it’s a work in progress!

Getting a Generic Snack Over Something More Unique

This is rich coming from me since I’m the pickiest person alive and have the tastebuds of a 5-year-old at 23, but I STILL very much regret getting a generic Mickey Premium Bar, Disney World Popcorn, or a Mickey Pretzel over something a BIT more exciting.

Now if you’re in the mood for generic and nostalgic, go for it! But oftentimes I’ll get one of these and immediately think about what I should have spent the money on instead. I’ve gotten past my texture-aversion to the Cream Cheese Pretzel and adore it now, and if I’m craving something sweet, the Nutella Fresh Fruit Waffle Sandwich is RIGHT. THERE. Why did I drop that money on an ice cream bar I can buy at my local Kroger?

Not Wearing The Right Shoes/Clothes

Let me set the scene for you: There I am, dressed as Wendy Darling, beyond thrilled to be attending my first ever Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. In my hotel room, I had made the AWFUL decision to wear my black flats instead of my sneakers “because they’re cuter” and “went with the outfit more.” About 200 steps in I was expecting a sign to start flashing over my head that screamed “IDIOT!” in bright neon letters.

This was a TERRIBLE idea. I really can’t express that enough to you. It was also the FIRST day of my trip, so I had to deal with blisters for the rest of it.

This can also happen very easily with clothing. While I haven’t fallen victim to this one (yet), I’ve come close many times. Some quick tips for you:

• Wear shoes that you KNOW are comfortable and have already broken in
• Wear clothes that make you feel comfortable and you won’t be picking at and adjusting all day long
• Remember you’re likely going to sweat…a LOT
• Keep CPNM in mind when picking outfits — Cute & Practical, Not Miserable (yes, I did just make that up, roll with me here, okay?)

Bottom line, if you’re second guessing it, throw it as far away from your suitcase as possible and don’t even LET it take up that valuable space.

Forgetting The Essentials

It may feel annoying to have to bring a larger bag into the parks because of the different essentials you need to bring, but TRUST ME, if you listen to nothing else I say today, it is that A BIGGER BAG IS WORTH IT! What your essentials are may be different for different people, but often you’ll want something to cool you down, like a Portable Fan.

These are about the size of a phone and are perfect to stick in your bag for when you need it (and if it’s hot, you WILL need it).

You really will need it.

Portable Chargers are also a MUST in the parks, and I’ve been without them far too many times that I actually learned my lesson pretty quickly.

We especially love FuelRods because you can swap out dead ones for charged ones IN the parks!

Grab your first one here!

Hey, remember those blisters I was talking about? You know what I should have had with me but DIDN’T? Moleskin.

Seriously, that’s all it would have taken to solve my issue, and I didn’t have any. Just learn from my mistake and carry a few pieces around with you.

Pack some in your bag!

Now please allow me to introduce you to what saved my thighs on this past trip because I DID actually listen to our advice. I grabbed myself the Megababe Thigh Rescue Anti-Chafe Stick, and it was a GAME CHANGER.

I wore some activewear dresses and skirts for the first time while I was in the park and while I loved them, all that walking does mean they ride up and your thighs will start to hurt. I applied this 2-3 times throughout an 8+ hour day and it solved all the issues. I am, quite literally, begging you to pick this up just in case you need it.

Grab it here!

Not Taking Breaks

Now you and I have never met in person, so it’s impossible for you to have seen this first hand, but I am near UNSTOPPABLE in theme parks. And I don’t just mean the speed I walk at, no, I am go-go-go to the max. I can and will do every single thing I possibly can EACH time I’m there, and YET, I still burned out on Day 3/4 of the first trip I took to Disney World as an adult. Look, I even caught it  in a photo for you!

Yep, this was the moment I chose NOT to wait in an 85-minute Tower of Terror line and instead grabbed a cold Joffrey’s drink (which was fantastic and I’ve never been able to find it again), sat down, and had to take a break. I vividly remember thinking the thought I never imagined would cross through my head — “I’m actually ready to go home in 2 days.”

All that to say, even the biggest Disney/theme park junkies will STILL burn out in Disney World if you don’t take breaks. And I never thought I’d be a part of that until I experienced it myself. Sleep in at least one day on your 3+ day trip, and don’t go nonstop in the park for 10+ hours each day. Do whatever you have to do to recharge EACH day, so you don’t tap out before your trip is over. 

Our team goes to Disney World EVERY day, and the rest of us write about Disney every day, so trust us when we say these tips come from our own mistakes! Sometimes you have to just live and learn (like a lot of us STILL do), but if you can remember these tips, I promise they will make your trip easier. Be sure to stay tuned to AllEars for the latest Disney news!

I travel to Disney World alone a LOT — here are the restaurants that don’t make me feel awkward!

What mistake have you made in Disney World that you’ll NEVER do again? Tell us in the comments!

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