Be Smarter Than My Friend! Avoid These Disney Mistakes.
I’ve had friends visiting Walt Disney World for six consecutive weeks. Watching each one describe their experience has been fascinating.
Some have had perfect vacations, even by Disney standards, while others have…expressed regrets.
Photo: Disney
Our group chat has involved several laments about what might have been if some of them had, you know, listened to the advice of a person who talks about Disney for a living.
Here are some of the worst Disney mistakes to avoid.
In doing so, you’ll prove you’re smarter than some of my friends! Seriously, this one’s a bit personal.
Choosing the Wrong Date
Photo: Disney Vacation Club
I stress this one because I’ve watched firsthand as people I love have made mistakes. Conversely, others have hit grand slams.
The explanation typically involves the date they select for the visit. Allow me to explain why that matters so much.
For example, here’s a Disney wait times article from early March 2023. Here’s how long guests stood in line for the average attraction:
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom – 33 minutes
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios – 40 minutes
- EPCOT – 30 minutes
- Magic Kingdom – 31 minutes
Let’s contrast that to a recent 2023 holiday. At that time, here were the average waits:
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom – 55 minutes
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios – 55 minutes
- EPCOT – 38 minutes
- Magic Kingdom – 41 minutes
Friends, that’s roughly a difference of standing in line for 33 minutes vs. 48 minutes per attraction.
In other words, you’re spending an hour more in line for every four attractions. It adds up, and it’s not fun.
Photo: Playbuzz.com
Which of my friends do you think had a better time, the one averaging 33 minutes or 48 minutes of line time?
When you choose the right time to visit, Disney will reward you in two ways.
Photo: Vecteezy
You’ll accomplish more during your park visit due to the shorter lines. Also, you’ll probably pay less for your park tickets and hotel stay.
Disney has changed its pricing structure such that it lowers prices on less popular calendar dates but raises them at more popular times.
For this reason, you should speak with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner at Mickey Travels. They’ll know the cheapest times to visit, and their services are free!
Coming Unprepared to the Parks
Photo: Walt Disney Company
As a MickeyBlog reader, you probably possess a working knowledge of which Walt Disney World attractions require the longest waits.
Our exceptional staff often provides information and pro tips regarding every Disney ride.
So, you’re likely aware that something like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will involve a long wait.
However, you may not know the specifics about some other attractions.
For example, as an older ride, you may expect a short wait at Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Yeah, about that…
When part of the ride building closes for repairs, the wait time often doubles because the Tower of Terror is running at half-capacity.
Photo: Disney Tips
Similarly, you wouldn’t think a ride that Walt Disney built in 1955 would still be popular today.
When you find yourself standing in line for Jungle Cruise or Peter Pan’s Flight, you’ll recognize your mistake.
As proof, one of my favorite people on the planet texted me this verbatim today:
“Why in the *expletive* is Slinky Dog Dash such a long line.”
Photo: TheCoasterKings.com
The reply I didn’t make was, “BECAUSE, LIKE I TOLD YOU ON THE PHONE, IT’S A VERY POPULAR RIDE!”
Instead, I politely suggested that he purchase Disney Genie+ during the next visit and use it for this roller coaster.
Image Credit: Disney
Many Disney attractions are more popular and, thereby, crowded than you may think.
So, you should at least take a casual glance at which attractions often require longer waits. Some of them won’t be the rides you expect.
Snoozing on Disney Genie+
Have you ever bid in an eBay auction, only to watch in horror as someone else bid up the price a massive amount?
The same premise applies to Disney Genie+. Starting late last year, Disney altered two aspects of its new product.
Photo: Disney
First, the parks changed Disney Genie+ pricing from a static fee to one that varies depending on the calendar.
On holidays, Disney Genie+ has cost as much as $29, and that’s not even the alarming part. On these dates, the product seems to sell better!
Disney Genie
I’m dead serious. During President’s Day Weekend and Spring Break 2023, Disney Genie+ charged the most ever while selling out for the first time ever.
So, the obvious mistake to avoid here is waiting too long to buy Disney Genie+.
Photo: Disney/The Street
If you ignored my previous suggestion and picked a crowded date, you need Genie+. Otherwise, you will spend the whole day standing in line.
You should purchase Disney Genie+ the moment it goes on sale. Otherwise, you risk a sellout.
Photo: Disney
You’re already spending a sizable amount of money at a theme park. You should view Disney Genie+ as the cost for having an even better time than the average guest.
Splitting Your Vacation
Photo: hotels.com
Look, I get it. You probably don’t visit Orlando often. While you’re there, you’d like to check out The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
From afar, a split Disney/Universal vacation makes perfect sense. When you’re in Orlando, you quickly realize you’ve overreached.
Photo: CREDIT: BRENDON THORNE/GETTY IMAGES
While a split vacation is absolutely doable, I wouldn’t recommend the idea to infrequent guests.
You wind up spending 45 minutes making small talk in an Uber before you realize that Universal Studios simply isn’t as well run as Disney.
Photo: Universal
I quite like The Wizarding World, and Springfield is my happy place. So, I’m far from Universal-averse. It’s just not anywhere near as good.
Despite this fact, you’re splitting your vacation budget for something less. Also, you’re suffering the opportunity cost of not being at Disney.
Unless you’re an annual Orlando vacationer, the split vacation is something to avoid.
Staying at a Non-Disney Resort
Photo: Disney
Do you know what Early Theme Park Entry is? How about Extended Evening Theme Park Hours?
Disney provides these amenities for free to qualifying guests staying at official Disney resorts.
Photo: DisTripQueen
What are they, and how do you qualify? Early Theme Park Entry allows you to visit a Disney theme park 30 minutes before it opens to the public.
You can use this half-hour window to target the most popular attraction at a park, thereby saving yourself an hour or more of time you’d otherwise spend standing in line.
Photo: Disney
Disney offers this amenity to everyone spending the night at an official Disney hotel.
Extended Evening Theme Park Hours will delight you even more, but it’s rarer and more expensive.
Photo: Disney
When you stay at a Deluxe Tier resort, Disney allows you to do something special on Monday or Wednesday.
Depending on the day, you can stay at either Magic Kingdom or EPCOT for two hours while the park is closed to everyone else.
This amenity is like Disney After Hours, but it’s “free” if you’ve booked a Deluxe hotel stay.
Remarkably, these two amenities qualify as tip of the iceberg stuff. At Disney hotels, you’ll discover some of the finest shopping and dining in Orlando.
Photo: Disney
You’ll love your Disney resort, AND you’ll gain access to exclusive amenities by staying at one!
Obviously, you should speak with a Platinum-level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner at MickeyTravels.
Photo: Disney
These experts can find you the best vacation deal for your trip, but they won’t charge you a dime for their services! It’s a no-lose situation for you!
Thanks for visiting MickeyBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below and one of the agents from MickeyTravels, a Diamond Level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, will be in touch soon!
Feature Photo: Disney
