Trip Planning/ December 30, 2018/

Most Stressful Things About a Disney Vacation

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

We all know the stress of a Walt Disney vacation. Heck, we need a vacation after our vacation. Over the years, the Disney company has made traveling to the parks and resorts extremely simple. You came to the right place, though. The team here at WDW Vacation Tips is going to give you a run-down of the most stressful things about a WDW trip. We’re also going to give you tips and tricks on how to solve them so you can enjoy your vacay!

Planning for Disney World

And so the madness starts. Planning a trip to Disney gets crazy overwhelming because there are so many things to do. No one wants to miss out. Trust me, we have been there before. Since there are so many options when it comes to planning, my most important advice is to write down several options. When I am planning a trip, I will make sure I have some sort of budget. Disney also has a ton of great offers to help you save on hotels and tickets. Extra spending money is better anyway. Outlining your stay and calculating each of your hotel options will give you a better idea of what you’d like to do. Be on the lookout for hotel and ticket packages!

Planning your trip could get a little all over the place, so staying organized and sane is super important. The best outlets to book your trip is the Disney website, the My Disney Experience app, downloading our FREE Printable Disney Daily Vacation Planner, or over the phone. When dealing with purchasing tickets or booking activity reservations, over the phone is my go-to option. The customer service Cast Members are so helpful and make the phone experience fun. Not to mention, they are fast.

My next helpful tip would be taking your planning day-by-day, or park-by-park for that matter. Many people rush to get FastPasses way before their trip, but if you do not have a set schedule for parks booking your FastPass early is not the greatest thing. Learning from experience, pre-booking your FastPass gives you the rushed overwhelming feeling when you finally arrive.

Packing for Disney World

Most Stressful Things About a Disney Vacation 2

If you know Florida, you know well enough it is typically warm most of the time. Then, there are those winter days where it is beautiful during the day and chilly at night. Overpacking seems like it will be in the equation no matter what we try to do. Newbies to the parks must know that comfortable sneakers or shoes cannot be forgotten.

You’ll see most people on Instagram wearing cute shoes and sandals, but they are likely to be locals who will not be doing as much walking as you. Do not try to be them. Be nice to your feet! Packing light tops and moveable pants or shorts (no rash zone here folks) is crucial to packing for the parks. No outfit is complete without your ears! If you thought I meant your actual ears please just…*face in palm*. For more awesome packing tips read The ULTIMATE Disney Vacation Packing Hack and then be sure to download our FREE Disney World Packing List!

Time Management at Disney World

Time flies when you’re having fun for sure. It may get a little hectic too because before you know it, it’s lunch time and you have to get from the Animal Kingdom to the Magic Kingdom for that reservation you made months ago. Rule #1. Avoid making reservations for every meal way ahead of time. Stick to the bigger reservations where you know you will end up that day. If you are looking for recommendations read our Best Disney World Restaurants.

Having too many will consume your day and take away your park time. Speaking of hectic, your days are guaranteed to be insane. Rushing is the worst feeling and to avoid that at all costs, you have to just roll with the punches. I’ve learned over the years to take the day as it comes and try not to stress the little things. It helps you enjoy your trip a heck of a lot more!

Getting Lost at Disney World

Magic Kingdom Map Inside

The dreaded topic; getting lost. It is definitely a scary feeling being somewhere you are not familiar with. If you wind up on the opposite side of the park where you weren’t supposed to be, just log into your My Disney Experience app and the first thing that will show is a map of your park. Also, we have the maps for your here: Epcot Map Disney World, Magic Kingdom Map Disney World, Hollywood Studios Map Disney World, Animal Kingdom Map Disney World. If that does not help you, ask a Cast Member. They are extremely kind and always willing to help.

Something to remember about the Magic Kingdom is the layout of it follows a hub and spoke design. The castle is the hub of the park, right in the middle, and each land branching out. The lands will always lead to the castle. If your child, or husband, is prone to getting lost, create a meeting place. Somewhere that is not the castle because of how crowded and insane it may get over there.

Not Enough Photos

Being busy all day may interfere with your picture-taking. If you feel as if you weren’t taking that many photos, don’t worry I have plenty for you. Just kidding. Disney offers PhotoPass and Memory Maker. It is a great way to capture amazing memories whether it be on a ride, or a magic shot in the streets! Taking out your camera or phone every second can get annoying so it works best to rely on PhotoPass. They are everywhere.

I hope this article helped take that upcoming trip stress off your shoulders. WDW Vacation Tips is always here to give you the best tips and advice on how to properly survive each trip to the parks. If you really want to be put to the test, be sure to check out Disney World 4 Park Challenge.

Carinna Soriano

Hi Mousketeers! I am 20 “ears” old and have been going to the parks since I was two. Each time I’m there, I learn new things. Just like yours, my world revolves around Mickey, so a New York girl traveling to Florida as much as possible may seem crazy, but it’s very much worth it. WDW Vacation Tips is the perfect outlet to gain fast and reliable knowledge for your upcoming trip to the parks. Whether it’s your first or one hundred and first visit to Walt Disney World, there is plenty to know before you go. Stop by and read some articles so you can experience the magic in a whole new way!

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Reply PegP January 9, 2019 at 9:08 pm

To me, the most stressful thing about a Disney vacation are the crowds and the bus system. Combine the two and it’s REALLY stressful.

We’ve gone at different times of the year when there’s supposed to be lower crowd levels. There’s still been a ton of people you have to try and maneuver your way through without losing a kid. Forget trying to get a spot to see a parade. Even with staking out a spot nice and early, someone will still butt in front then put their kid on the shoulders, blocking the view. And reservations seem to be an estimate. We’ve usually had to wait 20-30 mins past our reservation time before being seated.

The bus system is stressful, too. Disney claims they run approximately every 20 minutes. Key word is approximately. When we were at Port Orleans Riverside, I watched a woman going into a panic because of her dining reservation. She had gotten to the bus stop an hour & half before her reservation time to make sure she had enough time to get to Animal Kingdom, get through security, and get to the restaurant. She had to call and cancel because over an hour later, the bus still hadn’t arrived. I know once when we were leaving Epcot to go back to Coronado Springs, we counted 8 Animal Kingdom Lodge buses before our bus arrived.

Then, combine the bus system with the crowd levels and it gets very stressful. At park openings and park closings, the buses are PACKED. I’ve seen 4 people holding on to one hand strap while standing. If your resort is about a half hour away from the park, it can be a very long and stressful ride when you’re already tired. And if you’re handicapped and no one wants to give up a seat at the front of the bus (which are supposed to be for handicapped people), you either have to wait for the next bus to get a seat, or try your best to stand while holding onto a cane and a pole.

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