The WORST Disney Advice You Should NEVER Follow
We have all heard our fair share of bad advice. And when it comes to a Disney Vacation, there is plenty of bad advice to go around. Now, I am not claiming that every little bit of advice I give is the law and the best advice in the world. Sometimes different things work for different people or different situations. But, I have heard some advice that just leaves me scratching my head. Below is a list of advice that I truly believe is bad advice that you should ignore.
(Disclaimer: This post was written before the pandemic. Most of this advice still rings true! But be sure to read this post here to see the current changes Disney World is going through.)
1. “Wait until you have kids to go to Disney.”
Now, I am starting off with probably the most popular worse advice. Have you seen that Viral Facebook post where a mom rants about “Childless Millennials” taking over Disney World? If not, I’ll link to it here. Anyway, this mom (along with others) believe that only people with kids should go to Disney. And that is soooo not the case! We have a child now, but there have been plenty of times, before my son was born and after, that just my husband and I went to Disney World. We even went on our Honeymoon to Disney World! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE going to Disney with my son, but going without him is pretty fun too! Disney World is NOT just for kids. Disney is for all ages, just like Walt Disney himself intended it to be.
“To ALL that come to this happy place- Welcome!”
– Walt Disney
2. “Be spontaneous! Don’t plan anything!”
Okay, so this advice might come from well-meaning Disney Veterans. They have done everything that there is to do in the parks. They know all the secrets, they have eaten at every restaurant, and they like to take things slow. I understand where they are coming from, buuuttt…. if you are a newbie to Disney, or have only been a handful of times, planning is vital to having a successful vacation. Maybe the idea of planning every detail stresses you out! And that’s okay! You don’t have to over plan. But I HIGHLY suggest getting those dining reservations in at 180 days in advance and those FastPasses at 60 days or 30 days in advance (depending on if you are staying on-site or off-site). If that’s all the planning that you do, that is okay. You do not need to plan every little detail. Over planning to can also be a mistake because sometimes things just don’t go as planned. Try to stay somewhere in the middle and just plan a good outline.
Here are some great planning cheat sheets that will help you plan your vacation stress-free!
And here is a calculator that will help you know when certain things need to be done!
3. “Don’t take your kids to Disney until they are at least 5,6,7 years old so they can remember it”
I really don’t understand this concept. I am under the personal belief that family vacations and experiences are so very important, even if it’s not Disney (gasp!). One of my favorite quotes is:
“Deciding not to travel with your children because they won’t remember the trips you take… is like saying don’t read them books because they won’t remember the stories you read.”
– Unknown
We first took my son to Disney World when he was 18 months old. I would have taken him earlier if circumstances allowed. Even though he might not remember his first trip, the foundations of Disney love and family time were built on that first vacation, and I would not trade any of that for the world. I actually have a whole blog post about why you should take your kids to Disney while they are young (spoiler alert, my favorite reason why is that they are FREE). Click here to check it out!
4. “Your kids will not like Epcot. It’s just for Adults”
For some reason, I feel like people who give the first ‘advice’ also give this one. Yes, I can see that maybe adults like Epcot more then the other parks, but this does not mean that Epcot is just for adults. There are so many things at Epcot for kids to LOVE! For example, Kidcot is a great (and FREE) activity around the World Showcase that my son absolutely loves! They have fun, and it’s educational. Its a win-win for me! Also, let’s not forget the Seas pavilion, the Frozen ride, the character meet and greets, and so much more! Surprise, surprise, I actually wrote an article called “Top 8 Things for Kids to Do in Epcot”. Check it out to see all of the fun things Epcot has to offer!
5. “Animal Kingdom is just a zoo, you can skip it”
This Disney advice drives me bonkers! The Animal Kingdom is more than just a zoo! Okay, I will admit, I use to believe this one too. But it really is just some bad advice. Animal Kingdom might not have as many rides as the other parks, but it does have some of the BEST rides and BEST shows! Take Flight of Passage for example. This ride is like no other. I am not going to even try to explain it to you because I will fail miserably. But it is seriously life-changing. And the Lion King Show brings me to tears every time! It is beautifully done and highly entertaining. I link Kim’s Top Animal Kingdom Attractions Post here so you can see for yourself.
6. “You have to do EVERYTHING or it will be a waste of a trip!”
This is soo far from the truth! This Disney advice might be the most harmful to your trip. You will NOT be able to do everything in one trip. Unless you are there for 3 weeks straight and plan on being in the parks from opening to closing, this is an unrealistic expectation to put on yourself and your family. I highly suggest making a list of maybe the top 3-5 things that you want to do each day, and then stick to thoughs. If you do more then those 5 things, then great! But please don’t think that you can do everything. That will only lead to disappointment.
7. “Don’t stay at a Value Resort, they are just glorified motels”
I have actually heard this Disney advice from a few people and I am always shocked to hear this! I have stayed at every level of resort, but we always go back to the Values. The reason behind this is because we want to go to Disney as much as possible, and Value Resorts are in our price range. But also, they are super cute and fun! Their larger then life characters and fun colors make these resorts extremely memorable! I am going to shock you all…. I have actually written three articles on all three All-Star Resorts. I will link to them below:
Once you read these, you will see how awesome these resorts truly can be!
8. “Dining Plan is not worth the money”
So the dining plan might not be for everyone, but I believe most people can benefit from it! If you plan to eat most, if not all, your meals in the parks, then the dining plan is for you! We have done the “Standard” dining plan and the “quick service” dining plan. And depending on what your goals are for your vacation will depend on which plan will suit you best. Also, the convince of it is just amazing! I love having the ability to order anything I want off the menu.
9. “Hollywood Studios/Animal Kingdom is a half-day park”
I like to have at least one full day dedicated to each park while on my vacation. True, you might not need 2 days at Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios depending on what your vacation goals are or who you are traveling with. But I highly suggest spending at least one full day at each park.
What do you think? Have you ever received any bad Disney Advice? Let me know in the comments down below, or let me know on Twitter!
Nicole Ellington
I'm a lover of all things Disney! I have an adorable son named Andy (after Toy Story), and an amazing hubby named Aaron. For my family and I, Disney isn’t just a hobby or someplace we casually go when on vacation, it's a way of life. We try to go back 'Home' twice a year. My hope for this blog is to help families navigate their crazy, magical times through Disney and reach their Disney Dream!
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