Planning vacations for your family can always be stressful. From the itinerary and transportation to the overall cost, it can be a challenging endeavor. Consequently, planning a trip to Walt Disney World has become quite a challenge.
With so many details, people may become confused or rush with their decisions. As complicated as it can be, there are a few costly mistakes guests can avoid while planning their Walt Disney World vacation.
Purchasing Park Hopper Tickets
While it may sound appealing to purchase park hopper tickets for the Walt Disney World Resort, it will end up being a significant money waster for the average family. Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, features four separate theme parks and encompasses over 25,000 acres. Translation: each park alone is vast and requires a lot of walking, let alone leaving and going to another park on the same day.
Whether you walk or take one of the transportation options from one park to another, it takes up precious time in the day, park hopping. Families with young children, especially, would find park hopping exhausting and difficult. Moreover, if you decide to purchase park hopper tickets but don’t end up using them, you’ve basically thrown away money, as the option adds an additional $65 to $85 per ticket, depending on the length of your trip.
Families will be much better off focusing on one park per day as it’s the more affordable, less exhausting, and most time-efficient option.
Choosing the Wrong Hotel
With so many hotel options at Walt Disney World, families may have difficulty choosing. Multiple factors must be taken into account when deciding, such as price, location, amenities, and food options. Many guests may end up choosing the wrong hotel for their specific wants and needs, so it’s important to research each hotel carefully.
When planning a vacation, consider what matters most to your family. For those who care most about proximity to the parks and are willing to spend more on a Deluxe Resort, being within walking distance or a short ride on the Monorail, Bus, or Ferry Boat are major benefits. The best options include The Contemporary, The Polynesian, Grand Floridian, and Wilderness Lodge for Magic Kingdom, as well as the Boardwalk, Yacht & Beach Club for EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom Lodge for Animal Kingdom.
Among Moderate Resorts, Coronado Springs offers luxury at a lower price. The Caribbean Beach Resort provides comfortable accommodations and serves as the main hub on the Skyliner route. Port Orleans features beautiful theming, including the Princess Suites, which children often enjoy.<
Guests seeking to save money and willing to trade some distance for a lower nightly rate can consider Value Resorts such as All Star Resorts, Pop Century, and Art of Animation. Pop Century and Art of Animation also offer Skyliner transportation to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT, and all these resorts appeal to children with their colorful Disney themes.
Other questions to consider are: Do you care about staying in a luxurious, upscale hotel, or is it merely a place to sleep? Will you be spending days just at your resort to relax, eat, or head to the pool area? All of these questions will help in the trip planning process. But not taking them into account can cost families dearly.
For more information, check out this handy guide from Disney Food Blog. Also, make sure to check out the Special Offers page on the Walt Disney World website, as they frequently have discounts on hotel rooms.
The Disney Dining Plan
Another costly mistake guests make when planning their Walt Disney World vacation is leaving their dining options to chance and not planning ahead of time. There’s nothing worse than being tired and hungry, especially with young kids, wandering around the park trying to decide where to eat.
Moreover, visitors often fail to realize the cost of food at Walt Disney World. This is where the Disney Dining Plan option comes into play. Important to note: this plan is only available to guests purchasing a WDW Vacation Package and must be used every day.
For some guests, the Dining Plan alleviates stress and is worth the cost; for others, it may not be the best option. It’s important to look at the details to assess whether it will work for your family.
The Disney Dining Plan has two options: Standard and Quick Service. The Standard plan costs $97.79 for adults and $30.56 for kids per night. It includes one table service meal, one quick service meal, one snack, and one refillable mug. The Quick Service plan costs $59.14 for adults and $24.71 for kids per night. This plan includes two quick-service meals, one snack, and a refillable mug. Each plan includes credits per night, with character breakfasts such as Cinderella’s Royal Table costing two credits.
With this information at hand, it’s up to each individual family to determine whether it will be worth it. If you know your family members are big eaters and require a lot to maintain your energy and high spirits, and want to dine at the most expensive restaurants, the Dining Plan will be worth it. On the flip side, lighter eaters and those who frequently share meals will not get much value out of the Dining Plan.
Believe Away Family Travel has a helpful side-by-side comparison between the Disney Dining Plan and paying out of pocket, which will be a useful guide on which option will work best for your family.
Far in Advance Dining Reservations
Similar to deciding whether the Disney Dining Plan will work for your family, planning which restaurants you will want to eat at proves imperative. It takes away the guesswork on the day and, if you’re paying out of pocket, helps you know how much you will be spending.
However, many guests forget or wait too long to make dining reservations. There are several places that book up quickly, especially character breakfasts. So if the parents or the kids have their hearts set on a particular place, it’s important to be on the ball and make reservations as soon as they open. Dining reservations open 60 days in advance and can be made in the My Disney Experience App.
The most popular dining options include Cinderella’s Royal Table and Be Our Guest Restaurant in Magic Kingdom, Space 220 and Coral Reef in EPCOT, and The Brown Derby and the 50s Prime Time Cafe in Hollywood Studios. At the various resorts, reservations at Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary, Ohana at the Polynesian, and Topolino’s at the Riviera Resort always fill up fast.
Rest Days
When it comes to costly mistakes, money and time spent are not the only things to consider. A significant error many guests make while planning their trips is not taking into account the well-being and inevitable exhaustion of the family. Walt Disney World requires a lot of walking and, therefore, energy.
Moreover, the time of year you visit must be added to the equation. Spring and Summer months in Orlando are extremely hot and humid, which can be draining. The temperatures drop a bit in the Fall and Winter, but can still be warm. Indeed, Orlando’s average temperatures range from the low 70s to the high 90s.
With all of these factors, families should plan for rest days in between park visits. Guests will likely regret going to a park three or four days in a row, resulting in overexertion or worse. Rest days give families a chance to recharge their batteries and enjoy the amenities of their chosen resorts. For example, on a seven-day vacation, I recommend two rest days in the mix, especially with young kids. These breaks allow for necessary relaxation and make for a much happier experience.