What would ruin your Walt Disney World vacation? It seems wrong to even think about something so negative during the fun process of planning your Disney vacation. But learn why it is CRITICAL to ask yourself this question!

“What Would Potentially Ruin Your Walt Disney World Vacation?”

This is a question that I ask many of my clients. It always takes them by surprise because who wants to think about ruining a vacation?! Planning a Walt Disney World vacation should be fun! But by asking yourself this question during the planning process, you can help determine what REALLY matters to you. What is truly worth spending the extra money on? Knowing the answer to this question can help you avoid the pitfalls that ruin so many vacations!

So ask yourself, “What are the things that would really ruin my Disney vacation?”

“Heavy Crowds Would Ruin My Walt Disney World Vacation.”

Crowds. They are a reality of a Walt Disney World vacation! And for many people, crowds are the very reason why they have put off visiting Walt Disney World!

While “slow season” at Walt Disney World is a thing of the past, it is possible to visit at times when the crowd levels will be lower. But even is you have to visit during the busiest week of the year, there are things you can do to manage the crowds!

• FastPass+ (when they return!)
• VIP Tour Guides
• Do Less, Enjoy More!
• Visit the parks early in the morning, and later in the evening.

Using these few strategies can be the difference between enjoying your vacation, and feeling like like a salmon swimming upstream. If this is your worst case scenario, it is likely worth the money to book either a Club Level Room which gives you the option to pay for additional FastPass+, or splurge on a VIP Tour Guide for one day of your trip! 

“Spending Forever On A Bus Would Ruin My Disney Vacation.”

Walt Disney World is BIG. Like, really big. Size-of-San-Francisco big. So getting places can take time! When I asked one client what could ruin their Walt Disney World vacation, this was their answer. “I hate spending time on busses. I hate worrying about whether or not we will all get seats, or whether we can sit together. Every second spent on a bus feels like wasted time and it makes me miserable.” They probably were not expecting my answer – “Fantastic!”

But the reason I was so happy to hear them articulate this to me, was that it is an issue I can solve! Or at least minimize. By choosing your resort carefully, you can avoid the busses almost entirely. Other solutions include driving (either your own car or a rental), using a service like Uber or Lyft, using the Minnie Vans (which Disney has confirmed WILL be returning in the future!), riding the Skyliner, or taking the boat transportation when it returns!

If this is what would ruin your vacation, then it is likely worth it to spend the extra money on a Deluxe Resort that is close to a theme park! 

“Missing Out On XYZ Ride Would Ruin My Walt Disney World Vacation.”

Ok, I’m going to stop you here. This one is not something I can fix with money. But it IS something I can hopefully reframe for you! The reality is that on any given day an attraction, show, or event can be closed or cancelled due to a variety of factors. Whether it is for a planned refurbishment, or a last minute malfunction, not getting to enjoy a particular attraction is really common!

And even if the ride is operational, there is always the chance that you will not opt to purchase Disney Genie+, get a spot in the Virtual Queue, or be willing to wait hours in the Standby Queue! This is why you simply cannot pin the hopes for your entire trip on one thing. A Walt Disney World vacation is just so much more than any one ride or show. It is about the EXPERIENCE. This is why I urge our readers to “Do Less, Enjoy More.”

“Bad Weather Would Ruin My Disney Vacation!”

I get it. No one wants to think about bad weather at Walt Disney World! But again, this is a reality in Florida. (In the summer months, there is a thunderstorm what seems like daily!) This is another issue that can be partially avoided by careful scheduling. If storms are a concern, definitely avoid hurricane season!

Personally, my favorite times to visit weather-wise are late April, early November, and late February. If weather is a concern, it is worth it for you to visit during these months, even if the price is a bit higher! 

What Our Fans Had to Say!

I asked the members of the Disney Park Princess Facebook Group what would ruin their Walt Disney World vacations, and they had some great answers. Consider these when planning your trip!

• “Teenager leaving her phone in the carousel of progress then waiting till that room comes back around to get it….”
• “Blisters! Overdoing it (not enough breaks, dehydration, etc.)” This one comes back to “Do Less, Enjoy More”….
• “Getting sick, someone getting injured like a broken bone or sprained ankle. If Haunted Mansion was shut down while I was there.” (See? The ride fear is real!)
• “Agreeing to travel with another family on a first trip, which they end up hating and complaining about the entire stay!”
• “Oh wow, great question! We’ve been to Walt Disney World a ton of times, and we’ve had all kinds of potential vacation bombs drop. I got a call from the kennel one year while in line at Dinosaur saying that our dog chewed through the wall and we had to come get her…in NJ…luckily our friends helped out. Another trip, we had window side seats at la hacienda for illuminations, and right before it started, my 10 year old started crying with pain. We had to get an ambulance from Epcot to urgent care and she ended up having an infection. I could keep going! Lol. We’ve had a ton of awesome experiences too to balance it out.”
• “The people you travel with are so hugely important; choose them wisely. Our first trip to Disney World, the people we traveled with definitely made it a not great experience; there was a girl who cried and threw fits in EVERY GIFT SHOP until she got what she wanted, and a couple who were fighting; it was terrible. We returned last year for a “do-over trip” and we traveled with friends we love and it was fantastic!” I am seeing a trend here. Choose who you travel with wisely!
• “Wasting time on big things that happen during the vacation that a travel agent could use their skills on instead, while my family just continues on about their business. For example, booking a bounce back before checkout.” Yet another great reason to use a Travel Agent!
• “Getting sick. It seems to happen to one of us often. We have a theory that it is the body’s stress release. It sucks. I now pack a whole medicine cabinet with me and make all plans flexible in my mind in advance.” Still disappointing.
• “Weather and inappropriate clothing. Too hot, too cold (can buy sweatshirts but pants are harder), too wet, or uncomfortable shoes (bring several pairs to switch up and try…and band aids…back to my medicine chest)”
• “Travel partner drama. Build in a day on the end or beginning without the other family if possible. Make sure you have a chance to take a breather and do your own favorites and have your magic moments uninterrupted.” Wow – that choosing who you travel with thing is REALLY important!!

Thanks to everyone who shared! What would ruin your Walt Disney World vacation? Comment below and let’s see if we can figure out a solution!

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