Rookie mistakes....

[draybook]

Okay, so let's discuss our rookie mistakes that we made on our first trips. Try to pick your biggest mistake and post it.

For me, it was wearing blue jeans......on our first trip.......in September.......

 

[Lucky]

My dad was a cheap skate and so our "vacations" where staying at an relatives cabin in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin for free. My poor Mom had to do the shopping, pack up, cook and clean the whole time on her "vacation". That is not fair to anyone. Thankfully I have an amazing husband who also thinks vacations should be for everyone

Hopefully your kids don't judge you that harshly some day....

I am horrible parent then. I go every Oct by myself and leave hubby and the kids at home. Mama needs a recharge. I am going for 2 weeks and enjoying the food and wine festival. I don't feel guilty at all.

 

[caranate]

Add another to the list for trying to break in new shoes. That and believing bus drivers

 

[Weather_Lady]

My rookie mistake was thinking I wasn't a rookie!

For my first trip as an adult (Easter break 2005, and we'd not been since 1993), we had no idea there were Disney resources online we could consult to get updated on what was (and was no longer) in the parks, and we didn't think we needed guidebooks since we'd been before and knew the drill, and had been advised by friends about how the Fastpass system worked. As a result, my sister and I crossed the Magic Kingdom for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, raving to our husbands the whole time about how great it was, only to find it long gone. It was actually comical: two grown women stopped dead in their tracks, staring at the sea of concrete where the attraction had been as though we couldn't comprehend what we were seeing, and crying aloud to no one in particular, "WHERE'D IT GO!??!" Ditto for Imagination (and the post-ride area) in Epcot, which we'd talked up, and then discovered (thanks to its disastrous "re-imagining," of which we were totally ignorant) was nothing like what we remembered. When we toured the "brand new park" (Animal Kingdom), Dinosaur was down (we found out much later than a man had died on it, and they were investigating) Expedition Everest wasn't finished yet, and several soaking-wet people exiting Kali River Rapids discouraged us from "wasting our time" with it. So we went on the safari, wandered the animal trails, "looked at the big tree," and openly wondered why we'd spent a full day's ticket on a park with less than three hours' worth of attractions.

We had naively assumed that we'd have tons of new things to enjoy because we'd been gone for awhile (one of the reasons we didn't research was that we wanted to be "surprised" -- silly us!). If we'd done our homework, we'd have been in for a lot less disappointment! (That's not to say it was an "unmagical" trip -- we still had a ball -- but by not doing our homework ahead of time, we set ourselves up for some moments of deflation).

 

[jaklgreen]

Hopefully your kids don't judge you that harshly some day....

My Mom worked her butt of every day because all my dad ever cared about is money. He had no love for her or us. My husband and I are complete opposites of that and have a very loving giving relationship and are NOTHING like my dad. So no, I do not think my kids will "judge me that harsh" because I do not give them cause to be. And you are a very judgmental person for not even knowing my or my family. Maybe you were fortunate to have all loving and caring people around you your whole life. Not everyone is as charmed as that. I should be allowed to share my personal experience without you commenting on something you know nothing about.

 

[WDW74]

Way back, when we still had room key cards, went to DTD one evening, stopped at one of the al fresco venues,ordered a coupla drinks and a cigar and sat back for some people watching. Eventually asked for the bill and tried to pay with the aforementioned card. You guessed it, t'was the only card I had and not accepted at that particular site. I still had half a cigar to smoke soooo my DW...ummmm...graciously?...volunteered to take the bus back to BCV, pick up a credit card, bus back to DTD, and then come fetch me so we could take a final bus back to BCV. Not one of our better WDW experiences. Now always travel with a lil card case containing DVC card, AP card, TIW card AND a credit card !

 

[sheriffwoody]

I refuse to cook or clean on my vacation! My dad was a cheap skate and so our "vacations" where staying at an relatives cabin in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin for free. My poor Mom had to do the shopping, pack up, cook and clean the whole time on her "vacation". That is not fair to anyone.

That's a really good point. Cooking your own foods sounds great from a budget standpoint, but that would be a crappy way to spend a vacation We ate some meals in our room last time, but we just bought like pre-made wraps and microwavable stuff. It was just for quick easy lunches. The shopping was actually fun

 

[Cosmic Commando]

We had quite a few rookie mistakes on our first trip as parents. Our son was about 22 months:

-We didn't bring a stroller. We had just been to DLR on two trips about four months and a year beforehand... we carried him everywhere and didn't have any problems. I don't know if he bulked up in those four months, or it was the Florida heat and humidity, or maybe it was more walking, but we were exhausted. We bought one of those dinky red umbrella strollers that Disney was selling for like $50 back in the day.

-When you only have one kid, you think they're "older" than they really are. You think they're so big because of all the neat things they can do now, and you don't have as much of a reference to remind you that they're really a baby still. Well, buckling and unbuckling that stroller every five minutes got to be a real pain. We figured, "He's big now! He can totally just sit in the stroller without being buckled and be fine!" For about ten minutes, the plan worked great. Then, he decided to stand up while the stroller was moving, took a nasty fall, and he ended up with a bump and a scrape on his forehead. That was our first trip to Epcot First Aid that trip.

-Watching Illuminations. Wife bought glow bracelets/necklaces (the thin, bendy tube ones) from the local craft store for DS so that we could give them to him at night and he wouldn't beg for any of the crazy expensive light-up toys. DS is watching Illuminations from my shoulders. I don't even think we made it out of Chaos yet, and I hear screaming. DS had chewed through the glow bracelet, and had gotten the glowy juice in his mouth and in his eyes. It was strange, because you could very distinctly see it lighting up the inside of his mouth and in his eyes. That was our second (and final!) trip to Epcot First Aid, except this time we were barreling through the Illuminations crowds and we thought our son would be permanently blinded! Fortunately, we were watching from the front part of World Showcase (the side where you would face American Adventure) towards Canada. The person at First Aid asked if we had the package for the glow sticks, inspected it, and pointed to the "non-toxic" on the label. Doesn't glow stick juice seem like it would be toxic? Anyway, they rinsed his eyes out, we gave him juice, and that was that. That was my first time seeing Illuminations.

 

[BigRedDad]

I was too young to remember. I think I was still dumping in diapers at the time (1972). Don't stick your head between the fence rails. You can get stuck. As the story goes from my sister and mom, I was the first to do it and Disney maintenance had to pry the bars apart to get me out...

Morale: Don't let your kids do stupid things.

 

[seahawk7]

I grew up going to Disneyland. The first time we went to WDW was me with my two kids and my best friend and her two kids- no husbands went. We didn't really know how to plan since we were used to Disneyland. We went the first weekend in June so imagine two women with their kids arguing and complaining because we were not prepared for the heat, humidity, or vastness of WDW. We looked like a married couple and, unbeknownst to us, it was gay days at WDW. We still laugh to this day.

 

[lunchbox1175]

I guess I would say that we tried to do to much on our first trip, we really tried to get everything in on a four day trip. Lesson learned was that four days aren't enough for us.

 

[draybook]

I grew up going to Disneyland. The first time we went to WDW was me with my two kids and my best friend and her two kids- no husbands went. We didn't really know how to plan since we were used to Disneyland. We went the first weekend in June so imagine two women with their kids arguing and complaining because we were not prepared for the heat, humidity, or vastness of WDW. We looked like a married couple and, unbeknownst to us, it was gay days at WDW. We still laugh to this day.

Awesome, born and raised in SoCal so I grew up going to DL all of the time too. The difference between the two is amazing just based on sheer size.

 

[Misterdcp]

My "rookie mistake" would have to be not making any ADR's. Luckily after our first day, we were able to get reservations for each night for the rest of our stay at different restaurants. The times weren't ideal though. Needless to say, now I book as soon as the window opens

 

[WhatJaneSays]

Was just going by Google Earth... I understand traffic and such can make the trip longer... It's actually just outside of Davenport close to Orlando border..

Correction, it's the Hampton Lakes development, which is technically still Davenport...

Hampton Lakes isn't so bad a drive (It's only a few miles south of where I live so I'm familiar with the area). It might be a little closer to 20 min to get on to Disney property from there, and probably 10-20 min once you’re on property depending on where you’re going.

There are a few “sneaky” ways of avoiding traffic on HWY 192, which in the early morning or after park close can be horrendous. I’ll happily share my local way-finding if you want.

 

[WhatJaneSays]

My biggest rookie (and not-so-rookie) mistake was always following the road signs. They always get you exactly where you want to go … it’s just not the most expedient way.

 

[12_Ears_Dad]

There are a few “sneaky” ways of avoiding traffic on HWY 192, which in the early morning or after park close can be horrendous. I’ll happily share my local way-finding if you want.

Inbox me, would love to know how to avoid traffic lol..

 

[Chernaboggles]

Well we don't have the budget for our group to stay on property. Guess we are just going to have to make the best of it. We have a 6 bedroom house on the outskirts of Davenport that we rented for 950$. I understand the benefits of staying on property, but i would have to think there are some benefits to staying off property. For one, having the comforts of home on vacation (verses being cramped up in hotel rooms.. even Disneys biggest rooms cant compare to a house..) Cooking breakfast at home before we leave.. and if we ever had to come back it's listed on google as a 15 min drive(of course i know traffic can make that much longer). It can take some people a hour or more to get back to there resorts at Disney...or so ive read.

So any tips for us staying off property, since this is a rookie mistake or so DisneyShe posts it to be?

BEST TIP: Don't "just make the best of it." That right there is the only really bad mistake you can make. You're renting a 6 bedroom house in Florida and can go to WDW whenever you want during your trip! THAT IS AWESOME, 12_EARS_DAD. BE EXCITED!

I know that sounds silly, but it's true. No matter what you plan, someone will tell you that your trip would be better if you did something else. There is nothing wrong with being off-property, don't let the bubble mania get you down.

I just said this on another thread, but Mr.CBs and I actually prefer to stay off-property. I absolutely love WDW, but it's also somewhat overwhelming. The crowds, the heat, the noise, the sheer sensory overload just gets to me and I like to get completely away from it before diving back in again later or next day. At the end of every day, I want some quiet and space.

When we stayed on property, we had a nice time, but we felt this constant background pressure to be doing things every single minute (not our preferred way to vacation) and like we were wasting our chances if we didn't spend every second doing something "magical". We found it hard to relax in the hotel room because we generally unwind in different spaces at home. When we have our rental, if I wake up early, I can just slip out of bed and go downstairs to eat breakfast or read on the patio, I don't have to worry about waking him up, and vice versa. I love having a kitchen and access to a grocery store.

We also really like having a car. I didn't like the Disney bus system. There's nothing inherently wrong with it, but after I've been in a big crowd for a while (or when I'm on my way to a place I know will be crowded) I'd much rather get into my own quiet car with just my family than onto a crowded bus. So far we've only gone at low crowd times of year, but our experience has been that moving around by car is often faster than the buses everywhere except Magic Kingdom (because of the TTC). When we stayed on property, we were very surprised at how much we missed our car and being able to exit completely at the end of the day. We caught ourselves wishing that we could go to "our" townhouse instead of back to the hotel.

Thus...here are my other tips:

-Be excited for the vacation that you're planning. Don't talk about how someday you'll come back and do it "right" or try to compensate for the deficiencies of being off-property. You're doing it right this time, because this is what works for you right now. Focus on the positives.

-Take your time doing stuff and try to see the vacation as a whole experience, not just the stuff in the parks. Take advantage of any nice amenities, enjoy poking around the grocery store, enjoy looking at stuff as you drive around.

-Always save a little energy to get out of the parks and drive home at the end of the night. You will often be more tired than you think you are. EDIT: and for the love of Mickey, keep some singles and quarters in the car in case you make a wrong turn and end up on a toll road.

-Stock the kitchen with easy (and preferably healthy) foods. We often find ourselves starving when we get in at the end of an evening, so we eat cereal or a sandwich before bed. Other times we want a quick bite before we go to the parks. If you want real meals, do things you can make ahead and reheat so there are always options around that don't require too much energy. Don't shop for the week like you would at your own house. If you are driving down, bring a ziplock bag with salt, pepper and a few favorite spices for easy meals. A lot of rental houses have very bare cupboards, and it's annoying to have to buy that a whole bottle of this or that if you'll only need a little.

-Pack light for the parks. We are the WORST about bringing every possible thing we could need for every eventuality, but it wasn't long before we were down to water bottles and wallets. The temptation to over pack the park bag is very strong, but try to resist. Or pack a back-up bag and leave it in the car. That way, if you do need to go get something, it's no worse than heading back to a hotel room.

-If someone in your party says they'd like to stay home for a morning/day/afternoon, LET THEM. With a big group, people may find themselves going at different speeds. You're paying for this rental house, it's as valid a part of the vacation as the parks or a hotel.

PM me anytime if you need some Team Off-Site Encouragement or have any questions! You're going to have a great time.

 

[Much-Pixie-Dust]

For us, it was not renting a car. Some people love the Disney Transportation. My family doesn't. We have loved having a car on all subsequent trips.

 

[pixiesteno]

Rookie mistake as an adult in 2004 booking our stay with the "gold" dining plan, which included 3 table service meals every day! We followed the planning video advice about "booking dining in one park and just hop on over from another park" Yeah, we spent a great deal of time going from place to place to make sure that we were there for our meals. We totally forgot about the snack credits too! Way too much food. Subsequent trips have contained much more QS dining. Since we purchased the RV we do most of the dining right in my own "kitchen" in the RV. The morning is just so much better when we have had breakfast and brewed coffee before joining the rest of "John Q. Public" in the parks. I will pre-marinate meats to grill and pair with a salad and fruit, which beats a burger any day. Don't get me wrong, we still do some Disney dining (have to have our fish fix from Cooke's of Dublin) but many meals are done right at the campsite.

 

[bigorangeandy]

Our first family trip in 2003 the biggest issue was I didn't do enough (basically none) research, prior to our trip. For our trip the next year I had found WDWMAGIC.COM, along with the Unofficial Guide, and we were more prepared. We stayed offsite in 2003 and took the Free Bus once, from then when we stayed offsite we drove. The cost of parking is well worth the benefit of arriving and leaving when WE want.

 

[potatoheadman]

We took a three month old sleeping baby on TGMR, thinking she would just sleep the whole time. We were sitting up front right next to the cast member in the tram. WELL, when we got to the gangster shootout, the baby woke up and SCREAMED for the rest of the ride. You couldn't even hear the ride over the screams. Everyone, including the cast member, hated us by the end of the ride.

Don't do it. Just don't do it.