4. Possessing a do-or-die attitude

For many, a trip to Walt Disney World is a one-time experience. The cost of a vacation has skyrocketed and, unfortunately, that has made repeat visits difficult for a lot of people. Under those circumstances, it's not surprising that guests visiting Walt Disney World want to see everything – they may not return, and everything is so amazing and, frankly, worth seeing.

Unfortunately, that's not realistic, and it's certainly not realistic during the holidays. Expecting to do and see everything in four or five days will likely lead to a lot of stress and a lot of disappointment which, in turn, leads to frustration and possible intrafamily turmoil.

The best attitude for a busy time of year is one of added value – meaning, decide for yourself one or two things that you absolutely must do, and make sure to do those things. Everything else should feel like icing on the proverbial cake. If you go into your trip expecting to see a handful of things, and wind up touring most of the park successfully, you'll be thrilled. If you go into your trip expecting to see everything and only experience a few attractions, you'll feel disappointed.

Mental preparation is, really, as important as anything else with a Disney trip.

5. Wrong expectations

And that brings us to the ultimate mistake some people make when visiting the parks over the holidays – they come into it with the wrong expectations.

Here's some tough love: if you want to ride Test Track at three o'clock in the afternoon without a Fastpass on Christmas Day, you will likely have to wait upwards of two hours (on the day I was at Epcot, it was more than three). This is true of most major attractions at the four parks, but the key to managing expectations for a holiday trip to Disney World is asking yourself why that's the case. Why are there so many people filling these parks during the holiday season?

The answer is multifaceted, but the overarching reason is this:

It is absolutely magical.

Every resort hotel is decorated in a beautiful holiday theme. The Grand Floridian has a stunning Gingerbread House. The Polynesian has a gorgeous tree. They all look at their finest.

Each park is dressed up with a winter-time flavor and given a makeover that would delight everyone from kids to adults. Epcot's World Showcase teaches guests how to celebrate the holidays in other countries. Disney's Hollywood Studios shows off their impressive collection of Christmas lights.

People flood Walt Disney World in late December because it is Disney at its most beautiful. A successful trip during the holidays cannot be measured in the same way you would measure one in the offseason. What's important isn't necessarily riding all of the rides or seeing all of the shows, but spending the holidays somewhere magical with people you truly care about. Is that idea cheesy? Probably – but what do you expect from a kingdom whose mayor is a mouse?