4. Underestimating the allure of character meet and greets

When you look at people dressed as Disney characters as an adult, you think something along the lines of, “Wearing that giant costume in the summer in Florida/California is the stuff of nightmares.” Your kid thinks, “ELSA AND ANNA!!!”

My point is that if you take children to a Disney theme park, they will want to spend a lot of time interacting with the characters. That’s problematic, because the majority of other people visiting the parks also have children, and those children have similar needs. Some of the worst lines at Disney have nothing to do with rides. Spending time with Elsa and Anna right now is only slightly easier than getting past the Secret Service.

If you want to meet characters, you need to investigate the where, when, and how of the process. Personally, I recommend character meals as one of the easiest ways to accomplish this task. You guarantee your family an encounter in an intimate and slightly less chaotic environment. Plus, you get to sit down and eat while doing so. The only negative is that Disney character meals cost approximately as much as wedding receptions.

If you want to save some money and don’t mind standing in a long line with countless bored children, pay attention to your theme park map. It will note the locations of character meetings. It also doesn’t hurt to ask cast members for tips on the easiest ways to interact with characters at a given time. This behavior can change from time to time, so the employees are the best informed about tips and tricks to avoid huge lines.

5. Paying tourist trap prices

Look, there is no way to sugarcoat this one. I am a bigger fan of Disney than anyone you will ever meet yet even I notice. There are times when I look at the cost of a park item and feel like a White Walker has reached into my chest and clutched my heart. If you think I am exaggerating, google the prices of some Disney park items. The same princess dress that costs $40 at a Disney Store could carry a price tag of $100+ at a theme park.

If you are going to spend your vacation stressing over the cost, you might as well not go. To guarantee your happiness, calculate the number of meals you expect to eat plus whatever snacks and adult beverages you expect to consume during your trip. Then, take a look at the current prices for these meals at various sites. If you plan to eat any table service meals or at offsite restaurants, remember to account for tips.

Now factor in the potential for impulse buys at stores. Clothes and merchandise are the big ones for adults, while kids will want toys and candy. Plan your daily budget based on these potential purchases, and you should have a good idea of your bottom line. Once you’ve determined that, add 25 percent as a buffer. Employing this methodology, you learn the practical cost of your trip and don’t have to sweat the details once you arrive. Alternately, if you are traveling to a Disney park that offers the Disney Dining Plan, consider purchasing it in advance. This way, you have already paid for most of your non-travel expenses before you leave for your trip.

6. Not keeping the small stuff in mind

You’ll want to have supplies on hand for any number of emergencies. I strongly suggest having access to Band-Aids, sunscreen, and snacks at all points. Yes, you can purchase all of these at Disney. The mark-up on them, however, is so shameless that even a convenience store owner would say, “That’s too much.” You should plan ahead by packing them in your carryon. Since the object of your vacation is for your child to cry as little as possible, keep all of these sundries on your person while at the park. The trick, of course, is to accomplish this without making your bag so heavy that you resent carrying it around all day. Being a parent truly is the world’s toughest job.

Along those lines, each child has a favorite toy. You know the one I mean, because they refuse to travel without it. No matter how chaotic your theme park visit becomes, you simply cannot let that toy out of your sight. Train yourself to check on its location the same way that you know where your phone is. Also note that your child’s favorite toy may change once you reach Disney since the shiny new thing you buy them is more exciting. So, keep an eye on that as well. My aforementioned friend’s daughter lost the new autograph book that Frozen characters had signed, and you understand the drama created by this turn of events.

While Disney’s lost and found services are among the best in the world, the sheer size of each park guarantees an unfortunate needle/haystack scenario. The last thing you want to do is spend part of your vacation searching for a lost item.