4. You visited during peak season

Image: Disney

I cannot overemphasize enough the efforts you should take to avoid visiting Walt Disney World during peak season. While crowd trends are changing dramatically, there are just certain times of year where Walt Disney World is so jaw-droppingly crowded that your trip will be affected negatively no matter what.  Long lines, cranky guests, packed resorts, and limited reservation availability are just a few of the issues you are guaranteed to run afoul of during peak season.

Particularly on the dreaded mega-crowd weeks surrounding Fourth of July, Christmas Day, and New Year’s, there just comes a point where no advice any Disney expert could give is going to help. Many visitors have no idea that there are other times during the year where you can walk straight onto rides, snag last minute dining and FastPass+ reservations, and even find substantial discounts on rooms and ticket packages. Even if the slow seasons in late January, late September, and early December aren’t an option, a sizable portion of the year still hosts moderate crowds tame compared to their summer and holiday counterparts.

Can trips made during the busy season be salvaged? With careful planning, absolutely. However, if you are looking for a less stressful Walt Disney World experience, your best bet is to plan to visit during a moderate or off-season week.

5. You didn’t budget (or at least save up)

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Again, while the rules for this are fudged for Annual Passholders who can come and go without pressure, for anyone else planning a Walt Disney World vacation, you may find yourself frustrated during your vacation if you fail to either save generously or put together a basic trip budget. There’s a huge temptation, particularly on last minute trips, to try to skimp on food, gifts, and resort costs when visiting Disney. While each family’s needs are different, often this strategy ends up causing more frustration than fun, particularly if you are bringing children.

While purchasing groceries and snacks outside of Walt Disney World is a great idea (making your own breakfast can save you a huge amount of money!), you’re going to miss out if you try to completely skip Disney dining. Instead, consider putting together a modest trip budget that allows you to visit the restaurants that sound most interesting while partaking in picnics or self-brought snacks at other times.

On the other side of the issue, you may end up spending way more than you intended if you don’t have at least a basic budget. Disney are masters at the art of the impulse buy, and they are particularly good at hooking guests who have kids. I don’t recommend attempting a strict no-souvenirs policy if you’re bringing kids. Instead, budget for a few impulse buys, but use restraint on others. Take the time you need to save up for the Disney trip of your dreams, and you’ll be able to plan some padding into your budget to keep things fun and spontaneous.

6. You stayed too far away

Image: Disney

Tying in with the issue of budgeting, staying too far from Walt Disney World can prove a brutal trip planning mistake. Again, this depends on the type of trip you are taking, but with Disney already taking up over 40 miles of land, visitors tend to lose more time than they expected commuting to and from the parks every day. Just getting in and out of parking can take hours on busy days. Many guests don’t realize how far most Orlando resorts are from the parks. You will lose considerable time getting to and from your resort.

The other issue with staying too far from Disney is the need for rest. A Walt Disney World day can quickly turn exhausting, and it pays to stay close enough to be able to take a mid-day break to recuperate your strength. This is easy if you are staying on Walt Disney World property (where transportation is provided), but many of Disney’s Good Neighbor Hotels are still close enough to work. This is one area where spending a little bit extra is well worth it.