Hindsight – like Walt Disney World itself – is a wonderful thing!
Over the years, we’ve had some truly magical holidays at Walt Disney World — the kind that sparkle in your memory for years. But, if I’m honest, there are some things down the years we wish we’d done differently.
Whether it’s overbooking meals, underestimating the Florida heat, or realising too late that our snack credits were gone (why did we use them on bottled water?!), these are our top 10 Disney regrets, gathered across several trips.
Hopefully, they’ll help you plan a better, smoother, less-sweaty Disney adventure.
1. Going in July
Yes, it was a little cheaper… but oh wow, the heat. Florida in July is relentlessly hot and humid. Queueing in 36°C heat (that’s 97°F!) for rides or standing on pavement during fireworks is no joke.
If you can swing it, spring or autumn offers milder weather and lower crowd levels.
2. Not booking Genie+ or Lightning Lanes in advance
We missed out on rides like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Slinky Dog Dash, which were fully booked before we even knew how the system worked.
Take time to understand the Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane system before your trip – ideally well before your 60-day booking window opens.
3. Booking too many (or too few) meals
One trip we booked a table service meal every day… and ended up rushing from rides to restaurants. Another trip, we barely booked anything and missed some great dining experiences.
We’ve found the sweet spot is a few well-timed reservations, with some flexibility in between.
4. Misusing our Quick Service dining plan
We learned the hard way that snack credits are gold… and not worth wasting on bottled water or basic snacks. In fact, as I was purchasing some water at our resort one day, the cashier said, ‘Honey – you should pay for this with cash and save that snack credit for the park’. And she was right!
In hindsight, we should have paid out of pocket for cheaper items and saved our credits for higher-value snacks. And yes – we ran out long before our trip ended. For more on our Dining Plan experiences, see our pieces on whether the Disney Dining Plan is worth it and our honest experience using the Disney Dining Plan.
5. Not staying in a Disney hotel
Staying offsite can be cheaper, but when we’ve stayed on Disney property, the trip has felt so much more magical. From early entry to immersive theming and easier transport – it’s worth it if your budget allows.
Even a few nights on property can transform the experience.
6. Not booking our ESTA before the price increase
We put it off and missed the lower price window. It’s not a huge cost difference, but still one of those “why didn’t we just do it?” moments.
Tip: get your ESTA sorted early, ideally as soon as you’ve booked your flights.
7. Dining too often at Disney Springs
We love Disney Springs – it has fab restaurants – but getting there from the parks is not quick, as buses from the parks don’t tend to go direct, meaning you need to travel via a resort. One year, we had too many meals booked there and spent too much time navigating transport.
One or two visits? Absolutely. Five? Bit much. For more on Disney Springs restaurants, see our reviews of The Boathouse and Summer House on the Lake, as well as six restaurants we love at Disney Springs.
8. Paying for the Table Service Dining Plan (with a child)
We assumed the dining plan would give our child menu freedom – but in reality, they were limited to the children’s menu in most cases. Most restaurants were kind about it, but it still caused us some anxiety. At Walt Disney World, a child is classed as anyone under 11 for dining purposes.
If your child prefers adult meals, paying out of pocket may give you more flexibility.
9. Not getting up early enough
We discovered this one too late: Disney parks are so much quieter first thing in the morning.
On the days we made it to rope drop, we did more in the first two hours than the rest of the day combined. It’s 100% worth the early start.
10. Missing the free Disney Dining Plan offer
We’ve missed this a couple of times, either by travelling during school holidays like Easter (when sometimes Disney doesn’t offer it) or by not booking early enough. And every time, we kick ourselves.
The free dining offer (usually available to UK guests booking well in advance) can save you literally thousands – especially on longer trips. I recently checked the pricing on this year’s trip against what it would’ve cost with the current dining offer, and we’d have saved over ÂŁ2,500 had we travelled a year later – the offer wasn’t available for Easter when we booked last year. No other promotion comes close.
🍽️ If your dates are flexible, try to travel when the offer is available and book as early as possible. It makes a huge difference to the overall cost and experience.
Bonus regret: Not staying longer
Okay, this one’s more wishful thinking… but every time we leave Disney, we wish we’d stayed just one more day. Even if it’s just for pool lounging or breakfast with Mickey.
But, even then, I suspect just one extra day might never be enough!
Regrets, we’ve had a few…
We’ve had wonderful times at Walt Disney World, and even the “regrets” pale in comparison to the overall experience – and we can always put our learnings towards our next amazing Disney holiday!
If you’re planning your own Disney holiday — especially from the UK — we hope these tips help you dodge a few of the mistakes we made along the way.
