4 THINGS TO AVOID WHEN PLANNING A DISNEY VACATION

This episode highlights crucial mistakes to avoid when planning your Disney trip, focusing on creating a flexible and enjoyable experience rather than a rigid itinerary. Key topics include the importance of pacing your day, choosing the right online communities, and the benefits of hiring a travel agent.

• Avoid scheduling your Disney day to the minute for a more relaxed experience
• Join only reliable Facebook groups to gather useful travel advice
• Treat your vacation as an experience rather than a race
• Consider hiring a travel agent for better planning and support

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:07

hey, friends, justin here with the people mover podcast, and welcome to episode 8 of 2025, where today we're going to talk about things that you should not do when planning your disney trip.

Speaker 2: 0:17

So let's kick it off right now, welcome to the people mover podcast, the length of the iconic ride and your ultimate guide to Disney World and Disney cruises. Whether you're a first timer or a seasoned fan, we've got tips, tricks and options to elevate your magical journey. Don't forget to follow and subscribe to our Facebook, instagram, tiktok and YouTube at Magic Vacation Family for more Disney magic. Buckle up and let's dive into the world of Disney.

Speaker 1: 0:48

As always, our episodes are brought to you by magicvacationfamilycom, so if you're looking for any help planning any of your upcoming Disney trips, please visit us, magicvacationfamilycom. We are a family-owned travel agency that specializes in Disney and all different types of Disney vacations. So visit us, magicvacationfamilycom, click, book a trip and my wife or I will get back to you. Now, today we're tackling an important topic. Don't do this when planning your Disney trip. Now, disney is an exciting destination, but planning the perfect trip can get tricky if you're not careful. So in today's episode, we're going to cover four things you'll definitely don't want to do when planning your magical vacation. So let's get started. So, number one, let's kick it off here with one of the most common mistakes, and that is scheduling the day to the minute. As tempting as it might be to plan every second of your Disney day, overscheduling it can quickly turn your vacation into a stressful experience. I've seen it happen. I've seen it happen in person, and I know a lot of guests try to cram in as much stuff as they possibly can, plan out every ride, meal, show, basically down to the exact minute. And here's the thing Disney days are unpredictable. So why is this a mistake? Disney is massive and no matter how much you plan, things won't always go according to schedule. Attractions may have unexpected delays, kids might need a break, weather could throw off your timing. Overscheduling can lead to frustration, and I have seen this firsthand of where families have started to really show their frustration because not everything is going according to frustration. And I have seen this firsthand of where families have started to really show their frustration because not everything is going according to plan. What should you do instead? It's important to have a general itinerary right. So, whether you're using your my Disney Experience app or whatnot, but plan out those key experiences like dining, reservations and the must-do rides, but also give yourself some time to explore, relax and adapt to the changes throughout the day. Focus on creating a plan that gives you some flexibility instead of a rigid one. A relaxed pace is a much more enjoyable way to experience Disney. Trust me on that one. Give yourself some time, really take in everything you can, because there is so much to do when you are visiting Disney World.

Speaker 1: 3:06

So topic number two on this one is being a part of too many Facebook groups. And it's good to be a part of Facebook groups, but to be a part of the wrong ones. While I know it's tempting to join every single Disney related group on Facebook, it can get overwhelming and, even worse, you could get misinformed. So why is this a mistake? There are so many facebook groups out there with differing opinions and sometimes the information shared isn't the most reliable, and also those groups can be filled with negativity. Uh, they can talk about stress about crowds, provide conflicting advice or just be upright rude. I've seen so many newbies going on to these different Facebook groups that I'm a part of or I should say I was a part of and they just get annihilated for asking a simple question.

Speaker 1: 3:55

Be careful. Make sure when you're joining those groups you find a reliable, helpful group where you're seeing a lot of positive feedback. So maybe before you share some of the information or ask questions on that group, you kind of watch what people are posting on there. Also, verify that the information is accurate. Go to Disneycom or DisneyWorldcom. Double check the information. If you see something on there that someone's saying is one way, but the Disney website says it's another way, they're probably not giving you the correct information. Also, look for groups where you can ask the questions and also get advice from experienced travelers. So you don't want to join a newbie group that's only for newbies, because everyone's probably going to have the same question. So you want to find a group of experienced travelers, but again, people that are going to be very appreciative of the fact that you're asking a question and not be condescending with their answers.

Speaker 1: 4:46

So on to topic number three, and that is treating your Disney vacation like a marathon instead of an experience. Now, disney parks can seem like they have an endless amount of things to do and it's really easy to feel the pressure of I got to do it all. But if you treat your vacation like a race, you're going to miss out on the true essence of the experience. And remember, the keyword here is it's supposed to be a vacation. If you go through and you're getting stressed out the entire time and you are just constantly going, going, going. Part of a vacation is to unplug, relax and to enjoy the time. So biggest mistake I see is people trying to fit in too much and it kind of ties into topic one. Right, but if you're constantly go, go, going, you're going to miss out on a lot of things. So if you push yourself and your family too hard, you're going to end up exhausted, stressed and maybe even frustrated by the end of the trip.

Speaker 1: 5:37

And Disney is about enjoying the magic, taking in the sights, sharing special moments and not running around from one ride to the next with zero time to rest or to miss see some of the great shows that are around too. They have so many different interactions that happen throughout the park that if you're just looking from the night one ride to the next ride, you can do that out of six flags or whatever else. Right. Take in the disney experience also. I highly recommend focusing on quality over quantity. So instead of trying to fit in every ride, show and dining experience, prioritize the ones that will make the most memories for you and your family, or whoever you're there, with right Schedule downtime, especially during peak heat times. Take breaks, go through the stores, enjoy the parades. Another thing that I love to do is give myself a break during the day. My family night. We will start a park in the morning. We'll grab some lunch or something, we'll go back to our room, we'll go to the pool for a couple hours, give us some time to relax, cool down, whatever else, and then we go to the park at night to watch the fireworks or to see the show, or to make some more lightning lane reservations. Give yourself some time to relax and enjoy the vacation. So again, do not treat your vacation like a marathon. Definitely treat it more as an experience.

Speaker 1: 6:58

My next topic and it probably won't surprise you, but it's really don't book a trip without a travel agent. And the reason why I say this and it's not just because I'm a travel agent, but I used travel agents in the past, which got us to the point of where we are today Using a travel agent. Some people might think I can just book everything online, but here's the thing If you book a trip without a Disney travel agent, you're going to potentially miss out on things. Plus, we take on a lot of that burden for you. Now, remember this too, and I'm going to break a little secret to you Whether you spend let's just call it $5,000 booking your Disney vacation through DisneyWorldcom versus booking it through us, the price is the same versus booking it through us, the price is the same.

Speaker 1: 7:43

The only difference is you're supporting small business by working with a travel agent, because Disney doesn't provide you that much support and the support that you get, you have to call and you have to handle it all yourself, versus a travel agent. Disney pays us a percentage, right? So we get a commission off of that $5,000. That supports our small business but also supports our expertise that we provide for our customers, right so we call on behalf of our customers all the time. I have a direct line to the customer service number, so instead of you waiting online for three hours, have me do it instead, or another travel agent do it instead.

Speaker 1: 8:18

Plus, disney vacations are expensive and costly. You're investing so much money. You want to get the best experience possible, so work with a travel agent that can help you maximize your budget, find the best deals. But also, if you think of, like my wife and I, or my family and I should say, we go down once a month. We're from Minnesota, we fly down to Orlando literally once a month to stay up to date on everything that is Disney. And and that goes to my next reasoning here Disney is always changing. Rides are added, they're being updated or closed for refurbishments.

Speaker 1: 8:53

A travel agent is not just going to book your hotel and park tickets. Like I said, we're going to help you maximize your time. Uh, get you the right dining reservations, help you navigate that lightning lane setup, but also to linking your my Disney Experience app to be able to manage all of the people on your list there getting magic bands. You name it. We help you out. So when it comes to planning your trip, don't hesitate to work with a travel agent. Do not schedule your trip to the minute. Give yourself a break. Make sure that you enjoy some of the free time that is available. Don't join too many Facebook groups or, even better, the wrong Facebook groups and don't treat it like a marathon. Treat it like an experience. Once again, if you do want help planning your next Disney vacation, visit us magicvacationfamilycom, and my wife Renee and I look forward to helping you soon. Until then, I will see you at episode number nine.