There’s nothing more exciting than preparing for a trip to Walt Disney World resort. You’ve booked your flight, your hotel and dining reservations are all set, and you’ve made FastPass+ reservations for every single day of your vacation. You’ve packed the essentials in your suitcase (but left room for souvenirs), and you’re ready to go enjoy the magic.
However, no matter how prepared you are, sometimes the excitement of entering Walt Disney World is overwhelming, and guests can easily forget the small stuff. No matter whether it’s your first visit to the resort or your 20th, here are a few obvious things that almost every guest forgets during a day at Walt Disney World.
1. You need sunscreen, even when it’s cold
In the heat of the summertime, it’s common to see guests in parking lots and park entrances at Walt Disney World lathering up with sunscreen and getting ready for a dermatologically approved day out. However, as the weather turns cooler, this sight becomes more of a rarity, which is strange because, even though the temperatures are cooler, that doesn’t mean the sun’s been turned down. Though you might be wearing more clothing, forgetting to apply some SPF to any exposed areas (even if it’s just your face) will result in a nasty sunburn, even if it is just 50 degrees outside (brr!).
2. Camera batteries don’t last forever
The mobile phone has revolutionized photography, with guests snapping photos on their iPhones and Android devices pretty much everywhere at Walt Disney World. However, even though phone photography is certainly convenient, many guests are still opting to bring their own camera to the park to capture high-quality images. And these cameras normally don’t take AA batteries.
While there is a “Camera Center” at Epcot, Disney actually does not stock or sell camera batteries anywhere on property. So if you drain your battery in the middle of an awesome day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom or forgot to bring your charger, you’re unfortunately out of luck.
3. Souvenirs are big and heavy
Walt Disney World is a shopper’s paradise. From limited edition pins and keepsakes to designer purses and pretty much every coffee mug design you can think of, there’s so much to buy at Walt Disney World, some guests might forget that there’s attractions there too!
However, if you are indeed planning on checking out a ride, taking in a show or sitting for a parade after any retail therapy, be aware: bags get heavy fast. And not just that, but if you’ve been shopping to excess, you might have some trouble even getting on some rides. Attractions like Expedition Everest and the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith have very small seat pockets that all items you are carrying with you must be stored in. And if your goodies don’t fit, either you’ll have to shell out a cool $10 for a locker or just sit out these attractions. Both of these are pretty undesirable outcomes, so maybe next time, remember to save the shopping for last!
4. You have to walk between FastPass+ reservations
It’s easy to get excited several months in advance when FastPass+ reservations become available. When you see that the possibility exists to ride the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at 1:30PM, hop on the Jungle Cruise at 2:30PM and then get reserved seating for the Festival of Fantasy parade, it feels like a pretty big win. However, even though this sounds like an amazing itinerary, guests must remember to consider the reality of moving around the park and getting from one side to the other with a short time window. Such a bold zigzag across the park would likely end up in missed FastPass+ windows, blisters, and perhaps even disappointment (Disney no longer allows guests to use recently-expired FastPass+ reservations.
Even though you might be initially excited about making amazing FastPass+ reservations, do remember that getting around at Walt Disney World (especially during the busy holiday and summer seasons) can be quite challenging, and leaving yourself travel time is essential.
5. There might not be a line, but you still have to wait for parades
One thing that pretty much every theme park guest in the world hates is lines. No matter how well-themed or intricate an interactive queue is, the fact is that when you’re shuffling behind someone for an hour or more for an experience that will likely last less than five minutes, it can be a little frustrating.
Fortunately, parks like Walt Disney World offer guests plenty of forms of entertainment, and one that is particularly popular is the parade. Though the Magic Kingdom parade route is huge and in theory guests should be able to show up a few minutes before a parade and enjoy the music, characters and scenery, guests who want an unobstructed view (and don’t have a FastPass+ reservation), are going to need to stake out a parade viewing spot at least an hour early. Our tip? Stake out a spot in front of Cinderella Castle and catch Dream Along With Mickey or the Move it! Shake It! Dance it and Play It! Dance Party while you’re sitting in your perfect spot. Though you’re still waiting around, at least you’ll have some entertainment to help pass the time (and won’t be shuffling!)
6. You can’t charge a phone without a cord
In recent years Walt Disney World has made a concerned effort to install smartphone charging stations around its parks. In Fantasyland alone you can find dozens of outlets in the “Tangled Toilets” area as well as in the Storybook Circus area near the train station (look for the large tent off to the left).
However, all the outlets in the world aren’t going to do you much good if you don’t have a USB charging cable for your phone. And unfortunately, these are all too often forgotten. Though there are a few places around Walt Disney World charging cables are provided (Club Disney at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a recent location that provides ample charging cords), if you don’t think your phone will last through a 12 hour day at Disney, make sure you remember to pack the cord, or are comfortable with paying upwards of $20 to buy one on-site.
