Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, our family took a once in a lifetime trip to Disney World. I don’t say that because I mean we are never going back, although it might be a while. But, four generations of the same family were in the same parks for the same 4 days and it really was the trip of a lifetime to have and share those experiences together.

I did all of my research before we went. I had Pinterest boards with all the best articles, advice for traveling with a toddler, followed a few new people on Instagram for the inside scoop and even browsed through the Disney Park’s Mom’s Panel for all my weird questions. But, when it came down to it, there are only some things you learn when you experience them for yourself. So, here’s a list of 12 things no one told me before I went to Disney.

• Walking through Harambe Market will make you cry – seriously, our first day was in the Animal Kingdom and I was so ready for this park. I would still say it was my favorite park overall and if we had one more day, I would want to go back without a plan and just walk around and do all the things. But, as we walked in at opening, the drums were playing, we were in what looked like a legit African market as we were heading to the safari with a toddler who is animal obsessed and started clapping as we passed the drum show and it all just came together and every single thing that it took to get us there was perfect and magical in our very first steps through the park. I really did not want it to end. 

• The best safari you will ever see will blow your mind and make you cry again – I’ve been to Africa and I’ve been on a safari in an open-top Range Rover through the wilds and woods. I mean its probably not the best safari and if I go back, I wanna be in the Serengeti on a night safari where we sleep in the treetops. But, outside of that, this was magic. We saw all the animals, including endangered ones and elephants playing and baby giraffes walking with their mamas in open range fields and again all, seemed right with the world and it was magical. Its the place I would have started every day if it made sense. (oh, and while we had a Fast Pass for it, the line moved quickly and it was the beginning of the day so if we had more things to plan, I would skip the FP reservation and just go straight there when we got to the park) We have also been only reading books with animals in them since we got home and my kid points to every giraffe and elephant now that he has seen them in real life in their real environment.
• Mobile ordering is the ONLY WAY you need to go – we did not do the dining plan and I don’t know unless we had teenagers who wanted to eat a steak every day or we were planning expensive meals that we would consider the dining plan, but mobile ordering and having food ready to pick up was awesome. And, when the other articles you read on the internet say, “pull up the menu when you get off your ride and start walking to the restaurant and order then,” yeah, do that because you still have to wait and it could be ready quickly if you have impatient husbands or hangry kids with you!
• Disney gift cards are not really the best option for paying for everything, unless you are setting up a budget and in that case, its the ONLY way to go – I had read to buy Disney gift cards ahead at Target, but I’m pretty sure my discount did not apply to the gift cards and we spent the first days on our trip trying to spend the cards and not mobile ordering so we didn’t go home with money we couldn’t spend anywhere else. But, if you are budgeting yourself on money or souvenir spending or giving kids a budget, I totally think gift cards are the way to go. It teaches money and gives a limit, but when it comes to food and your app, you cannot attach a gift card, so you have to stand in line or use a CC attached to your app. Just something to know and think through. I do have another friend who used her gift cards to pay off her trip before they went and then used the app while they are there. Just do your research and know your options so you are not surprised.
• Uber gift cards are a better investment – public transportation (specifically Disney buses) is a nightmare – y’all, Disney has EVERYTHING figured out, EXCEPT TRANSPORTATION. We were there when the new Star Wars ride opened and buses and monorail took so long. Signage is not awesome, you have no idea when a bus will arrive, it’s hard to deal with strollers and wheelchairs when you are stopping on buses. So, after I was helping 2 grandmas get home with an aunt and a toddler, I text my husband who was flying in later than us to make sure his Lyft and uber apps were downloaded and ready because we were going to be using them. I HATE SPENDING EXTRA MONEY on anything, but there are just times you need to suck it up and this was one of them. When we got home, we had spent over $200 on Uber, but I was just so over it that it didn’t matter. And, just so you know there are levels in both apps that have guaranteed car seats and near every pick up was a minivan with the car seat installed as we walked up. The guys were great and they were available any time we needed to come and go.

• The men’s restrooms have changing tables, too – mama’s you don’t have to be the only one changing diapers. So, share the load!
• People will not be considerate of strollers or wheelchairs and apparently “walk to the right” is not a universal concept (there are some people who really were raised in a barn) – just prepare yourself that you are spending a week, or a few days in public with lots of other people. Not everyone will be considerate, not everyone will walk to the right, or pay attention where they are walking, or notice that you have a sleeping baby with a wheelchair scooter walking behind you and you are trying to stay together. Just roll with it, laugh at the idiocracy and just go on. It will make for fun dinner conversation. That being said, there are so many considerate people. We had dads helping us on and off the buses the first day when we had no clue about the rules for strollers and load order with wheelchairs. Some people really were so awesome and we made it through.
• Every employee really does want you to have a magical experience – seriously after I learned that people wanted to help us find our way and have great experiences, I never shied away from just asking the question. Disney folks are awesome that was everything from calls before the trip, to getting us to our room, getting on the wrong boat instead of the monorail, the maintenance guy who tried to help us fix the broken ball bearings on our stroller and every waitress and assistants on those rides that get off on conveyor belts. They were great and Disney employees are one of the main reasons people know its a magical place.
• Matching t-shirts is just for you, but everyone is doing it. – apparently somewhere we started planning our trip I told my husband I wasn’t going to be one of those matching shirt ladies. But, I totally lied. We were. And, I loved hunting for deals for matching shirts and coming up with ideas for my sister to make with her Cricut. Matching shirts also made packing for our trip so much easier. I knew exactly what to wear each day (and put in my closet organizer) and really it kept me from overpacking. But, matching shirts is not necessary. And, most of the time you don’t really see them in pictures. But, you know it was happening and it’s fun all day while you are there. So, do it or don’t your choice and you can survive the day if you don’t!

• Chat with your husband or traveling partners each night about your expectations and plan for the next day so everyone is on the same page. And, if that changes, communicate! – so, I had 3 things I wanted to do while we were at Disney, and it worked out for us that it was one thing each day. At night, after we got our little boy down, my husband and I would talk about the next day and if there was anything else that had come to mind since we got to Disney that we did not plan for. Then, in the morning in the car on the way over, I’d give a quick rundown of what we had planned to do, and that included a few specific pictures I wanted to have. I’ve just learned when you travel, and basically all the time, it’s better to just share expectations and communicate as often as possible. That’s how you get the perfect castle shot (# 3 on my “must haves list).

• Lower your expectations and enjoy the ride – this is just my general mantra when in comes to traveling these days. I know when I expect too much and try to cram too much in our day, I get frustrated and my kid and husband are done. When I have one thing I really want to do, anything else we do is a bonus and we get to enjoy the ride so much more. One special memory from our trip was getting to Hollywood Studios early. It was a crisp morning and we kinda watched Toy Story Land come alive. I hope I never forget Little Man’s face while he was standing at the fence watching the slinky dog ride wearing his Woody pajamas. All because I set a morning with only one FP and a lot of spare time we made some really special memories and got to meet 4 characters that were not even on our to-do list!

• Oh, and if you can handle not being in the plans, call the friend of yours who is a Disney Travel planner and let her do the work. She loves it and the park pays her to help you and she knows all the behind the scenes things and will make your trip even more magical. The next time we go – that is what we are doing!

Disney World was fun, and as I said earlier, this trip was a once in a lifetime experience. But, I know more now and will do a few things differently next time and while there were a few hard moments in the middle of it, I’m looking back and reminiscing with the best memories of our special “mickey-fied” days together. 

I asked some other people on our trip what they would include and here are their thoughts:

• If you have special room accommodations (first floor, but not handicapped) make sure to communicate them.
• Understand the layout of your resort and make sure you pick the best location for you. We stayed at Key West and it was like a vacation all on its own. Some families around us stayed back and saved a day in the parks for a day at the resort, playing at the pool and recreation areas, sitting on the porch and reading and just looking out the balcony and walking around the grounds, but it was not a place where you could stop by the front desk very easy or take advantage of your free cup refills and food options. So, just know what you are getting in to.
• If ADA accessibility is something you need to consider, do your research. Not everything was ADA Accessible, which meant it was not stroller accessible.
• You will leave your stroller, walk away from it in a stroller parking area and come back to it later. Its weird and somewhat counter-cultural, but its there and usually people don’t mess with your stuff. But, it is helpful to tie something on to your stroller so you can easily distinguish it from the others. 
• Leave space in your schedule to adjust plans as you go. 
• If you are there and can do it, plan to spend an evening, after dark, walking/strolling around Epcot. It really is an epic experience and makes you feel like you are in other countries. 
• Buses take forever. Plan and prepare your timeline. Know that they will probably stop at other resorts on your way to each park.
• Magic bands are legit. They make everything easier and convenient.
• You can easily get by with one full meal each day and snack or pack meals for the rest of the day.
• You need to play one full day at each park to get everything done and not waste time on transportation. 
• Play for time at Disney Springs if you like to shop. Its such a fun experience. At least give yourself half a day and a meal there. 
• The “extra magic hours” party was fun. We went to the Very Merry Christmas party and the extra money for the extra hours in the park was totally worth it and it made the holiday come to life. Being there at Christmas was online any other time!

What about you? What have you been surprised by on your Disney visits and would include in this list?