Not all advice is good advice when it comes to putting together the perfect Disney trip.

We’ve heard it all when it comes to the Disney Parks over the years. From great planning tips to general Disney hacks, the right advice can save a Disney vacation. With that said, some advice we’ve heard hasn’t aged gracefully.

Life has changed dramatically over the last five years and with that, the way we plan our Disney vacations. Advice we used to swear by may be something we no longer abide by. In fact, we’ve come up with 20 pieces of advice you SHOULDN’T follow anymore. Let’s take a look!

1. Rope Drop Is a Must

Rope dropping is the process of showing up before the parks open to be one of the first people inside, giving yourself a better chance on riding something that usually has long waits. In the past, this was the best way to ride everything you wanted to ride. However, rope dropping has several issues this days. It no longer guarantees you timly waits (we’re looking at you Avatar Flight of Passage), it requires you to get up super early while on vacation, and can tire you out before your day has even really started.

Sleep in here and there and enjoy the vacation aspect of your trip. Also, the creation of Genie+ has also lowered the need to rope drop.

2. The Disney Dining Plan is Always Worth It

The Disney Dining Plan is great if you have a plan of attack and know how to maximize your credits, but at this same time, it could be an excessive cost that just isn’t worth the value. If you decide to indulge in the Disney Dining Plan, check out our guide for helpful tips and tricks!

3. Animal Kingdom is Just a Zoo — Skip it!

Anyone who tells you Disney’s Animal Kingdom is just a zoo is definitely selling the park short. Animal Kingdom acts as both a safari and a theme park, which some up close interactions with animals, brilliant lands, and memorable attractions, such as Avatar Flight of Passage and Expedition Everest. Honestly, Animal Kingdom may be the most unique Disney Park IN THE WORLD and is worth your time.

4. Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios are Half-Day Parks

Sure, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios are half-day parks…if you don’t want to do all the fun stuff and want to leave the parks feeling like you’re missing out. We’ve already talked about all the great things Animal Kingdom has to offer, but Hollywood Studios has quickly accumulated A TON of E-ticket attractions over the last few years, making it not only a full-day park, but one that is going to require you to wait a lot if you don’t have Genie+. Disney World has continued to evolve to the point where we can’t comfortably say any park is a half-day park.

5. You Don’t Need Genie+ to Do Everything

We wish this wasn’t the case, but wait times at the Disney Parks can get LOOOOONG. Genie+ does save you time, even if it does hurt your wallet. Unfortunately nowadays, we don’t think you could do everything on your itinerary without it, unless you have a fair amount of time to kill or get lucky.

6. Adults Shouldn’t Go To Disney Without Children

The rule that adults can’t go to the Disney Parks without children is silly. The Disney Parks are meant to be enjoyed by children and adults alike. In fact, the parks encourage you to embrace your inner child while indulging in more activities, such as wine tasting and riding thrill rides. There is no shame visiting the parks to do exactly what you want to do without the limitations of taking along children.

7. You Can Make Dining Plans on the Fly

It doesn’t matter if you’re at Disneyland or Disney World, if you want to dine at a table-service restaurant at any point, you’ll need reservations. While Disneyland can be a bit more forgiving when it comes to the planning process than Disney World, both resorts still have restaurants reservations fill up fast and well in advance and unless you like scrambling to figure out where you’ll eat dinner since everything is booked, we suggest bucking the go-with-the-flow lifestyle when deciding when and where to eat.

8. Wait to Visit the Parks During the Offseason

Here’s the truth: the Disney Parks are phasing out the offseason. Disneyland really only has two down periods throughout the year (January and February) but still fills those months will special events that cut regular park hours short, and Disney World is likely to be busy all throughout the year. If you’re looking to avoid crowds, your best bet is going midweek or when crowds are generally lower than usual (during the school year or before or after holidays and school breaks), but you’ll still likely come across long wait times and decent sized crowds. Disneyland and Disney World are amazing theme park resorts, and they will always draw no matter the occassion or season.

9. It’s Disney! Enjoy a Big and Expensive Breakfast to Start Your Day!

Does it taste good? Sure! Will it set you back a few extra bucks? You betcha. If you’re on a budget and looking to save time, it’s OK to grab a small bite at the parks, munch on a breakfast snack you brought, or run over to Starbucks to start your day. You don’t need all the bells and whistles to have a great Disney vacation.

10. You Don’t Need to Brings Snacks and Drinks — the Parks Have Plenty!

It’s true that the Disney Parks will sell you plenty of food and drinks, and not all of it is pricy. HOWEVER, guests are allowed to bring in outside food and nonalcoholic beverages to the Disney Parks, so if you want to save a few bucks, this is a totally acceptable way to prep for a park day.

11. Yell “Andy is Coming!” at Toy Story Characters

In the past, if you shouted “Andy’s coming!” at Toy Story characters, they might plop to ground and pretend to be lifeless toys. It was a really an insider trick that was very funny but also straining for the characters. Of course once the trick become more widely known, people started to abuse “Andy’s Coming!” to the point where Disney said, “No more!” and pulled it completely. Now if you say “Andy’s Coming!”, nothing will happen and you’ll be the one who looks silly.

12. Wait Until Your Kids Are Old Enough to Remember Before Taking Them to Disney

The idea that you should wait to bring your kiddos to Disney until they are old enough to remember is a longstanding one. We’d like to present a counter argument. Children ages 2 and younger get into the Disney Parks FOR FREE and, while they may not remember everything, they can still have a great time and can be easier to manage than toddlers and preschoolers.

13. You Gotta Stay at the Park from Open to Close to Have the BEST Experience

How you want to spend your time is up to you and if you feel guilted into spending an entire day at Disney…well…don’t. Some people can do park open to park close without breaking a sweat, and for others there’s nothing wrong with showing up after lunch and taking off before or after dinner. Go at your own pace and do a Disney day the way you want to. The goal is to be happy, not blitz through everything and causing yourself pain and fatigue in the process.

14. Try to Cram in Everything During One Trip

We don’t know if you need to hear this, but unless you allocate an unreasonable amount of time, you will not got to experience everything in a single Disney trip. While Disneyland’s compact nature makes this slightly more possible, Disney World is a whole other beast and can take MULTIPLE trips in order to experience everything. AND THAT’S OK! The Disney Parks will always be here, always growing, and always keep you wanting to come back for more!

15. Use Standby Lines for Rides with Fun Queues

Disney has really upped it’s game with amazingly interactive and engrossing ride queues, so we get being okay with waiting in standby lines to experience it all. With that said, time is money, and if you can save time bypassing the line (and its amazing queue) with Genie+ or a Lightning Lane you should. At the end of the day, you’ll be able to ride more rides, see more shows, and take your time with meals. Remember — the ride is the main attraction, not its line.

16. EPCOT isn’t as Kid-Friendly as the Other Parks

EPCOT has a reputation as an adult park because it take more of emphasis on innovation and learning, all while letting you Drink Around the World. And while all of this is true, EPCOT does a great job of making the park inclusive for all guests while offering plenty of attractions, festivals, and shows EVERYONE will love.

17. Get PhotoPass to have Pictures Taken of You Around the Park

We’ll keep this short and sweet — you actually don’t need to pay for PhotoPass to have PhotoPass photographers take pictures for you…just hand them your phone and they’ll be happy to help out! Disney Cast Members are super helpful and well-trained, and they’ll be happy to snap a photo on your phone for you if you politely ask!

18. Don’t Bother with the Hassle of a Stroller if Your Small Kiddo Can Walk

So your preschooler can walk and you don’t want to deal with a clunky stroller all day. If you plan on doing a full park day, this could wind up being a mistake. Take it from us, when your kiddo gets sleepy and you end up carrying them all day, your arms will wish you had a stroller handy. They also help when your child gets into one of those moods after a long day. You can bring one from home or rent one, but either way, better safe than sorry.

19. Disney is for Kids, So Always Do Kids Stuff

While Disney’s target audience is children, the parks and resorts are for everyone, so go ahead and grab a drink at Trader Sam’s or do a child swap to ride that coaster you’ve been dying to get on! You’re supposed to have fun at Disneyland and Disney World, which means not limiting yourself to just the stuff your kids want to do.

20. Watching Parades and Fireworks is Quintessential Disney

Don’t get us wrong, Disney fireworks spectaculars and parades are great! But they also take a huge chunk of time out of your itinerary. Instead of watching a show or parade, you could spend that time hopping on more rides or grabbing a bite to eat. It’s perfectly acceptable to skip the fireworks and parades if they aren’t your thing or you want to spend time on something else.

And there you have it! Disney rules and advice are everchanging so stay tuned here at DFB for all the latest Disney Parks tips, tricks, and news!

 

What is some of the Disney advice YOU’VE heard that should be totally ignored? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Disney Experts Share 20 Pieces of Advice You Should NOT Follow Anymore first appeared on the disney food blog.