14 Rookie Mistakes to Avoid at Disney’s Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom is probably the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Disney World. Walking down Main Street USA and looking up at that castle is probably one of my favorite things to do. Another thing I greatly enjoy is people watching. I have also noticed and been guilty of a few of these rookie mistakes!

14. Prioritizing Astro Orbiter! A rookie mistake to avoid is being fooled by Astro Orbiter. Astro Orbiter looks exciting, and it can be! The problem is you wait in line on the ground, then get on an elevator, and then wait again! I recommend getting this ride done when the crowds have died down, preferably later in the afternoon. 

Rookie Mistakes!

13. Not Mobile Ordering Your Snacks, especially That Precious Dole Whip. Another rookie mistake to avoid that people often make at Magic Kingdom, is not utilizing the mobile ordering with My Disney Experience. Mobile ordering is super easy and lines at Magic Kingdom can be quite long. Any time you can cut time waiting in lines I recommend it. You’re paying a lot of money to be there and you want to get the most out of it.

12. Not Embracing Each Land as Its Own Unique Experience! Fantasyland brings out your inner child; Frontierland has some excellent coasters and the look of a time once forgotten; Adventureland immerses you into your very own adventure waiting to unfold right before you; Liberty Square gives you a showcase of the heart of America; and Tomorrowland (my favorite) gives you an outlook of a brighter future and the possible technology we use to get there!

11. Going Straight to Tomorrowland! A huge rookie mistake to avoid is following your basic instinct and going to the right when you see the castle. Always, Always, ALWAYS go clockwise in Magic Kingdom! You should always go the opposite direction of the crowd; you should plan fast passes around this! For some reason most people head to Fantasyland or Tomorrowland when they enter Magic Kingdom. My Disney Experience also has this nifty feature that will tell you the quickest way to get somewhere based on your current location.  

10. Not Coordinating Your Rides with a certain path. Going from Frontierland to Tomorrowland is a real trek! You can get anywhere in the park in about 10 minutes, but this doesn’t mean you’ll want to. Also, keep in mind, this is without children.

No No’s

9. Not Utilizing the Firework Shows! If you aren’t big on parades or fireworks, they are the perfect time to get some must do attraction in. With everyone else waiting for the show, it leaves the lines wide open! Pro Tip: Splash Mountain has a spectacular view of the castle at night!

8. Getting Your Ice Cream From a Cart! There are so many amazing options inside of MK! Plaza Ice Cream Parlor has some unique choices, and I always must stop at Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies! Of course if you love your ice cream in the shape of Mickey then there is no shame in getting some ears. I personally always get a swirl cone at every park.

Waiting is a Rookie Mistake

7. Waiting in too Long of a Line for a Ride. Fast Passes are great for a reason. You don’t want to be wasting hours in a line and miss out on the magic of other attractions! Unless it’s your favorite ride or one you’ve been looking forward to I don’t like waiting more than 30 min for a ride. There are exceptions, of course. If you’re there during a busy season you might not have a choice but to wait in a few lines. And of course, with the “new normal”, fast passes are not available at this current time.

6. Wasting Fast Passes. A rookie mistake that seems obvious but that most people do is wasting their fast passes on the wrong rides. This is a Disney sin! No one needs a Fast Pass for Haunted Mansion! Yes, you should definitely experience the ride, but the wait is hardly ever long enough to justify a fast pass! You always want to use fast passes on the mountains or even something that always has a terribly long line like Jungle Cruise or Peter Pan.

5. Thinking You’re too Old to Ride Something! Disney is where we are supposed to let our inner child out! Be a kid! Being an adult is boring and who wants to grow up anyways?!

4. Only Riding Rides That Have That “Wow!” Factor. The People Mover is one of the slowest rides, but it has to be one of my favorites. Magic Kingdom has so many classic rides that have stood the test of time, but you’ll miss them if you’re only looking at the “Mountains”.

3. Not Getting That Sweet Spot Early for Parades/Fireworks! They may seem like a thing of the past, but rookies never plan reserving their viewing spots! The best spots to watch always fill up well before the show starts!

Plans and Mistakes

2. Being too Set in a Plan! Being lenient with your schedule is great! You never know what can pop up. Rides will have maintenance problems, and sometimes the line just isn’t worth it. You also never know if those kiddos will be in the right mood.

1. Not Having a Plan at All! It’s fine if you want a relaxing vacation, but you won’t get to do half the park if you aren’t somewhat prepared. It’s why having a travel agent is always a good call, plus they’re services are free to you! There is another added bonus that most travel agents won’t make these basic rookie mistakes.

While you are visiting the Magic Kingdom, don’t forget to grab some of these popular snacks! Looking for more things to avoid at Disney’s Magic Kingdom? We have a Facebook group you will just LOVE! DISNEY EXPRESS LANE! Join us today.

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After months of being closed due to Covid-19, we are all excited that Disney World will be opening soon! Disney World is doing their part to make sure the parks, resorts and other guest areas are as safe as possible. We have 5 things you NEED to bring with you that could help keep you and your family extra safe during your next visit. Honestly, you should be bringing these things with you on ANY trip! Welcome to the NEW NORMAL.

5 Things You NEED

• Easy to clean backpack: Bring a backpack that can easily be wiped down with a disinfectant wipe. Our backpacks really do touch a lot of things when we are in the parks. We sit them down on the floor or seats of rides, on tables, benches, on the buses, monorail, boats and even the ground at times. While we definitely need to be cleaning them down more now, we really should do this on any vacation. Think about it, there are always germs.
• Disinfectant Wipes: Sure, bringing disinfectant wipes in your backpack to Disney World seems a little strange, but it really is a great idea. Travel size packs are typically available, but we know that they have been hard to find right now. You could also place some disinfectant wipes in a zip lock bag if you have them available at home. Can’t find any wipes? Don’t worry you can DIY!.
• Hand Sanitizer: This is always good to have on hand so you can use it quickly. Disney World will have hand washing stations and sanitizing stations all through the parks & resorts. Of course there are the bathrooms, but having a travel size hand sanitizer in your backpack will come in handy. Especially when you cannot access one. You may be waiting in line at a ride or for transportation and need to sanitize the kids hands or even your own. Having a travel size sanitizer handy will give you peace of mind and keep everyone safe.
• Face Coverings: Make sure to pack plenty of face coverings for everyone in your travel party. Whether you are bringing reusable or disposable face coverings, be sure to bring several per person. You will want to change them out throughout the day. Place clean face coverings in a zip lock bag to keep them dry & clean until you are ready to use them. For reusable face coverings, bring extra empty zip lock bags marked “dirty” so you have a place to put them as you change them out. It is going to be HOT in Florida and a face covering is may be uncomfortable. We have some tips on how to make it a little more bearable.
• Wet Wipes: These are great to have for cleaning up the kiddos after a delicious ice cream! They will also come in handy when you want to cool down. You can use these to wipe your face, neck, arms, etc. Wipes will help you feel refreshed especially using them in between changing your face covering.  

The NEW Normal

These 5 things you need can help keep your family safe now during the “new normal” visits back to Disney World. All of these items can be brought with you at any time for any Disney World vacation! Let’s be honest, there are always a lot of germs at the parks. We must bring face coverings now but hopefully we will not have to keep these on our list for very long or for all our future Disney Vacations. Stay safe friends and have a magical time!

What are some things you bring in your backpack to keep you safe while visiting the parks? What would you like to add to our 5 things you need list? We would love to hear what you bring with you. Come join us over at Disney Express Lane to let us know!

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Disney 101: Doing Family Laundry In Disney World

There are lots of reasons why you may find yourself doing laundry at the parks – from underestimating how many clothes to pack, to luggage delays, to just having a couple of clumsy kids who spill everything.

Personally, I refuse to travel with more than a carry-on suitcase per family member. If we can travel to Europe for 6 weeks with a carry-on each, we can travel to the Disney parks for a week that way, too. While this usually works for us, because I don’t have a lot of back-up clothing packed we do sometimes need to get a quick load in on a pool day.

My friend Vanda swears by doing her laundry at the parks before she returns home. The last thing she wants to worry about after a day of travelling home with the kids is doing several loads of laundry. Plus, she says she prefers the view at Disney World than the view from her laundry room at home. Ha!

Disney Family Laundry

Disney Laundry Locations:

All of the Walt Disney World resorts have laundry facilities conveniently located near the pool areas of your resort. How awesome is that?!

Just throw the clothes in to wash and head to the pool. The days of sitting in a laundromat waiting all day for the laundry is OVER! There is even an app that you can use to check how many machines are available before you leave your hotel room – and you can set it to notify you when your machine is done so you can continue about your day.

Simply log into Laundry View, select your location from the list, and it will show you all of the available and unavailable machines at your chosen laundry room. (I wish they had this technology back when I lived in an apartment building with a single laundry room for the whole building!)

Disney Villas with one or more bedrooms also offer in-room laundry machines.

How to Pay:

All laundry facilities are equipped with a Payment Station. Simply slide your debit, credit or laundry card and select which washer you will be using (they are all numbered). Note that if you don’t want to use your debit or credit cards in the payment stations, you can swing by the front desk of your resort and ask for them to charge a laundry card to your room.

After paying, place your clothes in the washer, add detergent and select the setting of your choice. The washing machine will give you an estimated time of when your clothes will be finished or you can use the laundryview.com app to notify you. Then, do the same thing when it’s time to dry your clothes. (It does take a little longer to dry them, usually about an hour.)

There is also an attendant available who will be happy to assist you. 

Disney Laundry Pricing:

Disney’s washing machines and dryers are a little larger than normal machines, so you can get a few more pieces in a regular load.

Cost for one load of clothes:

• $3.00 for wash
• $3.00 for dryer
• $1.00 for detergents and dryer sheets *we like to bring our own

WALT EXPRESS Tips:

1. Magic bands are needed for entry of laundry facilities.
2. If you brought a stroller with you, use it to help you haul the clothes to the laundry room! No need to lug around tons of clothes.
3. Bring your own detergents and dryer sheets. The pods work great and are very easy to travel with (and yes, you can bring them carry-on through security). *Extra tip: Dryer sheets in the luggage makes clothes extra nice and fresh!
4. Even if you don’t plan on doing laundry at the parks, I swear by bringing a travel laundry bag or collapsible hamper – even if we’re just using it to separate our clean clothes from our dirty clothes on vacation. If you do end up doing laundry, it’s a lot easier to use the bag than try to haul the laundry to the laundry room without!

Valet Laundry Services

Of course, for those who don’t want to do any laundry on vacation but absolutely need their clothes cleaned, Disney offers dry cleaning and valet laundry services.

A price list and laundry bag are located in your resort room’s closet. Call down to housekeeping to have them schedule a pick-up from your room. The last time I looked, a shirt was $6 to be cleaned, a pair of socks were $2.50, etc.

Walt Disney World even makes doing laundry easy. I just wish they would fold and put clothes away…now THAT would be magical! What about you? Do you do laundry while in Walt Disney World?

Do you have tips or tricks that you would like to share? Walt Express would love to hear about them!

For more “Disney 101” information, check out: DISNEY 101: All you need to know!

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