Five tips for things to avoid at Disney World
When we make our family trips to Orlando, I try to treat it like an improvisation exercise… everything is “yes, and.” We spend so much of our time in the real world having to say no to a wide variety of things for a wide variety of purposes, that at Disney I try to remove the word “no” from my vocabulary as much as possible.
That doesn’t always work out the way I want. We’ve had trips where the budget didn’t allow for certain extravagances, but I made sure to communicate with the kids beforehand what was and wasn’t on the table, and then I made as much allowance for the things that really caught their heart whether it be a sit-down meal instead of quick service or a particular souvenir.
But as I approach the 50th anniversary of my own first trip to Disney, there are things I’ve learned that we’re better off saying “no” to. Some of the lessons are hard-earned and some are just kind of common sense we’ve acquired through trial and error.
Now, these are our recommendations. If something on this list is near to your heart, or a must do every trip, great. We’re not here to yuk anyone’s yum, so to speak.
We’re just here, offering some advice. And, as with everything, there are exceptions. We will try to duly note those as we can.
IN THIS ARTICLE
Top five things not to do in Disney World
1. No in park character dining
There are a lot of good reasons to skip in-park character dining. Some of them have to do with time allocation and planning. There are only so many hours in your vacation inside the parks. So why pay for an extra experience on top of the ticket you already bought when you could do it outside the park—and use that time for things you’ve already paid for, like riding rides, seeing shows, or meeting characters?
The truth is, most of the character dining experience outside the parks – at the various Disney resorts – are better than the ones within. Plus, you can visit other Disney resorts and explore more of the Disney World campus at a more leisurely pass.
Our current best practice for character dining is either for dinner on arrival day – after using the free water park benefit – doing character dining on our break/resort/pool day – also when we do our souvenir shopping – or on our departure day. A good character breakfast at Chef Mickey’s or Ohana’s can take the sting out of re-entering the real world, at least a little.
Now, there are exceptions. If you’ve never eaten at Cinderella’s Royal Table, you probably should. Especially, if you have a princess obsessed child. Keep in mind reservations are hard to get and a bank loan may be required.
Seriously, that place is expensive.
But is it worth it to see your kids’ eyes light up when they get to go up in the castle and meet the princesses? Yeah, probably.
But you should also prepare yourself for disappointment.
While our oldest daughter was enthralled with the magic, our youngest didn’t have quite the same reaction. She was a hungry little thing and couldn’t be bothered to stop her meal to visit with the princesses. That bill is sobering under the best of circumstances but when you pay $400+ for your kid to eat finger foods and look upon a variety of Disney princesses with an air of ennui? You really question your life’s choices.
2. No Lightning Lane Multi Pass in Animal Kingdom
This may change when the Tropical Americas renovations are underway but for right now, there is NO reason to purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass at the Animal Kingdom.
I would still purchase Individual Lightning Lane for Avatar Flight of Passage, but once that is secured, you really shouldn’t need Multi Pass for the rest of the park. Especially, if you’re there for rope drop and have access to early Magic Hours.
The wait times at Expedition Everest and DINOSAUR (closing February 2026) are usually manageable throughout the day. We hit Na’vi River Journey at Rope Drop and then go straight to Kilimanjaro Safaris followed up Expedition Everest.
With a little luck, you can ride all of Animal Kingdom’s rides in the morning and use your Lightning Lane for Flight of Passage when it comes up. In the afternoon, you can catch the shows, see some animals, and go back for more rides all without giving Disney any more of your hard-earned money than you had to.
3. No dining plan
I do not get the allure of the Disney Dining Plan. If you crunch the numbers, there is little to no savings for most Disney visitors unless you make a concerted effort to target the most expensive meals and drinks.
Do you have kids in your party? You’re losing money on the dining plan. There aren’t enough chicken nuggets and soft drinks in the world to make it make sense. I’ve heard people talk about the convenience of it, but when I’m in the park I’m using my Magic Band pretty efficiently. I don’t know how much easier the dining plan is, but it can’t be THAT much, right?
Think of it this way. Is Disney – especially in this current iteration – ever in the business of losing money. Even the various deals and vacation packages are just loss leaders to get you on park, spending more. If Disney guests were saving lots of money on the dining plan, Disney would adjust price or kill it quickly.
4. No Rainforest Cafe
As a member of Gen X who thought Hard Rock Cafes were the epitome of cool, I get the allure of a good theme restaurant.
And the Rainforest Cafe looks like it would be fun.
With two locations on Disney property – one at Disney Springs and one at Animal Kingdom – they must be doing very well.
But after the novelty wears off?
You’re left with a very Applebee’s experience sitting next to a plastic elephant head. Now, there are part of the restaurant where it seems the characters are a little more active, but if you get sat in a boring spot? It’s all very meh.
5. No All-Star resorts during school trip season
The All-Star Resorts are great – as long as you have a family of four or less. They’re fun, somewhat affordable and provide a lot of the inside the Disney bubble experience that you want on your vacation.
However, during the school trip season in which Disney hosts a variety of band, cheerleading and other groups, life at the All-Star Resorts can get a little too interesting. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with groups of middle school and high school kids enjoying a group trip to Disney.
It’s just that, well, remember what you and your friends were like as middle schoolers? As high schoolers? Now multiply that by a few hundred even thousand more and imagine the ensuing chaos of overwhelmed chaperones battling an amorphous sea of underdeveloped decision making.
It’s not that the kids are bad or even wrong – though sometimes they are. It’s just that they’re kids and there’s so many of them. I think it’s great for them to come and celebrate their skills and hang out with hundreds more with similar interests.
It’s a reward for their hard work. And that’s great. But during that time, I think it’s best if they have their space and I have mine. Preferably, I’ll be at one of the moderate resorts like Caribbean Beach or Port Orleans.
