We Visit Disney Parks Weekly. You Really Don’t Want to Forget These 10 Things During Your Disney Vacation.

There is a lot of work that goes into planning a Disney trip, but even with a great deal of preparation and bullet-proof strategy, it's easy to forget some small details that can end up being important. Forgetting a few minor things could change the tone of your vacation, and some of these you may not even think of until the moment is upon you mid-trip.

Here are the things that people commonly forget about on their Disney trip that can make all of the difference, from neglecting to bring that “just-in-case” item to forgetting to carve out time for a mid-day break. For more details on what you should bring to the parks, be sure to see our full Disneyland packing list and Disney World packing list to make sure you have all of the essentials. We visit Disney frequently, but even we have made the mistake of forgetting some of these things in the past and really regretted it!

Let's dive into the 10 things you won't want to forget during your Disney trip. This list will cover multiple areas you may not be thinking about in regard to how to structure your day, kids, dining, and what to wear and bring to the parks.

1. Checking Height Restrictions Before Your Trip

Don't forget to check the height requirements for rides before your trip! For your kids, there's nothing quite like the disappointment of being promised they can go on a ride and then realizing at the entrance that they're not tall enough. Especially if it's your first time visiting or if your child is in an in-between zone where they may be just on the verge of the height requirement but you're not sure, it's better to measure them ahead of your trip so you know the rides they can and can't go on.

Don't forget to do this, as you'll be able to develop a firmer strategy for the rides you'll be prioritizing and prepare your kids ahead of time for the rides they can't go on yet. See our guides to the Disneyland height requirements and Disney World height requirements for everything you need to know!

2. Bringing “Just-In-Case” Items—Advil, Bandaids, etc.

During your Disney trip, it's important to make sure you have a park bag with all of the essentials that you may need throughout your vacation. However, people will often come prepared with the basics and then realize they need something important that they could have packed in advance.

There are plenty of smaller items that could come in handy during your vacation, but you may not even think of them until you end up needing them. While it's important not to go overboard with these “just-in-case” items, they could end up contributing dramatically to your comfort and overall park experience.

We have a look at all of these easy to forget items on our packing list.

For example, if you know that you're prone to blisters easily or that your kids may take a tumble, it's worth it to bring bandaids so that you can have these at the ready. I personally always make sure to bring Advil because my back will sometimes start hurting halfway through the day at the parks. Things like Tums or Pepto Bismol, Kleenex, aloe vera for sunburns, hand sanitizer, etc. can all end up being useful throughout the day. It's worth it to think ahead on what you may realistically need at the parks and pack some of these items just in case.

3. Bringing a Portable Charger

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One of the most common things we mention that you shouldn't forget on your Disney trip is a portable charger. You use your phone for several things throughout the day at Disney, especially the Disneyland or My Disney Experience app to check wait times, book Lightning Lane reservations, place mobile orders, etc. Your phone battery can drain really quickly (even more so on underground rides), so having a way to charge your phone is crucial. You do not want a dead phone at Disney! See why you should be using Airplane Mode on your phone during your day.

We recommend the Anker PowerCore 10000 which is small, lightweight, and holds 3-4 phone charges. This is truly a lifesaver for keeping your phone charged and we recommend buying one so you can bring it to the parks for future trips. During my visit to Disneyland on Star Wars Nite, I forgot mine and was already regretting it within a few hours when I saw how quickly my phone charge was draining. You can get a FuelRod at Disneyland or a FuelRod at Disney World if you forget to bring a charger.

4. Noting Where You Parked Your Car

With Disney's vast parking lots and garages, it can be easy to forget where you parked your car. When you're in a rush to get out of the car, you may think you'll remember only to find yourself in a tricky situation when you return. You can take a picture of where you parked, drop a pin in your car's location, or use the Car Locator feature available on the Disney Parks apps.

Disneyland and Disney World both offer a Car Locator feature on the app that allows you to easily note where you parked your car. After parking, you can go to the “More” menu (3 lines) and tap “Car Locator,” then you can manually fill in the details or enable Location Services to have the app fill in details for you.

See our guides to Disneyland parking and Disney World parking for an overview of the options that are available and everything else you need to know!

5. Checking Ride Closures Before Your Trip

In the planning phase before your trip, don't forget to check ride closures before your visit! You don't want to show up ready to experience your favorite ride only to realize that it's under refurbishment. Some rides can be closed for seasonal refurbishments, while others may be down for shorter maintenance or more extensive work. It's important to look at these ahead of time so that you know what to expect and can plan your trip accordingly. Knowing which rides are down can also impact your rope drop strategy in the mornings.

See our guides to Disneyland refurbishments and Walt Disney World refurbishments for everything you need to know about current ride closures.

6. Taking a Break

When you're planning a day at Disney jam-packed with rides, entertainment, and attractions, it can be easy to forget a mid-day break. this is one of the biggest rookie mistakes that visitors can make, and a break is something you'll want to make time for especially if you're traveling with younger kids or toddlers. While the impulse is to make big plans for your day so that you fit in everything you want to do and see, exhaustion will often start to set in mid-day.

To avoid any meltdowns from little ones and make sure that everyone is feeling rested and recharged enough to enjoy the evening activities, don't forget to carve out time for a short break from the action. You can find a quiet spot in the parks, or if it's feasible, go back to your hotel to take a nap or a swim in the pool. See a list of our favorite quiet spots at Disneyland!

7. Establishing a Meeting Point for Kids

Don't forget to establish a meeting point for the family at the start of the day. Decide on a meeting place within the parks, then physically walk your kids there so that they remember it. Make sure it's specific enough to be an exact spot that they can recognize rather than a broad area they can get confused by. Also, when you enter the park, introduce your child to a Cast Member so that they can see their badges and know who to go to for help in case they get separated from you.

It's worth remembering this step at the beginning of the day. See our full guide on Disneyland lost children and Disney World lost children for tips to avoid losing kids at Disney.

8. Accounting for Transportation Time

You can have your rope-drop strategy planned to a tee, but if you forget to account for the transportation time that it will take to get from your hotel to the parks, it really can throw the start of your day off. It's important to factor an appropriate amount of transportation time into your plan so that you don't end up running late and losing valuable park time.

This is especially important for navigating Disney World, as it can take some time to get around the bigger resort. Decide ahead of time whether you'll be utilizing the Walt Disney World-operated transportation, taking an Uber/Lyft, etc. so that you know how much time you'll need to carve out. We always recommend setting aside more time than you think you'll need in case you are running behind or something unexpected comes up.

At Disneyland, it's a little easier to pinpoint the amount of time you'll need to get from your hotel to the resort. You have a few options to get to Disneyland whether you take the ART Shuttle, an Uber/Lyft, or walk. Many of the hotels in Anaheim are within quick walking distance of Disneyland, but you'll still want to plan ahead to see approximately how long the walk will take and set aside some time for getting through security.

9. Making Dining Reservations In Advance and Canceling the Ones You Won't Be Attending

If you have your heart set on dining at a particularly popular restaurant, you need to be ready to make dining reservations right when the window opens 60 days in advance! Don't wait to make reservations, as you'll regret it if you wait until closer to your trip and see that the restaurants you are interested in are booked up. If you already have the date of your trip locked in, we recommend setting a reminder for yourself so that you're ready to book at the first opportunity.

If you find yourself planning a trip right now and don't have a reservation, see our top tips for getting dining reservations at Disneyland and how to get last-minute Disney World dining reservations for everything you need to know.

On a similar note, don't forget to cancel any Disney dining reservations that you won't be attending to avoid a penalty. If you forget to cancel and are a no-show, you will be charged a per-person cancellation fee. You can see the cancellation policy for each restaurant when you book. As soon as you know for sure that you won't be making a reservation, we recommend canceling it right away so you don't forget to do it later.

10. Bringing Layers to the Parks

Lastly, don't forget to bring layers to the parks! We always suggest checking the weather before your trip so that you have a good sense of what kind of clothes you should be packing. Temperatures can fluctuate throughout the day, and having layers that you can put on and take off as needed can help keep you comfortable.

While weather conditions will vary throughout the year (see our guide to Walt Disney World weather by month and Disneyland weather by month for everything you need to know), layers are always going to be useful in the evenings and mornings when the temperatures are cooler or when indoors in air-conditioned spaces. We recommend bringing a sweatshirt that you can put on when needed and tie around your waist or keep in your backpack when it gets warmer. You won't want to forget to bring layers to the parks, as they are key to staying comfortable throughout the entire day!

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