The Most EXPENSIVE Mistakes You Can Make in Disney World

[@Impulse180isaboss]

After watching DFB for the last three or four years and have gone to Disney every year at least once or twice for the last 6 to 7 years, I can confidently say that if you have a big trip with a big family, the best cost-effective thing you can do is not stay at one of the more expensive hotels. My fiancé and I go to Disney for the parks Disney Springs as well as the experience my rule of thumb is as long as wherever I lay my head is clean and safe. It’s good for me. Stay at one of the value hotels if you don’t plan on spending a lot of your time at your hotel, you’ll save tons of money instead of staying at one of the more expensive ones Again that’s just my opinion, but I really think one of the best places you can save money is to stay with in Disney property, but stay at a value hotel!

[@dianebruno4180]

Another tip to think about: check park hours before planning your trip. Let me explain. (This would mainly be useful to those who are going to WDW for a quick trip and are not buying park hopper passes) . A park can close early due to a special park party, for example, Mickeys not so scary Halloween party. If you were planning on visiting MK on one of these days, it would be a waste of a full days tickets because you would have to leave at 6 pm.

[@yl861]

Disney experiences are stressful for the one person commissioned to plan, make reservations, manage time, do the math, and basically be on the phone dawn to dusk. Add up the expensive stuff you're not even able to forsee if non meticulous planning, and the vacation ends up as a glitter covered extension of your regular working days.

[@jackwilkinson4911]

It's only stressful if people don't self-select

[@stacybehrens7152]

I’ve planned several Disney trips. Researching what to do and what room to book took considerable time the first time. Easier once you get the lay of the land after 2-3 trips. Otherwise it was pretty straightforward and mostly online. Gets easier after the admittedly overwhelming first time. It’s also easier if you don’t try to pre-schedule every minute of the trip. That’s a guaranteed recipe for stress. Ask me how I know 😅 I’ve spoken to their customer service over the phone a few times when stuck and they have the best customer service people ever. Only support line I don’t dread calling. And of course DFB was an invaluable resource to figuring out what to worry about.

[@eliseihle4574]

I'm that person and I volunteered as tribute because I love it. I get to steer the ship and it's like beginning the trip early!😊

[@carlad5837]

If you decide to add a park hopper part way through your trip and you only pre-purchased a few days of park tickets is to purchase an additional park day ticket mid trip and add park hopper to that ticket. This way you are not being charged for park hopper on the tickets you already used. It’s a new purchase with an add on. I did this about a year ago and not sure if it is still doable now.

[@amydoran9987]

My son did the Star Wars experience for part of his grad gift. He loved it. He displays it in his room at home.

[@vel0babe]

If you have enough time to rack up the cash back rewards, I HIGHLY recommend getting a Disney VISA card before going. I have had one for years and manage to put about $500 minimum on my rewards card per year and depending on how much I use that card can get back a thousand or more. This card is useable for just about every dining and shopping location, as well as park tickets. I’m going in March and have been ramping up my use of this card (over my other primary card, another rewards card for a different perk) in order to enjoy that cash benefit.

[@deirdrawilson3269]

Yes! I’ve been doing this for years!!

[@RobWagner-uq2rb]

We’re Dollywood fans too! Not only that, but we were there that exact same weekend as you! It wasn’t bad at all on the Saturday before fall break but once Monday & Tuesday hit and the schools were out then it was super busy. We love being able to do both Dollywood and Disney World at different times during the year. Both are amazing park destinations.

[@dfbbreea]

Oh how fun!! Did you see the new Dolly Parton exhibit? I seriously think that was my FAVORITE part of the day!

[@jordannicholson8751]

It's so complicated. We can't just show up and have fun anymore. Plus, it's so expensive that we have to worry about going over budget the whole time. The magic is gone.

[@jackwilkinson4911]

Everything in life has its ups and downs, but that's not what's important. What's really important is which one we think outweighs the other. In my opinion, the positives outweigh the negatives

[@weatheredseeker]

You actually think this is complicated?

[@tvil8]

It IS

[@emily3522]

You can just show up and have fun. I think the issue is that we guilt ourselves for not doing as much as possible because it's soooooo expensive. My personal tip for this, is go 5 years in a row. Do one park per year. Do one year disney springs and volcano bay. Stay off property at a time share resort with fun heated pools. Go in the winter when it's less crowded. I say this as someone who has gone to Disney pretty much every year since 2017

[@jackwilkinson4911]

@@emily3522 I know a little secret to having a truly magical time at Disney World that not even those executives know about. It's not the rides, attractions, or even the parades or fireworks. It's the feeling of just being there. That is what truly makes the place magical. It's just like they say in the Santa Clause movie: "Seeing isn't believing. Believing is seeing"

[@olafpamela]

🤗 Doolywood at Christmas 🥰🎄☃️❄️😂 Thanks for sharing 😃

[@dfbbreea]

I’m a huuuuuge Dollywood girlie now!

[@TheMaxReality]

8:33 people are so mean to the value resorts but it's such a great money saver! Loved All Star Movies when we stayed recently

[@Nflguy4949]

I grew up in the 80’s and LOVE Star Wars. A few years ago we took our kids 12 and 8 yrs old to the build a lightsaber thing. It was crazy expensive and the lightsabers have only been played with a little and mostly sit in the toy closet. As for the experience itself..It’s a waste of money unless you have kids under 11 yrs old. Older kids and adults will most likely find it lame and certainly not worth the expense.

[@IceProphecy-ig2ch]

Huge Dollywood fan! Been going to the parks since 2010. Currently have the Diamond season pass there and going this Sunday! Christmas time is the best for Dollywood with the lights and the shows. I can say that Dollywood is great for people of all ages and tolerances. Great shows for the people who don’t like rides, great multiple roller coaster rides for first roller coasters, rides that are smooth, rides that are jerky, rides that go upside down, rides that go backwards, old times indoor ride that has been around since before Dollywood was Dollywood. Great variety of food, being able to view blacksmithing, glassblowing, leather work, etc. You can create your own knife in blacksmithing and your own ornament in glassblowing. Seeing bald eagles in their sanctuary and seeing other amazing birds while people donate to the sanctuary. Honestly, I’m known for talking about how great Dollywood is. If I ever create a KZbin channel, would probably be about Dollywood

[@BluLightningCos]

Yeaaa we wound up wasting 2 quick services credits each on accident cause we wanted to treat ourselves to a dine-in experience during our recent trip. DON'T SHAME US ;-; lol. We now know that the table service dining plan might be up our alley cause we LOVED the 2 places we picked out :)

[@daoshelr]

ooo which dine-in did you end up going to??

[@megany0510]

I never been to Dollywood but I would LOVE to go!!!

[@dfbbreea]

It’s seriously SO fun!!

[@chloehuang3592]

going to WDW next week from the UK, thanks for those videos xx

[@dfbbreea]

Have so much fun!!

[@jackwilkinson4911]

Thanks for bringing up my comment about travel insurance in the video, AJ. It's not every day I get a mention

[@kpsonicdude]

I've been to Dollywood before. It's a fun park.

[@mela1580]

The incidental hold is a temporary hold, refunded if not used, not a side fee. Every hotel does this.

[@Tx_Girl43]

Technically it’s a side fee on the front end because the money comes out of your account.

[@ronswifee]

Brea, please give us a review/video (or written if that’s your preference ) of Dollywood! My family and I have never had the privilege of going, but hope to in the future. Details please! Maybe Emma from AllEars can do a follow up later after her move too? Whatever fits in with the schedule and is possible would be great! Thank you all so much for all you do. ❤

[@dfbbreea]

Oh, I DEFINITELY know AllEars Emma wants to cover that in the future! We’ve bonded over Dollywood many times!

[@amyturci8807]

Your videos make my life better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@dfbbreea]

Thanks for being here!!

[@marypalmer1027]

We stayed at Widerness Lodge as one of our party snored loudly and there were two rooms with a door between us.

[@marypalmer1027]

We used snack credits on our way out as many snacks are wrapped up and portable.

[@ES-fj7uc]

I just got back from my trip, and I can say from experience, that the Premier Pass was worth it! If you can afford it and it would be beneficial for you, it's worth it. I threw my back out before our trip and it was such a relief to not have to run all over the park trying to make a Lightning Lane time or stand in lines when I physically couldn't. Also I went with my 11 month old and it took the stress out for basically the same reasons. I would recommend it if you can afford it, or budget for it if you think it could be helpful for you!

[@esciteach7997]

it is awesome for those that can afford it; negative is only that at approx. $400 pp, for a family of 4, that is an extra $1600 plus cost of deluxe room (not value.)

[@ES-fj7uc]

@@esciteach7997 you do not have to be at a deluxe hotel to get premier pass. I stayed at all star and was able to buy premier pass.

[@jasantlove]

When can we purchase the Premier Pass? I’m going in February and would like to purchase.

[@esciteach7997]

@@jasantlove remember you must be staying in a DELUXE or higher hotel and 7 days

[@ES-fj7uc]

@@esciteach7997 you do NOT need to be in a deluxe. I stayed at all star movies (a value resort) and was able to purchase premier pass. It's 7 days before the start of your trip for the entire length of your stay up to 14 days

[@HandleHandle233]

20:47 what is that and where do I get it?!🥰🥰🥰

[@crabbypapa3862]

You go to the eating place that you don't have reservations for and request to be put on a wait list. In 2021 at Be our Guest a group was told that they had to remain a certain distance from the entrance, be able to come back within 10 minutes or the next group would be allowed in. Don't be in a hour standby line at Pirates of the Caribbean if you are not willing to leave to go eat.

[@SeilahFeliciano]

Quick question Is there a Disney bus schedule so we know what time to arrive at our stop? We will be staying at Coronado springs..

[@SeilahFeliciano]

Thank you AJ❤☺

[@jljordan1]

And that light saber with the “light” doesn’t fit in luggage!

[@marissar625]

How do you get it home!!

[@rayjd1650]

​@@marissar625 you can get it shipped home in your resort. I took mine into the resort shop and had just had to fill out a form and pay for the shipping fee.

[@peytonperry2674]

We had ours shipped home and it broke in shipping (wouldn't light up when received) and Disney never even replaced it so we have a really expensive nonworking saber now 🥲

[@nickpavlidis5735]

When I went to Disney World, I thought of taking less clothes so that I could buy new clothes, but found that there more expensive there. I did find a good deal by buying 2 shirts for $50.00.

[@veronica10130]

I have a magic band from 2018 (my last disney trip) will it still be valid when I hit the parks this fall 2025?

[@barbaradoolin8856]

yes, i have magic bands that I have used from years ago. make sure you've link in the my disney experience app

[@veronica10130]

@@barbaradoolin8856great thanks for the info!

[@claveauannie]

Yes, basic magic band are the best.

[@michellekelly5522]

Battery probably won't work so it may not have all functions.

[@iamazombiezombiesarefun5533]

What do you do if you are in the art of animation hotel

[@KapuaKuheana]

now i need this for disneyLand

[@josephconnor5312]

We had credits leftover, purchased a load of chocolate mickey coins and gave them away 😊

[@jasminemacdonald7425]

I think you can order a magicband to your room?

[@dqueen7306]

What's worse crowd wise: mid/late March (Canadian spring break) or the Christmas break?Thanks for another great video!

[@claveauannie]

Christmas break because the majority of people have Christmas vacations, but spring break are on different dates depending of the state or country.

[@ejohannesen34]

Christmas is the craziest time I’ve ever been but we still had a great time and are planning to go next Christmas as well.

[@laurah1836]

AJ, can you suggest travel insurance companies to explore? We are planning to take a Disney World trip towards the end of 2025. This would be a huge expense for us. We have never bought travel insurance before but I think in this might be a good idea for this trip. Appreciate any advice.

[@somibonne1716]

Travel guard is excellent.

[@ChrisA426]

#1 - Going.

[@kellyoyen3421]

Way does Spaceship Earth look like it wearing a pirate hat and glasses?

[@macewindu9100]

they're encouraging people

[@kellyoyen3421]

@macewindu9100 ok

[@christopherpisman8046]

I like to disagree on the resort hotels being basically the same. Have stayed at value resort and years ago a moderate and more recently multiple stays at deluxe. They are in no way the same experience. It would be like saying that a Motel 6 = Hyatt which is not even close to the same type of room. This is just my thought on the subject. While I usually only have been to Disney world a hand full of times have to say the last 3 times and coming up on 4th have all been deluxe. The 2 trips prior were moderate level and value. Can see that maybe for a family that is trying to cut budget to stay at value but to even insinuate that the experience is identical is a disservice.

[@mertcanhacfazloglu4862]

Paying for premium pass Paying for single lightning lane

[@womenofthefuture1845]

Really just book a good neigbour hotel - all the benefits of a disney hotel at a fraction of the price

[@SamSitar]

they should let you renew magic bands so you can keep the same one.

[@vincelarsen8809]

U can

[@BigStevo_6]

Whatever you THINK you are going to spend, increase that amount by 50-100%. Trust me!

[@elizabethw.6154]

I still think it's pretty rotten of Disney to make you pay for park hoppers of your PAST days of you decided to add it part way thru your trip. It should be per day, but then it's price gauging Disney rn 👎.

[@lcflngn]

Agreed. Park hoppers seem like big cash grabs. I don’t get the point of them. There’s so much to do in every place!

[@weatheredseeker]

You get a discount per ticket based on number of tickets. You can't change only part of a bulk deal. So it's just how it is.

[@jackwilkinson4911]

Then, make sure you decide to add a park hopper sooner rather than later. Or, if you're not going to do any park hopping at all, be absolutely sure you won't change your mind

[@Jen-Fo]

🧡🧡

[@Adaranova]

❤

[@kellyoyen3421]

I just got done with work. Only 58 minutes of work. My niece Hudsyn got first place twice on Saturday for gymnastics. I had an AWESOME time at the fire department and EMS Christmas party Saturday night and now I'm going to watch today's video

[@thegorillatagnoob1989]

I LOVE DOLLYWOOD

[@dfbbreea]

ME TOOOOOOOOO

[@sunshinewalker6074]

Skip the Magic Kingdom. Lines are actually 2-1/2 hours.for rides and after being in line 30-45 mins they come and tell you the ride is shut down. $1,000 PER DAY for that? They have this new thing called lightning pass line. It cost double. Regular line is called " stand by" like you don't really belong there but if someone who paid $2,000 per day doesn't feel like riding, maybe you get on the ride after waiting for the lightning pass people to get on and off the ride. Tron 3 hours wait time. All the rides broke down at some point throughout the day. All of them, even the Steam Train.

[@tgyo99]

Travel insurance, like all insurance is a scam

[@crabbypapa3862]

Not wanting or needing a lightsaber, I was privileged to be allowed with my daughter and grandson while he built his 'piece of junk'. The experience was Amazing!

[@stacybehrens7152]

Savi’s Workshop is good fun. Yeah the lightsabers are disappointingly cheap, heavy, and not very well made. And expensive for what you get. But it was a fun thing to do once. But I probably wouldn’t do it again. You can get better quality lightsabers elsewhere so you really are just doing it for the experience.

[@charlie3655]

The most expensive mistake is going to Disney now, the prices increases since 2019 have been ridiculous. We are not going to visit Disney next year and just sticking to Universal and Seaworld parks unless there is a sudden price drop, first trip in 8 that we will not be visiting Disney as we are disgusted with the price increases and the cost cutting. They are destroying the magic!!!!!

[@cathinieto39]

The most expensive mistake you can make is going to Disney in the first place.

[@stacybehrens7152]

If Disney isn’t your thing you know you don’t have to go. I’m puzzled by people who watch DFBs super helpful and well made videos about getting the most out of a Disney vacation with the goal of hating on Disney in the comments. Do you really have nothing better to do?

[@cathinieto39]

@stacybehrens7152 I actually LOVE Disney! I just hate how expensive it has become. I'm allowed to express my thoughts just as you are.

[@davidmenard5906]

First?

[@stenioal]

What isn't a robbery in these parks? Going is accepting being made a fool of! 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@Groegselmaschupp]

The most expensive mistake: Go there!

[@helenebassin7401]

AJ - PLEASE slow down!!!! The information in your videos is so very helpful but rushing through Brea's script is hard to process. Another minute or two it would take to make the videos would be okay!!!! Thanks!!

[@KatelynxXxAngel]

You can change the play back speed and slow it down if that helps at all

[@helenebassin7401]

@@KatelynxXxAngel AJ has been rushing through her videos for many, many years. I have called this out to her attention so often to no avail. If she gets too hard to follow along, I just delete the video.

[@macewindu9100]

The most expensive mistake you can make in Walt Disney World is going.

[@R32R38]

Note also that Disney hotels do not charge "resort fees" unlike many other hotels. Those can really add up.

[@danielvandersall6756]

Honestly I've always figured that the fees are factored in to the Disney prices. But if you're looking for an inexpensive option in the area, beware. The price they advertise is NOT what you will be paying a night once the fees are added in. Finish your order and before you pay see how much the price changes. Not to get political, but the leadership in Florida, I expect, will be adding even more fees to make every penny they can.

[@lcflngn]

Good reminder, thx!