Every Walt Disney World fan has a bucket list, but the smart ones also have lists of things we’ll never do again. This isn’t like our list of easy first-timer mistakes. Rather, these are things we’ve done and said to one another: “Wow, that was stupid on our part. Let’s avoid it at all costs in the future.”
Truthfully, there are very few things at Walt Disney World that we’d never do again. Our bucket lists far longer than our “never again” lists, because most things at Walt Disney World are worth of a second chance. Menus at restaurants change, hotels are overhauled, and attractions are tweaked or re-imagined over time.
In fact, since we originally published this a few years ago, a lot has changed. Perhaps we should take the immortal words of celebrated thinker Justin Bieber to heart and “never say never.” Thankfully, Walt Disney World tends to listen to guest feedback and correct mistakes and experiences that score poorly on guest satisfaction surveys. Over the years, we’ve had to remove several things from this list because we’ve done them again (sometimes inadvertently or not by choice) and had dramatically different–and better–experiences…
To that point, we’ve removed different entries from the list:
- Dinner at Chef Mickey’s – We have a daughter now. There isn’t a single character meal at Walt Disney World that we won’t be doing in the near future. With that said, we revisited breakfast at Chef Mickey’s and it exceeded expectations. So maybe we’ll just stick to that and continue avoiding dinner?
- New Year’s Eve at Magic Kingdom – The last two times we did NYE or December 30 (basically the same) at Magic Kingdom, it went far better than expected. Crowds aren’t nearly as bad as they used to be, and usually peak earlier in the week.
- All Stars During Youth Sports – I’ve stayed at All Star Sports during two youth events (couldn’t pass up the price, even if I knew I was playing with fire) and it honestly wasn’t that bad. You still might want to avoid the All Stars during these events, but it’s no longer a “never again” for us–especially now that Pop Warner is gone from Walt Disney World.
- Step Foot in Dino-Rama – It’s extinct.
- Tomorrowland Speedway – We have a daughter now–one who loves cars and pretending to drive. Uh oh.
Another thing to note is that this list only covers things that are within our control to never do again at Walt Disney World. Over the years, the company has made the “choice” for us, by eliminating a lot of things that we’d otherwise love to do again. We’ve taken our final ride on Disney’s Magical Express and redeemed our last FastPass.
Those are things we will technically never do again at Walt Disney World, but are very much not in the spirit of this list, which is more like “NEVER AGAIN!” What won’t we do again at Walt Disney World? Here are the top 10+ things…
TODDLER TIME BONUS: Two Queen Beds – When it was just the two of us, we’d book whichever standard room type was cheapest. This often meant getting two queen beds, which was perfectly fine. We had a queen bed at home for the longest time and it was plenty of space. The other bed could be used as a workspace or where one of us unpacks their suitcase.
This does not work with a crib added to the mix. I think this is where the phrase, two’s company, three’s a crowd, was born. If you have two queen beds plus a crib (and other baby stuff), the room becomes virtually unnavigable. We never really took room size or floor space into consideration, as every resort was fine for just the two of us. Holy cow does adding one small human to the mix change the equation! It’s king rooms exclusively for us…for now.
Honestly, it feels like this is already ‘evolving’ again. That our best option is queen rooms that have a second bed that folds down from the wall and converts into a table or sofa. This is doubly true as Megatron will soon graduate to a regular bed, making the space-saving two queen arrangement the optimal one. Regardless, the two standard queen bed arrangement is two cramped–we need the convertible room for extra space.
TODDLER TIME BONUS: Split Stays – Honestly, it pains me to include this. I love split stays and this blog has advocated them for so long. All the while, parents have questioned our sanity, and now that we have a toddler of our own, we completely get it.
When traveling solo for research trips, I can pack up a hotel room in under 10 minutes. When it was just the two of us, the time was a tad higher than that. With a toddler, it’s much longer–packing is two steps forward, one step backwards on repeat. Other moving pieces of switching hotels just makes it way more trouble than it’s worth with a small child. This was one of the Biggest Lessons Learned on Baby Bricker’s Christmas 2025 Trip to Walt Disney World.
We still love split stays for a number of reasons, and recommend them to solo travelers and couples (especially those who pack light). We’ll absolutely do them again in the future once the logistics are easier, but for us for now, split stays are a no-go.
TODDLER TIME BONUS: Resorts Under Unavoidable Construction – We usually aren’t too fazed by construction at Walt Disney World, not even on the hotel side where it seems like there are perpetual projects at some resorts. A simple room request usually works wonders.
That’s still mostly our perspective, but after our Holiday Hotel Horror Stories at Walt Disney World, we will definitely be a little less cavalier about the unavoidable or all-encompassing projects. In particular, anything involving the lobby at a resort where the rooms radiate from the lobby, or any future projects at the tower-style hotels where everything is under one roof.
Note that this only applies while we’re traveling with a toddler and when it comes to unavoidable projects. We’d have zero hesitation to stay at Port Orleans Riverside between now and 2027 during its room overhauls, but would avoid the A-frame of the Contemporary if the Grand Canyon Concourse were redone. It’s a case-by-case basis.
10. Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along – This is a tricky one. We came of age during the Disney Renaissance and are huge fans of Beauty and the Beast as a result. On top of that, we’re new parents who cannot wait to share the movie with our daughter.
However, we also hate the Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along with the fiery passion of a thousand burning suns. I’ll spare you that rant again, but there’s a reason the Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along is dead last on our rankings of all 87 attractions at Walt Disney World. It’s worse than the worst direct-to-video sequel, and even the authors of bad fanfic could’ve penned a better script.
For us, this is a delicate needle to thread–making Megatron a big fan of Beauty and the Beast, while preventing her from ever learning of this atrocious show’s existence. One of my big fears is that we will succeed at the first, but fail at the second…which is a recipe for disaster.
Instead of never doing this show again, we will do it every single time we visit EPCOT. It’ll become the attraction we do more than anything else at Walt Disney World. Our frequent viewership alone will single-handedly prop up guest utilization numbers and inadvertently help keep this show around. We will become the villains.
9. Magic Kingdom on ‘Red Flag’ Days During Party Season – Magic Kingdom crowd dynamics during Party Season have been one of the key discussion points of our August through December crowd calendars for several years.
We’ve strongly recommended readers visit Magic Kingdom during the day on Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party nights, and Park Hop elsewhere around 4 pm. Conversely, we’ve recommended avoiding Magic Kingdom on non-party days.
There’s an added wrinkle to this from mid-October through December, Party Season “expands” from 2-3 days per week to 3-4 days per week. This results in some 4-5 days stretches when Magic Kingdom is only one until 10 pm or 11 pm once, and closes early all other nights. This creates major problems, especially on Main Street, as there are several days of crowds consolidated into a single date by virtue of those concentrated 6 pm closings.
If you do make the mistake of going–perhaps even on purpose as you want to see Magic Kingdom at night and it’s your only option–at least heed this one piece of advice: stay far away from Main Street before, during, and after Happily Ever After and Starlight Night Parade! Seriously. It can get downright uncomfortable and feel unsafe.
8. Lightning Lane Multi-Pass at Animal Kingdom – Let’s just say that there’s a reason why Animal Kingdom is now the “cheapest” park for Lightning Lane Multi-Pass. We beg of you: do not be fooled by this. It’s not actually a deal if it’s something you don’t need!
Even on busier days, you do not need LLMP at Animal Kingdom with even a scintilla of strategizing. This is discussed in countless posts, including in our Best Time-Saving Strategies for Walt Disney World, which says all you need to know for DAK is “don’t go during the middle of the day and stand in long lines.”
Seriously, that’s about it. Arriving early or staying late work perfectly fine for beating the crowds because most guests still treat it like a half-day park and attendance is significantly lower at Animal Kingdom than any other park at Walt Disney World.
As a result, a lower advertised base price for Lightning Lanes at Animal Kingdom is almost meaningless. This is especially true on days when Animal Kingdom is under $20–crowd levels are never bad enough on those dates to justify LLMP in the first place!
There’s one big exception to this, which is strategic Park Hopping. Some Lightning Lane power users might be able to leverage LLMP at DAK by pairing it with another park, savvy strategy, and a strong refresh game!
7. Pinocchio Village Haus Lunch Rush – We covered this one in Magic Kingdom’s Biggest Love-Hate Restaurant. After a fast and furious morning racing through Fantasyland, it’s common for kids and parents alike to hit a wall, needing food immediately or risking a meltdown. Enter Pinocchio Village Haus. Literally, they all enter Pinocchio Village Haus because it’s the nearest restaurant when the clock is ticking on a nuclear meltdown.
The core demographic of Pinocchio Village Haus during the midday rush is “hangry families that are 90 seconds to midnight on the WDW Doomsday Clock.” This is exactly why merely mentioning it can send shudders down the spine of longtime fans. We’ve almost all been there, with the war stories to tell about Pinocchio Village Haus and eerily similar not-so-fond memories of the restaurant.
Pinocchio Village Haus is the most infamous Magic Kingdom large-scale eatery, but it’s a similar story with the other high-capacity counter service restaurants. We’ve wandered aimlessly at Cosmic Ray’s trying to find a table and had people literally run into us rounding corners at Pecos Bills. The moral of the story is not to avoid these restaurants entirely–as they each have redeeming qualities–but to not do it during the lunch rush when it’s bonkers. Go early or late to save your time and sanity.
6. Pandora, Star Wars or Toy Story Lands Midday – There are a few components to this. First is crowds, which are always chaotic and take away from enjoying the lands. These lands have a lot of fun details, but when they’re packed with people, the crowds impede anyone’s ability to truly soak up these lands.
Long lines during the middle of the day certainly don’t help. This isn’t just triple-digit waits for the attractions, either. Walkways and shops become congested, and it’s more difficult to see everything as a result. Good luck meeting the Mandalorian and Baby Yoda or trying to find a table at Woody’s Lunch Box!
Second, you’re running a risk if rain is in the forecast. These lands are large and have few indoor escapes if the weather takes a turn for the worse. Adding insult to injury, they are a bit isolated from the rest of their respective parks. In short, if it starts raining in either and you’re not already inside, you will get wet. Your options for quickly ducking indoors are limited if not nonexistent.
Finally, there’s the simple reality that these lands are best at the beginning and end of the day. Pandora’s bioluminescence and organic life comes alive in the evening, and it truly feels like another planet. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has a spooky and serene sense to it, except in the marketplace where a variety of beautiful light fixtures give added texture and depth to everything. Toy Story Land’s cartoonish quality is even more exaggerated, with show lighting and popcorn lights adding even more vibrance to the land.
5. Summit Plummet – Despite my claim for years that I’m good on this, when we visited Blizzard Beach this year, I did Summit Plummet again. Almost as soon as it began, the realization washed over me like water that I had made a terrible mistake. To borrow the immortal words of Roger Murtaugh: I’m too old for this slide.
This is the only attraction on this list, and the reason for that is that we think people should judge attractions for themselves, because everyone has different preferences. (For example, there are probably a few of you who don’t like Country Bear Jamboree. That’s fine–some people don’t like masterpieces like The Godfather and Citizen Kane, either.)
For me, Summit Plummet at Blizzard Beach water park is something that’s moderately enjoyable and I’m glad it exists, because it looks really cool and is a great water slide concept…but once was enough. From the insanely long line to the feeling of pure terror to the crazy wedgie, I’m good on it for one lifetime. Actually, I’ll probably do it when I’m 65, against my better judgment once more, just to feel young and reckless again. 😉
4. “Improperly Pack” – This is somewhat of a blanket statement because it’s a mistake I’ve made repeatedly in different ways. Basically, I have a propensity to simultaneously under and over-pack, and bring clothing for the weather I want rather than the weather that’s actually forecast.
For example, I have a tendency to pack shorts and polos for winter trips–a mistake I’ve made as recently as last year, even despite having written our Winter Packing Tips for Disney. For early fall trips, I’ve been known to bring jeans and button-downs, even when the weather is still sweltering. Beyond that, I leave behind practical items I end up missing to avoid overpacking, while bringing pointless stuff “just in case” that I never use.
Unfortunately, I don’t have an elephant-caliber memory…or I try to convince myself that “it’ll be different this time” (for reasons unknown), only to have history repeat itself. In other words, I say this is a mistake I’ll never make again…but I almost certainly will. Fortunately, there’s now a UNIQLO at Disney Springs, and that store has bailed me out many times!
3. Food & Wine Festival on a Weekend – We want to start out by saying that we really enjoy Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival…but we don’t love it on weekends. Ever been to a UCF frat party? Well, if you answered “no”, it’s not too late!
Weekend evenings are prime time for college students with disposable incomes to descend upon the Festival to get sloshed. For them, it sure beats drinking Old Style in a dank basement (like we did in college), but that atmosphere plus the huge crowds can make this the least pleasant time to be at Food & Wine Festival.
Weekdays during the festival are far more enjoyable. It’s also far more enjoyable to attend Food & Wine in mid-November when the temperatures and humidity are more bearable, but we invariably attend in September because that’s usually when we visit for Halloween.
BONUS: Italy Booth – If not “required” for the sake of research, we’d never do the Italy booth at any festival ever again. The kiosk is notorious for high prices, elementary school cafeteria-inspired cuisine, and just a startling lack of ambition. If you enjoy paying $10 for a sample-sized version of microwaved TV dinners, Italy is a great option. If not, stay far away.
2. Rainforest Cafe – How this restaurant still has multiple locations around the United States, much less multiple locations in Walt Disney World, defies logic. The food is awful, and the ambiance reminds me of 1980s-relic ShowBiz Pizza Place, but “modernized” for the 1990s and devoid of character/charm.
The dark cloud that hangs over Rainforest Cafe almost extended to cast a shadow over T-Rex Cafe for me. Fortunately, I gave that a chance because dinosaurs, and was pleasantly surprised. If you are thinking, “but our kids love Rainforest Cafe!” consider taking them to T-Rex instead.
1. Leave Early – Nighttime is when the parks come alive with beautiful lighting and enchanting ambiance. It’s also when the weather starts to cool and lines start to die down. From a practical perspective, nights are now more advantageous than mornings, with lower wait times in the last couple of hours of the night than in the first couple hours after rope drop.
On top of that, one of my favorite “attractions” is strolling through World Showcase after Epcot’s fireworks end, just soaking up the ambiance, listening to the music, and seeing the stunning architecture. I’d rather do this for an hour than spend 8 daylight hours in the park. Same goes for wandering along the Rivers of America in Magic Kingdom or being bathed in the neon glow of Tomorrowland.
BONUS: Sleep In – We stress this so much on the blog that it’s probably becoming cliche. However, it’s good advice–especially if you’re staying on-site and are eligible for Early Entry. There’s no better way to beat the crowds at most parks. Basically, we would never not be tired at Walt Disney World again. Well, that’s not true–midday naps are a game-changer if you can manage them.
Beyond a couple of other restaurants that are blacklisted (for now) and attractions we avoid for personal reasons, but that’s about it. Hopefully you can learn from some of our mistakes…or find solace in knowing that we have made these same mistakes as you. Think of this as a support group for those who have been awoken by loud construction at off-hours or who have dropped $200 on a family “dinner” at Rainforest Cafe. Share your own “NEVER AGAIN!” items in the comments–venting can be therapeutic!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
What things at Walt Disney World would you never do again? Is any restaurant, resort, or ride beyond redemption for you? Any time of year you’d never visit? Do you agree or disagree with our list? Would you do any of these things again? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!