While I was making my No-No list for Disney, I asked my 9-year-old what he would add to the list. His first piece of advice is not to eat kuru before riding a roller coaster.
While this is certainly solid advice for those of us who weren’t born with bellies of steel, it’s far from the only thing you shouldn’t do at a Disney park if you want to have fun. And Watch out for your fellow Disney citizens!
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Not only should these tips help you save money at Disney, they can also save you from getting kicked out of the park and preventing you from visiting again in the future — it really does happen.
Here are nine things you should never do at Disney:
Take photos or videos while riding – especially with your flash on
Disney parks are some of the most photographed places in the world…and also one of the most attractive. In addition to pastel-painted castles, there are colorful murals, themed lands, costumed characters, and larger-than-life props that serve as picture-perfect backdrops for your vacation photos.
With vibrant animation and fantasy scenes, it’s hard to resist taking a few photos on the Disney rides or even taking a video to share on social media. However, what many visitors don’t realize is that taking said photos or videos with flash can distract the guests around them, as well as take them out of the imagination of the moment.
If you happen to drop your device in the middle of the road, there’s also a very good chance that you’ll never see it (or the photos you took) again. Disney World has gone so far as to ban phones, cameras and other loose items on some of its rides, including Space Mountain.
If you want to take a quick photo for posterity (on rides where it’s allowed), go for it, but it’s always good policy to ensure the flash is turned off first.
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Get off the ride when you’re not supposed to
You might think this goes without saying, but going from the middle of the road in a car has become something of a trend lately. In 2021, a guest hopped off a boat at Epcot’s Living with the Land and grabbed a choice of gardens on offer during the cruise. Recently, a guest left his carriage on the spaceship and sat among the animated characters on the ride.
Abandoning your vehicle is not only a huge safety hazard, but it can also get you kicked out of the park and suspended for life. This also applies to climbing things that aren’t meant to be climbed (for example, the Mayan pyramid in the Mexico Pavilion at Epcot), jumping into fountains and getting your feet or hands in the water on Pirates of the Caribbean or Splash Mountain. By the way, these are all real things that happened.
If your safety—and your ability to visit Disney again in the future—is important to you, stay seated and keep your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the ride vehicle at all times.
Get into an altercation with other cast members or guests
Other bad (and possibly dangerous) behavior that has been on the rise recently is altercations, both verbal and physical, with Disney cast members and fellow guests.
When you combine the scorching Florida heat with screaming kids and the pressure of executing a perfectly planned vacation, it doesn’t take much to send you over the edge. It could be a Mickey balloon filling your nose, a wagon wheel running on your toe or any of the above irregularities that instantly turn you into a Disney villain.
Before you let your evil side take hold, take a deep breath and think about the consequences — at the very least, you might be asked to leave and your vacation might be over. At worst, there could be legal implications.
In fact, the lack of kindness and kindness has become such a problem that Disney World and Disneyland have added courtesy notices to their websites. The Disney World notice states, “Be the Magic you want to see in the world. You must always remember to treat others with respect, kindness, and empathy. Those who cannot fulfill this simple wish may be asked to leave the Walt Disney World Sanctuary.” Disneyland’s notice contains similar wording and directs guests to the full list of rules and regulations.
Break the dress code to get a free t-shirt
Most TikTok trends involve dancing or dressing up like the Grinch and knocking over your family’s Christmas tree, but there’s one trend that’s caught on because guests are hoping to get some Disney freebies from it.
Like other theme parks, Disney has a dress code code that states that guests must wear “appropriate” clothing and that they “reserve the right to refuse entry to or remove anyone wearing clothing that we deem inappropriate or clothing that could detract from the experience of other guests.” “
It’s not made clear what exactly “occasion” means, but after a guest posted a viral TikTok video in 2021 sharing how she got a free T-shirt at Disney after appearing in a T-shirt that was too revealing, others attempted the same “hack,” with varying degrees of Success.
Disney is under no obligation to provide you with a free T-shirt if you acquire a “coded dress”. They can turn you away and refuse to let you in until you turn into something more, for lack of a better word, appropriate.
Leave valuables in your cart
As you pass through the Disneyland entrance, there is a plaque emblazoned with a famous Walt Disney quote. She says, “Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy.” And while Disney parks are relatively safe from crime, you can’t allow yourself to get so wrapped up in fantasy that you forget about your own safety.
Unfortunately, this is what I am guilty of myself. I’ve had many times when I’ve parked the stroller for an attraction and left my wallet, phone, or other such items I’d rather not lose in the stroller basket. I knew there was a chance my things—or my entire carriage—would be gone when I got back, but I sensed such a small chance that I let my guard down.
It only took me reading a few stories and social media posts of other guests that valuables and Disney memorabilia had been stolen from their carriages for me to be extra wary.
On Disneyland’s own website, a Disney planning committee member answered a question about stroller safety by advising a guest to try a tracker like the Apple Air Tag or to remove a wheel from your stroller and keep it with you. This isn’t something I’ve ever felt obligated to do, but I definitely make sure I only leave things in my cart that I don’t mind losing… like a box of half-eaten popcorn.
Treat cast members rudely
As someone who has spent many years of my life working in customer service, I am very aware that staff who deal with guests are often on the receiving end of anger and frustration in situations that were not caused by them and may not be in a position to do anything about it.
Unfortunately, I’ve seen this happen a lot at Disney. It can be really frustrating when things don’t go as expected during a Disney vacation, especially when you spend a lot of money getting there and more time planning your trip.
Staff members spend their days trying to make your trip as magical and memorable as possible and when things go wrong, kindness goes way beyond anger – for everyone involved.
Spend the money on things you can get outside of the parks for cheaper
As much as I love Disney, I would never drive to stock up on essentials like sunscreen, gowns, and bottled water. While these items are certainly available at Disney if you find yourself needing them, you can get them much cheaper outside of the parks.
On most Disney trips, I schedule grocery delivery via Shipt or Instacart to have drinks and snacks delivered to my Disney hotel room. You can use sunscreen, over-the-counter medications, and other items you may have forgotten to order and save space in your suitcase, or you can purchase these items before you leave the house.
You can find the gowns at Target and other wholesale retailers for under $2. The Mickey Mouse gowns you can get at Disney may be more stylish, but they also come in at $10 each. The same goes for things like slippers, bathing suits, bubble wands (or other toys to help distract bored kids) and bottled water. You can buy most of these items outside of the parks for cheaper. Pack a reusable water bottle that you can fill at the water fountains around the garden.
This leaves money for the souvenirs and snacks you really want and can’t get anywhere else.
Put your baby on your shoulders during fireworks or parades
Have you ever found the perfect setting for fireworks, only to have someone swoop in at the last minute and prop their baby on their shoulders, ruining any chance you have of enjoying the show? It can be a real drag, especially if you have kids who are waiting patiently to watch the fireworks.
I think this is often done with good intentions, and the person does not realize that they are not being polite to those around them. They want to help their children get a better view, but in doing so they spoil the view for the guests behind them. When you’re in a Disney-sized crowd, you always have to be aware of those around you.
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If I wanted to help my children get a better view, I would sometimes hold them up so they were at my eye level or I would choose a less crowded place away from the castle. If you really want to make sure you get a standout, you can book a food or dessert party that includes a reserved viewing of the fireworks.
Wear a personal costume if you are over 14 years of age
No matter how much time you spend putting together the perfect Cruella de Vil costume, complete with wig and faux fur coat, Disney won’t let you into the parks if you’re in a costume. This applies to costumes with and without masks for all guests 14 years of age or older.
This is for safety and to ensure that no one is posing as a Disney character inside the parks. The only exceptions to this rule are during special events such as Mickey’s Les So-Scary Halloween party, RunDisney events and while aboard Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.
There is still a way to embody your favorite Disney characters when you visit a Disney park and it is called “DisneyBounding”. One year when we visited during Halloween, my husband and I “tapped” Robin Hood and Maid Marian. We wore the same colors as the characters and threw on some fox ears, but the difference between what we wore and the character’s costume is that no one would mistake us for the “real” Robin Hood and Maid Marian.
There are many ways to get creative with your Disney sets while staying within park guidelines, so have fun with them.
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There is a lot of planning and preparation that goes into a Disney vacation, but one of the easiest things to do on your trip is to follow the rules and be nice and courteous to those around you.
It will make your vacation more magical and might make someone else’s Disney trip even more magical.