Hack Hilarious One-Star TripAdvisor Reviews and Achieve Your Five-Star Disney Vacation
Find out what NOT to do at Disney from One-Star TripAdvisor Reviews
One of the best ways to improve your Disney vacation is to learn from other travelers’ mistakes. One-star TripAdvisor reviews contain an endless number of cautionary tales that can help you have a five-star experience. On this episode of the Go Informed Podcast, my friend The Disney Hack shows us how to hack those negative reviews and just how fun reading them out loud can be.
These are the show notes for Go Informed Podcast episode 54. Click below to hear the show now, or search for Go Informed: Build A Better Vacation on your favorite podcast app!
Watch the video of this discussion here
This conversation originally occurred on our Tuesday Facebook Live “Disney Hack Chat”. You can catch us live most Tuesdays at 11am Pacific on The Disney Hack Facebook page. Watch the entire conversation on the video below.
Want to watch more of our Disney Hack Chats? Click here to check out all the archives.
Hacking One-Star TripAdvisor Reviews
TripAdvisor is loaded with negative reviews of the Disney parks and attractions. Each can be viewed as a cautionary tale of what not to do when planning your vacation.
There are two common issues that come up in almost every negative review: failure to prepare and unrealistic expectations. Watch for this theme as we look at some eye-popping and pretty hilarious one-star TripAdvisor reviews of some of Disney World’s most famous attractions.
Magic Kingdom Disappointment
Here’s someone who did not have a plan for handling the crowds and did not do the research to set the proper expectations.
A lesson here is to consult a crowd calendar before you go so you know how busy the parks should be. If it’s been awhile since you’ve visited Disney World you need to be aware that these days there are very few dates when the parks are quiet. (Except during COVID-19 operations, which is literally another podcast episode. That you can check out here).
If you will be there on a high-attendance day, be sure to have a touring plan so you can still do all the things you want to do. My 55 Things to Know Before You Visit Disney World will give you the tools to help you avoid a Disney disaster.
Disney vacation turnaround overnight
This reviewer had a terrible time at Hollywood Studios. He was not prepared for the FastPass system or how quickly the Rise of the Resistance boarding passes get snapped up.
He also mentions that he was planning to visit Animal Kingdom the next day. So of course I looked up that review too. Check out the turnaround, just because he changed his expectations, overnight. He also shares some great advice in the second review.
Fail to plan, plan to fail
Here is someone who did no research before their trip. Let’s unpack some of the things they could’ve avoided.
- They did not realize the Disney marathon was happening during their trip.
- They purchased their park ticket at the gate so had no chance to get the FastPasses they really wanted.
- They waited in a long line to order lunch instead of using mobile order.
- They arrived in the park at noon when crowds are approaching their peak.
- They had dinner reservations too late in the day to also make time for the fireworks.
- And for some reason they also chose to spend $400 in the shops!
We get pretty excited talking about this one – you can catch our reactions at around 39 minutes into the audio.
Catch more of me and Joey on Go Informed Podcast episode 68, where we talk about where you can find Marvel in the Disney and Universal theme parks.
Top takeaways from these Disney one-star TripAdvisor reviews
As you can see, Disney World is not the sort of place you can just show up for. In order to really enjoy your trip you’ll need to do some research and planning, and set appropriate expectations.
A good place to start is to find out what you don’t even know you don’t know about Disney World. Listen to my episode about Disney World basics, and check out my post 55 Things to Know Before You Visit Disney World, well in advance of your trip.
Are you thinking about traveling to Disney during the COVID-19 era? Here are some top tips I think you should know.
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Additional Resources for Planning Your Trip to Disney World and Universal Orlando
- 55 Things to Know Before You Visit Disney World
- 33 Things to Know Before You Visit Universal Orlando
- Adding a Visit to Universal Orlando to Your Disney World Trip
- Orlando Theme Park Walking Distances and How to Train for Your Trip
Orlando theme park COVID-19 tips
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