“I’m Sad Later.” The Biggest Mistake Gen Z Keeps Making in Disney World

Realistically, who hasn’t made mistakes during a Disney World vacation?

No matter what generation you belong to or how many times you’ve visited Disney World, we’re all prone to making mistakes. That’s why we visit the parks every day coming up with useful tips to help you plan and master your Disney World vacation. While each generation does Disney World differently, our team has noticed one mistake seems to plague Gen Z Disney-goers more than others, and we’re here to help fix it!

Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z is still fairly young, not even reaching their 30s yet for those born in ’97. This youth can give them a leg up at Disney World, as they can generally handle the gruesome physical activity a Disney World vacation demands better than others. However, many seem to struggle with one important vacation facet: realistic budgeting and sticking to that budget.

We have several Gen Z writers and reporters on our team and the one mistake they all agreed that they’ve made is money mismanagement on a vacation. One team member said she used to not pay attention to total price when tagging along with her parents on a trip. Now that she plans her own trips, the price of everything together still shocks her.

Understanding the financial limitations is the first step and booking from that perspective is doable. However, once you arrive at Disney World and get into the swing of things, the idea of budgeting gets a bit distorted.

Another Gen Z team member said they had trouble “spending money on souvenirs you won’t use outside of Walt Disney World when you should be saving money.” Seriously though, who hasn’t struggled with this? Disney World has a ton of great souvenirs, and — in the moment — we want them all. There’s no logic to be had, we’re on vacation and we want that thing we’ve had our eye set on for the past five minutes — budget be darned.

Gen Z also has a heavy social media presence, and while their reliance may not be as severe as millennials, it’s nothing to scoff at. Fear of missing out (FOMO) and perceived Disney perfection can get in the way of responsible spending, especially with Gen Zers.

Social media often paints Disney World as a real-life Shangri-La that you can master in one trip. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. No, you don’t have to book a month-long Disney vacation just so you don’t miss a thing (and you still might thanks to crowds and closures) and it’s OK to skip drinking around the world if you want to save a buck.

One Gen Z team member added, “Honestly one of the mistakes could be drinking.” Not all Disney cocktails are winners, “so opt for water or soda and splurge on the cocktails/mocktails where you know they are worth it.”

We can definitely help with that, as we’re always trying the latest offerings and sharing our reviews!

Aside from FOMO and drinking, Gen Z like many other generations falls victim to YOLO (you only live once) syndrome. In this case, that means saying, “Heck, I’m on vacation! Why shouldn’t I spend?!”

That can lead to post-trip sadness, as one Gen Z team member said, “I’m horrible at actually sticking to a budget. I’ll make one and then once I’m there it’s like ‘Well I’m on vacation! I might as well splurge!’ and then I’m sad later.” We’ve all been there and it’s dreadful.

Ultimately, the mistake of mismanaging a budget can be rectified by staying firm in your commitment to it, Gen Z or otherwise.

Planning and being prepared before your trip for anything that might come your way is a great foundation for sticking to a budget. We’re constantly providing tips, tricks, and news that will help you have a great Disney World vacation, so continue to follow us at AllEars to stay in the know!

3 Things Gen Z Is Doing RIGHT at Disney World

If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!

How do you stay on budget at Disney World? Share your tips in the comments below!