Looking for more great tips, tricks and ideas!

[Crazy Mother of Two]

I posted this elsewhere but I think this is the right place so........

Well, I'm down to only 5 weeks till WDW!! I booked back in March so I have had a long time to learn from The Dis Boards!!

I started on the The Dis boards prior to booking because I needed soooo much help!!! I was able to gather alot of information and I wanted to thank all that helped!! (you are the countless many!) :thumbsup2


Your (collective) infinite wisdom helped me:
- pick a resort (inc. how to bypass the hotels a/c motion detector system)
- decide which restaurants I should try (inc. that I can have The Coral Reef make a custom menu - free of charge!)
- what souvineers to look for (inc. that when I get the Mr.Potato Head and accessories at DTD that I should buy the 'head' at home and fill up the box with all the stuff I want 'cuz the head takes up too much room!)
- learn about pin trading (inc. that ebay has great deals when you deal with a reputable seller - I won 2 auctions of pins!!)
- discover the wonders of a PhotoPass CD (inc. how to join a group and get my own cd for a fraction of the cost!)
- how much money I should give my children for souvineers
- where to get Croc's cheap
- how to decorate my resort room
and so much more!

I want to make sure that I know all there is to know about WDW!!
If you wouldn't mind sharing your greatest trick, tip or idea I (and many other Dis'ers) would be eternally greatful!! :worship:

Thanx in advance!!!
__________________

[Illuminations06]

it sounds like you are well prepared for the trip! here's some of our tips:
when you go to MK, make sure to get there when it first opens; then head straight to adventureland (you want to do Pirates of the Caribbean first thing in the morning, because there is no FP for this ride). then make your way around to frontierland, fantasyland, and finally tommorowland.
also, if there are later showings of parades or fantasmic, then go to those (they are usually less crowded); for instance, we like to go to the later time for Spectromagic. during the 1st Spectromagic time, try to go on the more popular rides because the majority of the people are watching the parade.
also, we find that it is easier to eat our meals before or after the normal dining time when tons of people are at the restuarants. for instance, we prefer to eat lunch a little bit later in the afternoon, maybe around 1:30-2:00because at noon the CS restuarants are packed. this saves us time, and it is generally easier to eat a table. :thumbsup2
have a great trip!!!!

[magical mommy]

all the times i have been my family and i try to plan out going to the parks when the extra magic hours are happening at night. we save the popular rides for later because there is less people in the lines and easier to get more rides in. :thumbsup2

[Smile4Me]

My boyfriend and I are going in 2 weeks, and I know we are going to take lots of pictures, but would really like to take advantage of Photopass as well so we can get some nice pictures of us together. Reading your post on tips was the first time I had ever read anything about joining a group to get a cd cheaper, can you explain to me how it works.

Thanks so much!

[Crazy Mother of Two]

My boyfriend and I are going in 2 weeks, and I know we are going to take lots of pictures, but would really like to take advantage of Photopass as well so we can get some nice pictures of us together. Reading your post on tips was the first time I had ever read anything about joining a group to get a cd cheaper, can you explain to me how it works.

Thanks so much!

I joined 'The Official Sept Photopass Thread' which allows a group of us to share the expense of the $120 photo cd. We are divided into groups of 5 -8 families with one of them being the 'group leader'. The group leader sets rules/fees for the group such as the price that includes shipping, leaders cost of cd's (she/he will be burning the copies they got from Disney (300 pics on a cd - unlimited pictures allowed!!) )
Each family in our group is allowed to take up to 300 pictures which is more then enough for me!!!
There are 5 people in my group and my total cost was $27.40. If I ordered 2 pictures to be printed I would be charged around $13 -$20 per pic so I really can't lose here!!

[Smile4Me]

Thanks for all your tips! Looks like I have more to do in the next two weeks than I thought!

[iluveeyore]

Glad to hear you're getting so much help here on the DIS - I know I did when we went in July!
One of my best tips I learned here was for Animal Kingdom - it was very busy in July with lots of tour groups and tons of people, so I really impressed my DH with my 'secret entrance' - once you get through the bag check, go immediately to your left into the Rainforest Cafe. Once inside the doorway, turn right and walk right through the gift shop to the door open to outside. Outside this door you'll see a turnstile to get into the park - when I took DH, we were the only ones in line!!! Gets you right into the park past all the line-ups at the regular entrance, and on with your day!:banana:
I also learned that you can go to any counter service our outdoor vending spot where the sell food/snacks/drinks, and as long as they have a soda fountain, you can ask for a glass of ice water - AND IT'S FREE!!!
We got one at Epcot and at Animal Kingdom - beats spending $2 on bottled water. We usually take a frozen bottle of water to the parks and drink it as it melts, so when it's gone we just refill it with our free ice water.
Have a great trip!

[1rockinmamato2]

I posted this elsewhere but I think this is the right place so........

Well, I'm down to only 5 weeks till WDW!! I booked back in March so I have had a long time to learn from The Dis Boards!!

I started on the The Dis boards prior to booking because I needed soooo much help!!! I was able to gather alot of information and I wanted to thank all that helped!! (you are the countless many!) :thumbsup2


Your (collective) infinite wisdom helped me:
- pick a resort (inc. how to bypass the hotels a/c motion detector system)
- decide which restaurants I should try (inc. that I can have The Coral Reef make a custom menu - free of charge!)
- what souvineers to look for (inc. that when I get the Mr.Potato Head and accessories at DTD that I should buy the 'head' at home and fill up the box with all the stuff I want 'cuz the head takes up too much room!)
- learn about pin trading (inc. that ebay has great deals when you deal with a reputable seller - I won 2 auctions of pins!!)
- discover the wonders of a PhotoPass CD (inc. how to join a group and get my own cd for a fraction of the cost!)
- how much money I should give my children for souvineers
- where to get Croc's cheap
- how to decorate my resort room
and so much more!

I want to make sure that I know all there is to know about WDW!!
If you wouldn't mind sharing your greatest trick, tip or idea I (and many other Dis'ers) would be eternally greatful!! :worship:

Thanx in advance!!!
__________________


I love this board as well. It has been an invaluable resource to me. But, now you've brought up a lot of tips that I didn't know about and some of which I'd love to know, like where to get cheap Crocs.

Please share your answers/tips with us!

[Crazy Mother of Two]

I love this board as well. It has been an invaluable resource to me. But, now you've brought up a lot of tips that I didn't know about and some of which I'd love to know, like where to get cheap Crocs.

Please share your answers/tips with us!

At the time - fogdog.com was having a sale plus google checkout had an additional $10 off!! I think I got my first pair for $15 shipped!!

I have since purchased them at dickssportinggoods.com - for around $18- ish

I always check couponcabin.com! they have coupons for most stores PLUS I check the Budget Board all the time!!

[Crazy Mother of Two]

Glad to hear you're getting so much help here on the DIS - I know I did when we went in July!
One of my best tips I learned here was for Animal Kingdom - it was very busy in July with lots of tour groups and tons of people, so I really impressed my DH with my 'secret entrance' - once you get through the bag check, go immediately to your left into the Rainforest Cafe. Once inside the doorway, turn right and walk right through the gift shop to the door open to outside. Outside this door you'll see a turnstile to get into the park - when I took DH, we were the only ones in line!!! Gets you right into the park past all the line-ups at the regular entrance, and on with your day!:banana:

OOOHHH!! I love this tip!!! Thanx!!

[ntsammy5]

It will be hot when you're there. One thing we usually do is get some water bottles with filters in them (look online). You can refill them at any water cooler and they're as good as the bottled water you buy in the parks. Also, good souvenirs are the bottle straps you can buy at the park stands. It makes it easier to carry bottles with you. Have a great time

[Crazy Mother of Two]

It will be hot when you're there. One thing we usually do is get some water bottles with filters in them (look online). You can refill them at any water cooler and they're as good as the bottled water you buy in the parks. Also, good souvenirs are the bottle straps you can buy at the park stands. It makes it easier to carry bottles with you. Have a great time


You know...I read about the filtered water bottles. I looked all over for them. Brita was making them but they don't anymore :sad1:
Is there another company or store that sells them?

[ntsammy5]

You know...I read about the filtered water bottles. I looked all over for them. Brita was making them but they don't anymore :sad1:
Is there another company or store that sells them?

I can't post the link, but Google filter water bottle and that will give you the site.

[Crazy Mother of Two]

I told my friends that I posted this thread regardng tips and such and they had a few so I thought I would add them.

1) Let me start off by saying that I don't like germs - that's not to say I am a germaphobe - I just like my antibacterial soap....ALOT!! There is something called a Sqeeze Breeze bottle (the fan thing?) that are all over the parks. They sit in large tubs filled with ice. People have been spotted scooping up that ice and either sucking on it or putting it in their water bottles. Not such a good idea. Aside from the fact that people have their hands in and out of that tub all day long (and the tub isn't sanitary) but the water bottles themselves aren't germ free. So .... refrain from scooping up the bacterial ice and instead ask for a free cup of ice (with or without the water) from any cart or counter service eatery.

2) Baby powder! My friend sprinkles some in her family's shoes and socks at the hotel and brings the travel size in her 'disney pack' to sprinkle when needed at the parks. She says it helps refresh tired toes and helps prevent blisters from forming. She also brings a change of undies (for the kids) and socks (for everyone) just in case. (I read in one of the threads that a family used nylon stocking under their socks to prevent blisters)

3) Plastic bags. She says she usually brings 1 supermarket bag, 1 gallon, 1 quart and 4 sandwich bags. They are nothing to keep in your 'disney pack' and she uses them for wet socks/undies, cool packs (filling the sandwich size with ice - even the bacterial kind!!), souvineers you don't want getting wet, well you get the idea!

Hope these help - they helped me! :thumbsup2

[missymouse]

My best tip is that by spending some time on the internet taking surveys (which are actually very interesting), getting money back for shopping online (SR has a code for Shoebuy for 10% off and 13% back for Croc's or any other brand of shoes), reading e-mails, etc. at the Reward sites you can earn money before you go to pay for the souveniers, food, and resort expenses.

Since our June 2006 visit to WDW I have earned about $1000 on these sites which I have cashed out for Disney Dollars and Gift cards. I am planning to use them in 2009 for our next WDW vacation.

I used $150 of the money I used at HHI this summer paying for souveniers, drinks, food at the resort. The only cost out of pocket was dining away from the resort, groceries, and gas. Very cool.

[Crazy Mother of Two]

My best tip is that by spending some time on the internet taking surveys (which are actually very interesting), getting money back for shopping online (SR has a code for Shoebuy for 10% off and 13% back for Croc's or any other brand of shoes), reading e-mails, etc. at the Reward sites you can earn money before you go to pay for the souveniers, food, and resort expenses.

Since our June 2006 visit to WDW I have earned about $1000 on these sites which I have cashed out for Disney Dollars and Gift cards. I am planning to use them in 2009 for our next WDW vacation.

I used $150 of the money I used at HHI this summer paying for souveniers, drinks, food at the resort. The only cost out of pocket was dining away from the resort, groceries, and gas. Very cool.


Ohh - that's a goodie! I love getting money back!! It's a change from the usual of giving money to others!:thumbsup2

[letthewookiewin]

At the time - fogdog.com was having a sale plus google checkout had an additional $10 off!! I think I got my first pair for $15 shipped!!

I have since purchased them at dicksportingoods.com - for around $18- ish

I always check couponcabin.com! they have coupons for most stores PLUS I check the Budget Board all the time!!

Thanks for the links. I am hoping to buy a pair for myself & the DS's for our next trip. I know my DH won't wear them. I just wish they had a larger color selection for adults.

[Crazy Mother of Two]

letthewookiewin
That's true about the color selection! I had to take a color I didn't originally want!
Although I must say I now love the color!
(I originally wanted pearl but got chocolate)

Nice save ;) :rolleyes1

[Smile4Me]

Another great tip is to make sure you check boards like allears, dis, and mousesavers for discounts! I never even knew about free dining before i started reading DIS!

One thing I never would've thought of either is to bring any type of over the counter medication or treatments you think you might need while you are at WDW because medicine is extremely expensive if you buy it there! Plus, they may not have what you are use to taking. I have allergies (food and seasonal) and my boyfriend gets really bad heart burn so we will be taking everything we need with us, just in case!

[letthewookiewin]

Another great tip is to make sure you check boards like allears, dis, and mousesavers for discounts! I never even knew about free dining before i started reading DIS!

One thing I never would've thought of either is to bring any type of over the counter medication or treatments you think you might need while you are at WDW because medicine is extremely expensive if you buy it there! Plus, they may not have what you are use to taking. I have allergies (food and seasonal) and my boyfriend gets really bad heart burn so we will be taking everything we need with us, just in case!

I totally agree with the medicine thing. My mother in law got me started on this one. I just assumed she was that way b/c she's a nurse. I have two DS's so I bring an entire bag of medicine. My DH jokes that I go to the store before our trip and just buy one of every kind of over the counter medicine the store has. Oh well, I would rather carry medicine we don't use, than not have it and need it.

[BOMBEE]

We took water bottles to the park on Monday of our visit. Then we ran out.
I found that ice water in cups are free at the counter services. Some of the
counter services that are mobile do not have filtered water, but they will give you a cup of ice. We bought a larger plastic mug & keep refilling it at Animal Kingdom. We saved $$$ on this to spend elsewhere.
We waited until Friday (our last day ) to buy most of our take home items at Downtown Disney. We only pictures taken on rides at each park, as they were taken. Also, we bought our daughter a personalized mouse ears hat & had it sent to our resort from the Magic Kingdom because we knew it would be easier to do at that time.
We divided our $$ up in equal parts for each day & put them in individual snack baggies & put them in our room safe. If any money was left over at the end of the day, we put the leftover $$ back in the bag & put it in the safe. At the end of the week, we were able to do extra things & pay for a hotel stay on the way back home (Tenneesee).

Some of the tips were taken from DISboards.com

Have a great time. When at Disney, take your time & enjoy. We are going back in May 2008. :banana: :yay:

[prekteacher]

is it better to buy a refillable cup or bring a water bottle?

[Smile4Me]

Don't forget to bring quarters and pennies if you like to do pressed pennies!

[Jenniww]

I posted this elsewhere but I think this is the right place so........

Well, I'm down to only 5 weeks till WDW!! I booked back in March so I have had a long time to learn from The Dis Boards!!

I started on the The Dis boards prior to booking because I needed soooo much help!!! I was able to gather alot of information and I wanted to thank all that helped!! (you are the countless many!) :thumbsup2


Your (collective) infinite wisdom helped me:
- pick a resort (inc. how to bypass the hotels a/c motion detector system)
- decide which restaurants I should try (inc. that I can have The Coral Reef make a custom menu - free of charge!)
- what souvineers to look for (inc. that when I get the Mr.Potato Head and accessories at DTD that I should buy the 'head' at home and fill up the box with all the stuff I want 'cuz the head takes up too much room!)
- learn about pin trading (inc. that ebay has great deals when you deal with a reputable seller - I won 2 auctions of pins!!)
- discover the wonders of a PhotoPass CD (inc. how to join a group and get my own cd for a fraction of the cost!)
- how much money I should give my children for souvineers
- where to get Croc's cheap
- how to decorate my resort room
and so much more!

I want to make sure that I know all there is to know about WDW!!
If you wouldn't mind sharing your greatest trick, tip or idea I (and many other Dis'ers) would be eternally greatful!! :worship:

Thanx in advance!!!
__________________

The Mr Pot head- is it a box you fill for a certain price? Can you tell me more? I do remember this display that had all the accessories in bins but it was at AK gift shop

[letthewookiewin]

Don't forget to bring quarters and pennies if you like to do pressed pennies!

I don't like taking bags into the parks, so I take the quarters and pennies into the park in empty M&M tubes.

[Crazy Mother of Two]

The Mr Pot head- is it a box you fill for a certain price? Can you tell me more? I do remember this display that had all the accessories in bins but it was at AK gift shop


I got the info from a tip - This was a store in Downtown Disney. You can do the same thing in AK but supposedly there are many more accessories in DD. I think the store has a box that the Mr.Potato head and accessories goes into. The price is the same whether or not you put the head in. The tip said that you can't squeeze alot of acces. around the head so it is a better deal if you put all the cute accessories in the box (she puzzle-pieced everything in so she didn't lose an inch of space!) and purchased the head seperately.

[BOMBEE]

They have a toy store that you can purchase Mr Potato head things. If you are into Star Wars, you can make your own light sword. I highly recommend you shop there. Also, my daughter got to be Chef of the Day at the Goofy Candy Company. It was fun. She got to decorate a Mickey Mouse treat.

[twins4mimi]

These are all great tips, keep them coming. The best tip I have gotten so far is to buy something ahead of time (I got lots of them at the disney store on clearance for a couple of bucks) like the light savers they sell in the park for a fraction of the cost and bring them out when you get to the park for the kids to have!!

[Crazy Mother of Two]

In reading tips posted on this site and others like it - there seems to be an over abundance of people bringing room deoderizer (for the smell) and portable fans to block out the noise.

Is it really that smelly and noisy that you need to pack these things?:confused3

[aniheartsdisney]

Can you please tell us how you bypass the a/c motion detector? Thanks a million! :)

[jamesmommy]

You know...I read about the filtered water bottles. I looked all over for them. Brita was making them but they don't anymore :sad1:
Is there another company or store that sells them?

I bought a Brita bottle at CVS just last week, I think it was a newer one, they had filters too. You might want to check there.

[Crazy Mother of Two]

I bought a Brita bottle at CVS just last week, I think it was a newer one, they had filters too. You might want to check there.

Awesome!! I'm going to look tomorrow!!! :thumbsup2

[texasteacher35]

At the time - fogdog.com was having a sale plus google checkout had an additional $10 off!! I think I got my first pair for $15 shipped!!

I have since purchased them at dickssportinggoods.com - for around $18- ish

I always check couponcabin.com! they have coupons for most stores PLUS I check the Budget Board all the time!!


Does dicks ever put crocs on sale??? I always seem to pay $30 for them...??? I would love to know if they do that seasonally, or what!!!!

[Crazy Mother of Two]

Does dicks ever put crocs on sale??? I always seem to pay $30 for them...??? I would love to know if they do that seasonally, or what!!!!

Dick's does have occassional coupon codes. When I got mine for $18-ish it was because Dick's had a coupon code and google checkout had and additional $10 off.
I like to check couponcabin.com to check certain stores for their coupon codes

[letthewookiewin]

I just bought water bottles for myself and the DS's to use on the walk home from school. I live close enough to their school to walk them home, but far enough away that I wouldn't do it in the TX heat without water bottles. They have removable cores in them that you freeze. When I showed them to my DH, he said that he wants to take them to WDW on our next trip.(Finally, he's thinking ahead to our next trip, and it's not until Sept/Oct 2008:banana: ) Just wondering, if you carry water bottles into the park and no bags, do you have to go through the bag check line:confused3 ?

[Boss]

is it better to buy a refillable cup or bring a water bottle?

We freeze 3/4 of the way and top them off at the begining of the day.

[Crazy Mother of Two]

Can you please tell us how you bypass the a/c motion detector? Thanks a million! :)


I'm sorry... I hadn't noticed your post until today! :confused: I guess I wasn't paying attention! Well, here is the way to bypass the a/c....
(I got this off the official coronado springs thread)

-On the thermostat, push the power button and the down arrow (button that adjusts the temp) at the exact same time. If you do this correctly, you will see the letters bp where the temp normally shows. You are now bypassing the sensors in the room. You can then set the temp to whatever you want and it keeps the room that cold whether you are in it or not. You might have to do this once a day as the thermostat tends to go back to sensor mode after 24 hours. We found that it stayed on bypass for a couple of days at a time.

Hope this helps!
I know I couldn't sleep in the Florida heat without a/c blasting!!!

[GirlsTripOct07]

these are some great tips - thanks!

[Crazy Mother of Two]

I just took this off another thread.

Take a picture of your luggage before you check it as a reference

It took me a minute of staring at to realize that I really like the tip! :rotfl2: And since I have a digital camera - it won't actually waste any fillm! You can never be too safe!

16 days to go!!!!!:cool1:

[DisneyPrncess]

I just went out to buy some last minute things before we leave and picked up some Linen spray!! Great idea for those standard hotel sheets, it helps for a relaxing night of sleep after a long day in the parks! :thumbsup2

[Wilsonfamily4]

This may seem like common sense BUT put your name on your camera and camera case. My camera was stolen and when I called lost and found they asked what it looked like. well it looks like every other digital camera. I wish I had a name and address on it. Never did get the camera or photo card back. I know exactly where it was left too. :(

Also take a digital picture of your kids every morning so if they get lost you can show someone right away what they look like and what they are wearing.

[snowwhite325]

subscribing :thumbsup2

[traviesojmt]

Don't forget to take advantage of some of the free things offered around the resorts as well. I recommend (esp. with children) going to the Campfire Sing-a-Long and outdoor movie at Fort Wilderness. It can be a free night or for a few extra dollars, you can buy smores kits for the campfire. I think that Chip and Dale are still leading the sing-a-long. There is a different movie every night. It is a nice change of pace after walking the parks for several days.