Inspired by best tips; What tips have you recieved that were pointless?

[rt2dz]

I'm inspired by the thread of what are the best tips you have ever gotten... What I want to know, is what are the WORST tips/advice you have recieved.

For example, be at the parks at opening. Good tip, but when waking preschoolers before they are ready, it totally backfires; the kids are just cranky.

Also, after being told over and over to take a mid afternoon break, we tried it. That too was a disaster. The kids didn't want to leave yet, and that is when the whining started. Then after we get back to the hotel, they didn't want to go back because they were having fun. More whining. When we didn't try and leave the parks for afternoon breaks, all day no whining. I'm sure it works wonderfully for some (or it wouldn't come up so often), but for us it was a nightmare.

[my3princes]

I agree, no afternoon breaks for us. Kids have always napped in the stroller.

[mousefansmom]

I agree, no afternoon breaks for us. Kids have always napped in the stroller.


Mine too, and it gave us some "quiet time" in the parks while they napped. We usually tried to sneak in a meal during naptime so we could talk and relax ourselves!

Mousefansmom

[dyna]

Many won't agree with me but the most usless tip is those resort mugs for free refills.

We drive take our own drinks for the resort got an almost unlimited supply in the room take a drink out put another in cooler and NO WALKING down to the food court everytime we want a drink I'd run myself to death doing that. Ice for the cooler that has to be reiced twice daily is right there in the building we in on same floor.

backpack tips another one never would use a backpack at the parks.

I think each one of us has to do our homework try things out and see what works and doesn't work for us some things we know we wouldn't do other things just got to try.

[missypie]

WOW! Getting to the park before it opens is one of the very best tips you can pass on to anyone. Taking an afternoon break is a great one, too. However, it is up to the recipient of the tip to decide whether it will work for their family. Obviously it didn't work for yours.

Same with the refillable mugs. Our family would not have benefitted from them, but I knew that, so we didn't buy them.

A lady whose kids are in school with mine KEPT telling us that we just HAD to swim with the sharks at whatever water park offers that. According to her, it's the best thing to do at all of WDW. But I hate water parks and we didn't go to either of them. Of course, in a few days, we'll see her at some school function and she'll ask me if we swam with the sharks...so much for HER best tip.

The most pointless tips are the inaccurate ones. A neighbor of ours insists that if you are with an infant, they let you go to the front of the line and stay on the ride as many times as you want. She swears that they did that. I surmise that they went during a very un-busy time and used baby swap, but her "tip" to everyone is totally inaccurate.

[etwinchester]

backpack tips another one never would use a backpack at the parks.

I ALWAYS take a backpack to me with parks. It is VERY small, but holds the camera, some snacks, wallet, sunglasses (when on wet rides), keys (if needed), park maps and passes.

I use ours for Disney, Knoebels, Wildwood (on boardwalk), going to parades & fairs, the pool, etc...

Wouldn't leave home without it when on vacation.

[tlbwriter]

To me, the tip about buying souvenirs for your kids before you even get to WDW is useless. Those are souvenirs of a trip to Wal-Mart, not WDW! :rotfl: I can't imagine my daughter falling in love with something she sees in the store and being satisfied with "Sorry, honey, we can't get that, but Mommy has some Mickey Mouse pencils back at the hotel for you." :rolleyes:

[GingerbreadCoffin]

I think the cruddiest advice I have gotten is "Don't take your kids until they are old enough to enjoy it". :rotfl:
We started making regular trips when our oldest DS was about 1. I have yet to regret it.

Another bad one,"Epcot is only for adults".
Epcot has become one of our favorite parks.My kids love it. :confused3

[etwinchester]

To me, the tip about buying souvenirs for your kids before you even get to WDW is useless. Those are souvenirs of a trip to Wal-Mart, not WDW! :rotfl: I can't imagine my daughter falling in love with something she sees in the store and being satisfied with "Sorry, honey, we can't get that, but Mommy has some Mickey Mouse pencils back at the hotel for you." :rolleyes:
I TOTALLY agree. Buying it directly from WDW would make it more magical or memorable to a child. Even for myself, I'd rather purchase something at WDW. It would mean a lot more to me and whenever I used it, I would think of our vacation.

[stahshee]

To me, the tip about buying souvenirs for your kids before you even get to WDW is useless. Those are souvenirs of a trip to Wal-Mart, not WDW! :rotfl: I can't imagine my daughter falling in love with something she sees in the store and being satisfied with "Sorry, honey, we can't get that, but Mommy has some Mickey Mouse pencils back at the hotel for you." :rolleyes:
I totaly agree with you! :earsgirl: :earsboy: :confused3

[disneyjunkie]

[/QUOTE]To me, the tip about buying souvenirs for your kids before you even get to WDW is useless. Those are souvenirs of a trip to Wal-Mart, not WDW! :rotfl: I can't imagine my daughter falling in love with something she sees in the store and being satisfied with "Sorry, honey, we can't get that, but Mommy has some Mickey Mouse pencils back at the hotel for you." :rolleyes:


:rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl2:
I have to agree with you about that one.

OK, here are a few that came to mind as I was reading this thread.

1. ( I don't think this one is valid now.) Don't purchase tickets for each day of your trip. If you're planning a 7-night trip only get a 5-day hopper. That way you can save money, and rest. :rolleyes:

That advice was awful for my son and I. Yes it was nice to take it easy a few mornings and we had a blast at Blizzard Beach. However, by 5:00pm we were ready to hit a major park but couldn't because I didn't want to waste a day on our hopper pass. :guilty:

I'll never go back to WDW without park admission for each day of our trip.

2. Take snacks/food with you to save money. I can't tell how much money wasted following this tip. :rotfl2: Who wants to eat cereal in the room, when you can have Mickey waffles in the food court?? :confused3 Why bother carrying chips into the park? My son still brought a bag of chips from the cart in Liberty Square. ($2.50 :earseek: )

3. Buy a double cheeseburger and one plain bun. My son almost died when he realized why I'd done that. I've never seen my sister and BIL laugh so hard. :rotfl2: :rotfl2: They kept asking how can I spend so much money for the trip, then cheap out when it's time to eat. :earboy2:

Oh, and my son refused to order burgers the rest of the trip. He'd only order chicken fingers, which I hate. :banana:

[bigmac5]

I love this thread. Please tell me more. It is our first visit.

[kelleigh1]

The buying "souvenirs" before you go to Disney really doesn't work. If you check the tags on anything you buy at WDW, it says Walt Disney World on it. And if you bought it at the Disney Store, it says "Disney Store". You can't really get away with it.

[MELSMICE]

These are actually funny.

I agree that's the souvenir one is a totally useless tip. I wouldn't dream of buying a "souvenir" before the trip for my kids. Plus, that's just something extra to pack. The fun of a souvenir is picking it out yourself & bringing it home.

I think the backpack tip is useless also. I never wanted to carry around a backpack in the parks. Too cumbersome. I don't see the reason to carry all that around.

I have gotten some really good tips though! :)

[dtsaos]

To me, the tip about buying souvenirs for your kids before you even get to WDW is useless. Those are souvenirs of a trip to Wal-Mart, not WDW! :rotfl: I can't imagine my daughter falling in love with something she sees in the store and being satisfied with "Sorry, honey, we can't get that, but Mommy has some Mickey Mouse pencils back at the hotel for you." :rolleyes:



:rotfl: :rotfl2: I totally agree.

[mexican-mouseketeers]

I think the cruddiest advice I have gotten is "Don't take your kids until they are old enough to enjoy it". :rotfl:
We started making regular trips when our oldest DS was about 1. I have yet to regret it.

OMG this is the advice that I got today......from my almost 3 yo DD :earseek: whose birthday we are planning to celebrate at WDW.

I made a paper chain to count the days and we are less than 2 weeks away from our trip, and today, while we were in the car running errands, she said "I want to go to Disney when I have grown a lot taller" (of course she has no idea about having to be x inches tall to ride some rides). I said "but we are going in a few days" and she said, "but I am small, wait until I am older" :earseek: :earseek:

Well, I guess she will have to sacrifice herself while she is still young, lol.

Julie

[the kabuki]

Brita water bottles with the built in filter. They were bulky and didn't work that great.

[missypie]

I just thought of one: "Buy glowsticks in advance and bring them to the parks to save money."

I bought a huge package of glow sticks (to turn into glow necklaces) from eBay. I surprised my kids with them right before we went to Illuminations. I got them out before every nighttime event. BUT OF COURSE, they aren't selling mere glowsticks before Illuminations or Fantasmic...they are selling very very cool light up spinning toys that make glow sticks look like the dark ages.

It was actually very sweet and kind of heart breaking that none of my kids asked for one of the cool light up toys because I had given them glow sticks, but I could tell by the looks in their eyes that they really wanted one.

[Whosemom]

You hit my favorite - go back to the room in the afternoon???? that's just insane!

And i battle with my dh on the walmart souvees. Although last time we drove down and I pulled out a treat of some sort at the crossing of each state line. When we crossed into FL, I handed out disney store tees, and they are still special.

And the refillable cups - gag! Biggest detriment to healthfulness on the entire disney property. milk, juice? nope not included. Water? when I can have free pop? no way!!! LOL

Heres one - if you have to miss something with little kids, skip MGM. That's my guys favorite place!

[Amyg]

And the refillable cups - gag! Biggest detriment to healthfulness on the entire disney property. milk, juice? nope not included. Water? when I can have free pop? no way!!! LOL

I totally agree! Me and DH drink water and son drinks either water, milk or juice. Soda would totally make me thirstier, ick and so unhealthy to drink that much anyway.

[umaangel00]

I think the worst advice I have gotten is the refillable mugs. I bring my own water into the park but that is a different story. ( I will only drink Ice Mountain water and it has to be from Sanctuary Springs in Rodney, MI, Anal I know but it's the best tasting. LOL). Also, not buying the park hopper to save money and not buying enough tickets for your stay are horrible ideas. The last time we went we only got a 4 day non hopping pass. We were in town for 7 days. It was horrible. This time around we are getting a 7 day pass with the hopping option.

[MELSMICE]

Also, not buying the park hopper to save money and not buying enough tickets for your stay are horrible ideas. The last time we went we only got a 4 day non hopping pass. We were in town for 7 days. It was horrible. This time around we are getting a 7 day pass with the hopping option.

Getting less days than you're there just doesn't make sense. I'd rather pay the extra to get the "no-expiration" option than feel like I can't go to a park one day.

We now get AP's, so that point is mute with us, but even before MYW tickets & before we dove into AP's we always got the maximum # of days on a ticket that you could purchase.

[rt2dz]

I love this!! Keep it going. This is the best way, even as a yearly visiter, to find out how advice really works. Most people won't tell you something they find to be useless, only what works for them. And what works for one person, may not work for two others.

Oh--another one. The lightweight stroller. You either have to shell out big bucks for a nice one, or get one that doesn't have the features you are used to, the kids aren't as comfortable in, and doesn't manuvier as well. And why spend money on a new stroller when the one you have works well and you could be spending that money on non-Walmart :rotfl2: souviniers??

[wishspirit]

When we got back from disney we found a few pieces of advice werent helpful at all!

1) 'dont take a nap in the day, just carry on through, you can do it at home! Do it here too!' - Nope, doesnt work, us England fokes are not used to the climate and time changes. Not napping in the afternoon left us feeling tired and most of all ill! My sis cant stand the heat, and waks around flapping her hands and being aggitated and cross (18 year old moody girl is no bodys idea of fun at disney!). A nap revived her enough to watch a show in the evening, although wishes was a bit much (too crowded). Esspecailly on the ferry on the way back, leading to point 2.

2) 'Staying on disney property is a waste of money, villas a few minuites away are so much cheaper!' - ok half a lie, me and my sis would NEVER be able to share a room at disney again without literally killing each other. So in that respect it was good. But the endless driving to and from disney (boring!) and the stupid monorail or ferry system out of Magic Kingdom annoyed the heck out of us! Also the constant remebering of where we parked, gave us trouble. As well as always being parked the furthest way away from the walk way to the park!

3) 'If you are staying for 14 days, you will only go to disney about 7 times, you will spend the other days at universal or seaworld or something. Or at another water park' - TOTALY NOT TRUE! We bought a 7 day ticket (which we could use at any time over 2 weeks) and we were always wishing for more time at disney. We feel we had grown out of universal, and doesnt have the appeal that disney has in any way. We spent a lot of time at seaworld, due to my sis' constant heat problems and my stomach cramps causing us to go home early 3 times! We spent a wasted 'shopping day' and mini golf days! Which were nice, but we could have done those in the evenings.

Soz for the rant, lol, and the length! (p.s first experience of a walmart at disney this time, REALLY scared me!)

[minkydog]

[/QUOTE]We drive take our own drinks for the resort got an almost unlimited supply in the room take a drink out put another in cooler and NO WALKING down to the food court everytime we want a drink [/QUOTE]

I agree, refillable mugs are pointless. Why not just bring in your less expensive drinks & water and use those?

But then again, I also use a backpack, so maybe you ought not trust my judgment :earsboy:

[MickeyMonstersMom]

Brita water bottles with the built in filter. They were bulky and didn't work that great.

I clicked on this thread with the intent to say just this, but you beat me to it! Before our first family trip, I read all those posts from people who hate WDW water and came armed with two Brita filter bottles - and an expensive fanny pack with two side "holsters" for them (very awkward to wear, btw). We had such trouble getting a drink from them, they didn't last the day with us. After all that worry over the water, we discovered that we don't mind it at all.

I've also realized that I don't need to stuff that fanny pack as if we're headed into the Amazon wilderness, either. Kudos to those that lug full backpacks with sweatshirts, first aid kit, family-sized bottles of sunblock, 6 packages of crackers/cookies/chips, 2 ponchos per family member, etc - I did for one day (actually, all that fit in my enormous fanny pack!) and decided it just wasn't worth it. Now I take a small fanny pack (hate carrying anything, including backpacks) with my wallet, camera, small sunblock, and maybe one poncho for each of us if it looks like rain. Otherwise, I figure I don't need it or can get it in the parks.

[1blackcat]

The buying "souvenirs" before you go to Disney really doesn't work. If you check the tags on anything you buy at WDW, it says Walt Disney World on it. And if you bought it at the Disney Store, it says "Disney Store". You can't really get away with it.
I know I mean my mom will buy shirts to wear at WDW but we'll get "souvenirs" at WDW trust me kids will check

[1blackcat]

When we got back from disney we found a few pieces of advice werent helpful at all!

1) 'dont take a nap in the day, just carry on through, you can do it at home! Do it here too!' - Nope, doesnt work, us England fokes are not used to the climate and time changes. Not napping in the afternoon left us feeling tired and most of all ill! My sis cant stand the heat, and waks around flapping her hands and being aggitated and cross (18 year old moody girl is no bodys idea of fun at disney!). A nap revived her enough to watch a show in the evening, although wishes was a bit much (too crowded). Esspecailly on the ferry on the way back, leading to point 2.

2) 'Staying on disney property is a waste of money, villas a few minuites away are so much cheaper!' - ok half a lie, me and my sis would NEVER be able to share a room at disney again without literally killing each other. So in that respect it was good. But the endless driving to and from disney (boring!) and the stupid monorail or ferry system out of Magic Kingdom annoyed the heck out of us! Also the constant remebering of where we parked, gave us trouble. As well as always being parked the furthest way away from the walk way to the park!

3) 'If you are staying for 14 days, you will only go to disney about 7 times, you will spend the other days at universal or seaworld or something. Or at another water park' - TOTALY NOT TRUE! We bought a 7 day ticket (which we could use at any time over 2 weeks) and we were always wishing for more time at disney. We feel we had grown out of universal, and doesnt have the appeal that disney has in any way. We spent a lot of time at seaworld, due to my sis' constant heat problems and my stomach cramps causing us to go home early 3 times! We spent a wasted 'shopping day' and mini golf days! Which were nice, but we could have done those in the evenings.

Soz for the rant, lol, and the length! (p.s first experience of a walmart at disney this time, REALLY scared me!)The ferry is a waste of time it's just BORING

[Keebles]

My personal favorite is the penny debate. I spent about four months, picking through every penny I had in my huge change jar, pennies I received from purchases and even from hitting up other people to check their pennies so I could check the dates to make sure they were the "pure copper years". Then I spent months testing cleaning methods, coke, ketchup, vinegar, copper cleaner, etc, etc. In the end I discovered that pre 82 or not didn't really matter...new pennies actually looked better and pressed better (although there were the dreaded "zinc lines" I actually liked they way it made them look). I ended up leaving a huge ziploc bag of pennies in the room when we left and spent most of the trip hitting my family up for their new pennies!

[Sammy]

"Bring lots of snacks with you into the parks to save $$". Ummm...like my kids (or me for that matter!) want to eat a package of PB crackers when they are surrounded by Mickey Bars, Dole Whips, and Popcorn!! :rotfl2:

We actually brought some "healthy" snacks on our first family trip in 2000 because DD was only 5 and a "constant snacker" vs. a meal eater. Beyond that trip, we've never done it again. I limit the kids to one or two per day because it certainly can get expensive, but even I would rather eat a Mickey Bar from MK than a granola bar from home! :mickeybar

[bballdiva]

I personally think bringing a backpack or fanny pck is one of the best tips out there. I always bring one and would be lost without it. I dont know how anybody could do it. I evan bring one when i got to the zoo. I also got great deals on disney direct for some soveniers. Granted i dont have kids, there for family and friends. I saved tons and i can spend this on my time down in disney. I rather do that. I have found most things ya end up buying just collect dust or end up in the closet. Rather take lots of pictures. Thats jsut my 2 cents though.

[goodcook5]

When the street vendors roll out the lighted toys at night I have the same ones from the disney store or disney direct for a third of the price!! My kids are crazy for the light up toys and after hearing "I want a sword" a million gazillion times one evening in the parks, now I have them in my bag ready. They are the same ones and oh so much cheaper. The light up toys are $15 to $25 at parade time :earseek: and only $4 at disney direct through ebay. I also pack new pjs from the disney store as an in theme surprise for my 3 kids when we get back to the room after a long day.

However, I will admit we buy the rest while we are there for the big bucks so it all averages out in the end. :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc

[mom23boys]

To me, the tip about buying souvenirs for your kids before you even get to WDW is useless. Those are souvenirs of a trip to Wal-Mart, not WDW! :rotfl: I can't imagine my daughter falling in love with something she sees in the store and being satisfied with "Sorry, honey, we can't get that, but Mommy has some Mickey Mouse pencils back at the hotel for you." :rolleyes:


I totally agree with you on this one. My Sons would never go for that.

Also, bringing snacks in the park, big waste of time and money. They want popcorn, Mickey Bars and other stuff. Not the stuff I bring.

[homedad]

I'm curious, of thse of you who said afternoon breaks were worthless how old were your kids? I am planning them for my 4 and 2 year olds. Thanks!

[susan1]

:guilty: :guilty: :guilty: hi
whilst not exactly useless we find it not always wise grabbing fast passes ( i know i really will get shot down in flames for this one) we work anti clock wise round the park usually not waiting more than 30 - 40 mins, usually the waiting time is 2/3rds of what it states. we do the rides and shows going from one to the next one and usually complete all of them plus parades and fireworks by park closing time. you don't waste time hanging around or spending money on snacks or meals you don't really want nor criss csoss the park several times. :guilty:

[stahshee]

I'm curious, of thse of you who said afternoon breaks were worthless how old were your kids? I am planning them for my 4 and 2 year olds. Thanks!
my afternoon nap breaks always backfierd. my kids were so tierd from getting up so early that tey fell a sleep by 12pm and naped on the bus back to the resort. they did not want to go down again until 4 pm and that was on the way back to the park if you have kids FORGET IT nap time is when they can grab it :rolleyes:

[my3princes]

I'm curious, of thse of you who said afternoon breaks were worthless how old were your kids? I am planning them for my 4 and 2 year olds. Thanks!

I've brought my kids since they were 6 mnths and have done most ages since. I really don't like it when you head back, they fall asleep on the transportation and wake up as soon as you get back to the hotel. Way to short a nap and now you can just turn around and go back anyway, with a cranky kid. They have always stroller napped and for a decent length of time and wake up happy and ready to go. My youngest is now 2 1/2 and he'll be going for his third trip.

[missypie]

I agree about the whole pre-whatever year pennie thing. We went through all the pennies in the house looking for old ones...then I acually spent time soaking them AND SCRUBBING THEM! How foolish! What a waste of time! After all that, we ended up bringing new ones that looked much better.

As for the snacks...we bring them AND buy them. I recognize that my kids are going to want Mickey Bars, etc. But at any given time someone is just STARVING (probably the someone who wasn't interested in lunch when we were eating it 30 mintues before). That's when you tell them to eat the goldfish that are in their fannypack. Or when we're trying to get on a lot of rides and someone JUST HAS TO HAVE A SNACK RIGHT NOW. Snacks in little snack sized zip locks can go in and out of the fanny pack, so the child can grab a handful of something before jumping on a ride.

[MickeyMonstersMom]

Napping didn't really work for us.

DS was 4 when we went for the first time. Days 1-3 he was far too excited to nap and kept up with DD (8) just fine. Day 4, though, was Epcot - after three days of non-stop action, throw in a huge amount of walking with few distractions (as far as he was concerned, anyway) - that became the Day of the Serial Meltdowns. We ended up leaving Epcot shortly after lunch and riding the boat to MGM for a calming interlude - not a nap, but a physical and mental rest. I'd planned for Fantasmic on Day 5, so I made us all return to ASMu for lunch and a real nap. It took both kids over an hour to settle down enough to sleep, and then it was very difficult waking them up. They didn't want to eat, so ended up skipping supper and then eating vendor junk once we got to Fantasmic. The kids finished out the evening in great spirits, though I was worn out!

Now that both are older (11 and 7), I need the nap more than they do! We've learned to use the transportation system as rest times throughout the day. Monorail to Epcot and back, or boat to wherever, even the air-conditioned bus ride gives us a chance to recharge. If your children are the type to fall asleep in the car but wake up once they get home, try the Epcot loop of the monorail and stay on for a few rotations or whatever.

[AUDramaQueen]

I'm curious, of thse of you who said afternoon breaks were worthless how old were your kids? I am planning them for my 4 and 2 year olds. Thanks!

You'll get opinions that make sense from both sides, so the best advice is do what works for your family. My kids (4,2 and 7mos at the time we went) take 2 hour naps everyday (Thank God). My oldest has made it at Disney without naps and my younger two have fallen alseep in their strollers and were fine. BUT we also have gone back to the room and they slept fine too. MINE lasted longer if we went back to the room. It really depends on you and your family schedule.

Most useless advice we got was the baby backpack for waiting in lines. I guess if you're waiting for more than 45 minutes it would be nice, but since we didn't ever wait that long it just took up space. We didn't bring it back after the first day.

[mom23boys]

I'm curious, of thse of you who said afternoon breaks were worthless how old were your kids? I am planning them for my 4 and 2 year olds. Thanks!

I have taken my kids at all ages, the last trip they were 9, 4 and 1 1/2. The youngest slept in his stroller. This trip he is 3 and we are planning the same thing, stroller napping in the shade. Going back the the room for a nap never worked for us either.

For us it was better for them to go all day and through dinner, then to bed early around 9:00. We really do not do much at night at WDW, because we are up so early.

[Keebles]

I've thought of a few more:

We also have never had to use a Fastpass and hope to keep up the tradition this time (although with the free-dining thing, my hopes aren't too high). I don't mind standing in line for 20-30 minutes, it's part of the experience to me...people watching, checking out the cue area, etc.

We don't supply ourselves with snacks, drinks...another part of the experience for us is eating the Mickey ice cream bars and drinking the $2 cokes. We always get refillable mugs (one to use and one to keep precious) and half the time end up filling them with $2 cokes! Wasteful, yes, but who cares, it's Disney!! It's the one time of the year I can be frivolous!

We are, however, gonna do the midday break thing this time. We don't have kids and it's just me and my sister, but last time by about 6 pm we were run down and I think that a midday break will give us that extra boost to actually be able to enjoy PI this time! At least we will try it for a few days and if it doesn't seem to be working, we'll stop.

But having said all that, I wouldn't trade 99% of the information I got off these boards for all the tea in China! And I do agree that you have to do what's best for you and your family!

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We are ones that carry a backpack stuffed like we are going to a third world country for a month. We didn't use the vast majority of that stuff. The one day I thought I was getting a blister we just stopped at First Aid. The day it poured rain we bought umbrellas because our ponchos were just cheap Dollar Store ones and it was MONSOON rain that lasted ALL day. The weather was so bad we didn't need any sunscreen, and it was January so it was cold enough that we hardly had any exposed skin! The backpack was great for the camera and the autograph book. All the other crap was probably expendable.

We did buy some snacks to keep in the room and we ended up hauling most of them back home with us on the plane. Stupid, stupid. The bottled water we bought ended up being left in the room because it was too heavy to lug home. Every morning DH would put a bottle of water in the backpack, and every evening that same bottle of water would still be in there, unopened! I tried to get him to leave it since it made the backpack heavier, but NO, he had to bring it along. I did buy a Brita filter bottle that we will take in October, but if we aren't drinking from it I will dump the water OUT so it won't be so heavy!

We liked our mugs. We filled them with nasty coffee when we headed out in the morning, and refilled them with soda (or lemonade) when we came back in the evening. At the parks we locked them in a locker.

DS liked the glo sticks just fine - we already have plenty of light-up toys at home. Back at the room we found the glo stick made a decent nightlight (which was a tip from the DIS :) )

I was really worried that I couldn't find an over-the-door hanging shoe holder to keep my clutter off of the sink. But during our trip I didn't find our sink to be THAT cluttered. It was fine.

[figmentfan1]

We have small kids and have gone to WDW when DS was 8 months, then again when DS was 3 and DD was 6 months. Since we end up with 2 strollers, we bring a lot of junk, including snacks. I especially pack sipees (on cold packs or in cooler) with milk and juice. My kids always decide they need something to drink when there isn't a vendor in sight (like on bus or ferry). I also bring fruit snacks, God knows we can't live without those.

I have found that the nap thing depends on the time of year. When we've gone in the summer... yes you need a nap. The heat REALLY wears out the little ones. When we went in October it was cool and the kids were content to stroller nap. We are glad that DS doesn't really nap anymore (they have a 30 min rest period in pre-school) and he doesn't nap at all on weekends anymore... my DD is always fine with a stroller nap... we (the adults) are content to take a 15 minute sit break in a show, at a meal, or on a bench. Besides, I hate especially leaving MK, the ferry/monorail thing is SUCH a pain!

je

[twinz]

For me the biggest useless tip is that you have to stay on site to have a great time (or a magical time). I have done both and don't mind staying off site to save a tun of money. Yes the drive can be long after a long day in the parks, but I would drive when we stayed on site cause I can't be bothered fighting the nightime crowds. That's really all I can think of, the rest have been pretty good tips.

[MickeyMonstersMom]

I wouldn't trade 99% of the information I got off these boards for all the tea in China!

So true!


:disrocks:

[homedad]

thanks for all your answers, my son 4 1/2 really dosn't need to nap but maybe 2 times a week. DD2 loves and still takes a 2 hour nap every day. We will see how it goes and if worst comes to worst I'll nap(i'll need one) with my daughter and let grandparents chase my son at the pool.

[disneynewbee]

A tip that did not work for us was to take dramamine for motion sickness before mgm or universal if you tend to get motion sickness. I had bought the kind that is SUPPOSED to Not make you tired. Me, my husband, our 11yo daughter, and his 13yo brother took them before mgm just in case. Well we felt like zombies. I felt like even toothpicks would not be able to keep my eyes open. We took the ferry over to boardwalk to eat at beaches and cream for lunch and slept the whole way there however the nap didn't even help we were still exhausted and grumpy because we were so tired. It felt like it would never wear off. I would rather puke anyday than feel like that. It was like I was in the twilight zone.

[MickeyMonstersMom]

I've taken that before and felt just as you did - the crushing weight on my eyelids and my shoulders, making me feel like I just couldn't take another step. However, I noticed that the fatigue wore off after 2-3 days, so the next time I used it I started taking it at home and felt great during the vacation. I don't like the idea of having medication in my system for so long, but once the overwhelming sleepiness went away, it was worth it to *not* feel like throwing up. Since then my children have grown enough to ride the nausea-inducing rides without me, so I just don't bother with it at all anymore.

[PatsGirl]

I guess I'm pretty surprised that purchasing MM or TInkerbell gifts before you leave is getting a bad rap :flower:

I have done this every trip. I buy most of the gifts from DisneyDirect or DisneyDeals (I always forget which it is) and only buy ones that were sold at WDW parks. Not only do they have the WDW label but often the price tag is still attached as well. I purchase gifts at 75% off and leave them for each evening as they coincide with the park that day. Example: First night the kids will get autograph/pen sets, 2nd day they are getting towel backpacks (one Stitch/one Lizzie), 3rd day they are getting character pjs, etc. etc. but they get MK items on the day we go to MK (MM and MM baseball caps), Epcot items (wallet/purse) on the day we go to Epcot.

Anyways, there is no way I could afford to let them pick out souveniers from the park gift shops each day. Of course, they have their own spending $$, usually about $15/day and can buy whatever they want with that as well. It's always fun to go in the gift shops to look around and purchase only those "HAVE TO HAVE IT" items :flower:

[tlbwriter]

Well, okay, I don't believe in the daily gift. I think being at WDW is enough of a daily gift. ;) But if I were going to do that, I think the way you're doing it is a good idea, since it also allows for special purchases in the parks. I just think expecting pre-purchased "souvenirs" to replace souvenirs bought in the park altogether is a bad idea.

[MickeyMonstersMom]

RE: souvenirs

I think my family must be weird, because we have never really been into the souvenir thing. We each tend to choose one memento of the trip as a whole, and that's that. Of course, since we get only one thing, we do buy it there, typically near the end of the vacation. Our first WDW trip, I remember getting a photo album for the family, and the kids asked for the magic-towel washcloths! Last time, each chose a stuffed animal from a kiosk at AK and I bought a backpack. Strange souvenirs, now that I think about it! I'm actually happy in our eccentricity, though, as it seems it's been saving us a good bit of money (we'd rather spend it on food, I guess)!

[Drizzo67]

I so agree with spending the money on food. MY DH and I love to eat our way through the parks. My DS and DD each earn money to spend in WDW by doing chores etc before the trip. (Not the first trip, that was a surprise) and family members seem to get them Disney Dollars for birthdays, good report cards, etc. As they shop regularly at the Disney Store it is really hard to pre-buy souviners. They just enjoy buying their own stuff too much.

[It's A Happy Day]

To me, the tip about buying souvenirs for your kids before you even get to WDW is useless. Those are souvenirs of a trip to Wal-Mart, not WDW! :rotfl: I can't imagine my daughter falling in love with something she sees in the store and being satisfied with "Sorry, honey, we can't get that, but Mommy has some Mickey Mouse pencils back at the hotel for you." :rolleyes:

These tip don't are definitely based on the people using them...

I think this has to be age specific. My 2 are under 5 and not into checking out the tags. Toddlers tend to be more quantity orientated than where the item was actually purchased. I have prebought some Disney stuff but it will not take the place of actual WDW souveniers. The kids (3 & 4) will be able to pick out a set amount - monetary or # wise while there. The pre-purchased stuff is to make the drive a little easier on us parents and also to get them in that Disney mood before we get there as well as maybe a couple tink gifts. No way I could get there and purchase something every day but they are getting new Disney sunglasses, pjs's, battery operated fans, hats for the sun, cups for the car, and a few other "surprises" that they wouldn't be getting had it not been for clearance sales at our local disney store.

Also I plan on starting the trip with a small bag to bring in camera, small carry on sunblock for reapplication, a change of clothes for kids in case they get wet or messy (not heavy items), extra set of recharged batteries for camera and yes maybe even a snack or two in case the kids get the munchies and we are waiting in line or for a parade. Again not against purchasing food in the parks as we are already getting a great deal with the free dining plan but if waiting for something we won't want to exit stage left to find a kiosk that sells chips, etc.

Worst tip so far looking backwards/forwards...You must break back at the hotel - I know my kids will fall asleep enroute as others have commented. And a #1 tip I got was why plan so much??? When you get there just go with the flow - with this attitude we wouldn't be able to see/do half the things we want or eat at some of the places we really want to try...CRT??? People really don't understand the size and involvement of WDW and everything it has to offer - I couldn't plan out every minute but I think that you should have a basic plan.

[Blueberry]

Most advice is very good here but not everything works for everyone and a lot of you will find will not work for your family...

I tried the deoderant spray on your feet to avoid blisters and it did not turn out good. My feet felt slippery all day long and it discolored the soles of my good sandals so they now look dirty from the deoderant being on my feet. I did not get blisters but I normall now do not get blisters anyway.

A few years ago Mister Fans were something that everyone recommended here for summer heat. We brought our two from Walmart and carried them to the parks ONE DAY...Being full of water they were heavy and we found that it only made you feel hotter as the mist made you sticky feeling.

[tlbwriter]

I think this has to be age specific. My 2 are under 5 and not into checking out the tags.
My 5.5 yr old (when we went) didn't check the tags either. It's just that she wanted to pick out something herself. Anything I had pre-bought, no matter where it came from, wouldn't be an acceptable substitute, even if it cost five times more and was personally signed by Cinderella. :teeth:

[MelodyMack]

"
We actually brought some "healthy" snacks on our first family trip in 2000 because DD was only 5 and a "constant snacker" vs. a meal eater. Beyond that trip, we've never done it again. I limit the kids to one or two per day because it certainly can get expensive, but even I would rather eat a Mickey Bar from MK than a granola bar from home! :mickeybar

Sammy, was curious what age your daughter got out of the constant-snacker era. Mine is 4, and we battle EVERY DAY about sitting and eating with the family. I need a speck of hope that this will pass...HELP ME CHICA!

Mel

[Amyality]

To me, the tip about buying souvenirs for your kids before you even get to WDW is useless. Those are souvenirs of a trip to Wal-Mart, not WDW! :rotfl: I can't imagine my daughter falling in love with something she sees in the store and being satisfied with "Sorry, honey, we can't get that, but Mommy has some Mickey Mouse pencils back at the hotel for you." :rolleyes:

I agree with this totally. We don't buy our kids many trinkets at WDW but, they do get to pick one or two and they must be special reminders of a magical experience at the parks. Handing over some random object purchased ahead of time makes no sense to me and definitely falls under the useless tip department in my book.

[Sammy]

Sammy, was curious what age your daughter got out of the constant-snacker era. Mine is 4, and we battle EVERY DAY about sitting and eating with the family. I need a speck of hope that this will pass...HELP ME CHICA!

Mel


I PM'd you!

[chrismb22]

Ok, I'm sitting at my desk laughing hysterically at this because I almost fell victim to some of theas and then stopped myself when I realized my suitcase would be double the size.

My favorites were -- a candle for the bathroom (which I packed and then unpacked) and then a powerstrip.

But to be fair though it's only me and my boyfriend so a lot of this stuff doesn't pertain to us. We can come and go as we please and if we don't like something, oh well. We WILL be getting the mugs though -- we are morning coffee freaks and will need them before we leave for the parks.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

[Ask"WhyNot?"]

I'm curious, of thse of you who said afternoon breaks were worthless how old were your kids? I am planning them for my 4 and 2 year olds. Thanks!


I hate afternoon breaks--away from the park. It is such a waste of time, and my kids can get recharged in the park. My kids are 7,6,4, and 1. The littler ones just nap in the stroller.

[Tasha+Scott]

The worst ones that I can think of for us were:

1. Refillable mugs--complete waste of money for us!
2. Bring a rain poncho to the parks. I can see the merit of this advice but it was not fun carrying bulky rain ponchos all day when we could have just purchased them when we needed them in the parks or found shelter somewhere. That's what we ended up doing anyway.

I am actually happy to hear about the younger children napping in their strollers. My mom is convinced that we shouldn't bring dd to WDW so young (she will be 1) but since we are insists we need to take mid-day breaks. Well, after reading this thread we will play it by ear. If she naps in her stroller that will work out great. If not, we'll go from there!

[stahshee]

Ok, I'm sitting at my desk laughing hysterically at this because I almost fell victim to some of theas and then stopped myself when I realized my suitcase would be double the size.

My favorites were -- a candle for the bathroom (which I packed and then unpacked) and then a powerstrip.

But to be fair though it's only me and my boyfriend so a lot of this stuff doesn't pertain to us. We can come and go as we please and if we don't like something, oh well. We WILL be getting the mugs though -- we are morning coffee freaks and will need them before we leave for the parks.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
why do you need a candel for the bathroom? :rotfl: :confused3

[etwinchester]

I PM'd you!
My DD is 5 and she constanlty wants a snack as well. Every half-hour she is asking for something and it drives me NUTS...don't know where she puts it either, skinny as a rail.

It was time to nip this problem in the butt. Once she starts kindergarten next week, she won't be able to eat all day so this week I sat down with her and told her the new rule. Snack times are now at 10:00, 3:00 & 8:00. Here's how it goes:

Breakfast when she wakes (normally around 7:00-8:00)
Snack 10:00
Lunch around 12:00
Snack 3:00
Dinner 6:00
Bedtime Snack 8:00

I told her NOT to ask for any snacks unless it was at the times I have given her. Now I'm sure that we'll have to be flexable with the times at some points (on vacation, traveling, etc) but at least it's something to start with and can be inforced 90% of the time.

So far, she is doing good with it. If she asks for something in between, we just ask her what time it currently is and if that was a snack time. She'll answer "no" and then go play.

[dismom9761]

Advice that didn't work for me-each kid bring their own fannypack.Mine hated wearing them and constantly complained.Nap back at the room didn't work for us.The baby did finally settle for a nap but I had a hard time getting the older kids out of the pool to go back.She napped fine in the stroller and we just ended the days earlier for time in the pool.
Advice that did work for me-Taking snacks.with four kids someone always needed a little something.Especially waiting in lines.We also bought snacks every day.

[missypie]

Advice that didn't work for me-each kid bring their own fannypack.Mine hated wearing them and constantly complained.Nap back at the room didn't work for us.The baby did finally settle for a nap but I had a hard time getting the older kids out of the pool to go back.She napped fine in the stroller and we just ended the days earlier for time in the pool.
Advice that did work for me-Taking snacks.with four kids someone always needed a little something.Especially waiting in lines.We also bought snacks every day.

It's funny. Our DS14 will wear a fanny pack to do his part in carrying stuff. DD12 wears one because she NEEDS her lip gloss and her money and her kleenex and her pressed penny book and her autograph book...DD9 hates to wear one.

[jann1033]

why do you need a candel for the bathroom? :rotfl: :confused3

i was wondering the same thing and couldonly think of "unpleasant" odors "drifting" from the bathroom spreading thru the room????

backpacks , naps and listening to what anyone says about any restaurant( varies too much by tastes, who is cooking ect) are the worst tips imo

...and wondering why if you don't have money to spend for souvies you don't just give the same amount you spend( in Walmart or whereever pre trip ) to the kids in the park. that's what we always did...you have $XX for what ever you want...no offense but how fun is it to come back and have new pjs...( sorry, i can just picture the looks on my kids faces.."no you can't have that book/toy/candy cause you have a surprise in the room" and have them get pj's 6-8 hrs later after thay have been building it up in their heads to the point where they are figuring a real live pony must be sitting on the hotel bed waiting for them:teeth: ) many stores had areas by the check out with less expensive things( ie pencils, little toys and tablets ect.) so we would just steer them there.( also saw them last time we were there)

so i just gave someone else a tip they can use as the worst tip ever :teeth: !

[missypie]

i was wondering the same thing and couldonly think of "unpleasant" odors "drifting" from the bathroom spreading thru the room????

backpacks , naps and listening to what anyone says about any restaurant( varies too much by tastes, who is cooking ect) are the worst tips imo

...and wondering why if you don't have money to spend for souvies you don't just give the same amount you spend( in Walmart or whereever pre trip ) to the kids in the park. that's what we always did...you have $XX for what ever you want...no offense but how fun is it to come back and have new pjs...( sorry, i can just picture the looks on my kids faces.."no you can't have that book/toy/candy cause you have a surprise in the room" and have them get pj's 6-8 hrs later after thay have been building it up in their heads to the point where they are figuring a real live pony must be sitting on the hotel bed waiting for them:teeth: ) many stores had areas by the check out with less expensive things( ie pencils, little toys and tablets ect.) so we would just steer them there.( also saw them last time we were there)

so i just gave someone else a tip they can use as the worst tip ever :teeth: !

Yeah, I swear by giving each kid a set amount of money to spend. When they spend it all, that's all. They can spend it all on Mickey bars if they want. If they don't spend it all, they can bring it home.

Although I know my kids very well, I'm not great at choosing what they would like as a souvineer. During our Disneyland trip, one DD's favorite souvineer was a Crocodile Hunter cap she bought on our one day at Universal. DS's favorite souvineer was a Bionical "claw" that he bought at DTD. Neither would have been thrilled with jammies.

[Swazie]

I swear by the set $ amount. Our kids are older now (youngest is 10), but we saved up and each child had $100 to spend the entire trip. The rest of the deal was, they couldn't spend it the first three days we were there. That stopped the impulse buying. If they decided to buy something that we only saw at the one store (it happened) then on the last day, DH or I would take them back to that park or store to make their purchase.

It was great to watch them shop and shop and struggle with the decsion. I kept a paper with everyone's totals on it (although one spent the whole wad in one spree and was done). They still have the items they bought (10 years later) and have memories of each one.

We did the mugs but. . . . don't buy them as anything buy souvenieers. They hold about three swallows of liquid. My kids would literaly stand at the fill station, drink it dry and fill it up again, two or three times, before we left for our room. To walk the miles back to refill it was stupid.

Now that the four oldest are out of the house, just the 10 year old is going with us this time. Her big wish? A Disney Halloween costume to wear to MNSSHP. We are having a hard time deciding whether to buy the costume from Disney.com and bring it or wait until we get there and only haul it home. Anyone know if they have different costumes on site? Anything special about them?

I agree that most suggestions do work . . . just not for everyone. The things I did for the kids when they were smaller aren't even close when they get older. And all kids are different. My kids could nap in the stroller and plod through. But they could only do that three days in a row. Day 4 was always a rest day. No getting up at the crack of dawn or pre planned meals. We slept in, swam at the hotel and ate off site somewhere. Sometimes we would do a water park on that day, but only if EVERYONE felt up to it.

I'm so happy when I'm "in the world" that my luggage could be lost for a week and I wouldn't care!!

[TENIA66]

I'm with most of you all on the naps. Disaster.. however we liked the refillable mugs, but were always close to the food court and I have kept them as souveniers on display. i wear a fanny pack with camera supplies, dollar store ponchos (5), stick sunblock, allergy medication, inhaler, fever/pain reliever, bandaids, money, feminine hygiene products, wipes and batteries for the mistifan. the back packs are in the way, but the fanny pack is no problem at all. we've been five times, going back for six!!! we've taken one as young as 18 months with no problem at all. we've stayed off and on disney and will always stay on disney, preferrably the all stars on lean years, port orleans good years but use our own vehicle. we hate to wait around on disney transport to come back to hotel :earboy2:

[northwds]

Keep the information coming. We are bringing nieces with us this trip and were convinced that the "return to room for rest" idea was great,....but I'm no so sure now. It is true, it is hard to get them out of the pool and go any where else. Thanks

[missypie]

Keep the information coming. We are bringing nieces with us this trip and were convinced that the "return to room for rest" idea was great,....but I'm no so sure now. It is true, it is hard to get them out of the pool and go any where else. Thanks

I still think returning for a rest is a good idea. They don't have to nap...doing something else, off their feet, out of the heat and crowds, works well.

Taking an afternoon break worked best when our resort was close to the park we were enjoying...ie, going from the MK to the CR takes 5 minutes. If I were staying off site, I'd take my breaks at sit down restaurants, AC shows, etc.

[ckoncurat]

RE: Miday BREAKS...

I have 5 kids, ages 2-8. At home I am a NAP NAZI- I want 2 kids free hours in the afternoon! I insist on naps or quiet time for all my kids, every afternoon.

In the parks, however, I find the mid-day break thing impractical. If my kids are tired, they will fall asleep in the stroller, on the bus/car/monorail, whatever so by the time we get back to the room, they're rested and I'm exhausted!

A better plan for me is to start early, recharge with a meal or snack in a cool place, and then quit a park around 2-5pm, when we've already seen most everything we wanted. Sometimes we'll head back to Epcot later on. We try to schedule a rest day every 2-3 days, when we sleep in, hang by the pool, etc. So for us, a 7 day trip would only include 4-5 days in the park, with one of them being the christmas or halloween party, if we can swing it.

[ckoncurat]

I TOTALLY agree. Buying it directly from WDW would make it more magical or memorable to a child. Even for myself, I'd rather purchase something at WDW. It would mean a lot more to me and whenever I used it, I would think of our vacation.

I don't buy our souvies at walmart... but I DO use tips from the budget board to get Disney Store Jammies, Light Chasers, Pal Mickey, etc. at rock bottom prices before we go. Why spend extra $$$ for the pleasure of saying "I bought this at Disney?" Our light chasers are cherished because we USED them during our disney trip. Same with Pal Mickey. JMHO

[SEAlla]

I tried the deoderant spray on your feet to avoid blisters and it did not turn out good. My feet felt slippery all day long and it discolored the soles of my good sandals so they now look dirty from the deoderant being on my feet. I did not get blisters but I normall now do not get blisters anyway.


Was it just deodorant? If so, that is the problem. It needs to be antiperspirant. Deodorant doesn't keep you dry, it just keeps you from smelling. :)

::MinnieMo

[Nancyg56]

I love this thread. I was beginning to think that if we were not prepared for any problem in the parks, it could result in disaster. After going thru all of the "worst" tips, I feel better. I will leave it up to my DD if she wants to bring the little one back to the room, will pack light snacks for my DGD, and leave the backpack home. I have already purchaced hopper passes for every day that we are staying in the world, (DD said 4 days were enough, I said what if I want dinner ina different park?). I hate lugging stuff around, just in case. DD is buying DIsney PJ's and little extras for her dd to make the stay special, but even at 3 1/2 she knows that she can only buy what she has saved for, so she will be shopping for special souveniers at the parks.

[misskrystal]

:cheer2:

My db's 'great' advice was to not plan a thing. Absolute rubbish!

Without lots of planning, the hotel would've cost $420 a night instead of £850 for two weeks!

His 'useful' advice was also to buy the park tickets while we are there, because he didn't want to go to many parks. One month and a Disney planning DVD later, he now wants to visit every park.
Thirty minutes on-line and I managed to save £50 on the US prices.

I agree with not over-planning, as it can take away some of the magic, but you need to have an idea for something to do each day. That way, when it's pouring with rain, you already have something planned for indoors.

I made a checklist of everything we wanted to do, but there's still plenty of room left for spur of the moment decisions!

Krystal

:cheer2:

[stahshee]

ok mine was to fill up an empty water bottel at the water fountain :laughing: that water taste like ************************! it was like drinking dirt with rust

[missypie]

ok mine was to fill up an empty water bottel at the water fountain :laughing: that water taste like ************************! it was like drinking dirt with rust

Just goes to show you how different we all our. No one in our family had any problems with the water.

[Tara]

I'm curious, of thse of you who said afternoon breaks were worthless how old were your kids? I am planning them for my 4 and 2 year olds. Thanks!

It totally depends on how your kids nap. My almost-4-year-old son is a great stroller napper. Plus he's sort of the awake and chipper and then suddenly conked out asleep sort, and he's pretty unpredictable. If we went back to the room when we thought he might be sleepy, he'd likely never fall asleep on his own. But sometimes out of nowhere he'll say "mommy, I want to lie down in my stroller" and I'll recline the seat for him and he's out like a light. So for us, I know the mid-day break wouldn't work for naps. Now, we will likely take a few breaks, but they'll be swim breaks! For us, it's a useless tip, but for others, it's golden. :)

[missypie]

I guess the moral of this very long thread is to THINK about advice before you take it. If you are staying a 30 minute drive off site, think about whether an afternoon break is a good idea. If your kids barely take a nap on a boring day, think about whether an afternoon break will do any good. If you rarely drink pop or coffee, think about whether a refillable mug will benefit you. Don't slavishly follow anyone's advice.

[bizeemom4]

I tried the deoderant spray on your feet to avoid blisters and it did not turn out good. My feet felt slippery all day long and it discolored the soles of my good sandals so they now look dirty from the deoderant being on my feet. I did not get blisters but I normall now do not get blisters anyway.

:rotfl2: This tip works A LOT better when you put it on under socks and tennis shoes! I can imagine that it would feel quite disgusting with sandals. :rotfl2:

[Ask"WhyNot?"]

I didn't have time to really post this the other day.

My WORST tip, is don't waste money on a deluxe hotel. Just stay in a value. You're hardly in the room and they are the heart of Disney. Phooey! I may not spend a ton of time in the room, but when there I want it to be enjoyable. No cheerleaders shouting just outside the rooms. Room to walk. Great views. And, no offense to anyone who likes them, think they are equivalant to a motel 6 room. In that case, I'd stay in a Motel 6 and save a ton of money. If I'm going to overpay, I want it to be worth it.

Second worse tip, skip the character dining. You can meet characters elsewhere and it won't take up nearly as much time. This dining excursions are the highlight of our trips--with or without the kids and no matter what age the kids are.

Leaving the park for afternoon breaks is awful too. The kids never want to leave, then they never want to go back. The resorts are just as fun as the parks. I prefer mellow time built into the park/day. It works sooooo much better. We still all recharge and no time wasted. We can always leave early in the day to have time at the resorts for swimming and other activities.

I do like the refillable mugs, but they're a souvenier more than a way to get a drink. Some snacks with us are a must. Although, games/toys for waits in line is just useless junk to carry around; the kids don't care. The queue's are so well themed they are an attraction in themselves.

[GEM]

The worst tip I ever got was to only count on spending a half day at Animal Kingdom. It's our very favorite park! We could spend days just wandering around there!

Also, people often suggest not even bothering to take toddlers or very young children to Epcot. It's my two year old's favorite place in the world! He loves the rides and the fountain in Future World and the entertainers in World Showcase.

[russtwinsmom]

1. Developing a guerilla-super-top-secret-militant plan to going on the rides and avoiding the lines, unless you are a couple of teenagers for whom breaking the world record for number of ride in a 24 hour period is critical. I fell for this one and DH thought I was nuts. I abandoned it after the second ride.

2. Cutting corners, penny pinching - especially on things like water, food and small trinkets. This should be done before you go. This is vacation!

3. Staking out the perfect spot for Wishes hours in advance. You can see it most anywhere and you are going to have very cranky, bored kids with too much waiting. Go on a few extra rides instead!

4. Buying the expensive night light toys from the carts. We brought, and the kids wore, the night stick necklaces and they stuck out like sore thumbs. It really reduced my stress level when it came to leaving the park each night with the equivalent population of China.

5. Planning on going to, or avoiding, a certain park because of early or late extended hours. Sooner or later, you are going to feel like cattle in a pen. At times, thou art a cow. The sooner you adapt the better.

6. All the suggestions to avoid getting wet. Wear a ponytail and be done with it. After getting misted in the theatres, soaked on the water ride at AK, sprayed on the Jungle Cruise and drenched on Splash Mountain, I looked like a water rat. The pictures of me the first day are a real thing of beauty.

7. Any plan that has you spending too much time at restaurants. Keep your eye on the ball; you're at WDW.

8. Standing in line for character autographs. Big waste o' time IMHO. Best to not get your kiddos hooked on it or sooner or later DH will be frantically running around trying to find where and whem Snow White hangs out while DD cries in the happiest place on earth.

[missypie]

7. Any plan that has you spending too much time at restaurants. Keep your eye on the ball; you're at WDW.

8. Standing in line for character autographs. Big waste o' time IMHO. Best to not get your kiddos hooked on it or sooner or later DH will be frantically running around trying to find where and whem Snow White hangs out while DD cries in the happiest place on earth.

I agree with no. 7. We weren't on the dining plan, but I had $1005 in Disney Visa $ that I had earmarked for food, so at first I had sort of a "the sky's the limit" attitude. On our second day, we ate lunch in the castle (shortly before it was a princess lunch) and I told the kids that, of course, they could get dessert. We all got quite impatient waiting for the dessert to arrive, knowing that THE MAGIC KINGDOM was out there!!! I'd much better walk around with a Mickey Bar or Dole Whip than sit in a restaurant for an extra 20-30 minutes or so to have dessert.

As for no. 8...my DDs are hooked, but we don't stand in long lines. Toon Town is a great place to get autographs...before it opens, they bring about 8 characters out.

[MickeyMonstersMom]

Interesting. I disagree with #7 - just shows it takes all kinds, huh? Now that my family has been to WDW a number of times, we are more relaxed about the in-park attractions and have come to greatly enjoy the dining-related ones (even DD 11 and DS 7). We started planning our April trip last week by discussing which restaurants we want to try or revisit, and will plan our park days from there! We were spoiled by our MK dining experiences last time, though, as we had breakfast twice before the park opened - getting to see the MK ahead of almost everyone else, and finishing our meals in time to beat the crowds to the opening attractions.

[missypie]

Interesting. I disagree with #7 - just shows it takes all kinds, huh? Now that my family has been to WDW a number of times, we are more relaxed about the in-park attractions and have come to greatly enjoy the dining-related ones (even DD 11 and DS 7). We started planning our April trip last week by discussing which restaurants we want to try or revisit, and will plan our park days from there! We were spoiled by our MK dining experiences last time, though, as we had breakfast twice before the park opened - getting to see the MK ahead of almost everyone else, and finishing our meals in time to beat the crowds to the opening attractions.

I will say that our impatience with TS meals varied depending upon where the meal fell in our touring day. One day we toured AK, then went for a swim, then had a nice meal...We knew that our day was over, so we weren't in a hurry. But whenever we had "park time" after the meal, we wanted to get out there! I will say that the sit down meals were a very welcomed break (we did almost exclusively CS at Disneyland - ick!) but after our entrees, we were ready to roll! I don't think I'd have the patience for appetizer, entree and dessert at every meal.

[GEM]

7. Any plan that has you spending too much time at restaurants. Keep your eye on the ball; you're at WDW.


We're just the opposite. The restaurants are half the reason we go to Disney! :rotfl:

[Danauk]

We plan our days around our restaurant choices too!! Although we tend to just get a snack for breakfast and lunch and then have a nice sit down dinner. That way we don't feel we are missing park time (we nearly always go back to our room to change then head out to dinner.)

[Cinderumbrella]

The #7 tip about spending too much time at the restaurants suddenly made me remember a funny incident with my FIL on our last trip- He said "Hurry up and finish lunch, we have to leave soon to get to the next park for dinner!" :rotfl2:
Boy, we are being much more careful this time to try to make ADR's for parks we already plan on being at rather than spending an extra hour trying to get to another park just for a meal. :moped:
Just some food for thought (pun intended) :teacher:

[belleandthebeast]

5. Planning on going to, or avoiding, a certain park because of early or late extended hours. Sooner or later, you are going to feel like cattle in a pen. At times, thou art a cow. The sooner you adapt the better.

Amen sister! :teeth:

[nsmith]

To me, the tip about buying souvenirs for your kids before you even get to WDW is useless. Those are souvenirs of a trip to Wal-Mart, not WDW! :rotfl: I can't imagine my daughter falling in love with something she sees in the store and being satisfied with "Sorry, honey, we can't get that, but Mommy has some Mickey Mouse pencils back at the hotel for you." :rolleyes:

I agree but, this year I purchased some Disney items to give as gifts after we come home from the parks. We only buy for my sisters three children and Kohl's was having a sale on their Disney beach towels (only $7.00 each) and we bought lion king little plush stuffed animals at a ToysRUs sale for .98. So we have three great gifts for less than $10.00 bucks each to give the cousins when we come home.
We just decided to say "we bought these for you" when we come home, we just won't say when and where :cool1: :smooth: :rolleyes1 .

[boston1029]

We would never bring snacks into the parks with us, I would rather have mickey bars :mickeybar and dole whip. If I say no to the kids, then I suffer. :rolleyes:

We have used the brita bottle though and really do like it. We got one of the water "lanyard" type thing to carry it and it works fine. We wouldn't go without it.

[Amyality]

We would never bring snacks into the parks with us, I would rather have mickey bars :mickeybar and dole whip. If I say no to the kids, then I suffer. :rolleyes:

We have used the brita bottle though and really do like it. We got one of the water "lanyard" type thing to carry it and it works fine. We wouldn't go without it.

I always bring fruit snacks and juice boxes into the parks, occasionally we will get an icecream bar. My kids are going to be ruined by the free dining snack! I'm gonna be stuck shelling out forever, sigh! Those Dole Whips are awesome. I'm so bad though, I'm thinking of sneaking in a little airplane bottle of rum to spike it, since MK is a dry park. Yes, I am horrible I know. I realize MK is dry to keep the idiots from ruining the family atmosphere which is good thing. I guess I am just a sight juice bag... :cool1:

[boston1029]

My dh has been trying to figure out how to get a beer in for the past year. He loves the MK, but somedays I think that he could deal with it a little better if he just had a little something to help get him through the day. Oh well, that's what the monorail is for. :rotfl:

[Amyality]

My dh has been trying to figure out how to get a beer in for the past year. He loves the MK, but somedays I think that he could deal with it a little better if he just had a little something to help get him through the day. Oh well, that's what the monorail is for. :rotfl:



That is exactly what the monorail is for this year! We are going to MNSSHP Sept. 30 and are having dinner at 1900 Parkfare so the parents can have a drink or two with dinner and of course the kids will have lots of fun. You spoke true when you said sometimes a dad could just use a beer! The banter of kids seems to do more of a number on them.

OMG! Can you imagine the humiliation of getting busted bringing a beer or airplane bottle of rum (as I mentioned for the Dole Whip)?!?!?!? That would be so not cool! I'm thinking your hubby could probably get a beer in a glass bottle of apple juice or something though, or maybe an iced tea bottle. I think I may take my chances and bring two little airplane bottles of rum in, one for me and one for my sister in law. They don't search your pockets so, I guess I'd be okay.

[vanyel]

Boy some of these "worst" tips really hit home. For me, I've never understood, though I certainly accept those who do, carrying all sorts of stuff into the park. I have a fanny pack to use. One of the most important things in my fanny pack is my migraine medication, just in case. At least that's small. We don't bring snacks in. Usually we purchase one at a time and share so we get a variety of stuff.

The mister fan is interesting - I just bought one at Walgreens and tried it out when my dh & I went on a walk - what a pain!

I have always used the mid-afternoon break, when the kids were small, and now going with just my dh. We used to go back and swim, not nap, and that seem to reinvigorate the kids, and the adults. But as others have said - different things work for different people.

[Tissa]

I think the mid afternoon break depends on the time of year for us. In March it was cool and not a problem but when we went in June it was so hot by 1pm that we were tired and wanted to go back to the room for me to shower and for ds to take off his shoes and watch cartoons. He's 10 so a nap in the stroller doesn't work for him :teeth: We had down time from 1pm to 4pm and things were much happier for the both of us. Bringing dollar store ponchos from home was a waste of money too. When I packed them it never rained and of course the one day I left them at the hotel it rained and I had to buy mickey ponchos!.

[MEG&MINNIE]

Pointless Tip... get up early ,so you have a head start into the parks before the crowds arrive. We (DD9 and myself) just got back this week from a trip to WDW and every nite before I went to sleep ,I would "Call for an A.M. wake up call" and every morning when the phone rang at the desired wake up time ,I would just pick up the phone and hang it right back up again and roll over and " sleep in"a bit more.....I was never up and in the parks for 9 am ,like I had planned...to beat the crowds. Oh well, at least we were well rested and one day (2nd to last) we stayed @ POP till about 2-3pm relaxing and swimming in the pool !!!!

[MEG&MINNIE]

bump!!!

[pjlla]

Just something I didn't see mentioned.... about the "afternoon break" idea. Keep in mind, during Value Season the park hours are much shorter and even if you WANTED to leave the parks for a break, chances are you wouldn't make it back in time before the park closed (except Epcot... WS stays open until at least 9pm, even during Value Season). We have NEVER taken an afternoon break during our January WDW trips. But we definitely needed them last month in DL!! Can you say HOT?! ...........P

[missypie]

Just something I didn't see mentioned.... about the "afternoon break" idea. Keep in mind, during Value Season the park hours are much shorter and even if you WANTED to leave the parks for a break, chances are you wouldn't make it back in time before the park closed (except Epcot... WS stays open until at least 9pm, even during Value Season). We have NEVER taken an afternoon break during our January WDW trips. But we definitely needed them last month in DL!! Can you say HOT?! ...........P

That's a good point. When we went to Disneyland one year for spring break, California Adventure closed at 6 pm. It worked nicely to stay in the park all day (a perfect 72 degrees) then leave around closing, have dinner, relax, etc.

[Amyality]

Yes. We are afternoon break people but, we always do something like go to EPCOT or do the Fantasmic package in the evening. It probably is a waste to leave a park and go back to the same one later that day (exception, we are touring MK because of relatives in the am then resting and going back for MNSSHP in the pm).

[k5thbeatle]

I swear by the set $ amount. Our kids are older now (youngest is 10), but we saved up and each child had $100 to spend the entire trip. The rest of the deal was, they couldn't spend it the first three days we were there. That stopped the impulse buying...

Now if I could just implement this system on my wife! :rolleyes:

[lamb1022]

I agree, no afternoon breaks for us. Kids have always napped in the stroller.

Ditto to that. I also find that finding somewhere air conditioned and having a cool drink and a snack help my crew.

[MHS]

Hard to believe that the water in Flordia is sooo bad tasting that we actually couldn't stand it. My only regret is not purchasing tons of water from WeGoShop. However, as we did the meal plan, all our snack credits were used on water..so it did work out in the end.

If you are sensitive to water taste....buy water.

[Amyality]

Hard to believe that the water in Flordia is sooo bad tasting that we actually couldn't stand it. My only regret is not purchasing tons of water from WeGoShop. However, as we did the meal plan, all our snack credits were used on water..so it did work out in the end.

If you are sensitive to water taste....buy water.

Ewwwwwww. The FL water is nasty! Last year our carservice allowed for a grocery store stop so, we stocked up on the way to the resort. This year we are doing Magical Express so, I guess everyone will just have to pack some waters in their suitcase then shell out after those are gone. We can probably divide a case between the four ouf us. I guess I will have to go back through this thread and find out waht wegoshop is. Possibly a better solution?!?!?!?!?

[Amyality]

I agree but, this year I purchased some Disney items to give as gifts after we come home from the parks. We only buy for my sisters three children and Kohl's was having a sale on their Disney beach towels (only $7.00 each) and we bought lion king little plush stuffed animals at a ToysRUs sale for .98. So we have three great gifts for less than $10.00 bucks each to give the cousins when we come home.
We just decided to say "we bought these for you" when we come home, we just won't say when and where :cool1: :smooth: :rolleyes1 .

Yes, this is a good idea. Maybe I'm greedy but, I hate buying presents for my entire extended family at the full Disney park price while I'm shelling out big bucks on the trip already. We just might get a few trinkets for them on sale and use your line. The little tinkerbell gifts are a cute idea but, we just by one or two items for each boy during the trip. They are well behaved so, this works. They have their own money too.

[chrismb22]

Something we might want to remember here when discussing all this water intake. I am drinking just enough so I don't get dehydrated during the day. Normally I drink 64 ounces in the afternoon while at work but I do NOT want to be taking bathroom breaks after every ride -- and imagine a long ride with no bathroom break. I am going to seriously limit my liquid intake as much as I can without hurting myself.

[EthansMom]

Tips that don't work for us:

Just let the baby sleep in the stroller. Nope. We have to have the mid-afternoon break. Both our 1 year-old and 4 year-old get overstimulated. It saves us a lot of bother and aggravation to leave the park after a late lunch and then maybe go back briefly in the evening. If we arrive at the park at opening, we can see and do all of the stuff we really want in the 6 days (really just half-days since we leave in the afternoons) we're at WDW.

Just fly by the seat of your pants. Nope. We travelled with in-laws who refused to plan anything. We didn't get to the parks until 10 a.m. and since we never had reservations for meals, it took 1 hour just to decide when and where to eat, by which time, everyone was so hungry that we just ate whereever was closest.

Stay at DTD and use their bus system. Nope. That dang bus stops at each and every DTD hotel and is always packed! After wasting several hours in 3 days, we started paying for parking and driving to the parks. (Now, we just stay on property.)

Buy souvenirs and bring them with you. Nope. Never saw anyone mention that the dang glow necklaces can't be bent -- once their bent they start glowing and only last for 8-12 hours. I had to expend considerable energy making sure that the darn glow necklaces didn't get bent -- would have been easier to buy my son a light toy. We did limit each child to 1 toy purchase at WDW on our last trip and that worked well.

Don't spend the money on character meals, just stand in line to see the characters. Nope. The kids had so much fun at the character meal we did last trip that we have two planned for our upcoming trip. The food was great and it was worth a few bucks to have four characters come by to see us instead of us waiting in a hot line to see one character.

Just my opinion....

[Amyality]

Tips that don't work for us:

Just let the baby sleep in the stroller. Nope. We have to have the mid-afternoon break. Both our 1 year-old and 4 year-old get overstimulated. It saves us a lot of bother and aggravation to leave the park after a late lunch and then maybe go back briefly in the evening. If we arrive at the park at opening, we can see and do all of the stuff we really want in the 6 days (really just half-days since we leave in the afternoons) we're at WDW.

Just fly by the seat of your pants. Nope. We travelled with in-laws who refused to plan anything. We didn't get to the parks until 10 a.m. and since we never had reservations for meals, it took 1 hour just to decide when and where to eat, by which time, everyone was so hungry that we just ate whereever was closest.

Stay at DTD and use their bus system. Nope. That dang bus stops at each and every DTD hotel and is always packed! After wasting several hours in 3 days, we started paying for parking and driving to the parks. (Now, we just stay on property.)

Buy souvenirs and bring them with you. Nope. Never saw anyone mention that the dang glow necklaces can't be bent -- once their bent they start glowing and only last for 8-12 hours. I had to expend considerable energy making sure that the darn glow necklaces didn't get bent -- would have been easier to buy my son a light toy. We did limit each child to 1 toy purchase at WDW on our last trip and that worked well.

Don't spend the money on character meals, just stand in line to see the characters. Nope. The kids had so much fun at the character meal we did last trip that we have two planned for our upcoming trip. The food was great and it was worth a few bucks to have four characters come by to see us instead of us waiting in a hot line to see one character.

Just my opinion....


I agree with everytihing you just posted! Luckily, we have not had to learn from expereince quite as much as you have! ;)

[Nancyg56]

Tips that don't work for us:

Just let the baby sleep in the stroller. Nope. We have to have the mid-afternoon break. Both our 1 year-old and 4 year-old get overstimulated. It saves us a lot of bother and aggravation to leave the park after a late lunch and then maybe go back briefly in the evening. If we arrive at the park at opening, we can see and do all of the stuff we really want in the 6 days (really just half-days since we leave in the afternoons) we're at WDW.

Just fly by the seat of your pants. Nope. We travelled with in-laws who refused to plan anything. We didn't get to the parks until 10 a.m. and since we never had reservations for meals, it took 1 hour just to decide when and where to eat, by which time, everyone was so hungry that we just ate whereever was closest.

Stay at DTD and use their bus system. Nope. That dang bus stops at each and every DTD hotel and is always packed! After wasting several hours in 3 days, we started paying for parking and driving to the parks. (Now, we just stay on property.)

Buy souvenirs and bring them with you. Nope. Never saw anyone mention that the dang glow necklaces can't be bent -- once their bent they start glowing and only last for 8-12 hours. I had to expend considerable energy making sure that the darn glow necklaces didn't get bent -- would have been easier to buy my son a light toy. We did limit each child to 1 toy purchase at WDW on our last trip and that worked well.

Don't spend the money on character meals, just stand in line to see the characters. Nope. The kids had so much fun at the character meal we did last trip that we have two planned for our upcoming trip. The food was great and it was worth a few bucks to have four characters come by to see us instead of us waiting in a hot line to see one character.

Just my opinion....


I'm with you !

[ZoZo]

Hard to believe that the water in Flordia is sooo bad tasting that we actually couldn't stand it. My only regret is not purchasing tons of water from WeGoShop. However, as we did the meal plan, all our snack credits were used on water..so it did work out in the end.

If you are sensitive to water taste....buy water.

Having lived in Florida several years ago, I can vouch for the fact that the local water does not taste good. It has a very distinct chemical/mineral taste, very off-putting. I read a great tip on one of the threads to bring your own water bottle in the morning, but ask to have it refilled at one of the restaurants (from their fountain drink area, not an outdoor water fountain). Apparently most CMs are very willing to do so for you.

[krismom]

Those neck coolers. UUGGHH. I searched everywhere for them- when we used them they felt slimy and left a weird rash on my son's neck. They were really heavy to carry around - the washcloth idea is MUCH better.

[bigmac5]

Those neck coolers. UUGGHH. I searched everywhere for them- when we used them they felt slimy and left a weird rash on my son's neck. They were really heavy to carry around - the washcloth idea is MUCH better.

I agree. I made some and nobody liked them. They we only cool for the first half hour then they were wet and warm. only used them part of a day. My hubby just took a small towel from our room and put that around his neck to sop up the moisture. They took about a week to completely dry out

[Julia M]

Some tips work better than others, depending on the ages of your kids.

Prebuying Souvenirs: When my kids were little, I could buy a gift or two ahead of time as a souvenir. I would pull it out at night, when we were in the hotel, and announce I had a surprise. But that's because dh and I seldom, if ever, went into the shops ourselves. Now that my kids are older, it just won't work!!

Bringing Snacks into the Parks: Again, a tip that worked great when my kids were little, and we were lugging a stroller and diaper bag anyway. If they were getting hungry and cranky, I could easily rectify the situation. Now that they are older, they aren't interested in goldfish crackers and raisins! :confused3 They also can wait. On the other hand, I do keep a roll or two of lifesavers or other hard candies in my purse.....they come in handy.

Bringing in a Mister: Another tip we tried once and thought was dumb. We hated carrying them around.

On the other hand, here's an awesome tip we heard before our first trip, and now use on EVERY TRIP!!!!!!!!

If you are driving to the parks (whether on or off site), pack a small cooler. Put in a drink for everyone, as well as a small snack. We added tons of ice, to keep the drinks cold. It was so nice to have a refreshing drink and snack while trying to leave the parks. It kept everyone in a better mood.

julia

[leebee]

"Stay onsite" is the worst advice EVER for our family! It is SOOOO expensive! What do you get for staying onsite? Disney transportation is a major pain. I HATE waiting for busses, especially in long lines after the parks close. We have waited to be on the 6th bus, then have the pleasure of standing, packed in like sardines, to ride back to the resort. Also, the busses take FOREVER to get anywhere other than a major park. It took an hour and 40 mins to take the bus from POFQ to MK, then the monorail to the Poly for dinner...and we had to do it in reverse AFTER dinner! I would rather wait to exit a parking lot sitting in an air conditioned car than wait for/use Disney transport. Values and moderates only have double beds, which means I share a bed with DD, which means no rest for me- she's in my kidneys or kicking me or something all night (DH and I have a king sized bed!). The bathrooms are tiny, values have no fridge or coffeemaker, and you have the joy of the food courts (not complaining about quality or quantity, just price, inconvenience, weak/poor coffee, and mess). For less $$$ I can always find a suite of some type, where we have a kitchenette and our own coffeepot, bigger or more beds, and more space and privacy!!! We don't go to early entry (or park entry for that matter) as we like to be in the parks at night, for the evening shows, and have discovered we can't go to bed at 11 or midnight and get up at 6 and still have fun! So I think that "staying onsite" is one of the worst tips ever!!

[MELSMICE]

So I think that "staying onsite" is one of the worst tips ever!!

I don't consider on-site or off-site a tip, just a preference! ;)

[shellynn24]

I never realized that you could get as many good ideas from bad tips as good tips. I have been going to WDW since I was a little kid, so I have pretty set ways of doing things when in the World. I do know that I never liked the midday break idea,my kids could never handle leaving a park to take a nap! My DS 4 stopped taking naps like 2 years ago, and DD 20 months, will sleep anywhere if she is tired enough but won't sleep anywhere if she doesn't feel like it. I do like the idea of bringing water to WDW, I'm really spoiled when it comes to my water princess: .

[disgram]

For years when we have gone anywhere with the kids, (now grown), we always carried the backpack. A HUGE one!! It had everything that I could think we might possibly have to have. First-aid kit, ponchos, snacks, water or pouch drinks, etc. We (DH and I) would take turns carrying the darn thing. Thinking back on it, I think that we might have used something out of that backpack once or twice the many trips we took. After reading some of the comments here, I have decided to go with a small back. It is one that has just two strings to go over the shoulder and I am only going to carry the wallet, autograph books and pens, hand sanitizer, and wet washcloths!! Going to save my shoulders this trip!! :banana:

[Teresa Pitman]

For me, staying onsite is SO much better. Sure, you can stay offsite cheaper and get a bigger room. But after two trips where we stayed offsite and I drove through what seemed like endless construction and horrible traffic every morning and evening, not to mention getting constantly lost trying to find my way back and forth (the construction made it very tough), we stayed onsite.

Why do I love it?
1. EMH. We've been in AK when it was open in the evening and felt like we were the only people in the park! We got to do the rides as many times over as we wanted and had a fabulous time. We've also been able to do something like 5 or 6 rides in MK in that first EMH hour - and then go to another park for the rest of the day.

2. Wake up calls from Mickey Mouse! Okay, not a huge deal, but the kids love it.

3. Not having to worry about driving home at night when I'm tired, my blood sugar is low, and the hotel is hard to find. If you take your time leaving the park (do a little shopping) the bus lines are smaller and you're more likely to get a seat. Or leave half an hour early. Then you can just relax while somebody else finds your hotel for you. I love it.

Teresa

[gt0163c]

I don't do the antiperspirant on my feet. Instead I wear liner socks (thin, nylon/lycra socks. Brandname is usually something like Coolmax.) under my regularly (hiking) socks. But, then, I also do Disney at Thanksgiving time (or at least my last three or four trips have been that time of year) and I wear hiking boots (comfort, stability, keep my feet warm on cool evenings).

I always bring a backpack into the parks with me. But, then, I'm seldom without a backpack in daily life, so it's not a big deal for me. Having a pack allows me to bring and/or remove layers of clothing as needed (again, see note about doing Disney at Thanksgiving). I do try to double up (my light jacket is a waterproof/breathable shell that, along with a light weight fleece and some waterproof/breathable pants get me through just about anything the weather can throw at me). The biggest problem for me is convincing my family that my pack is not their pack (I'm single and do Disney with my family, my sister, BIL and their two young kids). The general rule is "you put something in that's bigger or heavier than a park map, you help carry it". And, most of the time, that works. I do carry a fairly small pack, so that limits the amount and weight of stuff I can carry.

I do bring food into the parks, generally snacks and sometimes lunch. But, here's the thing, it's stuff that I want to eat. I don't generally eat a lot of junk food or even a lot of prepackaged/processed food at home. So, having poptarts and wheat thins, beef jerkey and especially M&Ms and Hersey's miniatures are almost as good as Mickey Bars and Dole whips (and will at least get me through morning snack and somethign sweet after meals). I don't know how well that would work with younger kids, but it's something to think about.
I also prefer apples to french fries with my meals. So, if we're doing counter service, I'll often get just a burger or something and then supplement it with an apple and something sweet from my pack. Saves money and generally I'm happier.

I carry a Brita bottle with a filter. The wide mouth makes it easy to fill up at a water fountain or rest room and the filter helps with the taste. But, again, I also use a Brita filter on my water bottle I use at work, so I'm used to the taste. For meals, sometimes I carry some powdered drink mix to be added to a glass of ice water.

Generally, I prefer not to take a break back at the room during the day. My sister's kids are good about napping in the stroller. Plus, they don't get up as early as the 'rents and me. M&D and I are usually at the park when it opens and get fastpasses and do the cool rides we (okay, it's usually me, except Jungle Cruise, that one is one of Mom's favorites) want to before the crowds get big. By that time, it's time for morning snack while waiting for the rest of the family to arrive. For a break during the day I'm usually good with a nice, calm ride or show that I can nap through in the midafternoon. Universe of Energy, Hall of Presidents, waiting for Festival of the Lion King, all great times for naps. My parents are also prone to napping during shows. Mom is convinced she's never seen all of Hall of Presidents in one sitting. But, I can also sleep just about anywhere and generally only need a 20-30 minute "powernap" to be recharged and ready to go again. To me, it makes more sense to do that than to spend the hour+ that it can take for round trip transportation to the room.

I can see not pre-buying non-Disney souveniers. What my sister does (and her kids are 2 and 5 at this point) is bring the souveniers from previous trips. Yes, it's the same light-up Buzz Lightyear that they bought three years ago and that the kids play with at home regularly. But, with a little cleaning and a fresh set of batteries, her kids are just as excited about it as if they had gotten something new.

I always bring something with me to do during lines/long waits for shows or parades. For lines, I like a yo-yo. For longer waits, I have a book or something else to read (often on my palm pilot). A little matchbox car or two or maybe a plastic dino lets me amuse myself (yes, I'm 30. What's your point?) and means I can help entertain my nephews as well. Someone also mentioned little things of bubbles. I hadn't thought about that, but have a few wedding bubble containers around and I might bring some with my this time.

[shellynn24]

For me, staying onsite is SO much better. Sure, you can stay offsite cheaper and get a bigger room. But after two trips where we stayed offsite and I drove through what seemed like endless construction and horrible traffic every morning and evening, not to mention getting constantly lost trying to find my way back and forth (the construction made it very tough), we stayed onsite.

Why do I love it?
1. EMH. We've been in AK when it was open in the evening and felt like we were the only people in the park! We got to do the rides as many times over as we wanted and had a fabulous time. We've also been able to do something like 5 or 6 rides in MK in that first EMH hour - and then go to another park for the rest of the day.

2. Wake up calls from Mickey Mouse! Okay, not a huge deal, but the kids love it.

3. Not having to worry about driving home at night when I'm tired, my blood sugar is low, and the hotel is hard to find. If you take your time leaving the park (do a little shopping) the bus lines are smaller and you're more likely to get a seat. Or leave half an hour early. Then you can just relax while somebody else finds your hotel for you. I love it.

Teresa

This is exactly why I stay onsite now. My husband and I stayed offsite for our honeymoon and we hated, or should I say DH hated ;) , driving back and forth everynight. I'm glad to hear about the night EMH at AK it's our second favorite park and it seems we can never get enough time there. I second the vote for WDW transportation. I love being driven around. When on vacation, I like to park the car and leave it parked, or should I say DH likes to leave it parked.

[ZoZo]

I didn't like the mister fans as much as I thought I would. The first day (it was very hot!) it was great, but after that, it was just one more heavy thing to lug around. Plus, even though it has a shoulder strap to help carry it, it was hard to manage on rides because it flopped around. On rides like the Rock and Roller Coaster (and California Screaming at California Adventure) where there are inversions, you don't want something that's going to move around freely!! Also, my friend kept getting irritated because she kept getting misted by accident.

This year, I'm going to try to use one of the small battery-operated fans without the mister. It's compact and should work much better for me. I also have a small folding fan that I might bring too (got it at a local import store that carries lots of international items). It was only 99 cents!!

[nsmith]

we didn't like the misting fans either. They were very heavy and bulky. we also never used the water bottle holders we brought for the kids. My children really are not big drinkers so a beverage at meal time and a ice cream or minnie bar were sufficent and again heavy and bulky.

I would love to ditch the big back pack this trip, each kids wears a butt bag with autograph book/pen, rain poncho, a couple snack etc. I guess we just put the camera, camcorder , misters, water bottles and our ponchos in it.

We did like having peanut butter crackers and granola bars handy my DD just doen't like fast food so she would eat a pack of crackers pick at my lunch and share my drink for many lunches. we also liked eating the granola bars when sitting waiting for a show to start.

[bigmac5]

I didn't like the mister fans as much as I thought I would. The first day (it was very hot!) it was great, but after that, it was just one more heavy thing to lug around. Plus, even though it has a shoulder strap to help carry it, it was hard to manage on rides because it flopped around. On rides like the Rock and Roller Coaster (and California Screaming at California Adventure) where there are inversions, you don't want something that's going to move around freely!! Also, my friend kept getting irritated because she kept getting misted by accident.

This year, I'm going to try to use one of the small battery-operated fans without the mister. It's compact and should work much better for me. I also have a small folding fan that I might bring too (got it at a local import store that carries lots of international items). It was only 99 cents!!

We didn't like the misty fans very much either. We also had several small personal fans with us. The best small fan had two hard plastic bades that folded down when not in use.and used only 1 AA battery. It gave off the best breeze. At Fantasmic we even passed it around to strangers who thought it the best. We had a couple with foam blades and they didn't work very well.

[missypie]

We never did use our misting fan. The first day (AK) we forgot it. On the second day,we were one family away from meeting Mickey in the Judge's Tent when DH realized that the batteries were dead in his camera flash. DS14 brilliantly remembered that we had just added batteries to the misting fan, so they were taken out pronto and put in the camera flash. We forgot to add batteries the next day, then it rained the rest of the time, so we got misted by mother nature.

[babytrees]

just bumping :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[MrsPete]

The buying "souvenirs" before you go to Disney really doesn't work. If you check the tags on anything you buy at WDW, it says Walt Disney World on it. And if you bought it at the Disney Store, it says "Disney Store". You can't really get away with it.But kids don't know this, and since THEY RECEIVED the item at WDW, TO THEM it is a reminder of the trip. It makes much more sense than buying $$$ items (often on a credit card) that will be loved for about 15 minutes. I banned all souveniers years ago, and it was a good choice.

[MrsPete]

We never did use our misting fan.We didn't like that either. We find that carrying "stuff" in the park is a hassel.

[litlpixie]

I love these "pointless" tips...some of which I took to heart during my first visit. I would have to say that the most pointless tip I followed was the "Bring your own snacks into the parks".....We show up at MK on our 1st morning and I look like a sherpa with all the food & juice boxes packed in a backpack!! Mid-morning I bring the kids to a nice shady spot and take out my bounty of healthy food and treats that I gingerly packed after months of planning exactly what I thought they would want to eat, and you know what I got?? I got "I want a turkey leg" or "I want a Mickey Bar", or "I want somthing from Mrs. Potts Cupboard" . So, for us, its just easier to do snacks in the parks. I still bring snacks, I just keep them in the room for late night -munchie attacks.

By the way, we ALWAYS do a mid-afternoon break even with our kids being 15,14, & 7. We go back to the resort (on-site) for lunch and a swim...it saves my bunch from theme park overload and from withering in the heat. We then go back to the parks right before dinner time. 34 DAYS TO GO!!!!!!! :banana:

[Ask"WhyNot?"]

Someone gave me a tip the other day (not knowing I've been practically every year since opening) that made me think of this thread, so I thought I'd revive it...

Wait until the kids are older. Wrong! Why would I do that? :confused3 It's not :banana: a once in a life time trip. And my kids have enjoyed the trip as mush at 18 as they did at 6 months and every age in between. The trips they remember the most were the trips they took at 3 and 4 years of age. The trips that made them fall in love with WDW the most were the trips from about 15 months to 4 years--when it was most "real" to them. And honestly, say what you want about strollers, but I miss having one to help carry stuff.

[tlbwriter]

But kids don't know this, and since THEY RECEIVED the item at WDW, TO THEM it is a reminder of the trip. It makes much more sense than buying $$$ items (often on a credit card) that will be loved for about 15 minutes. I banned all souveniers years ago, and it was a good choice.
That might work for kids who don't care what they get, as long as it has something to do with WDW. But when my child is in a store and sees a souvenir she wants, she couldn't care less that I have a dozen other items waiting back at the hotel - she wants the item she saw in the store that she loved. And I feel the same way. For our family, souvenirs are a reminder of our trip - not a reminder of a trip to Wal-Mart before we went to WDW. My daughter will always remember picking out the perfect stuffed husky in Canada, or the big pen we bought right before we went to a character meal. It doesn't matter whether it was cheap or expensive - she picked it out at WDW, and that's what matters to her.

[MiknMinMouse]

I'm curious, of thse of you who said afternoon breaks were worthless how old were your kids? I am planning them for my 4 and 2 year olds. Thanks!

My kids have gone every year since almost birth. We have never gone back to the room specifically for a nap. Usually when they were tired they'd just conk out in the stroller. I think you just have to judge what's best for your child. At the MK they have a baby care center. I've heard parents say they use this spot to give their kids some quiet time then go back out.

[WIcruizer]

1) "You can skip park X" I've heard AK, MGM, and Epcot...AK probably most often. We love each park in it's own way, and wouldn't think of skipping any of them

2) "WDW and Disneyland are the same thing" Of course...dead wrong.

3) "Staying off-site is not magical and too inconvenient." There's nothing magical about stuffing 4 people into a small room. We like a large hotel room with 2 separate bedrooms. The driving, traffic, etc. isn't a problem for us. We get back to the hotel faster than taking Disney transportation on-site, and it's much more relaxing. Cruising through WDW with the top down beats stuck on a loud, crowded, smelly bus. In fact, even when we do stay on-site we always drive to the parks- much more convenient.

4) "You must plan out your day to the detail" Not sure if this one is still a common tip, but I know it was real popular at one point. Runnnnnn!!!!!!!!! according to the schedule we're supposed to be at Buzz Lightyear in 5 minutes!!! NO THANKS!! I don't care if we miss something, I'm not going to be tied to an anal schedule on vacation.

The snacks thing seems to be a popular debate. We bring a backpack no matter what for camera, clothes, souvenirs, etc. So as long as we have it, why not bring some snacks and frozen water bottles? We still buy snacks inside, but it helps cut down on the price tag of constant snacking.

[kpk89]

I was really worried that I couldn't find an over-the-door hanging shoe holder to keep my clutter off of the sink. But during our trip I didn't find our sink to be THAT cluttered. It was fine.


LOL I found the same thing. I DID bring one, but the bathroom at OKW is, um , gi-normous!!! So, we used the over-the-door shoe holder for .... (gasp) SHOES! :rotfl2: With the 5 of us, and sneakers & sandals for all, it actually helped a lot.

[jeancbpugh]

Just goes to show you how different we all our. No one in our family had any problems with the water.

Doesn't bother me either. I dont' bother with a water bottle. Just stop at a water fountain when I'm thirsty...