What Disney Tip Are you really glad you listened to?

[carlbarry]

Where is the Disney outlet? We thought there was one on 535 but it's a "Character Outlet" with a very small selection of things. I found much more at the Wal-Mart on 535 as well as on Vine/Bass Rd.

The one closest to WDW is Orlando Premium Outlets - Vineland Ave
8200 Vineland Avenue Orlando, FL 32821
It has some great bargains.
There is another one, but it is pretty far from WDW, north of the airport.

 

[gracer9977]

I don't know how important this would be to most people but if you have the option I would bring an old cell phone that you might have gathering dust in the house.

When we were there in 2011. My DH and I had our brand new (only 1 month old) droids. I had loaded all kinds of interesting apps about Disney lines, locators, etc and was so looking forward to trying them out. We were also going as a family party of 12 and would not be together all the time so this was going to be our first trip to WDW where we would be easily able to communicate where we were, how much longer we would be in line (my mom doesn't go on a lot of rides so she is always stuck waiting for us) and things like that.

We got to Disney, checked in and since our rooms weren't ready decided to head over to the pool. MY DH went to change into his bathing suit and I was just going to watch the kids go down the slide. As the kids came down the slide I suddenly realized that the water at the bottom of the slide was 4ft deep (way over their heads) they came down and started to flounder around, I dove in to save my babies and in the process drowned my new phone.

Don't get me wrong I would make the same decision now as I did then but it sure sucked to lose my phone. (it was completely dead, putting it in rice and all the other things people recommended didn't work). When we go in 2014 I plan to just bring my old flip phone, won't have the data plan or anything but really it was the texting where I was and where to meet that was the toughest thing not to have. My cell company is able to transfer your account to a different phone no problem so if I should have something happen at least I will have a back up.

Sorry that was a long story but figured I would share.

 

[aym4Him]

The one closest to WDW is Orlando Premium Outlets - Vineland Ave
8200 Vineland Avenue Orlando, FL 32821
It has some great bargains.
There is another one, but it is pretty far from WDW, north of the airport.

Thank you! We'll check it out!!

 

[Crazy Mother of Two]

To avoid putting dish detergent in a 3oz bottle or less (for airline travel).... I've made my own dish detergent sheets-just squirt dish detergent on a good quality paper towel & let dry-then fold up & place in a zip-top bag.These are great for washing resort mugs.
One of the major dish detergent brands had a version of this on the market some years ago.

I did the same thing only I used a sponge that I cut into 4 sections each. I brought 2 cut up sponges. The first time I used the paper towels and found that it didn't last the entire day.

 

[pmdeve]

I did the same thing only I used a sponge that I cut into 4 sections each. I brought 2 cut up sponges. The first time I used the paper towels and found that it didn't last the entire day.

Great tips, thanks.

 

[SLamott1973]

Just got back on 11/10 ...Taking a small fleece blanket to either sit on or cover up with at night while waiting for Wishes to start! Perfect!!

 

[ZoZo]

I was glad to hear about the fact you can leave your purchases for the cast members to bring back to your room.

Also here's a tip from me.
"Put the yellow disney resort stickers on your luggage the night before."

FYI, you can have purchases sent back to your resort's gift shop, but not to your room. They stopped sending purchases to individual guests' rooms several years ago. Now they send them to the gift shop at your resort, where you can pick them up the next day.

 

[Chaoticsweetness]

FYI, you can have purchases sent back to your resort's gift shop, but not to your room. They stopped sending purchases to individual guests' rooms several years ago. Now they send them to the gift shop at your resort, where you can pick them up the next day.

Also if you are only taking a day trip & go shopping, you can send your purchases to the Front Gate & pick them up when you leave for the day. My Aunt does this every time at MK, she loves shopping on Main Street.

 

[Wests4Disney]

subbing, want to find the list later...good tips so far

 

[lvcourtneyy]

My tip, although on the less practical/vital side, is NOT to wear ripped jeans to WDW. Although they are extremely common among my age group here, in WDW I felt myself the subject of many stares and confused looks!!

I fear I may have given off the impression I was homeless with some of the looks I got!

 

[ZoZo]

I would have to state that the outlet strip remains my top tip. I read it before my first trip and we have used one every time since, not just to DW but to other vacations as well.

Yep, bringing a power strip is so handy. Hotel rooms have very few empty outlets, and they're often located in hard-to-reach places (like behind nightstands , etc.). Or you have to unplug something important, like a lamp. to plug in your cell phone charger. With all of the electronic device people carry nowadays, it makes things so much easier when charging to have a power strip.

 

[Trish.Glenn]

Power strip can be a life saver!!! Also I always find having a zip lock bag that our cells phones fit into for wet rides very helpfull!!

 

[ZoZo]

Taking a break mid day. Best tip ever!

Getting to parks early and leaving by 1 PM. Go back in evening and enjoy dinner, parade and fireworks without being totally exhausted.

We didn't do this at AK, and I got ill from the heat that day

I'll add caveat to this tip. Be sure to check the park hours (closing times) for the time of year you're visiting. You'll see many people suggesting that you leave the parks mid-day, then go back in the evening. This strategy works only if you're going to WDW when the parks stay open late. But this doesn't work for me, because I go in October. With the parks closing as early as 5:00 pm (AK) or 7:00-ish (MK or DHS), you'd waste half of your prime park time by taking an afternoon break every day. I might go back to the resort to take a quick shower and change clothes, but I definitely wouldn't spend my entire afternoon at the resort every day.

 

[ZoZo]

For those waiting til the end of vacation to buy souvenirs -- just be sure you leave time to get back to everywhere to get them. We also tell the kids to wait til later in the vacation, but it's my sincere fear that we won't make it back to obscure little shops to pick up everything that we saw that we liked, especially if they are scattered around the parks and resorts.

Now that Disney has standardized a lot of the inventory (for better or worse), it's not always such a problem, but my DD wanted a kimono from the Japanese pavilion in Epcot last spring, and that might have been a problem had we not been staying at an Epcot resort. I usually find something at the GF Mercantile, and we're usually only there once the whole trip. DTD is also a big, special trip.

I suggest buying a souvenir when you see it, especially if it's an unusual item. I found out that you can return any item purchased at any WDW shop, right at your resort gift shop. Then if you find something you like later in your trip, you can return the first item you purchased without going back to the original store to do the return.

 

[Dalamara]

I found out that you can return any item purchased at any WDW shop, right at your resort gift shop. Then if you find something you like later in your trip, you can return the first item you purchased without going back to the original store to do the return.

WOW!! I didn't know that, what a great tip! Thanks!

 

[dsneprincess]

I suggest buying a souvenir when you see it, especially if it's an unusual item. I found out that you cocan return any item purchased at any WDW shop, right at your resort gift shop. Then if you find something you like later in your trip, you can return the first item you purchased without going back to the original store to do the return.

Color me amazed! I didn't know this. I guess I learned my something for today!! Wow, thanks for the info!

 

[jnfr2424]

Ship your souvenirs home is the best tip ever

We usually shop in WoD and the 24 days of Christmas and we don't carry any of it with us
Tax gets exempt and we usually pay 20-30 shipping and it arrives 10 days later

 

[fadingjamie]

I suggest buying a souvenir when you see it, especially if it's an unusual item. I found out that you can return any item purchased at any WDW shop, right at your resort gift shop. Then if you find something you like later in your trip, you can return the first item you purchased without going back to the original store to do the return.

Thank you for this! I missed out on a pin because I didn't buy it right away and wanted to shop around (not that the prices change but I didn't think I needed to buy it right away).

 

[ConnieB]

I'll add caveat to this tip. Be sure to check the park hours (closing times) for the time of year you're visiting. You'll see many people suggesting that you leave the parks mid-day, then go back in the evening. This strategy works only if you're going to WDW when the parks stay open late. But this doesn't work for me, because I go in October. With the parks closing as early as 5:00 pm (AK) or 7:00-ish (MK or DHS), you'd waste half of your prime park time by taking an afternoon break every day. I might go back to the resort to take a quick shower and change clothes, but I definitely wouldn't spend my entire afternoon at the resort every day.

But the afternoon break is so that you can stay until closing (which tends to get less crowded as little ones go home)....so if the park isn't open late than the stamina needed to go open to close is less and do-able, lol.

 

[Rememberingthe70s]

I know many of us buy things here and there over time while planning for a Diz trip (I ordered some pins a week ago, my park tickets came in the mail, I bought a few t-shirts, I'll pick up some body glide at some point, etc). For these items, grab your suitcase or carry-on or (even a box), set it out somewhere out of the way, and put everything in there, in one place. I've already started doing it, and I'm 60 days out. This way, I have some pre-trip fun, and I know everything I need is in one place for the final pack.

It's a nice way to know you have not forgotten anything, and it's fun to pick up things you need now and then and "deposit them in the Disney box!"