Ladies, what did you learn from first trip?

[Disney2012]

I know newbies have to experience things for themselves, but I'm hoping to learn and avoid some heartaches from ladies who have their first family trip behind them. As your first visit came to a close, what things struck you right away that you would do differently? I'm talking packing, meals, planning, overplanning, touring, etc. I've love to hear your wisdom!

Thanks!

 

[phillymummer]

Let everyone get enough sleep. Getting to the park at RP is not worth the crankiness and meltdowns later in the day. And i am not talking only about kids. ; )

*EDIT* I should explain more. We took a late flight, left after school/work and by the time we got into our room (at POR) it was close to 11:00. I let me mom (who had arrived a couple days before) talk us into making RD at MK because it was so imporant. Well, we had a hard time waking up our 5-year daughter, ending up missing RD anyway and by 3pm we were all exhausted and cranky. We ended up leaving so we could all get naps and ended up staying at the resort the rest of the night.

 

[Reidhome]

I know newbies have to experience things for themselves, but I'm hoping to learn and avoid some heartaches from ladies who have their first family trip behind them. As your first visit came to a close, what things struck you right away that you would do differently? I'm talking packing, meals, planning, overplanning, touring, etc. I've love to hear your wisdom!

Thanks!

DH and I took our sons (7 and 10) after Thanksgiving 2011. Going back in 12 days!!! We lived by our TouringPlans / Lines App, we're out of our hotel room by 7:30am each day, and we're pretty commando!! When someone hit a wall, we relaxed... Remember that this is your VACATION, and (as with life), you need to be flexible. I did not expect the boys to carry their own drinks / jackets/ etc., set out everyone's clothes BEFORE going to bed, took loads of pics! None of us has stopped talking about our AWESOME trip to DW, thus our quick return trip! ;-)

I packed a few snacks and waters in my carryon each day, enjoyed watching the boys have the time of their lives! Can't WAIT to go back! Focus on the memories you are making - don't sweat the small stuff... ;-)

 

[goldwest]

We were flying from North west and I was new to booking flights - didn't know to pick seats and got stuck by the bathrooms! Anyway arrivng rested next time!

 

[Reidhome]

Although airlines seem to overbook all flights now, we (DH, DS10, DS8 and myself) try to book Aisle / Window, next row behind Aisle / Window. You MIGHT get lucky and have an empty middle seat. If the middle seat is booked, that person will GLADLY trade middle seat for aisle. But you MIGHT get the full row for yourself! ;-)
A headphone splitter cable ($3.50 or so), is great - pay for ONE airplane tv screen and let the kids (if seated next to one another) share a screen... Save $8/each way...

 

[bearloch]

the best thing is to allow down time and watch each other or signs of needing a break!! as far as food if u are on dining plan just bring a few light snacks for kids to eat as needed like fruit snacks or apples! if not and buying food as go u may want to pack more it all depends on your fam we treat this as part of are trip and dont bring to much in parks! BUT we have breakfast foods and midnigh snacks in room!!! do bring water and fl water has a taste to it so bring drink mixes to mask that!!!!!

extra shoes are a must for EVERYONE!!

also bring a extra outfit for kids casue last thing u want is a nice pic oppt with lunch on the clothes!

there are also slash pads in parks soplan on wet or bring extra stuff for that

autorgaph books

HAVE FUN

 

[CampbellScot]

having a long sleeve tee or light weight hoodie available at the parks. It's super HOT outside but that can make for VERY chilly AC conditions indoors. I am always glad I have a hoodie with me and the kids are always glad for something to slip over their arms if we are indoors for any length of time.

it's important to try and enjoy and not rush. This is hard for me as I am a planner. If you miss something, just think about adding it in on your NEXT trip!

I have a few tips that concern being wet. Wet clothing is NOT fun when you are spending long hours in the parks. It's downright uncomfortable after a while. I have learned some lessons over the years!

Plan to wear clothing that is not going to cause a problem if it gets wet on a ride. Sweat tech clothing, fabrics that advertise to quick dry. Clothing doesn't dry well or fast in the Florida humidity. Rashes can appear if you are wearing cotton that doesn't dry. NOT fun!!

We always carry a shammie towel and a wash cloth with us. When it's pouring down rain, your hands and feet get soaked and then you are dripping wet when you go indoors. It's so nice to have something to dry your hands on and your feet if you need to. it is also nice to be able to dry off your ponchos a bit if you need to repack them for indoors times.

Consider the bag you are carrying. Is it water proof? Rain can be fast and furious and everything in your pack can get soaked! If you have a backpack, consider a waterproof cover. Super cheap on Amazon.com. Totally worth it.

We have splurged for real rain coats. We tend to go every year so this may not make sense for more sporadic visitors, but then you can always use them. When the kids were little, the ponchos were fine. They covered their clothing properly and kept them reasonably dry. The taller the kids got, the more wet their clothing started to get. If it's windy, forget it. You are getting wet. My husband's shorts would always be soaked at the hem, wind or not. Last year my husband and I brought our LLbean Trail Model raincoats with us to Disney. Both coats are actually a men's XL-Tall. HUGE on me (I'm about 5"4', 110 pounds) but it allows me to comfortably wear my sling pack under it and I don't feel stuffed and my stuff doesn't get wet. It's long almost to my ankles. It totally protects me. My husband is a tall guy, so his comes down just past his knees. This year we got one for each of the kids. My step daughter (13) is as tall as me and my step son (10) is nearly as tall as me! We bought a men's Medium regular for him. Very roomy fit, but not too much so, and it will keep him totally dry. Real sleeves make a world of difference in trying to avoid getting rain inside. Wind can bring its worst and nothing is getting inside these rains coats. They are on the pricier side, but they have a lifetime guarantee to last or you get a new one. It's an investment for dryer and happier days in the unpredictable Florida weather. They are thin and breathable. My hubs would NOT wear them if they caused him to overheat. LOVE THEM!!! Best investment EVER!!

that's about it for super useful tips to keep dry!

Keep a small first aid kit with bandaids, neosporin, advil, tylenol, adult and children's version. Tissues are always good to have on hand.

Stay hydrated. Sleep well. Laugh a lot.


Have a WONDERFUL time!!

 

[lylone]

1)Bring more underclothes than just one set for each day. It's humid in Orlando and we end up taking multiple showers.
2)Also, don't wear a black fanny pack. It's hot even in April and wearing something around your waist makes it even hotter. Wear a cross body style instead.
3)Don't sit next to a woman with a child on her shoulder who is tired and sunburned. Last time I did I ended up barfed on and it was not pretty.
4)Pack plenty of patience.... people are SOOOO inconsiderate.

 

[DLB]

-ENJOY EVERY MINUTE and don't let anyone or anything "ruin" it for you. People can be nasty, rides break down, the weather can be terrible. Just take it minute by minute, day by day!
-Realize you can't DO everything in any ONE trip.
-Look around, there is so much magic while you are "waiting" for anything. Keep an eye out for hidden Mickeys, enjoy the scenery, talk with the family about the day so far!!

We always go with a very detailed plan - I start planning months in advance and make all our ADR's as soon as I can. Then once I get there it becomes a soft plan and we go with the flow. I know what we wanted to do and we try to make that happen, but if it doesn't we know that whatever we end up doing in the "world" will be just as special if you allow it to be. Sounds silly, but it is so true!!!

As for getting wet due to weather and or rides, my suggestion is ZIPLOCK bags. We put everything in one. Problem solved.

HAVE FUN and enjoy it ALL!

 

[hsmamato2]

I'm the opposite of a lot of pp's here....for my family we....leave our room whenever...ds1 sleeps,ds2 swims,dh spend hours getting ready,and I relax with my coffee...anything else makes for a cranky bunch....doesn't work for us!
we get a box of cereal,and buy milk at gift store-pack the disposable bowls and spoons- and eat breakfast in the room- priceless!
b/c we always start late, we plan a full day wherever we go, so we plan which park has late EMH,and go accordingly-
enjoy your time, if there are one or two attractions you must do, go there first,and get fp's..... then relax and enjoy the ambience!
the only planning/rushing we do is to get to an ADR if we have one. other than that, no watches allowed! if the crowds are going one way,we go opposite.it;s so big,there are usually lots of options for staying out of massive crowds....just adjust,and keep moving!

 

[kissy]

I'm also with the go with the flow people. My family hasn't made it to rope drop yet. I would love to but rushing DH around that early in the morning would make for a cranky dad so we skip it. (although I did plan one early morning breakfast at crystal palace for our upcoming trip, he's already been forewarned). We normally wake up when we wake up, have some breakfast, coffee, and go when DH is done getting ready. Also, I would agree with packing some snacks. We had one year that we didn't do the dining plan so we packed a small soft cooler with sandwiches, snacks, and bottles of water (that we froze overnight since it was in Sept and HOT!). Worked out great, each person ate when they were hungry so no melt downs from kids. OH, make sure that if you are bringing a stroller you bring a poncho or something to cover it in case it rains. One year we went into a ride, didn't cover the stroller, came out and it was pouring. DS ended up sitting on a plastic poncho the rest of the day.

 

[jennyjinx3]

Don't overbuy groceries / snacks for your resort room. We did just that and really only ended up eating some breakfast things, and drank mostly the water and juice. All the other snacks ended up being left behind!!

 

[sunnysideup3]

I super planned our second trip and I realized there were thing we'd miss and it was better to know that we're be back and do it some other time than to piss everyone off by pushing them too much.

If you have a common colored stroller (ours is black), put some bright identifier on it. We'd parked our stroller at the designated area outside Haunted Mansion and when we got back it was "relocated" and the CM who supervised the area was nowhere to be found. (turns out it was behind a building and there was a sprinkler going and it was soaked-- so I 2nd the poncho for the stroller). It's easier to spot your stroller if you have some neon flagging tape on it or something.

Take advantage of fun opportunities everywhere. Character interactions, we enjoy walking around resorts and seeing their holiday decorations, and just living in the Disney bubble.