Post your best organizational, space saving and trip making secrets here!!

[Disney Dree]

When my daughters and I visit the parks, we are minimalists!! They are 13 and 11 so diapers and other "musts" are now long gone. Because we avoid carrying anything so that our hands are free and the lugging of bags are avoided, we pack our camera, park passes and credit cards in my waist pouch - and that is it!!

Additionally, I also velcro a credit card into my sports bra or swimsuit - sorry if that is too graphic!! I bought a super cheap coin purse that was small/flat and attach one side of the velcro to the coin purse and the other to the inside of something tight fitting. It's very easy to pack the small velcro disks so that you can add them to your wardrobe needs daily. Works well at the pool when I don't want to leave a room key unattended, etc.

 

[Figment's Girl]

I buy mine at Dollar Tree

Dollar Tree has a ton of large Ziplock bags, some even bigger that 2 Gallon.

 

[r&kmommy]

If you like this idea....there are spray hoses that fit over the tub faucet. We have one we used for out dog. Definately easier than bringing tools

What exactly is this called, and where can I get one? Dd and I LOVE the removable showerhead we use in our shower, but there's no way I'm detaching it and bring it, along with tools, to WDW. LOL!!!

TIA! I come to this thread once a week or so and always read something new

 

[disneymarie]

i use one of these as the kids got too old for a strolle. I did take a stroller a few times until I found this. My back has issues and I need to lean on the stoller. I use a rollator too, it has a seat to sit on or push a tired kiddo, or my older son that has his back give out at the back or Epcot.

http://www.bagbuddycart.com/ $39.85 with FREE SHIPPING.

http://www.elderstore.com/versacart-handy-cart.aspx

$49.99

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TVTLMI?&tag=shopwiki-us-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325 $99

I use this for all parks, flea markets, and county fairs!

di

 

[ajjollie23]

For the kids outfits in ziplock bags, we found that one per day was too much because we were in WDW and we bought our DD plenty of t-shirts and little outifts that she probably wore only half of what we brought if that. now we know better and figure we will bring only a little bit and then if worse comes to worse we will do laundry which we do every vacay anyway...we can't stand bringing dirty clothes home but the ziplock thing really works! it was easy for DH to get her dressed in the morning (the king of dressing her in mismatched outfits!!).

Haha... i think that is a daddy thing
my husband and father always did the same thing. If we were not there when one of my siblings got dressed and saw them later and they didn't match...we would tease and say I guess dad dressed you today.

The same thing goes for my dh, if i am not there to dress them I ask if they dressed themselves or if daddy dressed them

(they are 5 and 2)

 

[ajjollie23]

As a result of reading these boards I have or will:
Purchased Payless Crocs (love 'em!)
Bought inexpensive Disney gift/toys to take with us to save money
Bought giant Ziplocks for packing
Bought travel size Tide (at Target, right where a DISer said it would be)
Stay offsite at Windsor Hills (see you there )
Get Fast Passes when it suits us
Go on the KTTK tour
Have Grand Tea at GF
Made ADRs for Boma, Brown Derby, GF and Akershus
Gotten a good deal on a rental car using coupons and codes found here
Found a letter I edited and printed for DDs school
And there's a lot more I'm sure I'm forgetting

where did you find a letter for school, and can you pm me a copy of it or tell me where to find it?
thank you

 

[Marshay]

where did you find a letter for school, and can you pm me a copy of it or tell me where to find it?
thank you

Oh, I must have missed the letter for school, too. May I please get a copy? DD starts K this year and we are pulling her to go to Disney in May.

 

[Teyedoubleguhrrrr]

I was just at Dollar Tree. They have Princess/Cars beach balls & pool rings. They also have Princess/Fairy/Cars zip sandwich bags (20 per pack). There is a spot to label the child's name on the baggie with a sharpie.

I know the baggies will come in handy for pins, Disney dollars, etc. Really easy to tell whose is whose.

They also had bubble solution - can't take that on the plane, but can sure use before or after!

 

[leebee]

A couple of suggestions:

Bring a distinctive antenna topper for the rental car so it's easier to find in the parking lot.

Bring the powerstrip, and leave the chargers plugged into it; it's easier to get all the chargers home if they are in the strip.

Freeze half-full water bottles overnight. Then top up in the morning and wrap in a washcloth. You will have cold water all day.

I bought a thin, insulated lunch bag at the dollar store to keep the frozen water bottles in while we are in the parks.

Don't forget that chocolate, marshmallow, etc. will melt as it sits in your pack waiting to be eaten. Messy in line!

I always bring a bathroom deodorizer of can of spray purchased from the dollar store; it's always appreciated

Not only do we buy multiple glow sticks (the thin, bracelet type that come 6 or 12 to a pack) to share while waiting for evening shows- we use them in the hotel room as night lights, hung around the towel rack in the bathroom.

 

[alexensmom]

What exactly is this called, and where can I get one? Dd and I LOVE the removable showerhead we use in our shower, but there's no way I'm detaching it and bring it, along with tools, to WDW. LOL!!!

TIA! I come to this thread once a week or so and always read something new

Here is one that is similar to what we own. HTH
http://www.petfooddirect.com/produc...mc_o=2mHCjCSnvniviCjC7RR71HP-mHCVdKCjCKwuzAkf

 

[michellejed]

There is a School Excuse Letter you can print at themouseforless.com, it is under downloadables...kids.

 

[Corjack]

Every night when we get the kids to sleep I grab my notebook and jot down highlights of the day. What we ate, funny things that happened, stuff the kids did or said, things we saw or heard. It is a really cool way to remember the little things you can easily forget. Takes about 20 minutes each night and I love to reread them as I anticipate our next trip.

Jackie

 

[alexensmom]

Every night when we get the kids to sleep I grab my notebook and jot down highlights of the day. What we ate, funny things that happened, stuff the kids did or said, things we saw or heard. It is a really cool way to remember the little things you can easily forget. Takes about 20 minutes each night and I love to reread them as I anticipate our next trip.

Jackie

I did this too except I was too general with my comments about the day . I look back in my notebook and wish I was much more specific: what time did we leave the parks for breaks, lunch, dinner, more quotes of what conversations were instead of a brief thoughts, and getting input from DH and DD while I was writing everything down. Its just been one year since we were in WDW and I have forgotten some of the things I said I would never forget My best advise is BE SPECIFIC. You wont regret loosing a few more minutes of sleep to get it all down .

 

[angela152]

Instead of using luggage space to send snacks to the resort, google some local grocery stores... there are quite a few that will ship to your Disney (or other) resort. You can ship a case of water, pop tarts, fruit cups, diapers, wipes... anything that you would normally buy at a grocery store. Prices are a tiny bit higher, but you aren't wasting luggage space and they ship right to your resort. I would be cautious about ordering things like milk or yogurt.

 

[kdkbrebel]

Inspired by another thread, I thought I knew almost all the secrets of making our WDW trip extra organized and extra magical..but alas, I do not.

I just read another thread about people brining over the door shoe holders that you can buy for $1 at the dollar store and using them to store all kinds of goodies in your room. Loved this idea and figured there were a lot more.

So think of your most invaluable advice on packing, organizing, planning or whatever else you can think of here so that we can use them too.

My 1st tip and item I used very minute of every day...

Lanyard/cord that hold up to 8 different ID's/credit cards. I always had my park passes, Credit Cards and other ID's available around my neck and never had to worry about losing them. Bought @ Target for .88cents!

Share yours here!!

any idea where I can find one online? or what section to look in at walmart? I have been desperately trying to find one of these.

 

[jodls01]

We use our own beach towel as a blanket and seat cover for the road trip to FL.
we rent two vans to travel from TX to FL and we leave at 4 a.m. in order to reach FL early enough for a nice dinner and night rest. South TX is too hot to travel w/o air conditioning and not everyone agrees on what is the perfect temperature. We also don't worry about spills, etc.

 

[2BEKs]

i used to be a big fan of "rolling" everything into the suitcase. Did this for eons and thought that it was the best way.

however, i had to pack for a week business meeting with only a carry on and panicked.

then I found this - http://www.packinglight.net/plight/text_1.asp?tx_id=90&

simply amazing! now i don't pack any other way and we take 1/2 the number of suitcases that we usually did.

try it - you'll like it.

 

[thelionqueen]

Bumping an amazingly helpful 4+ year old thread!!

 

[mcdon22]

Wow! I hope I'll have enough room in my planner notebook for all of the incredible new ideas I got from this thread!

I'm a huge fan of the over the door shoe organizer and the ziploc bags. I keep my ziploc bags (used only for clean clothes, of course) stored in the suitcases to reuse a time or two.

I will add just a few:

1. I always make sure to pack the cords to connect the video camera and portable DVD player to the tv in the room - the kids enjoy watching the days' video or a favoriate DVD movie while settling down in the evenings or during rest times.

2. I used a freebie cosmetic bag (like from Clinique) to create a portable office (sticky notes, pens, penciles, scissors, tape, paper clips, rubber bands, etc.). I keep it in the glove box. I've done the same to create first aid kits - one for the car and one for the travel bag as well as a sewing kit. I find if I don't have it, I'll need it and this way I'm always prepared!

3. I take variety packs of prepackaged snacks and lots of little Disney "goodies" (small notepads, pencils, stickers, puzzles, etc.) along. The kids get to pick a snack and a "goodie" every morning.

4. Since we eat breakfast in the room (and travel by car) I make a batch or two of muffins to take along. I find Disney themed wrappers and use those to make them a little more special!

Keep the ideas coming - I have 274 days until the next trip and need something to do to keep the Disney part of my brain occupied!

 

[Marshay]

to create a portable office (sticky notes, pens, penciles, scissors, tape, paper clips, rubber bands, etc.). I keep it in the glove box. I've done the same to create first aid kits - one for the car and one for the travel bag as well as a sewing kit. I find if I don't have it, I'll need it and this way I'm always prepared!

Thanks! I like the portable office idea. I do pack these things but just include them with other stuff. I think I will separate them out this time, that way I know exactly where all this stuff is.