Things you've regretted bringing or NOT bringing to the parks!!

[ErinInCT]

Glow sticks - You can find them at the dollar store, usually has more then one in a package - much cheaper then the ones you buy at WDW & as soon as the kids see them - they HAVE to have them!!
Mini (travel size) magnadoodle - about the size of a skinny wallet. Keeps us busy in line. Has a clip to clip to backpack or whatever.
Disposable camera - Am I the only one who has a kid that always wants to use the camera? Now she can have her own, I don't even care what she takes a picture of, at least she is not bugging me for mine! Once all the pics are gone that is it!
Sunglasses & hat - I get cheap sunglasses & always have a spare since dd loses hers a lot! Hat for the sun. We get a cheap one & iron on a Disney character iron-on from a craft store so it looks like something you can buy at Disney! Fabric pens allow us to write our names too!
This year we are buying personalized name tags (laughingstore.com has princess ones!) like the CM's. You get a lot of personalized attention!
Baby Bjorn - if you have a little one. You can't always take the stroller in to attractions & carrying a baby in line gets heavy! The bjorn can get hot but it beats an aching back!
Thank God for the stroller - the heck with the kids - we need it to lug all our stuff!!!

 

[angel's momma]

Originally posted by ErinInCT
This year we are buying personalized name tags (laughingstore.com has princess ones!) like the CM's.

I ordered the princess one from laughingstore too & it came this weekend. DD is so excited

 

[momma]

I have tried to locate "laughingstore.com " but the computer says there is no such thing! Is this the correct address? My DD would love a personalized nametag.

Best thing we took: the ID tags I made for DD (3 years at the time) with her photo, parents names, resort, even gradparents to contact at home, etc. I used the DIYS luggage tags and made several of them: 1 attached to her fanny pack which she wore at all times. DH and I also kept the cards in our fannypacks just in case we would lose her, we would have a very current photo. Thank God we didn't need to use it. We had TONS of comments from people on what a great idea it was. A few people thought it might be too convenient for bad people to see her name etc,etc. But we felt it was more important to be able to retrive her quickly and safely if we got separated.

 

[KimberAnn]

I used a see through back pack for my 6 year old. She could keep snacks, her autograph book and pen and those map things they hand out for kids at AK and Epcot. Plus a few little souveniers that she bought along the way that HAD to go everywhere with us.

But the best thing I brought from home was a small key chain flashlight for her to keep in her backpack. Whenever it got dark on a ride, she shined the light on her feet and could just look at the light until the dark part was over. Saved us from more than one freak out! LOL.

And of course the princess dress so I didn't need to buy her one! She wore that thing everywhere, all day.

 

[angel's momma]

momma,

I checked & the full name is laughingplacestore.com

The princess badge is actually from DisneyLAND, but it doesn't say that on the front, only on the back.

 

[ErinInCT]

Here is the link for the princess name badge:

http://laughingplacestore.com/Product-2538.asp

 

[momma]

ErinInCt and Angel's Mamma:
Found it!!! Thanks a bizillion!

 

[inloveindisney]

I regretted brining a CRAPPY camera. I bought a little cheapy one because the one I have is way to nice to carry around a park all day. I paid 10.00 and it ate my film. I took so many good pictures too! We don't have many from the first day on that trip.

Do it all over again: buy a good disposable. I bought one that was not disposable because it had a cute little mouse on it. Aesthetics are not always important! LOL

 

[disneyjunkie]

Originally posted by inloveindisney
I regretted brining a CRAPPY camera. I bought a little cheapy one because the one I have is way to nice to carry around a park all day. I paid 10.00 and it ate my film. I took so many good pictures too! We don't have many from the first day on that trip.

Do it all over again: buy a good disposable. I bought one that was not disposable because it had a cute little mouse on it. Aesthetics are not always important! LOL

I love the disposable cameras. I don't have to worry about something happening to a good one. On our first trip I took a bunch of cheap disposables I found at Odd Lot. Most of the pictures turned out fine but some were not. The flash would not work on a few of the cameras.

This time around I'm sticking with Kodak and Fuji. They cost more but I've never had problems with them.

 

[pjlla]

I guess I don't understand what the sense is in having a "good" camera if you don't use it! We bought a brand-new very nice digital camera (upgrade from our existing digital) specifically for our trip. Yes, I would have been disappointed if it broke, got dropped, or lost/stolen. But I would have been more disappointed if I got back a bunch of crummy, lousy pictures and had nothing to commemorate our special trip! What are you saving it for? Technology changes so fast that chances are that "good" camera will be worth 10% of its original value in about 18 months. SO stop "saving" it, start enjoying it!............P
(Stepping down from the soapbox now! )

 

[disneyjunkie]

Originally posted by pjlla
I guess I don't understand what the sense is in having a "good" camera if you don't use it! We bought a brand-new very nice digital camera (upgrade from our existing digital) specifically for our trip. Yes, I would have been disappointed if it broke, got dropped, or lost/stolen. But I would have been more disappointed if I got back a bunch of crummy, lousy pictures and had nothing to commemorate our special trip! What are you saving it for? Technology changes so fast that chances are that "good" camera will be worth 10% of its original value in about 18 months. SO stop "saving" it, start enjoying it!............P
(Stepping down from the soapbox now! )

Who said we don't USE the good camera?? I just won't take it to disney.

We have plenty of pictures to commemorate our trip. A few of them came out bad but the same could have happened with the other camera.

 

[snyderla]

We just bought a new 35mm with a better zoom than what we had. Last trip my mom got some great photo's of our family on SM that she took from the bridge, if she hadn't had that 130 zoom she couldn't have gotten them. i only had an 80, but now I have a 160 and I can't wait to see what I end up with!

Regretted bringing:

video camera to the parks, heavy and didn't use it much

suitcase full of snacks, brought too many

Glad we brought:

some snacks, animal crackers, breakfast items

water, I have a very sensitive immune system and CAN NOT DRINK the water from the fountains. (Yes, I have tried, regrettably) I only drink water 95% of the time, rarely have a drink of soda, so our case of AquaFina came in very handy!

fannypack to carrying things in, a small one

moleskin, saved BIL last time and DH time before that, and I learned about it on these boards!!! (Also bring small scissors to cut it down to size.)

Extra suitcase, duffel type that zips up into itself, to bring home souveniers in!

Piece of paper with PS and res. #'s on it, along with times.

Lori

 

[CareBearYN]

Hi,
I just wanted to say this thread really helped my before my trip two weeks ago! Great idea!

Even though I did read it, it was inevitable that the first day I brought too much to the park. My boyfriend and I even brought sweaters because we werent sure how the weather in early March changed from afternoon to evening and wasted $5 to keep them in lockers for the whole day! (While during other days of the trip it was cold, that day was warm and gorgeous)

So after the first day I did try to cut down on what I brought, and luckily my boyfriend was willing to carry the bag most of the time.

And speaking of camera regrets, I brought my digital camera which is, after two years, already old and eats up batteries like crazy...my somewhat regret was that in knowing I would be taking a zillion pictures over my weeklong stay at WDW, setting the camera to take the worst picture in order to fit more on the card. There was no other way to be able to take so many pictures, and I did still use it up. Luckily most of the pictures still came out well, just not the quality I would have liked (especially for night pictures).

Something we were glad we brought, even though it was the main weight of out bag was the Birnbaum WDW Guide. It helped my boyfriend figure out our daily game plan each long day at the parks

 

[Disney Doll]

We travel very light in the parks...tickets, money,sungalsses, cell phones,Shout wipes, very small camera. My pocketbook it 8" x 8" square. If it doesn't fit in there, it doesn't go to the park.

 

[AreWeThereYet]

Am I allowed to say I regretted bring MIL? Hate to say it but it was the most unmagical of our trips...extra stress, etc.

What we regret bringing is our cell phones or two-way radios. Girls are old enough to split up now and having those would have allowed us to give them a little freedom (or at least us parents could take one each and split up) without getting lost.

More bottled water too!!

 

[Saafend]

I have to say that my thoughts have changed somewhat since i began reading this thread.

1. Every child going (4 of them) was going to have their own camera. Now i am thinking it might be too much additional stuff to carry so we might go with the one fun camera per day and they can share I am sure there will be enough cameras between myself, the wife and my parents...

2. I was going to bring in a bunch of water bottles as i too heard the water was not up to much. Most of this info came from friends so i do half think it is a real possibility my 4 will cringe at the taste. The hint i got somewhere was to bring packets of Kool-Aid and just take two bottles. One for water and fill the second with a sachet and water so you have a choice.

3. As it is now only a matter of 2 short weeks i am getting more psyched every time i read another thing about Disney.

 

[my3princes]

we have 3 dd's. I made saddle bags for our double stroller. They easily come off and have large straps so I can easily handle the bags while dh handles the stroller. We put diapers, wipes, extra clothes and jackets, ponchos, first aid kit, glow bracelets, snacks and anything else we might need. We always open and close the parks and the stroller makes a great place for the afternoon napping kids. Wouldn't go without the stroller or the bags.

Regret: Carrying the video camera and not using it or leaving it behing and wanting it. You can't win.

 

[Teaching in NV]

Things I was glad I brought:
Moleskin
Change of clothes (for the 4 year old)
Stroller from home (you really have no idea how much stuff you can fit into the bottom of a stroller until you take one to WDW)
Tiny collapsible umbrella (ponchos are ICKY once they are wet)
Bottle of bubbles (for standing in line and waiting for parades)
Extra pair of walking shoes
Wipes in a ziplock bag


Things I will bring next time after reading this thread:
Crystal Light for the water bottles
(I must confess - don't like WDW water - water snob here)
Little magna-doodle (great idea!)
Disposable camera

 

[Atotty]

Regret...didn't want to take both camera lenses to the park so chose the telephoto for long shots. Totally forgot about CRT bfast and needing the regular lens. We have lots of photos with parts of princesses cut off

 

[cmwilson523]

I have to say that I am always glad to bring in the ponchos - we bought them at WDW years ago, and they have made multiple trips home and back. Yeah, they are more expensive than the 87 cent ones from WalMart, but they have lasted us at least 8-10 trips. The nice thing about bringing them is that when everyone is rushing for the counters to buy ponchos (with the surprise showers that seem to happen during each trip), we are pulling them out of the sides of the backpack and covered up.

An item that we regretted NOT bringing during the last trip especially, travel umbrellas. We found ourselves standing out in the blazing sun waiting for seminars during the Food and Wine Festival, and really wished that we could create some shade. Those will certainly be added to the bag for our next trip.

I am iffy on the water bottle thing. We fly so bringing a case of water is not an option. We do try to refill and chill/freeze bottles of water for the day, but then we either forget to take them out of the fridge or end up buying another bottle because the frosty cold ones look so refreshing. Maybe I just need to be more disiciplined!

Other thoughts: pare down the wallet to the absolute necessities. Keep an empty film canister for carrying all that extra change. Baby wipes or hand wipes just to clean up occasionally - they make them in the individual packs so you can throw a few in the bag at a time. Lip balm and sunscreen. Sunglasses or a hat.

My biggest "must have" though is the backpack -- space to throw everything while you are walking around or to put it all together when you are "stowing your belongings" for a ride.