What are some little Tips that can make all the difference??

[amscherm]

I am looking for those little tips that people have that could make all the difference when touring the parks....

You know like -
- Freeze your water bottles so they defrost slowly and stay cold longer.

Little things like that, that people don't really know about but are extremely helpful...

Thanks!!!

 

[mskayjay]

When you go to counter service with wee ones, order a double burger with an extra bun (.80) and save yourself a LOT of money! Go check out mousesvers.com! Have a great trip!

 

[Tinkbellfan]

Buy a waterproof holder for your park passes and fastpasses and wear them around your neck. I demagnetize my passes all the time with my camera or phone. You look like a "tourist" but it saves me alot of hassle and time in the long run.

The only other tip I tell friends is bring pre-cut "mole skin" patches for blisters or sore spots.

 

[nooneshome]

1. Bring breakfast foods and eat breakfast in your room. This saves plenty of valuable time. Hit the parks hard early with a plan.

2. Kool Aid singles.

3. Cheapo ponchos from the Dollar Store. Wear'em then toss'em.

4. Have a sound FP plan. Get a FP first thing so your window to get another is just an hour away.

5. Rest and enjoy yourself. You can always go back and do anything you missed on your next trip. Learn from your mistakes.

6. Stay hydrated and use a hat and sun screen.

7. Get to the Character place at EPCOT ffirst thing, you can get tons of pictures and autographs in no time.

8. Try Beverly in Club Cool!!!

 

[mikewdw]

if you like gum, bring your own. it is not sold at Disney!

 

[mstew99]

carefully choose your footwear! You may think you have very comfortable shoes, but after the 3rd day of walking and standing all day and blisters start to pop up, it'll make the rest of the trip a pain (no pun intended!)

I think they look ridiculous, and never thought i'd ever buy a pair, but last year I tried buying a pair or crocs. They look goofy, but they are so comfortable. On a seven day trip, of non-stop going and doing everything possible, my feet never hurt and I never got any blisters (a first for me at Disney!) Plus you can wear them as water shoes too at the water parks.

And what someone else already said, drink plenty of beverly!!

 

[poeticdiabetic]

You and who you are with, makes the vacation. That's my tip. If you, or if you bring someone, who complains, nags, or is generally easy to irritate- your vacation will suffer.

But if you bring people who wants to have fun and have a great sense of humor, your vacation would be fantastic.

So you have to set up the expectation to have a sense of humor about everything on the vacation.

Oh, and bring people who would do Disney the way you like to do Disney. Or, make sure that you keep the options open enough to allow those who does Disney differently than you do to have that freedom. The worst thing is to have some on your vacation that likes to take breaks and go swimming and napping at the hotel in the middle of the day vacationing with others who are absolute commandos.

Oh, and last thing: Adults: try to have as much fun or even more than your kids. When I'm on vacation, I intend to go to have as much fun as humanly possible. And I make fun of everything: people being rude, people looking hot, people trying to jump the lines, etc. Grown people can be funny when trying to one up themselves during a Walt Disney World vacation. LOL!

 

[Tinkertini]

When leaving the Magic Kingdom after Wishes, take the Resort Monorail instead of the regular monorail. It also goes to the parking lot, but most people don't know this. The wait for the resort monorail will be far less than the regular monorail that most people wait for!

This one was given to me by a CM.

 

[Nibbles]

You and who you are with, makes the vacation. That's my tip. If you, or if you bring someone, who complains, nags, or is generally easy to irritate- your vacation will suffer.

Oh, and bring people who would do Disney the way you like to do Disney. Or, make sure that you keep the options open enough to allow those who does Disney differently than you do to have that freedom. The worst thing is to have some on your vacation that likes to take breaks and go swimming and napping at the hotel in the middle of the day vacationing with others who are absolute commandos.

I have to second this -- the right company is so important for any vacation. I've been to Disney once with someone who was an absolute drag...couldn't get up early enough, wanted to go back to the hotel after a few hours, grumpy and cranky and hungry. It didn't spoil my fun (Disney has a way of keeping your mood up), but I left feeling like she didn't share in the magic the way I did!

 

[wdwrich]

I second the idea about freezing bottles of water the night before. However, be advised that they will "sweat" as they defrost. We beat that problem by purchasing insulated holders designed specifically for standard 500ml water bottles in our local military exchange. They were less than $2 each and they have a clip for attaching to your belt, backpack or whatever. Worked great!

We also buy the cheapo disposable ponchos ahead of time. Take them off at the end of the day and toss 'em. No more carrying wet ponchos back to the resort or having to hang them up to dry out.

 

[coolbeans]

I second the idea about freezing bottles of water the night before. However, be advised that they will "sweat" as they defrost. We beat that problem by purchasing insulated holders designed specifically for standard 500ml water bottles in our local military exchange.

an athletic sock works too... use a clean one.

 

[mrzrich]

Oh, and last thing: Adults: try to have as much fun or even more than your kids. When I'm on vacation, I intend to go to have as much fun as humanly possible. And I make fun of everything: people being rude, people looking hot, people trying to jump the lines, etc. Grown people can be funny when trying to one up themselves during a Walt Disney World vacation. LOL!

I avoid becoming one of these people by reminding myself that I am on vacation and I am in WDW! When I encounter these people, I let them think they've"won" (gotten in front of me, etc) I know deep down that I am having a much more enjoyable and relaxed vacation then they are.

 

[dzneelvr]

...best advice is to relax and take the parks at your own pace you will NEVER see and do everything, so watch and listen to your family as to what they like to do and DO IT! If you are going during any peak seasons, get those ADRs finished before you hit the parks. You will not be able to walk in during peaks and a hungry crew is not a happy crew. Lastly, we find the portion sizes at WDW to be huge; consider sharing entrees, appetizers, and especially desserts at the sitdowns rather than everyone buying their own course WDW here we come June 20th

 

[MdmMim]

Don't have your expectations too high. I've read many posts stating, "I want my vacation to be perfect!" Not too many things in life are "perfect"--but you can have a wonderful vacation without the elusive perfection.

Savor your time there--and make some great memories. Take in all the little details that surround you. Relax... And remember--it's vacation.

 

[clajgray]

All very good things to keep in mind...thanks for posting these. I'm taking notes!

 

[amscherm]

When leaving the Magic Kingdom after Wishes, take the Resort Monorail instead of the regular monorail. It also goes to the parking lot, but most people don't know this. The wait for the resort monorail will be far less than the regular monorail that most people wait for!

This one was given to me by a CM.

Wow - I didn't know that... thanks!

These are all great tips... keep them coming... thanks!!!

 

[amberandolly]

Wow - I didn't know that... thanks!

These are all great tips... keep them coming... thanks!!!

You also get a great view of the hotels - the Polynesian all lit up with torches is my favourite. We were out of the car park before the lines built up too.
A good tip for Illuminations is to go and park at Boardwalk ( for free- I don't know if you can do this during busy times), have a meal then take the boat over to Epcot - we did this and got into Epcot around 7pm, we rode Nemo, Mission Space, Maelstrom, Mexico, wandered all around WS then watched the fireworks from the bridge by international gateway - when the show finished, we were on the first boat back to Boardwalk and it's gorgeous all lit up.

 

[snickerboo]

Adults: try to have as much fun or even more than your kids.

Absolutely! You have to allow the kid in you to take over at Disney. I'm not a ride person but I went on tons of rides at Disney and my favourite was Spalsh-something I definitely would not have normally tried! And don't sweat the small stuff. WDW can get crowded, hot, and mob mentality can take over, there will be people complaining around you, yelling at their kids etc...try your best to block it out. You've paid a lot for this vacation, enjoy it!

Also, pack a lunch and find a quiet place to eat it. It will provide you a little break from the 'thundering herd'. Our first trip, the landing accross from Liberty tree tavern was abandoned because of the ride being under refurb. Disney put a bunch of patio tables out there. It was the perfect shaded spot for lunch and no one knew about it.

 

[justplaingoofy]

When you go to counter service with wee ones, order a double burger with an extra bun (.80) and save yourself a LOT of money! Go check out mousesvers.com! Have a great trip!

I've heard other posters say they Disney has gone way up on the pricing for their buns... (I want to say it is a couple of dollars now)

 

[matt&jakesmom]

I usually bring at least one washcloth with us to the park. It's a great way to cool down in the August heat, especially when waiting for a parade.

Bring extra batteries or memory cards for the digital cameras.

water proof camera for the water parks

Take lots of pictures

look for hidden mickey's while waiting in line-makes the time past with kids

Be PATIENCE and have a GOOD ATTITUDE. Everyone else is also waiting in line for either a ride, attraction, food, souveniers; we don't want to hear you complain.

Just like life, a vacation is what you make out of it. Have FUN and enjoy the MEMORIES!!!!!!