First DVC trip in 30 days! Any reminders/hints??? (P-p-p-lease?)

[JonHM]

Well, we're under the one month mark until our very first trip home as DVC members!!! We'll be bringing our DS, who just turned 18 months the other day, and bringing my parents and sister and Father in Law as well. We're trying to research and prepare as much as we can, but are there any preparations that you guys can recommend that we may not have thought of - Please grant us the gift of the knowledge and wisdom that you have accumulated as DVC members! No suggestion too small... We're interested in all of them!

Both general DVC advice, Disney World in January advice, and Boardwalk specific advice would all be *extremely* helpful!

Thanks, guys!!!

 

[Towncrier]

Where are you staying?

 

[Sorcerer]

When are you going? I'm taking my fiance for his first trip ever in just three weeks!

Tips for travelling in January - pack clothes that you can layer. It can be warm one day and cold (try 26 degrees last New Year's Eve!) the next. Better to have too many warm clothes than not enough. Bring your coat, just in case, and pack your gloves, hat and scarf in the pockets. Last year we brought our coats only for the drive down, expecting the weather in Orlando to be at least warm enough for just long sleeves. I hadn't brought my gloves, but found one of those headband ear warmers in a pocket of my coat - thank goodness! LOL

Plan for late dinners in one of the resorts so you can enjoy the parks all day - especially with all but one park closing by 7 or 8pm.

My mom found these great laundry soap tablets that are individually wrapped for doing our laundry - they're lightweight and not messy. I don't recall the brand, but I'm sure you can find them with the other laundry products at the store.

Bring the coffee filters that have the coffee already in them.

Extra pair of sneakers in case it rains, so you don't have to wait for your shoes to dry out - you can just put on the other pair!

And as a DVC member...remember to RELAX - it will all still be there the next time you go. Take time to smell the roses (literally....have you seen the walkway surrounded by roses at Epcot?) Take lots of pictures! My all-time favorite tip given to me several years ago was to take a picture in the same place every trip. My sister and I have done that for the past 8 or so trips - we framed a few of the pictures from various years and gave it as a gift to my parents. They were thrilled. It was cool to see the differences over the years, both in me and my sister as well as the park itself. With your son so young you should definitely start that tradition. Imagine looking at 17 years of pictures when he graduates from high school!

Enjoy your trip!!

 

[JonHM]

Well, our home is VWL, but we'll actually be staying at the Boardwalk for this trip, in a 2 bedroom.

 

[JonHM]

Thanks!! We'll be coming down on Sunday, January 27th and going back on Thursday the 31st. Thanks a lot for the tip about the picture - that sounds like a really fun idea.

Anybody have any "must-visit" restaurants within the world to recommend?

 

[Sorcerer]

Well now you've asked for it - I'm a food junkie. Love to cook, love to eat, hate to clean it up

All time favorite can't miss 'em restaurants:
Artist Point
Le Cellier - but only for the cheese soup, really. There should still be a booth out front of Le Cellier selling the Cheese Soup in individual bowls (it's out there from Food and Wine Festival throughout the "cold" season normally). Do yourselves a favor, get some cheese soup just before Off Kilter plays. Grab a seat, enjoy your soup and a wonderfully unique show!
Casey's at MK - just love their hot dogs.
Tusker House for breakfast at AK - great ham and cheese croissants with a side of hash browns and the best coffee on property!
Prime Time at MGM
Big River Grille at the Boardwalk...in May we had a 2-bedroom right above Big River Grille - we could look over our balcony at what everyone was eating. It looked good so we gave it a try for lunch - I wouldn't call it a "don't miss" but it was really good. And you can't beat the convenience to your room if you're staying at BWV!

That should be a good enough list to start you off. I'm sure others will add to it!

 

[jimh13432]

Don't forget to get a "Kitchen Sink" across the lake at Beach's and Cream.

Bet you can't finish it!!!!

 

[DebbieB]

Bring a couple extra bars of soap, one for the extra bathroom sink in the master and one for the kitchen sink. Bring some handi wrap or foil to wrap leftovers.

We stayed at BWV earlier this month, we liked Big River Grille (great burger!) and ESPN. Also loved the ice cream at Seashore Sweets.

 

[spiceycat]

remember you get a 20% discount off restuarants at the Dolphin/Swan

 

[disynut]

As a mother who took her 10 mo old last December, my advice would be to remember to be flexible. It is good that you will have lots of relatives to take turns with him. Also, bring your own stroller-especially good if your baby is used to it and will nap in it! One thing we did was before going back to the nighttime parades I put a blanket sleeper on our baby-it was cold out, but he was snug and warm all night!


Enjoy!

 

[JonHM]

Great tips!!! Keep them coming!

 

[Towncrier]

Our best tip is to not order too much food when eating at WDW restaurants. The portions are large and it's very easy to have way too much leftover food. We always bring my MIL and she often orders of the kid's menu just to get a smaller portion of food.

On my last trip, I took the walkway from the Boardwalk over to MGM. It's not a bad hike if you don't want to wait for a boat.

Above all, don't overcommit your time. As was stated earlier, you have got 40+ years to enjoy WDW. Take your time. Relax and enjoy your vacation.

 

[JonHM]

you actually made me think of something specific:

Does anyone have any recommendations regarding food, not in the restaurants, but either things to pack in your bags or buy in your 1 grocery trip on the way to WDW? We're scheduled to ride in on 'yourride.net', and they will stop at a grocery store for free on the way in. A) Any particular grocery store I should ask them to go to? and B) Any great ideas on stuff to buy at the grocery store besides dishwashing and laundry tablets, and sugar & salt? Keep in mind that we'll only be there for 4 nights/5 days, but we DO have a lot of people.

Thanks again!!! You guys are great!!!!

 

[fkj2]

Take your own extra coffee, tea, and coffee filters. You will have a starter packet but only for a day or so. You already know about the sugar and powdered creamer. Whatever you buy on site is more expensive. Publix has become my favorite grocer; Goodings is way too many $$$$. Make yourself a list. I think the members only site has a printable grocery form; it will at least jog your memory for those items people use every day and forget about.

Plenty of food at 50s Prime Time Cafe in Dis Studios-MGM. Also, Liberty Tree Tavern, Tony's on Main Street, and the Garden Grill in the Land in Epcot, particulary brefex, character...all should be Priority Seatings if still possible.

The bakeries are convenient for those in-between large breakfasts and the pastries large enough to split. Consider carrying your own bottled water as the soft drinks in the parks are expensive....just refill the bottles before you head out.

As for extras at the grocer, consider milk, bread, butter or cream cheese, bagels, orange juice, colas.

 

[DebbieB]

You willn't need dishwashing soap, they provide plenty. We always have a rental car and go to the Premium Outlet & then to Super Walmart in Kissimmee. Go anywhere but Goodings (very expensive). We always get bottled water (Orlando's water is horrible), waffles, syrup, bread, bagels, margerine, OJ, pop (or soda depending on where you are from ), ice cream bars, snacks. We usually have breakfast in the room. We sometimes plan a late lunch so that we can bring the leftovers back to the room for later. As Towncrier said, they always give you too much. We did this at LeCellier and the waiter even gave us more breaksticks to take back.

 

[DebbieB]

I just thought of something regarding the bottled water. We refill smaller bottles from the big bottles we buy at Walmart (bring a small funnel) and put them in the freezer before we go to bed (only fill 3/4). Then in the morning take them out and by time you get to the park they are starting to thaw and you have ice water for a while.

 

[Candace]

There is an Albertson's grocery store right off the highway as you come from the airport. I think it's off of Orange Blossom Trail (someone please correct me if this is the wrong exit). Anyway, you can fax your order to them a day ahead, and they will have it ready for you to pick up when you get there. Prices were very reasonable. You can see the store from the toll road. The fax number is: 407-857-0132, and the phone is: 407-857-5666. About the laundry tablets. Buy these at home before you go, and just pack what you think you will use. I use these, but I only take with me what I think I will need because the box contains far more than I would need for vacation, and it's heavy. So, if you buy them down there, you will have to bring the extras back home. Don't forget your dryer sheets either - very easy to pack in ziploc bags. I also pack any spices I will need in empty medicine bottles to save space. As far as restaurants go, we love the Chefs de France for an upscale adult meal. Spoodles at the Boardwalk is very good also. For burgers, shakes and great BLT's, Beaches and Cream at the Y/B Club is great. My son loves the sushi bar at the Swan (and so did I, surprisingly last summer). There was a DVC discount there at the time. Spoodles also used to have a take-out pizza window that was very good. One of their pizzas with a bag of salad from the grocery makes a great "at-home" meal. Have a wonderful trip!

 

[fkj2]

Here are some more take-along ideas: antibiotic ointment, cough drops, cold tablets, pain relievers, bandaids, other first aid/comfort kind of things. If anyone has prescriptions meds, lay them out the night before you leave also and I always carry them onboard with me although I don't know what the status is now of carry-ons.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

Take a little extra time to plan your menu before you go. Make a shopping list, that way you will know exactly what you need in your one shopping trip. Nothing worse than wasting your day at the grocery store wandering aimlessly, your can do that at home. We had a rental car last time so we didn't plan menus so carefully. Good luck and have fun.

 

[Terry S]

With an 18 month old don't forget the Childern's Motrin and/or Childerns Tylenol, it is just as easy to bring it from home. Our 2 year old got a fever the first year and we had to have Tylenol delivered from the pharmacy. It was the most expensive bottle of Childerns Tylenol that I have ever purchased.