Going in august need some help

[stephanie23]

Ok myself, DH, DD(4) and DS(1.5) will be heading to WDW for the FIRST time ever from 8/11-8/18 . I am completly lost. I have no idea what to pack, when to start packing, or what I should be doing now . I have already made my ADR's (which if not for this site i would have NEVER known I needed ). We are staying at AKL savannah view from8/11-8/16 and pool view from 8/16-8/18. We are on the dining plan also, We have 7 day park hoppers, We are arriving at MCO around 2:30ish on the 11th and leave around 8pm ish on the 18th.

Haha that is seriously all I know.
My question are
*What to pack?
*How much spending money to bring?
*When to start packing
*What should I be doing now (2 months b4)
*I have an ADR for chef mickey at 7:05am will there be busys running? (we will not have a car).

Thanks for ANY help.

 

[monorailsilver]

Welcome to going in August. I prefer August even though it is hot.

What to pack?

I just started my packing list yesterday so I can add to it as I remember things. What I do is think about what we do in the am & then pack those things-like my tweezers, dh's shaving cream, contact stuff, etc...

Then I add to it when something pops in my mind like children's tylenol, nail clippers, snacks, etc...

Also, if you don't want to bring alot of clothes (I am limiting us to 2 suitcases for the 5 of us...I hope), bring laundry detergent/dryer sheets. We use 2 outfits per day (kids maybe more if they spill/get dirty). We use on in the am & it get icky from the heat & us getting a bit sweaty & then we go to the pool, nap, shower put on another outfit. I do laundry at nap/break time.

How much spending money to bring?

I think we bring around $1000 which might include our Disney Visa stuff so I am thinking a bit more. We try not to spend our cash all up either. But it depends on what you are going to buy & you do need money for some things. We don't do the DDP so we need money for food. We also don't buy alot while there.

When to start packing

I pack about a week before. I do look at my list with in that time & get what I don't have & make sure I have everything. I don't pack clothes until the day before or so because I have a problem & will pack & unpack it several times just because (I must of packed my honeymoon suitcase 5 times & 2 of those times were when we came home from our reception!).

I know others will start to pack sooner. I will probably have my dh bring home a shipping box or two in the middle of July so I can get that packed & he can tape it to ship it for me.

What should I be doing now (2 months b4)

Combing the boards like me. I swear my dh is going to kill me at night if I show him another picture of X, Y or Z that someone posted.

Like I said, I just started my packing list. I am also making sure my kids have enough tank tops since I know they will need that & my oldest I need to get her shoes other then flip flops because she can't wear them (she will want to) every day around the parks so we need to get her a pair of Keens or something similar.

I have an ADR for chef mickey at 7:05am will there be busys running? (we will not have a car).

I think they do a special run if you have ADR's from your resort. I have read that so someone will know better then me. I believe you have to let the front desk know too. But I am not 100% sure. But I do know you won't have to walk there!

 

[toystorymom]

We are going that same week and also have an early ADR at Chef Mickey's. Still working on the details of how to get there.

Monorailsilver gave great answers to your questions. One thing my kids love to bring is those mister fans, definitely useful in the August heat. They are about $5 at Walmart and about $20 in the parks. (I need 3 of everything so it adds up!)

We find that when we have the dining plan we use very little spending money. We do not go crazy with souvenirs so I guess that depends on your family.

I won't pack until a few days before. I will start shopping now though, stock up on sunscreen, comfortable sandals, etc.

Having found these boards, you will already be way ahead in the planning then many people!

Have a great time! Maybe we'll see you there.

 

[xxDisney_Doll]

The other people above provided great tips for disney. I myself am going in august and I just have to say, just combing the boards for new nifty stuff gives you a bunch of tips. People provide packing tips, tips about the park and all that. Just keep a wary eye and check at least once a week!
-Anjelica-

 

[Perditamarie]

I just wanted to add that packing children's clothes in ziplocks (gallon size) is very helpful. Pack a complete outfit in a ziplock...shorts/shirt/socks/underwear and it is so easy to get ready in the am. You can organize the outfits by day, toss to Dad to help get the kids dressed, and if clothes are out of the ziplock, you know they need to be laundered. Also, you have a ton of ziplocks for whatever comes up -- great for wet/soiled clothes, cool washcloth, etc.

Also agree w/pp to get your shopping done now....by August, it will be back to school and more difficult to find bathing suits, suntan lotion, sandals, etc. Will give you a chance to break in any new shoes now too!

 

[stacy6552]

Ok here are some must brings, that you might not think of:

a front baby carrier, not a backpack. Its makes it much easier with a toddler in lines and on rides and shows and stuff.

Table Toppers. Theres are great sterlized mats that stick to tables for the toddlers finger foods.

spray deoderant. Spray your feet each day it helps keep toes comfy in the heat.

A rain cover for the stroller.

Emergency rain ponchos. Lots of them. Use them and throw them away. Return what you bring home. I usually bring about 3 per person.

Misty fans. Find them at home for much cheaper than you will in the parks.

disposable camera for your 4 year old. put an address label on it incase it gets list.

 

[kathrna]

Wooooo-weeeee! We went in August last year and it was HOT! HOT & HUMID! HUMID & HOT! If you are staying in a 1 BR or 2BR, you will need to pack laundry detergent and dryer sheets to wash all those stinky, sweaty clothes. The washer was our best friend!!! If you are in a studio, they have free laundry somewhere on site. If you can find the water bottle fans at Wal Mart before you go, buy them. I think that they are something like $10-$15 at the parks. They are worth their weight in gold and worth the space that they will take up in your luggage/carryon. Rechargeable batteries/charger are good for the camera/fans. Wide brimmed hats for all. Rain panchos from Wal Mart/$$ Store/Target, whichever. You can get a downpour or two in August. WATER!!
Whenever you can spend time in the Magic, it's a great time. Have lots of fun. Lucky duck!!

 

[Taja]

Wooooo-weeeee! We went in August last year and it was HOT! HOT & HUMID! HUMID & HOT! If you are staying in a 1 BR or 2BR, you will need to pack laundry detergent and dryer sheets to wash all those stinky, sweaty clothes. The washer was our best friend!!! If you are in a studio, they have free laundry somewhere on site. If you can find the water bottle fans at Wal Mart before you go, buy them. I think that they are something like $10-$15 at the parks. They are worth their weight in gold and worth the space that they will take up in your luggage/carryon. Rechargeable batteries/charger are good for the camera/fans. Wide brimmed hats for all. Rain panchos from Wal Mart/$$ Store/Target, whichever. You can get a downpour or two in August. WATER!!
Whenever you can spend time in the Magic, it's a great time. Have lots of fun. Lucky duck!!

Use of laundry facilities at no charge is for DVC members or those staying on DVC properties. If you are at AK Villas, there is no charge to use the washers and dryers; if you are at AKL, washers are $2 per load and dryers are $2 per 30 minutes of drying time. Recommend bringing your own detergent/softener--it's fairly expensive on property.

I would begin making lists. General toiletries, children specific, adult specific, OTC/prescription meds for adults & children. Move on to clothing and accessories. The idea to place a complete child's outfit in a zip top bag is excellent--will save you from looking for bits and pieces. And you can take a spare outfit for each child into the park--just in case!

Remember, two pairs of well-conditioned (i.e., broken-in) walking shoes per adult. You're going to be doing a lot of walking! *LOL* If you'll be wearing sneakers, bring extra socks. They're miserable if they get wet.

Also, make a list of what you need to do at home before you leave and when to do it. Stop the newspaper and mail, leave a key with _____, etc. You get the idea. Saves trying to remember everything at the last minute!

 

[momof1princess]

if i recall correctly, mouseforless.com has an ultimate packing list. i tweaked it to create one of my own. same for a food list-we eat breakfast in the room and carry snacks to the parks (also to eat in the car b/c we drive to and from wdw). you can buy glow bracelets and necklaces at dollar tree or wal-mart MUCH cheaper than the stuff they sell at wdw and kids don't care where it came from. if you have a disney store nearby, you might check there for the light-up spinners-they're about $20 at wdw but i found 3 at our disney store for $2-$3 each. as a pp said, ponchos are a MUST-dollar tree and wal-mart both have them cheap. bring 2-3 per person. we usually only take about $500, but there's only 3 of us and we've been 4 times with DD. we usually come home every time with a new t-shirt each and DD a new lanyard covered in pins and that's what she spends most of her money on. comfortable, great-fitting sneakers are a MUST and bodyglide IS your friend! rub it on the bottoms of your feet (including between the toes) in the a.m. before putting on socks and it keeps the blisters away! if not, there's always moleskin-you can get it in the pharmacy dept. at wal-mart and cut it into a few different sizes and stick those in your wdw first-aid kit. mine is a ziploc bag that contains 2-3 sizes of bandaids, the moleskin, hydrocortisone cream, neosporin, a hair elastic, kid's allergy melts and a small pair of nail clippers (i'm sure i left something out, but you get the gist). i'm a compulsive planner, so just give a yell if you need any help

 

[a1tinkfans]

Just wanted to pass along a "hint" that someone told me about for a cruise, but would work at Disney too.

They suggested one of those shoe bags that hang in a closet and has like 24 slots for shoes. ( i paid like 4.00 at walmart)
Well, we used one side for tops and one side for bottoms and it was so easy to see what could mix and match and also it gave extra "space" since there are limited drawers!
They really can be used for ANYTHING, toiletries, kids outfits, all shoes/sneakers/sandals, etc.
HOPE THIS HINT HELPED!

 

[SmallWorld71]

Just figured I'd chime in too.
Lots of great packing tips.
Definitely check for the misters and the cheap ponchos before you go, big $ saver.
I know someone mentioned ziploc bags for sorting children's clothes, but we found them invaluable last August for a different reason - keeping our things dry in the backpack! We used a large ziploc inside our backpack to hold our camera, cell phones and autograph books on water rides but we also knew they were safe during the afternoon rain storms.
We, too go through a couple outfits each day in the summer. After all, who wants to put sweaty clothes back on after an afternoon swim? So, be prepared to pack extra or do laundry.
Don't forget to pack sunscreen. I found the sunscreen sticks to be a big help since we could easily apply it on the bus ride to the park with no mess.
I strongly recommend bringing your own strollers with you since the cost to rent has gone way up. Even if your 4 year old doesn't normally need one, the heat will likely change that. My DD needed one in the summer, especially since we stayed up way past her bed time. In August, we like to get the parks at opening. Take a nice long break, and then if we have the energy we go out for the evening. Since you have the hoppers, you can come and go as you please with all the parks.
As far as spending $ goes, that's a tricky one. I try to figure out all the little things like tips, souvenirs, etc...and see what my estimate is to give me a rough idea. But, I always make sure I have quite a bit more than my estimate as you never know what could come up.

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Lots of good packing ideas. So I won't venture there.

So you have started you packing lists and you are checking it twice so now you need to get your paper trail all in order.

1)Have you printed out the menus from allearsnet.com for the restaurants you have ADR's at or any counter service places you might be interested in? This way you can get the kids to PICK out what they want before you even get there. I kept a binder of the print outs and the night before we all decided.

2)Interested in pressed pennies? Get a M&M tube container and fill it with two quarters and one penny. Even shine your pennies if you have the time. I also printed off a list of all the pressed penny locations.

3)I carry around a small photosized picture album with all my written info in it. I make a schedule for each day of my trip and record my ADR numbers on it.

4)Pick up your dollar store rain coats and glo in the dark necklaces. Stock up.

5)Decide if you are going to do pin trading. We bought a bunch of pins off a seller before we went. It was a grab bag so no one was attached to them and we could start trading them. Buy a lanyard while you are at it.

6)Print out mousekeeping tip envelopes and put money in them.

7)pre-order the photopass CD. It's cheaper that way.

8)Buy some Neck coolers. We lived in them last August. Google them and you will see what they are. There is a company called blubandoo that makes cooling hats. Can't comment on them because I haven't tried them.

9)Obtain some lime green mickey head paint chips from homedepot, put your dis name on them and lamenate them to attach to your carry bag.

10)Check out the creative dis-signs board and decide to make some personalized t-shirts.

Well I think that should keep you pretty busy. See you in August!

 

[sardanem]

WOW. Thanks everyone and thanks to OP for asking this question. There is some great information on this thread. I am going to print it out so I don't lose it. We are also going in August. I have been there mostly in July in the past because my mom was a teacher, so we could only go in the summer. I even went on my honeymoon in July, so I know it will be hot, but so many if these ideas are invaluable. I already bought a few misters from Walmart and will get the ponchos from the dollar store soon. I am also keeping an eye out for the shoe bag. I love the idea about packing each outfit in a bag. 2 of my kids are older(16 and 13), but just for timesaving in the mornings, I think we will try that. Again, thanks.

Lisa

 

[stephanie23]

WOW! Thanks everyone! I am also printing this asap. The zip lock baggies are a great idea! I am planning on bringing $1000 spending money(was going to be 1800 but we ran a little short to pay for this trip )so I am hoping that will be enough. Once again thanks for everyones help!

 

[kids1617]

great question, learning some great tips!

 

[Ariel8676]

Defintely bring Ponchos, water mister or 2, glow necklaces, a stroller fan is great for the kids, if you wear Crocs (or your children) they are so great for August..IT will rain everyday, if only for a few minutes...then you dont have to worry about walking in wet sloshy sneakers..lol. As far as clothes light comfy clothes..its HOT, we go every August.
Ziploc bags are great..you can put your camera and tickets and all in them to make sure they stay dry. Also in the morning wet a washcloth and put in in a ziploc with ice, then when it gets hot you can take it out wipe down and cool off. Ship water to your resort ahead of time..this will save you a lot of money and believe me you will need it
Again with the ziplocs..buy powder laundry detergent and put enough for 1 load in each ziploc bag, that way it is easy and you can just grab one and do laundry if needed.

 

[stephanie23]

Wow!! Keep the tips coming!! I am writing down everything!!!

 

[princesscate]

getting some more great tips! thanks guys!!!

 

[Tosha]

HEy Ariel8676, I almost passed out when I saw our Kendyll's name spelled like my Kendyl! My Kendyl is a boy and the only difference is the extra "L" WOW! Up until now my Kendyl's spelling has been unique LOL Great minds think alike

Anyway I am going in August too. Almost the exactsame time as the OP ( 8/11-8/17) and these tips are very helpful. The ziplock thing won't work for me as I am a neat freak and need their clothes to be ironed, but that IS a great idea. I will take some and utilize it for the ice and towel suggestion.

 

[Tosha]

Also Steph, this may not be something that's needed, but I went to Target and bought all of our travel size toiletries from there...ex. first aid kit, lotions, deodorants, soap, etc. I know they probablt have those things at the resort, but I'm very picky about what we use on top of the fact thatwe have sensitive skin.

Also I read somewhere on here to stock up on gum, especially for the airplane ear popping. They say there is NO gum to be found on Disney property, so you have to buy ahead.