Just back, here are my tips.....

[Desnik]

Hi everyone!
I just thought I would post a couple of tips that might be helpful to others. We have gone to WDW many times and I'm still learning!LOL
This was the first time we flew into Orlando, we usually drive down from NY.

My first tip would be to ship things down to your resort. We did this and it only cost us $13 for a large box via UPS ground. We shipped it a few days before we left. I had snacks, swimmies, swim diapers, diapers, water shoes/toys, glow sticks for the kids, some shoes, and a bunch of other things. This worked out so great and the reort delivered the box to our room. When we left, the resort gave us 2 boxes, and we were able to ship them home via UPS ground. They provided the tape and shipped it from the concierge desk at SSR. We had a choice to send it with Fedex or UPS. We shipped home the toiletries and all our souveniers plus some dirty clothes!!

My next tip would be if you are going at a busy time and relying on WDW transportation only, allow 45-60 minutes to get to your destination, especially if your resort shares bus service like ours did. We stayed at the BW and had to share bus transportation with YC/BC, and Swan/Dolphin.

Next tip would be to rent a car if you plan on resort hopping, eating at any resorts, or have activities for your kids planned at any resort other than your own! It was a bit of a pain to get to the GF from the BW at 9am with no car! Also it would've been so much faster to get to MK and AK with our own car.

I found it easier and found I could fit more in our suitcase for DH and I if I rolled our clothing rather than using the ziplock bags. For the kids the ziplock bags worked great.

I did 2 loads of laundry there and still managed to come home and have to do 4 loads! Next time if I do do laundry it would be better to do it the night before or not at all!!

More to come if I remember more!

 

[Amyg]

I had planned on taking a taxi to several of our dinner's (HDDR, Boma, etc.) at hotel's since we will be there in July. Great tip!

 

[STEAMBOAT209]

Thanks for the tips, the shipping is good news, I'm glad they are still doing that. During our last trip we shipped everything home except our clothes, and only cost us $15.00, and they packed the box, we just took everything to the desk, signed and paid. The Taxi is a great way to get around from Resort to Resort especially if you are in semi formal or formal wear for a special dinner. We always hop a taxi, much quicker, and you stay more refreshed for your evening. Thanks again..

 

[Vickie46]

we plan on taking a taxi back from boardwalk to cbr.. too much trouble of changing busses for us with a 4 yr old.. we want a fresh start the next morning without getting in too late..

 

[TAKitty]

My first tip would be to ship things down to your resort. We did this and it only cost us $13 for a large box via UPS ground. We shipped it a few days before we left. I had snacks, swimmies, swim diapers, diapers, water shoes/toys, glow sticks for the kids, some shoes, and a bunch of other things. This worked out so great and the reort delivered the box to our room. When we left, the resort gave us 2 boxes, and we were able to ship them home via UPS ground. They provided the tape and shipped it from the concierge desk at SSR. We had a choice to send it with Fedex or UPS. We shipped home the toiletries and all our souveniers plus some dirty clothes!!

I would like to do this too because we are shipping an air mattress. How did you address the box? When you shipped the box back to you, how did the desk know how much to charge you?

 

[bsusanmb]

Great idea to ship a box! Our first big family trip with our grandbabies is in October and I have already bought Disney toys for them - think I'll ship these and encourage the DD's to ship the diapers too! Thanks for the tip

 

[Dizneydaz]

Great tips, I haven't tried shipping before but maybe I will this time. Last time I carried my DD6 air mattress in my suitcase and it did take up a lot of room even though it only weighs about 3#. Plus with the reduced number of bags the airlines now allow, it might be easier to preship some of the bulkier items.

I agree about the rental vehicle-that's the only way to go-we always rent a minivan and have never had to rely on other transportation. Last time we even used it to go to Sam's Club and Walmart to download our digital cameras to free up disc space. We like to get away from the world every now and then (especially my mom). Once again for the tips.

 

[Bete]

You have to first have the park hopping option tickets; because, it just works out better for resort hopping, etc. You can make it work with basic tickets, but you may have to go to the transportation hub more to catch other connections.

Here's a few examples:
We will go to Animal Kingdom Park for our first afternoon there. We will leave the park and use the bus for the Animal Kingdom Lodge and go to Boma's for early dinner. We will then catch an AKL bus to Magic Kingdom for the Halloween Party. After the party, we will return to our resort, POP from the MK park.

For Epcot, it's perfect to take a boat ride from the World Showcase area to the Boardwalk, B/Y Club, etc. From those resorts, you can catch a bus to a different park or get back on the boat and go to Epcot again. You do need to get to a park and then you can get back to your own resort.

There are plenty of ways to make this work from almost any of the resorts. You can't go from resort to resort, but if you plan you can work around those obstacles. This works for Downtown Disney, too.

Now, I will say if you are doing dinner as your last activity of the night then this may not work out so good.

 

[Desnik]

I am so glad my tips are helping people!! I know I had written more down while at WDW but I put it in one of the boxes I shipped and it is due to come today.

Bete
What you say is absolutely true! It most definately can work out. But in May, with 2 small kids, and crowds, 95 degree weather and 45- 60 minute travel times just don't mix!!!LOL If it was the usual time we go, Nov week before Thanksgiving where the crowds are low and weather is great it would've been better. But still while staying at the BW, having to stop at 4 different resorts before going to your destination is just crazy! When we went to our dinner at Ohana from the BW, we took the MK bus then hopped on the monorail to the Poly. Sounds easy enough but it took an hour!!

TAKitty
When we were leaving SSR it was so crowded and they were really busy. At the concierge desk a really nice CM helped me out and I left my CC# on file with them so when they shipped it they could charge the card. I was able to pick the carrier, UPS or Fedex and method, 2/3 days, or ground. I picked ground shipping via UPS. I really had to trust that they would ship it because they gave me no paper work! But 1 box arrived yesturday and I called SSR to find out the tracking# for the other box and they gave it to me and it should arrive today. My card has not been charged yet.

When I shipped the box down to the BW I put all the info on all sides of the box. I wrote the resort name, address, "hold for" DH name(the ressie was in his name) ressie # and the date of check in.