Lessons Learned

[Disney Dreams]

So I now know that I should take a picture of my tickets...but why? Does it prove I had them or are they able to read the barcode on my smartphone pic?

With that barcode/ticket number, and your ID, they can re-issue your ticket. At WDW, one time we lost one of our tickets. We took the rest of the tickets to a window, they pulled up the order, and printed off another copy of the missing ticket.

Sweeeet! Thanks

Just to clarify on this... It's not enough to just have the picture of the barcode. Be prepared to answer questions like, "When did you first enter the Park?" "Which Park did you visit first?" "Where/when/how did you purchase the tickets?" Things taht only someone who actually purchased them would know.

I think she was talking about suck-face-hicky-kisses I kiss my hubby in the great wide open too

Now THERE'S a phase I never thought I'd read on DIS!

- Dreams

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

If your phone has a lock on it that would prevent others from searching your contact list, or even if it doesn't, it is a good idea to put your name and contact information on a small piece of paper and put it in the phone's battery compartment. I keep an emergency $20 bill in my phone's battery compartment too.

This is a great idea!! Thanks.

I have an iPhone that I lock, so I Googled how to contact ICE on a locked iPhone:

Hold down the Home button for a few seconds, which may—depending on the owner’s phone settings—trigger either Siri or Voice Control. In either case, when prompted by the beep, say, “Call ICE.” If the phone’s owner has an ICE contact as described above, the phone will either start calling that person right away or ask you to clarify which number to call (as in, Home, Mobile, Work, etc). If you luck out and connect with the emergency contact, you can explain the situation to that person.


If you've found a lost iPhone 4S, perhaps Siri can help you find the rightful owner. Press and hold the Home button, and (if prompted), try expressions like 'Call my wife' or 'Call my husband.'
If it’s an iPhone 4S and the owner hasn’t changed the privacy settings, you can try speaking a few of Siri’s more advanced options to find people close to the owner, too: “Call my wife,” “Call my husband,” “Call my sister,” “Call my father,” and the like just might work.

Of course, there's Find My iPhone

 

[PineapplePrincessCA]

A common solution for the phone situation is program an emergency contact number, like a significant other's cell phone number, into your phone under the name ICE, which stands for In Case of Emergency.

I would assume that would be a number for Immigration! (ICE= Immigration and Customs Enforcement.)

 

[ConnieB]

You can take your parking ticket with you, it actually says to take it with you, it is not required to leave it in the car.

Yeah, but it's one more thing to carry, keep track of and hope you don't lose (I too have never lost (knock on wood) tickets or pins or anything, but I also don't want to experience that first time, lol). I have to bring the camera along anyway.

 

[ConnieB]

I'm talking about making reservations, printing them out, then cancelling the reservations, then going to the hotel with your printout, demanding your room. Hotel manager appeases you with a room, saying, ""I don't understand why you aren't in our computer, we don't have that room available anymore, we are full. OK, I'm going to upgrade you to a 2 bedroom suite for the same price"

Obviously this is not what she did.

Yeah, but that wouldn't work because their system would show that the room was cancelled. Who knows why OPs reservation wasn't even in the system....that's a once-in-a-lifetime glitch type thing.

I bring along my confirmation emails on my phone....have never needed them to help the hotel find a reservation, but I was able to use one to dispute the rate they were trying to charge me since it wasn't what I'd booked. Without that I would have been up a creek and paying double!

 

[ConnieB]

Another thing to use your camera for before you arrive....take a picture of your children. This way, if they get separated from you then your addled brain doesn't have to try to remember what they were wearing THAT morning. You can kill two stones with one picture...put your kid in the parking lot near the pole with the character/row number and now you know how to find lost children and lost cars!

For those who write trip reports and/or scrapbook....these daily photos are a great way to remember that a new day has started, lol.

 

[monkey30]

have a noterized copy of your passport in your luggage in case you lose your passports!

It happened when we went to WDW, Dh forgot them on the plane, a full day and about $400 to get emerg documents

 

[heather_sue_98]

This should go for everywhere, not just Disney, but don't make a threat you are not willing to follow through on. I'm not sure who was madder, DD5 or myslef, when she got her last warning, and we went back to the hotel for her time out. On the flip side, she knew I meant business for the rest of the trip!

No matter how repetitious it seems, get into a good habit with where you put your tickets, especially when getting fast pass. For me it's they stay in my travel wallet, zipped up, inside my across-my-body purse, also zipped up, until I am standing in front of the fast pass machine. Then it's unzip, take out, unzip, take out, get fast passes, put away, zip up, put away, zip up. All before I leave the fast pass machine. I have had people behind me act a little put out, but I figure there's always quite a few machines, and why start taking chances with losing fast passes, or worse tickets, now?

 

[Sammy Cat]

Did #1 our 1st ever visit to the BB, back in 2006 - but of course a reservation is strongly recommended.

My favorite Disney shoes are my Croc flip flops - my feet/legs never ache when I wear them walking all over the parks, wore 'em 10 days straight walking all over WDW - no problems, cheap $1 store flips, not a good idea.

Hi...just wondering what particular brand of flip flops they were? Crocs has all kinds of flip flops, some may be better than others.

My daughter wore her crocs (not flip flops) one day when we were at WDW and it was the only time she complained her feet hurt by the end of the day, after that she wore her regular sandals.

 

[cyclenut]

If you are planning multiple days then plan on sturdy shoes with a change of socks. Extra socks are a must. We actually bought some sturdy hiking socks. They keep your feet dry and will dry out faster than cotton socks when they get wet. Take care of your feet and they will take you where you want to go.

Plant to eat at about 3pm if you are planning to eat at the park. Eat a good breakfast somewhere then snacks throughout the morning then eat a good meal at about that time. You will want a break by then and will avoid the heaviest of crowds that exist right around lunch time. When we plan to be at the park all day, this strategy allows us to get away with only one meal in the park.

Manage your cell phone battery by turning it to airplane mode while you are in the ride queue for most rides that go indoors. Much better than turning it off and it won't use battery searching for a signal. I always turn GPS off as well, you can turn it on if you need to. Always turn off bluetooth and wifi. You wont need them in the park and they consume battery just being on. Those tips can help you milk your smartphone battery for over 12 hours.

I want to second the meet-up place. Set a time and location. If phones give up or get lost then you will be very thankful to have that backup plan.

 

[kayleigh83]

So many good tips here, thanks everyone! I'm probably going to be putting a padlock on my purse, and using a chain to link everything inside it together so nothing gets lost! Well, maybe not that extreme but I will be VERY careful!

 

[JadeDarkstar]

i like my fanny pack in stead of a purse and it will hold all my tickets and fast passes and what ever else I need in there. I dont ever trust the pouch on the lanyards we once had. they brake easy

 

[krispin41]

Hi...just wondering what particular brand of flip flops they were? Crocs has all kinds of flip flops, some may be better than others.

My daughter wore her crocs (not flip flops) one day when we were at WDW and it was the only time she complained her feet hurt by the end of the day, after that she wore her regular sandals.

These are the ones I like: http://www.crocs.com/crocs-crocband-flip/11033,default,pd.html?cid=15E&cgid=women-collections-crocband

I have a black and white pair I have had for a few years, will be getting a new pair (or two) this year. Also my DH hates the feel of flip-flops and these are the only kind he can wear.

 

[Aussie Princess]

I think the biggest thing i learnt if you see someone that you really like buy it then and not wait til later or another day..

i had this issue with my vinylmation backpack i saw it at DTD and LOVED IT!!! came back the next day all gone and none in any of the park stores they only came back in on the last day of our trip and i would of been sooooo upset if i didnt have it and its a long flight to Aust to be upset about not getting my vinylmation backpack

 

[sunkisser]

I would assume that would be a number for Immigration! (ICE= Immigration and Customs Enforcement.)

I'm from the UK so can only go on what we do. I'm a Paramedic, and if we have an unconscious person with a mobile phone that is not locked, the first thing we look for is ICE (in case of emergency). I have it on my phone too x

 

[cagirl4life]

Another thing to use your camera for before you arrive....take a picture of your children. This way, if they get separated from you then your addled brain doesn't have to try to remember what they were wearing THAT morning. You can kill two stones with one picture...put your kid in the parking lot near the pole with the character/row number and now you know how to find lost children and lost cars!

For those who write trip reports and/or scrapbook....these daily photos are a great way to remember that a new day has started, lol.

Make sure you get a photo of their shoes too. My roommate is a CM and the ones who work in stores are taught to look and remember shoes so they can track customers down. Also get a picture any time they change so you know what they are wearing when they loose you.


My tip would be to make sure you take your lanyard off prior to taking off your sweatshirt (or poncho) or it could and will get lost! You would think it would be obvious but a number of my teammates did it and our lanyards where how we got on the bus to go to the competition so we needed them.

 

[kayleigh83]

Make sure you get a photo of their shoes too.

This! I worked at H&M and this was also their policy whenever a parent said they couldn't find their child in the store - the theory being that if someone had grabbed your child, they could easily put another shirt or hat on them to disguise the child's identity but would be less likely to have/take the time to change their shoes.

 

[pixiewings71]

Yeah, but it's one more thing to carry, keep track of and hope you don't lose (I too have never lost (knock on wood) tickets or pins or anything, but I also don't want to experience that first time, lol). I have to bring the camera along anyway.

Well, we never take ours, we leave it in the car but most people think it has to stay there when in fact it does not. It states on the ticket to take it with you and to mark where you are parked for your return reference. That's why I mentioned it, that's the only reason.

Make sure you get a photo of their shoes too. My roommate is a CM and the ones who work in stores are taught to look and remember shoes so they can track customers down. Also get a picture any time they change so you know what they are wearing when they loose you.


My tip would be to make sure you take your lanyard off prior to taking off your sweatshirt (or poncho) or it could and will get lost! You would think it would be obvious but a number of my teammates did it and our lanyards where how we got on the bus to go to the competition so we needed them.

This! I worked at H&M and this was also their policy whenever a parent said they couldn't find their child in the store - the theory being that if someone had grabbed your child, they could easily put another shirt or hat on them to disguise the child's identity but would be less likely to have/take the time to change their shoes.

I would have never thought of shoes....that's a GREAT tip!! Thanks!

 

[bakerudall]

Let's just say we have a very special memory with our then 6 month old at Pooh Corner of all places.

If a child says they don't want to go on something, don't try to convince them otherwise. You may just end up on IASW more times than you can count!

and

My DD3 would ride IASW on youtube all day if I let her.

 

[Isatricia]

Only you can ruin your vacation. Make the best of every situation.

If someone is busybody-ish enough to make their business to judge you on what you wear, how you look, how you dress your kids, whether your "too old" child rides in a stroller, how large your stroller is or what you carry in your stroller, it is a reflection on them not on you. None of those things are any of their business. Don't let their judgement have any effect on you!