We haven't been to WDW in 9 years, so my park-specific tips are too old to be worth sharing. Does anyone have a link to a current list?
I'd love to hear from anyone who has been to the parks in the past 6 months or so. Here are my generic Disney Magical Memories tips:
* On the day you to to MK, get Got To B glow-in-the-dark hair gel. Your kids will love going through the dark rides and having their hair glow as brightly as the neon decor!
* If you stay at MK until closing, take rolls of quarters and pennies. After the parade clears, spend time going thru the shops in search of penny squishing machines. This is a cheap souvenir and will help you avoid the crush of people stampeding out of the park.
* Another "park closing" hint: stop at the bakery on Main Street. Their lemon bars are the best! Buy a sweet and some milk and watch everyone else rush for the exit.
* Consider everything that passes through your hands to be potential scrapbooking material. My older son has a souvenir pocket in the back of his DLR scrapbook that is the flattened popcorn box he bought while waiting for the 50th Anniversary fireworks show to begin.
* Fanny packs are a must. The kids can take small reusable containers of water and a snack everywhere they go. This will save time hunting for water fountains. I'd also suggest walkie-talkies. If you have preteens it will allow you to feel safe when they want to go grab a soda, etc. They're also less of a hassle if they're lost. Buy a sunblock stick for each person in your party. Encourage them to reapply sunblock every couple of hours.
* Prior to your trip, allow each child to pick a "must do" for each park. Honor these, no matter how crazy they may seem.
* Give the kids disposable cameras. They may come up with some of the most interesting shots of your trip.
* Buy a BUNCH of sunglasses at the dollar store prior to your trip. They are better than nothing, and if your kids are like mine, sunglasses and hats seem to take vacations of their own, never to be seen again.
* Also at the dollar store: ponchos. Cheap, reusable, and can be tossed before coming home to save room.
* Finally, to make your life easier, use large ziplock bags to pack outfits by the day. Put everything they will wear that day in the bag. That way all the kids have to do is grab a bag and you're ready to roll. When they get undressed, put the dirty clothing back in the bags. That way there's no chance for dirty and clean stuff to mix. If you want, take along a sharpie and put an X on each bag as it is used to prevent the kids from wanting to choose the same outfit twice.
* Finally, as soon as you enter the parks each day, purchase two or three postcards per child. When you have wait-time, such as in restaurants or before parades, have the kids jot a note about their favorites. Be sure to have the kids date the cards. If you take along preprinted self-addressed addy labels and postcard stamps from home it is easy to drop them in the mail each night. They will be a postcard journal of their Disney trip.
I can't wait to see what you all have to share!
I'd love to hear from anyone who has been to the parks in the past 6 months or so. Here are my generic Disney Magical Memories tips:
* On the day you to to MK, get Got To B glow-in-the-dark hair gel. Your kids will love going through the dark rides and having their hair glow as brightly as the neon decor!
* If you stay at MK until closing, take rolls of quarters and pennies. After the parade clears, spend time going thru the shops in search of penny squishing machines. This is a cheap souvenir and will help you avoid the crush of people stampeding out of the park.
* Another "park closing" hint: stop at the bakery on Main Street. Their lemon bars are the best! Buy a sweet and some milk and watch everyone else rush for the exit.
* Consider everything that passes through your hands to be potential scrapbooking material. My older son has a souvenir pocket in the back of his DLR scrapbook that is the flattened popcorn box he bought while waiting for the 50th Anniversary fireworks show to begin.
* Fanny packs are a must. The kids can take small reusable containers of water and a snack everywhere they go. This will save time hunting for water fountains. I'd also suggest walkie-talkies. If you have preteens it will allow you to feel safe when they want to go grab a soda, etc. They're also less of a hassle if they're lost. Buy a sunblock stick for each person in your party. Encourage them to reapply sunblock every couple of hours.
* Prior to your trip, allow each child to pick a "must do" for each park. Honor these, no matter how crazy they may seem.
* Give the kids disposable cameras. They may come up with some of the most interesting shots of your trip.
* Buy a BUNCH of sunglasses at the dollar store prior to your trip. They are better than nothing, and if your kids are like mine, sunglasses and hats seem to take vacations of their own, never to be seen again.
* Also at the dollar store: ponchos. Cheap, reusable, and can be tossed before coming home to save room.
* Finally, to make your life easier, use large ziplock bags to pack outfits by the day. Put everything they will wear that day in the bag. That way all the kids have to do is grab a bag and you're ready to roll. When they get undressed, put the dirty clothing back in the bags. That way there's no chance for dirty and clean stuff to mix. If you want, take along a sharpie and put an X on each bag as it is used to prevent the kids from wanting to choose the same outfit twice.
* Finally, as soon as you enter the parks each day, purchase two or three postcards per child. When you have wait-time, such as in restaurants or before parades, have the kids jot a note about their favorites. Be sure to have the kids date the cards. If you take along preprinted self-addressed addy labels and postcard stamps from home it is easy to drop them in the mail each night. They will be a postcard journal of their Disney trip.
I can't wait to see what you all have to share!
