My tips!

[LSUDis]

Love these hints....I'm printing these out like crazy!

 

[bubba's mom]

now they are advertising a new product......Crystal Light to Go....apparently a small tube of CL that is made to be dumped into waterbottles....perfect amount prepackaged.....I know the people on the DIS are gonna love this......

 

[motbobi]

wow thanks for all the great take alongs. keep them comming as i am making my list for the end of the month.
Bobi

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Hey you guys, got a question. I have really been thinking about the shoe organizer thing. I hate leaving all my personal items around the sink area and it takes me forever to get ready of a morning because I am digging through my overnight bag. I really sounds like this would be a good idea for me. Do you agree? I mean like put my toothbrush/paste in one section, curling brush and hair products in one, makeup in brushes in one, contacts and cleaner in one, you get the idea.

Think it will benefit me??

 

[motbobi]

does anyone know if the lockers have a key and you can keep opening them or do you need to keep putting money in. and how much are the lockers.
Bobi

 

[Iott Family]

My husband just rolls his eyes at me when I bring all this stuff but he doesnt complain about the conveniences it affords. I ,too, brought the mesh hamper, although I wish I had brought two. One for darks and one for whites. I brought the can of lysol because you can never be too sure and who wants to be stuck in a hotel room after dad gets outta the potty!!! I alsoi bring the dawn washcloths with soap in them for washing up bottles, water cups, etc. Next time I am bringing a couple of those collapsible plastic crates to store things in the room because with three kids, four if you count hubby things were always scattered everywhere. Didnt think to but loved the night light suggestion and will be bringing that with us next time, too! Also, it cant be said enough...bottled water bought at the grocery or costco's, so much more cost effective and I refuse to drink local water in strange places!!!

I also took the time before we left and got a couple boxes of the generic ziplocks from walmart and in the sandwich size I put a disposable bib and spoon and in the larger sizes I put a diaper, scented diaper disposal bag and a disposable changing pad. That way I could just grab a few ziplocks in the morning and throw in backpack and then I had ziplocks to put wet/dirty clothes from the diaper stash and small ziplock were great from putting in extra's left from meals. Disney food is pricey but you definitely get lots of food for the $$$. And my ziplocks got a run for their money, so to speak, because they served double the purpose and nothing got jumbled or yucky in the backpack.

P.S. I just want to add the baby centers are a gift for families, truly and Disney is just so awesome for putting changing tables in mens restrooms too because afterall, mom is on vacation, too, why should she have to do all the diapers????

 

[bubba's mom]

Hey you guys, got a question. I have really been thinking about the shoe organizer thing.
Think it will benefit me??

absolutley!!!

 

[bubba's mom]

does anyone know if the lockers have a key and you can keep opening them or do you need to keep putting money in. and how much are the lockers.
Bobi

at your resort or the parks?? the parks you pay, at the resorts it's just a regular key...no money involved...but be careful you don't lose your key!

 

[tomerin]

this is the great thing about these forums. i consider myself a bit of a DISney veteran but i am always amazed and greatful for the great advice i get on these boards. i am adding a few of the previously mentioned tips to my list

one tip i can offer is that if you are traveling a long trip with kids and can afford it buy yourself a portable dvd player. i know this can be a bit of an expensive tip but getting stuck in a small sleeper compartment on a train with a rather lively 13 yr old boy for almost 22 hours can make the calmest of parents a bit nutty. also helps keeps the kids in their seats and occupied on the plane. so we put a little extra away each week and made a vacation enhancing purchase. besdies many rooms i believe have hookups that you could plug your portable into and play dvd's. i have seen them for less then 200 dollars.

 

[tlkkrados]

We have been going to Disney for quite a few years now. There are tons of great tips here. (I just finished reading through all of them)! A couple that I would add would be:
1. We always bring one of those 6 outlet surge protectors. I have a quite a few things that we like to keep charged (ie: camera, extra camera battery, video camera, laptop, phones,etc). We plug this is one place and everything can get plugged into it. It keeps up from having to search all over the room to find places to plug everything in. It also helps so we don't forget a cord plugged into a wall when packing up.(Yes, we've done it before!)
2. We usually stay in the DVC one bedroom resorts and I always bring the little detergent squares that Tide sells. You just pop a couple into the load and don't have to worry about the powder or liquid spilling everywhere.
3. Since we usually have a dishwasher, we also bring the solid squares of dishwasher detergent with the little jet dry ball in the middle. They are a little more expensive than I would spend at home, but I love the convenience when we are there!
Laura

 

[aussiemouse]

I always try to remember an ear thermometer for the kids. Seems whenever we forget it one will get a fever. Also "Wet Ones" in the canister. They are antibacterial, great for hands before eating and especially wiping down rental stroller handles. I also found some Disney Princess playing cards at Target (under $2). My daughter and I have been playing "Go Fish/Princess with them. Thought they'd be good for the car.
Oh yeah .. read on another thread that someone takes window markers for the kids draw on the car windows on the long drive. I've never used them so I'm not sure about clean up ... better pack the roll of paper towel too! And the Disney box of Kleenex.
I love this site

 

[DisneyGirl2005]

Wow thanks for all the great ideas. I will definitely be getting one of the mesh laundry baskets.

 

[motbobi]

thanks alot great ideas

 

[Julia M]

I also bring the mesh laundry baskets on all our vacations.

I also bring our info in a binder that has the plastic page protectors. I like being able to read through everything, like abook, rather than pulling it out of a pocket (I obviously don't store travelers checks in it!)

I bring along 2 sets of envelopes. One is for housekeeping.The other is for me, to put our receipts in each day. I like to know exactly what we spent, and it helps alot. I write on the outside of the envelope, each amount, if I'm trying to stay within a budget (other times I just collect the receipts without worrying about the amount)

Since we usually stay off site, I pack a small cooler with frozen capri suns and a snack of some kind, plus 2 diet cokes (for dh and I). Somehow, having a snack as we are leaving helps the drive home so much. I can't even express what a big difference it makes with the kids.

I keep all our meds at home in a large mesh bag (under my bathroom sink) When we travel, I just throw it in a suitcase. It has come in handy so many times.

I also carry some of the very large (2 gallon) ziplock bags. They can fit wet shoes, towels and so on, in case they need to be packed.

Julia

 

[siennacrew]

I found something neat at Walmart for under $3. It is a small suction kitchen sponge holder it holds several travel size bottles of shampoo, body wash, etc. I think this will be really handy...I hate when that stuff keeps falling into the tub! I may get the soap one too...the soap won't keep jumping and hitting my feet! LOL

I am also going to use the mesh laundry baskets...what a great idea! I bought one that is white (for whites) and one that is navy (for darks). I plan on lining them w/ kitchen garbage bags and then just pull the bags out, tie shut and shove them into our suitcases.

Our dollar tree had crafter organizers with a handle at the top. They had small compartments to hold travel sizes very easily.

 

[blackforest]

I found this organizer at the Dollar Tree. It is like the over the door shoe holder, accaept it is for in the shower. Can be placed over the curtain rings, lots of pockets and drain holes. I too can not STAND having a bottle drop on my foot. Did this at home and broke two toes and my foot.

 

[siennacrew]

Ouch! It's a good thing it wasn't at Disney....that would be my luck! LOL

 

[DissyLove]

Here are a couple of my tips:
1. if you buy the refillable mugs sold in the Disney hotels, which my family always does, bring a small tube of dish soap with you to wash them out in the rooms-better than bar soap, and we get our money's worth drinking pop, tea, etc. with our mugs-plus, great souveniers for our family.
2. If you have a child who is unsure of some rides while you are in your planning stages, go online with them to check them out. My 7 year old Hates anything fast-so to show him that certain rides were not coasters, we went to website like this and others (including the disney website) that offer downloads or views of rides, and took a virtual tour-it really can put your mind and your child's at ease.
3. I know others have mentioned baggies full of snacks to take in the parks, but I always bring small tupperware style containers in our backpack to the parks. It keeps chips and other crushable snacks in their own containers without breaking-I pack one for each kid, since they like different snacks, and that way kids and adults have their own snack "package"....
4. I bring a water bottle (sport top) filled with ice for each of us-we use it for water, or after drinks or snacks or meals in the part, fill it up with leftover beverages, and that way they stay cool pretty much all day.

 

[Mickey's Girl]

Is there any problem with airport security when you pack clothes individually in ziploc bags? I don't want to have to unpack each one if my suitcase is searched. I also like to take my pillows in space bags, the kind that don't need a vacuum cleaner. That way I have my nice fresh pillows instead of the hotel ones

 

[bubba's mom]

Is there any problem with airport security when you pack clothes individually in ziploc bags? I don't want to have to unpack each one if my suitcase is searched.

no, it almost makes their job easier...they can see thru the bags instead of digging thru your clothes.
We've been flying to florida every year for about 11 or 12 years now, and the only problem i ever had was just 2 years ago. Ya see, I love Hershey's chocolate syrup (for mixing with milk). I like the Dark Chocolate syrup, but could never find it at home....never mind i only live about an hour from Hersheypark, Pa!!! Anyway, it was readily available in Florida, at my in-laws, so, I'd bring like 5 or 6 back. Well, at the airport, my suitcase set off the alarm to check my bag manually. I said there wasn't anything metal in it except my curling iron. They said the scanners at the airports don't check for metal, but for density . Since the syrup was so thick, it set the alarm off to be checked. btw, the syrup was in plastic ziploc bags and the airport tech who searched the bag said it was a very good idea.