Pearls of Wisdom and what would you do differently on your next trip?

[bubblebrown]

I plan to put kids outfits in ziplocks this year.

ooh, I love that tip!

 

[bubblebrown]

3. More Ample Hills ice cream.

I've never heard of this, where is it found?

 

[bubblebrown]

- Enjoy the transportation, we are all in it together. Dont push, snarl, moan and groan because you are on a loaded bus. Its part of the experience, we have learned to love the Bus Rides.

Had our first experience with Disney buses this Jan and it was great. They were clean and speedy. Even after a long day in the parks the people were so sweet. My family (including a 5 and 8 year old) were one of the last ones on, so we were standing. A family near us saw that this may be a problem for the two girls, so they made their child sit on their lap and my girls shared his old seat.

 

[Tammy O.]

We were at Disney Sept. 22-Oct. 4. There were 10 of us in 3 rooms at Caribbean Beach--My parents, my sister/BIL and there 2 kids, my husband, son and granddaughter. Youngest child was 5 and oldest 11.

• I was not impressed with Caribbean Beach. Way too spread out and it most definitely did not feel like an upgrade from a value. It didn't help that we were at the absolute farthest room away from everything and we had ants in our room. I will say they do have a fabulous pool and the food court was decent. We will probably buy into DVC in the next couple of years. Until then, I think we will rent points and stay deluxe.
• Since my sister had driven, almost everyone could fit in their van. A couple of times we did that with a couple of people taking an uber to avoid bus wait times. It worked great for our 8am reservation at Crystal Palace. One morning, my son and I were the only one wanting to go at rope drop to AK so we just took an Uber. It was some great mom/son time and we got to ride expedition everest 10 times in a row!!
• Having a plan and being flexible in that plan was the most important for us. It is impossible to keep everyone together for that long!! Split up more!
• The Dining plan is a lot of food. It worked for the us though since it helped us fully experience F&W festival with snack credits at the kiosks. Plus, it was nice doing some of the group meals at the castle and other character dining and the Luau at the Poly, etc. We also got to check out Animal Kingdom Lodge when we ate at Boma. Great meal and i fell in love with this resort.
• One of the biggest money savers was a brita filtered water bottle. I know some people complain about trying to get ice water at QS locations, but we never had an issue. We brought it full so we were good until lunch and we refilled then and then periodically throughout the day. I have this cooler bag specifically for water bottles that kept it ice cold for a long time and it has a long strap for easy carrying or to hang on the stroller. We bought it on a carnival cruise. I have searched to try to find them because I would definitely buy a couple more, but I could not find them. I might have to try to make some--at least then I could customize!!
• More down time. We were all exhausted!!

We are going back in a couple of weeks--just me and my husband. We were comped tickets because of an issue with ants in our room. This time we rented DVC points from a friend and are staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge. We did do the dining plan again, but my parents are picking us up at Disney Springs on our check out day so if we have left over meals, we will use them for lunch for all of us and then maybe Earl of Sandwich to go and take for dinner since we are going to Clearwater Beach for a few days. It just stresses me out with the expense--easier for me to write one check and be done than thinking about it every meal! Plus it's Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot so more food kiosks to try with snack credits!

It is going to be so much easier with just the 2 of us and not having to wrangle the herd! We are taking a down day in the middle which will be nice. The resorts are so nice and you are paying for those too--so make sure to take the time to check them out. We definitely have a plan and I know the things that are most important to each of us. Otherwise, we will go with the flow.

We did splurge on the dessert party at Hollywood studios for the fireworks and since we needed to buy another ticket anyway, the After Magic Hours ticket for MK. So much easier to do these kinds of things when it's only 2 vs. 10 LOL!

 

[pooh2001]

Go without our DD and DS
Our DS & DD are now full grown
If they want to join us - they pay their way

Use Magical Express
Pack everything we need in a carry-on and personal bag
Use JetBlue and return to WDW the 1st week of May for great weather,
less crowds, and less rain.

Stay in a WDW studio villa
Send our selves a package with paper towels, zip lock bags, laundry pods, snacks, coffee for the Mr. Coffee maker, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, suntan lotion, multi-outlet extension cord, and paper goods.
Or maybe just use Garden Grocer and order snacks/food/water and most of the above items for ourselves.

 

[eeyoresmom]

I've never heard of this, where is it found?

At the Boardwalk. Take a break from touring World Showcase and check it out. Sooooo good.

 

[apple9117]

bookmarking this thread!

 

[Shellyred8]

At the Boardwalk. Take a break from touring World Showcase and check it out. Sooooo good.

We missed the grand opening by one day last year. But we were lucky enough to get a sample from them!! I agree, it was soooo good!!!

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Be in the moment. Don't focus so much on the next item in the schedule that you miss out on the here and now. Take pictures, but not so many that you miss the actual experience. Spend more time at favorite areas instead of always rushing on to the next place. Notice the details of theming everywhere. Recognize that even with an abundance of planning, some things won't go according to plan. Be prepared to go with the flow, or regroup and adjust the plan. Remember to take vitamins and take time to rest. No matter how long the trip is, there is no way to fit in all the ideas you would like to do, so be OK with leaving some of them for the next trip.

 

[here757]

Leave the kids at home
Just kidding!
But for real.. no one outside of my immediate family..
No to my mom,niece, etc

 

[Wild about Walt]

Be in the moment. Don't focus so much on the next item in the schedule that you miss out on the here and now. Take pictures, but not so many that you miss the actual experience. Spend more time at favorite areas instead of always rushing on to the next place. Notice the details of theming everywhere. Recognize that even with an abundance of planning, some things won't go according to plan. Be prepared to go with the flow, or regroup and adjust the plan. Remember to take vitamins and take time to rest. No matter how long the trip is, there is no way to fit in all the ideas you would like to do, so be OK with leaving some of them for the next trip.

Just to add to this...let the kids enjoy the little moments. Don't get caught up in the rushing and planning. My kids stopped to chase bubbles from a vendor in front of the globe at EP one year and have talked about how magical it felt ever since. Even though they are little...the little things matter to them too.

 

[JodyLynC]

Just to add to this...let the kids enjoy the little moments. Don't get caught up in the rushing and planning. My kids stopped to chase bubbles from a vendor in front of the globe at EP one year and have talked about how magical it felt ever since. Even though they are little...the little things matter to them too.

Excellent tip. Sometimes in the rush of running to the next activity, we forget to stop and enjoy the sites in front of us.

 

[Dave Rolen]

1. No DDP. It was great but I was too full for the snacks I wanted. It's just too much food.
2. Off Day. A week at the BC and we barely saw it! Next year at the GF during Marathon week we're staying 7 days with a 5 day Park Hopper.
3. If you can time it just right, ride Big Thunder Mountain while Wishes is ongoing. Best. Ride. Ever. My daughter and I boarded just as the fireworks were starting and it was amazing to see the fireworks while on the coaster. Then we walked all the way to Fantasy Land and stood near the Carousal at the finale. Really great experience.
4. Wishes Desert Cruise. Again, amazing! Tons of free desert(For about $100 each), great boat ride, lake view of fireworks, dedicated bus back to your resort. There were 4 people on the bus to BC after the cruise. We may not do this cruise again but we will definitely book a special event of some kind.
5. Visit all the resorts you can. We found a Stitch pin set only after about 5 places listed as in stock visited. Finally found the set at the Dolphin gift shop. Seeing all the resorts was really fun.
6. Bring a jacket. I was cold too often.
7. Plan rest. I have much more stamina than the rest of the family and pushing them is just bad news for everyone.

 

[themadlbb]

A lot of my tips have already been covered, but one fairly specific one I haven't seen is this:

Pack nice, quick dry clothing. My personal favorite stuff (for men) is from Mizzen and Main (no affiliation) but the main point is that, for me, there are several occasions on my trips where I'd prefer to look nice but still be comfortable. Packing stuff that can get wet on splash mountain and then head to Victoria and Alberts (or even a place without dress requirements) is so awesome and really adds to my comfort, both physically and aesthetically, while at the parks!

BTW, other advantages to this include:

- it packs really light
- you only have to pack a couple if theyre antimicrobial. You can give them a quick wash in the sink and hang them up and they're dry and ready in fifteen minutes (or wear them while wet and they'll dry on you!

I guess I lied, so one bonus tip:

Socks and sock liners. Get and wear both and you will never have a blister regardless of what shoes you wear. I got good Smartwool ones from REI. They're pricy, but trust me, there is NOTHING worse than getting a blister your first day (like I did my last trip) and then having to walk on a hurt foot for the rest of your vacation. This is actually a more essential tip, should've put it first...

 

[kreckl]

Down time! Enjoy your resort and time just being with your family swimming or eating or watching tv at night after a busy day. Something about everyone being all showered and cozy in bed- all in one room- knowing more fun will be had the next day, is so special. The parks are amazing but enjoy a few early nights too.
Organize before you get there. Packing cubes, a pop up hamper, and an over the door shoe holder will make your life easier.
Have a plan in case someone gets lost or separated. For each park- and at your resort. Teach your kids what to do should this happen.
Plan before you go- fast passes and dining reservations and daily activities. Review plans each day and scrap whatever- what may have seemed to be a great idea 6 months ago may now put you over the edge- and this almost always means slowing down!
Be spontaneous! If you've just had dinner and decide you have a second wind, splurge on a cab and play midnight mini golf or go see the fireworks while eating a dole whip at Poly beach- you're on vacation. At WDW!
Be friendly and meet people. Chat by the pool or on the bus. You can meet people from all over the world!