Post your best organizational, space saving and trip making secrets here!!

[tmfranlk]

Please DO NOT attach anything to the window if you have curtain airbags!!! If those deployed it would send your shower caddy hurtling toward your children at about 150mph. If you have questions about the airbags, see your owners manual.

Not having them I never thought of this. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[fortheluvofpooh]

just subscribing to this AWESOME thread.

 

[miss missy]

bump

 

[DISNEYJAZZ]

OH,MAN! MY COPY/PASTE HAND IS SO TIRED!! I HAVE BEEN SAVING TIPS ALL DAY IT SEEMS...THERE ARE SO MANY GREAT ONE! AS I WAS READING ALL SORTS OF REPLYS WERE RUNNING THROUGH MY HEAD NOW I AM BLANK! I LOVED THEMAKE YOUR OWN PAPER TOWEL/DISH CLOTHES IDEA! THE COLLASPABLE FOOD CONTAINERS FOR DESSERTS TO DAVE FOR LATER! TAKING PIX OF ANY AND EVRYTHING OF IMPORTANCE,ESPEICIALLY THE KIDDOS! AND THE $2 BILLS FOR TIPS! IF YOU ARE GOING FOR THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS AND YOU HAVE A PUBLIX NEAR YOU YOU CAN BUY SANTA MONEY FOR A CUTE MOUSEKEEPING TIP OR ANYWHERE TIP FOR THAT MATTER...THEY SPEND BUT WOULD BE GREAT TO SAVE! THANK YOU ALL FRO ALL THE IDEAS AND TIPS THATWILL REALLY HELP INTHE PLANNING! MY DAUGHTER ND I ALREADY HAVE A DISNEY BAG TO STORE THINSG IN BUT THE IDEA OF PUTTING THEM IN THE SUIT CASES IS REALLY GOOD,I JUST HAVE TO DIG MINE OUT! THE GRANDKIDS HAVE ALREADY LEARNED THATALL THEY HAVE TO DO IF THEY SEE ANYTHING DISNEY IS SAY " HEY NANNA,WE COULD PUT THIS IN OUR DISNEY BAG TO TAKE TO DISNEY 'WORD' AS THEY SAY IT! SO NOW DD BRENDI & I JUST LOOK AT EACH OTHER AND SAY 'WORD' AND NOD OUR HEADS AND THINK WE ARE REALLY COOL.... I LOVE THIS SITE AND ALL THE IDEAS ARE SO AWESOME...PRINCESS HUGS AND PIRATE ARRGHHG'S TO ALL....

 

[joeysmommy]

Thanks for all the wonderful tips!
I went to the Dollar Tree store today and found the clear over the door shoe holder! Yay!!
I had to hit 3 different dollar stores to find the clear one.

I get stressed if the bathroom counter is all cluttered up.
I think I'll bring it along for my Scrapbook Retreat next weekend too and try it out. 3 women sharing 1 bathroom..yikes!

 

[sconnell]

One of the more bizarre things I have done is to ship a rocking lawn chair to WDW. Now, before you laugh at me, some of you parents will understand this. DGD needs to be calmed before going to sleep and rocking is the best way. I got a garage sale rocking chair and shipped it round-trip for under $20. (Yes, I shipped it back home when we were done.) It was the best money I ever spent on vacation! Much cheaper than renting a rocking chair for our 10 day vacation and we were able to maintain a solid nightime routine without ruining my back trying to "rock" in a regular chair.

I think it's smart! I'm surprised it didn't cost more!
Was it the fold up kind?

 

[enjkp]

This is our first trip and I am so overwhelmed I don't know what to take and what not to take...................we are leaving on like a thursday and not getting to check in onsite until Saturday so not sure what to do

Thinking we are driving through the night on Thursday night and finding a place to check into for the night Friday night and hitting downtown Disney

Thanks so much for all the information

 

[all4fun]

Some new things I've just discovered:

Instead of using Ziplocs for packing, I bought some packing cubes from Ebags (the Ebags brand, actually). Just used them for the first time this past week on a trip and they are awesome. The Ebags ones are nylon w/mesh but they also sell clear ones that you can see thru. They are under the "packing aids" section I believe. Since I only have the set of three (sm, med, lg) and one set of 3 small bags, I'm going to order at least three more of the large ones. I love how neat they make everything so neat in the suitcase and when you unpack you can just take the whole thing out, lay it in a drawer, and unzip it.

Another thing we found in the luggage/travel section at Target, and also there's a small section at Radio Shack of all places that sell travel aids - a luggage scale! No more worrying if the bag is over 50lbs! LOL. It cost us about $5-6 at Radio Shack on sale and I believe the one at Target is $10.

 

[BeadyLady]

may I go off subject for a second - The little boy with Darth Vadar is way too cute!

 

[all4fun]

may I go off subject for a second - The little boy with Darth Vadar is way too cute!

Thank you!

He LOVES darth. We even have a pic of him hugging a storm trooper, LOL.

Back on topic, Here's another tip I read somewhere - possibly on this thread so sorry if it's a repeat - bring one of those cloths you use to dry cars off with (like the fake chamois type) to dry yourself off after a rain storm. I thought this was an ingenious idea because we've got caught in the rain more than once and paper towels just don't cut it! You can wring these out and use them over again. Might be good to have after a wet water ride too. You can buy small ones at the Dollar Tree.

 

[LorieBell]

That is very sweet Karen!

 

[Aliceacc]

Thanks for starting this thread... I'm starting a separate Word document for it

 

[mommylovesdisneymore]

Great Tips

 

[miss missy]

Thanks for all the wonderful tips!
I went to the Dollar Tree store today and found the clear over the door shoe holder! Yay!!
I had to hit 3 different dollar stores to find the clear one.

I get stressed if the bathroom counter is all cluttered up.
I think I'll bring it along for my Scrapbook Retreat next weekend too and try it out. 3 women sharing 1 bathroom..yikes!

Here is what one looks like in use. This was taken at POP Century.

 

[mom2alix]

I found a great deal for our trip.

At Target in the travel section they have these cute little toothbrush sets for kids that have a toothbrush and kids' Crest toothpaste in a travel size for 99¢. The toothbrushes have little suction cups on the end so they stand up on the counter - no need for a toothbrush holder.

 

[Dizneydaz]

Ok, I just went through the whole thread and copied those things I want to remember-we leave in less than 3 days.

One thing I thought I read here before, but didn't see this read-thru was to bring one of those multi-outlet, surge protectors. There are never enough plugs in our room and I use it as a one-stop area for recharging everything that has chargers (2 cel phones, dig camera, video camera, etc.) It keeps everything in one place. Forces me to be organized in the room. I usually plug it into the outlet located behind the entertainment unit-sometimes you have to move the unit just a smidge!

 

[all4fun]

Ok, I just went through the whole thread and copied those things I want to remember-we leave in less than 3 days.

One thing I thought I read here before, but didn't see this read-thru was to bring one of those multi-outlet, surge protectors.

Great point and also really good to plug anything sensitive like a laptop, into. I imagine with the electrical storms that pop up in Florida, power surges are probably not all too rare.

The one I've been eyeballing but haven't bought yet is called a Power squid (like this). What is nice is that it's not a strip so you can plug larger plugs into it. I saw one at Walmart and but it was kind of big and since I'm trying to pack light I'm going to make do with the small strip I already own. Plus the villas usually have plenty of outlets, unlike a lot of small hotel rooms.

 

[kyhardy]

I am packing now!!! Just thought I'd take a break & check for any new tips I hadn't seen yet. I have to say that this has been EXTREMELY helpful. Last year I was grouchy & packing like a mad woman right up until my husband said "we have to leave now if we're going to make our flight." This has made packing fun! My husband is so relieved!

 

[Aleebama]

This thread is awesome! Thanks!

 

[Dizneydaz]

I'm packing right now too-we leave in less than 7 hrs. I don't think I'm going to get much sleep!