Prepping for WDW Vacations Thread - Planning Tips, Trip Reports, Questions, and More

[andyman8]

Whether you're just beginning to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World or you're eagerly anticipating your trip, this thread provides you a median for all your planning and "Disney fixes". While it may seem as if this thread doesn't have a defined purpose, the following are what this thread is for.

• Answer planning-related questions about Walt Disney World
• Post brief pre-trip and post-trip reports
• Post planned vacation itinerary for feedback
• Discuss packing tips and preparing for your vacation to the Most Magical Place on Earth
• Live updates from the parks
• Hotel, restaurant, or ride reviews, comments, or questions
• Posting how many more days until your next trip (Vacation Countdowns)
• Discussing budgeting tips and how much your trip will cost you
• Tons of photos, quotes, and videos proving perfect WDW "fixes" to get you through the never-ending wait for your next trip
• And more!

So, definitely check into this thread when you start planning your vacation, but also stay as you look for your daily Disney "fix".

At Walt Disney World Now
In your post or live report, let me know that your at WDW and for how long

Arriving at Walt Disney World in the Next Week
If your arrival date at WDW is within seven days, let me know

Packing List - Spring 2013 Edition
For additions, include them in your post
Autograph book with Enlarged Pen
Backpack - to store cameras, ponchos, etc. in.
Baby Powder
Band-Aids
Bathing suit
Batteries
Personal Fan
Beach Towels
Beach Shoes
Bottled Water
Disposable Camera
Cell phone with battery and charger (extended battery recommended)
Clothespins
Coffee or tea
Contact lenses or Glasses
Cooler
Dental floss
Ear Plugs
Empty Small Suitcase .or Bag
Fanny Pack
Small Flashlight
Golf Equipment
Hangers
Hats
Insect repellant
Kleenex
Laundry Detergent
Lipstick and Chapped Lip Cream
Permanent Markers
Pocket Binoculars
Prescription Medicines
Moleskin for your blisters
Nail clippers and file
Night Lights
Q-tips
Plastic glasses for poolside
Portable DVD player and DVDs
Rain Poncho
Safety pins and/or Diaper Pins
Soap
Sneakers
Extra Socks and Sneakers and Underwear
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Tickets and Reservation Numbers
Tote Bag
Toys for the kids
Trash Bags
Tweezers
Umbrella
Watch
Water shoes
Wipes
Ziploc Bags

Itineraries to Critique
Review the following itineraries. Post ones you wish to be reviewed.

Great Planning Resources
Feel free to post suggestions
WDW Info (The DIS)
Disney Parks Planning
easyWDW
Touring Plans
RideMax
Disney Tourist Blog
WDWMAGIC
Disney Food Blog
AllEars

Great Podcasts for Your "Disney Fix"
Feel free to post suggestions
The DIS Unplugged
WDW Radio (personally, not a fan but everyone else seems to be)
Inside the Magic
WDW Today
Disney Parks Podcast
Be Our Guest Podcast

Along with all of this, feel free to post planning tips you discover while planning your trip along with vacation countdowns and anything interesting you find along the way of your planning podcast (even something like a neat quote or photo). I'll be trying to post a lot of trivia if we can get this thread off the ground!

So, as you can tell, this thread is still very much a work in progress but feel free to comment or correct anything you like or dislike.

Let the planning begin!

“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” - Greg Anderson

 

[andyman8]

60 Days Until I'm at the Polynesian!


We're checked in online which was much easier than I remember. We had to enter credit card, choose pin codes, make requests, and then we were good. Maybe it's just me but I've never really seen the benefit with online check-in. Anybody else has? Is it any different with the new system? Regardless, so excited! I'll post an itinerary in a couple of weeks. The 5 night trip's costing about 3K so we're making the most of it.

On another note I actually saw this cool photo of SE on Disney Tourist Blog that I wanted to share.

Isn't that something!

Anyways, looking forward to starting up this thread!

 

[Brian_WDW74]

I understand that the intention is to have a "one stop shop" for Disney planning, but the truth is that a single thread (or a single board) covering everything would quickly become too unwieldy. Which is why the DIS has separate boards for virtually everything listed above: Trip Reports, Restaurants, Budgeting, Doing the Happy Dance! (for trip countdowns), etc. So rather than have everything posted here, we would prefer that DIS members utilize the boards already set up for specific purposes. Thanks.