cmstpierre
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2012
- Messages
- 64
We are back from a late September trip and I've been meaning to post these tips that really worked for me on this vacation. They were gathered from many sources including friends, the DISboards, and other reading I did before our trip.
In no particular order... the top 3:
1. Had a folding step stool Amazon Prime'd to us at our hotel. http://smile.amazon.com/Kikkerland-Fold-Short-Stool-Black/dp/B001GM61CW
What a joy to not have to lift up each kid to have them wash their hands and brush their teeth multiple times a day!! I was prepared to abandon it at the hotel but it actually fit in my suitcase going home.
(Your mileage may vary on the value of this if you are staying at a convention hotel like the Contemporary and you have to pay a handling fee to get your package.)
2. Got one of these external battery chargers --> http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ZBZ64Q/
The MDE app REALLY drains your battery! It was great to plug in to this and keep it in my backpack. Yes, it was a little heavy but once it was in my backpack I didn't really notice it.
3. Ordered room service for dinner on the spur of the moment! This was SUCH a treat. We didn't have any dinner reservations booked, the kids were begging for chicken nuggets, and my husband and I couldn't stand the thought of another quick service meal. Plus the kids were exhausted. We fed them before leaving the park, and then put them to bed. I called down to private dining and placed an order from the Artist Point menu (we stayed at WL.) 20 mins later the server knocked on our door, and set our little table with a white tablecloth and silverware. We ate by the dim light from the reading lamps while the kids dozed off. Peaceful AND delicious. In a carefully planned trip filled with ADRs and FP+ reservations, this was a rare unplanned moment that we both really enjoyed.
Honorable mentions -- a couple of other smart things I did:
Packed our GoPro Hero camera and bought this pole mount to go with it -- http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H1YPYLS -- we got some really good video on the roller coasters! Watching the kids' reactions is PRICELESS.
Used Baby Wheels Orlando for our double stroller rental, and paid for a case of water to be delivered with the stroller. Thanks to this fridge in our room and the on-board cooler we didn't pay for water in the parks all week. We also used the rain cover EVERY TIME we parked even if it didn't look like rain. It rained A LOT the last week of Sept so that saved us quite a bit.
Packed a suitcase with cereal and snacks - we were lucky to get to check 3 bags free on our airline so it made sense to bring some cereal, packets of oatmeal, and granola bars. I bought milk and OJ in the hotel shop and we were set for breakfast on the days we didn't have a breakfast ADR. My 4 year old even at oatmeal for lunch on day when we took a mid-day break.
Packed lightweight quick dry towels. http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B005HQ7XQQ/ Useful for drying off (it rained A LOT as I mentioned!) and sitting on. I had two of the bath size and wish I had had two more. They were really useful, and folded down really small.
Hope you found a nugget in here that you can use!!
In no particular order... the top 3:
1. Had a folding step stool Amazon Prime'd to us at our hotel. http://smile.amazon.com/Kikkerland-Fold-Short-Stool-Black/dp/B001GM61CW
What a joy to not have to lift up each kid to have them wash their hands and brush their teeth multiple times a day!! I was prepared to abandon it at the hotel but it actually fit in my suitcase going home.
(Your mileage may vary on the value of this if you are staying at a convention hotel like the Contemporary and you have to pay a handling fee to get your package.)
2. Got one of these external battery chargers --> http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ZBZ64Q/
The MDE app REALLY drains your battery! It was great to plug in to this and keep it in my backpack. Yes, it was a little heavy but once it was in my backpack I didn't really notice it.
3. Ordered room service for dinner on the spur of the moment! This was SUCH a treat. We didn't have any dinner reservations booked, the kids were begging for chicken nuggets, and my husband and I couldn't stand the thought of another quick service meal. Plus the kids were exhausted. We fed them before leaving the park, and then put them to bed. I called down to private dining and placed an order from the Artist Point menu (we stayed at WL.) 20 mins later the server knocked on our door, and set our little table with a white tablecloth and silverware. We ate by the dim light from the reading lamps while the kids dozed off. Peaceful AND delicious. In a carefully planned trip filled with ADRs and FP+ reservations, this was a rare unplanned moment that we both really enjoyed.
Honorable mentions -- a couple of other smart things I did:
Packed our GoPro Hero camera and bought this pole mount to go with it -- http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H1YPYLS -- we got some really good video on the roller coasters! Watching the kids' reactions is PRICELESS.
Used Baby Wheels Orlando for our double stroller rental, and paid for a case of water to be delivered with the stroller. Thanks to this fridge in our room and the on-board cooler we didn't pay for water in the parks all week. We also used the rain cover EVERY TIME we parked even if it didn't look like rain. It rained A LOT the last week of Sept so that saved us quite a bit.
Packed a suitcase with cereal and snacks - we were lucky to get to check 3 bags free on our airline so it made sense to bring some cereal, packets of oatmeal, and granola bars. I bought milk and OJ in the hotel shop and we were set for breakfast on the days we didn't have a breakfast ADR. My 4 year old even at oatmeal for lunch on day when we took a mid-day break.
Packed lightweight quick dry towels. http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B005HQ7XQQ/ Useful for drying off (it rained A LOT as I mentioned!) and sitting on. I had two of the bath size and wish I had had two more. They were really useful, and folded down really small.
Hope you found a nugget in here that you can use!!
