What Disney Tip Are you really glad you listened to?

[jodistar]

subscribing

 

[Kuffam]

If you need a stroller- bring an umbrella one. It's easier to break down for trams and buses. Plus you can bring it on the train at Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. Even if you need to buy one their only $10-$15, cheeper then renting one for more then one day.

 

[PrincessHeart]

Everyone in the family got thier own fanny pack. They are not attractive, but they are lifesavers. I stuck treats in them for the kids. I also keep a bandaids and a small bottle of the bandaid antispetic wash in my own pack. This way we can take care of a small scrape without having to got to a first aid station.
I also made "lost" kid cards for my children. I put thier names, our names, cell phone numbers and the hotel we were staying at on cardstock and laminated them. I put them in the kid's fanny pack. I instructed the kids to hand the card to a disney cast member if they got lost. This way the kids did not have remember any numbers. I thought they might panic and forget them. Or tell them my name was Mom!

One tip I wish I has heeded was ALWAYS set a meeting place/time when separating. Our cellphones were having some sort of difficulty in the MK and my husband and I spent quite a bit of time looking for each other. Eventually he was able to call his brother (back home) and he was able to call me and relay where to meet. Next time we will set a time/place to meet for sure.

 

[T. Lynn]

Getting my daughters hair cut at the Barber Shop on Main Street. This was her first hair cut by someone else and an experience that we will never forget. She got a certificate, mickey ears (that say "my first haircut") and a princess hair style.

 

[eyeheartgoofy]

I'm really glad we took the breaks in the middle of the day. Early touring, out by lunch and back (refreshed) later in the day really worked well for us.

 

[starlionblue]

The best advice I ever got was always wear broken-in shoes. At the last minute, I left my new shoes behind and went with my crummy ones even though my mom said they looked horrible. It saved my feet big-time! Yes, you will do a CRAZY amount of walking so forget the new Nikes. Find the most comfortable shoes you have instead.

 

[puffinp51]

I'm so glad I listened to someone's great advice and ordered water from Staples and had it delivered to our room. As we fly and take ME there were no grocery stops for us. I also had poptarts and rice krispie treats delivered, too. Great way to save a few bucks and one less thing to worry about! It really helped our trip last month. Thanks dissers!

M.K.

 

[suzimar57]

to pack your luggage, then remove half (you won't need it!)

 

[kphwus]

If you're renting a car from Alamo, take advantage of Magical Express. It eliminates the rush when arriving at the airport. You can pick up your rental car at the car care center, they will pick you up at your resort. It gives you more flexibility of how many days you need a car.

 

[Princess Bella Luna]

to pack your luggage, then remove half (you won't need it!)

I'm not quite sure how this helps ... meaning just to pack a light load?

 

[bearette]

My best tip is to take a break in the middle of the day in the A/C or heat (depends on which season you are there!) It will break up all the walking. Eat lunch or have a snack so the time won't be wasted. That way you will be refreshed to hit the rest of the park.

Princess Bella Luna
I am a huge Sarah Brightman fan too!

 

[scammermom]

Be sure to bring lots of change - for tollbooths! There's alot of tollbooths in FL apparently!

I had emptied my pockets and purse of all metal and carried the absolute minimum to ensure not to have problems with the detectors at the airport. We got the rental van and off we went. I wanted to get off the first exit to get some groceries and hit a tollbooth that had no attendant! There was no change maker either. So we blew that one. DH, a police officer, was not very happy. So, if I a wanted suspect for 75 cents, can someone let me know??

 

[scammermom]

DH taught my then 4 year old the game Rock/Paper/Scissors. It really saved us when she would get fussy standing in line and then Dad would say, "Ready?" She turned to all smiles and would hold out her fist ready to beat Daddy.

We also taught the kids the card game "Go Fish". I bought a cheap deck of cards at Cracker Barrel to help entertain the kids while we were waiting for our food. Some restaurants are crowded and waiting seemed forever. Kept them quiet until the food came. Great for the plane too when we were delayed landing an hour at BWI since the President was apparently also landing there.

 

[FBandA]

Things I will be doing this trip.
Start packing now.
M&M holders for pennies and quarters, for the press pennies.
Epcot Passport Kit.
More Photopass pictures.
2 pairs of sneakers each person.
Stop and sit down to people watch, this is going to be a hard one for me.

 

[AMaloy314]

My best advice is to read, read, read. The best resources for planning are (IMHO) in this order:
1.DIS Boards
2.Mousesavers.com
3.Passporter (they've got a great new resource call passporter club at passporter.com)
4.Unofficial Guide
5.Tour Guide Mike

Other tips:

If you freeze your water bottles the night before taking them to the parks, make sure to wrap them with a washcloth when you go. The condensation will soak into the cloth instead of everything else the bottles are touching. Besides, it is great to have that cold wet cloth to wipe the back of a hot neck or forehead.

A great stay cool aid is those gel filled neck wraps. They stay dry until you soak them in cold water then tie around your neck like a cold scarf. They feel great on a summer day in FL.

Don't forget to pack scissors for moleskin. Moleskin is a wonderful product, but it is impossible to tear.

If you have naturally curly hair, plan for bad hair days. The humidity wreaks havoc with curls. Bring hats, visors, head bands or clips. The anti-frizz hair products work to some extent, but not 100%.

A cheap stoller cover for a double stroller is a vinyl table cloth or a plastic painters' drop cloth from Lowe's or Home Depot secured with clothes pins.

Make your own matching shirts before you go. DIS-signs board has some wonderful tips and designs, along with extremely creative and helpful people for those of us who are creatively challenged.

Make a check list of things to do each night for preparation. ie Swap camera battery in charger, lay out clothes, set out mousekeeping tip, refill diaper bag, etc.... It is great to plan to do everything the night before, but sometimes you are just too tired to remember it all.

Check out the Best Park Secrets Thread:

If you look back a few pages you will find these links. They are still active for anyone to download. Have fun!!

Deb- if you do any updates, I can still change the files and repost without a problem.

Here is the link on big paper.

http://jbarnesfamily.com/misc_pics/Best%20Kept%20Secrets_bigpaper.doc

Here is the link for the custom note cards that Deb did.

http://jbarnesfamily.com/misc_pics/Best%20Kept%20Secrets.doc

Enjoy.

I've copied some of these secrets and carried them into the parks. It is fun to surprise your family (and other people around you) with some of this info.

 

[benderbunch]

Even though my kids are too old for stollers, we have an old beat up one that we bring. It is great for all of our junk and if someone gets tired they can SQUEEZE into the seat for a break. Who wants to carry fans, water bottles, souveniers, rain ponches, etc. all day?

 

[Dana49]

Early December's weather can change on a daily basis. One minute, it can be very cool and the next, t-shirt weather. If you're going at that time of year, remember to bring layers.

 

[TiggerStac]

to pack your luggage, then remove half (you won't need it!)

I just did this!!!

I had to pack for myself and 2 sons..one of them being 2 months old. The only thing I didn't unpack was formula and diapers. If I figured it out, I should have some extra...but you just never know. I prefer to have extra than having to go out and buy somemore!! I had tons of extra stuff for the little one, elminated a bunch. Hubby was shocked how much room I did have in the suitcase for diapers, wipes, formula, snacks!! He didn't think I'd be able to pack them.

 

[NashvilleTrio]

I'm not quite sure how this helps ... meaning just to pack a light load?

I think they're saying that you hardly ever use as many clothing items as you pack. So, you really only need about 1/2 of what you think you need.

 

[palantiriel]

Take elastic bands for camera/fan/whatever batteries, keep them in pairs with the bands and put red ones around used batteries so they won't get mixed up in your bag.