What I wish I would have known BEFORE getting to WDW!

[rosiep]

Aluminum foil!

That's right...because DD and I like to order room service, and I hardly ever eat a whole portion of whatever..so, I wrap leftovers in the foil and park it in the fridge....Don't laugh, I've seen DD eat a hamburger (cold) for breakfast!

 

[Kimmumum]

Anyone have any ideas about where to find the "neck cooling thingies"?

I just bought mine from ebay. Look up Neck Coolers. Got mine through granny382 by recommendation from a fellow DIS'er. Hope to get mine today

 

[Mickeysangel49]

Thanks for the info -- I actually found an old thread on this very subject somewhere else in all of these boards (found it by accident -- no idea where I was! ) so now I have several places to check!

 

[puppymom]

I print out addresses on labels and take them along for postcards so I don't need my whole address book with me. Also a card with email addresses for the kiosks that let you email picture postcards.

 

[Indy's Girl]

I also saw neck cooler bands at REI if you have one in your area. They were really neat colors/designs, most looked almost tye-dyed or batiked. I think they were about $15 there.

 

[honey11dog]

(1) email addresses to mail pictures from Kodak place in Immagination.

(2) bring clothes that dry quickly after riding Kali River Rapids. I got soaked early in the morning and my shorts never did dry until later in the afternoon. By then I had a nice rash.

 

[BlakeNJ]

Mole skin and a small scissors to cut it. Band aids just don't cut it.

 

[carrie s]

Thanks for your honesty! I will probably have the same problem (bringing way too much stuff with us every day!) At least we'll have the wheelchair to hang the "stuff" bag on!

Anyone have any ideas about where to find the "neck cooling thingies"?

I bought our neck cooling scarves on ebay.I also found cooling hats,there called frogg toggs.I havent tried the hats out yet,they dont have those little bead things like the cooling scarves do.

 

[overthemoon4mickey]

Thanks for your honesty! I will probably have the same problem (bringing way too much stuff with us every day!) At least we'll have the wheelchair to hang the "stuff" bag on!

Anyone have any ideas about where to find the "neck cooling thingies"?

I just saw the neck cooling scarves and fanny pack/portable misters combo at Wal-Mart. The Scarves were $2.57 and the Fanny pack/mister was $20. Wal-Mart aslo had just the mister for $10. These are the kind you fill with water and pump to build up pressure. Great for little ones in strollers!!!

 

[Figment56]

I wear glasses, so I always make sure to bring those eyeglass holders that connect to the arms of your glasses. I learned a very valuable lesson at a local amusement park. I was in a wave pool and it knocked my glasses off! They were found, but completely broken-five hundred dollars worth. Thank goodness I had brought contacts. I used the contacts and bought a cheap pair of sunglasses, but now that I need bifocals, contacts are difficult to use. When I go in the water or on rides, I tighten the holder and have not lost any glasses since! I usually bring a couple in case one breaks or gets too wet, then I can change them.

 

[carelady]

The neck thingies are called neck coolers. You can do a search on the Internet. The website that I saw last week(www.countrynmore.com) and posted on one of the forum topics, has a lot of neck coolers to choose from. I make the neck coolers for our soldiers in Iraq.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

umm what are these neck coolers are they heavy..is it like walking around with ice on your neck..how dose it work.. (i over heat alot just walking to video store..and if these work i think id get them..but i dont know to much about them

 

[carelady]

You are so organized. I like the idea of having one bag for souvenirs and one bag for shoes. The shoes can take up so much space. I usually have one bag for dirty laundry.

 

[carelady]

I would have never thought of lavender oil for sunburns. When I was younger, I would put lotion on my burned skin, if it was a severe burn. My skin turned brown, which annoyed my sister.

 

[Indy's Girl]

The neck thingies are called neck coolers. You can do a search on the Internet. The website that I saw last week(www.countrynmore.com) and posted on one of the forum topics, has a lot of neck coolers to choose from. I make the neck coolers for our soldiers in Iraq. I use their neck coolers and am very happy with them.

I believe they have tiny polymer pellets inside that absorb and hold water. When you soak them they swell up and make the middle of the tie into kind of a fat sausage like shape (best description I could think of) with the ties on the end so you tie it around your neck. The polymer pellets are also used in gardening/plant growing I believe as they hold water. The cooling effect is due to evaporation. As the water slowly evaportes from the neck tie, it keeps it cool (think of like when you get out of the shower and the water on your body starts to evaporate and you feel cooler) Evaporation is a cooling process, the neck tie just draws it out for a longer period of time since it holds the water so well and also your neck is not supposed to get too wet or have water dripping down your back as the polymer holds all the water. I have yet to try them but am willing to try anything to keep cool in July in WDW!!!

 

[carelady]

I tend to be the opposite. I usually don't pack enough. Now, my boys on the other hand, especially the oldest son over packs. If I forget something, then I either buy another one if I need it bad enough, or I learn to get along without it.

The neck coolers do work. I soak my neck coolers in ice water. I find that the neck coolers tend to hold the temperature of the water that they are soaked in for a while. I used one of the neck coolers at my son's graduation. It was very hot out, and there was little shade to speak of. I did have a hat to keep the sun out of my face, and that helped as well. I also have been wearing the neck cooler around the house, because the temperatures have been in the upper 90's. Since our electricity rates have gone up due the lowering of the baseline, our electricity bills that used to be around $70.00 in the summer can jump up to now over $200.00, running the air conditioner is not usually an option. We will turn our whole house fan on in the evening which draws in the cooler air from outside and cools down the house. Now, I am off the subject.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

i cant do that it is usely 99 out side at night at 7pm..maybe 90 by 10pm (im in az it is blistering here..but i found a site of disney neck coolers and Im more then like ly gona get some. So the way you keep them cool is in water.. not fridge or frezzer

 

[taylor91]

I would have never thought of lavender oil for sunburns. When I was younger, I would put lotion on my burned skin, if it was a severe burn. My skin turned brown, which annoyed my sister.

i wouldnt have thought of it either...one of my mums remedies lol, hope it helps

 

[momimouse27]

1. Some people have mentioned film and batteries. Ditto! They are very expensive in the parks. Buy it at Target!

2. Dont break in new shoes on your trip I did that on my honeymoon and boy was I sorry. Crocs are great.

3. Someone else mentioned extra clothes. That is a must if you have little ones. There are many fountains and wet rides and some little ones, like my son, do not like walking around in wet clothes even if it is hot.

4. We did the frozen water bottle thing before and it was great! However, do they let you bring water in still? I didn't know if they were after the liquid explosive thing at the airports....

 

[ZoZo]

4. We did the frozen water bottle thing before and it was great! However, do they let you bring water in still? I didn't know if they were after the liquid explosive thing at the airports....

Yep, the do let you bring in your own water. (However, I stopped carrying a water bottle last trip after reading a post about getting free cups of ice water at CS restaurants. I hated lugging around a heavy water bottle, and this turned out to be a great tip!)