jbrinkm
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2015
- Messages
- 481
We're just back, and wanted to report what we used/liked from this list, and what we didn't use or need. This was the list of items I thought my family might use for the trip and we packed; I'll put my thoughts about them next to the item:
Pur Dispenser - I had gotten a 30 cup filtering dispenser and it would have been really great to have (more for the Universal portion, but also a bit at Disney) BUT it was broken during our flight. We ended up filling the top portion and letting the filtered water flow directly into water bottles which was kind of a pain. I would bring this again next time but pack it better!
Extra garbage bags + ziplocks - We definitely used these but I brought too many. Only a few were necessary.
Clips for laundry, hooks, shower wall mesh storage - We didn't need these for WDW (at least at Yacht Club, maybe another resort would have been more helpful?) BUT they all came in handy at Universal
Soft-sided cooler - This was really helpful when we switched resorts. We loaded it up with ice and it kept our cold stuff cold. Also created padding for breakables on the way home.
Reusable straws - We used these a few times. Probably could have been fine without, unless you really hate the paper ones.
Mask lanyards - These were awesome. Really, really helpful.
Extra socks + 2 pairs shoes - One of the best decisions we made to pack. I really enjoyed switching shoes for the afternoons when we went back to the park. related:
Spray deodorant for feet - I decided to do this, along with specialty socks and switching shoes. NOT A SINGLE BLISTER OR SORE SPOT ON MY FEET even with 25,000 steps a day. I would definitely use this combo again. I dropped my full, metal water bottle on my toe and ended up not being able to wear my sandals on the second to last day, but with the sock change, my feet still felt ok.
Laundry supplies + quarters - We ended up doing a small load of laundry when we got to Universal. I use environmentally safe stuff at home but that wouldn't have traveled well, so I got the Tide + Downy (Free) pods and took a few of those with us. They worked out great and were easy to take along.
Moleskin - Didn't use this at all, due to the preventative measures I took, above. I'm glad I had it with me though, just in case. I remember using it quite a bit on our last trip so I'm really glad the other stuff worked this trip.
Oil wipes/blotters - took but didn't use
Alcohol wipes & sanitizer (small for each + large refill) - We used a few of the wipes but quite a bit of our own sanitizer. We could mostly find it in the parks but I didn't like the feel of it. I liked the feel of it at Universal but found empty containers far more often over there.
Duffel bag for dirty clothes - I tried to do this, but ended up not having enough to fill it after WDW and too much after Universal. I just used an old large wet bag at WDW for dirty clothes and then we stuck it in a suitcase to transfer to USO. We did fill up the duffel at Universal (starting with the wet bag) and then put the overflow into other suitcases to cushion the Droids & little breakables we got in Japan.
Lumbar packs/Totes/backpack - We used the lumbar packs extensively and loved them. So much less sweaty than a backpack and better for posture/sore backs, plus super easy to get stuff into and out of. We didn't use the totes but did use the backpack at Universal to carry wands one of the days. DH carried it and was so happy to get back to using his lumbar pack the following day.
Night light - didn't use it
Clear duct tape - used it once to fix something, can't remember what. Glad we had it with us although could have taken less of it.
Glow sticks/glow lights - My kids have these camping sticks that use batteries but look like mini-lightsabers. We took them thinking they'd be cool but ended up not using them, either as night lights or as light sabers in DHS. I took some disposable glow sticks with me to MK the night we were there, my family used 4 and I handed the others out to kids in line near us. They had the attachments that make them into bracelets. Big hit. Also I handed out princess stickers in that line (7DMT) - also big hits.
Body glide & Aloe - DH used these for some chafing that the kids and I didn't experience. The body glide didn't quite do it for him, hence the aloe... We were lucky to avoid sunburn for the most part due to diligence with sunscreen, hats, umbrella, shade & mid-day breaks.
Delicates bag - Used when I did laundry, glad to have it
Lip balm with sunscreen - we used this once but probably could have done without. The sun protection overhead (hats/shade/umbrellas) ended up being more important. If our faces were protected, our lips were protected.
Extra batteries - didn't use but probably glad I had it
Something lightweight for warmth - only used on the airplane. Cold air indoors felt really good after the heat outdoors.
Small cereal packets - used some of these but not all, overestimated my family's desire for breakfast. We ate them mostly as afternoon snacks.
Coffee K Cups - LOVED having our own as we drank a lot of coffee...
Hydrocortisone - didn't use but felt good to have with us
Disposable Silverware - we did use this several times
Bug Bite Burner - DS and I used this once each. I l love this thing! Works so well.
Coffee cups to go - ended up not needing these, we just asked mousekeeping for more
HP clothes/props/stuff for Wizarding World - we didn't really get into this. Used HP lanyards, that was nice, but DS just got hot and irritated by the scarf and glasses.
Water park stuff: lock box, flip flops, towels (bring our own!) - Definitely useful. We let the kids go the pool on their own and gave them the lock box for their phones. We used the towels at Volcano Bay.
Sunday Afternoons Sun Hats - invaluable. Used for walking during crowds.
UPF Umbrella - also invaluable. Used when hot/sunny and stationary. And everywhere at AK.
Water (bottle/system/filter) - we used the Lifestraw Flex system and really, really loved having them with us. They were compact and we could drink water whenever we found a water fountain (as it was actually pretty hard for us to find those little ice water cups that were supposed to be at QS). They were a little finicky but we thought it was worth it for the convenience.
Snacks - we usually had some nuts or trail mix with us and actually needed them twice.
Sunscreen - obviously useful. We didn't get burned (DC14 and I are very fair skinned...) I liked having our own with us as we use the environmentally friendly zinc formulas.
Portable charger brick(s) - absolutely useful. We didn't use them every day, but it was great to have them available.
Fan - Mixed feelings. I liked having it, although mine kept turning on via a bumped button and would tangle the cord or run out of battery. Once it grabbed my hair. I would get a different style for next time.
Cooling Towel - Mine felt useless. I'm not sure if I ruined it ahead of time, or if it was just too stinking hot for the towel to cool down. It was only useful when I went to sit on a wet FEA seat. I threw them away after 3 days - they were smelly.
Extra Masks - we went with the paper disposables and they were fine. I got a bunch of different patterns and it was kind of fun to figure out which one(s) to wear each day (i.e. animal prints for AK & ones that matched our outfits the other days). I liked having enough to just toss them if they were sweaty or had been used for a while or broke.
Seat Pads - We use the inflatable camping pillows to sit on the ground - quick & easy to inflate and deflate. Didn't use them at all at WDW due to lack of parades but we DID use them several times for shows at Universal.
Pur Dispenser - I had gotten a 30 cup filtering dispenser and it would have been really great to have (more for the Universal portion, but also a bit at Disney) BUT it was broken during our flight. We ended up filling the top portion and letting the filtered water flow directly into water bottles which was kind of a pain. I would bring this again next time but pack it better!
Extra garbage bags + ziplocks - We definitely used these but I brought too many. Only a few were necessary.
Clips for laundry, hooks, shower wall mesh storage - We didn't need these for WDW (at least at Yacht Club, maybe another resort would have been more helpful?) BUT they all came in handy at Universal
Soft-sided cooler - This was really helpful when we switched resorts. We loaded it up with ice and it kept our cold stuff cold. Also created padding for breakables on the way home.
Reusable straws - We used these a few times. Probably could have been fine without, unless you really hate the paper ones.
Mask lanyards - These were awesome. Really, really helpful.
Extra socks + 2 pairs shoes - One of the best decisions we made to pack. I really enjoyed switching shoes for the afternoons when we went back to the park. related:
Spray deodorant for feet - I decided to do this, along with specialty socks and switching shoes. NOT A SINGLE BLISTER OR SORE SPOT ON MY FEET even with 25,000 steps a day. I would definitely use this combo again. I dropped my full, metal water bottle on my toe and ended up not being able to wear my sandals on the second to last day, but with the sock change, my feet still felt ok.
Laundry supplies + quarters - We ended up doing a small load of laundry when we got to Universal. I use environmentally safe stuff at home but that wouldn't have traveled well, so I got the Tide + Downy (Free) pods and took a few of those with us. They worked out great and were easy to take along.
Moleskin - Didn't use this at all, due to the preventative measures I took, above. I'm glad I had it with me though, just in case. I remember using it quite a bit on our last trip so I'm really glad the other stuff worked this trip.
Oil wipes/blotters - took but didn't use
Alcohol wipes & sanitizer (small for each + large refill) - We used a few of the wipes but quite a bit of our own sanitizer. We could mostly find it in the parks but I didn't like the feel of it. I liked the feel of it at Universal but found empty containers far more often over there.
Duffel bag for dirty clothes - I tried to do this, but ended up not having enough to fill it after WDW and too much after Universal. I just used an old large wet bag at WDW for dirty clothes and then we stuck it in a suitcase to transfer to USO. We did fill up the duffel at Universal (starting with the wet bag) and then put the overflow into other suitcases to cushion the Droids & little breakables we got in Japan.
Lumbar packs/Totes/backpack - We used the lumbar packs extensively and loved them. So much less sweaty than a backpack and better for posture/sore backs, plus super easy to get stuff into and out of. We didn't use the totes but did use the backpack at Universal to carry wands one of the days. DH carried it and was so happy to get back to using his lumbar pack the following day.
Night light - didn't use it
Clear duct tape - used it once to fix something, can't remember what. Glad we had it with us although could have taken less of it.
Glow sticks/glow lights - My kids have these camping sticks that use batteries but look like mini-lightsabers. We took them thinking they'd be cool but ended up not using them, either as night lights or as light sabers in DHS. I took some disposable glow sticks with me to MK the night we were there, my family used 4 and I handed the others out to kids in line near us. They had the attachments that make them into bracelets. Big hit. Also I handed out princess stickers in that line (7DMT) - also big hits.
Body glide & Aloe - DH used these for some chafing that the kids and I didn't experience. The body glide didn't quite do it for him, hence the aloe... We were lucky to avoid sunburn for the most part due to diligence with sunscreen, hats, umbrella, shade & mid-day breaks.
Delicates bag - Used when I did laundry, glad to have it
Lip balm with sunscreen - we used this once but probably could have done without. The sun protection overhead (hats/shade/umbrellas) ended up being more important. If our faces were protected, our lips were protected.
Extra batteries - didn't use but probably glad I had it
Something lightweight for warmth - only used on the airplane. Cold air indoors felt really good after the heat outdoors.
Small cereal packets - used some of these but not all, overestimated my family's desire for breakfast. We ate them mostly as afternoon snacks.
Coffee K Cups - LOVED having our own as we drank a lot of coffee...
Hydrocortisone - didn't use but felt good to have with us
Disposable Silverware - we did use this several times
Bug Bite Burner - DS and I used this once each. I l love this thing! Works so well.
Coffee cups to go - ended up not needing these, we just asked mousekeeping for more
HP clothes/props/stuff for Wizarding World - we didn't really get into this. Used HP lanyards, that was nice, but DS just got hot and irritated by the scarf and glasses.
Water park stuff: lock box, flip flops, towels (bring our own!) - Definitely useful. We let the kids go the pool on their own and gave them the lock box for their phones. We used the towels at Volcano Bay.
Sunday Afternoons Sun Hats - invaluable. Used for walking during crowds.
UPF Umbrella - also invaluable. Used when hot/sunny and stationary. And everywhere at AK.
Water (bottle/system/filter) - we used the Lifestraw Flex system and really, really loved having them with us. They were compact and we could drink water whenever we found a water fountain (as it was actually pretty hard for us to find those little ice water cups that were supposed to be at QS). They were a little finicky but we thought it was worth it for the convenience.
Snacks - we usually had some nuts or trail mix with us and actually needed them twice.
Sunscreen - obviously useful. We didn't get burned (DC14 and I are very fair skinned...) I liked having our own with us as we use the environmentally friendly zinc formulas.
Portable charger brick(s) - absolutely useful. We didn't use them every day, but it was great to have them available.
Fan - Mixed feelings. I liked having it, although mine kept turning on via a bumped button and would tangle the cord or run out of battery. Once it grabbed my hair. I would get a different style for next time.
Cooling Towel - Mine felt useless. I'm not sure if I ruined it ahead of time, or if it was just too stinking hot for the towel to cool down. It was only useful when I went to sit on a wet FEA seat. I threw them away after 3 days - they were smelly.
Extra Masks - we went with the paper disposables and they were fine. I got a bunch of different patterns and it was kind of fun to figure out which one(s) to wear each day (i.e. animal prints for AK & ones that matched our outfits the other days). I liked having enough to just toss them if they were sweaty or had been used for a while or broke.
Seat Pads - We use the inflatable camping pillows to sit on the ground - quick & easy to inflate and deflate. Didn't use them at all at WDW due to lack of parades but we DID use them several times for shows at Universal.
