What is your not so normal item to pack, which is helpful while at WDW ?

[AlyJoy716]

Packing cubes! We used these last year for the first time. OUr suitcases held alot more and we bought one color for each person. Just take the cubes out of your suitcase and you are all unpacked! I'm a cubie addict!

Where do you buy these packing cubes? Sounds like a great idea, but I don't think I've ever seen them.

 

[Shih-Tzu]

Night light - good idea....(I cheated last time and left the light on in the bathroom and then just left the door open a crack......when I woke up in the night at least I knew what direction to head in ...

and of course, I take a few bags of King Cole Tea - can't get that down there but if you're from Atlantic Canada, you understand why

 

[LWQuestie]

Where do you buy these packing cubes? Sounds like a great idea, but I don't think I've ever seen them.

You can get them at REI, eBags, Magellans and specialty luggage stores.

 

[lroger01]

All of these ideas are great.

I bring a "utility" bag. Think of it as a junk drawer for vacation. In it I put a few zip ties, caribiner clips, rubberbands, a flat pack of duct tape, small (credit-card sized) ziplock bags, a little twine or rope, clothes pins and other clips, safety pins, velcro straps/sticky velcro, etc. It sounds like a lot but really all fits in a quart-sized ziplock bag. There have been some trips where I didn't use any of it and others where it saved the day.

 

[kencrane]

We bring a small box fan, I can not sleep with some kind of air movement, and it creates white noise to help cover the sounds of our neighbors flushing at pop.

 

[steph73]

Definitely another vote for ziplock bags! They really come in handy. And another thumbs up on a power strip (or two!). We have 3 cell phones, 2 Nintendo DS's and a couple of cameras that need to be charged every night.

I always bring a pop up hamper or two. I discovered them a few years ago and I can't travel without them now! I leave a couple collapsed down in a small zippered pocket in my luggage at all times, they're great. And the new Purex all in one sheets with the detergent and fabric softener built in are wonderful for travel.

I saw that a hanging shoe organizer with pockets has already been mentioned, but I second that as well. Also, a canvas closet hanging sweater organizer. You can fit an entire outfit or two in each cubby... even more for small children's clothes. Very useful when drawer space is limited.

Let's see... clothes pins. They really are useful for a lot of things... keeping the curtains closed well and hanging up wet bathing suits are two that immediately pop into mind.

Ladies... bring some type of anti-frizz product for your hair! The Florida humidity is murder on almost all hair types. Even if you plan to just pull it back into a pony tail every day, a good anti-frizz product will help keep it neat.

A small package of wet wipes to take into the park. Also, if you have access to a freezer, you can wet a washcloth and freeze it overnight and bring it into the parks in a ziplock. Great for cooling down, and it can be rinsed out and reused as needed during the day.

I love these tips, great ideas, keep them coming!

 

[crisrn2003]

I saw someone mentioned moleskin for blisters. Just a bit of info to provide to prevent those blisters. Each morning, after the shower and before dressing, spray your feet with antiperspirant/deodorant. Any kind will do---a cheap $1 can of Suave works fine. Spray in between toes, soles, sides, etc. This will prevent your feet from sweating which results in friction and blisters. If you rest in the afternoon, reapply the deo before going back out. We could have potentially not needed to reapply, but why take chances?

My spouse and I ended up with over a dozen blisters on our first trip. WDW does not have any real relief aids for feet. After this tip, not one blister have we had since. Hope it works well for everyone.

 

[Huntava]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned...but I freeze a couple bottle waters in the hotels minifridge/freezer. Put in backpack...they slowly melt, and you can hold them on your pulse points for intant heat relief. As they melt, you have cold water to drink.

 

[LovesTimone]

So they don't say anything if you bring your own drink to the pool as long as it's not glass? I had wondered about this.

I started this when DD was little, she turned 21 last month,I have never had anyone say anything except what a great idea.Now we are talking about a small carry over the shoulder type not a rolling cooler. When DD was little, I put in juice boxes, capri suns, soda and water. I always bring my own beach towels (disney themed of course)I bring my own snack to the pool too. This has saved us alot of money over the years. One round of drinks at the pool bar 2 adult beverages and 1 kids smoothie would be around 25.00 with tip. Not that we never get drinks at the pool bar but if we are planning to stay for several hours then we bring the cooler with us. We think we save around at least 100.00 for a couple of hours at the pool.

 

[DisneyWorldbuff]

We bring our own beach towels for the kids( I got some with their names embroidered from Disney last year). The sea of white towels on lounge chairs makes it hard for my family to see where they need to "meet" me. The colorful towels also prevent people from "taking" your lounge chair while in the pool(I hate that).

 

[LoriABil]

I love this thread!

I was thinking about the lids for the ice pops/ice cream when I remembered that many places with "Kid's Meals" around here had the hard plastic cups and lids (reusable kind). We used to keep the small cups (perfect size for DS) but through the lids out. I'll have to start saving those! The harder plastic ones could be washed a reused!

Also, regarding pop-up hampers: there are over-the-door hampers for $3 to $4 at Target/Walmart that fold flat and pop up. We put it on the back of a closet door.

All I might add is, because we go around MNSSHP, we bring a "Glow Light" (Think Glow stick that never runs out). DS loves it, and it keeps him from wanting more "Glow products" in the parks - also makes it easy to find him! My dad bought it for camping, because he could turn it off (unlike the kind you break and wait for them to run out). It also flashes, and DS knows to turn that on if he feels lost!

 

[TinaLala]

My favorite Disney item that I bring is a cooler backpack that we got at Target! We can keep the water cold all day long. We bring a few ice cooler packs and put them in a sink filled with ice overnight so the ice packs are cool during the day.

I second the ziploc bags - can't go wrong with those anytime!! I also have one with a cold facecloth to 'refresh'.

We always bring LED lights on keychains for the walk from the bus to the wrong just in case it's too dark along the way - especially important when you are staying at Fort Wilderness. And when rides get super dark and the kids get scared.

We use M&M containers for our pennies and quarters. Make sure you soak the pennies in ketchup before you go so they are super shinny!!

Blanket - we bought a Disney blanket one year that folds up into a pillow. We use it for the DHS parade or the pillows when the kids are asleep on the bus.

 

[Musky]

Since we usually drive, we can take all kinds of unusual stuff, like our own pillows, a toaster, etc., but probably the strangest thing I bring is my bubbling/massaging foot bath. Nothing feels better after a long day in the parks!

 

[pezheadmeg]

Extra batteries. My camera takes standard AAs.

A master lock, a lot doesn't fit in the room safes.

My power strip? Cannot travel without it, so much easier in terms of plugging in chargers

Sunscreen wipes, individually wrapped.

 

[hsmamato2]

I got a toothbrush holder at Walmart in the bathroom shelves section- I use it at home and I bring it for travel,it's a small plastic 4 brush holder,with a small shelf for the t-paste- and it has 2 suction cups on it,stick it on any hotel room mirror,and you have instant clean spot for brushes and paste,it takes up almost no room to pack-I love it! Also love my mesh popup hamper

 

[FamilyShortyAJP]

Must haves for me in using public restrooms with my DD were post it notes to cover the automatic flushers and individually wrapped sanitizing wipes for cleaning the seats (you can buy them in bulk at Sams Club).

Brita water pitcher. I would fill it up in my hotel room (since FL water tastes icky) and then fill up a water bottle each day with it and ice and head out. Could get free cups of ice in the park when needed.

 

[MooksterL1]

I get a lot of mockery for always having shout wipes in my theme park backpack, but how QUICKLY the tune changes when one has a ketchup incident!

I take a stack of lids from take-out drinks. If you turn it upside down and insert a popsicle or mickey bar through the straw x-cut, then the lid will catch any drips!

Fantastic ideas! Thank you! My family will think I'm a genius when I whip these out in 3 weeks.

 

[ban26ana]

We use post-its for the automatic toilets too!

Pack tons of outlet covers. Those kids find every single outlet.

 

[kimis]

We bring our own beach towels for the kids( I got some with their names embroidered from Disney last year). The sea of white towels on lounge chairs makes it hard for my family to see where they need to "meet" me. The colorful towels also prevent people from "taking" your lounge chair while in the pool(I hate that).

If you bring your own beach towell (we do) how much do they charge to put your name on it? Thank you.

 

[gonesaleing]

flat collapsible tupperware containers - use them to put snacks for the parks. Keeps the snacks/sandwichs from getting squashed and once they are empty, the collapse flat, easier to carry. Greener solution to plastic bags.