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

[ImarriedGrumpy]

One of the best tips I found somewhere on the boards was about 4 years ago ..... temporary tattoos for your little ones. We put it on his arm (forearm or so) and it has a place for his name and our names and cell phone numbers. Its not super obvious, he loved it cause it was "cool" and I didn't have to worry about forgetting to put a bracelet on, or wondering if it fell off during the day. Our longest trip was 8 days with plenty of pool time and showers -- about half way thru I took it off (easily with rubbing alcohol wipes) and placed a new one.

I found them on amazon.

Yep, we use those, too. I like the ones from www.safetytat.com - I've gotten some with just my cell phone number on them and we use those all the time when we'll be in crowded places. I like that they don't have names on them, personally. I find that the amount of time they last varies depending on how much sunscreen/sweat is on the boy. The longest was about 5 days, but they've always lasted at least 2. We use baby oil to take them off.

 

[momandseandodisney]

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!

yep i always have a tide stick in my purse!

 

[RedHeadedFairy]

I stay the value resorts where storage space is limited. I pack collapsable boxes from Dollar Tree. I put one on the vestibule next to the tv and each evening I toss all the bits a pieces I collect throughout the day (reciepts, things to put in my scrapbook etc).

I put a couple on the rack over the closet and put socks, undies, toiletries, meds in them.

Just had to thank you again for sharing this - we picked some up before our trip last weekend & they worked PERFECTLY. Easy to pack, big enough to hold what we needed & easy to pack away again. I also found that a small one in the van helped out a lot for those same kinds of odds & ends that get collected during the road trip there & back.

 

[madsmom22]

Just had to thank you again for sharing this - we picked some up before our trip last weekend & they worked PERFECTLY. Easy to pack, big enough to hold what we needed & easy to pack away again. I also found that a small one in the van helped out a lot for those same kinds of odds & ends that get collected during the road trip there & back.

Last May when I went with my DD(13) and another Mom and her DD, I took the hanging storage cubes and LOVED them! I kept t-shirts and undies, etc... in these since our drawer space was so limited. Worked great!

 

[Dragontears]

I like the idea in the blog that says DisneyLand has lockers with chargers in them that you can lock your phone for a couple hours while it charges.
My issue is charging my phone and wasting precious time waiting for the charge.

DH and I plan to try the idea of charging our phones at night, and only one of us using it in the morning, then when that battery starts to die, we shut that phone off and put the other one on. That way if someone is trying to find us in the parks or we need to take pictures, we have access to a phone with battery life. (I'm not lugging a camera)

I picked up a portable charger (at Hallmark of all places) that fits in my purse. It will do a full recharge on the go in a very short time. It fits so snugly that I can still use my mobil while it is charging. No down time.

I just charge them both at night.

The chargers come in different capacities so if you want a full charge, be sure you match the mAh capacity with your devise. Places like Best Buy have them...Amazon has them too.

 

[RedHeadedFairy]

Last May when I went with my DD(13) and another Mom and her DD, I took the hanging storage cubes and LOVED them! I kept t-shirts and undies, etc... in these since our drawer space was so limited. Worked great!

I can see how that would be very useful for longer stays, thanks! For the quick weekend it was more about the little crap that gets collected - stickers, loose change, receipts, small mementos (DD collects every little Mickey Thing she runs across... well, we're all bad about it actually....) so these collapsable boxes worked like a charm. I love this thread, such great ideas!

 

[krispin41]

It took me a week to get through this thread, but I got a ton of ideas! So thank-you!

I have been using packing cubes for awhile now, and love them, I am getting a set for my friend for her birthday.

My items, and I don't remember seeing these on there are:

Nail file. I usually get a nice manicure before I leave, and sometimes accidents happen and you chip something...easy to smooth and super light.

AND, my other item, are the Colgate Wisps. I spent some time at the dentist including a deep cleaning and I don't want to repeat it...so it's nice to feel fresh after dinner, or to use the pick end to get popcorn out of your teeth. Who wants to have a character picture with broccoli stuck in your teeth?

http://www.amazon.com/Colgate-Mini-brush-Freshening-Spearmint-16-Count/dp/B004NGZKKM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380340339&sr=8-1&keywords=colgate+wisp+mini-brushes

 

[krispin41]

It took me a week to get through this thread, but I got a ton of ideas! So thank-you!

I have been using packing cubes for awhile now, and love them, I am getting a set for my friend for her birthday.

My items, and I don't remember seeing these on there are:

Nail file. I usually get a nice manicure before I leave, and sometimes accidents happen and you chip something...easy to smooth and super light.

AND, my other item, are the Colgate Wisps. I spent some time at the dentist including a deep cleaning and I don't want to repeat it...so it's nice to feel fresh after dinner, or to use the pick end to get popcorn out of your teeth. Who wants to have a character picture with broccoli stuck in your teeth?

http://www.amazon.com/Colgate-Mini-brush-Freshening-Spearmint-16-Count/dp/B004NGZKKM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380340339&sr=8-1&keywords=colgate+wisp+mini-brushes

 

[erjam214]

This has to do with packing for the plane. Ever have your suitcases or even one misplaced? Even the Magical Express states your luggage may arrive up to three hours after you check in. This has happened to us. 1) We always 'carry on' a bathing suit, a change of clothes and lightweight sandals. This allows us to hit the pool while waiting for our bags, or freshen up and then hit the parks. Believe me, it's wonderful when the kids are small and have been stuck on an airplane or in a terminal for hours.
2) When we pack, we always place a few clothes for my husband and myself in each our daughters suitcases and the same for each of the girls in ours. This way if you have a misplaced bag everyone has at least a couple of changes of clothes. (Our girls are in their 20's now and we still do this, it came in handy on one trip!)

 

[RejoyceoverDisney]

This has to do with packing for the plane. Ever have your suitcases or even one misplaced? Even the Magical Express states your luggage may arrive up to three hours after you check in. This has happened to us. 1) We always 'carry on' a bathing suit, a change of clothes and lightweight sandals. This allows us to hit the pool while waiting for our bags, or freshen up and then hit the parks. Believe me, it's wonderful when the kids are small and have been stuck on an airplane or in a terminal for hours.
2) When we pack, we always place a few clothes for my husband and myself in each our daughters suitcases and the same for each of the girls in ours. This way if you have a misplaced bag everyone has at least a couple of changes of clothes. (Our girls are in their 20's now and we still do this, it came in handy on one trip!)

Great Idea and I do the same thing!!!

 

[RejoyceoverDisney]

This has to do with packing for the plane. Ever have your suitcases or even one misplaced? Even the Magical Express states your luggage may arrive up to three hours after you check in. This has happened to us. 1) We always 'carry on' a bathing suit, a change of clothes and lightweight sandals. This allows us to hit the pool while waiting for our bags, or freshen up and then hit the parks. Believe me, it's wonderful when the kids are small and have been stuck on an airplane or in a terminal for hours.
2) When we pack, we always place a few clothes for my husband and myself in each our daughters suitcases and the same for each of the girls in ours. This way if you have a misplaced bag everyone has at least a couple of changes of clothes. (Our girls are in their 20's now and we still do this, it came in handy on one trip!)

Great Idea and I do the same thing!!!

 

[hoffmann2828]

Also, for those of us who bring regular size bottles of shampoo, conditioner, etc. in checked luggage on the plane: leave at least an inch of space between the top of the liquid and the top of the bottle and then double bag. The air pressure in the plane messes with the bottles causing the liquid to expand and explode.

What I do is take 1/2 empty everything!!! No problems with "expansion" and plenty for a week with three people. Then, if there is just a little left, it gets tossed before we come back. More room for souvenirs on the way home.

We do it with shampoo, body wash, etc. I also stop using my bath pouf when it's *almost* dead. Then I toss that too at Disney. Same with my deodorant. When I'm getting on the low side of my deodorant, I put it to the side for Disney and start a new one. You'd be surprised at how nice it is not to have to repack some of that wet stuff.

 

[nkereina]

I saw this organizer in my Avon catalog and thought of everyone on here who brings the over the door shoe organizer:

http://shop.avon.com/product.aspx?pf_id=48889

Basically, it's an over the door all purpose organizer with different size pockets, some of which are clear, which makes it easier to better organize than with the shoe holders I think. $14.99!

 

[Badamon]

I saw this organizer in my Avon catalog and thought of everyone on here who brings the over the door shoe organizer:

http://shop.avon.com/product.aspx?pf_id=48889

Basically, it's an over the door all purpose organizer with different size pockets, some of which are clear, which makes it easier to better organize than with the shoe holders I think. $14.99!

Never have used an over the door organizer on vacation before, but picked up two at the dollar store the other day. Not nearly as nice as this one looks, I'll be using the ones I bought (literally I bought them for a buck each!) and leaving them behind when we're done. Not even sure they'll make the week, but thought I would start with cheap-o ones to see if we like the system. Hoping it keeps the two bathrooms more organized with our "stuff". If it's a good system, maybe I'll upgrade to something a bit sturdier. Thanks for sharing this one!

 

[biim85]

The one thing I cant live without during our trips to the Food & Wine Fest are small camping stools. Not the giant ones, but the ones that collapse to about eight inches and can fit into a backpack. They're amazing! I got them on amazon for this specific purpose (and for parades, and long lines for the Eat to the Beat concerts) for about $7 each. They hold up to two hundred pounds and open to maybe twelve or fourteen inches tall. They weigh seriously less than a bottle of water. LOVE LOVE LOVE them!

I also bring my own poncho. Theres no way I'm paying Disney prices for a poncho when one from the Dollar Store works just fine.

Band-aids, it takes forever to find a band-aid in a park.

Britta Water Bottles, picked up a couple more of these yesterday for our trip in a couple weeks. They had packs of two on clearance at Walmart for $7.88, which is usually what youll end up paying for just one. With water in the parks running a million dollars a bottle and Florida tap water tasting like... well, anyway. Good investment!

 

[CruiseDreamers]

We use a shoe organizer when we travel, works great for holding those small things that tend to get misplaced.

 

[ZoZo]

I brought wooden clothes pins and they came in handy to hang the kids wet clothes or to close bags of chips.

Clothes pins are also handy for keeping drapes shut, if there's a gap.

 

[BayouDiz66]

Never travel without my New Orleans Coffee & Chicory. Can't tolerate pure coffee.

 

[Badamon]

Clothes pins are also handy for keeping drapes shut, if there's a gap.

Love using clothes pins for chip bags, holding brochures together in the room and curtains closed. Thanks for reminding me to throw them in the bag!

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

Clothespins also work to clip blankets to strollers, turn a napkin into a quick bib, keep power cords organized, and as an emergency hair clip. (I discovered that last one when I had to change my son's diaper on a windy day.) We also use them for clipping money/gift cards together for spending money on trips. I used to use them to clip a blanket over my son's pack-n-play to make it a little darker when he was trying to sleep in the hotel room.

I paint wooden clothespins in bright colors and then use a clear sealant coat so they're bright and fun. At home we have a tin of them that the kids use to build forts using tables, chairs, old sheets and blankets.

Tons of uses for them!