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

My list compiled from here:
Fast food cup lids (for ice cream bar drips)
Pump soap for hotel handwashing
Complete Outfits individually packaged in ziplocs
At least one extra pair of shoes per person
BodyGlide/dusting powder
Moleskin
Extra blanket for kids in case of AC issues
Misting Fans
Nightlights for bathrooms
Shout Wipes
Collapsible hamper
Shimmer sunscreen
Disposable ponchos
Menus from preferred restaurants to have in hotel room
Activities to occupy kids in lines (still trying to figure out what for 3 1/2 year old and 15 month old)
Frozen water bottles instead of ice in coolers
Foot soak/lotion/scrub (I'm bringing a Watkins foot cream)
Shampoo bars if traveling by plane
Post-it Notes for auto-flush toilets with recently potty-trained kids
 
Last edited:
My list compiled from here:
Fast food cup lids (for ice cream bar drips)
Pump soap for hotel handwashing
Complete Outfits individually packaged in ziplocs
At least one extra pair of shoes per person
BodyGlide/dusting powder
Moleskin
Extra blanket for kids in case of AC issues
Misting Fans
Nightlights for bathrooms
Shout Wipes
Collapsible hamper
Shimmer sunscreen
Disposable ponchos
Menus from preferred restaurants to have in hotel room
Activities to occupy kids in lines (still trying to figure out what for 3 1/2 year old and 15 month old)
Frozen water bottles instead of ice in coolers
Foot soak/lotion/scrub (I'm bringing a Watkins foot cream)
Shampoo bars if traveling by plane
Post-it Notes for auto-flush toilets with recently potty-trained kids
A great compilation! I think it's the "best of the best" list.

However, I no longer bring drink lids for Mickey bars, etc. DD and I thought it was a brilliant idea -- sat down in Epcot with our frozen treat and confidently started eating in a leisurely fashion. No worries. Until the first chunk dropped ... and slid right off the lid too! We stared at the ground in shocked disappointment, then cracked up. Apparently we'd need Chinet classic platters to rescue our ice cream bars!
 


That answer from the Mom's Panel was in fact referring to a suite with a kitchenette. I still do not believe toasters are allowed in the other guest rooms. I wouldn't want to be 'kicked out' for want of toast.

I actually called Disney and asked them about a rule against a toaster. You are allowed, they just don't advocate for it. But you ARE allowed.
 
I use 3x5 cards to keep my reservations on. I have the date I make them, who I spoke to, the
time, place of ressie, what time we were seated, what we ate and how much the meal cost.
Also, how are server was...
 
This might seem silly but I read this tip here years ago and always use it no matter where I am (not just at Disney lol) when there are multiple entrances, lines etc. If there are 2 line, entrances, gates, etc Always go to the left one. Most people just tend to go right by nature so usually the left side is shorter. Hope it helps :)
 


Last time we brought water bottles with filters. Everyone got their own color and I threw them in my bag empty, when someone got thirsty we filled them up at the water fountains. I thought the water tasted fine with the filter!
 
Last time we brought water bottles with filters. Everyone got their own color and I threw them in my bag empty, when someone got thirsty we filled them up at the water fountains. I thought the water tasted fine with the filter!

I can attest to the fact that filters work!
 
My adult daughter got many different colors of card stock. She precut them and placed the sheets in small plastic containers (much like sandwich holders) before our trip. As we stood in line to meet a character, she would find a color coordinated paper that the character could sign. We then used the pics we and the photo pass photographers took to make a wonderful autograph book when we returned.
 
Coming down from Canada-
Lots of the above but my most useful...
We bring 2-32 ounce water bottles - fill up every night at the food court with plain water from the fountain row. We ask housekeeping to leave extra coffee and still have some for oatmeal, or hot tea (housekeeping never left tea when asked so now we bring our own.)
Toothpicks! Dh can't go a day without one but we also restrict them to the room.
Spray sunscreen and lotion, we bring lots of both.
Hefty ziplock bags for laundry
Moisturizer and more moisturizer.
Zincofax or other cream for chafing.
There are probably more but my
own little secret- plastic wineglass and corkscrew!
 
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The best thing that I have found to bring with kids if you are traveling during the summer months is stroller fans. Also, grocery delivery is the way to go! You don't have to pac as much and they bring everything to your room. So convenient with kids.
 
The best thing that I have found to bring with kids if you are traveling during the summer months is stroller fans. Also, grocery delivery is the way to go! You don't have to pac as much and they bring everything to your room. So convenient with kids.

I also recommend grocery delivery. I get a lot of fruit, since it is so expensive to buy it in the parks or the resorts.
 
I read someone brought the Purex All In One sheets but could not find those. I bought a travel size bag of the Tide Pods. Does anyone have any experience with flying with these? I'm so afraid they will explode in my checked bag. I plan on putting it in double gallon ziplock bags.

We regularly fly to WDW with Tide Pods, and have never had a problem with them exploding. Our college-age daughter gets a free sample of them with every Chegg textbook rental box, and I save them for our WDW trips! ;) I do double-bag them in ziplock bags, and then tuck them into a shoe to help protect them. You can also take dryer sheets in a ziplock bag as well, of course!

We bag EVERYTHING in our suitcases in ziplock bags; clothes are stacked into outfits (including socks & unders!) and placed into ziplock bags with all the air pressed out as well.

All potentially "leaky" things (lotions, cosmetics, shampoos, perfumes, etc.) are double-bagged in ziplock bags as well. We do tend to sort things into similar bags, so that when we arrive, unpacking is easy - this bag goes to the bathroom, that bag goes to the dresser, etc. Anything that needs to be hung on hangers is in a bag that is marked HANG, and goes into the closet on arrival.

We tend to take travel size items; for things that we can't get travel size, we make our own by buying empty travel bottles. If suitcase weight is an issue, we dump out the contents, but bring the empty bottles home to be cleaned and reused again.

I store the empty ziplock bags in our suitcases for the trip home.

Here's a few other things I haven't ever seen mentioned in this thread...

You can get nail polish remover in little foil packets (similar to eyeglass wipes) at Target, and other places. Prevents nail polish remover from leaking in the suitcase, and still lets me freshen my manicure halfway through the trip. Also, two or three of those little packets take up way less space and weight.

We take the Dawn/Bounty paper towels, but I have found that a half-sheet is typically more than enough to wash our family's mugs, so I travel with a ziplock bag of pre-cut half sheets that I leave next to the sink.

I take tissue paper to line the dresser and nightstand drawers. Yes, it's weird, (and yes, I wipe down and sanitize the drawers before use) but I just prefer to put my things into nice, clean, lined drawers!

We take our own TP, and we also typically take a roll of paper towels that my hubby takes OFF the roll, and then accordion folds and puts into a ziplock bag. We often use the remainder of these to cushion and protect fragile souvenirs for the trip home.

I used to take along rubber bands, but now I take hair ties - they can accomplish the same thing as a rubber band, and do double-duty if we decide it's a ponytail kind of day.

I take clean, colorful cotton bandanas - two for every day we will be at WDW. I can use these for all kinds of things: dip it in a free cup of ice water to cool off on hot days... use it to mop up sweat, or to sit on if I am worried about the seat of my britches getting dirty. I can tie my hair up in several ways with one, thread it through the handles of shopping bags and make a loop to carry them all, play peek-a-boo with the little kiddies, wrap it around my water bottle to keep it cold and non-sweaty, use it as a tourniquet (never had to, but *could*, cuz I'm a former Scout leader! LOL) and more. Probably the single most versatile thing I take along on every trip. I keep them clean and ready for use in a ziplock bag - of course!

We still take along a pop up hamper for laundry, but along with that I throw in a couple of lingerie bags to help protect delicates. They are super lightweight, and I use one for delicates, and one for smaller items that might get easily lost in the laundry, like socks.

I bring a small digital luggage scale! It lets us rearrange our suitcases in the room to make sure that our luggage is not overweight and we don't have to frantically swap stuff around at Resort Check-in after weighing our luggage.

Last but certainly not least, the one App that I "pack" to travel with (and use at home as well) that has saved me the most is Doctor On Demand. As frequent travelers to WDW know, the Urgent Care nearest to WDW has a reputation for being wildly expensive. If you or a loved one has a sinus infection, cold, upset tummy... you can try Doctor On Demand first, and see if it saves you hundreds of dollars *and* a trip to the Urgent Care. All doctors are licensed in the state where you are visiting, and can send prescriptions to nearby pharmacies if you need. Our families insurance now accepts Doctor On Demand, and there is a place to check your insurance, and enter the info. It works like FaceTime or Skype - you see & hear the doctor, and the doctor can see & hear you. We have never had to wait longer than 15 minutes to "see" the doctor, even on a busy Saturday night! You can visit the website if you have more questions; I have found their customer service team to be super responsive to any questions I have had.

I have a code for you to get your first visit free, if you want to try it, but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post it here. I think it's OK to send me a message, and I can share it with you, if you are interested. I have no affiliation with Doctor on Demand, other than as a very happy patient.

Hope your next trip is as Magical as it can be! :)
 
This is not really a necessity but a fun magical thing. We always bring just a small bottle of yellow colored sugar. At Wishes when Tinker Bell flies over, and sometimes when a little magic is needed, the yellow sugar suddenly appears on our kids shoulders. When they were little we told them it was Pixy Dust from Tink. Now that they are older it has become sort of a tradition.
 
Purex 3 in 1 sheets have been discontinued. I purchased my last box on Amazon. Not sure on the Tide Pods exploding in checked bags, but not sure whey they would. I typically don't have any issue with shampoo bottles, tooth paste and other items exploding in my luggage. There are some pod detergents that are not liquid filled, but rather have powdered detergent, maybe that would be better?

I've traveled with these to Disney and to London with no problems.
 

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