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

[SilverMickey]

I've read every post on this thread!

our trip is Feb 10-15 - my question is, we won't need bugspray then, will we? I know in the summer, yes...but for those in the know who either live there or know for sure , is Feb bug season?

Thanks

I e-mailed your question to my sister that lives in FL. I'll let you know what she says!

 

[soonerlpn]

Ok..newbie here..got all the ressies done and now am looking at what to bring and how to be prepared for the parks! I have read a lot and there seems to be a TON of things needed in the park. How do you fit all of it in a fanny pack?

 

[Tikihula]

I e-mailed your question to my sister that lives in FL. I'll let you know what she says!

No, you shouldn't need bug spray in Feb. It's too early for love bugs, and still cold enough for mosquitoes and flies not to be a problem, although we've never had a problem with them even in mild weather.

 

[Tikihula]

Ok..newbie here..got all the ressies done and now am looking at what to bring and how to be prepared for the parks! I have read a lot and there seems to be a TON of things needed in the park. How do you fit all of it in a fanny pack?

What month are you visiting WDW? Depending on weather, you DON'T need to carry a ton of stuff with you. Travel as lightly as possible and you'll be much more comfortable, or you can rent a locker (just went up to $5.00 deposit) to stash your extra stuff in.

In my fanny pack I carry contact lens solution, chapstick & lipstick, coin purse for coins and folded bills, pen and very small notebook, and a small tube of sun block. I fold up my park map and carry it in my pocket.
I also use a nylon neck pouch for my park ticket and room key or credit card. That way I can tuck the neck pouch inside my shirt if I go on a water ride. Oh, and the small disposable ponchos also fit in a fanny pack.

As a newbie, you will probably be tempted to lug around a guidebook, but if you do your homework and thoroughly read the guidebooks, and write down your reservation numbers on a card or in the small notebook, you shouldn't need to haul a guidebook around.

 

[soonerlpn]

MY DS5 and I will be there July 21st thru the 26th..I am not looking forward to lugging a bunch of stuff around..but I dont want to be caught without what we will need. We will be staying on site so we will be breaking after lunch..

 

[MarinaAndCharlie]

This thread is amazing. Lets keep it at the top for others to see!!

My list from this thread alone is already two pages of bullet points short hand and all of stuff that I never thought of!

 

[ChristmasElf]

A simple "first aid kit!" I have a small one in my purse that goes everywhere with us. There are band aids, cold, allergy and headache meds, a tiny sewing kit, etc. It goes to theme parks every day and fits in a pocket. On our honeymoon, DH got a horrible headache and we bought 2 tylenol tablets for $2 at a gift shop at MGM. Now we bring our own! I also have a tiny pot I put sunblock in so I can reapply during the day without carrying around a big jug. We also bring our own ponchos-disposable ones for "just in case", and sturdier ones for days it's actually raining all day. The disposables fit in a pocket and do the trick if you get caught in an afternoon shower. I wouldn't trust one to wear all day in downpours, though!

If you stop in any of the First Aid stations/Baby care centers at the parks, sign in and ask them for aspirin, pain killer, band aids, etc. They will be happy to give this to you at No Charge!

 

[ChristmasElf]

For anyone that has a car and does not want to haul everything down here.
We have both a Super WalMart and Super Targets both close by that you can pick up anything you need.

You can pick up water and juice at the HESS stations in DD for a pretty good price. And Tuesday and Fridays they sell Large pizzas for $5 each if you want a quick snack. (They are $6 any other days)

Don't forget about all the regular chain restaurants that are located on 535 or in the close proximity for when you want some un Disney themed food and reasonable prices to boot.

For souveniers, head over to the Prime Outlets on Vineland for these. Up to 50% off the park prices on a lot of the same merchandise. Big savings there.

Head to the parks early and head back to your resort about 1:30 for a swim and a snack. Maybe a quick nap and you can get back to the parks by 5:30 and close the place down. This plan allows you to avoid the heat of the afternoon in the parks and also lets Junior recharge so they can stay awake for the fireworks.

Buy each child a fanny pack. Pack in this a juice box, a snack or 2, and a disposable camera. Let them wear them and when they get thirsty, they will have a juicebox handy.

Avoid the Magic Kingdom on Mondays. It is the most crowded day.

 

[ChristmasElf]

What I wish I'd known:

Don't invite your SIL whose idea of a good vacation involves a child-free yoga retreat (even though she has kids) and lots of really healthy food. Nothing wrong with that of course and even though she really tried, I could tell she couldn't wait to get out of Orlando.

Have groceries delivered to your room. Even though we had a car, it seemed like I was driving all over the place for a decent grocery store.

PUBLIX located on Vineland Rd just past the Premium Outlets. They should have everything you need and the bakery and deli are decent. (% minutes away, 10 if you hit traffic)

 

[ChristmasElf]

I ordered a "Media Package" from Ticket Mania's website back in May/2007. I paid around $11 and got a few magazines about orlando, a few restaurant guides, all the major park maps/brochures, area maps, coupon books, and flyers for almost all of the other "attractions/dinner shows/family fun" in the Orlando area. Its well known that all of these articles can be picked up for free all over Orlando, but I havent been there in over 10 years and the information alone was worth the price!!!

The downside was that almost all the coupons expired in/around August 2007. So this month I ordered another package ($11) hoping the coupons would be good for another year (or at least til our trip in Feb 2008) (when I called thier number to find out for sure the guy told me they didnt sell the package anymore, even though I ordered it right after that and its already arrived ) , sadly the coupons are AGAIN only good for a few months (they expire in 11/07). Oh well!! Also I didnt get as much as I did the first time so order at your own risk.

In my opinion STILL I got my moneys worth in maps and information!!

I will use all the extra maps to cut and paste to my homemade personal Itineraries to carry around the parks, and my DS7 is cutting out extra pictures and using them to paste to his disney journal and photo album his gramma bought him!!

Here is the link: http://www.ticketmania.com/mediapackage.shtml

You can get magazines and coupons for restaurants here in Orlando at 7-11, Walgreens, Golden Corral (next to Bahama Breeze at the corner of Vineland and 535. Coupons will save you 10-20%

 

[ChristmasElf]

I'm not sure if this has already been mentioned but..

BRING BUG SPRAY!! My friends and I were completely (and painfully) chewed up during our trip in June of '06 and I found it nearly impossible to find it anywhere in the parks/hotels. When I finally found some in MK it was a day before we left for home, and about $15!! I definitely learned my lesson!

This was unusual that bugs were a problem as the property is sprayed on a regular basis at night. The exception to the rule is Ft Wilderness campgrounds where mosquito repellent comes in handy.
Walgreens carries OFF and Raid and would be the closest place to pick it up. There are 2 locations on 535. One to the left of DD and one on the right close to the Vistana.
You could also get the sprays at PUBLIX or Goodings.

 

[MarinaAndCharlie]

If you're carrying a backpack, bring a bath towel from your hotel room to the parks with you for the afternoon parade because that ground is hot and shade goes very quickly! A beach towel or small blanket would work best but we just used the small bath towels and they helped a whole lot. Plus we pulled them out and draped them over the front of us (and our backpack) on Kali and Splash Mountain and not a drop got on us. This could be especially helpful if you wear swim trunks to the parks that dry easier than regular shorts. They also can be used to dry off while waiting in a sunny line or to cover up in cold theatre attractions. To us it was definately worth lugging the extra couple of pounds for all we ended up using it for!

My boyfriend also wanted me to throw in how much he enjoyed eating at the fish and chips place in England in Epcot and said they had an amazing beer selection that was cheaper than a lot of places in surrounding 'countries', so if you're going for something more than the usual budwiser, he suggests The Rose and Crown Pub. Its also a really pretty area and was never busy when we walked past it.

 

[TheRock]

Some excellent tips here.

I would also recommend ID tags if you're going with kids (these take the form of wrist straps or stickers and contain your mobile number).

 

[KAPTink]

On our last trip, we were there in Aug. I purchased a 2 pk of microfiber towels at Dollar Tree and we used them so, so many times!!! They were great for drying off if we got caught in rain or wet on water rides. They dried very quickly, too. We also used them for sitting on, since sometimes benches and the ground were hot. Plus, they gave my kids a 'spot' to stay on while waiting for parades and shows. For some reason, the visual boundary helped?? They were close to the size of a small hand towel, and were great.

 

[my3sons77]

I don't know if this has been said before but...

2 way radios. This helps us out a ton when we visit the parks. While hubby rides with our 2 older boys I may want to go into a store close by, so when they get off of the ride all he has to do is beep me and we can find each other through the mass of people Also make sure to bring the chargers for the radios...that helps

Also buy the water mist fans at Target or somewhere else. Much MUCH cheaper that way. Those fans are a lifesaver when it gets hot hot hot. Also make sure to bring extra batteries for it. If you want really really cold water for your fan we found that the people in charge of the stands with the Disney fans in the parks will fill them up for you

 

[stackyallred]

This may not work for everyone, but rather than order water to be delivered, DH and I take a Brita water pitcher and filter. I bought the pitcher last year and I just replace the filter each trip. When I pack, I just put other things down in the pitcher to save room, then I clean it when I get there and we use it to fill our bottles all week. Its just me and DH, so I am not sure it would be worth the hassle if we had several people to keep "refilling" for, but we now do this everytime we stay at a hotel!

 

[justplaingoofy]

we usually bring a face cloth from the hotel and a zip lock baggie (yes we do bring it back to the hotel ) when we go to the parks when its hot..if we get hot its nice and refreshing to get it good, wet & cold and cool ourselves off by wiping down our legs/ ankles & neck.. then we can put it in the zip lock so our stuff won't get wet.

 

[MickeyP]

justplaingoofy, Nice job. I have not heard that one before. And, I will just have to do that.

 

[coffeehousemom]

we went in jan of this year I kept my kids school picture ids in my change purse it also has a spot in the back to write down personal info height weight etc that way if they did get "lost" I had a good pic w/info to give to security. Luckily we didnt need to use it.


Going back again next jan will do the dog tag thing in addition for sure!!


great thread!!

 

[noahdove]

I usually take a hand towel and keep it wet. Then if I am waiting in the sun, I place it around my neck.I learned this trick several years ago on a mission trip..It saved me many times from being overheated.. this year I am taking a 14 and 8 year old in August and I bought them bracelets with their name and the name they call me along with my cell phone number...I will also carry the rain ponchos....can't be at Disney without them