What Disney Tip Are you really glad you listened to?

[acribbs]

Sorry guys - I have been meaning to post this for months!

- don't let trying to maximize the dining plan rule you , if you are getting the experience you want it doesn't matter that another meal means your plan would be saving you more, just enjoy

THANKS for posting this - I was beginning to go crazy planning around the dining plan and not being able to get in a Be Our Guest was keeping me up at nights.

Thanks for the reminder...the meals aren't the end all, be all, right? Right?!

 

[acribbs]

- if you can have a car and belong to aaa try to book wih them (or have them take over your reservation) so you can get their preferred parking and drive to Epcot and dHS (prob ak too but we didn't go there)

Have a great time!!!!!

What do you mean by "take over your reservation"? We booked directly with Disney for the free dining plan...I'm thinking we can't move the reservation, right?

 

[jennyerin]

We are going in September and MK is open til 10pm one night we'll be there, 7pm the other night...would you still do a long break you think? I have a 7 year old.

We would rarely go back to our room. My kids wouldn't want to ever leave the rides. I would take your cues from your child and decide what works best for him/her (especially when faced with an early park closing.)

 

[LisaTC]

We are going in September and MK is open til 10pm one night we'll be there, 7pm the other night...would you still do a long break you think? I have a 7 year old.

I guess it depends on how HOT your visit in September is. We went toward the end of October when DD was 7 and we did't take a mid-day break, per se. I think for summer, it is almost a necessity for little ones. The heat is brutal.

 

[Mommy to Kayla]

I agree. We are leaving WDW this evening after an 11 day stay and I told my DD7 (she turned 7 on this trip) before we left home that we would be
leaving the park mid-day for breaks. She looked at me like I was crazy lol. However once we got here and checked in she looked at me and said, "ohhhhhh now I see why you want to leave in the afternoons". She actually ASKED to take a nap the first two really hot afternoons. The others she wanted to just swim.

 

[PinkiexLi]

I agree. We are leaving WDW this evening after an 11 day stay and I told my DD7 (she turned 7 on this trip) before we left home that we would be
leaving the park mid-day for breaks. She looked at me like I was crazy lol. However once we got here and checked in she looked at me and said, "ohhhhhh now I see why you want to leave in the afternoons". She actually ASKED to take a nap the first two really hot afternoons. The others she wanted to just swim.

Mommy to Kayla, what time did you leave the park and what time did you head back? I saw on another thread that leaving for a break back to your hotel and going back to the park is more stressful.

 

[Mommy to Kayla]

Mommy to Kayla, what time did you leave the park and what time did you head back? I saw on another thread that leaving for a break back to your hotel and going back to the park is more stressful.

We usually left right after lunch. One day we ate at BOG and then left afterwards which was around 1:15. We went back to the room (Beach Club) and took a nap. We had dinner reservations at Cape May that evening around 6:00 and then headed back to MK around 7:30 (we had reservations at the the Tommorrowland Dessert Party). That was our standard procedure just replace nap with swim/rest.

 

[honeybunches]

Mommy to Kayla, what time did you leave the park and what time did you head back? I saw on another thread that leaving for a break back to your hotel and going back to the park is more stressful.

We like to take a break right after lunch. Sometimes nap (we have a 4 yo and we all usually take a little snooze) but sometimes swim. We usually go to a different park in the evening.

 

[Princess Katherine]

Rope drop is always a great way to ride some of your favorite attractions with smaller lines. The Dessert Party, great desicion.

Katie

 

[thelittlethings]

About mid-day breaks, at the time we are going, park hours will be shorter with the exception of one night at MK, do you still recommend breaks if the hours are 7:30pm or earlier? I really do love the idea of it but it seems we'd be wasting precious touring hours if we leave for 3 hours on a shorter day.

 

[ConnieB]

About mid-day breaks, at the time we are going, park hours will be shorter with the exception of one night at MK, do you still recommend breaks if the hours are 7:30pm or earlier? I really do love the idea of it but it seems we'd be wasting precious touring hours if we leave for 3 hours on a shorter day.

I'd personally say that taking a break depends on your family's needs....when my girls were younger, taking a break mid-day was necessary if we wanted t be there both rope drop and fireworks. Trying to cram too much in one day resulted in crabby kids and a fed-up mom!

While we typically go in the much cooler weather, we did go in August last year (since we were in town for the Star Wars Convention, well, I can't be in Florida without being in Disney, lol). It was pretty hot and humid miserable so taking a mid day break helped with the exhaustion of being too hot for too long.

Now that my kids are teens, and we stick to October through May we can go rope drop to fireworks because the hours are shorter. For the nights that go late we try to be nice to ourselves and not do rope drop the next morning.

So think about how your kids handle things when you're on the go all day....if it's a recipe for a meltdown, then realize that Disney is likely to be worse, because it's not just go-go-go, it's also a lot of stimulation with all there is to see and explore and all the new overwhelming experiences. If your kids are young enough to be able to do stroller naps, that may be a better solution....and Disney is one of those places that the 4, 5, 6, 7 year old who is "too big for strollers" suddenly realizes that a moving nap is worth the ding to their dignity, lol.

I know a lot of people like to hang at the pool at their resort, and I do understand that the pool slides and such are very cool....but for us, swimming is something we can do at home, when we're at Disney (and spending all this money to be here) we don't really want to do pool time. When we've stayed on site the girls want to check out the pool slides, but usually an hour or two one day and they've had their fill for the entire visit. Of course, we feel the same way about Disney Quest....not worth spending our time/money when we can play video games at home (of course we very rarely do that at home either, but have friends that can/have spent an entire weekend doing nothing but video games). So it's really about what's important and works for YOUR family.....if grouchy kids result from no nap, than the nap time is well spent, OR you have to plan your days so they're shorter and fit what you want to do, i.e. be there at rope drop by leave by dinner....or don't get there until lunch and stay until fireworks.

If you're not sure how your kids will do...then don't make your schedules so rigid that you can't change it up as needed....avoid ADRs that you can't cancel without penalty if you're not positive your kids will make it all day and be able to peaceably eat dinner there. Flexibility is definitely key with kids until you know their style. I've seen 4 year olds with more staying power than my teens and I've seen teens that think vacation is an excuse to sleep 20 hours a day.

 

[LonandChaCha]

We ship items to our resort that are bulky and light so the package is there when we arrive. Shipping is much cheaper than paying for a bag to be checked and easier than lugging all of that junk around. Plus we do not have a car because we do ME so we can't stop to get items. Items we shipped: diapers, our snacks, cereal, decorations for room (instead of the crazy priced stuff you can pay to have done), etc.

Also, I read this tip somewhere and it was awesome for me and my DH. Before I shipped our package, I made a ziplock baggie that included three wipes and squeezed as much air out as possible. Then I put this inside another ziplock baggie with a folded in-half diaper (the diaper is already technically folded, but fold it again so it's small) and a disposable changing pad; and again, squeezed all of the air out. I made enough for every day and shipped those in our package. Then when packing the bag for a day at the park, I took enough and when it was time to change our infant's diaper, we just grabbed one of the packs and headed to the restroom. It was very handy!!

 

[Piper23]

The best tip that I wasn't told, but figured out by watching others, is to go in the SINGLE RIDERS line.

This past May, I went for four days to DL and CA with my 16 year old daughter and her best friend. We still got to hang out in line together, but then could be split up when it came to getting on the ride. We saved soooo much time waiting for Radiator Springs this last trip- I think it was 140 minute standby wait... we made it on in about 35 minutes. AND after that, the girls were even assigned to the same car- one in the front, one in the back.

We did this on California Screamin' also, rode once together, then twice more as singles. (Plus it was cool because I had the Photo Pass- so it just meant more pictures for us!)

 

[Hootch]

About mid-day breaks, at the time we are going, park hours will be shorter with the exception of one night at MK, do you still recommend breaks if the hours are 7:30pm or earlier? I really do love the idea of it but it seems we'd be wasting precious touring hours if we leave for 3 hours on a shorter day.

it depends a lot on the age of your kids and the weather. I was stationed in Orlando a couple of times for short periods and the weather can run the gamut in Fall, Winter and early Spring. I was there in February when temps hit in the 90s. When we took our son when he was three and my wife was pregnant. Hours were shorter but we still took breaks. We stayed at the Contemporary so we could get in and out quicker.

Another reason, besides temps, we usually take breaks is the crowds really build after lunch during the summer. They start to dwindle somewhat in late afternoon. We don't miss many attractions because the lines are shorter when we return to the parks. For example, we went to the parks on arrival day and got into the MK at about 2:30. POTC was a 25 minute wait with a line starting out on the sidewalk. Two days later at maybe 8:00, the wait was five minutes.

 

[Ashlie in Wonderland]

I hate tennis shoes or sneakers, I am a flip flops girl so I love Reef or Teva flops. I made a huge mistake by not taking them on my last trip and ended up with horrible blisters. The Sierra Trading Post sells them and you can always find them on sale.

My second favorite tip I got off the boards was regarding traveling with little ones. A good place for children to catch a nap or have some down time if you don't want to go back the resort is to take a ride on the Disney Railroad if you are in the Magic Kingdom. We will be taking advantage of it on our next trip.

 

[MeganFyne]

1 - Get the refillable mugs! I know I know, annoying to take to the parks with you, but for me, worth having the extra cup of (ok 2) coffee in the morning. One at the mug station, one while waiting for the bus. I also have used my mug every morning at work. Makes me think of Disney, and that makes me a much smilier worker

2 - If you have flexible dates and can go in value season - do! I'm doing a split stay with 30% discount in one room and staying on rented point in another. Saved over $1000 of rack rate!

3 - Check your company website for perks! I found Park Hoppers for cheaper than UT!

4 - Water bottle strap! It was so nice to not have to try to fit a big bottle that can "sweat" into my touring bag!

5- moleskin. Saved my feet!

6- When you feel sick or sleepy or grumpy (or sneezy or bashful or dopey...) go back to your room. Recoup! No fun to be in the parks in the heat among tons of people TRYING to have fun when your body can't handle it. Take a break and then you can go back!

7- Swim at night! Last trip I went to the "quiet" pool and just peacefully swam before bed each night. WONDERFUL end to the day. Also gets you nice and tired so you'll sleep soundly and can get up early for rope drop!

8- Oatmeal packets! Half the time we had oatmeal in the room - can use the coffee maker to heat the water - nice filling and relatively healthy breakfast that gets you on that bus nice and early.

9- Have your little brother in Tampa come stay with you and make sure he brings some beer (this may be very specific to my last trip )

10 - Even as an adult, a picture with Mickey is worth a thousand words.

 

[nighttowll]

The best tip that I wasn't told, but figured out by watching others, is to go in the SINGLE RIDERS line.

This past May, I went for four days to DL and CA with my 16 year old daughter and her best friend. We still got to hang out in line together, but then could be split up when it came to getting on the ride. We saved soooo much time waiting for Radiator Springs this last trip- I think it was 140 minute standby wait... we made it on in about 35 minutes. AND after that, the girls were even assigned to the same car- one in the front, one in the back.

We did this on California Screamin' also, rode once together, then twice more as singles. (Plus it was cool because I had the Photo Pass- so it just meant more pictures for us!)

I agree singles line is great. I remember riding Test Track at least 10 times in a row by the singles line. Stand by wait was an hour. Singles line 0. We'd get off and then right back on. I remember passing this one group of people over and over again who weren't moving at all in standby. After we'd gone by them about 3 times, one of them finally asked what we were doing.

 

[elittleton]

My second favorite tip I got off the boards was regarding traveling with little ones. A good place for children to catch a nap or have some down time if you don't want to go back the resort is to take a ride on the Disney Railroad if you are in the Magic Kingdom. We will be taking advantage of it on our next trip.

My DD took a lot of naps on the Disney Railroad. At each stop I would tell her it was not our stop until she went to sleep then we just went around and around until she woke up. It also gives mommy a place to rest in the shade.

 

[donaldsgirl]

This may have been posted already but this thread has been going since forever started so I will post this JUST IN CASE!! I have a 5 yr old and a 10 yr old that can be EASILY distracted..and as most mom's are, I am paranoid about becoming a missing parent. So, I happened to run across this idea from pinterest and thought it was worth sharing.

http://weightdownweightloss.wordpress.com/2013/06/26/diy-temporary-tattoo-for-kid-safety/

SUPER SIMPLE!! Use a sharpie and write "If lost call 123-867-5309 (obviously use your own phone number..I KNOW!! but it needs to be said, kind of like a steaming cup of coffee has a warning on it stating "Liquid MAY be hot, use caution" Just in case..) Somewhere easy for the child (and some adults such as my husband) to show a trusted adult, like on the inside of the wrist or just under the sleeve. **THEN COAT IT WITH A LIQUID BANDAGE** and let the liquid bandage completely dry. Water resistant and It will last for a day or so and then wears off.

 

[saylorbunch]

1 - Get the refillable mugs! I know I know, annoying to take to the parks with you, but for me, worth having the extra cup of (ok 2) coffee in the morning. One at the mug station, one while waiting for the bus. I also have used my mug every morning at work. Makes me think of Disney, and that makes me a much smilier worker

2 - If you have flexible dates and can go in value season - do! I'm doing a split stay with 30% discount in one room and staying on rented point in another. Saved over $1000 of rack rate!

3 - Check your company website for perks! I found Park Hoppers for cheaper than UT!

4 - Water bottle strap! It was so nice to not have to try to fit a big bottle that can "sweat" into my touring bag!

5- moleskin. Saved my feet!

6- When you feel sick or sleepy or grumpy (or sneezy or bashful or dopey...) go back to your room. Recoup! No fun to be in the parks in the heat among tons of people TRYING to have fun when your body can't handle it. Take a break and then you can go back!

7- Swim at night! Last trip I went to the "quiet" pool and just peacefully swam before bed each night. WONDERFUL end to the day. Also gets you nice and tired so you'll sleep soundly and can get up early for rope drop!

8- Oatmeal packets! Half the time we had oatmeal in the room - can use the coffee maker to heat the water - nice filling and relatively healthy breakfast that gets you on that bus nice and early.

9- Have your little brother in Tampa come stay with you and make sure he brings some beer (this may be very specific to my last trip )

10 - Even as an adult, a picture with Mickey is worth a thousand words.

Ok, so where do you get this moleskin? I've checked a couple of stores with no luck. Maybe in a different section?