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

[Starr_DJ]

Bring a pin!!!!!
This may sound very strange, but it's the one thing I desperately wished I had last summer when we went. I got a huge blister that needed to be popped (extremely painful to touch). The only thing we could find to pop it with was a staple out of some papers that we had. It worked, but only after a few painful tries. All I could think about was how a simple thing like a pin would have worked so much better. It's always the little things!

 

[princess jackie]

I always bring an extra pair of contacts just in case. Also I bring ziploc baggies in a bunch of different sizes. Small ones for snacks or left over food that wasn't finished and bigger ones for wet or dirty clothes.

 

[HLAuburn]

Bring a pin!!!!!
This may sound very strange, but it's the one thing I desperately wished I had last summer when we went. I got a huge blister that needed to be popped (extremely painful to touch). The only thing we could find to pop it with was a staple out of some papers that we had. It worked, but only after a few painful tries. All I could think about was how a simple thing like a pin would have worked so much better. It's always the little things!

TMI!

 

[Panlow]

Thanks for the great tips It helps when you're packing up the last of the bags to see what everyone else wishes they would have had.

 

[dani blaski]

What great ideas from everyone! The recommendation for ziplocks are great. I would never leave home without meds. Any electronic media that you need--bring from home. For our honeymoon (2004), we used disposable cameras. I brought a bunch but ended up buying them at Disney and they were pricey!

My .02: If you have a child in diapers, then use pull ups if he/she can fit in them at all. I had the challenging task of changing my wiggly guy in an airplane bathroom with a regular diaper. I wish I would have had a pull up...it would have been a little too big but much easier than trying to chnage him in my lap with a regular diaper.

Also bring snacks & little gifts from home...gift shops are pricey. Save your $$ for something really good.

 

[Kat77]

What section are these in at walmart?

Target has 15 ct tubes of glow sticks in their dollar spot right now

And Kroger has those koolaid packets for water bottles on sale for .99 this week. You can always make Walmart price match if Kroger sold out or selection is bad.

 

[ZoZo]

Take extra good care of your feet. It's just miserable to have to deal with blisters.

• Bring a couple of pairs of shoes that are extremely well broken in (I always bring my oldest, crummiest pair of shoes as a back-up - they're not pretty, but they never give me blisters!).
  
• Use Bodyglide and Moleskin to prevent blisters. I'm also going to bring some Band-Aid Blister Aids (that's not the exact name, though -- they're those things you put on after you've gotten a blister).

I found it really helpful to "train" for my last trip by walking every day, in increasing amounts. It's amazing how much walking you do at WDW - I bet we walked about 8 or 9 miles a day. If you're not used to walking and/or are out of shape, it's difficult.

Other things to bring: cheap "throwaway" ponchos; spray-on sunscreen (I like Neutrogena); extra sunglasses (mine broke and I had to pay way more than I wanted to for a replacement); ziploc bags in various sizes; a power strip to charge up phones, camera, etc. (it's often difficult to find enough outlets if everyone in your group has electronic devices such as cell phones, plus the outlets are often located behind pieces of furniture and hard to get to); extra memory card for digital camera; if your room doesn't have a mini-fridge, rent one (you can save a lot of money and time by eating breakfast in your room); use a mister fan or Misty Mate to keep cool; wear a hat; bite the bullet and wear a fanny pack (they're unattractive but so handy when you want to travel light!); bring some moisture-wicking clothing (at least socks) such as Coolmax; and finally, don't be a "park commando" and rush from thing to thing, no matter how tempting it is (you'll feel really rushed and crabby if you keep trying to fit in "one more thing" -- take breaks in the shade, go back to the hotel and swim or rest in the afternoon).

 

[englishteacha]

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!

 

[PocahontasLookALike]

Hey! This thread makes me realize that I planned really well on our trip in Feb 07. The only thing we weren't 100 percent prepared for was how COLD it was. Holy cow...it was definitely in the low 40's at night. Both my husband and I bought beanie (knitted caps)..thank goodness they were only ten bucks a piece.

But I wouldn't dream of going to a disney park without:
Advil
Sunglasses
Chapstick
Gum
Moleskin (hello!?....lifesaver!)
antibacterial gel

Those are definitely my staples.

But as far as things to know BEFORE you go? My best tip is to eat BEFORE you get hungry or right when you get the slightest notion. You never know how long it will take to get through the lines and sometimes you can end up waiting, easily, 20 minutes in a counter service line.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

wow a lot of good ideals. things ive thought of but might of forgot. im gona come back to this site befor i go.

Um one thing i know i cant leave home with out is alergy meds my fionce has them bad and we dont want to mess up our trip. and I need better shoes.. im gona have to walk and hopefully in the middel i wont need to go back in whell chair. (leg still messed up from past injery)

and the glow sticks are grate idea. my son loves them his grandma gets them at doller or walmart all time

 

[Thumbs18]

Ok what we take usually helps in the park:

Car ride bags (little time passing cheap toys like bubble rings or such.) My Lil Sis and I played with our surprises while waiting in long lines.

Snacks for energy ( alot better than paying for them at the parks)

Ziploc bags for cameras, cell phones, etc on water rides

ponchos

DRAMAMINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Jewels*CPA]

I am wondering where you can find Moleskin and coolmax socks??? I looked at a hibbet sports but they looked at me like I had two heads... Anybody know? And what is the difference between moleskin and bodyglide?

And thanks everybody for the great ideas!

 

[AmericangirlinFrance]

We just got back yesterday, so let me think....

-extra Ziploc and plastic baggies for all those wet clothes/lotions/etc that you wouldn't want in your suitcase;
-bug spray! The bugs weren't terrible, but if they tend to "like" you (like they do me), I was getting a little itchy in the evenings waiting for fireworks
-extra walking shoes! Our shoes got SOAKED at MGM one night in the rain, and mine were too wet to wear the rest of the week. Thankfully I had a backup. Also a pair of flip flops to wear to the pool/foodcourt/around the hotel.
- Snacks... we made PBJs to take to the parks to snack on, more filling than chips or whatever.
-Crystal light or Koolaid packs - yes, the Florida water is gross but this makes it more palatable. And on ice, the water itself really isn't so bad! We did not buy one bottle the whole week, I cannot imagine how expensive it would have been to buy all the water we drank
- A paperback book to read in lines, or a book of crosswords etc - we brought a small crossword puzzle book and worked these together, SO great at making waits bearable!
- Sturdy ponchos: I saw a lot of people in the cheap Walmart ones (you know, the kind that look thinner than a garbage bag), and those DO NOT hold up in any rain that is more than a light drizzle! We were so happy to have thick, sturdy ponchos!
-Misting fan: We got ours at Walmart for less than $4 and they were selling them for about $18 at Disney.
-Put your cell phone in a ziploc baggie on days it might rain, or if you are going on a water ride - I thought mine was safe, but it got zapped in a rainstorm
- All your various chargers, etc: we brought my laptop charger, the rechargeable battery charger, iPod charger, etc...

And definitely, TAKE A MIDDAY BREAK! Even without children, we tried to leave the park around 2 or so and come back to the hotel for a swim, nap, and shower - we would go back around 6 or 7 and feel rejuvenated. Otherwise the heat and crowds would have just been overwhelming.

I'm sure I'll think of more! Blanking out right now!

 

[2nsmom]

I just bought moleskin at Target...and I bought body glide at Dick's Sporting Goods...we leave on Wednesday )

 

[flyingw/tink]

I also like to pack a trash bag for each suit case. I like to put all my dirty clothes in them so when I get home I am not needlessly washing clothes that weren't dirty to begin with.

 

[Beep]

We carry a small bottle of baby oil and as soon as we feel shoes rubbing we put a little on the area. Works really well!

Hand wipes are a must, mainly for wiping sun cream off your hands. We also carry wet wipes which are great if you're standing in a line in the sun.

Ziplock bags are a must for food, tissues, wet wipes etc.

We also carry copies of tickets and other important documents so if they get lost they can be replaced.

I keep a little notebook with details in such as ADR's so we don't miss one!

 

[Dizneydaz]

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!

Just for those who don't know a great place to get over the counter meds is at the first aid stations in each park, inc. the water parks. I have gotten aspirin (they also have non-aspirin pain relievers), antacids, bandages, and on our last trip I found out 2 new things they carry -1) an anti-itch clear gel to put on itchy bug bites, and 2) those individual tubes of lense solution if you're a contact lense wearer-very nice to use after a full day at the water parks!

Added benefit is that the nurses are always very pleasant, many times they'll give Minnie nurse stickers to the kids, and it's always very cool inside-a nice place to get out of the heat, especially if you're not feeling well.

I keep a little notebook with details in such as ADR's so we don't miss one

I used to do this but now I print up our ADRs on business cards, and laminate them. I usually just carry it in my pocket, so it's handy to use. The at-home laminating sheets don't hold up to well to water so I'll do a couple, so we have extras, I also give one to my DM.

I do the same thing with "If lost, please return to" cards that I put in my luggage, and any other bag (purse, cam bag, etc) that I'm carrying with my name, cel phone number, and email address on one side and our itinerary on the other listing arrival date; resort dates (sometimes we resort hop); and departure date. Laminated too.

The last thing I do with these business cards is do a few up with my DD7's name on them with something like, "Hi, my name is ______, please call me mommy, ________, as she is very worried about me. I put my DMs, and my cel phone numbers on one side, along with a few colorful stickers. I put one in my DD's pocket, each day, or if she doesn't have a pocket, I'll put it in her shoe. Of course, now that she wears Crocs for the most part, I'll have to come up with another way-maybe I can make it smaller and put in on a simple chain, for around her neck. We've never lost her at WDW but I want to know that if she gets separated from us, that she'll have our numbers to call us. And yes, she does know my cel phone number, but if she's lost, and scared, she may forget it, or forget the area code. Better safe, than sorry. (Lost sight of her for about 3-4 min. once at SW in San Diego, and don't ever want to go through that again! )

 

[ZoZo]

I am wondering where you can find Moleskin and coolmax socks??? I looked at a hibbet sports but they looked at me like I had two heads... Anybody know? And what is the difference between moleskin and bodyglide?

And thanks everybody for the great ideas!

Moleskin is a Dr. Scholl's product that you can buy at most drug stores (in the foot care section). It's an adhesive-backed product (that's attached to a felt-like materials) that you cut into pieces and put on blister-prone areas of your feet. It's great to put on areas that are starting to develop "hot spots" (pre-blisters).

Body glide is a product you apply to your feet to prevent blisters. It looks like a stick of anti-perspirant, and it works to prevent chafing and blisters. You apply it just like a deodorant stick. You can find it at sporting goods stores and also online (just do a search for Bodyglide). If you can't find bodyglide, Band-Aid also makes a new product that's called something like "Blister Blocker" that works the same way. [This stuff also works well if you tend to get chafing in areas like your inner thighs when wearing shorts.]

I found my Coolmax socks at Target. Coolmax is a material that wicks away moisture, so it helps to keep you feet cooler than when you wear other types of socks. You can also buy other types of clothing made from moisture wicking material (like Coolmax). I found a whole line of this clothing at Target; it was in the workout clothing section (t-shirts, running shorts, etc.). It's Champion brand, very lightweight, and great for warm, humid climates. When you're in a humid climate, your clothes can get wet from sweat, and this material helps to wick away moisure so you don't feel so sweaty! If you don't have a Target in your area, you can buy moisture wicking clothing at sporting goods stores and also find lots of it online (Travelsmith has a nice line of moisture wicking clothes, but it's pretty expensive).

Good luck!

 

[HLAuburn]

The last thing I do with these business cards is do a few up with my DD7's name on them with something like, "Hi, my name is ______, please call me mommy, ________, as she is very worried about me. I put my DMs, and my cel phone numbers on one side, along with a few colorful stickers. I put one in my DD's pocket, each day, or if she doesn't have a pocket, I'll put it in her shoe. Of course, now that she wears Crocs for the most part, I'll have to come up with another way-maybe I can make it smaller and put in on a simple chain, for around her neck. We've never lost her at WDW but I want to know that if she gets separated from us, that she'll have our numbers to call us. And yes, she does know my cel phone number, but if she's lost, and scared, she may forget it, or forget the area code. Better safe, than sorry. (Lost sight of her for about 3-4 min. once at SW in San Diego, and don't ever want to go through that again! )

That's a great idea. Not that I EVER want to test it out, but do you think people will look in DDs pocket? It's a great idea as long as someone finds it!

 

[JadeDarkstar]

my new mom in law made a nicklace for my son to wear last year when we went to wdw and had phone number home and there work and the addy and names..and his pic..it was so cute and she said shed make a new one with update info and pic for our trip this jan its a realy good idea..also the hotel addy and phone you will be at