best tips and suggestions

[tinkrbel]

even though I have been going every year (cept 2001) since '92 I have run across websites with great idea's I had never thought of. Everyone has things that work for them as far as managing with kids, or what to pack. So I would love to see your favorite tips, suggestions and ideas. For example, I pack our video camera, the batteries and tapes in a small padded cooler instead of the camera case ..its not often someone would want to steal a cooler and the padding is great protection for the camera and tapes. An idea if you have children and your not planning a charactor breakfast, that works for us ..is feeding the girls in the room before they get dressed ( ok so this means I get to go down to the food court and get everyone's breakfast) that way at least when we leave the room they are clean and ready to go.

 

[2much2do]

Here are some of my suggestions:

1. Stay ON property. I could list a dozen reasons, but won't unless someone specifically asks.
2. Schedule character breakfasts. These are great for many reasons, but my main reasons are:
1. You and your kids get to meet the characters an take
pictures etc. without ever having to make those long lines.
2. You can have a really good (and delicious) breakfast that
will keep you running for hours and hours. I have found that
eating from the food court and not at a sit down place means
a smaller meal where you will need to eat again pretty soon.
This way you can snack away lunch and have another great
sit down dinner!
3. A character breakfast really seems to put even the crank-
iest person in a great mood for a Disney Day!
3. Get a guidebook in advance, even if you go every year so that you and the kids can read about new rides and decide what you really must do and what you are willing to skip. It also helps to get everyone pumped up for the trip.
4. Bring your own stroller from home. Sorry Disney, but your strollers suck!

 

[tinkrbel]

wow we have the same brain??? well up to the "bring your own stroller" .. I gotta admit tryed that only once and while the disney strollers arent the best in the world they were better then the hassel of dragging our own on and off the bus and monorail. but thats a personal choice and I know someone else might fing it more convenient ..thank goodness we finally dont need strollers but we used them till the youngest was seven and she decided she didnt need one any more . i think she just saw her sister walking and wanted to walk too

 

[DisneyPhD]

Good question.

Planning ahead may be nessasry for some, but spontaneous and flexible is great. Some of the best memories I have are the first trips my husband and I took. We would wake up in the morning and take whatever bus came frist. If that park got full or we weren't in the mood for that park, we would go somewhere else and/or back to the resort. If there is only 2 people this works great. More people takes a little bit more preparation.


Since having kids, my best tip is our stroller. It is a stroller and back pack all in one and worked great. When the parks got too busy to navigate the crowds with the stroller, we just strapped on the back pack and walked out, even during a parade. (by Instep 50 to 80 dollars.) It is light weight and folds up small and easy.

Some are obvious, put the sunscreen on before you leave the room and take it with you to the park (nothing kills a trip like a bad burn!) pack what you need and what you MIGHT need (pain killer sinus med, aloe, mole skin for blisters, ect..) Take a break in the afternoon.

Oh one more tip. If you are in the back of Epcot WSC and want to go to a MK or another park, walk over to Y&B and take a bus from there. Much faster. Oh, also go over to Y&B and eat at Beaches and Cream when at Epcot. Good prices and great food.


All I can think of right now.

 

[tinkrbel]

DisneyPhD

Originally posted by DisneyPhD
If you are in the back of Epcot WSC and want to go to a MK or another park, walk over to Y&B and take a bus from there.

All I can think of right now.

OOO see I never thought of that .. even though I have walked from there ( after dropping the girls off at the day care so we could go to Pleasure Island ) Thats one I am putting down in my notes!!!!! Thanks!!!

 

[Disneynutcase]

If you have kids under ten years old, particularly of the same gender, dress them alike. Matching shirt, pants, dress, whatever.

Also tell them that if they get lost to find a person with a badge/nametag, that they are usually at the front of a ride or in stores.

We lost our 7 year old in Sea World last summer. One minute we're all looking at and trying to pet the dolphins, the next minute, she's gone.

Big panic set in. And after a few minutes, we found a CM (or whatever they're called at Sea World) who went right to work locating our kid. Helped that we had a photo, but it only did us so much good. What helped more was that within minutes there were 10 or so employees around us looking at our 3 year old who was wearing the exact same (albiet smaller) outfit.

Everyone went hunting, then a call came in over the radios. My daughter was already at lost and found. Upon realizing that she was separated from us, she ducked into a shop and talked to someone with a badge. They took over from there.

We used to do the "find a landmark/this is our meeting place if we get lost trick." But we don't do that anymore. That only works if your kid knows how to get to the landmark.

And when we asked my daughter what happened, she said, "you told me to find someone with a badge if I get lost."

Although it's not a WDW story, just my thoughts and advice from experience.

We're at WDW in four weeks!:sohappy:

 

[tinkrbel]

Disneynutcase very good point

we came out of the Mickey StarLand show one year when my oldest granddaughter was 3 ..the youngest at 18 month was screaming for Mickey ( the one that was on the stage) and we were trying to calm her down ..well lisa just walks out and over to the playground ( donalds boat is there now ) but they were great finding her really fast ..but after that I made sure the girls had matching outfits ..as they got older they hated this so I got the same outfits but in thier favorite colors.

 

[David]

Like Disney Phd wrote, planning works for some folks and not for others. We plan our days out well in advance, (already working on October) so we know where we are going and what we want to do. If you have PS somewhere, this is a must anyway.

We always stay at the All Star Resorts, so we pack some Pop Tarts, packaged Cinnamon rolls, etc in a tupperware container for breakfast each morning. We try to do one character breakfast, but on the other mornings, I get up and ready first and while the spouse and little are getting ready for the day, I take our All Star mugs down to the food court, get some drinks, take them back to the room and we have a "snack" breakfast and are ready to catch the first bus to the park.

 

[WDWCook]

Plan early, get maps of the parks and highlight all the events you want to do and see, make late priority seating for dinner most restuarnts on property are open till 11pm, defently do a charciter meal either breakfast or dinner. I recommend Chef mickeys for dinner or CRT for breakfast.

 

[tinkrbel]

PhD is right ..and we all know what can happen to plans .. I think one very super thing is Guest Services at the parks and Resorts, the will do everything they can when you have a problem! Heck I can plan till the cows come home but something is bound to happen!

A little tip for standing in line with a baby ( say 6 months up ) have one of those smaller diaper bags (we all know that you have to have a trunk of baby stuff even just to go to Wal Mart) that you can put some of thier favorite little toys and treats in. and pull those out in line. And dont forget to pack some Doans for that backache your gonna have from standing in line holding a small one

 

[2much2do]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: You crack me up, Tink!

But you did remind me another tip. Yes, you will need the drugs if you are gonna carry a baby around all day! My tip is along those lines. Even if you have a stroller (as we will have) bring your favorite baby carrier (mine is a sling) so when the baby is whiny and you are standing in line (no strollers allowed) you will have something to help you carry the baby. Having lots of adults and especially Daddy along helps too!

And while I'm on the subject of babies, here is another one. Even though food is technically not allowed in the parks, and even though I prefer to eat at the restaurants in the parks, this does not apply to little kids. I always make sure to have Cherrios or something and a sippy cup for the baby and mabe a juice box or other drink for the four year old just in case they "need" something right at the very second when you are almost to the front of the line or just sitting down to a show or something and cannot run to a concession stand.

Oh, and bring as much film and batteries for your camera as you will need. Maybe bring extra, as these items (along with sunscreen, bandaids, Tylenol, sanitary pads, etc.) are very, very expensive at the resorts, and if you are like me, you hate to leave the World for anything during your stay.

 

[tinkrbel]

Originally posted by 2much2do
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: You crack me up, Tink! leave the World for anything during your stay.

Leave the World???????? NOOOOOOOOOOO dont make me go!!
your right ..and another little idea with small kids and the meals at the parks .. little tummy's fill up pretty fast .. we have let the girls share, when they were smaller, even at the really nice sit downs they have no problem with this and will bring an extra plate. Disney portions even for kids are pretty large. Of course anything the girls dont eat hubby is gonna be more then willing to take :lol: and ohhh a wet wash cloth in a zip lock bag is sooo great for messy faces! You can duck in to a bathroom and warm it or cool it off/ rinse it. use to take the handy wipes but the wash cloth worked best. for hubby I never ever forget the moleskin its in the Magic Kingdom Club bag already ! ohh and for other old, and near blind blind people like me .. this year I tossed in 2 pair of cheap reading glasses ( picked up at the dollar store) because as I get older ..I have had to put the menu's on the floor to read them and hubby is even worse!! I got 2 pair in case I lose one ..yes something will get lost, it always does !!!

 

[2much2do]

Oh, I forgot to tell you something else, Tink. I also have my suitcase out and have been tossing in things for the trip already! How pathetic is that?? I have bought the kids some new shorts and things since they have outgrown last years stuff and I won't let them use the clothes or sunglasses we bought or anything because it's for Disney World. I also got them some coloring books and things for the ride down which they are forbidden to touch. It goes right from the Walmart bag into the suitcase which is set up in a corner of my house as a sort of "Disney World preparation station", LOL! Every time I see something we will need I toss it in the bag. DH thinks I've really lost it now, and my ten year old keeps saying her WDW planning book (Birnbaums for kids, which is a great book!) says we shouldn't be packing yet acording to the listed timeline, LOL!

 

[tinkrbel]

omy your my mental twin!!!!!

well we are both pathetic then ..because I have been doing the exact same thing ..of course the girls dont leave with me but daily I email their mom with "dont forget the girls need _____" and Wal Mart!!!!! every time I go ..get something for the trip !! I have my own corner and Disney Prep Station and do that same thing ..yesterday I put those bottle straps in! I have my cups from the CB packed so we dont have to buy more unless they are different this year ... and my "cooler" is full of blank video tapes already labeled WDW 2002 !! so you understand how hard it is for me not to go ahead and pack my clothes!! I did the coloring books too for years but now its "make sure they have their gameboys and thier personal CD players and CD's