So....let's keep an updated thread with cool, unconventional tips for travelling with little ones. Here's the idea. A lot of people ask for advice on doing WDW with little ones. In those threads we all chime in with advice. However, from time to time I'll notice someone has a really cool idea that I hadn't thought of. This thread is a place for those. Every day or two, I'll check out the thread, give it a reading and update this post so future readers can easily see the ideas. I'll also note the handle of the forum member who contributed the idea so if someone wants more explanation they can contact that person. I'll go first.
1) For strollers. Print out an 8.5 x 11 pic of your kid or something else that your family enjoys. Slide it into a plastic report cover with the a 3 hole punch pattern on the margin for a 3-ring binder. Get some twist or cable ties and attach the picture to the handle of your stroller. Works much better than just a name. Really makes the stroller stand out. The plastic report cover protects your picture from the elements. (ASJHLJ)
2) To mark your stroller: Go to you local Home Depot and pick out several different colors of the Disney Paint Chips. Glue 2 together back to back. Once dried, punch a hole at the top. Tie colorful yarn to the chips and then once on property, attach the other end to your stroller. I usually bring a couple extra with in case some get wet or ripped. (SAV)
3) If you are driving to the World, bring a laundry basket with you. I started doing this several years ago whenever we travel, and it's so convenient to have in the hotel room to put all the worn clothes into. On the way there, we just put a couple of our smaller suitcases/bags into it, and on the way home we consolidate suitcases since most of the clothes are now in the laundry basket. If I do laundry while on vacation, I can just take it down to the laundry room, and refold everything into it. Also, it's so easy to just unload into your laundry room once you get home. (wdwwdeagle)
4) There's a product called a Tube Towel that you can purchase at swim meets or swim supply stores (online). It's basically a giant chamois the size of a regular beach towel that folds into the size of a small emergency poncho. It's great for drying off, keeping warm, covering up, etc. and it fits into a hip pack or backpack. We take one to the parks for all kinds of uses, and it dries out overnight hung over the shower rod. (wdwwdeagle)
5)Well, to expand on the laundry tip... you don't have to be driving to bring a hamper with you. You can buy the collapsible laundry hampers now that lay flat in a large suitcase. Pop them open when you get to your hotel and voila... you have a hamper. I would recommend buying one of the sturdier ones as the dollar store versions tend to rip and tear pretty easily. It's also great to carry down to the laundry room! (NewfieFan)
6)Ziploc bags are a necessity with small kids. I always throw a couple in my day bag. They can be used to put soiled clothes in (if something unfortunate happens) and keep leftovers from a meal (kids never finish their food but an hour later they're starving again). (NewfieFan)
7)Also, don't forget travel size packages of hand wash detergent so you can wash your swim suits each night so they are clean for the next day. (Tinkermommy)
8)An excellent way to save on autograph books, especially for those that get to WDW fairly often:
Purchase a mini-clipboard, and let your little one decorate with their name, Disney stickers, etc.
Then simply take Construction paper (cut into rectangles) or colored index cards and different color sharpies and use the clipboards to hold them. This gives the kids the choice to match colors etc, and you just can keep changing out the signed ones for blank ones. It also makes it easier to use the autographs later for scrapbooking or photo albums. (scorp111)
9)Ziploc bags are a MUST when traveling with children!!
Also if anyone was interested Target sells the hand wash Tide packets. (Ella's Mommy)
10) Depending upon the time of year, we take a clipfan to clip onto the stroller (and to use ourselves). The foam blades are nice as they won't take off any fingers .
If you plan on doing laundry, take a mesh laundry (lingerie) bag to help keep little socks from getting lost.
The First Years makes Take & Toss bowls, cups, forks & spoons - nice to carry snacks in or even take left-overs from meals. Since they're relatively cheap and recyclable, you don't feel guilty about losing them or throwing them away after one use.
As we learned the hard way, be sure to take or have your older infant or toddler wear "water-friendly" shoes when you visit the water play areas in the parks! (Ratherb@Disney)
11) For our pre-schooler, I take pull-ups even though she's potty trained and doesn't wear them at home. I've found that when we're at Disney, sometimes kids get too excited to remember to go to the bathroom (or they remember when you're too far away from one to make it in time).
Putting your kid in pull-ups for the day ensures that if there is an accident it doesn't result in a full loss of clothing. (cegrant)
12) - Plan out outfits for the kids at home and put each in a freezer-size ziploc bag. This saved us on our last trip with my 2 DDs (ages 3 1/2 & 1). It was so easy to just grab a bag every morning to get them dressed, and then grab an extra bag to take to the park just in case. Plus, it protected everything from potential spills in the suitcase during travel.
- Bring snacks with you. I bought Goldfish, pretzels, fruit snacks, etc at home and packed them in my suitcase. Then you not only have them for the parks, but for the room too (and it's a lot cheaper than buying them when you get there) (mep517)
13) For autograph books, we buy spiral bound 3x5 notecards. Have the characters sign on the unlined side. Then tear our the cards to put in photo albums with the meet and greet pictures next to it. (brifraz)
14) long drive tips - at the very beginning of the trip, kids get a copy of the Birnbaum's for Kids WDW book to go through during the drive. It has enough pictures to keep the littler ones entertained and I think it is one of the first real books our daughter read by herself. We also give her a pencil to write in the margins (smiley faces for rides she wants to do, frowns for ones she doesn't want to do). We also do a small gift for each state we drive through. It keeps her entertained watching road signs for some time and the prizes entertain for a little while too (dollar store toys are the best). (brifraz)
15)Take a paint pen and wrte your last name in a hidden place like behind the seat cushion, under the basket, under a snack tray,etc. Also helpful at airports.Take a paint pen and wrte your last name in a hidden place like behind the seat cushion, under the basket, under a snack tray,etc. Also helpful at airports. (WDWfqntflyer)
16) use pull ups on anyone 3 and under. No matter how long they've been potty trained, it's a garauntee you'll have an accident at the back of the park durin a parade or while sitting on your lap on the bus. Trust me (WDWfqntflyer)
17) take little baggies of snacks. Little ones tend to get snack-y while waiting for parades to start or for you to get off of a ride. (WDWfqntflyer)
18)When your LO needs a nap but wont sleep, here's a trick. Recline the strolller and walk INTO the sun. It forces them to keep their eyes closed which makes it harder to stay awake when tired. Also, basking in the sun works better than benedryl It can be a natural muscle relaxer and makes you sleepy. Ever fallen asleep while sunbathing? (WDWfqntflyer)
19)use pull ups on anyone 3 and under. No matter how long they've been potty trained, it's a garauntee you'll have an accident at the back of the park durin a parade or while sitting on your lap on the bus. Trust me (WDWfqntflyer)
20) take little baggies of snacks. Little ones tend to get snack-y while waiting for parades to start or for you to get off of a ride. (WDWfqntflyer)
21) When your LO needs a nap but wont sleep, here's a trick. Recline the strolller and walk INTO the sun. It forces them to keep their eyes closed which makes it harder to stay awake when tired. Also, basking in the sun works better than benedryl It can be a natural muscle relaxer and makes you sleepy. Ever fallen asleep while sunbathing? (WDWfqntflyer)
Continued in post 25
1) For strollers. Print out an 8.5 x 11 pic of your kid or something else that your family enjoys. Slide it into a plastic report cover with the a 3 hole punch pattern on the margin for a 3-ring binder. Get some twist or cable ties and attach the picture to the handle of your stroller. Works much better than just a name. Really makes the stroller stand out. The plastic report cover protects your picture from the elements. (ASJHLJ)
2) To mark your stroller: Go to you local Home Depot and pick out several different colors of the Disney Paint Chips. Glue 2 together back to back. Once dried, punch a hole at the top. Tie colorful yarn to the chips and then once on property, attach the other end to your stroller. I usually bring a couple extra with in case some get wet or ripped. (SAV)
3) If you are driving to the World, bring a laundry basket with you. I started doing this several years ago whenever we travel, and it's so convenient to have in the hotel room to put all the worn clothes into. On the way there, we just put a couple of our smaller suitcases/bags into it, and on the way home we consolidate suitcases since most of the clothes are now in the laundry basket. If I do laundry while on vacation, I can just take it down to the laundry room, and refold everything into it. Also, it's so easy to just unload into your laundry room once you get home. (wdwwdeagle)
4) There's a product called a Tube Towel that you can purchase at swim meets or swim supply stores (online). It's basically a giant chamois the size of a regular beach towel that folds into the size of a small emergency poncho. It's great for drying off, keeping warm, covering up, etc. and it fits into a hip pack or backpack. We take one to the parks for all kinds of uses, and it dries out overnight hung over the shower rod. (wdwwdeagle)
5)Well, to expand on the laundry tip... you don't have to be driving to bring a hamper with you. You can buy the collapsible laundry hampers now that lay flat in a large suitcase. Pop them open when you get to your hotel and voila... you have a hamper. I would recommend buying one of the sturdier ones as the dollar store versions tend to rip and tear pretty easily. It's also great to carry down to the laundry room! (NewfieFan)
6)Ziploc bags are a necessity with small kids. I always throw a couple in my day bag. They can be used to put soiled clothes in (if something unfortunate happens) and keep leftovers from a meal (kids never finish their food but an hour later they're starving again). (NewfieFan)
7)Also, don't forget travel size packages of hand wash detergent so you can wash your swim suits each night so they are clean for the next day. (Tinkermommy)
8)An excellent way to save on autograph books, especially for those that get to WDW fairly often:
Purchase a mini-clipboard, and let your little one decorate with their name, Disney stickers, etc.
Then simply take Construction paper (cut into rectangles) or colored index cards and different color sharpies and use the clipboards to hold them. This gives the kids the choice to match colors etc, and you just can keep changing out the signed ones for blank ones. It also makes it easier to use the autographs later for scrapbooking or photo albums. (scorp111)
9)Ziploc bags are a MUST when traveling with children!!
Also if anyone was interested Target sells the hand wash Tide packets. (Ella's Mommy)
10) Depending upon the time of year, we take a clipfan to clip onto the stroller (and to use ourselves). The foam blades are nice as they won't take off any fingers .
If you plan on doing laundry, take a mesh laundry (lingerie) bag to help keep little socks from getting lost.
The First Years makes Take & Toss bowls, cups, forks & spoons - nice to carry snacks in or even take left-overs from meals. Since they're relatively cheap and recyclable, you don't feel guilty about losing them or throwing them away after one use.
As we learned the hard way, be sure to take or have your older infant or toddler wear "water-friendly" shoes when you visit the water play areas in the parks! (Ratherb@Disney)
11) For our pre-schooler, I take pull-ups even though she's potty trained and doesn't wear them at home. I've found that when we're at Disney, sometimes kids get too excited to remember to go to the bathroom (or they remember when you're too far away from one to make it in time).
Putting your kid in pull-ups for the day ensures that if there is an accident it doesn't result in a full loss of clothing. (cegrant)
12) - Plan out outfits for the kids at home and put each in a freezer-size ziploc bag. This saved us on our last trip with my 2 DDs (ages 3 1/2 & 1). It was so easy to just grab a bag every morning to get them dressed, and then grab an extra bag to take to the park just in case. Plus, it protected everything from potential spills in the suitcase during travel.
- Bring snacks with you. I bought Goldfish, pretzels, fruit snacks, etc at home and packed them in my suitcase. Then you not only have them for the parks, but for the room too (and it's a lot cheaper than buying them when you get there) (mep517)
13) For autograph books, we buy spiral bound 3x5 notecards. Have the characters sign on the unlined side. Then tear our the cards to put in photo albums with the meet and greet pictures next to it. (brifraz)
14) long drive tips - at the very beginning of the trip, kids get a copy of the Birnbaum's for Kids WDW book to go through during the drive. It has enough pictures to keep the littler ones entertained and I think it is one of the first real books our daughter read by herself. We also give her a pencil to write in the margins (smiley faces for rides she wants to do, frowns for ones she doesn't want to do). We also do a small gift for each state we drive through. It keeps her entertained watching road signs for some time and the prizes entertain for a little while too (dollar store toys are the best). (brifraz)
15)Take a paint pen and wrte your last name in a hidden place like behind the seat cushion, under the basket, under a snack tray,etc. Also helpful at airports.Take a paint pen and wrte your last name in a hidden place like behind the seat cushion, under the basket, under a snack tray,etc. Also helpful at airports. (WDWfqntflyer)
16) use pull ups on anyone 3 and under. No matter how long they've been potty trained, it's a garauntee you'll have an accident at the back of the park durin a parade or while sitting on your lap on the bus. Trust me (WDWfqntflyer)
17) take little baggies of snacks. Little ones tend to get snack-y while waiting for parades to start or for you to get off of a ride. (WDWfqntflyer)
18)When your LO needs a nap but wont sleep, here's a trick. Recline the strolller and walk INTO the sun. It forces them to keep their eyes closed which makes it harder to stay awake when tired. Also, basking in the sun works better than benedryl It can be a natural muscle relaxer and makes you sleepy. Ever fallen asleep while sunbathing? (WDWfqntflyer)
19)use pull ups on anyone 3 and under. No matter how long they've been potty trained, it's a garauntee you'll have an accident at the back of the park durin a parade or while sitting on your lap on the bus. Trust me (WDWfqntflyer)
20) take little baggies of snacks. Little ones tend to get snack-y while waiting for parades to start or for you to get off of a ride. (WDWfqntflyer)
21) When your LO needs a nap but wont sleep, here's a trick. Recline the strolller and walk INTO the sun. It forces them to keep their eyes closed which makes it harder to stay awake when tired. Also, basking in the sun works better than benedryl It can be a natural muscle relaxer and makes you sleepy. Ever fallen asleep while sunbathing? (WDWfqntflyer)
Continued in post 25
