Some tips I have learned. . .

[Giselle]

After many trips, I have finally learned a couple of things. Here are my favorite tips, please add some of your own:
1. Bring a mostly empty suitcase so that you will have some place to put all those souveniers for the trip home.

2. Don't plan to go to a park on your last day. Its too hectic trying to pack and checkout and get to the airport. Just take it easy so that you end the vacation on a good note.:wave::wave:

[faline]

1. Bring a potato chip clip with you to hold curtains closed.
2. Bring a power strip with you to plug in all the items that need to be recharged.
3. Eat your big meal (table service) mid-day - menus are generally the same as dinner but often cost less.
4. Take a mid-day break back at your resort - swim, rest and recharge your batteries. Head back to the parks in the late afternoon or early evening.
5. Don't schedule every minute of your day. Make sure you have time to enjoy the unexpected instead of rushing off to the next item on your list for fear of messing up your time schedule.
6. Don't worry about the small stuff. Things don't always go exactly as planned - even on vacation. Go with the flow and you will enjoy yourself much more.
7. Unlike the first poster, I enjoy going into a park on my last day - probably just for the morning, having a nice table service meal and then heading off to the airport for the trip home.

[vicster]

2. Don't plan to go to a park on your last day. Its too hectic trying to pack and checkout and get to the airport. Just take it easy so that you end the vacation on a good note.:wave::wave:

I learned that lesson last September. This year I'll relax by the pool for a while before I have to leave.

[KylesMom]

If you have your heart set on eating at a specific location, make an ADR.

If you are visiting in the summertime, keep hydrated and take breaks as needed.

We are on the other side of the coin - we take the last flight back to Chicago at 8:00 pm & enjoy our last vacation day at MK. Resort Airline Check-In goes a long way towards being able to enjoy our last day at Disney! :mickey:

[Soph and Han's Mom]

get up early!!!

not much i love more than enjoying a morning at the parks when they are less crowdwd AND less hot. then back to the resort for a lovely afternoon at the pool.

another tip i LOVED that i used for the first time last year...get a plastic 'over the door' shoe organizer to use in the bathroom and put all of your toiletries in it...toothbrushes, hair combs, rubber bands, soaps, lotions, etc. we were always fighting for counter space in the bathroom on previous trips, and this not only solved that problem but also kept everything clean and organized. it was easy to roll up and pack when we left too!! brilliant:thumbsup:

[Tink#64]

1. Bring a potato chip clip with you to hold curtains closed.
2. Bring a power strip with you to plug in all the items that need to be recharged.
3. Eat your big meal (table service) mid-day - menus are generally the same as dinner but often cost less.
4. Take a mid-day break back at your resort - swim, rest and recharge your batteries. Head back to the parks in the late afternoon or early evening.
5. Don't schedule every minute of your day. Make sure you have time to enjoy the unexpected instead of rushing off to the next item on your list for fear of messing up your time schedule.
6. Don't worry about the small stuff. Things don't always go exactly as planned - even on vacation. Go with the flow and you will enjoy yourself much more.
7. Unlike the first poster, I enjoy going into a park on my last day - probably just for the morning, having a nice table service meal and then heading off to the airport for the trip home.


get up early!!!

not much i love more than enjoying a morning at the parks when they are less crowdwd AND less hot. then back to the resort for a lovely afternoon at the pool.

another tip i LOVED that i used for the first time last year...get a plastic 'over the door' shoe organizer to use in the bathroom and put all of your toiletries in it...toothbrushes, hair combs, rubber bands, soaps, lotions, etc. we were always fighting for counter space in the bathroom on previous trips, and this not only solved that problem but also kept everything clean and organized. it was easy to roll up and pack when we left too!! brilliant:thumbsup:

:ditto::ditto::ditto: I completely agree with everything said by Faline & Soph & Han's Mom :exactly: We do all of these & I have nothing to add except - Great minds think alike! :high5:

[Disney4us2]

If you have your heart set on eating at a specific location, make an ADR.

If you are visiting in the summertime, keep hydrated and take breaks as needed.

We are on the other side of the coin - we take the last flight back to Chicago at 8:00 pm & enjoy our last vacation day at MK. Resort Airline Check-In goes a long way towards being able to enjoy our last day at Disney! :mickey:

:ditto:That is what we do too. We take the last flight out back to LAX. I do the packing the night before, do the Resort airline check in and then head out to MK. One time even rented a boat for a while.

[Dulcee]

We eek out as much park time as possible. That last morning is always very important.

Don't buy new shoes for a WDW trip. I've learned that lesson that hard way over and over and over and...

[DizneyRox]

I've learned to make people carry their own luggage. It tends to make them think about what they are packing when they are the ones that have to lug it around.

Drinks lots of water in the summer months.

[Touchdown]

Do do WDW in new shoes, but be sure to break them in (have at least one really heavy walking day at home first along with normal day to day wear for a week or so.)

[Genie1953]

The day before we left we slept in a bit, went for a late breakfast, went to downtown disney for a couple of hours....headed back to the resort and packed up most everything....took a nap....and then headed out for a table service reservation at Liberty Tree Tavern and then stayed on for a relaxing evening at Magic Kingdom and stayed to watch spectromagic and wishes on our last night at Disneyworld. The next morning (our last day) we slept in and then got up and went to downtown disney for more last minute shopping and and lunch at Wolfgang Pucks followed by a relaxing boat ride back to our resort. Then we caught the Magical Express bus at 1:30 for our 4:35 Southwest flight. Was a very enjoyable way to end our Disney vacation.

[Beauty908]

Use Touring Plans for the best park of the day (according to crowd) Also this can help you get to your favorite attractions. Utilize the Fast pass--as soon as you enter a park send even just one person to go get fast passes!!

[TinyDancer]

If you take an early flight (and can swing it), don't go to a park the first day. Explore other resorts, ride the monorail, eat a delicious meal at DtD, but just relax. We did this the last two trips and it honestly made such a huge difference. Difficult to do, but you'll be much happier towards the end of the trip.

Note: This really only works well if you have a long trip, otherwise I wouldn't waste the time!

[barbiegirl314]

Bring your own bottled water to the parks with you. If you're staying someplace with a fridge the night before put them in the freezer. When you take them to the parks they'll be thawing out and nice and cold.

If you park in the parking lots take a picture with your cell phone or digital camera of the area you're in so you won't have to worry about remembering where your parked.

To me the most important thing for my next trip will be safety tattos for my ds4. They list all your contact information and if your child gets separated from you the person that finds your child will be able to contact you.

[faline]

Speaking of taking digital pictures, take pictures of the back of your photopass cards - if you lose a card, you can still retrieve the pics with that number.

[DadTriton]

Realize:
The parks are large.
It takes 30-90 (maybe 45 min average) minutes per attraction to walk to it from the last attraction, line up and then ride the attraction.
This means you get maybe a dozen attractions in per day after you subtract the time for meals and parades.
To see more:
Get up early (see poster #5).

I can tell you stories about a lot of friends that were disappointed because they didn't see much. Problem was, they would show up at the park at 11 or 12 when everyone else does.

[goofynmd]

Realize:

To see more:
Get up early (see poster #5).

I can tell you stories about a lot of friends that were disappointed because they didn't see much. Problem was, they would show up at the park at 11 or 12 when everyone else does.

A reason to be thankful for my early rising 6am boys. :D

[Jennifer_and_Chris]

Begin your WDW "conditioning" several weeks before. You will be walking miles and miles even during the "take it easy" touring plans. If you are not used to walking 3-5 miles a day, start conditioning at home. Start with 1 mile and work your way up. You're aching feet and muscles will thank you for it!

This is especially true for children as well. About 2 months out, we replace our evening bike rides with walks around the neighborhood. While the kids are only 5 and 2, they too need to be conditioned for the physical toll.

We prepare the kids for attractions and characters and restaurants and accomodations by watching youtube videos. Cuts down on the scariness and they are mentally prepared.

We also go with 2-3 ground rules for the kids that we talk about over and over and over.... like what they can buy, how much they can spend, saving for wdw, what happens if they don't pay attention, how to spot a cast member if they are lost (youtube helps with this game), what our names are (not just mommy and daddy), resort, and to show the cast member their medical emergency bracelets that have our information and their medical information.

all this prep before the trip helps us all during the trip.

[jillluvsdisney]

I will 2nd the previous poster's tip about conditioning. It makes a HUGE impact if are used to walking a couple of miles a day. I think most new comers to WDW can'tm comprehend how much walking is involved. Start a walking plan several weeks before you arrive at WDW.

My sister used this tip with her kids. She gave each of them a pre paid Visa or Disney gift card at the start of the trip. That was there soda, ice cream, candy and souvenier money. She wasn't opening her wallet all the time, no nagging and the kids had to really think about their budget.

[TinkerbellsMom]

Take a digital picture of your child each morning in their park outfit before you leave for the parks. This way if they wonder away from you, you can show the CM's a current picture of your child. We did this when our DD was very young and didn't know our cell numbers, etc.

[DadTriton]

Most important:
GOOD SHOES
SUNBLOCK
SUNGLASSES

Florida sun will fry you in less than an hour.
Do not bring new shoes - bring shoes you have been wearing a month or more.
Flip-flops are bad not enough support for 7 miles a day and will fly off on faster rides.
A birkenstock type shoe or a breathable running shoe is best.

[homeschool mom]

When my kids were little, I always introduced them to a CM on our first day and pointed out the special CM nametags. I always told them to look for someone with that special nametag in case they got lost.

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

Bring a pain reliever, not just for your legs and feet but for "heat" headaches.

[HoosierDisneyFan]

1) Get to parks right when they open
2) Use Fastpass
3) Make ADRs early
4) Eat early (11am lunch / 5pm dinner)
5) Take afternoon break from park
6) Eat Mickey Ice Cream

[MushuGrl]

Take a digital picture of your child each morning in their park outfit before you leave for the parks. This way if they wonder away from you, you can show the CM's a current picture of your child. We did this when our DD was very young and didn't know our cell numbers, etc.

I don't have kids, but on our last trip, I noticed a lady at the bus stop with us did this. What a brilliant idea!

1) I bring a small bottle of dishwashing liquid with me and "did the dishes" the night before so everything (mainly resort mugs and/or coffee mugs) were fresh and ready to go the next morning. One year I forgot to do this. Ever had a Nescafe' flavored frozen Coke? I don't recommend it.

2) If you're not a big eater, or don't like to feel stuffed while you're walking around the parks, SHARE SHARE SHARE! My big sis and I did this on our last trip - we split our pizzas, nuggets, desserts, etc. Large cokes are not much more expensive than regular ones - get two straws and share. You save money and room in your tummy for yumminess like Mickey Ice Cream and Minnie strawberry bars. Lines are drawn, however, on Dole Whips. Get your own.

3) Do not be afraid of the single rider line. The single rider line is your friend.

[Fastpasssteve]

I cannot emphasize the importance of a disco nap. If you have plans of staying up until all hours with your friends (midnight or later some nights at the Magic Kingdom), you will need an afternoon nap. Even the college-aged Disney visitor will benefit from this. Keep this sacred nap time in mind when making Advance Dining Reservations. Leave time getting to the resort and back afterwords...it may mean the difference between a lovely vacation and tears before bedtime.

...Oh, and hydrate. While the pictures of you being treated by Dr. Mickey in the infirmary may be cute in the photo album years from now, it won't be so comical at the time.

[princessjojo]

We tend to do a lot of the same things on our Disney vacations that we do on others to convenience ourselves. For instance:

carry a small collapsable laundry basket to keep dirty clothes up and out of the way.

though it's a hassle initially, we would get our kids, when they were smaller, their own gift cards for each day. they would know they had $10-25/day and wouldn't be tempted to spend it all at once. They could carry over any unused funds to the next day...

always have at least 1 extra pair of shoes incase of rainy weather.

We always schedule our return flight late in the day so we can savour our last day in the parks. It's not a run, run, run day, but more like a "the one thing you would most like to do again/place to eat again" day.

We try to be real about what can be done in our allotted vacation time and not exhaust ourselves early in the vacation.

The kids plan the vacation, where we eat, what day we visit each park and, before DVC, where we would stay (kinda). Then we, those who pay for the trip, would tweak. But they would work together to plan a day, or would plan days individually for the family, but they felt they were in control.

The biggest tip is research your vacation time. Don't get upset if in June you have to wait 60 minutes in 88° heat for ToT. Be prepared for what you're walking in to...

Always have fun and enjoy...

[PETE FROM NYC]

Too many rental cars look alike.
Put a bright colored bandana on the mirror and rear dash to help you find your car.

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

If you drive to the parks, take a picture of what row you parked in on your digital camera. That way you don't risk forgetting where you left the rental car like we did once at AK with a HUGE thunderstorm heading our way as we were wandering around looking for it!

[MickeyChick]

I have compiled a huge document of tips that I've collected over the years and whenever any of my friends start planning a trip, they ask for it.

If you're traveling with recently potty-trained little ones, stick a pad of post-it notes in your pocket to cover the magic eye on the toilets in the park. Little ones sometimes aren't big enough to block it and can freak out if there's a flush while they're sitting there.

Dark rides can be scary for little ones. Mine guys liked having a small flashlight to carry with them.

I make "If found, please call XXX-XXX-XXXX" labels before the trip and put them on everything, including my kids each morning!

Similarly, a CM told me that something like 60 cameras are turned into lost and found every day with no way to identify them. So at the beginning of every card, I take a photo of a piece of paper with my name, cell number, resort and travel dates so that if I lose my camera, it's easy to figure out who it belongs to!

[Joannelet]

I have compiled a huge document of tips that I've collected over the years and whenever any of my friends start planning a trip, they ask for it.

If you're traveling with recently potty-trained little ones, stick a pad of post-it notes in your pocket to cover the magic eye on the toilets in the park. Little ones sometimes aren't big enough to block it and can freak out if there's a flush while they're sitting there.

Dark rides can be scary for little ones. Mine guys liked having a small flashlight to carry with them.

I make "If found, please call XXX-XXX-XXXX" labels before the trip and put them on everything, including my kids each morning!

Similarly, a CM told me that something like 60 cameras are turned into lost and found every day with no way to identify them. So at the beginning of every card, I take a photo of a piece of paper with my name, cell number, resort and travel dates so that if I lose my camera, it's easy to figure out who it belongs to!

These are great!! I love the post it idea and the flashlight!!!!! :)
Can you send me some more in a pm from what you have collected?

I also lost my phone there on one of the rides. So make sure you remember what your screen saver is etc. Cause they ask you specifics since so many are turned in during the day as well.

[kemps@wdw]

1. get to the park EARLY!
2. Mid-day breaks-especially w/kids
3. ADR's...make them.
4. Power strips-lord knows we have enough electronic chargers.
5. "Travel Light"-to the parks. Avoid longer than necessary security checks.
6. Send all parks purchases to your room.
7. Fast Pass...use it.
8. Extra Batteries
9. Get to the parks EARLY!
10. Take time to slow down and enjoy the scenery.

[Urbss]

I have compiled a huge document of tips that I've collected over the years and whenever any of my friends start planning a trip, they ask for it.

If you're traveling with recently potty-trained little ones, stick a pad of post-it notes in your pocket to cover the magic eye on the toilets in the park. Little ones sometimes aren't big enough to block it and can freak out if there's a flush while they're sitting there.

Dark rides can be scary for little ones. Mine guys liked having a small flashlight to carry with them.

I make "If found, please call XXX-XXX-XXXX" labels before the trip and put them on everything, including my kids each morning!

Similarly, a CM told me that something like 60 cameras are turned into lost and found every day with no way to identify them. So at the beginning of every card, I take a photo of a piece of paper with my name, cell number, resort and travel dates so that if I lose my camera, it's easy to figure out who it belongs to!

Would you be willing to share your "Tips document"?

[Going2HeavenRU]

The last time I went, I took 2 pairs of shoes. I changed shoes each day and it made a HUGE difference. Next trip, I am taking 3 pairs of well worn shoes.

Conditioning before you go is crucial as others have said. Just think, most of us sit at a desk 8 or so hours a day and at Disney, you are walking 12 to 13 hours a day. It really hits you when you are standing at the American EPCOT exhibit at closing time, you are exhausted and you realize you have a couple of MILES to go to get to the buses.

I love to hit all 4 parks on our last full day. We start with the park with Morning EMH and end with the park with the Evening EMH. Our last day we check our luggage, get our boarding pass and take a relaxing stroll down Main St USA. We always end with the Magic Kingdom.

[SandmanGStefani24]

1. Dont overplan! I have made this mistake and it kills me to see people do the same. Remember, you're on vacation. Go with the flow and follow where WDW takes you. Make a very light, loose list in your head of what you would like to do, and leave plenty of room for changes or issues. If you don't, one minor change or problem will derail your entire sched.

2. Take a second look at things. My 2nd trip I blew right by all the World Showcase shops and attractions. Now, I can't imagine NOT stopping at each shop, show, or attraction. You may not think you will like something, but at least try it once. Where else better to do this? You'll probably be surprised...I was!~