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

[Tink-n-MrIncredible]

MYtwinklestar where is the Disney Outlet store?

 

[mom to 3 angels]

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!

I don't know if this has been answered yet, I haven't been all the way through the thread, but you can get both at WalMart. The moleskin is in health & beauty near the foot products. The socks, I bought Athletek moisture wicking socks.

 

[MaryPop888]

Thanks to everyone for all of the great advice. We're going on our Disneymoon in August, and neither of us have been in over a decade. We're sure to use a lot of this wonderful advice!

 

[DEBBYIAC]

rental car. with a diamond parking pass...its the only way to go. 15 minutes between front gates and hotel. worth eveyr penny.

WHAT IS A DIAMOND PARKING PASS?

 

[kimsuenew]

We will NOT being making plans based on EEH, in fact we will avoid them for the most part (we do not have park hoppers and the parks are packed)!

We bring our own Tylenol and Dramamine!

Bring plenty of digital camera "memory"!

Bring Ziploc's into the park, to put all of the cell phones/cameras in, in case of rain or when going on water rides!

I will bring a large bag in my Jansport sling bag, big enough to put the sling in, to keep it dry during storms or water rides.

Antibacterial hand wipes (individually packed ones) and a tiny hand sanitizing gel. Don't get me wrong... washing hands is optimal, however, until you can get to a restroom, or if you accidentally touch something that "grosses you out"... the wipes are wonderful!

We will keep alternating stacks of two quarters/one penny (I am using my diabetic testing strip tubes) so our money is ready when DS sees a pressed penny machine! We also will only use shiny new pennies... from the ones he got in 2007 (in our opinion) the new pennies are much clearer/prettier than those pressed with the older ones!

And finally... we will "use the dickens" out of the Photopass Photographers! It's the same price for that disk, it does not matter if you have 50 pictures or 750! This time, since we often split up as DH/DS ride rides and I just cruise around the parks... we will get two cards, so that we get pictures from all perspectives!

 

[kimsuenew]

For my trip last month in May, I was glad I brought:

1) Dollar Store rain poncho's ( 2/1.00) vs. 10 or 12 bucks at Disney
2) Gum, can't buy it anywhere in Disney I believe
3) Headache/pain killers
4) at least 2 pair of shoes for each person, saves the tootsies
5) my pillow! man are the pillows flat in Disney (at least at POP)
6) extra memory card for my camera~ who would have thought I would take over 800 pictures in 7 days??????

I have to praise the Disney Dining Plan and advanced ADR's also. We had a great relaxing meal every night. PERFECT!

Have a great trip! I wish I was going too!!

We ALWAYS take our own pillows, no matter what hotel/resort/condo we stay in! I don't want to chance anybody else's germs/drool being on it!

 

[dreamin_disney]

disneyred,

I just bought new socks that are supposed to wick away moisture - and so far - they are working well. Now, it is not as hot in Philly right now as it gets in August in Disney, but I'm sure it'll be fine. We sweat a lot and we have always work sneakers with socks while in the parks.

whats the brand or name of these socks. where can i buy some and how much$$

 

[dreamin_disney]

My suggestion is to get those toilet seat covers (Discount drug stores or walmart may have them) you never know when you are going to come across a potty that is all out of them. (Or next time you are in a rest-room with a toilet seat dispenser - take a few extra fold them and store them in a baggie).

great tip! I'll checkout ww

 

[noahdove]

I bought mine at Wal-Mart and there are a few different ones. I bought hanes and Danskin..I like Danskin the best

 

[polineedyan]

I wish I wouldve known that the DSA's at the parks would be nearly impossible to find..especially when I'm nic'in out..grrrrr
I wish I wouldve known that the POR rooms were ridiculously small for our group..
I wish I wouldve known that Space Mountain is nearly impossible to get on and that they close the fast passes so early. One day I think by 3 pm..
I wish I wouldve known that the Luau is a HUGE waste of time and money.
I wish I wouldve known that SWW is a MADHOUSE. I actually cried because it was so crowded.
I wish I wouldve known that ALL my kids would be too wiped out to use EMH..crashed by 10 each night. come on, wimps!
Aside from those gripes, our trip was awesome. Really was.

 

[ChrissyInOregon]

Originally Posted by jenne
I have been a HUGE Disney fan for as long as I can remember, so it is hard for me to believe that I am even writing this, but believe me, it is true. If you are travelling with family, consider renting a vacation home off-site. The last two trips we stayed in one just outside of Celebration. We had our own private pool, tv's in every room, and a full kitchen at our disposal. Three couples and two kids shared a four bedroom house quite comfortably - and at $120/night, you can't beat the price. Being able to prepare some of the meals saved us a lot on food, and made the trips we did take to resaurants all that more special.

We have always avoided the parks with the extra magic hour days since they bring extra crowds. We also know the internal transportation system well enough, that we could park at DTD for free and still get everywhere we wanted to go.
We manage to save enough money travelling this way, that we are able to extend our trips from 7 to 14 days.

$120 a night per family? Or just $120 a night?
That is a great deal if its just $120 a night!

You think that's cheap? We rented a 3 bedroom house in Davenport with pool, two living rooms, full kitchen, for $90/night including taxes!! The house includes two queen beds, two twins, and a queen sleeper sofa. We'll be there July 4-12th, so this is not a low-season rate. There are deals to be found, you just have to look for them.

 

[jellybeans0607]

WHAT IS A DIAMOND PARKING PASS?

AAA gives them out, but i bought mine from Ebay for 9.00. it allows you to park in a designated parking lot as close to the entrance as the handicap spaces. which means no need for that tram!!!

 

[DEBBYIAC]

AAA gives them out, but i bought mine from Ebay for 9.00. it allows you to park in a designated parking lot as close to the entrance as the handicap spaces. which means no need for that tram!!!

IF YOU HAVE TRIPLE AAA CAN YOU REQUEST ONE?

 

[TotalSnowWhite]

AAA gives them out, but i bought mine from Ebay for 9.00. it allows you to park in a designated parking lot as close to the entrance as the handicap spaces. which means no need for that tram!!!

I love the tram, though!! It's like a mini-ride in itself.

 

[jellybeans0607]

IF YOU HAVE TRIPLE AAA CAN YOU REQUEST ONE?

call and find out, i dont have AAA, so i dont know if you have to book through them to get it. but it is free through them.

 

[jellybeans0607]

I love the tram, though!! It's like a mini-ride in itself.

reall? hmh.
i guess we just look at it as valuble time wasted.

 

[Malela9]

We are going in Aug. to WDW and I have a 4 year old that I worry about getting dehydrated. Since you will have a stroller , you can pack:
-a refillable bottle for water or Capri Sun ( This was a lifesaver when dd3 was 2! -we always have to go in Aug.)
-a spray bottle/fan. They are $17.00 in the park. Sure you can buy one and save it for the next trip, they do work great, or buy one cheap somewhere at home.
- pack snacks and put them in ziplocks in the stroller. Unless you are on the Disney Dining Plan, you will get reamed buying snacks. You will get hungry!
-wait until your last 2 days to buy your souveniers. Then you have seen it all and know if you really want to buy it.

Good luck and have fun!
Marla-mom to 3 crazy Disney kids

 

[TotalSnowWhite]

reall? hmh.
i guess we just look at it as valuble time wasted.

Aww, it's definitely a throwback to when I went to Disney as a kid. Love it!! It builds the anticipation! What's an extra three minutes before waiting in line to get your bags checked? Plus my little guy loves anything train-like!! Haha!! His face is priceless when we hop on the tram.

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Aww, it's definitely a throwback to when I went to Disney as a kid. Love it!! It builds the anticipation! What's an extra three minutes before waiting in line to get your bags checked? Plus my little guy loves anything train-like!! Haha!! His face is priceless when we hop on the tram.

Although we're not going to have a car this time around, our experience last summer was the same. Our girls loved the tram and the monorail - it was part of the experience for them.

 

[jellybeans0607]

Aww, it's definitely a throwback to when I went to Disney as a kid. Love it!! It builds the anticipation! What's an extra three minutes before waiting in line to get your bags checked? Plus my little guy loves anything train-like!! Haha!! His face is priceless when we hop on the tram.

if we didnt have a stroller, it possibly wouldnt bother us, but we do. also 3minutes? its a lot more than 3 minutes. its probably more like 20 from your car to the front gate. and thats if you get the first tram you see.
we also do a lot of park hopping. it wouldnt be possible if we had to use the trams.