Disney tips everyone should know

[choppee]

These are great! We also like to take our son to build his own Mr. Potato Head in Downtown Disney. After he plays, we let him pick out a couple of accessories to bring home each trip.

ah, yes! mr. potato head! haven't done that yet. think i might bring sonny boy to that shop this year. and the girlies!

 

[MousekaMama]

ah, yes! mr. potato head! haven't done that yet. think i might bring sonny boy to that shop this year. and the girlies!

We only have boys, so I think this will be on our trip to-do list for years to come. But you're right--plenty of fun for the girlies, too!

 

[DisneyCAL]

You can get park maps at the front gate of each park. However, personally I preferred the Maps from www.easywdw.com cheat sheets

http://www.easywdw.com/cheat-sheets/disney-world-cheat-sheets-maps-touring-plans-and-wait-times/

The maps at the park have numbers and then you have to cross reference those numbers with the actual attraction from a list.

The maps form easywdw site shows pictures with the named rides. Much easier to follow when you're actually there.

PS - Reading other posts, I totally agree with Memory Maker...to purchase it if going with kids and first trip

What a great website! Thank you for sharing this.

 

[Yumi696]

Subscribing because I love these tips!

One tip I have is to either wear waterproof sandals or bring an extra pair of socks. Rain and/or water rides + socks does not equal a good time. Wet socks are the worst.

 

[choppee]

One tip I have is to either wear waterproof sandals or bring an extra pair of sex. Rain and/or water rides + socks does not equal a good time. Wet socks are the worst.

tee hee....think you meant socks!

 

[Yumi696]

tee hee....think you meant socks!

Whoops! How did that happen lol

 

[MyDizneyBoyz]

- As soon as you get your tickets, take pictures of them - front AND back. If you lose them, they can get reissued at a guest services desk.
- Also take pictures of receipts for big-ticket items.
- Take pictures of your kids in the mornings so if they do a runner you can frantically show every nearby CM who to look for... been there, done that...
- We have silicone bracelets for the kids with DH's cell phone number on them in case they wander off. (Okay, we lost one of them ONCE so it's not like this is a trend)
- Bring enough glow bracelets/necklaces to the night time shows to share with those around you. An overtired, cranky parent will appreciate you gifting their equally overtired, cranky child with a glow bracelet as it will give them a solid 2-3 minutes of peace.
- Take pictures of random things (buildings, flowers, murals, monorail, ferry, etc.) so if you do any kind of scrapbooking or make a digital photo book, you can use them as background pictures. I get a picture of the EXIT sign at each park and use them as backgrounds for the back cover of our photo books.
- Remember where you parked if you drive to the park. Text yourself the lot/aisle number.

ETA: If you drive to the park, leave a cooler packed with ice (lots of ice if it's hot) and drinks/snacks in the car for when you get back to it. The little ones LOVE having something cold and refreshing right then and there as we sit and catch our breath before heading out.

 

[isaboo]

Buy travel insurance. You don't have to get it from Disney...there are less expensive options out there. I actually had to cancel a cruise once due to an unexpected medical reason and I was only 28 years old, but we had insurance and were reimbursed 100%. You just never know what can happen and it's really cheap for the peace of mind. Buy it when you book your trip and just consider it part of the trip. Even if you make it TO your trip something can happen DURING your trip.

 

[samsteele]

pack foot first aid just in case

I bring moleskin and a small pair of scissors. I actually apply it to my feet . . . where I know I have had hot spots before . . . in the morning on my first day before any blisters even start. It works well & keeps blisters at bay!

 

[maxiesmom]

My tip would be to make sure the socks you wear are ones you know are comfortable for a long day of walking. I took the advice of many and purchased special moisture-wicking socks for one trip to WDW. I was miserable. I ended up with a lot of moleskin on my feet, and new socks.

 

[samsteele]

purchased special moisture-wicking socks for one trip to WDW. I was miserable.

Absolutely agree & second this. Make sure your socks & shoes are tested & well broken in before you go. Disney is not a good first time for any kit. If you think about, its not unlike walking the Camino. Day upon day or even weeks of hard pounding on pavement and cobblestones. I would also strongly suggest that before they go to Disney people check to see if their heel is lifting up (rubbing) with each step in their shoes. If so, you are going to get terrible blisters. I know from experience. I now make sure that my runners fit well and there is absolutely no heel lift in my chosen pair.

 

[spacefly67]

-
- Bring enough glow bracelets/necklaces to the night time shows to share with those around you. An overtired, cranky parent will appreciate you gifting their equally overtired, cranky child with a glow bracelet as it will give them a solid 2-3 minutes of peace.

Last time we visited, I purchased a tube of 50 bracelets at 5below. While sitting and main for MSEP and Illuminations we took them out and the kids had a blast. My kids don't sit quietly/patiently for 30-40 minutes while waiting for the parade/show to start. They kept them quiet(er), happy, and staying in one spot, and they made a few new friends too!

 

[KurtC]

For me it is cargo pants/shorts. My wife convinced me to load up the pockets instead of bringing a backpack and we flew past long lines at bag check to just walk right into the park. And it solves the problem of where to put the bag on some rides!

And shoes, good shoes. Don't waste all of the $$$ spent on WDW by going cheap on shoes.

 

[Loves The Mouse]

And shoes, good shoes. Don't waste all of the $$$ spent on WDW by going cheap on shoes.[/QUOTE].

So.... True, I always buy my family a good pair of sneakers at least two months before we go to break them in. And also take an extra pair of sneakers too. The walking at WDW is horrendous! It is a very unpleasant experience when one of your troops feet are hurting. ( We dealt with this one year because Some one... "Husband" didn't listen to my advice months before! ) He learned his lesson the hard way.... But we suffered too because he didn't want to walk a lot because his feet hurt. So we left him behind a lot to sit and wait for us we felt awful.

 

[Jess_S]

My tips are mainly from my time in the college program.

• It's not a coincidence that Gatorade was invented in Florida. For summer trips, a bottle of Gatorade or Powerade is a lifesaver for me. It does a better job of staving off dehydration headaches for me than water alone.
  
• I also carry 2 aspirin and 2 tums in my camera case whenever I travel to nip headaches and stomachaches in the bud.
• If you are unhappy with any aspect of your trip, say something! One of the reasons that Disney has such great customer service is that they empower every cast member to address guest concerns. For example, if you're not happy with the food you order at a counter service restaurant, the cashier or person filling orders at the counter can replace it for you or give you a refund. All you need to do is politely say, "This burger isn't cooked the way I like." (or whatever the issue is). The number of unhappy people at Disney really surprises me because you're at a place where 95% of the employees will bend over backwards to make sure you're having a great trip.

 

[allwritemel]

I totally agree. And don't assume you will find rhe same merchandise at every park or gift shop. Buy things when you see them - you may not see them again! If you buy something and change your mind later, you can always return an item at ANY WDW gift shop (not just the shop where you bought it). I've returned items at my resort gift shop even though I bought thm at a park - just keep your receipts!

And about items being delivered - if you're a WDW resort guest, you can have purchases sent back to your resort gift shop for pick-up!

Definitely buy when you see something. I made that mistake last time and the time before - some things I've NEVER seen again that I want! I go in 11 days so I hope to find some of them. This time I'll buy them immediately. A good example was a dvd I wanted. My friend suggested buying it from downtown ... inevitably, when we went on the last day they didn't sell it!

 

[peg110]

Yes!!!! This happened to us several years ago. We drive to Disney and it's a 2-day trip for us so we fortunately found out about it before we got to DW but only because our older sons weren't traveling with us on that trip and they were at home to get the call from the credit card company (actually, there were 3 messages on the answering machine in less than 5 hours -- Chase was really trying to get in touch with us). Which leads me to "part b" of this tip....make sure your credit card company has a cell phone number to contact you! Until this happened to us, we didn't realize/remember that we only listed our home phone number as a contact number for the credit cards.

I hate giving my Cell Phone number out to "Businesses" because that's when all the "Marketing" calls start (even though you say NO to them), although I suspect it won't be long before we get rid of our landline anyway.

Any way, to avoid this situation, I actually "Forward" my home phone to my cell phone so I do not miss those calls. Additionally, I shut the ringer off as well. That way, while we are away, those "unsavory" characters don't hear a phone ringing non-stop and see it as a target. As some maybe thinking, "I am on vacation, I don't want to be bothered by those calls." and you are correct, you still have the luxury of not answering the call and letting it go to voice mail. At least, however, if you get the calls like the Credit Card company, you can then respond appropriately.

 

[davper]

although I suspect it won't be long before we get rid of our landline anyway.

What's a landline?

JK, I haven't had one of those for more than 10 years.

 

[tomatecerise]

You can order on Disney store online 2 weeks before your Check in and your package waiting to you at the lobby.

They are lockers free for 2 Hours near Kali river Rapids.

 

[bluezy]

I hate giving my Cell Phone number out to "Businesses" because that's when all the "Marketing" calls start (even though you say NO to them), although I suspect it won't be long before we get rid of our landline anyway.

Any way, to avoid this situation, I actually "Forward" my home phone to my cell phone so I do not miss those calls. Additionally, I shut the ringer off as well. That way, while we are away, those "unsavory" characters don't hear a phone ringing non-stop and see it as a target. As some maybe thinking, "I am on vacation, I don't want to be bothered by those calls." and you are correct, you still have the luxury of not answering the call and letting it go to voice mail. At least, however, if you get the calls like the Credit Card company, you can then respond appropriately.

I never give my cell phone number out to businesses, either. We used my husband's company cell phone (he always has it with him) for the credit card and indicated that we didn't want any automated calls or texts to that number and that it was only to be used for "emergencies" (that wasn't the term they used, but they implied that the cell phone would only be called for something like a fraud alert) and 4 years later, we've never received any type of call from Chase on that phone so I guess they meant it when they said they wouldn't use it for non-emergency phone calls.