- Make sure you have the Disney app on your phone (all of the phones that are coming) and that everyone has linked up their accounts. This way, when in the parks you will be able to see all your Fastpasses and reservations. Brilliant! This app also tells you ride wait times, and I would also suggest if you download it a few weeks before your trip you can randomly check in and see the waits for the rides you know you really want to go on and schedule your fast passes accordingly. Wait times change for some things. Dumbo was huge, and now it is never anything - so a waste of a Fastpass. You would think Peter Pan would go down - but it is always a 40+ minute wait, no matter what time of year. Just keep checking and you will get to know what to expect, before you even get there. We like to check it randomly too. "Only a 5 minute wait at Splash Mountain this Saturday night when we are in Sunday River and have no plans for Disney anytime soon… Wanna go?"
- No matter where you are staying, order things from www.gardengrocer.com If you are staying at a villa and have a kitchen, and plan on cooking or making some things to save money - then buy everything. Peanut Butter and Jelly, to chicken and milk, yogurt and eggs. They have it all and it is delivered for free to your Disney resort (and then to your room) if you order more than $40 worth of items. If you have a villa, don't forget to also get delivered extra laundry detergent, coffee, coffee filters and coffee to-go cups. I highly recommend this and suggest even if you do not have a villa to order from them and still get: Waters - lots of them, both individually bottled and the liter variety for your entire stay. Sunscreen - why lug it down? And, in that same category - don't forget diapers, wipes, hand sanitizer, and I would suggest - and should do for next time, those clorox bleach wipes or lysol. Bugs do linger here and if it hits one of your family members then you totally want to disinfect the bathroom so that it does not spread like wildfire. Trust me. Wish I had this this trip. Finally, a small cache of medicines - vick's vaporub, tums, children's advil. Think of all of these things like your insurance policies against getting sick. Last night at 1:30 in the am I went to the front desk, and it took 30 minutes but the lady was so nice to open up the closed gift shop and get me the vaporub. I got back to the room and James did not cough again. Without me even putting the rub on him. This is called insurance.
- Don't lug your stroller down - especially if you have a walking toddler. It gets beat up in the plane, and is one more thing to worry about/carry in the airport and travel process. My kids walking around with back packs on in the airport with their essentials in them and nothing more has been the best thing about them growing older. No longer do I need to lug 10 bags, an deal with taking a kid in and out of a stroller to get on the plane, balance bags and kid and things while in a line of people and trying to fold the stroller, etc. This also translates to the parks. All that being said, at nighttime when shopping is at it's peak and sleeping children are prevalent and drinks can be in hand, a stroller is necessary. So, we rented two from Orlando Stroller Rentals. We are using two City Mini-selects. Super comfy for the kids, have nice sun shading possibilities, and ours came with a rain shield and a parent compartment which fits phones and water bottles at the top. I think we are paying a total of $40 per stroller, for 8 days. Not bad. They delivered it to the hotel, and will pick them up. The only bummer about these is the boys have to get up in order to get anything out of the bottom compartment. Other than that, awesome. As for stroller usage at a park, a whole nother post there.
- What else? You can imagine the parks have tons of shirts and hats and all that fun extra stuff. If you are pressed for purchases, visit Walmart, Target, and Kohls - Kohls being the big winner historically here, in advance of your visit and get as many themed t-shirts and hats as possible. EVERYONE is wearing fun stuff, so in order to avoid: "I want a fun hat." Come prepared with the $6 fun hat from NH or NY, and then deflect their concern for getting the $36 fun hat here in FL… This is all being said from someone who buys the Kohl's version, gets here and also gets the expensive version too. I can't help it, but at least I tried.
- Don't forget your reservations! My husband and I look on the people who walk up to restaurants looking to be seated immediately without a reservation with disdain. 180 days out, make your food reservations. Sounds crazy to know what you are eating that far in advance? Then make a few, and as it gets closer, cancel them. You have 24 hours in advance to cancel reservations without a penalty. Some of the specific restaurants that are SUPER DIFFICULT to get into, and thus you really want to be on the phone 7am 180 days in advance (while also online simultaneously to ensure the best possibility) are: Cinderella's Royal Table - which was only recently de-throwned by Be Our Guest, Chef Mickey's, and Fantasmic dinner package, the luau and Ohana at the Polynesian, Victoria and Alberts, Le Cellier, and Boma. All others, you better make some plans anyway, characters means times you want may go fast. Sadly, the only place that is not completely packed ever is Morocco. Not sure why…
- This also goes for Fast Passes! My husband is the winner here, maybe I will get him to write a paragraph on how to manage this madness someday. It is like learning Chinese. In the meantime, I can tell you the top two places (generally, this may vary depending on age and preference of audience) in each park, in late October 2014 you want Fast Passes - I am recommending for a family with kids > 40inches but < 48 inches: EPCOT - Test Track, Soarin. Magic Kingdom - Peter Pan, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Meet Anna and Elsa. Hollywood Studios - TOY STORY, Star Wars, Can you get a fast pass for meet Buzz and Woody, then YES!. Animal Kingdom - Safari, Meet Mickey and Minnie, Kali River Rapids.
tw
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