Post by mccallister84 on Sept 4, 2019 13:24:26 GMT -5
No real tips since we are also going for the first time as a family I. A little bit more than a month but we have been loving the videos out ojt by DFB on YouTube. There are a ton of them on a large varieties of topics (I think she even has a video on the bathrooms!).
Post by countthestars on Sept 4, 2019 13:32:45 GMT -5
Here to answer what works for us! - I like either loose shorts or yoga capris and typically bring jeans for night time. For shoes, my best advice is to have more than one pair. I'm not the most fashionable person at Disney (I'm not the least either...) so I just wear athletic sneakers during the day and flip flops at night. If my feet are tired of the sneakers, I'll do flip flops one day mid-week as well. My kids stay in the stroller for the most part because #lazy so we do crocs or natives or whatever for them. - Since we use the stroller, I like to have smaller bags that fit under vs. something I have to carry or wear. I usually just pack a wet bag with a couple of diapers and wipes, sunscreen, and snacks. Then I just shove sweatshirts, noise cancelling headphones, and waters in the stroller. - Make sure you have a cup holder for your stroller! I love throwing drinks and our phones in there. I love to have a pop up hamper to control the mess in our hotel room, as well as phone chargers with long cords. - I think the GT is much easier to push and I like that you can lock it with your hand vs foot (which I hate doing in flip flops!)
I'd bring one of those external phone chargers. The app, taking pics, etc can all drain your phone battery. It's nice to be able to tuck it into a bag for it to charge compared to deliberately stopping and finding a place to plug in.
We're taking our DDs (5 and almost 3) to WDW for the first time in a few weeks (all planned out thanks to countthestars !).
I'd love some practical advice and tips from those who have BTDT!
-What clothes/shoes to wear? -Best bag to carry? -Anything special to pack? -Which stroller to rent: City Mini Double or Mini GT Double?
I wore Keens and Skechers the slip on sneakers that you can wear without socks. As far as clothes, whatever is comfortable to walk around in. I wore shorts and a tank or t-shirt. Mostly denim shorts but a few khaki material of different colors.
When we had a stroller we had a tote type bag with our water bottles, sunscreen, wipes, extra clothes etc that we left with the stroller. Then I had a crossbody bag with the stuff we couldn't leave with the stroller.
The one thing that I almost didn't bring but was super glad I did is a pop up hamper (from the dollar store).
We've used both the city mini and the GT doubles and both worked fine. The GT has a high weight limit and an adjustable handle. But if your kids are average weight for their age and you are average height, I don't see the need to pay more for the GT.
We just got back. I carried everything in a back pack and stuck it under our stroller or hung it on the handle. Snacks, water bottles(it had 2 side pockets), sun screen, and bathing suits because we went to the water parks when it got too hot. A cell phone charger would be good depending on how long you plan to stay at the parks. Maybe add an umbrella too in case you get caught in the rain.
Wear whatever you will be comfortable in. I wore sandals, shorts, and tank tops.
I packed stickers and coloring stuff for my daughter when we went out at night for dinner to keep her happy. It also came in handy on the plane.
We took our first trip last March. LOVED IT! I planned like crazy and read a lot of tips.
--I got a Baggalini Everywhere bag for cheap at TJ Maxx and it was perfect for me. DH carried a small sling backpack. --We rented a double from Kingdom Strollers but I have no idea which one it was. Worked out great, though! We loaded up the basket every day. We needed layers in March but you will likely have hot weather. We usually just wore shorts outfits/casual dresses with sweatshirts as needed. --I took 2 pairs of tennis shoes and alternated days. No problems. Kids just wore their same sneakers every day. I brought comfortable walking sandals, but we only used those one afternoon. I also brought everyone flip flops for the pool. DD age 4 got super cute Ariel crocs instead of flip flops and has worn them a TON since. --I did bring an external charger but I had a new phone and didn't really need it. I do think that's a good idea. --In my purse, I carried tissues, a pack of Sono healthcare cleaning wipes in case I needed to wipe down tables at a restaurant, small hand wipes from Target travel section (used a TON), hand sanitizer, chewable Advil (my kids get headaches), small wallet, zip baggie with notecards and Sharpies for autographs, phone, sunscreen, Band Aids. I put the folded Disney maps in the outer water bottle flap pockets of my purse for easy and frequent access. --DH carried a couple water bottles in his bag and a variety of sunglasses. We had refillable mugs from the hotel but we hardly used those in the parks. --Got an over the door shoe organizer online and used that in the hotel room. Really liked that tip to keep things organized a bit more--stashed all kinds of stuff in the pockets. --pop up hamper --CHEAP multi-pack of Mickey & Minnie ears from Amazon. --I ordered Magic Band decals for fun from shopemilyg on Etsy and had a really good experience with them. --Also got "bit bands" on Amazon so kids wouldn't lose their blinged out Magic Bands. --Don't forget princess dresses! For dining experiences,\ and/or meeting princesses. --I got these hair bows on Amazon and really liked them, as I had one organized set instead of a bunch of random bows. www.amazon.com/Mybigqueen-Boutique-Alligator-Grosgrain-Pinwheel/dp/B06XGYP5CD?ref_=ast_bbp_dp --I wish I would have gotten cheap noise-cancelling headphones as one of my kids did NOT like fireworks, but we did fine without them, too. --pack of rain ponchos (never needed them--yay!)
We're taking our DDs (5 and almost 3) to WDW for the first time in a few weeks (all planned out thanks to countthestars !).
I'd love some practical advice and tips from those who have BTDT!
-What clothes/shoes to wear? -Best bag to carry? -Anything special to pack? -Which stroller to rent: City Mini Double or Mini GT Double?
I didn't read anyone else's answers yet. But this is what we do:
-DH and I each bring two pairs of sneakers and alternate them each day. That way the sore spots on the feet are all over and not one place. -We use a regular backpack, nothing fancy. I also use a small crossbody. I can keep my phone and sunglasses in it. -I enjoy a cheap pop up hamper to throw the dirty clothes in. With 4 of us in a room for a week+ it makes it feel a little less crowded.
We're taking our DDs (5 and almost 3) to WDW for the first time in a few weeks (all planned out thanks to countthestars !).
I'd love some practical advice and tips from those who have BTDT!
-What clothes/shoes to wear? -Best bag to carry? -Anything special to pack? -Which stroller to rent: City Mini Double or Mini GT Double?
I didn't read anyone else's answers yet. But this is what we do:
-DH and I each bring two pairs of sneakers and alternate them each day. That way the sore spots on the feet are all over and not one place. -We use a regular backpack, nothing fancy. I also use a small crossbody. I can keep my phone and sunglasses in it. -I enjoy a cheap pop up hamper to throw the dirty clothes in. With 4 of us in a room for a week+ it makes it feel a little less crowded.
I started doing this for our travels last year and it's a game changer! When we went to Hawaii we took two so that one could have the sandy/wet stuff since the hotel had onsite laundry facilities.
Post by covergirl82 on Sept 5, 2019 8:30:07 GMT -5
-Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. If I planned to go during a hot time, I would definitely wear a sports bra. As a few pp said, bring a second pair of shoes to alternate or in case the pair you brought isn't comfortable.
-We bought a lightweight/packable backpack and carried the following: refillable water bottles, sunscreen, a small first aid kit (band-aids for blisters, hand sanitizer, etc.), and a few snacks. DH didn't like the backpack because there wasn't a lot of structure to it, so he prefers a regular backpack. I like the lightweight/packable backpack because it's easier for packing in a suitcase and adds less weight (to the suitcase and your back).
-We bring a sound machine for the room to drown out noise from the hall or other rooms. A packable/pop-up laundry basket is nice to bring, if you have room. We also bring laundry pods in case we need to do laundry.
-Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. If I planned to go during a hot time, I would definitely wear a sports bra. As a few pp said, bring a second pair of shoes to alternate or in case the pair you brought isn't comfortable.
This.
We are local and go to the parks often, and comfortable shoes are probably our top priority.
Shoes that are normally comfortable everyday shoes are not necessarily comfortable all day park shoes... standing and walking (and walking and walking) for days is rough. Changing shoes from day to day really can help. Sometimes shoes may work for an entire day, but when you wear them the next day you can tell exactly where they were rubbing the day before, so it is good to change things up.
DH wears sneakers to the parks most of the time, but for me, most of the time I find them to be too hot. Also, my favourite sneakers are supportive and normally comfy, but a little roomy, and I wind up with bruised toenails if I wear them to the park. I usually wear Oofos flip flops, (super cushy soles, so no shin splints), or Vionic flip flops. In colder weather, I have a super comfortable, super supportive pair of Born low heeled booties that I wear.
Bring sun protection. Hats, sunscreen, and clothing that covers your shoulders. I see a lot of sunburned faces and shoulders.
Post by PatBenatar on Sept 5, 2019 15:18:41 GMT -5
I just got back last week from our first family trip. I have a 2 and 7 year old.
Clothes/Shoes: Nothing cotton. I alternated shoes between keens, sketchers go walk, and sketchers yoga mat flip flops. I brought different pairs of shoes for my girls too.
We rented the Mini GT Double and it was a godsend. It was hot and my 7 year old liked the stroller almost more than the 2 year old
Ditto the pop up hamper. Also if you are planning on doing laundry, I brought tide pods and put them in a tupperware container. It was hot when we went so we were changing clothes at least once a day.
I brought my running fanny pack along with a backpack and while not fashionable, it was very convenient! We also had a durable back pack and a lighter one
Other helpful things I brought and used: stickers, putty, kid tylenol, plastic baggies, ponchos, portable fans and cooling towels, blister bandaids and moleskin, portable speaker for white noise, sunscreen, scissors, first aid cream, cleaning wipes
Stuff I brought but didn't need: bitbands, tylenol and tums, aloe, my flat iron (LOL), life jacket for the little one (hotel pool had plenty)
Post by Patsy Baloney on Sept 5, 2019 15:20:39 GMT -5
We went May 2018 after my DD's preschool graduation, and, omg, it was magic. I hope you have an awesome time.
To answer your questions - -What clothes/shoes to wear? We were a shorts-and-shirts crew with lots of different shoes. We had a designated backpack guy (my H), and packed a change of shoes for everyone (our change was usually sandals because we'd start in tennis shoes, but if it was tennis shoes, we'd bring spare socks, too) in the bag. If rain was imminent, we'd change to sandals, and when the rain was over, we'd toss them into a plastic bag we'd packed, and change back to tennis shoes.
We didn't need pants/layers for the time we went. It was 80s all week.
-Best bag to carry? We brought a basic backpack - Swiss Gear, I think. We passed it around, but my H wore it most of the time. My mom, bless her, rocked the fanny pack and kept all of our cell phones in individual plastic bags inside it in case of rain/water ride.
-Anything special to pack? In the park we always had ponchos, change of shoes, portable phone chargers, sunscreen, and spare sunglasses for everyone. We also kept my DD's autograph book in a plastic bag in our backpack. Basically, we kept a lot of plastic bags around in case of rain, but we only had a few poncho-walks to rides.
Otherwise, we packed like a normal trip. I downloaded a sound machine app to each of our phones, since we're used to having sleep noise, and tucked a few books into our luggage for winding down at night before bed. If you're bringing a tablet, I'd just download some books there to save space. We used our park bag as a carry-on, so tucked a change of clothes into it for each of us, just in case of lost luggage, and our park stuff, because we knew we were headed out in the afternoon/evening to Animal Kingdom.
-Which stroller to rent: City Mini Double or Mini GT Double? We went without a stroller, so I'm no help here!
My security line advice - be the guy without the bag! My H and my mom always had to do a bag check for the fanny pack and the backpack. Meanwhile, my daughter and I would sail on through and wait for them on the other side of security. We poked around a little bit at the entry of each park - they all have little gift stands and fun stuff to look at. At Hollywood Studios, we hopped in line to meet Daisy waiting on them. It was great to be able to walk around a bit with DD and not have her trapped in line being whiny or antsy.
My best advice is don't feel like you have to see and do all of the things, because you will come out of it disappointed and exhausted. Especially with kids your kid's ages, i would prioritize that 'must dos' from the maybes. Also, try to strategically go to the indoor/air conditioned rides or shows during the hottest part of the day.
I brought a small purse that i could keep with me and then a slightly larger cooler bag to throw bottles of water and some snacks in. Don't pack anything totally out of the ordinary, if you need bandages, motrin, etc, Disney parks have first aid stations and will accomodate literally anything you need, from pain reliever to tums to first aid stuff. Don't bother with bringing it. Maybe pack an extra outfit for the kids just in case but IME, its so hot that even if they get soaked on a ride or splash area, they dry out quickly on their own. I am always impressed by the lists people come up with for what they bring into the parks but other than consumables, extra sunscreen and hats or sunglasses, i have never found any of that stuff useful and prefer to keep things simple.
And on that note, be ready to nuke some plans because your kids are loving something else or you happen to come across something you think will be cool! Also, things that you didn't even think were going to be fun will be. We found ourselves with some time to waste between fast passes on a particularly sunny day (even for Florida) so we ducked into the Up! bird show at Animal Kingdom.
I was sitting there thinking...meeeeh, birds.
And it ended up being SO AWESOOOOME. My daughter still talks about "the green parrot that sang the same song I sang at preschool graduation." It sang How Much Is That Doggie In the Window, and, for my 5 year old, it was basically Beyonce doing the entirety of Lemonade to a one-person audience
I am a fan of light cotton dresses at Disney. I felt and looked put together but I was probably cooler than a lot of others in unbreathable fabrics. Pack every hair tie you own. I hate having things on my body when I’m hot (backpacks, totes, etc.) so a small lightweight crossbody worked perfectly for me.
Make a loose plan for the day but be willing to back off those plans as the day unfolds. It’s helpful to identify a top 3 so you can prioritize. I also found it helpful to think about indoor vs. outdoor attractions so I could stagger them. And don’t forget to schedule pool time!
Post by dcrunnergirl52 on Sept 8, 2019 6:31:25 GMT -5
Most of my tips have been covered already but here are a few more:
--I keep one or two of these in my backpack, and pull them out if we're in a long line and the kids are getting antsy. (Ours aren't this brand, so I don't actually know if the ones at this link are any good.)
--I know most people like to go early in the morning and leave halfway through the day for a swim/nap and then go back in the evening. That never worked for our family. It always felt like by the time we got our groove, it was lunch time. Instead, we worked better with getting there at park opening and then having reservations for a mid-day table service lunch, and then hitting the park for a few more hours after lunch (getting more FPs at lunch), and then heading back to the hotel in the late afternoon for dinner, night swimming, and crashing into bed.
Post by Doggy Mommy on Sept 8, 2019 9:13:34 GMT -5
Shoes: I do best in Birkenstocks, but I wore them in the rain on one trip and then got a blister on the bottom of my foot, so I don’t recommend that. I alternate with Keens (which are great on rainy days). Dh wears Keens.
Bag: I’ve done crossbody and a mini backpack and prefer the mini backpack. Dh uses a lightweight string backpack. If it might rain or if you’re going on rides like splash mountain, consider how waterproof the bag will be. A soggy bag is no fun!
Pants: i prefer cropped leggings.At Disneyland, where it can get cold at night, I will now always bring extra leggings and underwear in my backpack because walking around in wet bottoms after splash mountain after the sun goes down is a cold and miserable experience.
Items: A poncho or light rain jacket in your bag - In Florida it can rain out of nowhere. Battery pack for phone, water, wallet, mini sunscreen, bandaids, Body Glide, ibuprofen, hand sanitizer.
Clothes: I usually wear longer Bermuda shorts or Capri leggings. I hate when the back of my thighs touch and stick to sears on rides, chairs in the restaurant, etc. If you are comfortable in shorter shorts, running shorts would work well too. H wears golf shorts. Everyone wears T-shirts and sneakers.
Tips: Bring your own Disney souvenirs. You can order on Amazon, or if you have a car, every Walmart close to the park has a good selection. Especially buy light-up or glow stuff if you’re going to be in the park at night (kids love those and they are really expensive in the park).
--I know most people like to go early in the morning and leave halfway through the day for a swim/nap and then go back in the evening. That never worked for our family. It always felt like by the time we got our groove, it was lunch time. Instead, we worked better with getting there at park opening and then having reservations for a mid-day table service lunch, and then hitting the park for a few more hours after lunch (getting more FPs at lunch), and then heading back to the hotel in the late afternoon for dinner, night swimming, and crashing into bed.
this is always what we do. we would never come back to the park later if we tried it.
I third this. We have never gone back to the room mid-afternoon. We get at park opening, or close to it and have a sit down reservation somewhere between 3 and 6. Then we decide if we are done and ready to head back or want to go a little more. We usually head back and relax in the evening. I love the late afternoon table service.
Post by lizrd7579 on Sept 10, 2019 11:21:25 GMT -5
In the parks, we've always done a backpack and rotated between adults. Put a charger in there, two water bottles (easy to refill places), some baby wipes and a few snacks that don't melt.
I choose comfort over fashion, so athleisure and tennis shoes for everyone.