Tips about Disney Cruise Line, Mousecellaneous and Planning
In most hotel rooms we have to play the game to find the electrical outlets. We usually have two chargers for cell phones and have to recharge the battery for the camera, so we always carry an extension cord with the extra receptacles on it. This way everything can get charged at the same time, plus they are all in the same place so you don't forget one that is on the floor behind a chair or something. - Enid Hadfield
If you have a question about WDW and cannot find the answer, email Disney directly. I had questions two separate times and they responded very quickly, within two days. There is a link on the official website to contact them at Guest Services. The email address is [email protected] This was a great money-saver since WDW does not have a general toll-free number!! - Melissa in PA
Can you stand one more tip on not losing your house keys? My luggage has a small zippered pocket on it. I always keep a spare house and car key in that pocket. That way, whenever I get back to the airport from a trip (Disney or otherwise) I have a back-up set of keys available if needed. - IndyMike63
When we were planning our trip to Disney World, we made our reservations at one of the hotels that was on Disney property. Our family is on a budget so it was hard for us to try to save all at once. I called the hotel and asked if I could send so much money each month. The money we sent went towards the hotel bill, like a prepayment. So each month I sent money towards our stay. I made the reservation a year in advance therefore we had all year to send the money. Well, we went to Disney World at New Year's and guess what? Our room was already paid for! I thought I would pass the idea to you since it seems like Disney World gets more expensive every year. - Linda Martin of Mt. Sterling, KY
Heidi Wolff and her husband have developed customized Housekeeping Envelopes to use during your stay at a WDW resort. "We really wanted to let the "mousekeeping" know that we care. The pictures are easy to download and print on a standard printer." http://arwolff.com/heidi/
Wal-Mart has in its camping department an "emergency poncho" for 87 cents each, with hood. These ponchos are so small and compact (size of a postcard) that they were easy to pack and carry in the parks. Rain gear in the parks is $6 for adults and $5 for children. Ours did not come with Mickey Mouse on the back! - David & Sonya Wurm
Before going [to WDW], I purchased several small Disney related items at discount stores and put them in my backpack in the morning. During different times I would bring them out for the kids, such as Monsters candy dispensers while waiting to meet Mike and Sulley. They were a huge hit, and the kids weren't always asking for something. I also made the kids canvas pouches that went around their necks, I painted mouse ears and their names on them. They held their Disney Dollars, pennies and quarters for pressing, and pen and cards for autographs. Their hands were free and they got a lot of compliments on them. - The Zolman family
Just a helpful hint to those planning future trips (we're already planning our next year's visit!) -- Ziploc bags are your friends! We put snacks, cameras, and even aspirin in them and carried them in our backpack. Even when we went on the Kali River Rapids or Splash Mountain we didn't have to worry about anything getting ruined. - Sue Harshbarger
As I sit at my computer researching my vacation, I keep a small notebook next to the keyboard. When I find some valuable information I jot it down. This way I don't have to remember links or specifics and can go back later to get more info. I then periodically file the information in a larger notebook -- restaurants, transportation, hotel info, etc. This helps keep me organized and that is hard to do! LOL! - Lisa
I am the family travel agent, so to speak, and I am very organized in my planning. One thing that I found helpful was to buy a cheap marble copybook from our local discount store. Then I covered it in Disney Princess wrapping paper, along with other cut-outs and stickers of other characters I could find. I use this book to keep track of all of our reservation and flight information, priority seating, as well as a "scratch pad" of sorts to plan our journey through the parks. Since it has at least a hundred pages, I plan on using it as a journal as well, having the kids write down certain experiences, and draw pictures of what they have seen. I plan on using it over and over again, as both a memory piece and a trip planner for the next time we plan on visiting WDW! - T. Porretta who is planning her family's first trip to WDW
