Tips about FastPass+, Planning and Resorts
Before buying the guidebooks, try your local public library. Most libraries have extensive sections of travel books. If your local library doesn't have the book you want, they might be able borrow it from another library. If you decide to buy a guidebook anyway, borrowing from the library first can give you a good idea which book or books are best for your needs. - Becky
ALL RESORTS - Some of the resorts have life vests (child size) that you can use for free at the resort pools during your entire stay. One year we stayed at Beach Club (prior to my daughter learning how to swim), and were told she couldn't go down the slide with the vest on. So she worked really hard and learned how to swim that summer. I just wanted to let you know that there may be some things your child won't be able to do if they are unable to swim "unassisted." Mary W
Mini M&M's tubes are great for storing quarters (and pennies)! I buy the candy for my daughter and when she's done, I "steal" the tubes. Every few days, I fill one up with quarters, and put it in my WDW luggage. When we get to WDW, I'll put one of each (pennies and quarters) in my waist pack each morning, and I don't have to dig through my pockets for change. I also put change tubes in the car so we'll be ready to pay those pesky tolls. I'm ready to press some pennies, y'all! -Ksumn1
I have an important tip for all of you taking a trip during the fall rainy season. My husband and I went last fall and found that one pair of tennis shoes is not enough. If you get caught in a rainstorm, you might be fine in wet shoes the rest of the day, but when you put them back on later that night, it makes for uncomfortable dancing! Buy and break in that second pair of shoes so you have something to wear around while your wet shoes dry.Christie
I will not travel without Ziploc bags, scissors, thread, first aid supplies, a list of everyone's phone numbers, medical cards, an old pair of prescription glasses (in case I break the ones I wear), clothes pins for the hotel room curtains, earplugs (to block out the snoring husband!) and two small flashlights. One other thing I must take is extra instant coffee, creamer and one of those gizmos that will heat just one cup of coffee rapidly. Lynette
FORT WILDERNESS - If you're staying at Fort Wilderness or any of the resorts on Bay Lake and plan on staying to the Magic Kingdom until closing, take the ferry back to the buses, rather than trying to take the resort launches or monorail. We found this to be a much faster and less crowded method. - Jennifer Smith
We are leaving on our 6th trip to WDW and are taking 13 others with us! Something new we are doing this year....we have made 1 reservation a day for everyone (Hoop De Doo, Crystal Palace, Fantasmic, Cinderella's Breakfast......) so to make it easy for everyone we made a spread sheet of sorts with the whole week (calendar look to it) and put all of our confirmation numbers for each day at each location with times included (hotels also). Then we reduced it to a credit card size (still readable) and laminated it. That way everyone in the party has a copy and it is easily accessible!!!! - Gaylia Laird
When planning my vacation, I got a calendar that you can write on, and put on the calendar when to call for dining reservations, reminders to buy things for vacations, phone numbers, anything related to the vacation. Anytime I thought of something related to the vacation I wrote it on. I even wrote confirmation numbers on it so they would all be in the same place. This is a great way to keep reminders for vacation planning. - Donna Rebholz
I went on a Disney Trip with many people and I suggest this for anyone who is traveling in a larger group from one location. Each of us made a little gift for each person. We made notes, bags of candy, tapes with our favorite Disney songs, coloring pages, games, and pictures. Then before the flight each person put their gifts in everyone else's bags. It added a lot of excitement to have a plane packet. My gift was a little more complex, but it was great. It was a journal that had quotes, pictures, photos, maps, and brochure clippings pasted inside. Everyone on the trip wrote in them. Another tip is to have a pre-party a week or two before the trip. We did this before our cruise. We played games, had dinner, read through books and researched little things and just discussed everything. Then we had a post party to look at pictures and videos. - Lindsay
We love to visit WDW over the Christmas holidays. In fact, I've already booked our 2 week December Wilderness Lodge trip. As you know, the holiday season rates at the resorts are out of this world. A few years ago we just happened to stumble on the fact that the rate you receive for your entire stay is based upon what "season" it is when you check in. Thanks to this little known fact, we are checking in on December 20th (the last day of value season) and receiving the value season rate for our entire 13 night stay! By arriving on the 20th (instead of the 21st) we are saving hundreds of dollars. - DZNYNUT35
I was recently unable to book a room for the nights of 2/9 -2/10 to no avail. Then I started asking for the whole week and many things became available. When it became time to pay for the entire trip, I just had them cancel the other days and I kept the nights that I wanted. - Roxanne Stritt
To save yourself some money, and avoid the grocery trip on the way in, send yourself a package via UPS to your hotel. Mark on the package: hold until guest arrival xx/xx/xx (the date). Package up whatever you like to eat: cereals, Parmalat milk, crackers, juice boxes, etc! - Dorothy Kurz
