Tips about Kids and Packing

In these difficult economic times, a trip to the World can be a difficult goal to accomplish, even without adding in all the extra expenses like a trip to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. On our recent trip we decided that this was one of the extras we would have to forgo. Needless to say, my nine-year-old daughter was very disappointed! On the advice of a cast member, we took her and her younger brother to the Main Street Barbershop instead. My daughter had her hair pulled back and striped with colors of her choice, topped off with a liberal sprinkling of pixie dust for less than $20. Plus, she got at least as much, if not more attention than if we had gone with the traditional Boutique style! - Christie Lamphier

We live near Jacksonville and are self-diagnosed Disney addicts. We visit frequently and came up with a game we play for the day we arrive. The Monorail game is played by each family member picking a different color monorail and a favorite ride in the Magic Kingdom. As we drive onto Disney property we search for monorails. If your color of monorail is spotted first, you win. The attraction you picked becomes the first ride of the day. We usually start picking the color and ride months in advance, planning around closures. Selections can't be changed once we back out of the driveway. We love it. - H. Johnston

For small children who are not used to a double bed, but are too big for the pack-and-play, a great solution is a "nap mat" or blow up bed that can be packed and taken to the World with you. We honor the room head count restriction, of course, but instead of making them sleep together in an unfamiliar double bed, each child gets their own familiar blow-up bed, and the extra bed becomes our gear sorting/storing/organizing area. We have done this on more than one trip, and have never had a problem. - Naomi

For small children who are not used to a double bed, but are too big for the pack-and-play, a great solution is a "nap mat" or blow up bed that can be packed and taken to the World with you. We honor the room head count restriction, of course, but instead of making them sleep together in an unfamiliar double bed, each child gets their own familiar blow-up bed, and the extra bed becomes our gear sorting/storing/organizing area. We have done this on more than one trip, and have never had a problem. - Naomi

I picked up a couple tips from other people on my recent trip. One was for laundry. I put one garbage bag, a few dryer sheets and some laundry soap in an airtight container. Then I had everything together for wash time. The other tip was for the bathroom. I bought a see-through plastic shoe rack. I kept all my bathroom items in it like hairspray, shampoo, brush and so on. It kept everything off the counter and it was easy to see each item. You hang the shoe rack in the closet. Have a great trip! - Kristen Cranmer

CHRISTMAS - This tip is helpful any time of year, but for Christmas season we use red and green glow sticks or necklaces and tie them to our stroller to help us find it a little easier in the dark! We used pink for my daughter's birthday visit while at the Pirate & Princess Party. Any added touch to personalize your stroller is helpful, especially when the strollers are moved around while you are on the ride (the stroller parking in Fantasyland is always busy and the cast members constantly keep things organized to run smoothly). - Suzanne from NH

My kids, ages 7 and 9, take me to Disney World for a three-day weekend about six times a year. Through our many trips, we have come to learn that it's necessary for us to have enough energy to enjoy ourselves and eat as healthy as possible. It also cuts down on the whining that occurs when kids are bored and tired and hungry, and saves us some money as well. As a routine, each night each kid packs himself parent-approved snack bags, brought from home or bought in the gift store, divided up into those little snack bags (fruit roll-ups, Chip n' Dale pretzels, raisins, grapes, etc.). My kids are usually OK with about four to six little snacks apiece. The kids are then responsible for their own fanny pack all day and can help themselves to what snack they want when they want without whining or fighting or arguing. I keep additional snack baggies in my purse for those times when we indulge in some Cheetohs or chips in the park so the kids can share more easily or save for later. It works well for us!! - Ellen Holbrook

As regular visitors (from England) to the World, I know how many Mickey stickers you can be given on one trip. So this year, instead of putting them on our t-shirts, we took all of them home and my 7-year-old son gave them to his classmates as a "vacation present". There were enough for the whole class and they all immediately stuck them on to their homework folders, rather than on their clothes, so they can keep them. It was also a much healthier alternative to the usual sweets that the other children give out after they've been on holiday. - Louise Herrick

ANIMAL KINGDOM - To encourage our children to take some time and enjoy the magnificent Tree of Life, we created a Tree of Life Scavenger Hunt Game. Prior to our trip we created a list of 50 or so animals that we thought might be found on the Tree of Life. We made two copies of the list and then at the Animal Kingdom divided the family into two groups for the game. After deciding on a meeting place and time (20 minutes is plenty) each team travels around the tree marking off animals found. The team with the most animals wins. Note for each minute late, there is a penalty of one animal. Last time, the winning team each got a $10 souvenir. Another time the winning team got to choose the next ride. Have fun! - Diane Parkansky

My mom suggested this one: Pack swimmers' towels in the diaper bag to dry off kids after playing in water attractions. They are super small so they take up no more room than a burp cloth, yet are very absorbent. They wring out and dry really quickly. You can get them at most sporting goods stores, but an online search will find swim stores that have them cheaper. We'll be packing two on our trip next week. - Ashley Estapa

Meg Beriau shares some tips for 5- to 8-year-olds:

We go to Walt Disney World a couple of times each year, thanks to our DVC membership, and have learned a lot over the years:

-- One trick we found that works great is that we bring our MP3 players to the fireworks, if the noise is too much for the younger ones they can listen to their Disney favorites without the loud sounds, especially at Epcot!

-- Glo-Sticks! This is family favorite. I always stock up before we go, double bag them in checked bags and carry them along to the parks. They are always a big hit with the kids and it makes it easier to see the kids when things get dark at night or in rides. If a child jumps out of the stroller, you can see them better with a glo necklace or bracelet.

-- Crocs, the official footwear for our kids at Disney! We put socks on with them for plane travel, but they are great when we get to sunny Florida! I like that the toes are protected, but not sweaty and if they get wet, it is not a big deal since they dry quickly.

-- We also pack snacks and small cereal boxes in the carry on bags. It makes a cheaper and usually preferred alternative to the expensive snacks available in the parks. The kids can have a dry cereal in the morning before we head off to grab breakfast and we have the smaller portion snacks to offer all day in the parks without waiting in line and spending a lot of extra money.

I bought a half yard each of featherweight and medium-weight NON-fusible interfacing at a fabric store. I cut the interfacing into 6" x 6" squares, squirted a small amount of liquid dish detergent on each, folded the squares, and stowed them in a couple of freezer zipper top bags. The lightweight ones are soft enough for eyeglasses, and the heavier ones are great for washing dishes. Voila! - Mary Vinson

Dawn makes a presoaped pad. They are individually wrapped and have soap in them. They are wonderful. Just be sure and pack it in a ziplock baggie, because once you open it, if you have something to put it in, you will get more uses out of it. We found it a great product to have around and you don't have to worry about the bottle spilling, or having wash cloths handy. - Dawn Clark

I bring along the Palmolive dish detergent cloths. They are slightly abrasive cloths (about 7 inches square) and have the detergent built in them (dry) and they suds up when wet. I cut mine in halves or quarters for doing light items like bottles, cups, etc. They are great because they can go on planes and there is no liquid to spill. - Jennifer Frawley

Our last trip to Walt Disney World was our first with a little one. I thought I did such a great job packing, remembering all the important baby things -- special toys, sippy cups, favorite blanket, pacifier, and all that. But I completely forgot to bring one important thing -- dish detergent to wash those sippy cups and pacifier! Now that we are planning our next trip for the fall, I have that on the top of my list! - Elizabeth Doda