I wanted to share with you even more Disney Tips:
- Wear comfortable shoes. I also brought Crocs for the kids to wear after they did the play/splash areas. I wore Croc flip flops every single day and had NO blisters!
- Bring in a small first aid kit with you to the park.
They do not give out anything free including band aids.I have learned they do have a couple first aid stations that may or may not be conveniently located to where you need them.
- Pack wet wipes and hand sanitizer, you will need them!
- If you are on the dining plan and have a child on the dining plan they do not keep track of children versus adult meals for the Quick Service. So you can get adult meals for all of your Quick Service meals! You can share a meal as well and then "bank" your meals to be used later. If you have leftover "snacks" they can be used at the candy shops for souvenirs to take home!
- Make advanced reservations for character meals. It is the BEST way to see the characters.
- Schedule early breakfasts at the parks and then you get INTO the park before the general public. This is especially nice at Animal Kingdom and Epcot.
- Visit Disney Springs. We really enjoyed it and there is a nice spray area for the kids to play in. I suggest going in the afternoon or for a late lunch or early dinner to avoid the crowds.
- Have your children wear their bathing suits under their clothes or bring a change of clothing. There are so many nice spray play areas that you WILL want to take advantage of. There is one at every park and it makes for a great place to cool down.
- Pack a soft side cooler to take into the park bottled water/juice. Pack snacks too. You will need them waiting in lines. You are allowed to take a soft sided cooler into the park but not a rolling cooler or hard side cooler. They do check your bags every time you enter the park however it was not a major inconvenience and worth the savings. Another tip is to pack crystal light, kool-aid, propel packets with you so that you can add them to water. Water is FREE and if you add one of these you and your kids will enjoy a FREE drink over having to use a snack credit!
- Autograph books: We opted to buy a spiral bound index card book for each of the kids. They used this to collect signatures and then I put them into a photo album with pictures of the kids with the characters once we got home. I also bought a 8x10 size photo mat from Michael's (using a 40% off coupon) and we had the princesses sign that. I put it into a ziploc bag and slipped it into my back pack. The characters really liked signing it and made them feel special. As a result they normally spent a little more one on one time talking to the kids 🙂 Bring sharpie markers for the characters as they need a wide pen to write with.
- Bring your own glow sticks! They are very expensive at WDW and you can pick them up at the Dollar Tree and save money and time purchasing them there! They even have swords, necklaces, bracelets and more!
- My favorite sites for research: www.disboards.com , www.mousesavers.com , www.allears.net and www.wdwinsiders.com
Have fun and enjoy it because it flies by and then you are going to be planning your next trip! In fact if you are lucky enough to get a special promotion while you are there to book your next stay at a discount I suggest considering it!
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Melissa is a soccer mom who has been married to her best friend for 21 years. She loves sharing recipes, travel reviews and tips that focus on helping busy families make memories.
Geri
Fantastic tips! Thank you!!
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
Thanks!
SusanF
We were just at Disney 2 weeks ago and they do give out free First Aid materials. You do have to find the one or 2 First Aid Stations in the park, but they were very helpful. They even gave a supply to take with us as we were having trouble getting the band aid to stick with the sunscreen. I even went back later in the day and they gave me more supplies.
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
Thanks SusanF!
Stacey
We have passes and I always forget bandaids. The first aid locations will give you free bandaids and neosporin too. I really appreciate Disney allowing coolers in the park. We bring peanut butter, jelly, and sandwich flat bread and make at least one meal from home. It is a big cost saver!
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
Thanks Stacey, I was told no free bandaids but I didn't go to to the first aid station. I guess more than anything would be the convenience of getting there...LOL
priscilla
Before our trip last summer, I bought a lot of Disney pins on eBay for less than $1 each after shipping. Got 60 pins for just over $50! Then when we got to the park, I split the pins amongst the kids so they each had some to trade with the pin traders at each park. I also held a few as bribes when the kids were tired or needed an incentive and handed them out. The people who work at Disney have to trade with you if they don't already have the pin you're trading, so it doesn't matter if the pins are duds when they come in. Just make sure they are official disney pins in the description.
Dianna
Taking water flavor packets is a GREAT idea. I did this as well and wrote on our water bottles that we carried in with our names. Then we could fill our bottles as we needed more drink, and when we wanted something flavored, the packets (koolaid, Crystal light, and lemonade store brand flavors are perfect). I also froze 1 bottle for each of us, which also helped keep our sandwhiches and snacks cool so that we didn't have to haul frozen packs in our soft side cooler.
We also ate breakfast at our hotel (which included protein choices), in the mornings, packed our lunches into the parks and then ate dinners at a good nice place on the way back to the hotel each nite. We found it to be a good plan for us and we didn't break the bank. 🙂
Maralea
Great tips!! Thank you!
Robyn
We have a Disney Rewards Visa through Chase Bank. There is no annual fee and 1% of all purchases can be redeemed for Disney Gift Cards. We started putting all of our household expenses on this card and paid off the entire balance every month, so we have never had an interest charge. We have already taken one trip to Disney that was totally free by using the money we earned and we will go again next year and that trip will be completely paid for as well. Also, if you have the credit card, they have a daily special character meet and greet in Epcot for card holders only. You also get a free 5x7 picture.
Crystal K.
Packing wet wipes and hand sanitizer is a great tip! I know how I often I need those things just on a regular basis so packing them for trip into the park would be very smart.
Christy A.
Great tips about what to bring with you in the park! I'll be well prepared next time!
Joan J
Great tip about the swim suits. Such a simple thing but such a timesaver!
jayme cox
PACK ENOUGH SNACKS/DRINKS. THE FOOD THERE IS EXPENSIVE.
ginette4
I would have never thought of bringing an autograph book, thank you for this tip!!
Jeannie
These are great tips.
Angela Dupree
always pack a lunch to save money
Angy
Hit Dumbo first thing! If you wait the line will be horrible and it's not worth the wait!
Maria
Our favorite place to go is Downtown Disney. We only had one day in the park, so when we went the day before to Downtown, it felt as if we had two days
jennifer giordano
I also had my husband bring his camelbak from the army (you can get these at walmart) and we filled it with lemonade to drink while walking around the park- great way to save money
Jennifer Digges
Very inventive ideas!
Teri
Thank you! Another tip that I didn't see posted was about the Child Care stations located in every park - they can be used for cooling down, diaper changes, or breast/bottle feeding babies!
Rhoda S
These tips are so great. I am getting serious Disney fever!
Krissie M.
Love Disney, Love these tips. Also, don't forget to visit City Walk if in Florida!
Charity I
Jiff to go is great. I have used it many times. Using this for dipping apples is is just great!...... Take the Jiff to go on a family trip to the zoo bring your precut apples and you are ready for a good healthy snack.
jenny
Thanks so much for all of your disney trips. Dont forget to find a shady bench and rest your feet and cool off for a while. Maybe with an ice cream or some other frozen treat!
ellen
Great tips!!
G Bailey
I agree about the character meals
shannon
Great tips!
Ashley H
All this Disney talk is making me want to get up and GO!
Bea
Again, great tips. I sure hope I get to go w/the grands soooon. It's up to the children though.
Lonnita C.
You really have all your duckies lined up! What great information that I can really used. Never thought of some of these ideas.
Sheila Vives
More good advice !
Niko O.
Having comfy shoes is so important...you'd hate to ruin a wonderful time by something so simple!
Eric Seberg
Be sure to study the transportation system, it's a real bonus, free and timely.
Sharon Boeding
I agree with comfortable shoes being essential.
Geri
I'm ready to go back to Disney!