Post your best organizational, space saving and trip making secrets here!!

[pooksma]

Take a digital shot of your family members each morning before you hit the parks. If someone gets lost you have an instant photo to show all the helpful CMs.

I second the wipes!!! Our DS could spill lke no one I have ever seen!

 

[thelionqueen]

Great thoughts everyone! I just got back from our local dollar store and got the toothbrush holder, hanging organizer (they had one for shoes, but this one is 12 pockets) hand sanitizer key chains and more.

Thank you SO much for posting about the 3M stickys. My organizer needs to be hooked by something and I was trying to figure out what I was going to do..no longer, thanks again!

Also like the "everyday" shoe box idea. You guys are really savvy, thanks!!

 

[Cindy's Mom]

Thank you SO much for posting about the 3M stickys. My organizer needs to be hooked by something and I was trying to figure out what I was going to do..no longer, thanks again!

Also like the "everyday" shoe box idea. You guys are really savvy, thanks!!

If you forget the 3m stickys you can just hang your organizer on a hanger - the "Closet" is in the sink area (at least in Mods and Values)

 

[NatalieO]

Well I haven't done this at Disney yet but when me and my kids go to amusement parks I done it. I went to babies r us and bought a messenger style baby bag that goes across the chest that has lots of little slots and is insulated and its so light and it has enough pocket and zippers for anything. Its great!

 

[mjh8955]

I came up with this one years ago. We were getting ready to go to the parks, I had frozen a water bottle that we could refill throughout the day. I realized that if I put a frozen bottle in my small back-pack purse that it would get everything wet. In desperation I searched the room for an idea and grabbed my son's clean white tubesock and slippped the bottle inside. It worked perfectly, nothing in my bag got wet and it also kept the water cold longer. Now I always travel with a clean sock from the mis-match pile. I throw it away when I'm done.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

i second the collapsable throw away toothbrushes!!!

Also we loove doing this:
A magnetic wipe board (dry-erase) we have our DIS SNs on it and then people left us messages all day!! some signed DIS names and others just signed names! we even had CM sign it!! we had to wipe it clean every night as it got soo full sometimes by our lunch break!!! it was such a highlight that DH and i would run to the door to see who would read them first!! This year we are going to bring a butcher block of paper (from IKEA) and that way we will cut it to the length of the door and then we will have it the length of our stay!!

Second we bring decorations for our window!! last yr we went for MNSSHP and we brough Holloween decor for the whole window!! it was great! we are doing the same this year and next year we are going for Christmas and have alread started stocking up with little lights for our window and after christmas this year we are going to get a table top tree on clearance!!! also we have little minature stockings!! woohoo!!

 

[In Luv with Disney]

I bought a travel bag from QVC years ago. I can fit an entire 2 weeks worth of bathroom stuff in there. The full size bottles of everything. 2 kids 2 adults. All in one bag. It has a handle that we hang on the door knob. We love it.

I put all our clothes in ziploc bags, after we wear them they go back in the same bag.

I have this bag too! Mine is Samsonite. It is THE BEST travel bag I have ever seen! I've had mine for quite some time now, and I'd love a new one. But no one has this one. However, LANDS END has similar travel bags, if anyone is interested!!!! I keep this bag FULLY PACKED at all times. The night before I leave, I just go through everything to make sure it's still good and if I need to replace anything, I do so. It's ALWAYS ready to go!

I can't say enough about traveling with zip lock baggies...they are a God's send!!! I don't go ANYWHERE with out them. Always take a bunch with you to the parks as well...in case there is leftover popcorn and you don't want to throw it away, put it in a baggie. If one of your kids gets ice cream from their Mickey Bar all over their shirt, put the dirty one in a baggie. This leads me to my next tip...if you have little ones, ALWAYS pack a change of clothes when y ou go to the parks! If they get messy, you will always have a back-up outfit. (unless you plan to buy them something in the parks, this works out great!)

WIPES....if you have kids, YOU NEED THEM!!!!! (even adults! so much better than regular paper napkins to clean a mess!)

HAND SANITIZER...take a bunch!

SUNSCREEN...don't go anywhere without it!!!

 

[Carrie772]

I love to take the anti-bac handi wipes to wipe hands and tables with. You can use hand sanitizer to clean hands but there is still dirt on them...clean dirt, but dirt all the same!

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Mini spray bottles of OUST air cleaner! they are on clearance at TARGET for .80!! i love em for when you get into those STINKY bathrooms and the like!!

 

[Bunchkin]

I just bought the Oust at Target!!! I told DH I bought him something for our next WDW vacation and he got all excited until I showed him what it was!! He did have a good laugh about it though!!

A few things we always do:

Before the trip I take a 5x7 lined index card for each park and write the hours of operation for during our stay and any EMH. Along with reminders of rides that are a must, restaurants that everyone wants to eat at with a breif description of what they serve (after researching the menus at allearsnet.com) and any ADR's we might have and for when.
Then I laminate them so they are industructible and water proof. We take which ever one we need to the park of the day.

We have Guest of Honor Badges, on each trip I get out the label maker and print out my cell phone # and my name and what resort we are staying at, and put the label on the back of the badge, just in case one of the kids gets lost. They like wearing them and know what to do in case of us getting lost!

We use a pop-up hamper, which is great for carrying to the laundry room.
We bring a small bottle of laundry soap and softner (sold at Walmart).

Prior to the trip we take MAAS polishing compound and shine up pennies for the penny presses.

We make special autograph books for our kids, we take a 5x7 ring binder and punch holes into blank, white 5x7 index cards. We download or scan Disney characters into the computer and then print them out on the cards. We take card stock and cut it to fit in the outside pockets of the binder and decorate them with Disney stickers, stamps and scrapbooking supplies with their names, the trip and date (example: DD & DS's Very Merry Christmas Trip to WDW 2006). We bring along several Sharpie markers for the characters to use. The characters LOVE , absolutley LOVE, seeing their picture and signing on the page. Our kids have gotten so much extra attention each time from our signature books!! And we've had a ton, yes a ton, of people ask us where we bought it from. It's great to tell them we made it! There's only been 3 characters we didn't have in our book, so we always buy the small autograph book at WDW just in case!!

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Bunchkin--BED TIME!

Anyways those autograph books sound tooo fabulous!! i may have to make one for DD and DS!!! (for them yeah right!! haha).


About the shoe organizers--> we use a suction cup with a hook on it we bought at TARGET, it works great and makes no mess!! and totally re-useable! we store it in the shoe organizer throughout the year!

 

[Bunchkin]

I was thinking about using one of those suction cup shower organizers to hold everyone's shampoo and soap in the shower at our resort. There never is enough room in there for everyone's stuff!!

 

[thelionqueen]

You guys are SUPER!! I am on my way to Target this morning to check out the clearance as well as the Oust..my kids and I will be eternally grateful

We also make our own autograph books, and the kids just feel so special because no one else has one just like theirs, you know what I mean?

Keep em comin'

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

The Lion Queen:

you will find the clearance OUST in the exit aisles, you know where all the junk they force you to buy is?! haha...At least that's where it's been at like 5 targets i went to! yes i'm an OUST freak! i bought like 10cans! haah...they are great for a purse, fanny pack, diaper bag!!! woohoo!!!

 

[39CINDERELLA]

Take a digital shot of your family members each morning before you hit the parks. If someone gets lost you have an instant photo to show all the helpful CMs.

I do this with my cell phone, then send it to my email. If the phone gets lost or ????? then I can get the pic off the web.

 

[disgram]

This is a great site!!! I have learned alot and will use most. Ziplocs for clothes is a MUST!!! On a trip to my son's, my luggage was pulled and the Security people pulled everything out!!!! My undies were all over the place and they had their hands on everything!!!! YUCK!!!!! Now I use them religiously. They can see through the bags and no need to TOUCH!!!!
I also am carrying the Tide Sticks. While I am going with teens, they do drop and spill, (heck, so do I!!). The wipes are also a necessity for the same reason! I am also taking Clorox wipes for use in the room. Sorry, but I have read and have seen things in the bathrooms that are just too disgusting. For that same reason, I am taking seat covers for the restrooms in the parks. Am I a fanatic?? YUP!!!!

 

[mumzie2three]

As a result of reading these boards I have or will:
Purchased Payless Crocs (love 'em!)
Bought inexpensive Disney gift/toys to take with us to save money
Bought giant Ziplocks for packing
Bought travel size Tide (at Target, right where a DISer said it would be)
Stay offsite at Windsor Hills (see you there )
Get Fast Passes when it suits us
Go on the KTTK tour
Have Grand Tea at GF
Made ADRs for Boma, Brown Derby, GF and Akershus
Gotten a good deal on a rental car using coupons and codes found here
Found a letter I edited and printed for DDs school
And there's a lot more I'm sure I'm forgetting

 

[zookeeper]

Teach your kids to perform a RAOK (random act of kindness) now & then. DS once gave a coveted balloon to a boy that was really admiring it. We often give up parade seats (DH & I) for those with young kids behind us. Buy an ice cream for the person behind you in line. I honestly believe in paying it forward, good karma & all that.

Along the same lines, I packed a bunch of packages of glow bracelets from the dollar store for our kids to wear. They were a huge hit after dark and a lot cheaper than anything they sell in the parks. During Fantasmic, my boys 8 & 7 gave some extra glow bracelets to some younger boys who sat next to us, but didn't have any. It was awesome to see the faces of my boys and the other boys when they shared such a simple thing. That was $1 well spent!!

BTW, I also did the ziploc bag packing and it saved TONS of time and frustration, especially with my DD who takes forever to choose an outfit. She and I organized her outfits at home and didn't have even 1 hassle about clothes while we were there.

 

[bobcat]

We've used a lot of these tips over the years and it makes our room much more organized, not to mention our packing. Since there are three of us we each get a drawer for our clothes and the smaller drawer holds all of our extra stuff. This keeps the kids junk corralled for the most part. The pop up hamper fits nicely under the sink area and its out of the way.

One item I took last year and loved is a suction cup hook for the shower. I have to use a scrubby and like to hang it to dry. This worked great. I also bring a couple of wire coated hangers. You never have enough in the room and even though I can ask for more these don't take up any room in my luggage.

I also have my emergency duct tape in my bag. I've never had to use it but won't travel without it.

This will be the first year we have flown in a while and I am already stressing over luggage weight. We usually drive so we have expanded our must have's over the years. Any tips to keep luggage weight down?

 

[Swimnoid]

A tiny tip from me but it is a great help to us....I always take a small plastic basket....dollar tree....about 8 X 6 X 2...to hold stuff in the bathroom. They fit on most counters in even the values. It helps keep all your toothpaste, tylenol and bathroom"stuff" neat and easy to find. Also dont forget to bring from home cold medicines, allergy medicines, pepto and such since it is sooo much more expensive there.