. 1. We loved the two-way radios. We had Motorola Talkabouts FR50/60, 14 channels w/ 38 subchannels. Only put batteries in one once in 10 days (dh had put batteries in upside down and they still worked?! We turned them off when we were all together. Used two channels and only had to switch twice. I was able to talk to my ds from the Swann lobby while she was in ESPN. The were a big help in the parks when 1 of us would go to grab fast passes and needed to catch up to the rest of the group. Of course, it helps if the person talking into the radio knows where he is at, can read a map and arrive at the final destination! LOL! We enjoyed just playing w/ them-our catch line became "Can you hear me? Can you hear me now?".
2. I made autograph books for my 2 nieces and bought plain hats for my nephews. I decorated the books with Mickey and Friends stickers and grabbed pens at The Dollar Store. I got fabric pens at Michaels. The kids loved these and the 6 year old turned her new autographs into bilboards during the autograph sessions!
3. My 2 sisters and I all got Tevas last Thanksgiving (big sale) and loved them! Mine did rub me across the top of my foot when they got wet but I think that was my fault. I really hate anything tight on my feet and had them too loose. One of my ds had polio as a child and needs shoes she can buckle securely to her feet; she doesn't have the muscle that lets you flex your feet to keep footwear on. She looooved these.
4. Took little candies and treats for the kids everyday. Just Sprees, whistle pops (I'm really sorry if you were waiting for the Spectro-magic parade at 9 pm on 7/9), gum, Mickey roll-ups, Pooh fruit chews, warheads, and other stuff. I know it's not logical, giving the kids more sugar but they sweated it right out! Just a little bit went a long way in soothing frazzled tempers!
5. Took little containers of Crystal Light, stuck in a Ziploc bag. Covered the taste of the "Metal Water". 1 little container was enough for two water bottels, we like it strong
.
6. TAKE YOUR WATER BOTTLES!!!!!! Never leave with out them!!
7. Hang onto your fastpasses, they are easy to loose
!
8. Use moleskin or the blister bandaids. The blister bandaids kind of melt into your skin and really work. Bandaids (except for the active, waterproof ones do not make it).
9. We took tiny personnel fans but never used them! Too much to carry and Florida is actually cooler that Missouri in the summertime!
10. Take lots of film -- I did but BIL didn't
.
11. If you are planning on making a scrapbook and your mate hogs the camera
. consider taking two. I got really tired of having to wrestle it away from him and now realize all the shots I missed .
12. Realize that just sticking the camera under your wet shirt will not protect it from the rain and it will take 24-30 hours to dry out.
13. Not a bad idea to throw some disposable cameras in the bag. If you loose, damage or otherwise kill your camera, disposables cost about $15 in the World. $30.00 for two!
14. Use Disney transportation. I was always scared of the busses but these worked wonerfully. Just read the boards and realize you can make your own shortcuts. For example, we were staying at the Swann and took the bus to the Boardwalk, it was just a short stroll to the Swann. OR, if you want to go to WL, bus to MK and then take the boat to the lodge!
15. When you need a snack, grab a kid's meal. Tasty and cheap.
16. Get the GOH badges. Worth every penny, loved by everyone. One man asked if we were VIPs. We said, "Of course!". They also listened when we told one group where they had to stand for a ride and a parade!!!
17. The kids loved the goodie bags I made for them. I also made invitations for Chef Mickey's, Cindy's and the Illuminations Cruise--gotta love the computer! These got delivered by Tinkerbelle w/ pixie dust and really made the characters seem real to a almost-7-year-old.
18. If you have small children in the group and this is their first trip, take them, stand in line, and see Mickey early in the day. Katie searched for him everywhere and turned to me to say, "I've been here all day and I haven't seen Mickey yet!". (I had Chef Mickeys scheduled for another day and didn't want to wait in line
19. Don't count on Guest Services or the CM's to make your stay magical. There are a lot of little things you can do yourself. We stayed at PO-FQ and when I told them it would be my nieces birthday, they suggested I call the operator and they could get someone to wish her a happy birthday. I was a little disapointed but had packed my Mary Poppins bag and had lots of magic on hand!
20. Last one: Take time to enjoy being w/ your family. We were there for 10 days and probably missed more than we saw but we enjoyed being together as a family. It really strengthed some bonds and made for great memories.
2. I made autograph books for my 2 nieces and bought plain hats for my nephews. I decorated the books with Mickey and Friends stickers and grabbed pens at The Dollar Store. I got fabric pens at Michaels. The kids loved these and the 6 year old turned her new autographs into bilboards during the autograph sessions!
3. My 2 sisters and I all got Tevas last Thanksgiving (big sale) and loved them! Mine did rub me across the top of my foot when they got wet but I think that was my fault. I really hate anything tight on my feet and had them too loose. One of my ds had polio as a child and needs shoes she can buckle securely to her feet; she doesn't have the muscle that lets you flex your feet to keep footwear on. She looooved these.
4. Took little candies and treats for the kids everyday. Just Sprees, whistle pops (I'm really sorry if you were waiting for the Spectro-magic parade at 9 pm on 7/9), gum, Mickey roll-ups, Pooh fruit chews, warheads, and other stuff. I know it's not logical, giving the kids more sugar but they sweated it right out! Just a little bit went a long way in soothing frazzled tempers!
5. Took little containers of Crystal Light, stuck in a Ziploc bag. Covered the taste of the "Metal Water". 1 little container was enough for two water bottels, we like it strong
.6. TAKE YOUR WATER BOTTLES!!!!!! Never leave with out them!!
7. Hang onto your fastpasses, they are easy to loose
!8. Use moleskin or the blister bandaids. The blister bandaids kind of melt into your skin and really work. Bandaids (except for the active, waterproof ones do not make it).
9. We took tiny personnel fans but never used them! Too much to carry and Florida is actually cooler that Missouri in the summertime!
10. Take lots of film -- I did but BIL didn't
.11. If you are planning on making a scrapbook and your mate hogs the camera
. consider taking two. I got really tired of having to wrestle it away from him and now realize all the shots I missed .12. Realize that just sticking the camera under your wet shirt will not protect it from the rain and it will take 24-30 hours to dry out.
13. Not a bad idea to throw some disposable cameras in the bag. If you loose, damage or otherwise kill your camera, disposables cost about $15 in the World. $30.00 for two!
14. Use Disney transportation. I was always scared of the busses but these worked wonerfully. Just read the boards and realize you can make your own shortcuts. For example, we were staying at the Swann and took the bus to the Boardwalk, it was just a short stroll to the Swann. OR, if you want to go to WL, bus to MK and then take the boat to the lodge!
15. When you need a snack, grab a kid's meal. Tasty and cheap.
16. Get the GOH badges. Worth every penny, loved by everyone. One man asked if we were VIPs. We said, "Of course!".
They also listened when we told one group where they had to stand for a ride and a parade!!! 17. The kids loved the goodie bags I made for them. I also made invitations for Chef Mickey's, Cindy's and the Illuminations Cruise--gotta love the computer! These got delivered by Tinkerbelle w/ pixie dust and really made the characters seem real to a almost-7-year-old.
18. If you have small children in the group and this is their first trip, take them, stand in line, and see Mickey early in the day. Katie searched for him everywhere and turned to me to say, "I've been here all day and I haven't seen Mickey yet!". (I had Chef Mickeys scheduled for another day and didn't want to wait in line
19. Don't count on Guest Services or the CM's to make your stay magical. There are a lot of little things you can do yourself. We stayed at PO-FQ and when I told them it would be my nieces birthday, they suggested I call the operator and they could get someone to wish her a happy birthday. I was a little disapointed but had packed my Mary Poppins bag and had lots of magic on hand!
20. Last one: Take time to enjoy being w/ your family. We were there for 10 days and probably missed more than we saw but we enjoyed being together as a family. It really strengthed some bonds and made for great memories.
