What Disney Tip Are you really glad you listened to?

[Princess Jemma]

Discount Codes! When I joined Dis last year, I had no idea that discount codes existed. Last June we were able to use a McDonald's code and paid $79.00 a night for POFQ. Then in October we used a room only code and got WL for $139.00 a night. This June we will be returning for our first DVC trip (another tip)!

There are so many useful tips that I learned from these boards, that I can't even begin to mention them all!

What is a McDonalds code?

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Many many thanks to whoever posted the tip about stuffing wet sneakers with newspaper overnight so they dry faster. We got caught this week in Tropical Storm Andrea. We left AK soaked to the bone on Wed evening, shoes included. I didn't have newspaper so I used paper towels and it worked great. The soaked sneakers where nice and dry by morning!

ETA: I am also very thankful for all the tips about how to check for bedbugs (icky!!). I check every bed in every hotel or condo now. Last night on our way home from WDW we stopped at a Howard Johnsons on 95. It had ok reviews on tripadvisor so I had reserved a room in advance. Before we moved all our stuff in I checked the beds. I didn't see any live bugs but I saw the little black tell tale spots around the mattress cording. We left that room in a hurry. The manager gave us a room in another section of the hotel and that mattress was spotless...Thank God I checked cuz that would have been a very unwelcome souvenir!!!

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

On our first trip when my DDs were 6 and 7, we had the dining plan and made all of our ADRs for suppertime. That was a big mistake! By the time we took our afternoon break it was around 2 p.m., using the bus system we didn't get back to the resort until about 2:30 or 3. Our ADRs for supper were usually around 5:30 or 6 and they recommend you leave at least an hour before your reservation if you are using Disney transportation which meant we had to leave the resort by 4:30. This only gave us an hour or 90 min to spend at the resort and by the time you got ready for the pool and allowed for time to get ready for supper, you had only 15 to 30 min of pool time which wasn't really worth it! I am exhausted just thinking about our first trip!!!!

The next trip we made all of our ADRs for lunch for whichever park we were in, stayed until 2 or 3 p.m. and did counter service for supper. This way we had almost no running around and we got to spend a lot more time relaxing. If we wanted to go out later to the parks or to eat somewhere interesting, we did, but we didn't have to.

That's a tip I wish we had been given on our first trip!

We do the same thing and I have teenagers. They come home at 2:30, sleep for 2 hours, then are ready to go back to the parks and can stay til closing. Our first trip we tried to stay open to close, but only made it until 7:00 or 8:00, crabby and exhausted. We have more fun on the new schedule!

 

[nanay2jdr]

Even the little stands that just sell sodas and snacks give out free ice water, at least that was the case in 2011. For example, there is one between adventure land and big thunder mountain, if memory serves. There is hardly ever a line at those. The ice water is a life saver, literally.

The bars also give out ice water and has no line ups.

 

[nanay2jdr]

If you have a reusable cups, use them when you get your QS meal at your resort and grab a bottled water or milk that you can carry with you to the parks.

 

[disbound09]

Lots of great tips here. Any tips to get into BOG for Lunch and Chef Mickey for Dinner without ressie?

 

[anorman]

Lots of great tips here. Any tips to get into BOG for Lunch and Chef Mickey for Dinner without ressie?

 

[seasidespences]

Lots of great tips here. Any tips to get into BOG for Lunch and Chef Mickey for Dinner without ressie?

You don't need an ADR for BOG at lunch...

 

[Hootch]

above, BOG is a CS at lunch. Since it is new and the restaurant is part of a Disney story, the demand is high. Generally, people have been recommending going early like 10:30 to get in line or go later like 2:00.

 

[Freesia123]

Taking a picture of my suitcases before checking them. When they lost my black suitcase I could show them the picture with the brand name and the scratch on it. I'm not sure I'd have gotten it back if I hadn't had the picture.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

We just had lunch at BOG this Tuesday, June 4th. Got in line at 12:55. The line was all the way back to the bridge and about 5 feet onto the bridge, but it moved pretty quickly. We were able to order after waiting 30 minutes. Food came 10 minutes later. The CMs gave everyone waiting in line cold ice water and menus to look at.

 

[Kitkat6595]

Biggest tip we took was mid-day breaks!! We got there when the parks opened and then left around noon for lunch, a swim and a nap back at the condo. Then, by 4:30, we were back to the parks for dinner and a little more touring. It worked wonders and kept the tantrums at almost non-existent (from the boys and parents).

 

[masim]

bumping

 

[11point5]

I have a handful of tips/suggestions that I'm really glad I knew about for my trip last October with DBF! It was my first time planning 100% of my own whole vacation and I spent literally 202 VERY happy days reading the DIS and my Passporter getting ready for the trip!! Here are some ideas:

-if you are starting from scratch (never been to WDW/haven't been in more than 5 years) then I would suggest you buy the WDW Passporter! I got mine on Amazon for about $15 and they update the book every year and it's AMAZINGLY helpful, particularly for its resort outlines (with room layout blueprints and resort maps) and restaurant outlines (it lists EVERY food place in all of WDW and some sample menu items with prices and a little review!) and park outlines (with detailed descriptions about EVERY attraction/ride/even at all the parks so you can pick out the things that sound best to you. Even though I'd been to WDW 3 times before, I hadn't been in several years and this book really helped me get started!

-the Vapur fold-up/roll-up water bottle saved us probably $150 in water costs! If you are not ultra picky about water tastes this is a must have item! It's cheap, light, and takes up hardly any space when it's empty and when it's full you can clip it onto your park bag (I know some have said the Florida water tastes funny? I didn't notice at all, but we had Crystal Light packets with us just in case anyway!)

-pick-a-pearl in the Japan pavilion at World Showcase was one of the most memorable experiences of our trip! DBF still talks about it to this day, and if you want to you can get your pearl set into some jewellery which then reminds you of your trip everytime you wear it!

-Design-a-Tee in DTD!! This was another amazing experience! I literally searched and searched in DTD to find this place, it's kinda tucked away (or seemed like it?); if I hadn't read about it on the DIS I never would have known about this cool opportunity to create your own memorable t-shirt! Very worthwhile and the prices are basically the same as what you'd pay for any old shirt at any gift shop, but here your shirt is unique because YOU designed it!!

-The drawing class at Animation Academy in DHS! A Disney artist teaches a very thorough step-by-step class on how to draw a certain character and you get to keep your drawing!! Makes a great souvenir, especially if you're not naturally artistic! You'll be impressed

-You can't bring snowglobes home in your carry-on! Knowing this in advance saved me a lot of disappointment.

-I also suggest NOT bringing your rolls of pennies/quarters in your carry-on either!! I had mine all stored in MnMs containers and we got pulled aside in the bag x-ray line because the cylinder of metal looked like a gun cartridge on the x-ray!! Oops! Also I've heard that pressed pennies aren't allowed in carry-on luggage, but I had mine in my checked luggage so I'm not certain on this.

-Bonine (aka meclizine) is AWESOME for motion sickness!! DBF hates flying and gets motion sickness really easily on rides but Bonine saved the day EVERY TIME. And it's non-drowsy so it's WAY more convenient than Gravol. Not available in Canada though, but we just picked some up at Walgreens in the US before we got on the plane to Disney

-For Canadian travelers: look into getting an Amazon Visa to use when in WDW because they are one of the verrrry few free credit cards that DON'T charge a foreign currency exchange fee. At 2.5% on EVERY USD purchase, that fee really starts to add up QUICKLY. I wish I had known about the Amazon Visa ahead of time, but this was a tip I learned afterwards. Also consider picking up some pick-your-own-amount Disney gift cards in a Target or Walgreens in the US before you get to Disney so you don't have to worry about carrying a bunch of cash. I drove down to Buffalo a few times in the months leading up to our trip and I'd get a gift card for $250 each time.

-If you'll be at the Food & Wine Festival, get one of the little wristband F&W gift cards! Before you activate the card, think about how much you're planning to spend eating/drinking around the world, and then add about $40 and put THAT much on the card! It's much easier having the wrist one than having to dig out your wallet at every kiosk. **Extra tip: the 'wristband' they had in 2013 was just an elastic band...if you are creative, maybe bring a better bracelet-type thing with you so you can switch out the elastic band** The little F&W themed gift card makes a cute scrapbook item too! OH and get the F&W passport and you can get it stamped at each country you eat/drink at!!! That's a cute scrapbook item too

-Make an ADR for your first night. After traveling for however many hours, and the hustle and bustle of getting your trip started, you'll be really thankful to have something more than quick service burgers and fries for your first dinner. Sitting down to a nice relaxed-pace meal will help recharge you after a day of traveling and set you up for a GREAT trip!

 

[nighttowll]

New best tip:
Type a long post out in word and copy it over. Website messed up, and I had to retype this whole thing!


Best tips we used:

Take pictures of all your stuff before you leave.
This way you dont have to remember what you finally decided to pack and what you decided to leave. This has put an end to us spending an hour searching for something only to realize that we never actually brought it to begin with. We also use this trick when we rent a vacation home. Take pictures of all the rooms, closets, and cabinets. Then when its time to go we can easily put everything that came with the house (pool toys, cleaning supplies, appliances, etc.) back where it all belongs. We can also prove any damage that was already there.

Take Blister Band-Aids
I like these better than moleskin. They are small and you just stick them on like a regular Band-Aid.

Request a room near the bus stop.
The last thing you want is an additional 10 to 15 minute walk after coming back from a long day at the parks.

Carry a small cross body type bag with a zipper top.
If you dont have a stroller or diaper bag and do want to take something, this is the best. If the bag is small enough they will let you wear it on the ride. I even wore mine on RnR. It just has to fit under the restraints with you. This way you dont have to worry about forgetting to get something under the seat or setting it down and leaving it somewhere. Also, with the cross body style, your hands remain free.

Release Tinkerbelle at the MK
You use to be able to release her from her lantern if you were the first to ask to do so in the morning. You got a certificate and stickers for letting her out. Im not sure if this is still going on or not.


Best tips we should have used:

Dont dismiss fright warnings!
10 years old, not scared of anything ever! (watched scary adult movies, not impressed by monsters, witches or vampires, not scared by haunted houses) Id honestly never seen this child scared of anything before, so I completely dismissed every fright warning in every guide book. We get to Disney and ride Dinosaur no problems. Take that! fright guide I think. We did just fine. Then we get to ITTBAB, and the child is hysterical. Traumatized for life, and I really do mean for life. Shes 18 now, and any time that show is mentioned I think she is going to have another break down. To this day, she still refuses to go see ITTBAB.

Dont see Stitch!
Again, why didnt I listen to the guide books! Not only is it pointless, dark, and can be terrifying to children, it actually has a tendency to injure people. Yes, you heard me right, a ride that doesnt even move is injuring people! What happens is that the automatic restraints come down but dont stop like they are meant to. When this happens, the rider gets squished between the harness and the chair. This happened to us, and since then, Ive read about it happening to others. There is no emergency release, and there are no cast members inside to help you. Its an awful experience. You couldnt pay me to go back there again.

Take breaks!
(And stress to the non planners in the group the importance of this)
This one I knew. This one I did. What I didnt count on were the other members of my party who went back behind me and saw all the unplanned unscheduled free time that Id left and filled it all in with new activities and additional ADRs. It basically went something like this. Lets do A. My response, We dont have time to do A. Their response, Sure we do. Theres nothing going on between 12 and 3. Me, You mean where it says  Return to hotel for nap? Them, Yes, that 12 to 3. Who needs a nap? Well, who needs a nap is the child we brought along! who by day 3 is now laying in the middle of the MK crying repeatedly, I just want to take a nap! I dont want to be here anymore! I want to go back to the hotel and go to bed! Moral of the story: Dont let anyone un-plan your down time. It is a necessity for avoiding melt downs later.


The best tip Ive heard for my upcoming trip:
Order customizable silicone bands with your phone number on them. These are waterproof and can be worn by the child the whole trip. This way if they get lost, they can just give the band to a cast member. It took me awhile to find exactly the ones I wanted (colored, glow in the dark, with writing on inside and outside, Disney font). Im doing phone number on inside / Disney 2013 on outside. I ended up having to order a minimum 50 bands. At first, I wasnt going to order because I only needed 5 bands, but then I realized that 5 bands at $7-$10 a band costs basically the same as ordering the 50 wholesale, and those other websites didnt offer the Walt font or writing on both the inside and the outside (a must because I dont feel comfortable with our phone # on the outside). Luckily, the 50 dont have to be the same color, so now we can all wear different colors each day if we want.

 

[whatsarahsaid]

The best tip that I listened to for my trip last week were...

* Free ice water at CS locations. We easily saved over $100 in water doing this!

* Rope drop AND afternoon breaks! It was SOOOO hot and humid last week! By noon I was a sweaty mess! By being there about 1 hour before rope drop we were able to get in the stand by lines for all the rides we wanted and only had a short wait. After the ride we would go and grab a Fast Pass so we could come back and ride again later. It was amazing to watch the crowds build and build as the hours went by. The first two hours we were in the park were fantastic though....low crowds and short waits. By the time noon or so rolled around we had riddes all the rides we wanted to multiple times so we would make our way back to our resort to beat the heat and take a rest. We'd then go back out around 5-6pm for dinner and some nighttime touring.

One tip that I hadn't read on here (probably missed it) that was probably the biggest time saver and also saved us a LOT of hassle and headaches was hopping on the RESORT monorail when leaving MK at park close. The TTC monorail's line was ALLLLL the way back to the ticket turnstiles when we left. Easily an hour-plus wait just to get ON the monorail to the TTC. So we hopped on the resort monorail without waiting, made one stop at Contemporary and then on to the TTC. I cannot even imagine how long we would have waited in the other line.

 

[jaiminee krikit]

12. Bought things when I first saw them

Wish I had thought of this on our last trip. On our first day, we stopped by DTD to wander and my daughter saw a pink Stitch doll (Angel is her name) and wanted to buy her. The display was completely full of this doll, so I thought for sure they would be all over, and if not, still there when we came back later in the week. We never saw her again, and my daughter was heartbroken. We looked in every store at every park. Then on our last day, we went back to DTD and they were gone there, too! We asked a CM if they had any hiding and he said no, but directed me to a desk where another CM could look up where there were more. They were completely sold out at every WDW location. There were a few at a hotel down the street, but I wasn't about to go wandering in unfamiliar territory. I told my daughter "Don't worry, I'll look it up online when we get home." No luck there, either! Well, a little luck, found one on Amazon.com that cost $40! Um, sorry, not for a stuffed animal. But we learned our lesson, if you want it, buy it when you see it because you may never see it again!

 

[newbie2013]

Sorry guys - I have been meaning to post this for months!
I still want to go back to wdw - our trip was so long ago now - we stayed at aoa nemo family suite and loved it!!!!

Hope these make sense

Disney tips

- clothespins for room curtains, to help keep blankets covering stroller on (and help baby sleep!)
- loved the handsoap tip (bring a pump bottle) much preferred it to the bar given
- photo pass is an absolute must
- character breakfasts
- don't let trying to maximize the dining plan rule you , if you are getting the experience you want it doesn't matter that another meal means your plan would be saving you more, just enjoy
- mamma melrose fantasmic dining (Great food - tuna and mahi mahi- and good seats 30 min prior to show)
- have your kids dress up (dd5 wore princess costume 2 full days - come on where else can they do that!)
- buy the dresses before Disney , yes the ones in the park are amazing but they are 65$ and my dd loved the 10$ walmart Cinderella dress And the 15$ Loblaws belle dress)
-bring safety pins to use when your dd stretches the neck of the dress so it shows her chest that way she can still wear it (and if you forget your resort shop probably sells them, some of the best 1.95$ I spent and easiest melt down avoided)
- learn to use fast pass and yes it might even be better for you to get a fast pass even if the ride has only a 10 minute standby since you might prefer to go later
- do soarin (epcot), a definite must and if traveling with little ones don't forget swap out
- sunscreen all before clothes on to ensure good coverage and protection (I think this is what saved us on our one hot and sunny day)
- did I mention photo pass (at least get the pics taken and decide later but if you know you will want it preorder as it is cheaper online than on parks)
- do rope drop (we only did this once and it was great )
- if you plan to be there for rope drop and everyone is still sleeping wake them up!!!! (I didn't that's why we started late at dHS)
- try to have midday breaks
- if you (read your kids) have already had a couple of late nights, don't push them. We had 2 late nights (back to resort at 940 an next night 9) so cut our losses and next night left park at 3 and stayed in and night after that skipped illuminations and it meant the kids could enjoy the days since they weren't exhausted)
- if you can have a car and belong to aaa try to book wih them (or have them take over your reservation) so you can get their preferred parking and drive to Epcot and dHS (prob ak too but we didn't go there)

Have a great time!!!!!

 

[Dittz]

- if you can have a car and belong to aaa try to book wih them (or have them take over your reservation) so you can get their preferred parking and drive to Epcot and dHS (prob ak too but we didn't go there)
!

FYI: in Canada for CAA you DO NOT have to be a member to book your vacation with them!!

 

[acribbs]

Biggest tip we took was mid-day breaks!! We got there when the parks opened and then left around noon for lunch, a swim and a nap back at the condo. Then, by 4:30, we were back to the parks for dinner and a little more touring. It worked wonders and kept the tantrums at almost non-existent (from the boys and parents).

We are going in September and MK is open til 10pm one night we'll be there, 7pm the other night...would you still do a long break you think? I have a 7 year old.