So you have booked a trip to Disney World! That trip isn't for a gazillion months from now, and you have lots of time!
Except for a small thing called Advance Dining Reservations (which aren't reservations at all, really. They are sort of reservations to be on the list).
What Disney World would really like for you to do is to look at the time period for which you are going to travel. Now look at their schedule and figure out what park you want to be in, on what day. What? You aren't going for 8 months? That's crazy! Except. Do a little research (and trust me, it will all work out) and figure out what park you want to be in, on what day (Touringplans.com and EasyWDW.com both have crowd level predictions based on prior history of attendance which should really help in this planning). Just get an idea of what park on what day and file it away. Also, read over the list of restaurants and what they serve and what appeals to you or might appeal to your family. Character dining is available as well as something called signature restaurants which cost more, but (ahem) should be worth it.
At 180 days prior to your trip, the ability to make advance dining reservations opens up (literally, 180 days) at 6am online, Eastern time, and 7am on the phone.
Now that you sort of have a plan on which park on which day, take that information and make some reservations for dining! It does require a credit card to hold the reservation and if you change your mind, do so before 24 hours prior to the reservation or your card will be charged in full.
Hot tickets right now? Be Our Guest restaurant (BOG), Tomorrowland Dessert party, Cinderella's castle, Chef Mickey's, early morning Crystal Palace and prime time Hoop de Doo Review. Newly revamped California Grill at the top of the Contemporary Resort is great in the evening if you can time it with the Wishes fireworks. The view is lovely.
A personal note, in Epcot, I love Via Napoli (wonderful pizza crust) and in Hollywood Studios, I find the Sci Fi Diner fun (food is ok, sometimes even good but atmosphere is awesome with old thriller movie trailers). When you talk with your friends and with strangers and with anyone, you will find folks who love and who hate the same restaurants. All good. Read the menu, make the BOG reservation (you can cancel later) and relax.
Yes, you will change these plans. You will and it is ok. But a general starting point is good and if you could make some of these reservations early on, it will take the stress away when you try later and they are all booked. It is pretty nice, once in a while, when you are exhausted and tired and maybe hot, to find a lovely restaurant (that you have made ADR's for) and just walk in and have some peace and quiet (use that term loosely in a theme park).
Main Mouse
Parade Magic!
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
The Packing List
So there are several sites which have packing lists. There are several folks who have opinions on packing lists. Take from this what you will. Prepare in advance or do it last minute, it is your trip and your style.
1. Clothes for every day of trip x 1.5 (summer, make that x 2). There will be water rides, swim days, and sweat days (even in the winter, you will have days where you sweat)
2. At least 2 pairs of shoes - you will walk so much, that blisters will happen, two pair will change the pressure points on your feet.
3. Power strip for your hotel. You have cell phones and remote chargers for the parks. Lots to be charged and not that many outlets.
4. A laundry bag or pop up hamper. If your trip is more then a couple of days, you will thank me for this one. Laundry piles up people.
5. Medicines- such as Tylenol, stomach upset, Motrin, and band aids. Blister band aids are golden.
6. Cheap rain ponchos. Some folks swear by the $8 ones in the parks, or you can go cheap route (Academy sports or Wal-Mart or ?) and get disposable for a dollar each. Our last trip was in December, and it never rained. We used our ponchos on Splash Mountain. If you travel in summer, you better bring them and multiples of them. It rains pretty much every single day around the 4 to 5pm time slot. The Disney ones will be replaced if damaged and are of better quality. I prefer the cheap, but it is up to you.
7. Snacks. Breakfast bars will save you a fortune, as will any sort of snack that you enjoy.
8. Sunscreen. Enough said. You need it 365 days a year.
9. Pajamas or something to sleep in.
10. Underwear
11. Swimsuit(s)!!!
12. A remote charger to charge up your phone as you tour the parks. Trent makes several kinds and I believe there are others out there too. We the advent of My Disney Experience (MDE) and FastPassPlus (FPP), and other helpful apps (Lines is one I like, gives real time data on wait times for all attractions and you can access touring plans to reduce line waiting for you), you go through battery power fast. It is very handy to have a charger hooked up to your phone, so it doesn't die during your day.
13. Autograph book and retractable sharpie. If you are going to meet any characters, AT ALL, bring this. Especially for those who don't speak (non face characters like Donald and Goofy), having an autograph book is a nice thing along with the hugs.
14. If staying for nighttime activities, some glow sticks/ glow jewelry. Cheaper if you bring it from home.
15. Other. Night light, zip lock bags (for leftover snacks that you can't finish right away), hat for sunshade (though take it off and hold it during Test Track), mini handheld misting fans (you will thank me later) in the summer, empty paper towel roll (to roll up animation academy art and protect it until you get home), colorful scarf (to tie on stroller for easy ID). Wet wipes (just think of all the rides you go on and hold on for dear life. Now think of all the people who sat there before you. Wipes!).
16. Toiletries. Most hotels have the basic shampoo, conditioner, lotion and soap.
a. toothbrush
b. toothpaste
c. razors
d. hairbrush or comb
e. facial wash
f. deodorant
g. shampoo/ conditioner/ lotion (see list above), if you are mildly allergic to basic stuff.
h. feminine monthly supplies
17. CAMERA and battery and battery charger or extra batteries if need be. Several folks just use their cell phone, several use the new memory maker (WDW's program where you pay up front and get access to all the pictures taken of you at WDW by their photographers). You can always have the photographers use your camera or cell phone to take those special pictures in front of the castle. We didn't use our fancy camera nearly as much as I would have thought. I was too busy riding the rides and being goofy to actually stop and take the kids pictures. Still, I did use it some and was glad for it.
18. Backpack or fanny pack (I won't judge) or cargo shorts with zippered pockets for carrying things into the parks. Our back pack held the autograph books, the camera, the sharpie(s), my wallet with ID, credit cards (which I never used), and extra key to the world cards (which won't be active anymore but you might need them for ??) If you don't need the autograph books, and the camera (use your phone), and you have secure, deep pockets, you are golden and can bypass the bag check station.
19. Magic bands! (if on site, off site and Annual Pass holders will have hard card tickets for now, but magic band testing is happening for AP and hopefully will soon for off site folks)
20. A folder filled with your travel paperwork. Copies of all flight arrangements, hotel confirmations, car rental confirmation, touring plans (if you made these), maps.
21. Envelopes for the maid tips (usually a dollar a day, per person, per room or some folks just leave $5 a day).
22. Trading pins, if you do it. It is pretty cool to get some pins at an outlet (hit or miss if they have them) and then trade them for good stuff behind hotel desk counters or in stores or with cast members who have the lanyards on. They also make for reasonable souvenirs (use that term loosely).
I am SURE there is more, but this is a pretty good place to start.
1. Clothes for every day of trip x 1.5 (summer, make that x 2). There will be water rides, swim days, and sweat days (even in the winter, you will have days where you sweat)
2. At least 2 pairs of shoes - you will walk so much, that blisters will happen, two pair will change the pressure points on your feet.
3. Power strip for your hotel. You have cell phones and remote chargers for the parks. Lots to be charged and not that many outlets.
4. A laundry bag or pop up hamper. If your trip is more then a couple of days, you will thank me for this one. Laundry piles up people.
5. Medicines- such as Tylenol, stomach upset, Motrin, and band aids. Blister band aids are golden.
6. Cheap rain ponchos. Some folks swear by the $8 ones in the parks, or you can go cheap route (Academy sports or Wal-Mart or ?) and get disposable for a dollar each. Our last trip was in December, and it never rained. We used our ponchos on Splash Mountain. If you travel in summer, you better bring them and multiples of them. It rains pretty much every single day around the 4 to 5pm time slot. The Disney ones will be replaced if damaged and are of better quality. I prefer the cheap, but it is up to you.
7. Snacks. Breakfast bars will save you a fortune, as will any sort of snack that you enjoy.
8. Sunscreen. Enough said. You need it 365 days a year.
9. Pajamas or something to sleep in.
10. Underwear
11. Swimsuit(s)!!!
12. A remote charger to charge up your phone as you tour the parks. Trent makes several kinds and I believe there are others out there too. We the advent of My Disney Experience (MDE) and FastPassPlus (FPP), and other helpful apps (Lines is one I like, gives real time data on wait times for all attractions and you can access touring plans to reduce line waiting for you), you go through battery power fast. It is very handy to have a charger hooked up to your phone, so it doesn't die during your day.
13. Autograph book and retractable sharpie. If you are going to meet any characters, AT ALL, bring this. Especially for those who don't speak (non face characters like Donald and Goofy), having an autograph book is a nice thing along with the hugs.
14. If staying for nighttime activities, some glow sticks/ glow jewelry. Cheaper if you bring it from home.
15. Other. Night light, zip lock bags (for leftover snacks that you can't finish right away), hat for sunshade (though take it off and hold it during Test Track), mini handheld misting fans (you will thank me later) in the summer, empty paper towel roll (to roll up animation academy art and protect it until you get home), colorful scarf (to tie on stroller for easy ID). Wet wipes (just think of all the rides you go on and hold on for dear life. Now think of all the people who sat there before you. Wipes!).
16. Toiletries. Most hotels have the basic shampoo, conditioner, lotion and soap.
a. toothbrush
b. toothpaste
c. razors
d. hairbrush or comb
e. facial wash
f. deodorant
g. shampoo/ conditioner/ lotion (see list above), if you are mildly allergic to basic stuff.
h. feminine monthly supplies
17. CAMERA and battery and battery charger or extra batteries if need be. Several folks just use their cell phone, several use the new memory maker (WDW's program where you pay up front and get access to all the pictures taken of you at WDW by their photographers). You can always have the photographers use your camera or cell phone to take those special pictures in front of the castle. We didn't use our fancy camera nearly as much as I would have thought. I was too busy riding the rides and being goofy to actually stop and take the kids pictures. Still, I did use it some and was glad for it.
18. Backpack or fanny pack (I won't judge) or cargo shorts with zippered pockets for carrying things into the parks. Our back pack held the autograph books, the camera, the sharpie(s), my wallet with ID, credit cards (which I never used), and extra key to the world cards (which won't be active anymore but you might need them for ??) If you don't need the autograph books, and the camera (use your phone), and you have secure, deep pockets, you are golden and can bypass the bag check station.
19. Magic bands! (if on site, off site and Annual Pass holders will have hard card tickets for now, but magic band testing is happening for AP and hopefully will soon for off site folks)
20. A folder filled with your travel paperwork. Copies of all flight arrangements, hotel confirmations, car rental confirmation, touring plans (if you made these), maps.
21. Envelopes for the maid tips (usually a dollar a day, per person, per room or some folks just leave $5 a day).
22. Trading pins, if you do it. It is pretty cool to get some pins at an outlet (hit or miss if they have them) and then trade them for good stuff behind hotel desk counters or in stores or with cast members who have the lanyards on. They also make for reasonable souvenirs (use that term loosely).
I am SURE there is more, but this is a pretty good place to start.
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