![]() I have a list of things that I bring with me to Disney World (as I’m sure many people do). I’m just going to list the items that are less commonly thought of (I don’t think I need to tell any of you to bring underwear for the trip :) ). 1) Power strip. This has been extremely handy for plugging in not only cell phones, but camera chargers as well. There never seem to be enough outlets in any hotel room, or, if there are, they never seen to be in a very convenient place. I don’t generally like recharging my camera battery next to the bathroom sink. :) 2) Clothes pins. I read this one on a website a long time ago and thought it was genius. Aside from the obvious (using them to clip wet suits or clothes to the clothes line in the shower) you can also use them to pin the curtains closed so you don’t have that irritating sliver of light shining through that always manages to hit you directly in the eye. 3) Zip top bag. I don’t generally like to carry a bag with me to the parks (I’m too impatient to wait in the bag-check line). I found that keeping a zip top bag with me is useful to put my phone or camera inside to keep dry in case of being caught in a torrential downpour. In the rare event I DO bring some sort of bag with me, I still like the zip top bag as extra protection. 4) Small amount of powder laundry detergent. This is convenient for allowing you to wash a small amount of clothing in your room. Alternately, you can also use the laundry facilities in your resort. They have laundry detergent for you to purchase, but it is obviously cheaper if you bring your own. No, I don’t prefer doing laundry on vacation, but I’m a klutz and prefer even more to not destroy my clothes because I got ketchup on my white shirt on day one of my 8 day trip. (This totally wouldn’t happen as I am not allowed to wear white for this very reason… it would be a different colored shirt.) Bonus Tip! If you wash your clothes in your hotel room sink, wipe the sink out first. Last time we were washing a couple of white articles of clothing and they all turned yellow. The yellow came out just fine when we got home, but it made us panic for a bit. We think whatever cleaning product the Mousekeepers used had reacted with our laundry soap. The next time we wiped the sink out with a little soap and a wash cloth and it was never a problem again. 5) Ear plugs. I am the world’s lightest sleeper. Check the Guiness Book of World Records… you’ll see. Any amount of noise whatsoever will keep me up. I have never had a bad experience at Disney World as far as loud people at night goes, but I’m also not willing to risk it. At least if you have them you always have the option to use them. I’ve also seen recommendations that parents bring them for small children who are afraid of loud noises (like fireworks). They are extremely cheap for a pair of foam ear plugs and weigh nothing to pack. 6) Small laundry bag. I have a nylon laundry bag that I purchased from The Container Store that folds up to almost nothing. We hang it in our closet (off of the ironing board) and use this as ourdirty clothes “hamper”. This is nice because it allows you to neither a) reserve one drawer, nor b) keep a suitcase out to store dirty laundry. And lastly… 7) A night light. No, this isn’t a big secret, but it’s easily forgotten (at least, in my house it is). We even have a separate “travel” night light that ALWAYS stays in our suitcase, yet somehow, it doesn’t always make the trip. Don’t ask, I don’t know either. I hope you managed to find something here that will be helpful on your next trip. Bon voyage! ![]() It can be quite daunting to pick which resort to book for your trip. Which is the cheapest? Which is the closest? Which is the most kid-friendly? Which has the best pools? Which has the best restaurants? I have compiled a list of things I find useful when planning my next trip. I do not work for Disney, this is just my own personal list. :) 1. Decide (at least roughly) which category of hotel you’d like to stay in. Value resorts are obviously less costly than moderates, which are less costly than deluxes. As you increase the price category of resorts you also increase amenities, theming and sit down restaurants. If you can’t narrow it down to a single category, at least narrow it down to two categories. Usually you can at least eliminate one category right off the bat (I would guess this would typically be value or deluxe). If you are concerned about staying somewhere with children, don’t be…. this is Disney World! Children are welcome in ALL resorts… even deluxes that seem “fancier”. 2. How much time do you expect to spend at the resort? Are you going to be at the park from morning till night and just need a place to sleep, or do you like to go back to the hotel for an afternoon swim and possibly a nap? Many people choose to stay at a value resort because they are almost always in the parks, so they can’t justify spending extra money on a hotel room they are never in. Others consider the hotel a huge part of their vacation experience and want the best they can afford. 3. How important are on site restaurants to you? Value resorts have more “food court” type of restaurants, but no sit down restaurants. The deluxes have sit down restaurants as well as quick service. 4. Once you’ve narrowed down your resort choices to a category or two, you can decide where you want to be located. Do you plan on spending most of your time at one park or all parks equally? Do you want to be near Downtown Disney? This can help you cut down on travel time within your trip. For this, I recommend looking at a map of Disney World to see where each resort is located. Some resorts are within walking distance of certain Disney World parks and attractions, others are only accessible by bus. Some are accessible by bus, boat or monorail. As a side note: the Contemporary is the only resort from which you can walk to the Magic Kingdom. From the Boardwalk, Yacht Club and Beach Club you can walk to either EPCOT or Hollywood Studios. You are not able to walk to Animal Kingdom from any of the resorts. 5. If you are on the fence about at which resort you’d like to stay you can always check out ratings and reviews from allears.net. Here you can see what previous guests are saying and what they think. Also, be sure to check out yourmagicaljourneys.com for tons of great resort pictures! |
AuthorBrittany is a Disney fanatic and an agent with Magical Journeys Travel. As a College of Disney Knowledge graduate, she has plenty of expert tips to share. Brittany can help you plan a spectacular Disney vacation and ensure you get the best deal possible... for free! Archives
October 2023
|