Preparing for your Disney vacation
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I first want to let you know that I have been to Walt Disney World 5 times and just recently went to Disneyland for the first time. I know that I don't know everything, but I do have a good bit of knowledge to pass out. Here we go...
Before your vacation
Clothing - My husband, Jon, is all about checking the weather of the locations we're going to be traveling to about a week or two beforehand. It helps gives you an idea of what to prepare for. When we went to Walt Disney World in December 2014, the weather was really nice for most of the time there. Jon actually packed shorts and wore them. I unfortunately packed nothing but long sleeve t-shirts for our son, Michael. We ended up going to the local Walmart to get him some short sleeve Disney shirts to wear. Which brings me to a great tip - if you're wanting souvenir Disney shirts, head to the local Walmart and get them cheaper. Or if you're like me and already have a ton of Disney tops, pack those to wear everyday. Another thing you could do is get family Disney vacation shirts made in advance from one of the many Etsy shops out there. Oh, don't forget ponchos. You never know when it might rain. For our trip to Walt Disney World, our last day was nothing but rainy and cold. We actually have some Disney ponchos from previous trips that we bring with us, but buying a cheap one back home will do just fine.
Food - When we went to Walt Disney World, we drove down and brought snack food down with us. To try and help save you money, I recommend (especially if you have a picky eater or grazer like we do) to bring food with you. Now, if you're flying that's not possible, but there are ways to make it possible. When Jon and I flew down for our honeymoon back in 2004, after checking into our room we drove to the nearest Walmart and got snacks to take into the park with us. We also had a room that had a kitchen so we made our breakfast and a light dinner there. One of Jon's co-workers told him that his wife had ordered all the food they needed for their Disney vacation through Amazon Prime Pantry and it was waiting for them when they checked into their Disney resort. Disney allows you to bring food so, bring snacks and water bottles. This will help make you less likely to buy a snack or drinks during the day at the park. When we were on our honeymoon at Walt Disney World, we took a water bottle each and then refilled them at the bathroom water fountains. I also think that if you ask for a cup of water at any of the restaurants, they're free.
Technology - So many things fall under this category. Before your trip, download the app for the Disney park that you're going to. The app for Walt Disney World is called My Disney Experience and Disneyland's is just that, Disneyland. These apps are very helpful with letting you know about wait times for rides, if rides are temporarily closed, what characters are out and where, and where Photopass photographers are. With the Disneyland app, this is where you can view your Photopass pictures. All of your dinning reservations will be there as well as you fast passes for those at Walt Disney World. We used the apps frequently at both locations. Another app that you might want to download is, Gluten Free Disney Dinning. My sister-in-law actually told me about this app which is great for those like her and my nephew who have to eat a gluten free diet. The app is good for both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Note on Android the app does cost.
So since you're going to be using your phones a lot with the app and probably taking photos/videos, bring your wall chargers with you. Disney has areas throughout the parks were you can plug your phone in to charge. I know that there's a charging area near It's a Small World at the Magic Kingdom because Jon plugged his phone in there while we went to ride it. Don't worry, my mom stayed in the charging area so no one stole his phone. If you don't want to sit and wait for your phone to charge, you could bring an external battery pack to help you out. On our trip to Disneyland we each had one as well as an additional battery that came with our phones when we purchased them. Let me tell you they came in handy while at Disneyland. A tip on saving your battery - when on rides that are in a building, put your phone on airplane mode. With some of these rides, your phone will be searching for service. By putting it in airplane mode, it will quit looking for service and therefore letting your battery last longer.
Even though cell phones have come a long way and can take pretty awesome pictures, don't forget to bring you cameras and camcorders. Having those came in handy when our cell phones died or the memory was full. If you do bring them, make sure to have all charging equipment packed so you can charge them at night in your hotel. I actually took so many pictures when we were at Walt Disney World, I had to transfer the pictures off of my camera unto the laptop so I could take more pictures for the rest of the trip. Make sure you have plenty of memory or a way to transfer the files at night.
Backpacks - They are a must for parents! The best way to carry all of the snacks, glow sticks, electronics, and anything else that you feel you'll need for your day at the park. I have never had a problem with taking bags on the rides. Most rides will have something for you store your bag in on the ride if they don't want them to be loose. There are some restrictions to backpacks - they cannot be larger than 24" long x 15" wide x 18" high.
Memory Maker/PhotoPass - I highly recommend purchasing these in advance. This way you already have it as soon as you hit the entrance of the parks because sometimes there are photographers outside the gates taking pictures. Memory Maker is what Walt Disney World calls their photography service. The cast members that take the photos are actually wearing vests that say PhotoPass on them. We were a little confused at first, since we knew it as Memory Maker. PhotoPass is what the service is called at Disneyland. So worth the money. We got so many great pictures through this service. To learn more about our experience with Memory Maker, check out my post Memory Maker, is it worth it?. I will be writing a post about PhotoPass here soon.
When you arrive to your Disney destination
Buttons - If you're staying on Disney property, let them know at check-in if this is your first time or if you're celebrating something special. They will give you a free button to wear while on your vacation. I strongly suggest wearing them - you'll get special perks if you do! Back in 2014, we wore an anniversary button and at Chef Mickey they brought us a cupcake with a candle on it to share. Little things that help make your vacation magical. If you're not staying on property, you can go into any retail shop in the park and ask for one.
I'm sure there's much more that I could tell you, but I'm completely drawing a blank. I hope this helps with preparing for you Disney vacation. Let me know if there's anything else that you would add to this.
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