Favourite Top Tips in Florida?

[Reetser]

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Reading through peoples itineraries and planning our own each year got me thinking as to what everyone's fave tip(s) are with their holiday. It might be something major, it might be something minor.

I have read loads of things on the net that say things like:

The best days to visit parks, the best routes to take in parks, the best way to get picked for parades, the best way to see a parade, the best way to see the fireworks, the best place to see a character, the best place to eat, the best way to ride and re-ride etc etc and it got me thinking as to what are 'dibbers' best tips that they have picked up along the way to make their holidays that little bit better!

I suppose it's that little bit of info that you tell your best friend when they are going for that first time and you say "oh you must ... "

So here is a collection from the Dibb! Please keep the contribution going so the thread stays alive.

We now have over 140 tips listed and categorised below!

General Florida Tips

* Get a hold of some USA mobile phones (or walkie talkies), it is so much easier if you can separate and know you will be able to phone each other when it's time to find each other again. (WALMART/TARGET)
* Take a (small lead) extension strip to charge all those electrical items like phones and cameras. This saves on the number of adapter plugs you need,
* Don't 'over do' the itinerary. Plan in rest days.
* Don't stick rigidly to an itinerary if you have kids. Go at their pace.
* Book your Advance Dining Reservations (ADR's) before you go (upto 6 months before) but don't over do them. Read this link for more on ADR's
* Set a daily budget, and stick to it.
* Make a budget for each days food and then put the money in individual envelopes. Put any left over money in another envelope and use it at the end of the holiday for a treat.
* Photocopy your passports and driving licence before you go so you have all details in case of problems and you can use a photocopy of the back page for ID purposes, like when using travellers cheques. Also if you can scan them into your computer and forward them to your online mail account (like Hotmail) for easy future access.
* As an option to photocopying join someone like Sentinel (£20) and they can replace all lost information inside 24 hours.
* Give older kids a daily budget and make it clear that when its gone its gone. It stops the constant battle of 'can I have...' 'NO!'
* Ask your hotel for a late check out of your hotel.
* DTD check in with Virgin - highly recommend it! get there about 0800-08.30 that way you get rid of your luggage early and go for brekkie at dtd.
* Buy a fan, but make sure it's outside of Disney, they charge a fortune. The heat gets really stifling at some points, so either bring or buy a fan, some of them spray water too, go for them if they're selling at a good price.
* Don't bother overloading yourselves with off the shelf medication, as the products over there seem far superior (apart from Calpol - see next!)
* Take your own calpol! Most Brit children are used to strawberry flavour, not grape or bubble gum!
* Carry pre cut plasters and carry in your pocket/bag when visiting the parks.
* I know they're not the best looking thing but I would be lost without my BUM BAG to put all my bits and bobs in.
* Keep a diary - You will do so much that it's nice to read through the holiday when you get back so you remember all the little things.
* Take the right hand queue in Orlando Int Airport immigration. It moves quicker as you get called into the American line if no one there.
* Buy an extra memeory card for your camera.
* Get a fridge in the room even if you have to pay a bit extra. Its invaluable for having cold drinks and things like fresh milk in.
* Only bring a few days worth of toiletries with you, as you can pick up almost everything there- ditto medicines! Obviously there is an exception if its a prescription medication or you're allergic to all but one product of something.
* Fill in the visa waiver forms online before you leave. This site here is the official FREE site. Others MAY charge!
* Make sure you have 6 months left on your passport (from your return date) or you may be refused travel.
* Use aerosol sun tan sprays. Even the most fussy kids can be sprayed in less than 10 secs without complaint.
* Shop where the Americans shop i.e. Florida Mall, Walmart etc if you are buying souvenirs or gadgets such as Camera's. The tourist areas such as I drive are dearer and it is easy to assume that because a camera shop states that it is a bargain shop you will get a bargain. Yes it will be cheaper than the UK but not the cheapest in Orlando.
* Don't go to the toilets on the plane in bare feet or just socks, after 8 hours on the plane, the floor is not pleasant!
* Try to keep a note of the serial numbers of which travellers cheques you have used and which are left in case they are lost and they need replacing.
* We buy a cheap small basket (pot-pouri) type and put it in the middle of the table in the room/villa. When we come back our keys, phones, sunglasses etc go in there so we know where they are.
* Make sure you ask for the price of a taxi journey before getting in.
* Give kids a disposable camera so they can take any photos that they want to take.
* Buy a wallet or purse with a keychain attached to it. You can clip one end to a belt loop or bag handle and then know that your wallet is always with you - even if you drop it! A lot of shoe repair shops will put a rivet and ring in an existing wallet for you if you can't buy one. You can also do this with the car/villa key so you don't misplace them.
* Whilst in Florida make sure you check out the many minature (crazy) golf courses. Disney has 2 fanatastic ones themselves well worth trying.
* Print off a minimised version of your plan to include busy/light days and park opening hours, and keep it in your day bag, so if you fancy changing your schedule, you know where would be good to go or save your dibb planner to a .pdf file and put it onto your itouch/iphone.
* Dont always buy souviners from theme parks.Go to walmart or character warehouse as they have loads of Disney goodies at 1/2 the price
* Get two seats together with two seats behind for a family of four. DD and DS love being together but turn into the Kray twins after a while so we just kept swapping seats. It just made so much difference for the long eight hours.
* Never go to the walmart on a fri/sat night when the Americans are doing their weekly shopping. The till wait was horrendous and they pack the food for you at a snail pace.
* I bought an ultra light, teeny tripod for a quid in Poundland & it turned out invaluable for things like night shots. I have a tiny camera too & found myself taking better day-shots by holding the tripod rather than the camera.
* Remember the the heat ,light ,ambience and the SMELL as you land and progress through your holiday.
* Near the end of the holiday go to 1 of the supermarkets and put all of our change in the change machine, we had $45.00 between us of loose change, not including quarters! we were pleasantly surprised and had last dinner with it!
* Never take full bottles of anything ie- shower gel/body lotion/hair stuff/toothpaste etc. when whatever you are using is getting down keep it and take them away with you and then throw away empty bottles on holiday. Saves on weight in suitcases.
* Buy cheap toothbrushes to take and throw them away.
* Take a small pair of blunt scissors and cut those coupons which you find in the Malls and restaurants, they add up. Also take a small plastic holder for them!
* If travelling with Virgin Holidays, don't forget to ask for your Dining Coupons for City Walk. They are worth about $100
* Check long range forecasts for weather patterns so you can change your schedule in time.
* Take lots and lots of photos of just about everything to make some great memories.
* Printout a handy, easy to use conversion chart for all the family. If you don't want to make your own, this site gives you an up to date exchange rate version.
* Put your toiletries in a Tupperware box on the way out to stop leaks and spills. Once emptied you can use it to transport any breakable ornaments back home.

Driving Tips

* When collecting the hire car, let the main driver go and collect it whilst everyone else waits for the luggage, saves Queuing twice and beats a long line!
* Ensure you know where you are going with a good map & satnav if you have it, it can get busy.
* Don't be fooled into thinking petrol is dearer closer to Disney. The petrol station opposite DTD is generally cheaper.
* If your car hasn't got SAT NAV, print off some good directions to your villa/hotel from the airport and have it handy for when you pick up your car hire- you don't want to get lost!
* If anyone is driving make good use of map software before you go like google maps, google earth, microsoft mapping and other 'overhead' satellite imaging to get your bearings. Also take a good map like mapmans from orlandomaps
* Don't forget (unless it says otherwise) you can turn right on a red light!
* Check your hire car roof for drying mats, we were setting off and had a flapping mat banging on the door a quick pull over was required, lol!
* You can buy car windscreen protectors cheap from walmart, they are great, we use ours all the time, even if only out of car for 2 mins.
* Always tie a piece of ribbon to the car aerial, or buy a cheap aerial topper for our hire car, because at the end of a long day in the parks, they all look the same.
* Don't park your car 'left wheel to kerb' - I did in the main street in Celebration (like loads of others - in view of the Sheriff) and it cost me $50!
* Whilst not illegal, it is frowned upon to reverse into spaces in car parks as there are no number plates on the front of the vehicles. Some car parks do have signs up warning you!
* When dropping off your hire car take photos of the car and the petrol gauge. Just in case any dispute over "apparent damage " or unfilled tanks suddenly appear on your credit card .
* When picking the car up take your time to check the car for any large scratches or damage and again take photos.
* when we went to Avis for our car, we opted to take the pre paid tank of fuel- there wasn't much difference in price to the petrol stations, but when we left the airport with our car, there was a massive queue for the petrol station on the way out. We also got a better car than we expected- a lovely pontiac grand prix because you are given your "filled up " car from a different lot of cars.
* Don't forget if you have a pre paid tank - MAKE SURE IT IS FULL! I have had mine just above 3/4!
* Buy a cheap visor/sunshade for the windscreen of your rental car. From somewhere like Halfords (or if you are a fellow Guern, the Bridge Motorshop). Put it up whenever you leave the car, it will keep the car cooler and reduce the temperature of the steering wheel, seats and seatbelt buckles.
* HOW TO COOL DOWN YOUR CAR QUICKLY BY ;
1) Using the remote window opening function on most hire cars - when you are in sight of the car and in remote central locking range (around 50 yards), press and hold the open button on the remote key (unlocks the doors and then, crucially, lowers all the windows for as long as you hold the button down).
2) When your family get to the open windowed car, get them to open a door each (including hatchback/people carrier boot). Parking spaces in the US are usually wide enough to open the doors fully. Don't get in!
3) Driver reaches in to start the car (in PARK please!), put the air-con on full power and select air-recirculaton (cools the cooled air rather than sucking in hot air from the outside). Do this now as the air-con often takes a minute or two to work well.
4) Keep the family out of the car for 30 seconds or so whilst you load the boot and/or take a quick drink from a previously frozen bottle of water.
5) Get the family seated and belted quickly and drive away with the windows open for the first few seconds, by this time all the hot air will be f'lushed away' and you can close the windows and enjoy the air-con. When you're cool enough you may wish to turn down the air-con and turn off the air-recirculation to prevent getting cold or steaming up the glass.
* Take CD's for the car in case you can not find a suitable radio station. Also most new hire cars have an ipod 'jack' input so if you have a cable take this as well.


Food & Drink Tips

* If you have a freezer in your accommodation, freeze bottles of water over night to take to the park's, they slowly melt in the heat and are very refreshing.
* If you have young children buy 1 meal between 2, there's more than enough.
* Early on in the trip take a trip to a Publix or other supermarket and invest in multi packs of water, drinks, cookies and things like fresh fruit- they'll last a long time if in the fridge
* If your doing buffets such as golden corral go at about 3.30pm. Not only is it quieter but there will be more variety as they are putting out all the food for the evening menu which starts at 4pm each day. That way you pay the lunch price which is $2 less but get the evening menu.
* The lunchable type food packs from Walmart are good to keep in cool bag as a quick snack for the kids if not lunch time etc..

Packing Tips

* Only pack clothes for one week to keep space for the stuff you buy.
* Pack a smaller case inside a bigger case so you don't need to buy another case over there.
* Don't fill your suitcase with towels, most hotels have pool towels and so do the villas. If you need one when you get there Walmart have Florida beach towels for less than $5.
* Lock the suitcases to travel with cable-ties not padlocks. We had some TSA approved locks and these were broken off and damaged the zip. Cable-ties don't damage the locks. We still used padlocks for the cases when they were in the room. Don't put cable-ties in your hand-luggage - they will be confiscated as a sharp object. Make sure you use luggage straps. If TSA open the case they don't re-lock them, even with approved locks. Others may have had them locked again but we certainly haven't.
*Use a toiletry bag that folds out and hangs on the back of the bathroom door to put all your bits in - keeps the bathroom tidy.
* Don't pack all one persons clothes in one bag. Split the clothes across several cases in case one gets lost.
* Take some cheap coathangers if staying in a hotel , even if they give you enough for hanging your clothes up, its useful to have spares to hang wet ponchos or damp clothes on

General Theme Park Tips
* Take the comfiest shoes you own for all that walking.
* Have a base plan and if you loose someone in your group always have a prominent meeting place to go back too and don't get stressed about timings. Pick a spot with lots to do around and HAVE FUN!
* Take a photo copy of your theme park tickets as if you loose them they will replace them if you have a copy of the ticket.
* All of the theme parks will give you a free cup of water if you ask for it. Great for kids
* Buy a bottle of water and refill it at water stations around the parks. They are filtered to the same standard as bottled water.
* When you visit a theme park, get all the main rides done first, than you can relax and take in the atmosphere.
* Drink plenty of WATER, not fizzy liquid sugar.
* Buy little sachets of suntan lotion for the parks, saves carrying big bottles.
* During the Summer months when temperatures are in the 90's, we take a tea-towel to the parks. Soak the towel in a water fountain and wring it out, as you walk round the water evaporating will keep the towel cool and it's great to wipe your face or just hang it round your neck. Every time you pass a water fountain just soak it again.
* Freeze capri sun drinks and leave in the car boot, after a day round the parks they are lovely.
* Eat breakfast in your hotel room or in your car and get to the parks when they open to avoid Q's.
* Study the park maps before you go, make a plan and go to the most important rides to you first. Be organised as others will pass you by.
* Read up and make full use of the fast pass system. Get your fastpasses early on the popular rides as some rides will 'sell out'. Send one of your party on ahead to get FP's and arrnge a time and place to meet.
*Make sure your contact details are attached to your children in case they get split up from you.
* Printout and take with you the park opening and closing times.
* Write down or photograph the number plate and the section where your car is parked as it makes it easier to remember where your car is at the end of the day.
* Take some bottles of anti bacterial hand wash. They are invaluable in the parks
* Get a cheap white Styrofoam cooler from wallmart for about $2. Every morning put a couple of inches of ice in it. Put your drinks... water bottles, cokes, juice... in the cooler. Put it in your boot for extra cold drinks when you get back to the car!
* Don't scrimp on the tickets. For the small difference between prices going for a 14/21 day ultimate pass can mean more relaxed times in the parks rather than cramming too much into full days. It gives you flexibility.
* Be prepared to have breaks in big touring days, if only for a quick ice cream and and sit down, you'll appreciate it afterwards.
* Putting a bottle of water and a change of socks in a locker is a really good plan for long days.
* Get up early and get to those parks before they open... most people can't or won't, even at busy times of year. Sleep when you get back to the UK! Take a break in the afternoon when the queues are peak and return later if you feel up to it.
* If you are going in a large group, tell people to stand still if they get lost. That way the people who are still together can split up and look where they last saw you rather than everyone running round in circles.
* Ask kids to get up on a bench if they can. We lost our son after the parade once - he got swept away with the crowds. Luckily he had the sense to stand on a bench and we found him relatively easily.
* First aid if ever needed is very good at the parks, have tried Seaworlds on thanksgiving day and also MGMs.
* If you are using the photopass cards, Either write down the barcode number or take a photo of it. If you lose your card you lose access to hundreds of pics! Some camera Phones have a facility to scan the barcode.
* Take sealable plastic bags, for phones, ipods, wallets for water rides, especially Kahli River Rapids in AK and Popeye one in IOA, even though they have storage in the centre of the vessel, they can still get very wet!
* Buy a small plastic bottle/container (superdrug or boots sell them) small enough for your bum bag and fill it with sun lotion to carry round the parks. Every time your in a waiting line for a ride, top up kids and spouse with sunscreen, makes use of waiting times and saves the agony of sunburn!
* When starting in any of the major theme parks or when a ride has two lines to choose from, always go left. It's natural human reaction to go right (I don't know why, but it's true). This is most invaluable at MK!
* Take a 'micro' towel with you into the parks to dry the kids off in an impromptu water cooling moment!
* Watch any parade from as close to the start as possible. Once the parade has passed you, you can nip off to the rides whilst others are still waiting for the parade.
* Consider doing a photpass share with other Dibb members. This can greatly cut down the cost of your discs

Vill Rentals

* Always carry the Management Co. and/or owners contact numbers with you in case of an emergency
* Take very little in the way of toiletries with you we always find the bathroom well stocked with what other people have left behind, and its much cheaper to buy in places like walmart, especially sun cream


EPCOT

* Send one member of the party ahead to Soarin' to get Fastpass tickets. This ride can get very busy and sell out.
* Take change of clothes and a towel for kids at epcot so they can cool off running through the fountains!
* Don't forget to sample the FREE coca colas from around the world in Innoventions. They maybe small samples but they can be quite refreshing!
* Test Track is NOT to be missed, very fun, thrilling and high-speed ride!
* Split Epcot into 2 days. Concentrate on rides one day and world showcase another.

Animal Kingdom

*Do kilamanjaro safari early in the morning, that's when the animals are out, before the sun gets too strong.
*Send one member of the party ahead to Everest to get Fastpass tickets. This ride can get very busy and sell out.
* If you arrive at opening time use the entrance to the park inside the Rainforest Cafe. The queue will be a lot smaller, if not non-existent!

Magic Kingdom
*Ask the monorail guard if you can ride up front with the driver on the monorail as the kids love it.
*Take the monorail 'via' the resort hotels at busy times. It's a slightly longer journey time but much quicker when beating the q's. Works to and from MK.
*A great spot to watch the fireworks is from the train station above the main entrance looking down main street to the castle. Get there early.
*Make sure you arrive at MK in time for the opening ceremony as it is superb!
* Never try to do the Emporium in Magic Kingdom last thing in the evening- you'll regret it!
* Best counter service lunch- the Harbour House in Liberty Square at MK, by far best tuna sandwiches going and its relatively unknown so it tends to be quieter than others.
* Ask (MUST BE THE KIDS) the pilot of the Liberty Belle at Magic Kingdom he will let you steer the boat.(even if it is on a rail) They will also get a certificate that says they have their pilots licence and can pilot the Liberty belle any time for a whole year.
* You can be a guard on the train as well and the child gets to shout all aboard.They get a card to say they have been the guard similar to the monorail
* If you have children too old for a buggy, hire a stroller especially in MK, huge amount of walking and 8/9 even 10 yr olds can fit in the stroller and you can put your coolbag on the back.
* If you've already seen a parade (or just not that interested), head for the big rides while it's on. It's much quieter.
* For first time visitors to wdw be sure to call into city hall at the entrance magic kingdom and get your "first timers" pin badge, we went to buy drinks and were given them free coz it was our first visit. Everyone is always asking you how your first time is too.
* If your having a special occasion like an anniversary , birthday, honeymoon etc you can get a pin badge for those too.
* If taking your little ones to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, just pay for the crown package (hair, nails, make-up), you can buy dresses from Walmart for $20 but if your little girls are like mine they will have all the Disney dresses anyway! Then take them to the photo studio in DTD and they will have lots of professional photos for free that you just add to your photopass. Saves about $100

MGM/Hollywood Studios
* When leaving Fantasmic at the end of the performance. Walk to the front, then all the way along the front then use the stairs nearest the exit. It gets you out in half the time! iykwim
* On entry to the park, go and get Fast Passes to Toy Story Mania first.
* Can't get a photo of the kids with Mickey? Take the Animation Studios tour at Hollywood Studios, then after there's a meet and greet section where you can get a photo with Mickey and numerous other characters (The Incredibles, Little Einsteins) with little to no queue at all. Also, because it's inside and air conditioned the character don't only come out for about 15 mins and go back in.

General Water Park Tips

* Wear water shoes in the water park's, the floor gets very hot!
* Buy a waterproof disposable camera (from the UK or WalMart) for the water parks and swimming pool. You get some great shots of the kids underwater without worrying about getting the camera splashed at the water parks. The pictures can even be transferred straight onto disc instead of having them developed.
* If you want to use your own digital camera then look into getting a waterproof case for your own model from somewhere like DicaPack
* ALWAYS carry costumes/sun lotion &towels in the car so you can drop into a water park at any time.

Busch Gardens/Clear Water

*Visit them in your 1st week when you are getting up at stupid o'clock to get the most out of the day & you'll get a full day.


Universal and IOA

* When approaching the Universal Studios car parks always take the left hand lane. When the lanes coming from different directions merge always move over to the left again. This lane always moves faster. When you enter the car park itself and are going up the ramps most people stay to the right but there ARE two lanes so again take the left one and you'll go past everyone else.
* When you visit IOA (whether for the first time or not) always take a full change of clothes (even down to underwear and socks) as you WILL get drenched!
* Consider buying the express passes for the universal parks, well worth the money imo, cut down the time we waited so much

Favourite paces to eat?

Bahama Breeze
California Grill at The Contempory Hotel
Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge


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See more...

Please feel free to carry on...

[vixen]

LOVE this thread!

My top tips when staying in a villa are:
1) Pay to hire a safe for peace of mind to keep your valuables in. I think we paid around $50 but it was well worth it and it was plenty big enough for money, park tickets, passports, video camera, Nintendo DS console and a few other things. Make sure you include the price in your budget.

2) Only take a small amount of clothes with you as the washing machine and dryer only take around 15 mins each to wash and dry a full load and they usually come out crease-free (if only I had ones like these at home!). I know some of you won't want to do laundry on holiday but it's so quick and hassle free and the thought of not having a load of washing to do when you get home is too appealing. Also, don't bother taking an iron/hairdryer as they will usually be provided.

3) Last time we were there, a man came round the street selling fresh meat. He wasn't just some guy with a dodgy van, he had a uniform and a refrigerated van with his company name splattered across it (can't quite remember the name). After seeing some of the locals buy off him, we thought we'd give him a shot and bought some steaks and chicken breasts. They were absolutely delicious and the steak was probably the best we'd had all holiday. He was selling them at a very reasonable price and I would definitely buy from him again. Out if curiosity, has anyone else seen this guy?

4) My biggest tip ever would be to put some kind of stickers/posters on the patio doors so people know when they are closed. My 5 yr old DD came out of the pool and ran straight into them thinking they were open and almost knocked herself out. I can't imagine what state she would have been in if she had gone through the glass *shudder*. I definitely won't make the same mistake again.

Hope these are useful to someone... and don't forget, have a great time!

[Guest]

Great thread but just a word on the airport ques forget the right hand side at security now as they have changed the format at MCO they have a single que system now but to be honest its very quik because they have a team of staff ushering you to each security point we were through in about ten mins

[loves_disney]

an invaluable tip for getting the rides done.

if one (older) member of your party does not like the thrill rides, they can be sent off to get fast passes for a ride while the others enjoy the thrill. Saves time, and also gives the person a nice walk around the park rather than waiting bored for everyone to come off the ride!

[Guest]

Great thread, but must point out that you can no longer ride in the front of the monorail with the driver

[Guest]

Great post, but one minor correction to the bit that says:

* Fill in the visa waiver forms online before you leave. This site here is the official FREE site. Others MAY charge!

See more...

I don't believe that there are any free visa waivers any more, and that they've been charging $14 for ESTAs since last September (unless I've been ripped off!)

[Guest]

If planning to do water rides in theme parks- for example when at Busch Gardens - go in a swimsuit and light weight shorts, or swim shorts and light t-shirt for men and wear crocs or fit flops no socks- take clothes with you, and towels and put them in locker- then, when you have done all the 'wet' rides, you are not wearing heavy clothes and squelching around in trainers and you can get changed into dry things with little effort to enjoy an air conditioned restsursnt, or comfy ride home!

[bella9]

Thank you! Fantastic post. I've been going for years and there's still several things I didn't know about. Wish I'd known about the 'no left wheel to kerb' rule - got a ticket in Miami as I was not parked in the direction oncoming traffic. Don't know if its the same, if not keep this in mind folks if you're planning to drive in Miami.

[Andre]

I've been helping some friends plan a WDW holiday. It's a once-in-a-lifetime trip (unlikely to go back due to cost) and they have never travelled this far.

I've been helping them with everything (booking flights, hotel, tickets, etc) and we've managed to undercut what their travel agent was asking for I-Drive, car and tickets by about £1,000 and got them on-site at Disney too. This was by getting passes and the quick dining plan included, plus a 15% UK discount. They will have a car for a few days for sea world and universal, but plan to spend most of their time in Disney as that's where everything is now 'free' for them. The other option was a villa for around the same price, but as they want to do mostly Disney and avoid too much driving, Disney won out. Plus they fell in love with our pics of POR.

I've been giving them all sorts of tips and suggestions for months to try to help them to see everything they want to without creating a route-march. I said I'd print out park opening hours and a few pages of crib sheets before they go (Wednesday!) to basically summarise our 22 years of experience, several 700-page books and a number of websites.

Anyway, I thought I'd post what I've worked out so far, partly in case it's of any use to anyone else, but also in case you think there's anything vital I've missed out. I'll copy the text into the next few posts.

Andre

[Andre]

Travelling
ª Do online check-in the day before you travel – go to www.virgin-atlantic.com and enter your booking reference XXXXXX and your first name and surname. This will mean you can just use the quick bag-drop at the airport rather than the longer main check-in queue.
ª Don’t forget your passports, money, driving licence, and all the various tickets and vouchers: e-ticket for the flights, boarding passes (from online checkin), Car rental voucher, Sea World and Universal tickets, various vouchers for freebies that Disney sent you, etc.
ª For your credit card, give your bank a quick call and inform them that you will be abroad, just in case you need to use it (e.g. car rental company might want to verify it instead of taking a deposit).
ª Also call your mobile phone customer services and get them to turn your voicemail OFF for any phones you are taking with you, and to enable USA Roaming. Also, turn any internet data service on your phones OFF.
ª Remember, no liquids or gels are allowed in your hand luggage through security. However once you get past the scanners and into the secure area you can buy bottled drinks from the flight-side shops. This applies for the return journey too.
ª When you arrive at Orlando, to avoid too much queuing at US Immigration try to get off the plane relatively soon rather than waiting for everyone else to get off first.
ª After Immigration/passport control, collect all your bags from the luggage carousel and head into the main airport area. At this point you CAN put your bags back onto a luggage conveyor while you take the monorail train to the main terminal building, but personally we tend to take our bags with us on the monorail.
ª You can take all your bags with you on the Disney Magical Express coach if you want (just follow the Disney signs) rather than getting Disney to deliver them to your hotel room. Their delivery system can take up to 4 hours after you get to the hotel, and you may be pretty tired by then and just want to unpack and relax.


Around the Hotel
ª At hotel checkin, ask for a room relatively close to the main buildings and not facing a car park. Ask the cast member to give you a Disney World site road map, and also a parking pass ready for your car.
ª Once you’ve checked in and found your room, get something to eat and to be honest you’ll probably be pretty much ready to sleep by 8pm or 9pm. Don’t fight the time-change too much on that first day, you can always get up really early the next morning and hit the parks before everyone else gets there – believe me, by the third or fourth day you be acclimatised and won’t be feeling like getting up early!
ª All of your dining credits (30 quick-service meals and 30 snacks per person) are available by using your hotel key-cards, which will probably also be your park entrance tickets. The dining credits are assigned for all of you when you arrive, not stored per-person on each individual key-card, so anyone can spend them at any time and don’t have to hand over all four cards each time. This is useful if you split up at any point, as you will each have access to the remaining ‘pool’ of credits for buying meals, ice creams, etc.
ª Go see “Yee Ha” Bob Jackson’s show at the River Roost lounge one evening (Weds to Sat). It’s a very family-friendly fun show, well worth a visit. Also take the river ferry to Downtown Disney at some point during your stay, and maybe think about renting a boat or quad-cycle from the marina area if you get all “theme parked out”.
ª To phone back to the UK, use your ROOM PHONE rather than a mobile or public phone, and use the calling card PIN number that I gave you. Calling to UK landlines is very cheap that way (although calling UK mobiles costs quite a bit more).
ª Parking at all of the Disney theme parks and hotels is FREE for hotel guests; just get the front-desk to give you a parking-pass to put on your car dashboard. For security you may be asked to show ID (your room key-card will usually do) especially when entering the hotel/resort areas. It’s just a formality, don’t worry about it.

Around Walt Disney World
ª Once you’ve got the car, it’s worth exploring around some of the other Disney resort hotels when you want some downtime from theme park touring, or in the evening after you come back from Sea World/etc. They all have some sort of food court at which you can use your quick service dining credits. Take your resort ID with you as the security gatehouses may ask for ID – tell them you’re visiting the resort to get a feel of it for a future visit or to get a bite to eat, this is absolutely fine by Disney. A few suggestions:
· Polynesian Resort: Get a light bite to eat at Captain Cook’s snack bar. Explore the fabulous lobby and go to the bar (on the upstairs level of the lobby) and get a “Lapu Lapu” drink (an island cocktail served in a real pineapple). Wander down to the beach just before 8pm and watch the Magic Kingdom’s Wishes fireworks show over the lake (the show audio is piped in via speakers). Hang around on the beach until at least 9pm when the Electrical Water Pageant will float past on the lake.
· If it’s not too late after you’ve been to the Polynesian, or maybe as a break during a day at the Magic Kingdom, take a trip on the Resort Monorail and do a circuit around the local hotels (the Grand Floridian, the Polynesian and the Contemporary all have their own monorail stations attached to the main lobbies). You can get off and have a look round the shops/etc if you want, then get back on the next train (they run every few minutes) back to your starting point.
· The Boardwalk and the Yacht & Beach Clubs. This area can be done by car or you can walk from Epcot if you feel like taking a couple of hours out from park touring (exit the park via the “International Gateway”, which is between the UK and France pavilions).This is a nice evening stroll - maybe after watching Illuminations if you’re not too tired? - with some shops and fun food places, plus entertainment. Walk around the lakeside past the various hotels (about a 20-30 minute walk). Ask someone how to get to “Beaches and Cream” at the Beach Club hotel for fabulous ice creams and good burger meals too.
· Wilderness Lodge. Fabulous lobby and nice to explore. There’s a geyser by the lake that erupts every hour.
· Animal Kingdom Lodge has a large savannah outside the massive lobby where you can see various animals roaming, and local African cast members can provide you with information (they can lend you night-vision goggles to see the animals if you’re there after dark).
ª Don’t forget your meal at Chef Mickey’s, which is at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, on Tuesday 8th February at 7pm (reservation number XXXXXXX). You can drive there if you wish, or if you plan to have a drink or two then take a Disney bus over to the Magic Kingdom and you’ll see the Contemporary Resort right behind you when you get off the bus, it’s just a five minute walk. If it gets too late to get a bus back from the Magic Kingdom (they finish about 9.30pm) then get a Disney bus from any of the Resort Hotels over to Downtown Disney, and change there to a Port Orleans bus or boat.