What Disney Tip Are you really glad you listened to?

[Buzzfan1966]

Originally Posted by jennykay

I know there's a sign at Kali River Rapids requesting guests keep their shoes on. We wore crocs on our AK day. And I put on my poncho to ride that- best move I ever made. It was not quite hot enough in October to walk around dripping wet.

My children were determined to get wet. They are 10 and 12 so we let them ride without us and waited for them at the exit. They were DRENCHED!!! They might as well have jumped in a pool. This is January and they walked around soaked! Oh, at UO they have people dryers. It looks like a photo booth, but shoots warm air at you to help dry off.................cost $5. Anything to make a buck and yes people were using them.

[Lollipop's Mom]

Uo?

[Buzzfan1966]

Originally Posted by Lollipop's Mom

Uo?

Universal Orlando

[lfortin16]

Every ride puts you into a gift shop and "Mommy can I have this?" gets tiring and/or expensive. We told our little ones the first day, if you see something you'd like- put it on "the list." We take a picture of it and make note of where we saw it. Towards the end of the trip, we looked back at all the wanted souvenirs and let each child pick their favorite. This saved lots of money and tears and they got the souvenir which they really loved.

We're returning to WDW on 7/13/13- this time at the villas in Kidani Village. So excited!!!

[OceanAnnie]

Originally Posted by Buzzfan1966

We just returned from a 6 day vacation with 4 days at WDW and 2 at UO. Tips I am glad I listened to:

1) I took my own detergent and dryer sheets. I only did one load while there, but it only cost me the price of the washing and drying. The detergent in the machine in the laundry room was $4.00 with dryer sheets for $2.00.

2) We took a used medicine bottle for quarters and pennies and got a squashed penny almost everywhere. This kept the boys focused on looking for the machines rather than looking for other souvenirs to buy. I am going to frame some of our pics and decorate the frame with the pennies.

3) We stayed at Doubletree in dtd area. I loved the hotel they were so accommodating. (They gave us free cookies every night instead of the first not that they promise, they gave us a free movie when I was not feeling well one evening, they also gave us free wifi in the room when I was unable to access it in the lobby). I got a coupon for free continental breakfast which they allowed us to use as a discount on the regular breakfast buffet. We got full breakfast buffets for 4 people for a total of $15 (plus tip of course).

I missed staying onsite a little because I didn't like the hotel transportation. We ended up driving to the marketplace everyday and taking buses from there.
TIP: When they know you are going to a park from dtd, they try to make you transfer at port orleans. Don't do it!!! Since they have multiple stops, it takes longer. Go to a resort with only one stop.

4) The over the door shoe hanger is awesome. We hung it on the dividing door in the room. I actually had two that I got from Dollar Tree. The boys had theirs on their side and we had ours. We used it for things like deodorant, sunglasses, ibuprofen, moleskin, chafing cream.......

5) I never could find Body Glide or Monistat for chafing. I got a Lanicane version and it worked just fine.

6) Tip that was a lifesaver was taking 2 pairs of shoes. I alternated crocs and tennis shoes.

7) I received one tip that backfired.............I saw on here that you could use your fastpass anytime after the time listed first. We went to Test Track about 20 minutes after our hour window and nearly got turned away. I had to do some fast talking telling him we got stuck on Soarin' and missed the window. He said that you must get there within the hour window.

8) We had an early breakfast ressie for Chef Mickey's so we asked the parking lot attendant if we could leave the car there while we went to MK. He let us park there and we didn't pay for parking that day. We originally thought we would need to valet to stay there, but we only had to pay the $150 we ended up spending at chef mickey's.

9) This was not a tip I got from the board, but something to ponder. My ticket to Universal was a buy 2 days get one free. We knew we weren't staying 3 days, but it was free. It was a BASE ticket which meant no hopping. The second day, we went to IOA and finished there by 3:00. We went over to guest services and asked if we could go ahead and go to UO and use our 3rd day entrance. They allowed us to do that and we got to ride some things at UO that were too crowded the day before (Despicable Me).

10) The water at WDW seems to taste better, but we took propel anyway to shake into it. We bought no extra drinks in the park. We just kept refilling our bottles.................HUGE money saver.

That's all I've got right now. It was an awesome trip..................now that one is over. We are about to start planning a cruise................PM any good tips for that because I don't even know where to start.

#7. They used to honor fast passes after the time lapsed. I don't know when they stopped. But I do remember reading on the DIS something about Disney was going to adhere to the time frame on the pass. Maybe it was last year?

[Thumper_Man]

Originally Posted by Buzzfan1966

7) I received one tip that backfired.............I saw on here that you could use your fastpass anytime after the time listed first. We went to Test Track about 20 minutes after our hour window and nearly got turned away. I had to do some fast talking telling him we got stuck on Soarin' and missed the window. He said that you must get there within the hour window.

They started enforcing FP return times in March 2012. So it's been effect for a while now.

[gracer9977]

2) We took a used medicine bottle for quarters and pennies and got a squashed penny almost everywhere. This kept the boys focused on looking for the machines rather than looking for other souvenirs to buy. I am going to frame some of our pics and decorate the frame with the pennies.

This is a great idea, never know what to do with all the pennies when you get home. We have a souvenier pressed penny book that we bought to store them all but they are just sitting in that book and hardly ever looked at. The frame idea is a really good idea.

[Canooknic]

I have never bothered with pennies for that exact reason, but after reading this thread I started Googling and found this :- http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7XhgLfD6Vj...0/DSC_0005.JPG

Every time we go away we can add to it and buy a bigger frame!!

We are soooo doing this next month!!!

[gracer9977]

Originally Posted by Canooknic

I have never bothered with pennies for that exact reason, but after reading this thread I started Googling and found this :- http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7XhgLfD6Vj...0/DSC_0005.JPG

Every time we go away we can add to it and buy a bigger frame!!

We are soooo doing this next month!!!

Thanks, that is a great idea too. Looks like we will be doing some fun things with pennies and frames next year. We really do like the pennies because as the other DISer said it keeps the kids happy because they are getting something and they love looking for the next machine and keeps them from looking at anythig else. Most of the time they beline right through the store to the front to see what pennies are available, going right past all the expensive toys.

[fuzzlekins]

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

They started enforcing FP return times in March 2012. So it's been effect for a while now.

Good to know! We were there in February and they hadn't started that yet. We're going again this Feb and I wouldn't have known until it was too late, so thanks!

[Thumper_Man]

Originally Posted by fuzzlekins

Good to know! We were there in February and they hadn't started that yet. We're going again this Feb and I wouldn't have known until it was too late, so thanks!

Sure thing. Enjoy your trip.

[Buzzfan1966]

Originally Posted by Canooknic

I have never bothered with pennies for that exact reason, but after reading this thread I started Googling and found this :- http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7XhgLfD6Vj...0/DSC_0005.JPG

Every time we go away we can add to it and buy a bigger frame!!

We are soooo doing this next month!!!

I LOVE that.............yes, I am doing that!!!! I am going to change it up a little and find a way to label where the pennies came from. We get them from all over so I'm going to work on that idea.

[Buzzfan1966]

Originally Posted by Thumper_Man

They started enforcing FP return times in March 2012. So it's been effect for a while now.

I had not seen an update on here that they had started enforcing that hour so it was a surprise.

It was also a surprise that they would print a time that you could get your next fastpass. The last time we went they only allowed you to get the second fastpass after the time on your first fastpass had come.

[dvc at last !]

Originally Posted by gracer9977

Thanks, that is a great idea too. Looks like we will be doing some fun things with pennies and frames next year. We really do like the pennies because as the other DISer said it keeps the kids happy because they are getting something and they love looking for the next machine and keeps them from looking at anythig else. Most of the time they beline right through the store to the front to see what pennies are available, going right past all the expensive toys.

Anyone have an idea - how to attach the pennies ?

[Buzzfan1966]

Originally Posted by dvc at last !

Anyone have an idea - how to attach the pennies ?

Hot glue gun?
superglue?