The Best Disney Packing Tips
Your Disney Countdown is finally down to single digits. You’re only a few days away from a visit to the Happiest Place on Earth. The anticipation is killing you, right? Well, during all that excitement, you may forget some basics. For example, you may not pack well for your trip. A missed item here or there plus a few ill-chosen inclusions will clog your luggage and reduce some of your fun on your trip. And we at MickeyBlog don’t want that! Here are seven helpful tips on what and what not to pack.
Remember Your Charger!
Let’s start with something basic and an honest acknowledgement. My Disney Experience is a crucial app that you should learn to use. It will streamline your entire vacation experience. You can check into your room without visiting the lobby; you can add FastPasses and find Advanced Dining Reservations, and you can view all potential character meetings. You can even find a bathroom when you need one.
The only problem is that My Disney Experience is a brutal battery drain. You need to keep your phone juiced to use the app. You can’t do that when it has no power. While Disney does have some options that I’ll cover in an upcoming article, you should take care of your family. Pack a USB charger and a couple of extra connection cables. My family goes so far as to bring a wall charger AND a portable battery. We carry the battery around the parks and charge it at the hotel room. Because of this strategy, we never have to worry about a phone charge.
Also, you should remember your phone. Since you’re alive in the year of 2018, I’ll presume that you know that.
Skip the Heavy Objects
Do you have a favorite hair dryer or curling iron? Do you feel compelled to bring your laptop or tablet with you on your trip? Don’t. Just don’t. Resist that temptation. You’ll regret it the entire traveling part of the trip. Then, you’ll regret it in your hotel room when that clunky item takes up too much counter or table space.
You’re on vacation. Pack light. The whole purpose of your trip is to leave your burdens behind, right? Who cares if your hair isn’t perfect? Your Disney pictures will turn out great anyway because Minnie Mouse will be in them. And why would you want to work on vacation? If your job requires that, update your resume and start looking for a new gig…preferably in or around the greater Orlando area.
Leave the New Shoes Behind!
One of the worst rookie mistakes is to break in new shoes at a Disney theme park. Do you want blisters? Because that’s how you get blisters! Your rigid, recently manufactured shoes will have no give. You’ll feel miserable each time you cross a park to reach a new ride, and that frustration will double when you’re exiting the park.
You have nothing to look forward to as you leave, only the painful memory of thousands of steps in new shoes. This same philosophy applies to dress shoes, too. Unless it’s Dapper Day at Disney, leave the classy shoes behind. At a theme park, beat up sneakers are your best friend.
Dress Bright
Science comes into play here. Those dark clothes that you love may be slimming, but you pay a price for seeming fit. Dark colors absorb light, while bright colors ward you against it. What’s the light you’ll notice at a Disney theme park? The sun! Yup, dark clothes will capture heat, making your skin needlessly hot. Since Florida and California are hot places, you’re doubling down on physical discomfort. When you pack for a Disney trip, you should select your brightest clothes. They’ll keep you cool in the face of the blaring sun. Speaking of which…
Pack Sunscreen
This suggestion seems like the most obvious one of all, but you’ll realize just how many people make it once you’re at the parks. You’ll occasionally see an unfortunate soul with savage sunburn. I’ve been that person. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
To avoid that fate, you should pack a crazy amount of sunscreen. Like, get the amount that seems normal and then triple it. You’ll want to add sunscreen frequently. Water rides and dips in the pool will undo your hard work, leaving you vulnerable to the elements. Play it safe. When in doubt, rub some sunscreen all over your body. Also, here’s a pro tip. Remember your face. I’m the idiot who forgot that. Be smarter than me.
Pack Some Luggage
Do you plan to do any shopping at Disney? Of course you do! Have you stuffed your luggage as much as possible to get everything to fit? Of course you have! That’s how we learn to pack. It’s also completely wrong for Disney.
You shouldn’t think about how your luggage looks today. You should think about how it will look that dreaded morning when you have to check out of your hotel. Leaving Disney already sucks enough. A packing nightmare makes it that much worse. Bring one extra piece of luggage, accepting that you’ll have to pay the airline a few dollars more. Use it to carry all your new Disney swag home! It’ll be your favorite piece of luggage to unpack.
And Pack Some Bags
The trip home isn’t the only time you’ll have to lug around new Disney swag. You have to carry it from the store back to your hotel, too. Yes, many stores deliver to Disney resorts, but there’s a catch. You cannot be scheduled to check out the following day. Also, you must pick up the item rather than have it delivered to your room. Anyone with a forgetful streak (again, guilty as charged) will forego this option.
When you shop, you’re always doing an internal calculation. “How much can I carry?” The answer is never as much as you’d like, because many items are awkward shapes and you only have so many hands (hopefully no more than two). An extra bag solves this dilemma. When you leave for the parks or Disney Springs, you can stuff the empty bag in your purse or backpack or possibly even your pocket. Then, when you need to carry your newfound merchandise, the bag is there to do all the heavy lifting for you (figuratively, not literally).
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