Preparing for any vacation involves packing, especially a
Disney vacation. Given the number of
times we have been to Walt Disney World or taken a Disney Cruise, we have
learned what not to pack.
Beach Towels—whether you are visiting Walt Disney World or
taking a Disney Cruise vacation, you will not need to pack beach towels. Towels are plentiful at the Disney resorts
and are available pool side at both themed pools and “quiet” pools. Just look for the portable towel
container. Clean towels are on the
shelves on top and towels needing washed are placed in the compartment at the
bottom. Towels can be found in the
cupboards near the pools marked “towels” or in crates as you exit the ship at
Castaway Cay. You can take towels off
the ship for excursions. . . just return them to the ship. There are towel return containers at various
locations on Castaway Cay and just before entering the ship.
Now, having said that, a beach towel can come in handy to
sit on during parades or to dry you, your family, or a stroller after rain when
touring the theme parks, but only if you are willing to carry it around with
you. It is not something we do, but we
have seen it done by others.
Shampoo, Soap, and possibly lotion—Disney resorts have
their own brand of shampoo/conditioner combo and soap available to guests. Disney ships have shampoo, body scrub,
lotion, and depending on the category of stateroom—solar relief gel. All of these products are of high quality and
they are replenished daily, so quantity is not a problem. We bring extras home!
I am so used to not packing these items, that during one of
our “pre-trip” hotel stays, I was left to wash my hair using body wash, as the
motel did not supply tiny bottles of shampoo.
Turns out body wash does just as good a job as shampoo.
Uncomfortable Shoes—You know what I’m talking about. I have said out loud that I am too old to
wear uncomfortable shoes, but this applies to all ages when traveling to Walt
Disney World. We have seen people in
high heels, boots, etc. I overheard a
lady in a hot tub one night complaining that even wearing her flimsy flip flops
that she had gotten blisters. Duh! Comfortable and sturdy shoes or sandals. We even apply this rule when packing for a
Disney Cruise. I don’t want to be
perched on high heels while trying to navigate a moving ship.
Pillows—This is a sensitive topic, as I have seen and heard
people traveling with and packing their pillows. We have found that pillows and bedding in
general at both the Walt Disney World Resort and Disney Cruise Line to be quite
comfy. We do, though, pack a pillow case
for the boy. We put it on his pillow and
it gives him the smell and texture of home to help him drift off to sleep in an
unfamiliar setting. And, it takes up
much less space!
Non-Disney apparel or items—The husband astutely pointed out
that we don’t pack any “competition” items, such as Universal, when taking a
Disney vacation. I’m a bit of a purest
when it comes to this issue. We’ve all
seen the “Thing 1” etc. shirts when visiting Disney parks and I feel those
deserve to worn at the respective theme park.
We didn’t wear Disney apparel when we visited Universal. Again, something I feel strongly about, but
to each his own.
Bottles of Water—Okay, I have heard the complaints about the
taste of Orlando
tap water, yet personally, I have not been effected. We have seen people carrying, packing, and
purchasing cases of water to drink while on the ship or at the parks. And, yet, water throughout the parks is
FREE! Guests can at any time go to a
counter service location and ask for a water.
There will be a register transaction, just so the computer can register
the order and the person behind the counter can prepare the order, but there
will be no exchange of money. And, soon,
you will be holding a large glass of ice water with a lid so that you can get a
straw. Simple as that! No trying to figure out how to keep bottles
of water cold. No lugging around water
bottles. On the ship, water is available
24 hours a day at the beverage station on Deck 9 or 11, depending on your ship.
We usually have at least one bottle of water that we have
grabbed somewhere on our trip. Then, we
refill it and reuse it throughout our trip.
We may refill it at night in our resort room and put it in the fridge so
it is cold by morning. Or we refill it
at water fountains in the parks—as they have very cold water! And, yes, we share. We’re family!
But we are toting just one bottle, that is empty most of the time, at
least until we refill it.
On the ship, we have purchased bottled water to take with us
on an excursion. We bought a six pack of
water for our day in Nassau ,
as food and drinks weren’t included with the excursion. It was the first time in many excursions that
refreshments weren’t included, so check about your excursion before making the
purchase. It was much more economical
than purchasing an entire case.
There you have it.
Our what not to pack list.
Interestingly, our what to pack list is much longer! Yet, for me, half the fun of planning a trip
is planning for the packing. It’s pretty
easy to then pack and cross items off the list.
rue the water tip true for off property guests too? What a great tip!!
ReplyDeleteFREE Water for all guests. Just ask!
ReplyDeleteWow!! I hauled tons of water! No more!
ReplyDeleteGreat info- BUT I'm hearing so much about what not yo bring... I need info on what shouldn't be forgotten- what's especially helpful to have. I have to put together welcome bags for guests at my Disney cruise wedding but I want to give useful items not things that will just take up space in a suitcase. Thoughts/Insights?? Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteDisneyCruisin 2014,
ReplyDeleteExcellent question and congratulations on your upcoming Disney cruise wedding! Something we would not cruise without are waterproof watches. We all have them and you can find inexpensive ones at Rumbatime.com. (about $10 each) and what a great wedding guest gift--useful on the high seas and when returning home! We also would not leave home without a power strip for all of our electronics. Staterooms have limited plugins so a power strip only takes one plug in but can handle multiple items. To round out the suggestions would be a disposable or one time use water proof camera. Imagine the shots your guests could get by the pools, during shore excursions, and at Castaway Cay using the disposable cameras (I would buy them on Amazon.com for the best price.) Add these items to a great set of Mickey ears and you are all set!