30 Things to Purchase, Bring or Do Before You Arrive
  1. Sunscreen, Sunscreen, Sunscreen
  2. Waterproof Poncho, get one for each member of your family. Get the ones that fit in
    your pocket. You can pick up some at the local WalMart for about $2. Looking in
    the Camping Section of the store.
  3. Pack a suitcase inside a suitcase. As with any trip you will want to make sure you
    have room for those extra items. If you are staying at a home or condo, pack only
    1/2 the clothes you would expect to need because you can wash them there.
  4. For children, purchase CLEAR vinyl backpacks. This really helps the children look
    for a toy or book without pulling everything out of the backpack.
  5. Make copies of ALL your documents, including Driver's License, Itinerary, Tickets
    (front and back), the backs of your credit cards and insurance cards. Put all these
    in a safe place upon arrival. If you loose you wallet, you will have some comfort to
    know that you can take care business. In many cases, the parks will reissue your
    admission tickets for the remaining day and cancel the other tickets. You might
    need to file a police report if you are planning on flying to insure you can get back
    on the airlines.
  6. A roll of quarter for the toll roads.
  7. Phone Card for Long Distant Phone Calls.
  8. Good Walking Shoes. If you choose to wear sandal, be sure they have a heal strap.
  9. Small First Aid Kit (make sure it includes large band aids for scraped knees).
  10. Fanny pack or small backpack
  11. Print Address labels for Postcards
  12. A set of stamps
  13. A binder with clear pocket sheets that holds itineraries, maps and other related
    items.
  14. Goodie Bags for the kids. If you are traveling in a car or on a plane make a few little
    goodie bags with a special snack (preferable non-sugar snack), water bottle and an
    activity. The local dollar store should be able to fill them easily. DO NOT USE
    BEADS AS AN ACTIVITY! I don't know what I was thinking when I did, it was a huge
    mess.
  15. Individual portions of trail mix or snack cracker. We have found, while traveling with
    kids, Complex Carbohydrates & Protein snacks (Cheese Sticks, Pretzels, Nuts,
    Crackers) help keep the kids in better moods and are able to better manage the
    long travel times.
  16. If you need bottles or sipper cups and are flying, buy some that have handles. One
    time we were traveling and 5 minutes into the flight our son threw his sipper cup
    away. It rolled about 15 feet before someone was kind enough to retrieve it for me.
  17. Regardless of where you are staying, bring at least 2 loads worth of laundry
    detergent, dryer sheets and quarters. You just never know when something might
    happen.
  18. Insect repellent.
  19. Large Brim Hats for the whole family. Pick a coordinating color so you can "Count
    Heads" quickly. Kids love the "Aussie" style hats and they are unique enough that
    you will not see too many. Whatever you do, do not pick a blue or red baseball
    caps.
  20. Small Children do not need to be exactly alike, but should coordinate in some
    manner as to make them easily identifiable. We have found neon colors work great
    and the kids love them.
  21. If you are looking for a fun activity for the kids to do prior to the trip, have them
    paint t-shirts and painter's caps. Trust me, you will never loose the kids in a crowd.
    Michael's has t-shirts for $5 and painter's hats for $1.
  22. For small children, bring a stroller AND a sling or backpack style child carrier. You
    will need both. The best investment we made was a stroller that converted into a
    backpack style carrier, it was GREAT!
  23. Small Notepad and Pen
  24. Pay all bills prior to arrival. I am just as guilt as the next. "Oh, I will just mail them
    when I get there." What do I find a week later.... the bills, still in my purse.
  25. Books on CD or Tape for the car rides. For kids and adults alike we have found this
    a wonderful asset. You can check them out at your local library.
  26. A digital thermometer and a fever reducing medicine such as Tylenol or Advil for
    adults and children. Your know your child is warm, but how warm? Ear infections
    tend to creep up at the most unfortunate times.
  27. Anti-diarrhea medicine, antihistamine and Solarcaine (for those who forgot the
    sunscreen).
  28. Go to Walmart and purchase a few gallons of bottled water to drink. The water in
    Orlando tastes horrible. Some grocery stores have refilling stations for 25 cents a
    gallon.
  29. In Orlando, purchase a $5 cooler at Walmart or bring a collapsible one from home.
  30. Cheap Beach Towel. Most Lodging will not allow you to take their towels from the
    property or the room, besides that they are usually very small. Purchase a few
    cheap towels just to have for impromptu picnics, "stake you claim" at a water park,
    or to use as a pillow in the back seat.
Don't Forget
t0paz92
Disney Homes Online - Only Orlando Vacation Rental Home - Orlando, Kissimmee, Clermont & Davenport