· Pack comfortable shoes – At Disney can easily walk five miles or more per day while it, although this is great for your health, it's not so great for your feet. Don't buy new comfortable shoes in Orlando because your feet won't become accustomed to them quickly enough. As your feet will be carrying all your weight around this tip is essential.
· Pack an umbrella/rain coat/poncho - if you're going to Florida to escape the terrible weather back home, you will be in for a shock. Thunderstorms happen nearly every day at around 2PM and there's a very high chance that it will rain during your trip. One minute it will quite literally be 40 degrees Celsius and the next it will be pouring down. Usually half an hour after the rain has stopped, the sun will have evaporated all th4 water leaving no trace of the storm. You can get a cheap poncho at Wal-Mart or an overpriced one at Disney.
· Pack sun cream - Although it may rain nearly every day, you will need to take sun cream especially if you'll be visiting any of the water parks. This is a must as temperatures in Orlando regularly soar above 30 degrees Celsius and there's nothing worse than sunburn to ruin that perfect holiday.
· Cooler - food at the parks is very, very expensive so you might want to pop down to Wal-Mart or another non-Disney shop and buy a few bottles of water at a quarter of the Disney price. You may also want to make your own sandwiches to take in with you. Coolers are permitted in all parks and you can store one in the locker so you don't have to take it around with you.
· Get dollars - Buying dollars at the airport can cost you a lot in commission so either pre-load a US credit card with cash or exchange cash before going. Using you credit card abroad may be a good choice depending on your bank's exchange rates so ask before you go. Also, make sure to tell your bank that you're going to America so that your card isn’t blocked when you are spending there. Banks frequently block cards that are being spent on in international locations to protect you from fraud.
· Video camera and/or digital camera - a digital camera is a must nowadays especially as the experiences you are going to have in Orlando may never be repeated and Disney staff (Cast Members) will be happy to take photos of you with your family at all times. If you can, do get an HD video camera - these are of great quality and are available fairly cheaply. It doesn't have to be of a massive capacity as you can always offload the photos/videos onto your PC at the end of the day. Make sure to have enough memory cards or tapes so that you’ll never need to overwrite or delete anything.
· Clothes - This tip is especially crucial for small children. Take many clothes as you will get dirty quickly; make sure to take at least 1 top for every day of your trip or more. Don't forget spare socks as you can easily become sweaty in the Florida heat. If you’re going on any water ride, take a change of clothes with you into the park.
· Sunglasses - As well as making you look cool, pack these for all members of your party. They are essential to protecting your eyes. If you can, also get a chain to hold them around your neck so you don't have to pack them into your pocket when you go into attractions.
· Sandals/Water shoes - If you’re going on any water ride or to any of the water theme parks these are necessary to keep your feet safe. The walkways in water parks can get very hot so use these to prevent scalding.
· Mobile/cell phones or walkie-talkies - admittedly using walkie-talkies may make you look weird so mobiles are a better option here. These are useful as finding the exit to a ride may not be easy. So, if the kids go on a ride with someone else (or even alone) when they are out, they'll want to find you. Using a walkie talkie/cell phone means they can describe where they are or explain using their map and you can meet them.
Also, don't forget to take maps with you into the parks (as well as maps of the whole Disney/Orlando area) as well as a satellite navigation system if you'll be driving. I hope these Walt Disney World packing tips help you!
