The Vergins do Disney!! <planning>
Oh planning. It was A LOT! My friend had mentioned that she did Disney planning as a side hustle ,and it was FREE for me to use her as our planner. Since I knew nothing about Disney, I asked for her help, and she was so kind and helpful and held my hand through the planning process. She made us a list of resorts with prices and we initially chose Pop Century value resort.
We were scheduled for April 2020, and we all know what happened during that time! So she rescheduled us for April 2021. Then I got a job, so she moved it yet again to September 2021. By this time, I had already packed and unpacked twice and remade t-shirts for the kids (they just keep growing!) so I told my husband, if we couldn’t make it happen, that we just had to stop trying. I couldn’t take that disappointment and unpacking pressure a fourth time! Anyway, during the time between the second and third reschedule, my friend found us an amazing deal on an upgrade to a moderate resort. We took it, and figured why not? So we chose Coronado Springs! Then I began following all the Disney Facebook groups I could find, and asking lots of questions and looking at advice from others who were seasoned Disney-goers. It helped so much!
I started making my list of must-haves for packing! Things we needed, but also items that we could save a ton of money on, by purchasing ahead of time. PACK BATTERIES PEOPLE! I ordered nice luggage from amazon, and got backpacks for each of us. We booked our flights through United, they seemed to have the best options for flights, and also included one personal item (purse or the like), and a carry-on included in the price of the flights. Even their checked bags seemed to have the best rate. We weighted all of our luggage before hand so we would know that it was all under the 50 pound weight limit. Bringing our laptop and Matt's school books made it interesting!
I booked and paid for our ride from our house to the airport, and then from the airport home, upon our return. We went through Cloud 9 Limo Service. They were easy to work with, and the most reasonably priced in the area. We took a limo ride from home to the airport, it was really special and Aubrey had never ridden in a limo so she was so excited! We got an SUV for the way home at the end of our trip. Looking back, we could have done the limo ride home as well, since there was only about a $30 difference, but we had a great conversation with our SUV driver on the way home that I would not have traded for anything! The cost for The limo there was $165 (tip included) and the SUV home was about $135 (tip included). They did a wonderful job and I would book them again in a heart beat! It was great too, because everything was prepaid. They texted when they arrived at our house (we were already waiting in the window), and they also texted us when they arrived at the airport and told us where to meet them.
I planned our park days, activity reservations (droids and light saber) and dining reservations (Our TA got us every single reservation we wanted!!!). I know lots of people don’t like that there isn’t any fast passes anymore (Genie + coming soon but it costs extra!), but I think it was for the better, because that way, we weren’t rushing from one ride/side of the park to the other. We just checked the My Disney Experience app for wait times, and hopped on them as we pleased. If we didn’t want to wait we’d just wander around until the wait time was better or we skipped it. No big.
Anyway, I packed everything we could possibly need and then some! I’ll include my list of everything I packed-
Hand sanitizer - we brought lots, used it often but the parks had many stations to use as well.
Ponchos - brought ones we had from six flags, heavy duty. They were too heavy to carry around, we preferred the cheap dollar tree ones. However, we really didn't need them aside from one day, so we got lucky there.
Lysol spray - to spray our stuff down each day, and to spray our hotel room down when we arrived.
Travel tissues - from dollar tree for our park backpacks.
Deodorant - for obvious reasons.
Water bottles with filter - we heard the free water in the parks tasted gross so I got these, the free water was not gross and we never used these. The kids will use them for scouts!
Sunglasses - bought matching ones, 8 pairs in case any broke. We used 2 pairs the whole time.
Feminine products - packed a few of each just in case, the cost of these in the stores on campus was insane!
Shave cream and razors - ended up ordering razors from Instacart. The ones I packed were the cheap dollar tree ones, should have gotten nicer, disposable ones and could have saved a few bucks!
Socks for all - got really good deals on clearance after winter last year. Packed them brand new, we needed lots of extras!
Undies for all - again, looked for clearance undies, washed them and packed 15 pairs each.
Flashlight - didn’t end up needing it, but it’s an essential!
Batteries - PACK EXTRAS! We packed a 6-pack of AA and it wasn’t enough, we ended up spending $15 in batteries in the gift shop for bubble wands.
First aid kit - needed a couple band aids from it, it’s another essential!
Charging cables - ordered a 6 pack from amazon ahead of time. It worked out great, and having them when we got home was awesome! Nothing like new charging cords!
Charging blocks - I’m glad we had them and we used one, but the hotel had USB plugs!!
Portable charging batteries - YES YES YES! We had 3 and used them all! They all had flashlights too, so we could have eliminated the flashlight, had I known.
Combs - the girls certainly needed the wide tooth combs, brought a pack of dollar store ones for the boys, they never used them. Surprise surprise!
Disposable masks – YES! Get adult sizes and kid sizes! Pack a few of each in plastic bags for your park back pack!
Fanny pack – I packed mine and I loved having it. I kept the cash and cards in there. Also my battery pack, cord, and my phone. I also used one of the pockets to put all my pressed pennies in.
Hair ties – pack lots!! I threw a couple extras in our park back pack too!
Sandwich and snack baggies – I used these for many things! I also packed snack baggies for things like grapes, carrots and cucumbers.
Gallon baggies- for larger things to keep dry just in case, in the parks. I also used these to pack our clothes.
Chapstick – I got one for each of us and I was the only one who used it. But good to have it anyway!
Pens – only needed one the whole time we were there! The kids used theirs as well to write about their days.
Closet organizer/hanging bins – I loved having this to put our daily clothes in! The closet in the room is small, but it worked well for us!
Dish soap – I liked having this! I washed our cups each day and I used it to wash masks too! It definitely came in handy!
Night light plug in- I liked having one in the bathroom so we didn’t have to switch the lights on in the night. Got it at dollar tree, worked great!
Cold medicine for adults and kids- never used either, brought it just in case.
Ibuprofen for adults and kids – used pretty often (adults, kids used once for a headache).
Allergy medicine for adults and kids – used everyday, kids and husband have allergies.
Vitamins – used everyday since we all take our vitamins!
Gas-X – needed this! We ate soooo much!
Tums – used a few times. Like I said, we ate a LOT!
Lactaid – for me, I only needed it a couple times!
Emergen-C – I took this each morning to boost my immune system. I love it!
Scissors – used these daily!
Cooling towels – Frogg Toggs on amazon! We used the crap out of these in the parks!
Epi pens – son has a deadly peanut allergy, we had one in his back pack and one in ours every day!
Mole skin – ordered on amazon. We didn’t even open the package. If you have sensitive skin it may be good to have it, but apparently all the walking at Six Flags worked to our advantage!
Lotion – I brought regular lotion, we didn’t use it. I also brought Epsom salt gel, we all used it on our feet at the end of the day it felt good but wasn’t really necessary for us.
Sunscreen – I brought 3 lotions and 2 sprays, we used most of it!
Straws – Disney doesn’t allow plastic straws. Which is so great for the environment! The paper straws weren’t nearly as bad as everyone said, Joffrey’s had really nice paper straws, if that’s a thing! We packed bamboo and hard plastic straws, but didn’t end up using them.
Cough Drops – Here in IL I need cough drops at night because it’s so dry in our house. I didn’t experience that in Disney. Maybe it’s the humidity, but we didn’t use them!
Loofahs – got a 4 pack at dollar tree, they were so much better than the wash clothes provided in the room. To each their own but it was a luxury I preferred to have.
Wipes – I brought disinfecting wipes and baby wipes. We used both. Had them in the park back packs every day! Used them to wipe hands and tables before and after we ate! A mom had a kid with a bloody nose in front of us in line for a ride and they came in handy for them too!
Phone number tattoos – we had planned this trip years ago when the kids were smaller. Ordered them on Etsy, and while they were a great idea, they were in storage too long and ended up being garbage since they were no longer sticky.
Carabiner clips – packed them to hang our water bottles off of our back packs. Never used them. Would work if you had a stroller.
Lanyards and pins – I ordered our lanyards off amazon and did a 40 pack of random Disney pins off amazon for trading. I also received a pack of them as a gift, we used them all!
Autograph books – I ordered kits off amazon that had a drawstring bag, autograph book, lanyard, coin purse, and pen. Unfortunately, right now, the characters aren’t doing signatures, but the kids loved these books to write their daily journal in. They wrote down what we did that day to share with their classes when we got back home! I highly recommend still getting them if you have older kids!
Laundry bag/pop up – Get a couple of these! They were so helpful to keep clothes off the floor, and if you end up doing laundry on site, it’s an easy way to transport the clothes!
Toothpaste and toothbrushes – hit up dollar tree. Use them and toss them!
Notebook – I brought my planning notebook with. I wrote notes in it as I honed the list of daily items needed. It’s always good to have paper on hand!
Clothes – I made matching shirts for our park days. People like to roll their clothes, I folded each days clothes, labeled gallon bags with which day and park each outfit was for, and then flattened them as best I could in each bag. If we get to travel again, I’d love to get one of those machines that sucks all the air out the bags. I kneeled on each bag and managed to get everyone’s clothes into their carry on back packs!
Sandals – needed these for our pool/resort days, got cheap ones from dollar general and left them there. No space so they didn’t make the cut to come home.
Slippers - grabbed 4 pairs from dollar general. They worked great, and I didn't feel bad leaving them behind because they were so cheap!
Good walking shoes – we each got a new pair of walking shoes 2 weeks before the trip so we had time to break them in. We wore them there and home. Certainly a need!
Pixie Dust – Packed a bunch of stuff to hand out to others at the parks! Glow sticks, stickers, tattoos, mini bubbles, and some small toys! It was so fun to pass these things out to the kids at the parks and make someone’s day!
I also prepared a grocery list! Instacart delivered directly to our resort! One note I’d make, because I learned the hard way, is to wait until you arrive at your resort to place the order so that you can communicate with your shopper. Also, be sure to add in the notes for your shopper to drop off the order at Bell Services. Bell Services will accept the order (even if there is alcohol included) and will keep your items refrigerated until you arrive. If you ask, Bell Services will deliver your items to your room, you just have to be present in the room to accept the items. I spent about $250 on our Instacart order, but it truly saved us hundreds and hundreds on lunches, dinners, and snacks! Here’s what we ordered!
From Aldi-
Iced coffee – There aren’t a lot of options outside the park for iced coffee. I ordered 2 bottles and nearly finished it all!
Whipped cream cheese – for bagels and sandwiches!
Baby carrots - rinsed them and individually bagged them in snack baggies.
Grapes – rinsed them and also individually bagged them in snack baggies.
Cuties/oranges - threw one in everyone's back pack each day, it was a nice refreshing snack!
Paper bowls – thinking back, I should have gotten some plastic bowls from dollar tree and packed them. Less waste and we wouldn’t have run out!
Paper plates – same thought as the bowls and we barely used any plates.
Utensils – ordered the trio pack, forks, knives, and spoons. But they replaced them with just forks. In the future I’ll pack real stuff!
Tissues – Don’t waste your money, there’s plenty in the room!
Cucumbers – washed and cut with a very flimsy plastic knife from a restaurant. It worked, but like I said, next time, real stuff!
Cereal – got 3 boxes, worked great for breakfast and a before bed snack.
Milk – got ½ gallon 2% and ½ gallon almond milk. Was a perfect amount!
Yogurt – Got 6 and we ate them all! Great snack for after the parks!
Granola – for topping our yogurt, also worked well as a snack individually bagged for a park snack!
Gum – I know I know it’s not allowed but I really needed it sometimes!
Almonds – this was a snack for me, I like the individual 100 calorie bags. Super easy to throw in the park back pack for snacks!
2 cases of bottled water – Please do yourself a favor and do this! A bottle of water is about $4 in the parks! 2 cases costed me $5!!
Gatorade – got 2 cases of the mini bottles. Worked out great for the parks and after!
Jelly – got grape and strawberry for our sandwiches and bagels!
Mini bagels – for breakfast and even lunch!
2 loaves of bread – had some leftover, but we needed it for packing our lunches in the parks! Or just a snack if you’re my daughter!
Cheese slices – for our deli meat sandwiches, also for snacks!
String cheese – perfect snack for the parks and when we were just hanging out in the room!
Mustard- the king of condiments
Mayo – gotta have it for the sandwiches!
Easy Mac – This worked out well when we needed lunch, dinner, or a snack in our room!
Can ravioli – This is something the boys like. If you get it though, make sure you have a can opener, these went to waste.
Lunchables – perfect lunch or snack for the parks or in the room!
Ramen cup- this also made for an easy lunch, dinner, and snack in the room! Use the Keurig!
Salami, turkey, and ham – load up on good deli meats for sandwiches!
Bananas – in room snack or breakfast.
From Target –
Nail clippers – grab some from dollar tree before you go! I didn’t realize how much we’d need them!
Razors – I packed them, but ended up needing something better than what I brought. We have sensitive skin, so just make sure you know what you like before you go and save the money!
Dairy free pumpkin spice creamer – NEED
Shampoo and conditioner – I personally loved what was provided, but my daughter has very curly hair so we needed her usual stuff. Probably could have packed it, but I felt better not having it in the luggage.
Body wash – Could have skipped this, the stuff provided was so good!
Character soup – my daughters favorite. Great alternative if she was hungry and didn’t like what was offered at the resort.
Paper towel – got one roll, used most of it. It was nice to have it available!
Cookie butter – no peanut anything for us, so Biscoff was our friend!
Nutella – another one we used instead of peanut butter and my kids love it!
Rice krispie treats – there were times my son couldn’t have certain desserts so this was in our park back packs just in case!
Fruit snacks – buy them all! It’s a perfect pick me up snack in the parks!
Goldfish – another snack that went fast! It was perfect for a before bed snack!
Oatmeal – my kids favorite breakfast! I like starting the day with oatmeal, it doesn’t go through you fast like cereal!
Chips – a great snack for the parks!
Apple sauce – in room snack!
Be sure when you book your vacation, also reserve your park days! There is still a reservation needed to get into the parks! Also, at this time, you can reserve your dining 60 days from your first day of your trip! If you don’t get the reservations you want, don’t worry! Download the My Disney Experience app, and check it for the dining reservations you want throughout your vacation! People cancel all the time! We scored a Tusker House while we were in animal kingdom! It is possible, don’t give up hope!
Here are the dining reservations we had going into our trip (thanks to our awesome travel agent!)
Be our Guest dinner at Magic Kingdom - LOVED this one! The food was great, the décor was awesome and seeing the beast was so magical!
Biergarten at Epcot – buffet style. Food was okay, nothing to write home about. My husband is German and really wanted to try this one! Loved the band that played, they were the highlight!
Toledo at Coronado – The view was so amazing. The ambiance was stunning. Food was really great!
Tusker House in Animal Kingdom – grabbed this reservation while at the park, on a whim because I heard good things. The food was good, family style, but the characters made it worthwhile! We had so much fun!
Oga’s Cantina in Hollywood Studios – we only did drinks here, but all of them were awesome, the theme and ambiance was so cool!
Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary – the resort is under construction, so the noise was distracting, but I’m so glad we went! Saw the fab 5 in chef uniforms, and myself being a chef, I loved that so much! The food was fine, my favorite thing was the hash brown casserole!
Cinderella’s Table at Magic Kingdom – SO magical! The food was amazing and the atmosphere and thrill factor of eating in the castle made it 10000% worth it! This was a pre-paid meal too, so all we had to pay for was our adult drinks and the tip. Everything about this one was grand!
The pets were taken care of by our friends, and Alice went to her daycare. Daycare was a large expense, but we took out cash to cover it and left that at home so we knew we would be able to pay for her when we returned. Be sure you have care sheets to give to people tending to your critters! Our neighbors too Mia, and my other friend/neighbor came over to make sure the house was ok, and to tend to our aquatic/shelled creatures. We have the greatest friends and neighbors!!
Be sure you stop your mail! You can go to your local post office, and fill out a form to stop your mail. Start date, end date, and choose if you'd like them to just deliver all the mail they've held at once, or pick it up from the Post Office at your leisure.
Telling the kids was the highlight of our pre-trip planning! We kept this thing a secret for YEARS! We didn’t want to tell them because if we couldn’t make it happen we didn’t want them to be disappointed. So we packed and planned in secret. Monday was just like any other day, we dropped them at school, picked them up, and when we got home we sent them to take showers then quickly set up the living room with a banner, balloons, streamers, and our magic bands, shirts and Mickey and Minnie stuffies. I put up a plastic tablecloth over the entrance to the living room. We called them over for a “family meeting” then revealed the living room to them! They lost it when they realized what was happening! We got our shirts on for our trip, ate some dinner, then went off to try and get some sleep!
