My Travel Essentials! Part 1
ADAPTERS!
If you’re not travelling from the US, you'll most likely need some kind of plug adapter. Most rooms, even the Value resorts at Disney have lots of USB ports now which is great except that not all of your stuff will fit in a USB port, so adapters it is! I got some from Swiss Store and they came in a European and US set and have lasted really well so I highly recommend.
SUN CREAM!
If we're talking Orlando, no matter what time of year you go, it will sometimes be really rainy, sometimes cloudy, you might get a hurricane, but there's always hot sun. Below is the weather forecast for a week in February! Look at those temperatures! I’m fair-skinned so I like factor 50. I actually would recommend factor 50 no matter what your skin type. I also HATE applying sun cream but there’s no way I'd go without. So a reliable “once a day” is what I use. I have found that P20 factor 50 is the best for me and my family. It lasts up to 10 hours (including dips in a pool) from one application. Only 1 disadvantage: - You have to apply it at least 15 minutes before sun exposure and it can take a while to dry, so it might mean setting that alarm a little earlier. Shudder-inducing when you’re planning to rope drop Magic Kingdom!
BUT it has high UVA/UVB protection and you can put it on once and go an entire day without stopping to worry about reapplying. My family used it for our 2 weeks in Florida last April and none of us even got a slight sunburn, just a nice tan.
TIP: Be sure to get the CREAM and not the spray, as the spray can stain clothes.
For the face, I recommend The Body Shop Skin Defence. Again, factor 50 (if you prefer lighter protection, the Vitamin E range has factor 30.) This is much lighter for your facial skin and better for under make-up.
SHOES!
People always ask what are the best shoes to wear to Walt Disney World. The correct answer to this is - "ones that YOU find comfortable and can wear for long periods." That might be a certain brand of trainers or flip flops or Crocs, but it is definitely a personal choice. No matter when you go to Disney, there will be hot and sometimes wet weather. You will walk MILES and your feet will have to bear your weight standing in lines for hours a day. My personal favourites are Nike Tanjun and Nike WearAllDay. I have two pairs, I wear them for bar shifts in a pub so I know they can take a lot of standing about. TIP: whatever you wear, make them comfortable and well worn in. Don’t go in brand new shoes.
SOCKS!
Almost as important as the shoes! I was recommended Rockay socks by a member of a Facebook group and I’ve tested them out on many Disney trips. Proper trainer socks that never slip under my feet. I love them! These are expensive socks, but honestly I can’t say enough good things about them. They’re worth every penny.
CHUB RUB PREVENTION!
This is a big one for me. This is for EVERYONE because I know women are not the only ones afflicted. Also I actually hate the name chub rub, because not everyone who gets the rub has the chub.
So let’s call it what it is, it’s thigh chafing. And it hurts like hell. And when you’re thighs are sweaty from the humidity and your body is swelling in the heat and you’re walking a LOT it is somehow 1000 times worse. I know some people swear by putting deodorants or talc on their legs, or that special anti chafing gel, all of which I have tried but they all also seem to wear off and that doesn’t work for me. I am someone who doesn’t like to reapply and I want my prevention to really do it’s job, so I don’t take chances!
For the ladies, I saw a recommendation for Jockey Skimmies, they are a cooling short, under dresses. I personally definitely recommend this type of thing over creams or gels or powders, purely for longevity and they work fine under loose trousers and shorts too. I also recommend Snag Tights Chub Rub shorts as these come in a variety of fab bright colours.
Jockey – at least the UK site – don’t appear to make something like this for men, but go for something slightly longer in the leg and stay away from cotton right next to your skin!
CHARGING!
Everyone needs their phones on holiday. And if you’re off to Walt Disney World, you WILL need your phone. From trying to get on that ride, mobile ordering your food, checking Genie+ reservations and taking photos… you’ll be on your phone a LOT and your battery will go down fast. The same at other theme parks too! So it’s a very good idea to have something with you to charge your phone on the go. If you have your own mobile charger, ideally have it be at least 10,000MaH. These can be found for not very much on Amazon. You could even get two and have one always charging while the other is with you so you never run out. The other alternative is FuelRod. The advantage of them is, you buy the charger kit in the first instance ($30) – it comes with several adapters to fit whatever phone you have – and then when it runs out you simply take it to a FuelRod kiosk which are all over Walt Disney World (free) AND Universal (small charge) and swap it for a fresh, fully charged unit ready to go. The convenience of this is you never have to wait for your own charger to recharge or worry about forgetting it. The downside is that each fuel rod will only half charge your phone so depending on how many are in your party you may need to purchase more than one or have to swap quite often.
BAGS!
I know some people are lucky enough to be able to get around Disney without carrying anything. To them I tip my hat! I am 100% NOT that type of person! I have to carry all my stuff at all times! However, I also like my hands free so I prefer a backpack. I collect Loungefly bags and they do also make bumbags, and smaller cross-body bags which I think are great for travelling lighter! The Loungefly backpacks are quite sturdy and can also be used as packing cubes in your luggage too. The other type of bag I like (especially for Universal as the ride lockers there are very small) are the drawstring ones. They still hold a lot of stuff, but you can squash them down. Choose a bag that suits you or no bag at all!
That’s a good place to stop for now! Come back for more later!
