Disney Fanatic

Disney To-Do List: The Top 20 Things You Must Do Before You Go on Your Disney World Vacation

6. Purchase backpack items. Sunscreen, hand sanitizer, ponchos, baby wipes and a portable charger—these five items can make your time in the parks much more comfortable. But if you wait to purchase them once you’re in the parks, you will pay substantially more for them than you would at Target, Wal-Mart or another discount store. Come to

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Disney To-Do List: The Top 20 Things You Must Do Before You Go on Your Disney World Vacation

7. Buy new walking shoes and break them in. You will do a lot of walking while you are enjoying the parks. Some estimate that you will walk as much as 5 to 7 miles in a full day at Magic Kingdom. But no matter how much you walk, you will want comfortable shoes in which to do so. Be sure to buy supportive, well-fitting walking shoes for ea

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Disney To-Do List: The Top 20 Things You Must Do Before You Go on Your Disney World Vacation

8. Make an itinerary for your time in the parks. Based on the things you and your family have decided you really want to experience, make a “loose” itinerary for each day that you will be in the parks. Look at your dining reservations, and create your itinerary around those reservations. For example, if you have reservations for lunch at

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Disney To-Do List: The Top 20 Things You Must Do Before You Go on Your Disney World Vacation

9. Talk with your family about what they hope to see or do most. If your children are old enough, share your research materials with them and ask them to make a list of things they want to experience in the parks. Let them take part in doing some of the research. If your children are too young to read yet, talk with them about their favor

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Disney To-Do List: The Top 20 Things You Must Do Before You Go on Your Disney World Vacation

10. Research parts of the parks with which you are unfamiliar. If you’ve never been to the parks at Walt Disney World, not only are you in for an amazing time, but you’re also in for an overwhelming feeling if you don’t do some of your research before you ever leave home. That’s because it is a really big place with endless opportunities

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Disney To-Do List: The Top 20 Things You Must Do Before You Go on Your Disney World Vacation

11. Choose a backpack for at least one member of your family. At least one member of your family or traveling party should carry a backpack. I have a backpack that was purchased solely for trips to the parks, and it hibernates between trips to Disney. But it is my best friend in the parks. I don’t have to carry a purse or tote—everything

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Disney To-Do List: The Top 20 Things You Must Do Before You Go on Your Disney World Vacation

12. Visit www.shopdisney.com. Often. Yes, you can wait until you get to Disney to buy Disney apparel for your family, and someone in your family will most likely want to buy a t-shirt from Disney World that says “Disney World” on it. But it’s often a good idea to visit Disney’s merchandise website to purchase Disney clothing for your fami

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Disney To-Do List: The Top 20 Things You Must Do Before You Go on Your Disney World Vacation

13. Customize your Magicbands. Some time after you book your Disney Resort hotel room, you will receive an e-mail from Disney instructing you to click on a link to customize your family’s Magicbands. Follow that link and you will be able to choose a color for each Magicband. You will also be able to choose what name is printed on the insi

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Disney To-Do List: The Top 20 Things You Must Do Before You Go on Your Disney World Vacation

14. Make your dining reservations. Once the 180-day window has opened for your trip (6 months before the first day you want to enjoy a dining experience), access the My Disney Experience app or www.mydisneyexperience.com, or call (407) WDW-DINE to make your dining reservations. Once confirmed, you will receive an email for each dining res

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Disney To-Do List: The Top 20 Things You Must Do Before You Go on Your Disney World Vacation

15. Download the My Disney Experience app on your smartphone. Once you’ve created your online Disney account, those login credentials will help you access most of Disney’s sites across the web (www.shopdisney.com, www.mydisneyexperience.com, etc.). Now’s the time to download the most useful tool in your Disney trip planning—the My Disney

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