Tips and Ways to Save at a #ThemePark #Florida #Travel #FamilyTravel

Taking the Family to a Theme Park is Expensive, 

So Here's Some Tips to Save and Stretch Your Dollars.

• Theme Park Tickets: Check your loyalty cards and points, and check on-line for coupons and upgrades for the parks you want to visit. Many loyalty points can be used to purchase or reduce the cost of theme park tickets. CAA/AAA offers discounts on many attractions and theme parks. Park websites and tourism boards like Visit Orlando often have coupons, discounts and are great resources for theme park savings and information. Additional savings can often be found through hotel and theme park tickets packages.
• If the hotel or resort offers free shuttle services to the parks you can save on the parking fee by using this option.
• Make sure to make full use of Fast Passes or any extended park privileges you're entitled to.
• Use a single backpack to pack for the day at the theme park. One bag is easier to manage when going on rides, attractions, and to take turns carrying it. 

• Some theme park guest services have kids emergency information tags, but a much faster way is to use free airline luggage tags completed with emergency contact and resort information as wrist bands or attached to belt loops. 

• Save by purchasing dollar store rain ponchos for everyone in the family. You can often get them with the kids favourite characters on them as well. At the theme parks a cheap rain poncho will cost you $5 or more per poncho. Besides the regular afternoon showers in Florida, rain ponchos are great to keep dry or protect your backpack at sea animal shows or rides with splashing water.
• Buying beverages for a family at $4 a bottle really adds up quickly. Save by bringing Reusable Water Bottles or buying your first beverages with a screw top lids and refilling them throughout the day from a fountain rather than purchasing drinks. Pack single serve flavour crystals if plain water isn't your thing. Plus bonus less garbage and recycling. 
• At Universal Parks you can purchase a full day meal plan which is good value, and CAA/AAA members can get a 10% discount on other food and beverage purchases.
• Consider a Character Meal at Disney, the cost isn't much higher than other meal options at the park, but the experience is worth the extra expense. Be sure to book this in advance.
• Speaking from experience finding a bandage at a theme park can be more challenging than you think. Do yourself a favour and pack a small First-Aid/Emergency Kit: including: hair elastic (it has many uses), shoe laces (can also be used as a belt), sewing kit, eyeglass repair kit (tiny screwdriver comes in handy), safety pin, ziptie, twist tie, bag clip, tweezers, wipes and first-aid items (bandages, Gravol, Tylenol, etc) 
• Pack a few small ziploc bags to protect cell phone and wallet on water rides. 
• Disney has free wi-fi which makes standing in long lines for rides or attractions so much easier. To keep your device charge for a long day at the theme park be sure to pack a portable battery charger. 
• You can save on Disney Items buy purchasing pins, t-shirts, autograph books and pens at a dollar store or stores like Walmart or Target, and limit your on-site park splurges to a few really special memory making items. 
• Many places offer a CAA/AAA discount. At Universal Parks you can get a 10% discount on merchandise by showing your membership card. 
• For a feel of Disney without the expense visit Downtown Disney and spend the afternoon having a great meal, shopping and visiting the Lego store (and get a free LEGO VIP card). 

Happy Travels and Enjoy Your Day at the Theme Park!

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about a day at the theme park.

Fitting Everything You'll Need for the #ThemePark into 1 Knapsack #travel #TravelTuesday

EVERYTHING ON THE LIST IS IN THIS KNAPSACK 

1 FAMILY, 1 DAY, 1 THEME PARK, AND 1 KNAPSACK:
No one wants to lug around tons of bags and items on a day of family fun at a theme park. Neither do you want to spend a fortune on stuff you forgot, or have the day ruined by not having the basic essentials you need. Given the financial investment a day at a theme park is for a family of four (easily $200-$300 just for admission) a bit of planning and packing expertise is so important to ensure you get the most out your adventure. Here is my best advice after 16 years of packing for the 50+ theme park visits to at least 10 different theme parks, on how to make your experience magical.
Before hand: 
Take a minute to download the theme park maps, and attractions. Make a plan about what the must do rides and attractions are, and how they can be visited in an order that avoids multiple cross park walks. Disney World's Magic Kingdom is 107 acres, and Animal Kingdom covers 500 acres according to About.com Family Vacations. A plan will help to ensure even with wait times you get so see and do all the top attractions on your list. In the case of Disney be sure to look into, understand, and use the Fast Pass option. Also many parks open early or late to visitors staying in one of their resorts or hotels. Check the weather, and the UV rating for the day! Bring sunscreen and hats!!!
Given the acreage of these parks wear a pair of comfortable shoes you can walk in for 8 - 10 hours! In my opinion that does not include flip flops. After years of searching for the perfect park shoe, I noticed in the last 3 years that about 75% of people were wearing Nike Free Run shoes. So I bought myself a pair (or two), as well as a pair for my son, and husband, and indeed they are the best shoes I have ever owned for a day of walking around a theme park. Highly recommend them!
Okay, what goes in the knapsack:
The Must Haves:

• Sunscreen!!!!
• 4x hats (one for everyone).
• 4x long sleeved shirts (one for everyone). These are great in the evening, in the air conditioning, to block the sun, and act as an extra shirt, should your t-shirt get wet on a ride. 
• 2x hoodies (one in kids size and one adult size so they can be shared).
• 2x spare t-shirts (one in kids size and one in adult size so they can be shared) Pack in ziplock bag so wet t-shirts can be stored in that same bag in the knapsack).
• 2x spare pairs of socks (in sizes that can be shared).
• 2x green garbage bags (they can double as a rain poncho, and keep your knapsack, or seat dry on water rides).
• a couple of ziplock bags for wallets, etc when on water rides.
• 4x dollarstore rain ponchos (you will pay as much as $7 each at the park).
• 4x bottle of water (refill them at the fountain throughout the day) You WILL need to hydrate, and this can get very expensive without a water bottle. Everyone carries their own using a bottle clip or lanyard.
• 4x bottle clips so everyone can easily carry their own bottles or empty ones can be clipped onto the knapsack.
• 4x sunglasses and strings so they can hang from your neck.
• Emergency kit: safety pins, bandages, wipes, kleenex, lipbalm, pair of shoelaces (can double as a belt), foam earplugs, luggage tags (to use as ID and Emergency Contact Info Tags and Cards  for kids), pen, cell phone charging cord, earbuds, Gravol, Tylenol or Advil.

Optional: 

• Camera and or Cell Phone (Note: Disney has free wi-fi everywhere in the parks, and a cell phone game can make long wait times go by much faster. Also Disney has an app with all sorts of great park information).
• Granola bars, a few snacks, and single serve flavour crystals to add to the water. (My kids have a fast metabolism and need to eat every few hours. These help to hold them over until we can sit down for a meal).
• Card Holder and Lanyard: convenient for Fast Pass tickets ($3 at Walmart, $8 in the park).
• Autograph Book and fancy Princess pen: $12 & $8 in the park, substantially cheaper at Walmart. (or have your kids make an autograph book to bring to the park).
• I always bring a collapsible folding bag like an Envirosac, or a cinch knapsack with me. (It makes carrying purchases that do not fit in the knapsack much easier).

In our family the adults have always taken turns carrying the knapsack, but since my kids are now teens, they are required to take turns too!

Yep, just me Cathy thinking about travel and theme parks.