David KrisoThe 50th Anniversary at the Walt Disney World Resort is in full swing! Currently, Disney travelers find themselves in the midst of a perfect storm. There’s the 50th Anniversary of course, but with the holiday travel rush and the COVID pandemic added on top of it, travelers can imagine the kind of perfect storm they’re in. Traveling to Walt Disney World during these trying times, taking in the Disney holiday festivities, experiencing the 50th Anniversary is quite the challenge. Meanwhile, traveling amidst the mad rush of everyone coming out of lockdown is stressful. Does it have to be? Disney travelers from all around the country, including those well-seasoned, know how to deal with the packing ritual. Packing for a Walt Disney World vacation is supposed to be a joyful experience. However, there’s packing and overpacking. What are some of the key tips to avoiding the dreaded pack rat fever involved in a Walt Disney World vacation? The list may sound sophisticated, but if one carefully thinks it through, the trip becomes a walk in the “park”.
#3) Park planning: Each and every trip, Disney travelers are aware of new shows, attractions, and services. It is vital to know which parks will be visited the most often. This has a tremendous effect on a family’s packing situation. If a family isn’t planning on visiting neither one of the water parks (Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon), then packing the necessities for either park can be avoided. Twenty-five to thirty years ago, park planning wasn’t such a big factor. The preparation that went into a Walt Disney World vacation wasn’t so involved. Nowadays, park planning is the name of the game. During the pandemic, reservations are required for each of the four major parks. Planning ahead and keeping in mind the schedule of each park admission goes a long way.
#2) Stocking up: There are plenty of stores and supermarkets outside the Walt Disney World Resort property. There are two Publix supermarkets (Celebration and Lake Buena Vista), a CVS Pharmacy, and other places in the vicinity to visit. There is no reason to pack snacks and other nonperishable food items in luggage. Guests can begin stocking up on the essentials on the way to the Disney property. For instance, Disney Vacation Club guests are notorious for stocking up on cereal, milk, fruits, vegetables, beer, etc. because their villas have the comforts of home. They have refrigerators, cabinets for storage, bars complete with stools, and kitchen tables for the purpose of families eating together. Regular Disney resort rooms don’t have those kinds of features. Many Disney resort gift shops feature large refrigerators with perishable items for Disney Vacation Club guests. Disney Vacation Club guests can be seen stocking up on day one of their stay. The resort gift shops also feature snack aisles that cater to both regular resort and Disney Vacation Club guests.
#1) Owner’s Locker: During any stay at the Walt Disney World Resort, guests may take have taken notice to the purple van cruising around the property. The van says “Owner’s Locker”. Owner’s Locker is a certified Disney vendor. Owner’s Locker is the perfect resolution to avoiding the pack rat fever. If guests can note all the items packed time and again for each and every trip, why should they pack them in their luggage all the time? There’s no rhyme or reason why they should have to. Toiletries, nonperishable items (i.e. coffee filters and tea bags), everyday necessities (i.e. trading pin lanyards, water fans, hats, swimwear, and sunglasses), and sleeping wear can easily be stored in the bins provided. The Owner’s Locker bins come in three colors. The purple bins are for regular resort guests. The blue bins are for Disney Vacation Club guests. Lastly, Owner’s Locker provides red bins for annual pass holders. Disney Vacation Club guests are blessed with the convenience of washers and dryers in their villas. Therefore, packing a mountain of sleeping wear becomes unnecessary. Further, Owner’s Locker can store golf bags. Owner’s Locker also rents strollers for small children. So, why should families pack all of these items on a repeat basis? Owner’s Locker takes the packing worries off guests’ shoulders as easy as “Hakuna Matata!”.
Walt Disney World alone is not the only matter where packing becomes a repeat concern. Disney Cruise Line guests have the tendency to pack a mountain of items for their voyage. Avid Disney cruisers know what to expect each and every day on board ship. From the exciting parties on the open deck, to getting autographs from Mickey and the gang, to Pirates Night, culminating with fireworks at sea, one can imagine the amount of gear that Disney cruisers are known for packing. If they know the daily drill, they pack everything necessary. The experienced Disney cruisers always sail prepared. Making life easier, an Owner’s Locker staff member can meet a family at Orlando International Airport in the baggage claim and hand them their bins, and same vice versa. Either way, any Disney vacation is painless as imagined.
Ah, the news of having a Walt Disney World vacation booked! Wait, it doesn’t have to be just a Walt Disney World vacation. It can also be a “land and sea” package, with a Disney cruise and Walt Disney World Resort stay coupled together. Once the trip is weeks away, the grueling task of writing up a packing list begins. Wait, Disney travelers should slow it down here. Packing may sound like an exciting part of the trip, but it gets complicated for some. First-time and minimally experienced Disney travelers are inundated with questions and tips on what to do come the day when their trip finally arrives. Park planning is essential. Knowing specifically what to do and see is vital. With park planning done ahead of time, packing is second nature. Disney travelers should develop the habit of stocking up on all essentials including perishable and non-perishable items, particularly Disney Vacation Club guests. Purchasing a membership at Owner’s Locker makes each and every Disney trip worth the while. Whether it’s a stay at the Walt Disney World Resort or going on a Disney cruise from Port Canaveral, Owner’s Locker makes each and every Disney trip the utmost pain-free experience imaginable. All together, following these three simple tips makes the stress of packing for a Disney vacation disappear like “magic”.
