Welcome back to my travel essentials list! I’m going straight in, no faffing!
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. That sounds…. quite derogatory to me 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! I wear cycling shorts or similar to avoid the chafing altogether.
I watched a video with Molly from AllEars.net and she explained how, even with skirts and dresses, she wears long skin-tight shorts underneath. She recommended these Jockey Skimmies and I have bought some in the mid length as the top half my legs is long! but they also come in a shorter length. I would personally definitely recommend this type of thing over creams or gels or powders, purely for longevity and work fine under loose trousers and shorts too.
Jockey – at least the UK site – don’t appear to make something like this for men, but something similar like this is what I would recommend. Just keep away from something like cotton right next to your skin!
Here is a little more information on thigh chafing and how to prevent and treat it.
BAGS! I know there are some people who 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 haha!!
However, I also like my hands free so I prefer a backpack. I collect Loungefly bags and they do also make bumbags (or fanny-packs as the Americans call them) 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.
Choose a bag that suits you or no bag at all!
PONCHOS! If you think you’re not going to get caught in a sudden downpour when you’re in Florida, then think again! The weather in Orlando is nothing if not unpredictable and it can change as quickly as dragging the bar across the photos below!
These two pictures were taken just a few minutes apart while we went in and out of World of Disney at Disney Springs. Bright sunshine to absolute pouring rain! That evening we were not prepared at all, despite usually having ponchos with us!
These ponchos are perhaps not the best quality and not really brilliant for the environment, but they’re cheap and good enough to outlast a rain shower and/or a trip on Splash Mountain or Kali River Rapids. (You would think you’d dry really fast in the heat, but it’s very humid so you just… well you just don’t!) They are available in bulk packs on Amazon too. You can also get ponchos easily in Disney merchandise stores but they are EXPENSIVE.
Ideally, if you have a packable light raincoat that folds up really small, bring it! And just something to put it in when it’s wet so you don’t make everything in your bag wet too.
ZIPLOCK BAGS! These are great for everything. Bring a few in your bag for the day. First and foremost, put anything you think you’ll need to take out of your bag at bag check, IN a ziplock bag. Then you or the security guard can just take it all out in one go without having to rifle through your stuff.
Also, have you seen the size of the snacks in Disney and Universal? It’s unlikely, unless you’re sharing, that you’ll get through one of those huge cinnamon buns in one go, especially at the moment where you have to be staying still to eat. So pop your uneaten half in a ziplock and bring it along for later or back to your room! Sorted!
FEET! There is always a question on the Facebook groups about what are the best shoes to wear to Disney World. There is no definitive answer to this. The fact is that no matter when you go to Disney, there will be hot weather and sometimes wet weather and you will walk MILES and your feet will have to bear your weight standing in lines for hours a day.
So, really the correct shoes are ones that you find comfortable and can wear for long periods of time. That might be a certain pair of trainers or flip flops or crocs, but it is definitely a personal choice.
My favourites are Nike Tanjun I have two pairs. But I also have a few different styles of trainer too that I like.
I would recommend two things though: if you have something very comfortable, make sure you have two pairs! And make sure they are well worn in. Don’t go in brand new shoes.
Here are a couple more foot-related tips though!
GOOD SOCKS! I was recommended Rockay socks by a member of a Disney World Facebook group and I’ve been testing them out on my daily walks. Proper trainer socks that DON’T slip under my feet. They never slip! I love them! These are expensive socks, they are, but honestly I can’t say enough good things about them. They’re worth every penny:
- They are made from recycled materials.
- They take plastic from the ocean every time someone places an order 💚
- They are treated with Polygiene, their stay-fresh technology which means you don’t have to wash them every time you wear them. Meaning better for the environment AND they last longer so better for your wallet!
- They have a 40 day satisfaction guarantee, a manufacturing guarantee AND a blister-free guarantee. I mean… what?!?
- They have a clearance section where you can get products up to 50% off – ALL THE TIME.
MOLESKIN! Here is why I use moleskin (and how to use it.) Even if you have great socks that don’t rub and shoes you are positive will not give you blisters, you still just can never be sure. If you DO get a blister or your shoes are rubbing, that can make walking miles a day around Disney World go from a whole heap of fun to just… one of the most painful things ever.
One last big tip.
TRAINING! If you are going to Disney World, even if you think you are ready and planned, you might want to prepare your body! It can be totally exhausting and the last thing you want is to get half way through your trip and collapse and not want to get up to do anything you’ve got planned or be able to actually walk the next day. Here is one of my favourite articles that gives you a bit of training plan to prepare for Disney! It sounds like crazy talk, training for Disney, but honestly, your feet will thank you!
Right, enough of feet!
STRAWS! Disney have been eco-conscious and moved away from single-use plastic straws which is great! Except that you know as well as me that the paper straws can collapse really quickly, especially if it’s a large drink.
We’ve invested in these fab metal straws with silicone tips (to protect the ol’ gnashers!) and they come in a little box with a cleaning brush too. Shlurple also has reusable cutlery if that’s something you’d prefer to use too. AND they donate a portion of their profits to turtle sanctuaries too ❤
WATER! Keeping hydrated in the heat is very important of course, and one of the biggest tips you’ll probably hear on Disney vlogs is that the bottled water is very expensive and (when the Disney dining plan is available) is not worth your snack credits. They will also tell you that free cups of water is available at every quick service location which is true so definitely take advantage of that!
You can also top up a water bottle at water refill stations around the parks too. You might hear that the water tastes different to what you are accustomed to. If this is a thing that you’re concerned about, this is one thing you could do if you wanted: a water bottle with a Brita water filter disc in it that you can fill at the free fountains.
By the way, I have realised at this point that these tips are not in any kind of order 🤦♀️ but hopefully they will still be useful anyway! Maybe at some point I’ll re-order them!
Okay so, going back to plane travel (actually this first one is great for any travel, unless you are the car driver!)
TRTL! This is an alternative to the traditional neck pillow and I love it! I got it for Christmas a couple of years ago and it is brilliant! I am a sleepy traveller except when I’m uncomfortable but this lets me rest my head even when I’m sat bolt upright. There are three versions now – you can even get one for your kids! It’s truly great!
FOOT REST/SLING! The second item I recommend for air travel is this. It’s a hanging foot rest that hangs over the tray table in front and allows you to rest your feet suspended, which should give more leg room.
I will admit I haven’t had the opportunity to test this yet, but I have seen many positive reviews about it so far. This isn’t the exact one I have but it’s a very similar one and a similar price too.
There are many different types of these available, but please be aware that some contain parts that need to be inflated and this isn’t allowed on some airlines, so choose carefully if this is an item you want.
TRAVEL COSMETICS BOTTLES! You’ll want to make as much space in your suitcase for all your Disney souvenirs as possible so the good news is, all Disney resort properties have shampoo/conditioner/body wash available for you. But we all still might need to bring other things so depending on the length of your trip, use smaller bottles if you can!
COOLING TOWELS! As has been previously mentioned a few times, it can be HOT in Florida! 😂 Therefore, these cooling towels can be a godsend. Douse them with cold water, wring them out and give them a shake to snap them and they will keep you cool for a good while! I got these ones below quite cheaply on Amazon or another good company is Dock & Bay although theirs are quite large towels.
Speaking of towels: we got a set of different sized MICROFIBRE TOWELS! (from Tesco I believe) which proved very useful when we went on some of the wetter rides and when we got stuck in an unexpected downpour!
CHARGING! You WILL need your phone in DisneyWorld. From trying to get on Rise of the Resistance, mobile ordering your food, checking fast pass reservations (if/when they come back) and taking photos… you’ll be on your phone a LOT and your battery will go down fast. The same at the other theme parks too with virtual queues being very popular! 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 about 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. These are my favourites because they are small but pack a good punch.
The other alternative is FuelRod. The advantage of the FuelRod is, you buy the charger kit in the first instance – it comes with several adapters to fit whatever phone you have – and then whenever it runs out you simply take it to a FuelRod kiosk which are all over DisneyWorld AND Universal 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 there is a cost to it. ($30 to purchase the Charger and then $3 each time you swap) and each fuel rod is only probably between 2,000-5,000MaH each so depending on how many are in your party you may need to purchase more than one or have to swap quite frequently.
Here’s more info from the DisneyWorld website.
Phew! Okay! I think that’s all my essentials for now! Don’t forget to check out Part 1 and please feel free to add your own in the comments. What’s your best travel essential?
Em’s Walt Disney World Planning Blog 