If you arrive at your Florida vacation hotel early, ask about having your bags held while you go to the park and unwind from your trip. If you arrive a bit later in the day and don’t want to waste your day- or spend money on park tickets- take the day to walk around Downtown Disney, Disney’s Boardwalk, or CityWalk, or lounge around the pool. Another favorite thing to do is to go to the Universal or Disney hotels and take a look around.
Especially if you are coming from another country, you may want to tell your credit card company that you will be going to the States. Some companies will block the cards as a security precaution if they are suddenly being used in a different country.
To avoid credit card debt from overspending, many people buy Visa gift cards from their banks. You can’t go over, and if it gets lost or stolen, call Visa with your card information to get a replacement.
Don’t be afraid of rainy days- the parks often empty out, but many rides continue functioning. And unless there is threat of lightning, water parks will stay open as well- you’re already wet, after all.
Buy ponchos in case of rain. But get them in advance from large chain stores- not only will you not get caught in the rain and have to spend more money for theme park ponchos, but it will be easier to find your family members in a one-colored sea of people. Another way to tell your family members apart from the crowd is to wear the same color shirts.
Make a checklist of your essentials- batteries [bring rechargeable ones, along with the charger, for a great money saver!], shampoo, sunblock, painkillers, camera and cell phone accessories, and the like. Unless you have time to scout the area for an all-purpose chain store, you will find that these things can get pretty expensive in the parks- which is usually when you realize you need them.