Disney Crafts: Personalized Mickey T-shirts

...and place adhesive side down on your shirt.

Walt Disney World Tips: Part 2

Today's post is all about what to pack when you are heading to Walt Disney World! Ironically I'm posting this late today because I've been busy buying a few last minutes things for our trip...and packing:)

Packing for a trip to Disney starts pretty much like packing for any vacation. After checking to see what the weather will be like when you are there, you pack a set of clothes for each day and probably a couple extra sets just to be safe. Everyone in your family needs to have a {really} comfortable pair of tennis shoes....you will be doing a lot of walking in Disney and flip flops just won't cut it! For Disney, you also need to include a bathing suit, especially if you are planning on going to one of their two water parks. Even though you will be wearing your tennis shoes all day, you might want to consider packing some flip flops to wear to the pool too! You will need to bring a little bit of rain gear just in case the weather doesn't cooperate:) We usually take ponchos because they are easy to toss in our bag and carry around at all times, just in case it rains. On our last trip, we also found that an extra poncho is perfect for covering up your stroller when you park it outside and head it to see a show and get out of the rain!

There are also a few other things that you want to be sure to include in your suitcases before you leave for Walt Disney World. Refillable water bottles or some other kinds of drinks are a necessity, especially if you are going to Disney in the summer. Florida can get pretty hot and steamy during the summer months! We actually bought Henry and Grant hydration backpacks this year to see if that is easier than keeping up with 5 water bottles all week! Don't forget the sunscreen, and not just for when you are at the pool. You will probably be in the sun all day long, and even during the winter months you will need to lather up on sunscreen before heading out to the parks each day. I also carry some band-aids or a first aid kit in our bag just in case we get any scraped knees or pinched fingers...these fun Mickey Band-aids are perfect for a WDW vacation:)

After all the clothes, shoes, and necessities have been squared away, you can move on to some of the more fun stuff to pack. I always try to stick a few snacks in our bag just in case someone gets the munchies, and we don't want to spend a small fortune on chips or cookies. The great thing is there are all kinds of Disney/Mickey snacks in the stores now, so your kiddos will still feel like their snack is special even if it came out of your bag:) Snacks are also a really good distraction when waiting in line for the rides! Stickers are another great way to entertain your little ones when they are waiting in lines or riding to and from the parks. Another really great tip that I read before we left for our last trip was to take pennies and let your kiddos throw them in the various fountains around Disney! I found that mini M&M containers are the perfect size to hold pennies, so each of my boys has their own supply of pennies to use any time we see a fountain:)

A few more great suggestions are Glow in the Dark necklaces and bracelets {you can get these at the dollar store and in the dollar section at Target}, disposable cameras for the kiddos to use, and temporary tattoos with your contact information on them {just in case one of your kiddos get lost}...and don't forget those autograph books!

Come back tomorrow to see a great shirt you can make for your kiddos plus something fun for mom too!

{ Click HERE to see Walt Disney World Tips: Part 1 Planning}

Disney Crafts: Autograph Book

One of the most memorable things about a Disney vacation is getting to meet the characters. Before our last trip I remember worrying about my boys being scared of the characters, but when we got to Disney my boys couldn't get enough of them. Well, except for the princesses who they refuse to even stand beside for a picture:) Getting autographs is a big part of meeting Mickey, Donald, and even the Green Army Man, so every kid needs to have an autograph book. Sure you can buy the ones that they sell in all the gift shops, but why not make your own really cute {personalized} version for way less money!

 I started our autograph books with a small spiral bound notebook that I picked up at Walmart for less than $2. Using my Silhouette, I cut a few Mickey heads and the year out of white contact paper. Because the contact paper is so thin {and I was trying to cover up the writing on the cover of the notebook} I had to do a double layer of Mickey heads on the cover. Then I cut each of my boys' first initials out in black vinyl { I used a font called Waltograph} and put the initial onto the white Mickey head. If you look closely at the top right corner, you can see that I also added a small piece of black vinyl to cover up the smaller logo {Mead} that was on the front cover.

 To add a little bit of color, I wove a piece of red and white checked ribbon through the metal spirals of the notebook and tied a knot in one end. On the other end of the ribbon, I tied on a retractable Sharpie that is just the right size for the characters to sign their names. {I read somewhere that it is hard for them to grip smaller pens with their big character hands, and these retractable Sharpies worked wonderfully on our last trip.}

Now all three of my boys are ready to get some autographs from Mickey Mouse and all the gang...and I'm hoping maybe we can manage to get at least one picture with a princess:)