If you will be flying with young children, your carry-on should include a parents’ survival kit for

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You've planned the travel dates and made all the reservations for your Universal Orlando vacation, and the kids are so excited they can't wait. Now it's time to think about packing, and Orlando Informer is happy to help you get started with our certified Happy Family list. Below you'll find everything from the vacation standards to expert advice designed to make traveling with the kids safer and easier.
First tip: There s no reason planning and packing should radisson hotels orlando florida be a one-person affair. Get the whole family involved in determining exactly what your clan needs to make everyone comfortable while out of town. This is just one way to extend radisson hotels orlando florida the fun of travel!
As with all air travel, if you will be flying to Orlando be sure to brush up on the FAA rules for packing. Start here www.faa.gov/passengers/prepare_fly for reminders of regulations such as luggage size as well as permitted and prohibited items. Also make sure you know what fees your airline charges for checked luggage and what penalties they may collect for overweight bags.
If you have the room, it's always a good idea to pack a change of clothes and the minimal toiletry essentials for each member of your family (like toothbrush and toothpaste) in a carry-on. Hopefully you won t need them, but you'll definitely want them should there be any mix up with your luggage.
If you will be flying with young children, radisson hotels orlando florida your carry-on should include a parents' survival kit for airport and airplane time. While the details will depend on your children's ages, interests, and abilities, some items to consider for this include:
Your needs in this department will vary greatly depending on where you are driving from and, once in Orlando, where you are staying. If you are staying on-site at Universal, you may not end up doing much driving around Orlando (unless you have several radisson hotels orlando florida off-site activities planned, like a day at SeaWorld or Walt Disney World). If you are renting a vacation home, you'll want to make sure you can find not only the theme parks but grocery stores and other necessities as well.
A GPS system , such as a Garmin device . Many rental car companies are now offering these, or you might have your own to bring along. (If you already own a system, make sure the software radisson hotels orlando florida and maps are up-to-date.)
Keep in mind that it is always less expensive to buy anything off-site than it is at the theme parks, whether we re talking basic necessities, groceries, or even souvenirs. And Orlando is just like any other town in that we have our fair share of Walmarts, Super Targets, CVS stores, Walgreens, liquor stores, radisson hotels orlando florida you name it. So it is a great idea to become familiar with the location of the closest stores radisson hotels orlando florida to where you ll be staying. If you re staying on-site radisson hotels orlando florida at Universal, while the hotels don t provide complimentary transportation to the stores, there are many options within a five minute drive and taxis are always available. For more information, see our Grocery stores, outlets more around Orlando page.
By the way, if you are staying on-site, this is just a quick reminder that all of Universal s on-property hotels charge guests for parking, whether you re visiting for a few hours or a few days. There is no way of getting out of their parking fees (except to leave your car at home).
We know there is an incredible amount of information on our website for Universal radisson hotels orlando florida Orlando vacation planners. Because of this, we also know it is impossible to effectively use all of our resources without dedicating at least a few hours for reading through our pages. Well, when do some family members have a few hours to spare? radisson hotels orlando florida Often during travel to Orlando!
So it s a great idea to visit the OI Universal Center table of contents right before you leave and see what pages you might want to freshen up. If you identify any, as we mentioned above you can create a print-friendly version of each page by clicking the OI PrintMe button at the bottom of each individual page. The same goes for all of our blog posts too.
These packing tips are geared toward families staying in hotel rooms, whether on- or off-site. radisson hotels orlando florida Your list will be more extensive (and customized to your needs) if you have chosen alternative housing, radisson hotels orlando florida such as camping or a vacation home. We're not listing clothes right here, because you know how long your stay will be and how many pairs of socks you need. Given that, the basics for a hotel stay should include:
Extra snacks radisson hotels orlando florida . Many families like to pack simple breakfast radisson hotels orlando florida foods to enjoy in their hotel rooms. To keep certain items chilled, bring a cooler and use free ice machines for cooling. Some hotels will provide refrigerators too. If you re staying on-site at Universal, note that the fridge in the room is stocked with food and beverages already, so it is difficult to store personal items in them. While an additional fridge can be rented, we like the cooler idea better.
Flat sink stopper to accommodate any kind of sink and soap for emergency clothes washing. If you are traveling with kids, there is a strong likelihood that you will need to wash something during your trip. Universal on-site guests should note that the hotels do provide pay-per-use laundry machines.
Family first-aid/health kit . Be sure to include everything from prescription medications to over-the-counter medications such as pain reliever and allergy medications. Also consider radisson hotels orlando florida packing anti-nausea/motion sickness medication, depending on your family's radisson hotels orlando florida needs. Include a thermometer and medicine measuring cups or spoons for children's liquid medicine. If you re going to spend a late night at CityWalk, but still have to get up with the kids in the morning, you might want a bottle of this stuff too!
Extension cords that support multiple plugins. This accessory will ensure you don t have to tear apart your hotel room to find the closest outlets to your bed and it will prevent arguments when everyone goes to plug in their phones at the end of the night.
One dollar radisson hotels orlando florida bills in U.S. currency . In addition radisson hotels orlando florida to tipping at restaurants, remember that it is considered courteous to tip when you receive personal service from bus/shuttle drivers, bell staff, parking valets, etc. It is also considered courteous to tip room attendants (and do so each day since they rotate rooms). If you d like more advice on tipping, here s a good article .
If you are traveling with children or seniors, you definitely want to take a day pack of some sort along as you visit Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. Even without kids or seniors, a pack of some sort will come in handy to hold camera equipment, sunscreen, and other personal items. (Remember, everything is more expensive to buy on-site.) We suggest radisson hotels orlando florida using a backpack or fanny pack, but a diaper bag, tote bag, or large purse may be your pack of choice. Whatever you choose to use, consider the following ideas
Your printed OI touring plan : the more prepared you are, the better your day will go. But do remember you can also quickly access our touring plans on any smartphone web browser just navigate to OrlandoInformer.com!
IDs . While it s a good rule of thumb for everyone old enough to have a valid government-issued ID, it is a requirement for each person who is 21 or older and wishes to purchase alcohol. Keep in mind, for alcohol, it must be a government-issued photo ID those papers radisson hotels orlando florida you get when you lose your license don t count. Also keep in mind you may need your Florida state-issued ID for certain Florida resident discounts.
Camera, an extra camera battery, and an extra memory card . If you happen to forget any of these items, the Photo Connect stores at the front of each Universal theme park can help, but get ready for some sticker shock.
radisson hotels orlando florida Extra cell phone batteries or external cell phone chargers . Universal does not provide any charging stations inside the parks. Since you ll likely be touring for many hours at a time, taking photos, posting to Facebook, etc., there is a very good chance one charge simply won t cut it. (Before I purchased this extended battery for my Galaxy S4, I burned through three regular batteries in a full day at the parks.)
Postcard stamps and addresses for where to send postcards. You'll get those mementos mailed off sooner if you've radisson hotels orlando florida already brought postcard stamps from home. (Want to send real postcards radisson hotels orlando florida but don t want the hassle of mailing them? There s an app for that )
Souvenir money . Credit/debit cards are easier to carry around and accepted practically everywhere, so we recommend getting pre-paid debit cards for convenience and to create spending caps. If your vacation is primarily at Universal radisson hotels orlando florida Orlando, radisson hotels orlando florida you can also consider Universal s gift cards . Keep in mind it s always a good idea to have some cash too, just in case.
The parks state that you cannot carry in full meals, radisson hotels orlando florida or any food that requires heating, so for food your day pack has to stay limited to snacks. But this is one policy that is barely enforced, and we can t tell you how many times we ve seen families taking out deluxe radisson hotels orlando florida picnic lunches from their backpacks. So if you re working on a tighter budget, consider carrying in several food options including small snacks and bagged sandwiches . Just keep in mind that since the policy does exist, there is always a small chance you may be asked to dispose of larger food items before entering the parks.
For drinks, you are perfectly welcome to bring in bottled water, sports drinks, etc. For those on a budget, one of our favorite tips is to bring in a beverage container radisson hotels orlando florida that can be filled at the water fountains for free, then add a splash of flavor with a Mio or similar product.
Cargo pants or shorts with pockets that secure with a zipper . The more things you can put in your pockets, the fewer things in your day pack. And no matter what