$$$$$$ Money! Money! Money! $$$$$

When looking to get the best exchange we always start by checking the travel section of Martin Lewis’ Money Saving Expert website travelmoney.moneysavingexpert.com at least 1 month before your departure. Leaving it until the last minute so you have to buy currency at the airport is a bad idea as their rates are always much lower. By taking cash you’ll be able to lock in the exchange rate. It’s always handy to have a few hundred dollars available in order to pay for the toll on the airport freeways and leave tips at restaurants. Local Orlando shops and restaurants and the theme park resort car parks, shops and restaurants will take cash, chip and PIN and contactless credit and debit cards.

Many items you’ll be able to buy with a debit or credit card or if you’re visiting WDW you can use your Magic Band but ensure you check your card’s small print to see if you get charged a foreign currency fee. You can load a credit or debit card on to My Disney Experience and do Mobile Ordering at some WDW theme park Quick Serve restaurants and pay for merchandise in some Disney shops and theme parks within the parks and Disney Springs.

But be aware that you’ll be charged a foreign currency fee will when taking cash out of an ATM in the USA or paying with a standard debit or credit card.

A better alternative to a debit card is a pre loaded foreign currency card like a Revolut card. This can be loaded with money before you travel and then can be used just like a debit card so allows you to control your spending better than a credit card. Your UK pounds can be transferred to almost any foreign currency at a really good exchange rate. Any money that you don’t use can be kept or transferred to another currency or even back into Pounds. You can add money to your Revolut account anytime including when you’re over in the USA but ensure the currency exchange is done on a weekday as you’ll get charged an exchange fee at weekends. We usually keep a good eye on the exchange rate over the months leading up to the holiday and add £100 -£200 into our Revolut account every time the pound increases in value. Over the last few years £1 will buy you around $1.20 but it can goes as high as $1.35.

TMTO TIP: Barclaycard and Halifax have a ‘travel’ credit card where you get an almost perfect exchange rate for that day when you spend on it abroad but the interest rate isn’t usually very good so make sure you can pay it off the next month.

Of course if you’re paying with your credit card on a day where the Pound has taken a bit of dip then it won’t be as cost effective which is why a card like Revolut is a better option as you can transfer when the Pound is stronger and because it’s like a debit card the Revolut will help you keep to a budget.

As well as cards and electronic payments you’ll need some hard cash. Unlike us squeaky Brits tipping is a big thing in the USA especially in restaurants but also cab drivers and anyone else who provides you a service like for example, your airboat captain or helicopter tour pilot will expect a tip. 10% is the absolute bare minimum. 15%-20% of the total bill is more acceptable.

As stated in the Arrival in Florida and Driving page and car hire page you’ll also need cash for the airport toll road – 528 Expressway or 417 Greeneway, unless you’ve got a drive thru deal from the car hire company.

Check you’ve got travel insurance that covers you for the USA or world wide as many policies will only protect you for European holidays.

What to pack

If you’re staying in a villa or apartment then the best advice is to pack enough clothes for 4 – 5 days and keep on top of the washing. A family of 4 can usually get 4-5 days worth of clothes in 2-3 large suitcases. Also having a smaller number of bags will help you get through the airport quicker (and leave room to fit bits you might buy during your hols). On top of that you might be able to get a smaller hire car if you’ve not got loads of suitcases! We usually take 2 large cases and 2 smaller ones for the 5 of us.

Most US households will have a top loading washing machine which can take a much greater load than our British front loading machines. The utility room will also have a large tumble dryer but they can often cause clothes to shrink if set too high (don’t forget the temperature settings on both machines are in Fahrenheit!) It is against local laws to hang washing outside in most Florida counties but as the garage isn’t air-conditioned clothes can be hung in there on a clothesline or washing maiden and will dry within a couple of hours. Some garages have a retractable clothes line too.

There’s usually no need to pack towels on an Orlando villa holiday. Every villa we have stayed in has had more than enough bath and beach/pool towels for the whole family. You can always get more at Target/Walmart/Publix if needed.

For everyone staying in a hotel or villa summer clothes are generally required most of the year in Florida but it’s worth taking a plastic poncho or fold-away rain coat as you will likely experience a short but very heavy rain shower. Yes, I know ponchos are not the most fashionable of items but you will find most people in the parks wearing one during a rain shower so you won’t look too silly! It’ll be handy for the wet rides too. If you can’t find a poncho in the UK shops you’ll definitely be able to buy one from Target/Walmart/Publix or local shop for a couple of bucks. Avoid buying ponchos (and sun cream) in the theme parks as you’ll be pay by through the nose!

Most theme parks will have a splash playground area where the kids can play in water jets and sprinklers. Theme park staff will often monitor these areas and will insist that children keep some form of footwear on at all times when playing here. Either a pair of flip flops or even better a pair of wet suit shoes are ideal. Character ones can be bought in the parks but Sports Direct have some Hot Tuna brand ones which are very cheap and dry quickly in the Florida sun. These will also come in handy for walking around the water parks although the faster water slides don’t allow any footwear to be worn.

For those of you stay at an On Property resort hotel there’s also no need to bring any towels as your room and hotel poolside will have fresh ones for you each day. As with any hotel you’ll get a few basic complimentary toiletries in your room but if you want to bring your own you can of course. An iron is usually found in most rooms as is a coffee maker. As you can imagine, the quality of the amenities are in relation to the grade of hotel and room type.

TMTO TIP: Leave your hairdryer at home. Your own 240 volt super turbo hairdryer won’t be as powerful as the USA mains electricity is 110 volts. All resort hotels and villas we’ve ever stayed in will have one for you to use.

Dear adult Disney fans, I’m afraid to tell you that you are not allowed to dress in a princess or any other character costume in the Disney parks except if you’re attending Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, so leave the cosplay at home!

To get round this little problem some superfans on social media platforms have put together some great outfits to look like adult Disney character costumes without actually being a full costume. Do a search for Disney Bound. It involves using a character’s costume colours and a few key accessories to complete the look.

Kids however, under 14 can wear any costume so if you have any already you can take them with you but, remember it’s Florida and they can get very hot especially in the summer months. You can often find light weight, less elaborate versions of character costumes in the park shops and/or Target/Walmart for the kids.

Pushchairs and Car Seats

If you’ve got smaller children then take your pushchair and a car seat with you rather than hiring them. Buggies can be hired in the theme parks by the day and most car hire companies can provide you with a car seat or booster seat for a daily fee. You will need to check-in your car seat so ensure your travel insurance covers you for any damage by the airline.

TMTO TIP: Most airlines will allow you to take a car seat and pushchair for free but check on your airline website as some have restrictions on the weight and size of the pushchair. Also WDW has restrictions on the size of pushchairs you can bring into the parks so check this before you fly.

Pushchairs can be used right up to the aircraft door where a ground handling agent will put it in the ‘bulk’ cargo hold at the rear of the airplane but it must be tagged at check-in. Again, check your travel insurance for any damage that may occur during the flight.

For our first trip to Florida (with 2 kids – a 1 year old and a 6 year old) we bought a second hand Graco Stadium tandem pushchair. This proved invaluable as they could both rest and even sleep in the pushchair therefore letting us crack on with a few big roller coasters! It also became a cart horse for the towels, packed lunch bags and toys/gifts/merchandise picked up in the parks. We found it so invaluable that we have used it on every holiday since especially now we are a family of 5! It also provided a sturdy standing platform when viewing the parades and shows for the older kids.

Don’t forget!

Don’t forget to take a phone power pack or two so you can charge your phone on the go in the parks. And remember extra batteries and memory cards if you have a compact digital camera or digital SLR.

A cooler bag and ice packs from home will come in handy especially if you are planning to take snacks or a packed lunch in the parks.

4 or 5 mains electricity UK to USA socket adaptors to charge phones/cameras/tablets in your villa or hotel room.

You’re going to be walking a few miles each day so a decent pair of shoes is definitely required. Don’t break in new shoes on your holiday either or you’ll be straight down to CVS or Walgreens for some blister plasters!

Make another final check to ensure your passports are valid for at least 6 months and your email confirming the ESTA approval has been received for everyone.

And if you’re driving in the USA remember to take your driving licence. We always take a car phone charger as well.

If you’ve forgotten anything else don’t worry, just pay a visit to your nearest Target, Walmart or Publix.

The TMTO Theme Park Survival Kit checklist:

• Portable phone chargers
• Cables for the phone
• Charging cables for smartwatch (get those steps up!)
• Shoes/flip flops for splash areas
• Small towel (not essential – villa or hotel will have some)
• Cooler packs and small cooler bags if you’re having packed lunches
• Poncho or lightweight raincoat (cheap character ones available in Walmart/Target)
• Comfortable shoes
• Autograph book and pen (cheaper from Target or Walmart)
• Waterproof phone case (get some great shots in the water parks/villa or hotel pool!)
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Hats
• Cold hard cash – lots of it for tips in restaurants

Don’t pack ‘selfie sticks’ as all the parks have banned them due to a few people dropping them (and their phones) from rides in the past. Sea World have had a ban on drinking straws for a few years as well.

Pre Holiday Shopping Prep

If you want your clan to look the part as soon as you step on the plane then most of the UK high street stores and supermarkets have extensive Disney clothing ranges for kids and adults. You’ll also find Primark does some Harry Potter and Dr Seuss items so you’ll be ready to hit Universal. And don’t forget anything to do with Transformers, Minions or The Simpsons will also get you kudos in Universal too! Have a look at Last Exit To Nowhere as they do some great adult t-shirts and hoodies all with movie connections and slogans.

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The Final ‘before you go’ Check List

Here’s a few bits you should have ready and checked the week leading up to your departure.

• Airline boarding card printed or check-in info (usually 24 hours before).
• Car hire booking confirmation or online check-in reference.
• Villa directions and front door entry details or hotel check-in reference details.
• Park Tickets for every resort you’re visiting.
• Passport – at least 6 month validity from when you arrive in USA.
• ESTA for everyone.
• Driver’s licence for anyone hiring a car.
• Travel insurance schedule printed or saved to you phone.
• A few $1 notes cash for toll road from the airport.

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Also worth looking at is the UK government Florida advice leaflet which is available to download here.

Now the planning is done (phew!) you’re going to need section 4 – You’ve Arrived to help you out when you touch down in the Sunshine State.