Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
but you probably won't consume it all, so why waste the money? If you drink bottled
beer or wine, bring a bottle opener and corkscrew.
ENERGY BOOSTERS
Kids get cranky when they're hungry, and when that happens,
yourentiregrouphasaproblem.Likemanyparentsyoumight,fornutritionalreasons,
keep a tight rein on snacks available to your children at home. At Disneyland,
however, maintaining energy and equanimity trumps between-meal snack discipline.
For maximum zip and contentedness, give your kids snacks containing complex car-
bohydrates (fruits, crackers, nonfat energy bars, and the like) before they get hungry
orshowsignsofexhaustion.Youshouldavoidsnacksthatarehighinfatsandproteins
because these foods take a long time to digest and will tend to unsettle your stomach
if it's a hot day.
An experienced and wise grandma underscores the point:
Children who get cranky during a visit often do so from all that time and energy ex-
pendedwithoutfood.Feedthem!Asnackatanypricegoesalongwaytokeepingthe
little kids happy and enjoying the parks, and keeping parents sane. Oh, and the se-
curity people are very nice about you taking snacks or drinks in, but DO NOT bring
glass containers! That is apparently what they are really looking for.
ELECTRONICS
Regardless of your children's ages, always bring a night-light. Flash-
lights are also handy for finding stuff in a dark hotel room after the kids are asleep.
MP3 players and iPods with earphones, as well as some electronic games, are
often controversial gear for a family outing. We recommend compromise. Earbuds al-
low kids to create their own space even when they're with others, and that can be a
safety valve. That said, try to agree before the trip on some earphone parameters, so
you don't begin to feel as if they're being used to keep other family members and the
trip itself at a distance. If you're traveling by car, take turns choosing the radio station
or CD for part of the trip.
Likewise, mobile phones are a mixed blessing. On the one hand, they can be in-
valuable in an emergency or if your party wants to split up, and if you have a smart-
phone,youcanuseourLinesapptoseecurrentwaittimesintheparks.Unfortunately,
they also lead to guests missing out on what's around them and bumping into each
other because they're glued to a tiny screen. If you bring yours, consider disabling
high-speed data, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth to save on batteries.
DON'T FORGET THE TENT
This is not a joke and has nothing to do with camping.
When Bob's daughter was preschool age, he almost went crazy trying to get her to
sleep in a shared hotel room. She was accustomed to having her own room at home
and was hyperstimulated whenever she traveled. Bob tried makeshift curtains and
room dividers and even rearranged the furniture in a few hotel rooms to create the il-
