Family, travel, mom blog | Theme Park Mom (Leigh Caldwell)

Photo by mollypop

Martha Stewart’s Organizing Tip of the Day today is about packing.

A couple of things I thought were especially useful:

1. Martha says to pack clothes within other clothes to protect them. For example, place a pair of pants in your suitcase, lay a sweater on top and then fold the pants over.

2. When you think your suitcase if full, you can pick it up and drop it flat on the ground. The clothes will settle and you’ll get a little more room. (And the image of Martha throwing a suitcase around in her bedroom makes me chuckle.)

3. A couple of the commenters have suggested that you take old undies and socks on your trip, then throw them away to make room in your suitcase for souvenirs. I’d heard this tip before for European travel, but it makes just as much sense for theme park trips. You could also bring Dad’s old T-shirts for the kids to sleep in and then pitch them when packing.

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Courtesy Photo / Wet N' Wild

Wet n’ Wild Orlando has announced new operating hours for Oct. 27 – Dec. 31. The park will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Wet n’ Wild is also offering deals on admission — a pass valid for weekday admission for a year is $49.95. A Florida resident daily admission is $29.95, and you can get a Splash Pass for $41.95 that lets you in for the rest of this year.

The water park has also moved up it’s afternoon discount — admissions are $10 off starting at 2 p.m. now.

Photo by Tigerzeye

Yes, here at Theme Park Mom we love making lists of things to take to the park. But there’s one thing we often see in the parks that really shouldn’t be there… denim.

Never wear denim to a theme park, and don’t let your kids do it either. No jeans, denim shorts, skirts and the like. No denim button-downs. No denim jackets.

Why? Denim is heavy, and it gets even heavier when it’s wet. Denim takes a long time to dry. And denim causes chafing.

So, you say that you’ve worn jeans to theme parks on numerous occasions, and you’ve always been comfortable. So be it. But get drenched once and see how you feel.

Your best bets at the theme park are lightweight, natural fiber clothing like woven cotton or linen. It will dry faster if you get wet, and, let’s face it, there’s usually a point in the day when you get wet.

World of Disney at Downtown Disney in Florida

Walt Disney World is offering new discounts for Florida residents, and I find it to be an interesting combo package.

Stay at a Disney Value Resort during the first or third week of November and get 35% off of most merchandise during your stay. They’re calling it a holiday shopping getaway. The reason it’s especially appealing? The Florida resident price at the value resorts has been dropped to $49 a night on some of the nights. I don’t know about you, but I could easily get back the $49 from my stay by using the discount to pick up gifts at World of Disney.

If you have not stayed at a Disney Value Resort before, they are the All-Star resorts and Pop Century. Though they are considered “budget” hotels, my family has found them to be clean, comfortable and still a great “Disney” experience with fun theming and awesome swimming pools.

There’s a lot of fine print on this offer. I recommend you call Disney to book this one, to be sure you get all your questions answered.