I am beyond excited about this freaking trip!!!! We are spending two weeks in Orlando this May to make up for the trip we missed in 2020 because reasons 🙄 I was so gutted when that got cancelled but we’re good to go this time! Some of these items I bought for the previous trip and others I picked up recently. All of them will work for a holiday in a sunny and warm place, not just Orlando (except the guidebook). I’ll talk more about my plans for the long-haul flight in my Travel Day post. These are mostly holiday essentials and non-essential but useful items.
TL;DR List
- 5 Star UVA Sunscreen
- SPF Lip Balm
- SPF Hair Cream
- Chafing Cream
- Thigh Bands
- Over Glasses Sun Shades
- Eyelid Wipes
- Baby Wipes
- Hand Sanitiser
- Travel Cutlery
- Gel Nail Polish
- Curved Sleep Mask
- Twisty Travel Pillow
- Foot Hammock
- Compression Packing Cubes
- The Unofficial Guide to Disney World
- Our Adventure Book
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Sun Holiday Essentials
5 Star SPF 50 Sunscreen
WEAR YOUR SUNSCREEN!!!! Just do it!! Always wear sunscreen even when it’s not super sunny. Wear SPF 50 with a UVA five-star rating. FIVE STARS!!! You can wear fake tan if you want to have a tan. If you do wear fake tan, avoid oil-based sunscreens and aftersun’s. The oil will strip your fake tan.
SPF Lipbalm
Like I said above ALWAYS WEAR SUNSCREEN!! This includes your lips. Have you ever gotten burnt on your lips? It’s not nice. Anyway, it’s a good idea to keep your lips moisturised so you might as well use a balm with SPF.
Sun and Sea UV Hair Protection
Again, protect yourself from the sun!! Your hair and scalp get sun damage too. Scalp sunburn is such a pain and makes you feel really shitty so please, WEAR SUN PROTECTION!
Anti-Chafing Gel
If your thighs touch you probably know all about those horrible irritations you can get wearing shorts, skirts, or dresses in the summer. Stupid chub rub 🙄 This stuff works really well to prevent that though. You don’t need to use much but if you’re doing a lot of walking (like from spending an entire day in a theme park) you will likely need to reapply.
Thigh Bands
These things are a godsend when you’re wearing a dress or skirt in hot weather. They’re the best thing for chafing that I’ve used since they don’t wear away like a cream. However, they do get a little but uncomfortable if you’re wearing them for an entire day and doing a lot of walking. They’re also not great for short skirts/dresses/shorts cause you may see them below the hemline.
Over Glasses Sunshades
These things are a bit big but they are so freaking handy! They sit on top of your regular glasses so you don’t need to be constantly switching between pairs while you’re out and about. They are polarising with UV protection to keep your eyes safe. Also, they are significantly cheaper than buying a pair of prescription sunglasses and you can keep using them after you’ve changed presciption.
Eyelid Wipes
Orlando is a hot humid place and getting sweat in our eyes was a huge problem for us the last time we visited. With these, we’ll be able to clean our eyelids before it becomes an issue and cover our eyes with our polarising sunglasses again to keep them safe. One of the great things about the sunglasses above is that it covers the sides as well so no light gets through.
Baby Wipes
Some disinfectant wipes would probably be better for travelling but I hate the smell and they can dry out your skin (we’ll have hand sanitiser anyway). Baby wipes are useful for cleaning your hands quickly or wiping down your seat and tray table on the plane. I absolutely always have a packet in my plane bag.
Hand Sanitiser
Yeah, we all know how important this stuff is while travelling nowadays. There will be hand sanitiser stations all over the place but since people have stopped stressing, I’ve noticed a lot of places don’t keep them stocked up anymore.
Not essential but pretty handy
Travel Cutlery
We have a very long travel day for our trip to Orlando. We’ll be leaving at 7am and arriving at 11pm (6pm local time). So, I will be eating on the go quite a bit. Having my own set of cutlery makes this a lot easier and more hygienic (you can keep them clean with your packet of baby wipes). These are also so handy for your hotel room when you only have a microwave or a kettle and you want to have a Cuppa Noodles or something.
Gel Nail Polish
So, these aren’t even remotely necessary but they last really well for a cheap set of gel nail polishes. Obviously nowhere near as good as going to a salon but if you have a UV nail light they’re worth getting. I’ve gotten longer than three weeks with these so they’re perfect for doing my nails before our two-week trip.
Curved Sleep Mask
I’ve always hated sleep masks until I discovered these ones. The eye covering is curved so the fabric isn’t sitting on your eyelids. So much more comfortable! These were a godsend for my hospital stay as well.
Bendy Travel Pillow
This memory foam travel pillow is bendy so you can adjust it into whatever position you need for comfort. It’s great if you’re in a window seat and you want to rest your head against the wall. My only issue is that you can kind of feel the twisty bar inside but it’s not uncomfortable.
Travel Foot Hammock
Ok, I am not a tall person but I’m also not very short. I’m at this height where my legs often dangle just enough to be uncomfortable on all forms of public transport. This Travel Foot Hammock (it sounds so silly I know) goes around the tray table slot and hangs at an adjustable height for you to rest your feet on. Takes that pain right out of my calves.
Compression Packing Cubes
Now, let me be completely honest and say that these will not flatten your clothes as dramatically as they do in the photo. They become more bubbly looking than totally flattened. You’re not vacuum-sealing your clothes here! They do give you that little bit more space than regular packing cubes though and make your luggage so nice and organised. It’s so satisfying to have an orderly suitcase.
Disney World Travel Guide
Totally not necessary for a trip to Orlando but so freaking informative! They touch on Universal and the other parks as well so it’s an all-around helpful guide. It’s a pretty dense book though. You won’t be carrying this around with you.
Photo Album
I got this album for our photos last time. It’s the perfect album for an Orlando holiday! You can use it like a scrapbook and paste in some bits of memorabilia as well. I have our tickets, passes and even some receipts in ours.
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Where to Find Me
Elaine Howlin 
Oooh – I’m traveling soon and this list is so handy! (Especially as a fellow short human. Foot hammock?! I need.)
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Enjoy your travels!! I was amazed when I discovered the foot hammock.
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