The Final Countdown - 1 Day!

I have finally realized exactly what today means. In 11 short hours, the plane will be on the runway and headed to Orlando! This will be my final blog post for a couple of weeks but I'll try to get an update on here as soon as we return.

For now, I will cover the final full day of our trip. It's probably the busiest day of the whole trip considering Halloween Horror Night (HHN) doesn't end until 1am. We may try to sleep in a bit on this day to offset the long hours in the park but no definite plans yet.

Sunday September 25

• 8:00am - Universal Orlando opens

• 9:00am - Wake up!

• 10:00am - Leisure enjoyment of the park, rides with low wait times

• 12:00pm - Lunch at Leaky Cauldron, more rides

• 4:30pm - Line up for Halloween Horror Night

• 6:00pm - Halloween Horror Night begins (posted hours indicate 6:30pm but I've read in some articles that they will allow guests already in the park to visit a haunted house at 6:00pm)

Sorry for the short itinerary; I wish I could give more information but the first HHN hasn't been held yet and I want to wait until new articles have been posted before I nail down any plans. I am still unsure of our dinner options, as well, because I don't know exactly which establishments will be open and/or if full menus will be served. I love Universal and have visited many times but I am a total newbie to HHN and excited to experience something new! 

As mentioned, the final day of our trip is sure to be a long one and well worth the lack of sleep. I am hoping for a memorable finale to a wonderful vacation and will report back when it's all over!

The Final Countdown - 2 Days!

If yesterday was slow (and it actually didn't end as slow as it started) then today was the opposite! I've barely had a moment to breathe, much less think about the trip and now I'm staring at the image on this post and wondering how I got to day 2 on the countdown. 

This is going to be a tough trip day to review mostly because there aren't predetermined Fastpasses at Universal and also because we are going to try to cram as much into day nine as we can. But you are owed a summary and I'll do my best to put it all here! We will have the Express Pass on this day so we should not have a long wait for any specific ride (except maybe 15 minutes at Reign of Kong)

Saturday September 24

• 6:30am - Wake up! 

• 7:00am - Early opening at Universal Studios, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, take pictures if the park isn't too busy

• 8:00am - Official opening of Universal Studios, Men in Black Alien Attack, The Simpsons Ride, E.T. Adventure, Terminator 2: 3-D

• 10:00am - Universal Horror Make-Up Show, Shrek 4-D, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem (again), Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, Transformers: The Ride - 3D, Revenge of the Mummy

• 11:15am - Hogwarts Express to Islands of Adventure

• 12:00pm - Lunch at Mythos, Poseidon's Fury, The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad, Dragon's Challenge, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (will have to wait in line for this), Jurassic Park River Adventure, Skull Island: Reign of Kong, Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls, Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Doctor Doom's Fearfall, The Incredible Hulk Coaster

• 7:00pm - Dinner at Cowfish (may be earlier if we take a break and decide to go back to the park afterward to finish rides), Dessert at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen

I know there are a lack of concise times here and I apologize; the Express Pass is going to make it difficult to know exactly when we'll be in each section of the park but I assure you we'll be enjoying whichever attraction comes next in line! 

I'm still not as excited as I feel I should be with only 2 days left in the countdown (1 1/2 days technically but who's counting?) I suspect that it will hit me tomorrow or maybe not until I see those beautiful palm trees in Orlando. In any case, I'll be back tomorrow with the final countdown/trip post so I'll see you then!

The Final Countdown - 3 Days!

Oh boy. I've hit the countdown wall. I know it's happening because I just woke up and I'm already writing this post. Cranky mood, be gone! I need to start feeling the Disney/Harry Potter magic already. There's no better way to banish a bad mood than to write about an upcoming vacation!

Day eight of the trip is officially our transition from Disney World to Universal Orlando. While I am sure I will be sad to leave Disney, I love Universal just as much and there is plenty to look forward to. Without further delay, let's take a look:

Friday September 23

• 9:00am - Wake Up! We're sleeping in to enjoy our last morning at Contemporary Resort

• 10:00am - Check out

• 10:30am - Disney Springs for Daily Poutine and souvenir shopping

• 12:00pm - Lunch at Blaze Pizza 

• 1:00pm - Head to Character Warehouse for discount souvenirs (8200 Vineland is the address)

• 4:00pm - Check in at Cabana Bay Beach Resort

• 4:30pm - Dinner at Hash House a Go Go

• 6:00pm - Pool time at Cabana Bay

We intend to make this day as relaxing as possible and hopefully head to bed early because the weekend at Universal is going to be CrAzY! You'll see what I mean when we get to those blog posts!

The Final Countdown - 4 Days!

I have survived the first day of my final week at work before vacation! Let me tell you, it was intense! All day I was jumping at the sound of my email notification because I was concerned that a last-minute catastrophe would happen. 

But the work day is over and here I am!

Four days left until vacation commences and that means I've got a post to write. Full speed ahead to day seven of the trip!

Thursday September 22

• 8:00am - Wake Up!

• 9:00am - Animal Kingdom opens

• 10:00am - Festival of the Lion King, Animal viewing, Tamu Tamu Refreshments for chocolate-covered espresso beans

• 11:45am - Flights of Wonder

• 12:30pm - Lunch at Yak and Yeti

• 1:45pm - Kali River Rapids Fastpass, Jungle Trek

• 2:25pm - Expedition Everest Fastpass

• 3:00pm - Finding Nemo The Musical, Dino Land, It's Tough to be a Bug!

• 5:00pm - Dinner at FlameTree BBQ, Discovery Island Trails, Dawa Bar for Watermelon Mimosa

• 7:30pm - Kilimanjaro Safari Fastpass

There are more evening activities we would like to see but Animal Kingdom seems to be the park with the most last-minute changes to its schedule so we are playing it by ear until we get there. I would love to ride Expedition Everest in the dark, as well as catch the Tree of Life Awakening and Discovery Island Carnivale. I know it's too much to hope for a soft opening of the Rivers of Light show but it would be cool to catch some Cast Members testing the floats for the show if possible. 

This day will be pretty relaxed for us because, well, Animal Kingdom is a super laid-back park. If Epcot wasn't already my favorite park then Animal Kingdom would probably claim that spot in my heart because it's beautiful and it houses one of my favorite rides - Dinosaur! Although <insert sad face here> Dinosaur will be closed for refurbishment on this trip.

Time just keeps winding down and I don't even know what to do with myself anymore! I made a nail appointment for Wednesday and I'm ticking off a few items on my final to-do list but it still feels surreal. Maybe day three will be different! Stay tuned :) 

The Final Countdown - 5 Days!

Five days. FIVE days. FIVE DAYS! It's nearly here! And look, another cute image to share from Walt Disney World's Facebook album!

A bit of news to share: we've decided to purchase the Express Pass for Universal Studios. This information doesn't directly correlate to the day we will be discussing in this post but it is exciting nonetheless. We made this decision because we will be at Universal Orlando for two days, one of which is a a short day due to Halloween Horror Nights party. We purchased the Express Pass for Saturday, September 24th to be used once per applicable attraction for both parks. Because Islands of Adventure is open 9am to 8pm that day and Universal Studios' hours are 8am to 5pm, we will begin our day at Universal Studios and visit as many attractions as possible before taking the Hogwarts Express to Islands of Adventure for our 12pm reservation at Mythos and all of the attractions we can handle until 8pm (including Reign of Kong!!) The total damage was about $140, including tax. I wouldn't normally splurge for this sort of thing but I think the recent Hulk coaster refurbishment and the opening of Reign of Kong warrant a little assistance. The ride wait times still appear to be 120 minutes or more for Reign of Kong and that's precious time that could be spent exploring.

Now, for day six of the trip!

Wednesday September 21

• 8:30am - Wake Up!

• 9:00am - Epcot opens, although we probably won't be in the park until 9:30am

• 10:00am - Mission Space Fastpass

• 10:35am - Living with the Land Fastpass

• 11:40am - Frozen Ever After Faspass

• 12:00pm - Lunch at Tokyo Dining

• 1:00pm - Food & Wine Festival Itinerary (see below)

• 5:00pm - Dinner at Tangierine Cafe

• 6:00pm - Food & Wine Festival Itinerary

Food & Wine Festival Itinerary:

Future World:

Chew Collective (B): Ricotta and Zucchini Ravioli

Chocolate Studio (B): Liquid Nitro Chocolate Almond Truffle with Warm Whiskey Caramel

*Farm Fresh (B): Chicken and Dumplings, Mac and Cheese, and Pear Hard Cider

Starting at front of World Showcase, moving counter clockwise:

Hawaii (L): Kalua Pork Slider with Sweet and Sour Dole® Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise

*Desserts and Champagne (L): Dom Perignon

Greece (B): Vegan Loaded Greek Nachos and Chicken Gyro

Canada (B): Cheddar Cheese Soup and Beef Filet Mignon

*Ireland (L): Frozen Chai Cocktail

*France (L): La Passion Martini Slush

*Morocco (B): Spicy Hummus Fries, Mimosa Royale, Chocolate Baklava

Brazil (B): Brazilian Cheese Bread

Japan (B): Spicy Sushi Roll, Spicy Edamame, Garlic Shrimp

Hops & Barley (B): Smoked Beef Brisket with Pimento Cheese and Carrot Cake

*Italy (B): Baked Ziti, Tuscan-Style Stew, and Frozen Margarita with Limoncello

*Poland (B): Kielbasa and Potato Pierogi and Frozen Szarlotka Apple Pie cocktail

*China (L): Bubble Tea

Mexico (P): Battered Shrimp Soft Taco

* is an alcoholic beverage stop

The focus of this day is mostly on the Food & Wine Festival so we may need to roll ourselves back to the hotel afterward! We have a few rides scheduled but we probably won't do anything without a Fastpass on this day (unless it's Soarin' with a low wait time because we LOVE Soarin'!) Also, we aren't planning to watch IllumiNations because that's part of our first Epcot day BUT if the Chase Visa Lounge isn't handing out wristbands on the first day then we may have to move that plan to this day. Personally, I'm hoping it's an early night for us because walking around World Showcase in the hot sun always seems to zap my energy.

There are a lot more offerings at Food & Wine Festival aside from those I've listed in this post; we had to narrow it down by what we a) really wanted and b) could handle. This is still a lot of food and drinks but I think we can spread it out from 11am to 9pm and make it work - plus we can always skip the lunch at Tokyo Dining or dinner at Tangierine Cafe if necessary.

I'm hoping to report back with lots of pictures of the festival because I know this is a huge interest for many people and I'm glad we are able to make it this year! Be sure to check back after the trip for updates!

The Final Countdown - 6 Days!

Countdowns are so much fun - especially if there are cute little images that corresponds with the day/week but sadly I don't have an image to share today because the picture from my previous post was taken from Walt Disney World's Facebook album for countdowns and they skip from one week (seven days) to five days. Day six is unloved.

But I'm here to show you that day six is not forgotten! This countdown day corresponds with day five of the trip, which will seem quite short compared to the previous posts. We are planning to spend this day at Hollywood Studios, which is currently undergoing construction for the Star Wars and Toy Story expansions. 

Tuesday September 20

• 8:30am - Wake Up! We don't need to be up too early on this day because our first Fastpass extends to the 10 o'clock hour

• 9:00am - Hollywood Studios Opens

• 10:15am - Rock n' Rollercoaster Fastpass

• 10:35am - Tower of Terror Fastpass, Muppet Vision 3D

• 11:50am - Star Tours Fastpass, Stop at Backlot Express for Afterburner drink

• 12:00pm - Indiana Jones show (if possible), Lunch at PizzeRizzo if it's open, Writer's Stop for Carrot Cake Cookie

• 2:00pm - Toy Story, Great Movie Ride, Walt Disney One Man's Dream

• 3:30pm - Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Star Wars Launch Bay

• 4:20pm - Dinner at Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge, Cupcake at Starring Rolls if open, Rock n' Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror again if wait times aren't too long

• 7:30pm - Check-in for Star Wars Dessert Party

• 8:15pm - Star Wars Galactic Spectacular

As you can see, this day is pretty short. We should be able to sleep in that morning and probably make it back to the room by about 10pm. We are huge Star Wars fans so we will definitely be coming back to this park when the Star Wars Land is completed!

And one last happy thought for the day: we are almost halfway through our day-by-day countdown/trip itinerary! Time has passed much quicker than I expected!

The Final Countdown - 7 Days!

One week. Seven days. I cannot contain my excitement! I started this day feeling slightly ill and had a moment of panic when I thought to myself "no, not before the trip!" But I've been throwing back 100+ ounces of water each day for the past week and I hope I can flush whatever bug might be trying to attack me. 

But enough of the sick talk - let's get down to business! *queue Mulan music*

Seven days left on the countdown, day four of the trip - 

Monday September 19

• 8am - Wake Up!

• 8:30am - take monorail to Epcot (with transfer)

• 9:00am - Epcot opens

• 9:10am - Mission Space Fastpass, Test Track

• 10:15am - Soarin' Fastpass

• 11:00am - Head to Chase Visa Lounge in World Showcase to ask for IllumiNations wristbands

• 11:20am - Journey into Imagination Fastpass (may skip if we don't have time for it)

• 11:30am - Lunch at Via Napoli, Italy

• 1:15pm - Voices of Liberty, American Adventure, Germany, China, Norway (snag Fastpass for Frozen Ever After, if available), Mexico

• 4:45pm - Dinner at Le Cellier, Canada, UK, France, Morocco

• 6:15pm - Matsuriza Drummers, Japan

• 9:00pm - IllumiNations

Most of the evening will be spent snagging Fastpasses where available and going on any rides with a low wait. I will also be spending time enjoying food and drinks around World Showcase! I'm especially excited for these items:

Welsh Dragon UK pavilion (Rose & Crown pub)

Moroccarita, which is vodka, lemon, lime juice and triple sec (Spice Road table bar - Morocco)

Schofferhofer Grapefruit beer Germany pavilion at Bier or Trinken cart

Canto Loopy China pavilion the Joy of Tea

School Bread (Norway)

Chocolate Covered Sea Salt Caramel (Germany)

Tiramisu (Italy)

Kaki-Gori (Japan)

Cronut (Refreshment Port)

While Food & Wine Festival will be happening on this date, we plan to utilize another full day at Epcot specifically for enjoying the events and food/drink items that it offers. 

One more sleep and then it'll be just SIX days away!

The Final Countdown - 8 Days!

Onward to day eight of the countdown - or three of the trip! This post is particularly exciting because I can daydream about the double helping of yummy food from Be Our Guest in Magic Kingdom and the perks of a pre-park-opening reservation to take pictures of the castle and other iconic spots without lots of people in the photos!

First, a quick rundown of the itinerary and then we'll focus on Be Our Guest advance ordering service.

Sunday September 18

• 7:00am - Wake Up!

• 7:30am - Walk to Magic Kingdom (MK) entrance 

• 7:45-8:00am - Cast members allow people with breakfast reservations to enter the park

• 8:00-8:15am - Take pictures

• 8:20am - Breakfast reservation at Be Our Guest

• 9:00am - MK opens

• 9:25am - 7DMT Fastpass, Winnie the Pooh, Mad Tea Party, PeopleMover

• 10:25am - Space Mountain Fastpass, Carousel of Progress, Buzz Lightyear, Stitch's Great Escape, Monsters Inc Laugh Floor

• 11:25am - Haunted Mansion Fastpass, it's a small world (if time permits), Hall of Presidents

• 12:00pm - lunch at any quick-service restaurant

• 12:30pm - Riverboat, Dole Whip, Country Bear Jamboree, grab extra Fastpasses

• 2:30pm - Position for Festival of Fantasy Parade at Pecos Bills

• 3:00pm - Festival of Fantasy Parade

• 3:30pm - Try to get more Fastpasses, Mickey's Philharmagic, Cinderella's Castle, Gaston's Tavern for snacks, Walk through circus area of Fantasyland

• 6:00pm - Dinner at Be Our Guest

• 7:00pm - MK closes 

No plans beyond 7pm yet but I suspect we will be very tired after our first full day of walking and may want to spend the rest of the night resting. We may decide to stroll around Disney Springs and check out the PhotoPass Studio located there if we feel up to it. But first, I promised more information regarding Be Our Guest!

Be Our Guest (BoG) is a fairly new restaurant that was opened with the expansion of Fantasyland in 2012. It is notoriously difficult to get reservations as you must secure them most often at 180 days out. There are plenty of stories of people snagging reservations closer to time but that's often due to diligent checking of the availability and/or usage of Touring Plans' Reservation Finder. Usually it's easier to book a reservation at 180 days, if possible. The breakfast and lunch options are quick service, meaning that you will not be served by a dedicated wait staff. These meals also offer advance order options so that you can select your meal 30 days before arriving and then just show up! Your order will magically arrive at your table once seated. Dinner is a table service dining experience and quite a bit more expensive. I highly recommend BoG if you have the opportunity to try it.

Advance ordering for breakfast is quite easy but it's one of those things that you won't be able to see unless you have the reservation already. I've taken screenshots of my experience to share with you  here:

At 30 days out, you'll be able to see the "Place Your Order" link next to your reservation

Clicking the link will bring you to a summary of the Order-Ahead Dining Option. Click "Start Order".

You'll be presented with the menu specific to your reservation. Selecting an item will open a box with a picture and description. You can make some custom requests here but I advise meeting with someone at the restaurant for complex or allergy-related issues. You'll also have the option to select a beverage to accompany your meal. Click "Add to Order" once ready.

After selecting all meal items, you will be directed to review your order. The total is listed for confirmation although payment is not expected until arrival.

And that's it! A final screen displays the order summary and reservation details.

Not too hard, huh? And if you change your mind then you can always come back and make different selections. You can even make changes at the restaurant - just find a Cast Member and they'll help you out.

That's day three in a nutshell and I'm already tired just thinking about it! I can't wait to share day four with you tomorrow!

The Final Countdown - 9 Days!

Definitely using this blog as a diary now. Sorry-not-sorry. These daily posts are certainly helping me chase the countdown blues away and also helping to keep my thoughts in order!

As previously determined, day 9 of the countdown corresponds with day 2 of the trip so let's keep moving!

Saturday September 17

• 9:30am - wake up! (allowing myself to sleep in a bit to counteract the late party from the previous night)

• 10:30am - brunch at Kona Cafe, Polynesian Resort via monorail

• 11:30am approx. - Lapu Lapu drinks from Tambu Lounge, Dole Whip from Pineapple Lanai (both at Polynesian Resort), then monorail back to Contemporary Resort

• Afternoon - pool time at Contemporary Resort

• 5:45pm - dinner at California Grill (Contemporary Resort)

• 8:00pm - Wishes fireworks from California Grill observatory deck

• 10:15pm - Electrical Water Pageant on Seven Seas Lagoon

I'm most excited to finally explore the Contemporary Resort on this day because we will be at the Halloween party for most of our arrival day and probably won't have time to walk around the resort much. I will need to locate a few key spots around the Contemporary: pool (duh), laundry room, souvenir shop, hostess stand for California Grill, and Contempo Cafe for quick service dining. I'm sure there are plenty of other sights, sounds, and smells that will catch my attention along the way but at least I've got a plan on where to start!

I'm also giddy over the idea of having brunch at another resort. The Polynesian is a huge favorite among many Disney fans and I am curious to see what the hoopla is about. Perhaps it will convince us to book a future trip at this property...(sooner than later!)

And I must share another way I'm passing the time - watching the Harry Potter movies and reading the books! I added to the experience today by trying my hand at a homemade Butterbeer recipe. It's rather delicious! Let me know how it fares for you if you try it!

The Final Countdown - 10 Days!

It's no secret that I'm crazy about Disney - as many of us are - but that passion is amplified when my annual trip to Disney World reaches what I like to call "The Final Countdown". In ten short (ugh, please be short!) days we will be arriving in Orlando for our ten-day vacation. To get myself through these next ten days, I've decided that I will be considering each day as if it were my actual trip and think about what I will be doing.

So let's try this out! This is day 10 on the countdown - we'll correspond that with day 1 of the vacation to keep things easy. Here's my day:

Friday September 16

• 7:30am - head to airport

• 9:30am - flight departs

• 12:54pm - flight lands

• 1:00pm to 3:00pm - grab rental car, pick up a few groceries, head to Contemporary resort and change into Mickey's-Not-So-Scary-Halloween (MNSSHP) party costumes

• 3:30pm - line up at entrance to Magic Kingdom

• 4:00pm - enter Magic Kingdom for early party access

• 4:00pm to 7:00pm - get party wristband and treat bag, Fastpasses for 7DMT, Space Mountain, and Haunted Mansion, 4:40pm reservation at Skipper Canteen, and grab party souvenirs/snacks if available before 7

• 7:00pm - official start to MNSSHP, head to Main Street Firehouse for Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom card, grab any souvenirs/snacks that weren't available before 7 ...and PARTY! Trick-or-treat, rides with low wait times, Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular show, Boo-to-You Parade, and Happy HalloWishes fireworks

I promise I will try to keep these posts short but I will also be sneaking in a little preview of our pre-park-opening Be Our Guest order so that you can see how the advance order system works!

Thanks for reading! 

Packing for Two Adults

It's less than two weeks til the trip and that means it's time to pack! Or, at the very least, pre-pack. Some people are professionals at getting everything done in the final 24 hours before vacation but I was not gifted with that superpower so I have to make a list, review the list a few times, do a mock run, and then the final pack with quality-control review for accuracy. Thankfully this post won't take you down the rabbit hole of my perfectionist tendencies but it will give you an overview of what is on our packing list as well as luggage recommendation and a packing strategy.

I know checked luggage is expensive - especially on the budget airlines. We're flying Allegiant Air and they are currently charging $50/checked bag and $36/carry-on. WOW! Our goal is to take on two FREE personal items (backpacks) and check one bag for two adults. Challenge accepted!

First, packing list. This is our list for adults-only but more info is offered here.

• 5 outfits each
• shoes
• socks
• under garments
• swimsuits
• sunglasses
• medication - prescription, OTC items (allergy/cold/headache)
• makeup and makeup remover
• sunscreen
• razors and shave cream
• hair brush or comb
• ponytail holders, bobby pins
• jewelry/outfit accessories
• feminine hygiene items
• toiletries - toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, mouth wash, face wash, body powder, deodorant, etc
• chapstick with spf
• phone chargers
• phone battery pack cases (to re-charge phones in park)
• travel-sized laundry detergent and dryer sheets
• first aid items
• bug repellant (although Disney is now offering this for free in the parks)

There are a few other items packed that are specific to this trip, such as our Mickey's-not-so-Scary-Halloween costumes, but this list is a pretty good representation of what will be packed in our bags. We like to keep the medication and phone chargers in our personal backpacks in case of emergency but nearly everything else is packed away in the checked luggage.

About that checked luggage - this is what we're using:

It's a 29" upright suitcase with wheels and an ergonomic walking handle. I found it for $47 on eBags.com, which was a huge discount from its usual $200+ price tag. This specific suitcase is about 4 pounds, which is very important to us because Allegiant only allows standard checked luggage 40 pounds or less (I think most airlines allow 50 pounds without a heavy luggage fee). I really like the space inside the bag - it is very roomy and has handy pockets inside for organization.

I always start with shoes. Put them sole-to-sole in the first layer and make sure they line up with the bottom of the bag so that when you're walking with it the shoes will take the bulk of the weight from your clothing - and not the other way around. If you put your shoes at the top of the bag (near the handle) then they'll be weighing down on your clothes when you're rolling your bag at the airport and your clothes are more likely to get wrinkled.

Cover the shoes with clothing. I prefer to roll my clothes to make more room and minimize wrinkles. This picture is showing you all five of my vacation outfits - complete with extra shirts and undershirts - and it only takes up half of the bag.

My favorite feature of this particular piece of luggage are the pockets. We've stored most of our unmentionables here but this is plenty of room for two adults!

This is a separate bag that I will be packing away in the checked luggage, as well, but I like to keep all toiletries and first aid products in one place. This ensures that I don't have loose items rolling around in my suitcase and confines liquid/gel in case of spills.

And finally, my traveling jewelry/accessory box. I'm not a huge jewelry fan but I like to have options in case of days where I feel like wearing it. Normally my attire is limited to a bracelet and earrings but I've included hair clips in this case, as well. I purchased this jewelry container from Thirty-One for about $20-$30 and it includes the clasps on the top that allow for earrings and rings to be secured. My only complaint is that the earring holder seems to be better suited to small studs so if you like dangling earrings or large studs then this may not be the best option.

I didn't take any pictures of our backpacks but we are both carrying JanSport bags on the plane and I will be putting a small cross-body purse inside my backpack for convenience. I don't normally carry a purse on vacation but it's nice to have if we decide to go off-property for dining or shopping.

I'm always open to suggestions for packing more efficiently so please share any feedback or ideas below!