Travel Gadgets for Families

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From MousePlanet...

Travel Gadgets for Families

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Adrienne Krock, staff writer, (Send an email)

Welcome to the 21st century: We have lots of gadgets. Gearing up for the holidays, we know many boys and girls are hoping for even more gadgets, or updated versions of their favorites. This week we asked the Parenting Panel: What gadgets do you travel with on your family vacations to Disney destinations?

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Mary Kraemer is an avid Disney fan and travel consultant with CruisingCo/MouseEarVacations who loves to travel with her husband and children to Disney destinations as often as possible! Mary writes

I guess the most constant "gadget" we’ve used in our travels is the concept of "in-flight entertainment systems." Back in our first minivan, before the days of DVDs and screens that fold down from the ceiling or are set into headrests, we had a 12-volt TV/VCR, which we used for trips to Disneyland. It was not an elegant solution, rigged on top of a milk crate so that everyone could see in the middle and back seats, affixed in place with duct tape. But it worked, videos played, and peace reigned for our 400-mile journey. We began those trips when our kids were still babies, and I never remember having "are we there yet?" or screaming fits (from the kids, that is) about the length of the trip.

In time, technology advanced sufficiently so that our next minivan had a DVD player and we bought a larger-than-stock screen for the kids’ viewing entertainment. We were thrilled with the simplicity of being able to flip down the screen and use the van’s audio system for the soundtrack. (Although, to be perfectly honest, we often switched the balance to the rear speakers so the kids heard more of it than we did in the front seats.)

Without a doubt, this was our favorite travel gadget.

But now…technology has advanced sufficiently again. Our kids have iPads, and with the mobile hotspot option on one of our cell phones, they can stream videos onto their own iPad, listen with headphones, and watch exactly what they want, if there’s no consensus about a video for the road.

Their iPads have also replaced hand-held video GameBoys or DSs for plane travel entertainment (although we often fly Virgin or JetBlue, with their own seat-back entertainment systems).

And oh yes, my kids definitely are readers, so often backpacks are laden with books. But you asked about gadgets…so to qualify for that discussion, their iPads are loaded with eBooks.

We are not gadget-y in the parks by using apps on our phones. We generally have a game plan for our park days, and tend to "wing it" somewhat as the mood strikes us. We’re fortunate enough to not have to worry about maximizing our time on each day, because we have the ability to come back and see something we missed on a different day or perhaps on a different trip. That adds to a much more laid-back approach and we don’t feel the need for in-park optimization.

There have been some fun on-site options from Disney over the years. Years ago, it was fun to use the interactive Pal Mickey as a companion at Walt Disney World. While it was popular for a little while, it didn’t expand or last.

My kids enjoyed Epcot’s Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure game on our spring break trip to Walt Disney World, using the interactive "Kimmunicator" devices to solve the various missions they encountered. I think it made a fun day for my kids, giving them a new way to experience World Showcase.

I think one of my favorite gadget-y things are Disney-related ringtones for my iPhone. Whenever someone calls, I hear the Disney Cruise Line ship’s horn playing “When You Wish Upon A Star” (which can get some interesting looks from other folks at the grocery store!) or “Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirates Life for Me,” or “it’s a small world.” It makes me smile, and cements my reputation as a Disney geek.

Chris, also known as GusMan, is always planning his next family trip to the Walt Disney World Resort and loves to help others plan their trips, as well sharing his experiences. Chris writes:

I am a self-proclaimed gadget person. If it is something that can make my life just a wee bit easier, it’s on my wish list, even if it is not something that I actually have to purchase. Sometimes, it’s reusing something for a new purpose. The problem is that my kids take after me along the lines where they like their little gizmos as well. Because luggage space tends to be at a premium these days, there is the age-old question of what stays and what goes.

For me, I think about the things that will help make things easier for entertaining the family while on the go. Granted, this can be a challenge since items have to be portable, durable, and be rather compact. I recently found a small Duracell battery pack that charges via a USB port on your computer or can even use a typical cell phone charger. On the go, I can use it to extend the battery life of my phone, my camcorder, or my iPod. Of course, it is the iPod that concerns me the most since it seems like it is the one that gets used the most, and the battery goes dead the most often. Simply plug the device into the battery pack and it charges right up. I found that I can charge the iPod and my phone all pretty much on the same charge. I know that there are other companies that make similar devices, and from my past experience, they are worth every penny when you are no where near a charger.

My wife takes care of all the medicines for the family. During a recent trip, she tried a new pill dispenser that at a push of a button, brings you to a new day’s worth of meds. It is very compact and can hold everyone’s prescriptions without a problem. This is great since some meds have to be taken at certain times of the day. It can be easily transported in a back pocket or even in an inside pocket of my camera bag.

My son loves to find new pressed-penny machines. And while this next item is not really a gadget, we found that using plastic mini M&M containers are the perfect size for storing quarters for such a purpose. You can also intermix quarters and pennies within the container so that for every two quarters you get one penny—perfect for the pressed penny find of the day.

My son is also starting to take after me along the lines of loving arcade games. While deep inside I wish that this wasn’t the case, I find that loading up an arcade card can provide some downtime. What we do is that we have my son earn money for the arcade by reading books before the trip. For every book that he reads and talks about with us, he gets a pre-determined amount that goes towards his arcade card. The great part about the Disney arcades is that they are all linked to each other, so that even though you buy the card at one location, you can use it at other locations around the property. He carries it around his neck in his waterproof box, so he feels like he has some responsibility. I found that the larger the amount you load the card with, the more bonus credits you get, which can even be used over several trips.

While I am not a big smartphone person, I am finding more value in using this piece of technology while on vacation. My daughter has a Droid-powered phone by Virgin Mobile that has unlimited data and web access. We use her phone to access many different free and low-cost applications that help us plan our vacation on the run. We can also use her phone as a mobile hot-spot for when I would like to use my iPod or laptop to check my mail and the like. I’m beginning to think that while I am not sure that I would use a smartphone for much else other than Disney vacations, it is something I am not sure I would want to leave behind.

Overall, I like to try to keep the number of gizmos I bring to a minimum. I know that when I first started going to Disney, it seemed like I took too many items that never came out of the bag. Now, I try to focus on the items that I know will be used and add genuine value to the trip.

Parenting in the Parks columnist Adrienne Krock’s three boys are now 13, 10, and 7. They’ve been visiting the Disneyland Resort since they were each just weeks old and Annual Passholders since their 3rd birthdays. Adrienne writes:

Boy, my husband loves his gadgets. We usually travel with a plethora of them in our bags, of the top of my head, the top three are: iPhone, GPS, and portable USB battery charger. Here are some of my favorite gadgets to bring along and tips for bringing gadgets on family trips:

• Cameras
  Naturally, we always have at least one camera with us. We usually take at least one back-up battery and one extra SD card in the event that our battery dies or the SD card fills up. One of our sons likes to bring along his own camera, too. We are very fond of the Panasonic Lumix cameras. I have to admit that I like my son's small, pocket-size Lumix point and shoot almost as much as our two bigger cameras!
  
  
• SmartPhones
  We have one iPhone among our family phones but I have found a limitation, much to my husband's disappointment. We rarely take paper maps anywhere anymore because he reminds me, "We don't need them, we have the iPhone." Except, that is, when we do not have cell coverage. I try to remember to bring along maps if I can't live without them in the event that we lose coverage. Alternatively, I started using map screenshots. My iPod Touch does not have cell coverage so I find myself loading maps when I have Wi-Fi access and saving screenshots of the maps for future reference. Of course, like many others, we also enjoy looking up answers to trivia questions or information about the parks, "checking in" or tracking wait times on our iPhone, too. Obviously, SmartPhones provide an incredible handheld resource on vacation!
  
  
• Handheld Toys with Headphones
  The headphones is my favorite part. We try to make sure that each of our sons has a pair of comfortable headphones. Based on their ages and sizes, each boys prefers a different style. I like the controls on iPods because we can set the maximum volume level and password protect that setting. This way, the boys hopefully won't blow out their ears playing games, listening to music or watching videos.
  
  
• A Bag to Hold It All
  One advantage I found as my children grow older, they can carry their own darn stuff. We especially like the backpacks that can carry a Camelbak water reservoir. We have to be careful to keep the gadgets away from dampness caused by condensation on the plastic bag, but many of these backpacks have plenty of nooks and cranies to hold the gadgets safely.
  
  
• Can a Lanyard Be a Gadget?
  I must maintain my reputation and mention my very favorite, low-tech travel accessory for Disney theme parks:
  Waterproof Lanyard Wallets
  to hold hotel room keys, theme park passes, credit cards, cash, and so forth. We never leave for a Disney theme park without at least one of these brilliant gadgets! Everyone in our family has a different color, each his or her favorite. Fortunately, the lanyards are easy to switch out because we all, naturally, prefer to adorn ours with our
  MouseAdventure
  lanyards.
  
  

This is just the short list for now. I know a couple of people in our family are hoping that Santa brings even more gadgets this year.

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