The 3 Best Essentials We Bought for Disney World This Year

First up are these Silicone Waterproof Shoe Covers.

Hey, don’t scroll away! We know they look insanely ridiculous, but these bad boys WORK. They actually do what they’re supposed to do: protect your shoes from Florida rainstorms. We recommend sizing up to make sure the zipper on top doesn’t press too hard on your feet, but we love that we can splash through puddles without fear of the impending storm alert buzzing on our phones. There is an open gap at the top that we don’t love, since the rain hits our legs and slides down. If you bring a pair of extra socks for when the rain stops, your actual shoes stay dry, so you’re not squishing in them the rest of the day.

One of our reporters doesn’t like to wear tennis shoes because they don’t like the wet sock-and-shoe combo, but fell in love with these and is now known for wearing the occasional pair of sneakers in the parks (always with the covers in their backpack, ready to go).

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Matching our shoe covers, we love these HOKA Women’s Clifton 10 Sneakers.

We’ve tried a lot of shoes, but remember that reporter who hates tennis shoes and always wears flip-flops? Yep, they’re willing to wear these shoes, which is a HUGE compliment. They say, “If I’m comfortable in these shoes, practically anyone could find them just as comfy.” They have a lot of bounce and good support on the heels. It’s perfect for those with high arches, and unlike other shoes, the back of our heels didn’t rub uncomfortably.

This is totally essential to make your Disney World vacation easier. We recommend breaking these in before you start laps around World Showcase. The spring gives each step a bit of bounce without feeling like you’re jumping like Tigger, and these weren’t even bulky. Seriously, these are one of our favorite pairs of shoes!

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Finally, we’re always packing our Portable Travel White Noise Machine.

We’re big fans of naps, but staying in a hotel room always makes those naps a little harder. This tiny little white noise machine, which literally fits in the palm of our hands, makes sleep so much easier. It’s very affordable and even comes with a zippered travel case. It has 35 volume levels and 16 sounds that actually sound different. You can set it to different intervals, like 30, 60, or 90 minutes, or leave it on all night.

When we used this with kids, they were super excited to try it out and asked to use it again the next night. Uh, that’s a WIN! We love the size, battery life, and variety of sounds, but we will say that the buttons are a tiny bit hard to press with longer names. We’re always throwing this in our backpacks and suitcases, and you’d be surprised how a tiny investment can totally change your hotel stay.

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