Bedroom...

If you don't want to worry about your money then take whatever you can... ok, travellers cheques are basically pieces of paper which come in $50, $100, $200 etc. (depends on what the shop has in stock, I think the post office do them but I got mine from marks and spencer because they had a foreign money bit!) So you exchange your cash for the cheques and they each have an individual number on them... you should write these numbers down seperately because if your cheques got stolen then you can get replacement ones by quoting the numbers whereas with cash once it is gone, it's gone!!

So say you wanted to go for a day in the parks, you take one of your $50 cheques (for example) and go to the shop to buy your merchandise... say you bought a Mickey plushie for $25... then you would pay with the cheque (you have to show ID when you use it because it has your name on the cheque I think...) and then they give you the change in cash

Hope that explains it. I am sure it tells you on wikipedia!

And don't worry about the bank situation, all will be explained when you get there. You don't need to set up an american bank account!

 

Last year we were given a bank card where our money was automatically deposited to, and it is a debit card so you can use it just about anywhere (except Canada because they seem to hate Visa there).
Drawback of it is you get one free transaction a week (such as paying for something, checking a balance, drawing out money), and then you are charged for each transaction after. Bit annoying if (like us Brits!) you are used to that being free... atm charges are on top of those. Best way is to draw out money around Thursday and use it for the week if you want to save the charges.

And you get hangars once you start getting costumes - everytime you get a costume you get a hangar, but if you want to hang up your smart stuff bring one with you (maybe a Johnston's the cleaners one or something that you wouldn't mind leaving - I get quite attached to my hangars for some reason!).

And I am definitely bringing a duvet and pillow again - took longer to get to bed last time (and I didn't get to my apartment until AFTER midnight due to the stupid bus not turning up at Vista to take us over), but was SO worth it! And IKEA do a duvet for under £3 (well it was last year) - so no problem to leave behind!
Other things I will try and take this time: enough towels (I can leave them. More space for souvenirs!), a bath mat, maybe a couple of tea towels.

With regards to aircon - ours seemed to be too cold in the morning and too hot at night. I get cold really easily so I like it warmer - but not too hot!

Wow - that was a long post!
xx

 

Katie's pretty much explained it all Although I didn't realise the card charged me every time I used it! I know it charged to check your balance at an atm and to take money out, but I thought if you just used it to pay for something it was free :-S also there's a number you can call on the back of your card to check your balance which I did a lot - if you check your balance at an atm all the time you'd end up with no money left!!

I'm definitely taking a cheap duvet or comforter, and some sheets and a pillow. I went to Walmart my second day to get everything, and it's actually not that cheap! If you're going to buy everything when you get there, you definitely need to take some extra money. You can get super cheap duvets from places like asda living so that's my plan! I'm going to pay extra when I check in to take a second suitcase for bedding and towels and stuff, and then I can use it for souvenirs on the way back :-D

I'm so excited!!! And hungry thinking about Wendys, yummy!

 

I bought a disney princesses blanket in wilkinsons the other day, I couldn't resist!! Thought I'd take that and a sheet with a pillow in my suitcase.... last time I was fine to sleep with just a sheet because it was so freaking hot in our apartment!

 

arghhh i think wendys is yuck! lol


thanks for all the help anyway guys! x

 

I'm really confused about the duvets - does it not take up too much room in the case? How many cases should I take - I can take two so would you recommend me taking both, one with a cheap single duvet in? I can buy pillows out there though right?

 

I would recommend taking two suitcases - you'll probably need both on the way back ;D

If you can, check out Pound Stretcher (Instore) or Ikea, or other stores like them, as they often have cheap rolled up duvets that you can buy. They look abit like tubes and since they are cheap, you dont have to bring them back with you.

Or vaccum pack a duvet.

 

I was thinking of vacuum packing one last night actually...thanks for the advice! Definitely gonna take 2 cases now! Only problem with vacuum packing is if they open your case in security, put I think I might do that as it'll save space!

 

so u think its better to take a duvet with ya instead of buying one out there? i'm guessing around 3 tog is better than 13 for america tho right? x

 

I vacuum packed things to go down there, and both my vacuum bags ripped when I unpacked, and I couldn't use them for the way home. so I left my comforter and things behind.
I would buy them here, it's honestly worth the extra five dollars to save the trouble.

 

I was the only one out of my departure group that had two suitcases...and my laptop bag...and my rucksack ;D Not the easiest things to cart from one side of Chicago airport to the other, but I managed. Really glad I did too as I brought tonnes of stuff home.

Depends on what time you're arriving really, and whether you would have time to get to Walmart. If your flights a late one then you may have to do without for the first night. When I did my program I took both a prepacked, rolled up duvet and some pillows, they didnt take up too much space really and it meant I had them for the first night. I left the pillows but used the duvet on the plane home

Not sure on the tog issue. I get cold easily and sleep with a 15tog feather duvet all year round (yes, I'm odd ). Remember you have aircon though, so it can sometimes get chilly in the apartment, depending on the setting but you should be fine with a light weight tog duvet.

Vaccum packing sounds like a good idea think I might do that my next holiday and you could take some extra with you just incase they do get damaged/ripped.

 

I took a cheap 4-tog one from Ikea - was fine to sleep with (although I was maybe a little cold sometimes - I get cold easily as well!) - as it was new it didn't take up too much room in my case
I took a new pilow as well - together they cost me under £10 - so I felt it was worth it to leave them!
I didn't get to my apartment until after midnight - there was no way I was going to Walmart then! (Especially since I had been up since 7am in the UK!) - it was about 6am UK time once I had showered and changed - so glad I bought stuff, as I really can't manage without a pillow!
Depends what you're used to though - if you need a pillow, take it. If you like a duvet, take one - they don't really sell them and go for comforters instead.

Only danger with vacuum packing is you have to do it on the way home as well... and it will increase the weight of your suitcase! I'd say take as little as you think you can get away with, and stuff you wouldn't mind leaving (maybe not clothes... unless you really don't want to take them home!) - you will buy a lot!
I'm definitely taking less clothes than last time - you don't need that many, especially as washing only takes a couple of hours! And it's cheap!
xx

 

Yup I am taking waaay less clothes... and I chucked a load of mine at the end because they were from primark so cost little in the first place and left space for my nice new clothes I bought at the florida mall!

 

This might sound a bit stupid.... At night is it not like really hot so would we really need a big duvet like we do at home?? xxx

 

I didn't have a duvet the whole time I was there, just a sheet.

 

were u cold?? Cause i was just going to take this blanket type thing with me rather than a big giant duvet :s

 

If you read back in the thread we have been debating it... I had just a sheet last time because my apartment was really hot (my housemates kept turning off the air con) but with air con it can get quite cold.. this time I am taking a disney blanket and a sheet.

 

i arrive in orlando at 4pm so id have time for walmart right?

anyway i think i might just take a small duvet and a throw, there cosy, i actually was planning on taking like no clothes apart from maybe a few skirts and obv bikinis but im hoping to save enough money so i can buy it all over there lol and plus i get 50% off New Look clothes cos i work there so anything i do take will be Primark cheap x

 

That's when I arrived last time and because there were no buses I didn't make it until the next day. You could get a taxi I spose but i'd prefer to go for the first walmart shop when I am not horribly jetlagged and tired!!

 

ok cool =] i guess it depends on when flatmates arrive tho huh =P x