Hey there, hi there, Allison! You've asked some great questions, and I'm so glad you thought of us to help you find your answers.
Packing for a
Walt Disney World vacation can be tough. Weather can be sunny one minute and raining the next, and unless you're going in the summer, as you are, you might have to pack layers. But sunscreen is one of those things that you really have to sort of go by what you know.
Take into consideration how much time you are going to be at the
theme parks,
water parks, shopping and dining at
Disney Springs, or just spending days at the pool. You'll also need to gauge how much sunscreen you normally use. If I'm headed down the shore for the day here in Jersey, I reapply sunscreen just about every hour, even if I don't go into the water. If you're pale like me, especially if you'll be in the water parks, you may want to bring the larger bottles to streamline things. The good news is it's readily available if you run out.
To get great character interaction, ask about things from their movies or things you might know about them. Ask Mickey how Pluto is, or ask Elsa how cold it is in her ice castle. It's fun, especially with the princesses and other "face" characters to hear them talk about things from the lives we see in the movies.
Have a practically perfect vacation, Allison!
Anna