It’s been a LONG day of travel — you might’ve gotten up early for your flight, spent hours on a plane, and then traveled even longer to finally arrive at your Disney World hotel. You’re EXHAUSTED. But wait — there are a few things you NEED to do before you fall into bed to rest up for your big day in the parks tomorrow!

I’ve polled the travel experts here on the DFB team and done extra research online to find six things that EVERY vacation aficionado does as soon as they step into their hotel room.

Overall, doing all six of these things will probably only take you an extra fifteen or twenty minutes, but they might save you from some unpleasant surprises later! That’s ESPECIALLY true with this first one.

Check for Bed Bugs

GROSS. After having seen so many news stories about bed bugs recently, I’m officially terrified of these creepy crawlies. In my nightmares, my hotel room is filled with them, they get into my suitcase, and then I accidentally bring them home, where my apartment gets infested. It’s one of my biggest travel fears.

In an attempt to assuage my fears, I’ve done lots of research about bed bugs online. It turns out that they’re not usually dangerous from a disease-spreading or medical emergency-causing standpoint, but I still definitely don’t want them in my bed.

According to the CDC, bed bugs are “small, flat, parasitic [yuk] insects” that “feed on the blood of people and animals while they sleep.” They’re TINY — only between 1mm to 7mm — and they’re a reddish-brown color. Because of the size and color, some people might mistake them for pennies. So if you think you see a penny in your hotel bed, look closer.

You might not know if you’ve been bitten by a bed bug for as long as two weeks after the bite. So it’s important to look for the signs of an infestation in advance. Some of those signs are bed bug exoskeletons, the bugs themselves (of course), rust-colored spots of their poop on the mattress, and a musty, sweet odor.

Because these bugs are so small, they can easily sneak into backpacks and suitcases. Make sure you inspect your hotel room thoroughly BEFORE you start to unpack.

If you suspect that you’ve been bitten by a bed bug, it’s best to “avoid scratching the area and apply antiseptic creams or lotions and take an antihistamine” (CDC).

Check for Lost Items

There have been several times when I’ve arrived at my hotel room and found something that didn’t belong there, whether it was a kid’s toy or someone’s clothing or anything else. Now, it’s just a habit of mine to quickly check under the bed, in the dresser drawers, and in the bathroom to make sure nothing got left behind.

If I find anything, I give those lost items to the front desk and they’ll get in touch with the last people who stayed in that room.

I’ve also been on the other end of that process, where someone found something I’d lost and the hotel was able to send it back to me at home — I definitely appreciated that!

Sanitize Frequently Touched Surfaces

I always bring hand sanitizer with me when I travel, but I also like to quickly wipe down high-touch areas in my hotel room, simply because so many people come and go, so it’s easy for germs to hang out.

I bring to-go disinfectant wipes, which are super easy and convenient.

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I also tuck a travel-sized sanitizing spray in my bag, for good measure.

Here’s one on Amazon that’ll work great.

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Some of the frequently touched surfaces that I always disinfect include door handles and locks, the remote control, light switches, the phone, the hangers, and the nightstand. I don’t usually touch the alarm clock (I just use my phone as an alarm), but I’d disinfect that too if I were going to use it.

When doing research for this article, I saw several people mention that they don’t use the water glasses provided in the room. I don’t either (I usually just use my water bottle), but if I needed one, I’d rinse it out with soap and water thoroughly before I used it.

Look at the Evacuation Plan

This is one of those things that feels extra and paranoid until you really need it, and in that moment, you’ll be glad that you took a second to glance at the hotel room’s emergency evacuation plan!

These plans are usually pinned up on the back of your hotel room door, and it’s a good idea to take a quick look and note the route you should take in the event of an emergency.

Pillow and Blanket Inventory

When you get back to your hotel room at one in the morning after a long day of riding roller coasters and watching the fireworks, the last thing you want to do is call the front desk to ask for more pillows and blankets and then wait for them to arrive. Or, even worse, you might have to go down and retrieve them yourself.

To avoid that inconvenience, check that you have everything you need as soon as you arrive. You can put in a request for more items then, and you’ll be all set to fall into bed as soon as you come in the door that evening!

Unpack!

This might seem like a dumb, obvious tip, but let me explain. When I say “unpack,” I mean UNPACK. I don’t leave ANYTHING in my suitcase when I’m visiting Disney World. I don’t care if it’s a 1.5-day trip — I will unpack all of my clothes and put them in the drawers, find a place for all of my toiletries, and line up my shoes at the foot of the bed.

I hate living out of a suitcase, so being fully unpacked helps me feel more comfortable and I’m able to really relax. It just takes an extra five minutes, and it makes a big difference to me.

I’ve found out that this also helps save space in the room! Instead of having a bunch of clunky suitcases spread out throughout the room, my family and I can tuck them under the beds, out of the way, because all of the stuff we need is stored in the dresser and bathroom.

I hope these tips help you avoid some unhappy mishaps or at least gain a bit more peace of mind the next time you visit Disney World! Better yet, I hope you never, ever find any bed bugs in any hotel room. I hope I don’t, either.

Stay tuned to DFB for more vacation tips and updates on the latest Disney news!

Click here to see more hotel tips from a full-time traveler!

What hotel tips would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments!

The post 6 Things Every Travel Expert Does As Soon As They Step Into a Hotel Room first appeared on the disney food blog.