Tips about Epcot, Kids, Magic Kingdom, Mousecellaneous and Resorts

My family just recently returned from our week vacation at Disney World in May. We are a family of five. We always bring one water bottle per person into the parks. This trip I bought a ball of different colored rubber bands. Each person had their own color and attached it to the neck of the water bottle. So when all the water bottles were put in the stroller, you could tell whose bottle belonged to who. With young children, this ended all arguments of "Who drank all my water?" - Karen Hopkins

Animal Kingdom Lodge - A reader writes in about the new "Dining with Animal Specialists" at Sanaa that we reported on last week: The best way to book the new "Dining with Animal Specialists" offering is to call the Safari line for Wanyama Safari at (407) 938-4755. That gets you the Animal Kingdom Lodge Itinerary Planning Office. Calling the Kidani Front Desk will actually get you the call center, and they know almost nothing about the new offering and can't book it.

Magic Kingdom - After my trip to the World last week with my sister, I have a couple tips.

1) A lot of people leave the Magic Kingdom right after Wishes, but if you wait a little bit longer, you'll be treated to a replay of "The Magic, the Memories and You" on certain nights (and not just Extra Magic Hour nights). Best of all, you'll get excellent views during the second show! Last Thursday, Wishes was at 10 p.m. and the park would close at 11 p.m. We stayed around for a while and they announced they would be replaying TMTMAY. Since the Hub was virtually empty at that point, we could just lie down in front of the castle and watch as it was filled with magic all over again. That moment was one of the highlights of our trip!

2) Your writer Jack Spence always says to stop and smell the roses, and we took his advice to heart on this trip. We're glad we did! On Monday during EMH night, we were walking about Frontierland when we noticed the checkers board in front of the Shootin' Arcade. Our initial reaction was to just keep going to the next ride (we can play checkers while at home, right?), but then we decided to pause and play a little. It was so much fun! At one point a cast member stopped by to ask who was winning. In the end I won, and now my sister wants revenge on our next visit. That brief "stop and smell the roses" moment has now turned into a tradition that we'll have to repeat on our next trips to the World. - Patricia Ogura

For those wishing to use the web while at the resorts: If you have a smartphone, check if it can be used as a wireless hotspot (also known as tethering). Verizon charges $20/month for tethering with a hotspot-enabled 3G phone (I use a Droid X), which is a great deal when compared to the resorts' $9.95 per 24 contiguous hours fee. There is no cancellation fee for this feature, so you can activate it just for the month you'll be staying at the resort. Plus, you're no longer limited to the length of the ethernet cable. It sure came in handy on my stay at Caribbean Beach last week! A few things to consider: speed is dependent on 3G signal strength in your room, and there's usually a data cap per month (mine is 2GB). - Patricia

Many seemingly "innocent" attractions have brief moments of darkness (Carousel of Progress and PeopleMover come to mind). Have your younger children wear "glow in the dark" type shirts to help avoid any darkness issues. - Julie from NW Florida

Epcot - As a cast member who used to work at Sum of All Thrills in Innoventions East, I wanted to say that if you want the most thrilling ride available there, ask a cast member if they have any high score cards. They sometimes have a few available, and if not, someone might be able to help you design it. - D.

Epcot - As a cast member who used to work at Sum of All Thrills in Innoventions East, I wanted to say that if you want the most thrilling ride available there, ask a cast member if they have any high score cards. They sometimes have a few available, and if not, someone might be able to help you design it. - D.

Please remember to keep your patio doors locked and secure your valuables, even when staying in the relative safety of a Disney resort. An article in the Orlando Sentinel a few days ago reported that the Orange County Sheriff's Office recently arrested two suspects trying to enter a room at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa through a French door. There have been more than 20 cases of electronics stolen at that resort and others near by since late December. According to the article, Disney has been working closely with law enforcement throughout the investigation and has put additional security patrols in place. Disney has also encouraged its housekeeping team to ensure patio doors are locked, and literature has been left in the rooms to remind guests to lock all doors and secure valuables. - Editor Deb Koma

Please remember to keep your patio doors locked and secure your valuables, even when staying in the relative safety of a Disney resort. An article in the Orlando Sentinel a few days ago reported that the Orange County Sheriff's Office recently arrested two suspects trying to enter a room at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa through a French door. There have been more than 20 cases of electronics stolen at that resort and others near by since late December. According to the article, Disney has been working closely with law enforcement throughout the investigation and has put additional security patrols in place. Disney has also encouraged its housekeeping team to ensure patio doors are locked, and literature has been left in the rooms to remind guests to lock all doors and secure valuables. - Editor Deb Koma

Please remember to keep your patio doors locked and secure your valuables, even when staying in the relative safety of a Disney resort. An article in the Orlando Sentinel a few days ago reported that the Orange County Sheriff's Office recently arrested two suspects trying to enter a room at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa through a French door. There have been more than 20 cases of electronics stolen at that resort and others near by since late December. According to the article, Disney has been working closely with law enforcement throughout the investigation and has put additional security patrols in place. Disney has also encouraged its housekeeping team to ensure patio doors are locked, and literature has been left in the rooms to remind guests to lock all doors and secure valuables. - Editor Deb Koma

Epcot - I wanted to make people aware now that Soarin' is closed that Sunshine Seasons closes at 7 p.m. We were going to Epcot for the evening and were hoping to have dinner at Sunshine Seasons because they are so great for people with food troubles. Oh well, we will just have to go in earlier now. - Pam Sigler

Epcot - I wanted to make people aware now that Soarin' is closed that Sunshine Seasons closes at 7 p.m. We were going to Epcot for the evening and were hoping to have dinner at Sunshine Seasons because they are so great for people with food troubles. Oh well, we will just have to go in earlier now. - Pam Sigler

I've just finished reading the latest in a great series of books about the World -- Ridley Pearson's "Kingdom Keepers IV: Power Play." The Kingdom Keepers books are written for teens, but us older folks will love them, too. They're great suspense reads, and if you are familiar with and love WDW, you'll have all the settings visually in your head. If you're headed to Orlando, have your teens read them (preferably in order) before you go. They'll be searching out locations and will never get bored. - Maggie Rioux

After my son's first trip to Disney when he picked up a nasty stomach bug, we've since learned to pack a travel-sized hand sanitizer to carry with us inside the parks. We use it to disinfect hands not only before eating, but also after EVERY encounter with the characters. When you stop to think about all the children who are touching and kissing Mickey, it just makes sense. My son stayed well all the way through the subsequent two visits to Disney. I can't say for sure that's what kept him well, but it certainly couldn't have hurt! - Terri in Bermuda

Here's a must-have! Take along a "plug-in" air freshener with your favorite scent. Not only does your room smell good, but you have a nice glow of a nightlight to keep from tripping over your suitcases at night. - Judy Shock