Tips about Epcot, Food & Beverage, Kids and Souvenirs

When we leave Disney with all of our souvenirs, they seem to go by the wayside once we get home, so I have started putting all of the "Disney stuff" away in a bag. When we go back to the magical land, it's ready to pack and take back with us. My kids have usually forgotten about everything, so it seems like new and I don't have to repurchase all the stuff. This also works well with Disney plush toys, hats and light-up gadgets. I also like to purchase Disney-related things throughout the year as I see them and add them to the bag. - Deb Gorman

Stroller rental prices have become outrageous at WDW, and they are way too small for bigger kids! Our solution was to purchase a new stroller that fit our family here at home and sell it when we returned. Our actual spending was only around $25 rather than almost $200 for our 6 night stay. - Joy Clevenger

Stroller rental prices have become outrageous at WDW, and they are way too small for bigger kids! Our solution was to purchase a new stroller that fit our family here at home and sell it when we returned. Our actual spending was only around $25 rather than almost $200 for our 6 night stay. - Joy Clevenger

There is stuff that you can do at Disney that costs no money such as viewing the Electric Water parade, participating in Chip N' Dale's campfire sing-along at Fort Wilderness and watching the movie afterwards and going to Disney Springs just for the atmosphere (fun fountains, entertainment). - Michele Munoz

We went to the Chip and Dale's Campfire Singalong. The event is free. There is singing and dancing for the kids. A gentleman comes out and plays his guitar with Disney type songs. They build 2 fires at each end of the little theater area. You can bring your own marshmallows/smore ingredients. Or you can purchase the makings onsite. If I remember, the S'mores kits were about $12.00. Chip and Dale come around so you can take pictures with your family or get autographs. We missed this the first time we came to Disney but got a chance to participate this last trip. We would recommend this to a family with younger children. My daughter was 12 and still enjoyed it. - Carol Kuhar

To save on impulse souvenir purchases-shop online and at your local Disney Store ahead of time. I pack a new Mickey item for each child in our luggage and they wake up to a gift left by... Tinker Bell, Mickey Mouse, etc. Throw on some glitter and they'll definitely believe the fairies were there. Trading pin sets can also be purchased this way and save you a ton of money. - Angela Manzi

Since your best souvenirs will be your memories anyway, go cheap on the ones you buy. You can collect postcards or pressed pennies for a fraction of the cost of most souvenirs for sale in the gift shops. - Josh

I try to go by a craft store before a WDW trip. You can usually pick up a whole tube of glow necklaces or bracelets for a few dollars. I bring it into the park in a diaper bag. Then, when we are waiting for the parade, there is less temptation to by something from those very appealing carts full of light-up merchandise. Last week, while we were waiting for SpectroMagic, we opened up our tube and enjoyed playing with them. Since we had so many, my daughter (age 4) actually passed out a bunch to the kids sitting around us. It was a nice way to spread some magic without spending $8 on a toy. - Valerie Riley

An alternative to face-painting are the temporary tattoos sold at stands throughout the parks. There are a ton of designs and characters to choose from and at a cost of $5-$7 dollars they are a cheaper alternative to the face painting and other experiences like Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and hair wraps. Plus, with care, the tattoos can last well over a week instead of washing off in one day. - Kelly R.

Come up with a souvenir budget and stick to it. On my last solo trip to the World, I gave myself a $50 souvenir budget -- it was a fun challenge to stick to the budget and find great stuff. In fact, I had souvenir money left over! (If you've been several times, you might consider a trip taken without purchasing souvenirs.) Or, skip the extras, like Photopass photos, spa treatments, special tours, etc. I would always prefer to go all-out, but I find a trip to Disney on a budget is better than no trip to Disney at all! - Hilary Sommer

We discovered by accident that it's a good idea to take your little one to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique early in your trip. They really work hard to slick back the hair into a sleek, fabulous pony tail. Even after the "do" was done -- the next day or so -- our daughter still had that slicked back pony tail, which saved us tons of time the next several mornings getting ready for the parks. We just left her pony tail alone after taking out all the pins and doo-dads from the boutique. - Rachel Bruce

During a recent visit to Walt Disney World our family stayed at Kidani Village. One of things we were curious about was quick dining. Many DVC members have expressed concerned about the lack of quick dining options at Kidani Village. It's understandable considering the size of the resort and the distance (about half a mile from front entrance to front entrance) to Jambo House to eat at the Mara (Jambo's counter service location).

I knew the pool bar had some food offerings and the gift shop inside the lobby (Johari Treasures) had some quick food items as well; however, I discovered something else. A private dining option is available at the Maji pool bar.

Here's how it works. Look for the phone and menu display at the Maji Pool Bar, pick it up and it will ring into the Sanaa kitchen. Make sure to reference your private dining number on your identification tent. Place your order with the Cast Member. They will give you an approximate wait time, a total, and ask you how you will pay; cash, credit, or room charge. Take your number tent to your pool chair and wait for the Cast Member to bring you the food. There is an adult menu and a kids menu to choose from. Each adult entree comes with specific side items and a pudding dessert. Kid's meals come with 2 sides and a chocolate cake dessert.

Something I found unusual is the resort does not have a fryer so you will not find any fried foods on the private dining menu. According to the Cast Member this was because of Disney's healthier foods initiative. We ordered a kid's pizza for our daughter which came with 2 sides; carrot sticks and fruit salad, a piece of chocolate cake for dessert and a bottle of water. The food came out in less than 15 minutes.

When you order through the private dining line you are charged a $3 trip charge and an automatic 18% gratuity. The total for our daughter's kid's meal was $12.75. There was some confusion whether the drink was included with the meal. When we called private dining they said yes, but the bottle of water did not come out, so we received one at the pool bar at no cost. You cannot use the Disney Dining Plan for this dining option.

The Maji pool bar also offers a very limited selection of quick foods you can order and receive from their refrigerator right away without going through private dining. Make sure to bring your resort refillable mug to the Kidani Village pool. They have a soda refilling station next to the bar; a nice feature and very convenient.

For those of you who stay at this resort the Johari Treasures gift shop also has some quick, cold food and breakfast options. There are cereals, breads and other breakfast fare to choose from. Potato chips and other afternoon or evening snacks are available as well. Many of the food items are eligible as snack credits on the Disney Dining Plan. You could very easily take this food to your villa and prepare it in your kitchen or kitchenette. The gift shop also houses a refillable mug station for soda, coffee, and tea; however, there is no hot chocolate.

Despite the lack of a quick service restaurant at Kidani Village there are still options to choose from if you don't want to walk, take the bus, or drive over to Jambo House. Be sure to check them out while you are enjoying this beautiful resort. - Aaron DelPrince

Share meals. If you're buying at the resort (we do, since I don't cook on vacation!), split entrees. Or get a double cheeseburger, cut it in half, and you've got two burgers at a fraction of the price of two full meals. Cast members have always accommodated our requests for an extra plate or extra silver. Their servings are large, and you won't go hungry! - Mark & Eileen Miller

My wife and I split an entree at table service restaurants. The portion sizes are usually more than one person can handle (or should handle anyway). Our server at the Sci-Fi Dine In split a milkshake for our 3 and 4 year old daughters to share also. Sharing really made sense for us, as my wife has had Lap Band surgery and is not able to eat much anyway--sharing made her feel less wasteful. - Jeremy Hardy

Eat at a more expensive restaurant for lunch rather than dinner, as the menu choices are similar but the prices are lower - so you can experience the restaurant of your choice for less. Also, check out the menus on Deb's site before you go. They've been updated recently, and the price of an entree can differ in price between otherwise "comparable" restaurants. - Jennifer J. Bogdanski, Esq