Tips about Food & Beverage, Kids, Mousecellaneous, Planning and Resorts

On our recent Magic Kingdom visit my two children really wanted to get their faces painted. We first tried the Pirates' League in Adventureland, but it closed at 3:30 p.m. on the day we visited. However, we found a face painting area tucked away next to Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin in Tomorrowland. And the best part -- just keep your receipt, and they'll touch up your face paint throughout the day for no extra charge! - Laura Gjere

On a recent visit to the Magic Kingdom, I stopped in the Main Street Bakery to check out the recent renovation and treat myself to a Starbucks coffee. When I reached the counter to pay, I was pleasantly surprised to be able to pay with my Starbucks gift card. Not only did I buy coffee with my gift card, but also a bottle of soda for my son. Don't leave home without your gift cards! - Kim Chesser

When we stayed at the French Quarter in December, we were delighted to find a refrigerator and put in some fresh fruit we purchased at the on-site store, as well as some water bottles. Unfortunately the guests who were there before us turned the temperature knob so cold that everything froze solid and was wasted. This is a reminder to check the temp setting before putting anything in the refrigerator. - Carol Berube

-- I bring along suction cups to stick to the bathroom walls. This gives everyone their own place to hang washcloths or other personal bathroom items.

-- A power strip gives everyone easy access to plug in their electronic devices instead of searching for an unused one in the room.

-- Lastly, we always have a spot in the room (a table or the spot next to the door) where we put the things we take with us each day -- for example, sunglasses, backpack, water bottle, celebration pin, jacket. That way when you are ready to walk out the door, you can just grab your stuff instead of scrambling around the room trying to make sure you remembered those things. - Traci Regan

Recently stayed at Old Key West for Marathon Weekend. Upon check-in, my room was not ready. I do not have text messaging on my phone so was given a phone number to call later in the day. I found out at Bay Lake Tower that I could receive an email instead of a text. I called Old Key West and requested this. Since Walt Disney World now has wireless internet throughout, I enjoyed my day and received my room number via email through my Kindle. - M. Hoyt

Epcot - If going to Epcot with elementary school-aged kids, play Agent P! Even if you have never watched Phineas and Ferb, you should play the game. It made the World Showcase so much more interesting for my 8- and 10-year-olds. I enjoyed it also and my husband liked the fact that he could sit and have a beer at the Rose and Crown while we did our secret agent thing in the United Kingdom. - Margaret

Epcot - If going to Epcot with elementary school-aged kids, play Agent P! Even if you have never watched Phineas and Ferb, you should play the game. It made the World Showcase so much more interesting for my 8- and 10-year-olds. I enjoyed it also and my husband liked the fact that he could sit and have a beer at the Rose and Crown while we did our secret agent thing in the United Kingdom. - Margaret

Animal Kingdom Lodge - On a recent trip to Walt Disney World we had dinner at Boma. After dinner we walked around the grounds out back (as we had first-timers with us) and were surprised to find that night-vision binoculars were available to view the animals in the dark. We all enjoyed this very much and saw many animals. Also the cast members who supervised this activity were very helpful and informative about the animals and the country where they were from. We really learned a lot! - Jane Carvalho

If you have dietary concerns, don't assume you know your "safe" foods, especially at buffets. When recently dining at Cape May Cafe for dinner, I told the chef that I had a shellfish allergy. Surprisingly, he warned me not to eat the steamed corn or steamed potatoes -- they are both steamed with shellfish/fish. The chef offered to make them separately for me, saying it would take only 15-20 minutes.

Another time I was unable to have the chicken dish at Yachtsman Steakhouse because it was fried with seafood.

A friend was also at a buffet with an onion allergy and told not to eat the corn as it was steamed in a broth that contained onions.

Better to be safe than sorry! Be sure to tell the hostess, server and if needed, ask for a chef. - Deb Wills

I am writing to post a comment about the Disney website. It seems that ever since the My Disney Experience portion was launched, the website has become very slow and unresponsive. I have ended up calling to make my dining reservations since the system keeps timing out and Donald Duck appears to tell me the server has become too busy. The cast member told me to try using Google Chrome as my browser. While I have still not been able to make any dining reservations through a computer (neither a home or office one), Google Chrome definitely is faster than Internet Explorer. The cast member told me that many people are complaining about the same issues and that hopefully Disney is listening, as all the calls are recorded. - Tracey Etchberger

Boardwalk - When I was at Seashore Sweets at the BoardWalk in December, there was a jar of jellybeans on the counter near the registers. If you correctly guess the number of jellybeans in the jar, you get free ice cream. I correctly guessed and got a single scoop in a cup. There were many people who never noticed the jar, so be sure to ask about it. - Joel

Animal Kingdom Lodge - Be sure to check out what is happening at your resort. We recently returned from a stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge. They had many activities for kids, and most were free. Not only did they have crafts in the lobby, games at the pool, but they also had a sunset campfire with free marshmallows to roast. Also, be sure to walk around the grounds of the resort. At AKL we found savanna overlooks in many areas, and they often have someone who will answer questions about the animals. This is what makes Disney resorts so unique! - E. Horton

My adult daughter got this idea when her daughter was 5 and it's worked for several trips. She rounds up all of her daughter's Disney-themed t-shirts and her Disney beanie babies (luckily we can drive to Walt Disney World) and brings them along on the trip. Each morning a special friend or two get to go to the parks with her daughter. She seldom HAS to have something she sees in a store. - Kim from Missouri

We just returned from a trip to Disney with my grandchildren. Of course, they want to buy everything. We found that by taking pictures of the item wanted (and the price) they could later go through the list and select the item they really wanted. It saved a lot of running around and they kids were able to "see" the items they were considering. - Stephen James

Join the Earl of Sandwich's Upper Crust sandwich club for free at: http://www.earlofsandwichusa.com/ Get $5 off added to your account 7 days after sign up. - Deb Wills