Tips about Epcot, Food & Beverage, Mousecellaneous and Planning

For all those with peanut and/or tree nut allergies, make sure you have a meal at the Be Our Guest Restaurant (which was breathtaking, by the way). The chef advised us that no nuts are used on premises, and although the bread was made in a facility that may have resulted in cross contamination, ALL of the desserts were safe for those with peanut/tree nut allergies! My son was able to pick his own cupcake for dessert, and I'm not sure who was more excited -- him or me. The chef just had to prepare the cupcake without the garnish, which did not take away from it at all. Not to mention the cupcakes are amazing! I would highly recommend Be Our Guest, as most other sit-down restaurants are only able to offer ice cream without the Mickey sprinkles for dessert! - April Slavin

When our family stays on property we like to have breakfast at our hotel. The last time we went we stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort so our room was pretty far from the food court. We didn't want to walk all the way back to the room to brush our teeth again after we had eaten and then walk again to get on the bus to head to the park. To solve this problem I purchased a few disposable toothbrushes. They are little pre-packaged toothbrushes that have a little bit of toothpaste on them. They are small enough to fit in your bag so you can take them with you to the parks to use after lunch and dinner, too. Just toss them in the garbage when you are done with them! - Nicole Benko

The Ghirardelli Soda Fountain at Disney Springs now has soy milk for their coffee drinks. It does not show up on the menu. They do not charge anything extra for it. - A. D. Johnson

When booking rooms at a WDW resort, be aware that adjoining rooms and connecting rooms are not the same thing. Adjoining rooms are next to each other. Connecting rooms share an interior door. Don't rely on the reservation employee to explain the differences in terminology to you. - Elizabeth

Christmas - Just a tip for booking the Candlelight Processional Dinner Package: Use the online system and try calling. I called and was told there was no availability for any shows at any restaurant on the two days I was considering. I prepared myself to just make a "regular" dining reservation and stand in the longer line. But when I got to disneyworld.disney.go.com/reservations/dining/ I noticed a radio button that said "Dining Event." And what do you know? "Holidays around the World - Candlelight Processional" was a choice. Looks like you can also book Fantasmic, Victoria & Albert's Chef's Table, etc., which I don't remember being able to book in the past either. I was able to find a TON of choices for the dates and times that the Disney Reservation Center told me were unavailable for the Candlelight Processional -- including some of the "harder to find" restaurants. Cheers! - Gregory

ALL PARKS - A great way to save time if possible is to go to the park without a bag. We could not accomplish this on every park visit, but when we would go to Magic Kingdom for a short visit in the morning or evening, we packed small necessary items (camera, lip balm, antibacterial gel) in my husband and son's cargo pockets, wore our Photopass and tickets around our necks and breezed into the parks. - Tanya

We love the refillable mugs at the Disney resorts and find them to be a great value. Before leaving home, I purchase disposable dishcloths and spray them with a foamy dish-washing detergent, let them dry and place in a zipper top bag. Just dampen the wipes to thoroughly clean the mugs with soap and water. Each wipe lasts for several washings. No leftover, sticky residue; just a nice clean mug. Especially great if one member of the family has the sniffles. - Linda Jacobs

Before our current trip to the World we were trying to come up with a way to tell each of our water bottles apart in the insulated bag that we carry to the parks. We decided to use six different color ponytail holders, which we placed around each bottle. No confusion as to whose bottle was whose! - Gerrie Springer

Unlike Florida Residents and Annual Passholders who can order Tables in Wonderland cards by phone or mail, Disney Vacation Club members must buy their TiW card in person, at a Guest Relations location. This is important for travelers to Disney's Vero Beach Resort (which takes Tables in Wonderland). You will need to do a drive-by to Disney Springs Guest Relations or another Guest Relations location to get your TiW card. - Donna Fesel

Girls who have long hair, when showering, need one towel for their body and one for their hair. To "go green" and save on hotel laundry, bring a turban made just for your wet hair. They can be bought in most big chain stores and online for a few dollars; they are small and dry in no time, cutting way down on the towels your family uses! - Patty

I always bring the small 3-ounce bathroom cups when I travel. They are great to use in the hotel when brushing your teeth. I have a 5-year-old son and sometimes the hotel provides glass drinking cups. Not a good thing for those little hands. The paper cups avoid any chance of him breaking the glass in the bathroom sinks. I also carry them around in the parks, too. They are great for handing out little snacks like gummy bears or goldfish crackers and make sharing a bottle of water easy as well. - hbryfogle

I always bring a cheap hand pump soap with me to use in my resort hotel. I hate using bar soap, especially since I share my hotel room, and it just never feels "clean" enough for me. I purchase a 99-cent hand pump soap before I go and put it in our resort bathroom upon arrival. I'll tell you, it beats using the slippery little Mickey soap bar the Disney resort hotels provide! - Kim

It has been many years since our first trip but I wanted to share a very valuable tip. Before you go, log onto Disney's website and order or print the park maps and study them extensively before your trip. I had read about the crowds and knew that if we didn't half way know where we were going, we would be lost. I studied the routes to the rides that we wanted to ride first, the restaurants we wanted to eat at and of course where the bathrooms were located. These parks are huge and knowing which way to start was super helpful. - Mindy

Buy a post card for each day of your Disney vacation on the first day. Each evening write down the day's highlights and mail the postcard to your home address from the hotel's front desk or postal box in the lobby. When you return home, you'll have a day by day 'mini journal' of what you did each day. So many of us plan to journal every day but after a day or two forget about it. Postcards are quick and easy! - Judith

Coronado Springs - The Pepper Market at Coronado Springs is now doing a regular breakfast buffet. No ticket and stamping, it's just pay one price (I think it was $15) and it's all you can eat. - Juli Ruffing

EDITOR'S NOTE: The $14.99 buffet service was tested at Pepper Market earlier this year, and has apparently been implemented full-time now. We have updated menus here:
http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm#cs