Tips about Air Travel, Kids, Magic Kingdom and Planning

My 4-year-old son has a real problem with loud noises, but refused to wear ear plugs. We would put a pair in and he would pull them right back out. Before we left I contacted a store that specialized in hunting equipment and ordered a pair of the smallest child-sized headphones used at target ranges to muffle sound. They fit him perfectly and when we were in the parks, if there was even a hint of loud noises coming, we would just slip them on. My son actually went through the Haunted Mansion four times without a hitch. It was the best $17 I ever spent and I got quite a few comments of, "Oh, I wish we had thought of that." - Bonnie Schweizer

My 4-year-old son has a real problem with loud noises, but refused to wear ear plugs. We would put a pair in and he would pull them right back out. Before we left I contacted a store that specialized in hunting equipment and ordered a pair of the smallest child-sized headphones used at target ranges to muffle sound. They fit him perfectly and when we were in the parks, if there was even a hint of loud noises coming, we would just slip them on. My son actually went through the Haunted Mansion four times without a hitch. It was the best $17 I ever spent and I got quite a few comments of, "Oh, I wish we had thought of that." - Bonnie Schweizer

I brought along Palmolive dishcloths for our Wilderness Lodge (refillable) mugs. The box of 20 was less than $2.00 at my local Walmart, and I could use them in the laundry, as well. Even adding two sheets was less expensive than buying laundry detergent. In our fanny packs, I carried one in a plastic bag and used it to spot treat any food stains on shirts/shorts. Quite the bargain! - Trisha Parece

If you travel with any individual, especially children, who is afraid of or does not like loud noise, purchase disposable foam ear plugs from a hardware store before leaving home. These are easy to take in and out, cheap (less than a $1.00 a pair) and can be kept in a pocket or fanny pack. Don't forget to purchase several pairs, just in case one pair is lost. - The DeHoff Family

EDITOR'S NOTE: We've mentioned this tip before, but it bears repeating

If you travel with any individual, especially children, who is afraid of or does not like loud noise, purchase disposable foam ear plugs from a hardware store before leaving home. These are easy to take in and out, cheap (less than a $1.00 a pair) and can be kept in a pocket or fanny pack. Don't forget to purchase several pairs, just in case one pair is lost. - The DeHoff Family

EDITOR'S NOTE: We've mentioned this tip before, but it bears repeating

I just read your article on planning for a large group. In October 2002, I brought my entire family (parents, sisters and their families) of 15 to WDW. In order to include everyone in the decision-making process, my family (the fanatics) prepared questionnaires that were sent to each family member, regardless of age (we ranged 9-80). The first questionnaire was broad and had different categories of likes and dislikes (parades, fireworks, swimming, parks, sleeping late, buffets vs. sit down vs. fast food, etc.) to determine what each person wanted to do. The second then gave each person three choices of what to do each day, morning, afternoon, and night -- one of which was ALWAYS "be on your own." We all stayed at the same hotel (Polynesian) and came and went according to what we had chosen. All 15 of us were only required to be together for three meals during the five days we were there. The groups constantly changed, and a fabulous time was had by all! We definitely recommend polling your traveling companions so everyone feels involved. - Margie Smith

Scotchgard those canvas sneakers before you leave home for WDW! Apply several coats, and allow plenty of drying time between applications. Dry feet make those sudden Florida downpours a whole lot more bearable! - Mary Mitchell

Have disposable cameras for your children to get their 'view' on their vacation experiences! - Madison

I'm organizing a Disney World family reunion for 13 people, ranging in age from 5 up to 79. We all have various Disney experiences from total rookie to very experienced. Needless to say, it's been interesting. My tip is how to get everyone informed of important data needed every day of the stay. I used the template in Word for business cards and made up paper cards with the following information:

1. Their name (so they can easily identify their packet)
2. Everyone's cell phone numbers (we'll use these for communication since we'll be spliting up every day)
3. The resort phone number and a place to put the room number on it once we know it
4. For the five year old, I made a card that said "Hi, my name is Jane Doe and I'm traveling with my mother Mary Doe. I just turned five years old" - I did this on the advice from a Cast Member who said that lots of kids who get lost clam up and even forget their own name, let alone their parent's name. Also, all the reservations are in my name so even doing a search on the five year old's last name wouldn't turn up anything.
5. For the adults, everyone will have a card listing what the five year old is wearing that day - I did this on the advice of the same Cast Member who said that's the first thing they ask lost parents - what their child is wearing. Most can't remember.

I put all this information into inexpensive holders (the kind you use for sports cards works well and costs about 25 cents each). Everyone can easily slip their admission ticket, room key (the five year old will not have one), driver's license, and a credit card into the holder too. This way, all daily information and ID are in one handy packet. - Sheri Niklewski

ALL PARKS - I purchased "The Unofficial Guide to WDW" book before our trip. I tore out the pages in the back of the book (the ones that suggest which attractions to see and in which order -- a very valuable tool) and laminated them. I then punched a hole in a corner of each page. As we set off for a certain park for the day, I would attach that set of pages with a binder ring to my fanny pack. I then had a quick reference guide for all the attractions and restaurants in that park. It was outside my fanny pack so I could look at it quickly without having to open my fanny pack each time. It was laminated so if it rained, the pages were not ruined, and they could withstand a lot of abuse. I took along a Sharpie marker and marked off each attraction as we visited it so I could see at a glance where we'd been and where we were supposed to go next. It worked out very well for our trip. - Lisa Kent

When booking airfare check the fares during the day, but check again at night after 8 p.m. Sometimes they are less. I am flying from Orlando to Atlanta in October. The one-way fare was $99. When I checked later that night, it was down to $69. The next morning, back to $99. And so on. I checked this three different days until I finally booked at the $69 rate. Michelle

We just returned from our first trip to Disney World since having kids. I was a little anxious about how I would be able to make bottles for our 10 month old daughter at the parks--I didn't want to rely on trekking to the baby care stations every time. I found that at any counter service/quick service location in the parks I could ask for a cup of hot water to make a bottle--they must get this request a lot because everyone was ready and willing to hand over a hot cup of water (and for free of course). I just mixed in some of my own ice water with the hot and made the perfect bottle every time. It was a great time saver for us and kept our daughter happy. - Matt & Ellen Evans

When at WDW, no matter the time of year, there always seem to be a "wait" for something! We help pass the time with our 3 yr old by packing a deck of cards. While waiting for meals, Mickey's Philharmagic, parades, and even the boat back to the hotel, we'll play quick games of "Go Fish" or "Crazy Eights." She'll even make up her own games to help pass the time. It's truly been a lifesaver for an ansy little pre-schooler! - Alison Boeckman

We have just returned from a week in Disney World with our almost 4-year-old granddaughter. With the help of PassPorter and AllEars® we were able to do it up right. Our own saving grace was purchasing a pair of "earmuffs" (sound protection earmuffs) for our princess. We kept them easily accessible on the top of our knapsack. The excitement, loud noises, fireworks and scary rides were a piece of cake. We saw and heard lots of little ones crying from the noise. Our granddaughter has always been scared of fireworks and we wanted to make the whole experience positive. She enjoyed everything and was so proud of herself that she wasn't afraid of anything, because nothing in Disney World would hurt her! - Diane Russell

MAGIC KINGDOM - For a fun experience, visit the Harmony Barbershop in the Magic Kingdom! Prices for haircuts are $15- $18 for children, $19 for adults, plus tip.