Tips about Air Travel, Magic Kingdom, Planning and Resorts

If you're a teenage girl (like me) and you're going to Disney, bring your cellphone or iPod with you! It's nice to be able to listen to your music while waiting in line. Another thing: make sure you put your name and address on everything -- with iPods or mp3 players, stick some white tape on the back and write your info with a pen or marker, because Disney will return items if they find them! - Stephanie

I recently travelled through Orlando Airport (MCO) and was surprised to find that they do not sell gum at the airport shops. A shop attendant stated that they are not allowed to sell it as it is to hard to clean up off the ground and the carpet. If you like to chew gum when flying or if you have little ones that need it before they fly, you might want to pick up some gum before you arrrive for your flight. - Trevor Hanko

Just prior to leaving for a trip to the World, I needed to have a liquid prescription filled. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to take the large size bottle in my carry-on, I asked my pharmacy to put part of the medicine in a smaller TSA-approved bottle. They did, including making another pharmacy label. I will be able to have the smaller bottle with me and the larger I can check. And if my luggage does happen to get lost I have enough in my carry-on until the luggage is found. - Laura

Since dresser drawers are few in the rooms, bring along one of those hanging closet organizers for each child with at least seven slots. You can place your child's shorts, t-shirts, socks, underwear, etc. in the cubes thus saving on drawer space. - Barbara D.

Going through the metal detectors at the park entrances, you have to remove celebratory buttons and put them in the little bins with other metal objects. This can be a pain, especially if you're park-hopping! Consider wearing buttons on a lanyard or bag strap to make it easier to take them on and off. - Gilly R.

I just returned from a terrific stay at the Grand Floridian and wanted to share a unique experience if you're looking for something extra-special. My husband surprised me with an Intimate Dining Experience. It's a two-hour dining experience for up to four people, even if staying off-property, with a choice of locations throughout the resort, personalized menus and a butler. Ours was on a balcony of the Grand Floridian with a view of the lagoon and fireworks. It was arranged directly through the front desk at the Grand Floridian. - Denise D.

Magic Kingdom - An unexpected bonus tip happened one morning when we entered the Magic Kingdom park early. The opening music was playing. We headed to the Crystal Palace for an early breakfast. Near there was a flower garden, which also faced toward the Adventureland sign. Using my camcorder, I was able to have a few of the songs of the opening music playing as the background for the scenes I was shooting. It was an extra freebie. There are always new scenes to shoot and new movies to make. You could easily find your hardest decision to make is how many cameras to take. - Murry A.

Magic Kingdom - Regarding Mike Scopa's article about saving time (AllEars® Issue #443, March 18, 2008): One of the queues that you can save a lot of time on is the Indy Speedway. The line goes up a ramp and then turns right. From there you can go down the first ramp or continue on the bridge to the second ramp. When I have been there lately, there are two lanes of cars running from the bottom of the first ramp and only one lane of cars on the second ramp. The second ramp is also further away. Therefore, do not go to the second ramp! - Sara

I thought that Alice McNutt Miller's post about money saving tips was spot on. Our family has enjoyed Disney World every few years and I always consult the AllEars® tips database while planning. One tip that I would add to Alice's list is considering travel during the room-only discount periods. This way you can combine frugal and fairly extravagant if you're willing to move from value/moderate to deluxe for a few days (especially to the BoardWalk area). Our kids felt like it was two vacations in one. - Jack

Don't be too quick to dismiss the Deluxe resorts. For the UK visitor, free dining is usually not available at the Value resorts, while the Quick Service plan is included at the Moderates and the regular dining plan comes with Deluxe or Villas. We have found that it can often work out cheaper for us to book a villa when free dining is included than it would be to book at a Value resort and buy a dining plan or just pay for food as we went along. - Debi

Even if you have a rental car and aren't using Magical Express to get to the airport from your Disney resort, you can use the Resort Airline Check-in to check your bags, deliver them to the airport and through to your destination (on a participating airline). Just make sure you get your bags to the Resort Airline check-in location at the resort in a timely fashion. - Anonymouse

My husband and I were staying at All Star Music in October. We wanted to make sure that our luggage wasn't over the weight limit. We asked the concierge if they had a scale that we could use for our baggage. She told me that they did have one at the Magical Express check-in outside. We took our bags out to them and they had a large scale that they let us use free of charge. It's great to know ahead of time what the weight of your luggage is instead of being surprised at the airport with the fees. - Jennifer Baldovinos

When we travel to Disney World we usually worry about the 50 lb. limit coming home just like everyone else. We have learned to put a flat box with a pre-addressed label on it in the bottom of our luggage with a roll of packing tape. When we have made several purchases (non-breakable) we pack them in the box and take it to the desk at the hotel. They mail it to our home and it arrives shortly after we do. It extends the magic just a little longer when we open the box at home, and there are no worries about being over the weight limit at the airport. - Nancy Nickerson

With regard to the 50 lb. weight limit for luggage on the airlines, I now carry a duffle bag with me. I just pack it in my suitcase on the way down to WDW. If I think I'm over the limit, I just throw a few things into the duffle for the return flight. It also comes in handy if you have breakables and need a bag to carry things home on the plane. - Noreen E. Rachuba

When flying to my happy place I usually pack waaaaayy more than I need to. This means that on my return flight I am usually pushing the envelope on the 50lb weight limit per bag for air travel. What I do now is carry a fish scale with me. You can pick them up at Wal Mart or any bait and tackle shop. I elected to go with a digital one which set me back $20 but you can find others in the $5-$10 range. Basically it is a hand-held scale that has a hook at the bottom and a handle at the top. You hold it up in the air and attach your fish... I mean luggage... to the bottom hook and it weighs it for you. The one that I have only goes to 50 pounds, so if I get an error I know that I am over the limit. I find it much easier to distribute my items while still in my hotel room than standing at the sidewalk of the airport an hour before my flight. I hope this helps others and HAPPY SHOPPING! - Tom