Tips about Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Food & Beverage, Mousecellaneous and Souvenirs

Epcot - I just returned from a day at Epcot and wanted to give you a tip about Test Track. When I (5'3", 315 lbs.) asked the Cast Member at the end of the queue if I would fit, he told me that there was a mock car I could sit in. He called another Cast Member who escorted me to a private area. The car wasn't an exact copy of the cars in use, but was close. I found that I did not fit enough to be comfortable. The Cast Member showed me the side exit and I went on about my day. It was handled with care and privacy and I was never made to feel embarrassed. - L.

Epcot - I just returned from a day at Epcot and wanted to give you a tip about Test Track. When I (5'3", 315 lbs.) asked the Cast Member at the end of the queue if I would fit, he told me that there was a mock car I could sit in. He called another Cast Member who escorted me to a private area. The car wasn't an exact copy of the cars in use, but was close. I found that I did not fit enough to be comfortable. The Cast Member showed me the side exit and I went on about my day. It was handled with care and privacy and I was never made to feel embarrassed. - L.

Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios - It's a good idea, particularly in the wet summer months, to plan ahead on what to do during the regular afternoon downpour of rain. I have seen lots of people huddling under a shelter gazing at a soggy park map wondering what to do to get out of the wet. One of the best ideas of all is, if you are in Animal Kingdom, heading straight for a late afternoon ride on Kilimanjaro Safaris. Not only is a lot of the waiting area under cover but the rain often makes the animals get up and move so you will see a lot more than during the heat of the day! - Sarah Sanders

After having almost missed dinner because we did not have our confirmation number and they could not find us in the computer, I now keep all of our confirmation numbers, dining places, and times in the calendar on my cell phone. That way when I am in the park I have dining reservations literally a fingertip away -- no more forgetting them in the room. - pigget74

I personally think Disney pins are a bit too expensive (and the clothes, too). Well, the answer to my problem was found on a trip to the Belz Outlet Mall right outside of WDW. We decided to stop at a shop called Character Warehouse. I ended up finding a few cheap shirts for about $5-$6 that sold for about $13 at WDW! And I also found Disney Pins for $.99! Some were even LIMITED EDITION! So, if you are a bargain hunter, this is a must-see! - Rachel
http://allears.net/btp/cware.htm

Use your camera phone to take pictures of items you think you want. First, take a picture of the sign of the store where it is located. Then take pictures of the item and the tag of the item. Review nightly or at the end of your trip. Best of all, you can buy it from Disney Mail Order Merchandise when you're back home if you forget! - Crissy Stout

ALL PARKS - I mistakenly left my video camera in a locker after Fantasmic last April at the Studios. The following morning, after a harried cab ride and security escort back to the locker rental (I was checking out and flying home that day), I was surprised to find out that they do not clean out the lockers each evening. It is up to the next rental guest to turn in left packages, etc. It was even more difficult, as the manager could only open one locker at a time (there was no master key) and I couldn't remember the exact locker number.TIP: Take a digital photo of your locker number in case you lose your key or, like me, leave articles in it overnight. That way the manager can go directly to that locker and find your personal belongings. The next guest DID turn in my things, the manager called my cell phone immediately, and WDW shipped my articles back to me at no charge. I am very grateful for this service, but could have saved everyone a lot of confusion if I had just snapped a quick photo. This is helpful if you jump parks and have different lockers to memorize every day. - Elizabeth Marsh

ALL PARKS - I mistakenly left my video camera in a locker after Fantasmic last April at the Studios. The following morning, after a harried cab ride and security escort back to the locker rental (I was checking out and flying home that day), I was surprised to find out that they do not clean out the lockers each evening. It is up to the next rental guest to turn in left packages, etc. It was even more difficult, as the manager could only open one locker at a time (there was no master key) and I couldn't remember the exact locker number.TIP: Take a digital photo of your locker number in case you lose your key or, like me, leave articles in it overnight. That way the manager can go directly to that locker and find your personal belongings. The next guest DID turn in my things, the manager called my cell phone immediately, and WDW shipped my articles back to me at no charge. I am very grateful for this service, but could have saved everyone a lot of confusion if I had just snapped a quick photo. This is helpful if you jump parks and have different lockers to memorize every day. - Elizabeth Marsh

My husband and I were getting married at Disney World and wanted to have one of our wedding photos framed with all the character signatures -- as if they were our guests at our wedding. We went to a local frame shop at home and had the person make a photo mat large enough to fit a 4x6 and all the characters' signatures. It worked perfectly and we carried it in a huge Disney shopping bag that a Cast Member had given to us. We were able to fit Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Cinderella, Belle and Beast, Mary Poppins and Bert, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, Snow White, Aurora, Minnie and many others on the back of the mat (and only my husband and I know they are there). It was a challenge to get all of them and a goal magical to accomplish! They usually have these types of mats at any craft store as well, and you can have them cut the way you want -- small or large. - Rob and Amy

On our last trip to WDW, my husband and I quickly tired of our 5-year-old son asking for every fascinating souvenir he saw. We came up with the idea of having our son keep a list of all the souvenirs he liked, and we promised that at the end of the trip we would go back for the one he finally decided was the best. While we still had to stop at a lot of souvenir stands, there was no whining or begging from the time we started the list. Charlie happily added to the list each day, and at the end purchased a wonderfully noisy blaster from the Star Wars shop at the Studios. - Cari Allyn Brooks

Ever wonder how much walking you do at the different parks, or on different days? So did we. A couple of years ago I bought an inexpensive pedometer basically for this purpose. You may want to consider this, as it gives you a little more to talk about after your vacation. We keep a daily log of the miles we walk and share it with our friends back home. Also you will either confirm what you already think about how far you walk, or you may be quite surprised that you walked as far as you did. Just a note -- we always rack up the most miles on our days at Epcot. - Bob Rogers

Animal Kingdom's Expedition Everest - Large bellied folk, listen up! I'm a 5'9", 325-pound woman who looks as if she's nine months pregnant but is not. I had already made the decision not to ride the new Everest attraction, but took the opportunity to sit in the sample car. Here's the deal: I had plenty of hip and shoulder room, but not one breath of belly room to spare. The bar would have "clicked" one notch had I been in an operating vehicle, but I'm not sure how my belly would have fared on the ride. Bruised, most likely. The lap bar on the sample car has a gauge that shows how far down the bar is. If your indicator line gets from the red area, past the black line, and into the green area you are assured your lap belt will get at least one click and you are safe. You may need to stand up and shimmy around. And take note that the Cast Members will not assist you with the bar (or so I was told by several Cast Members who came to see me not fit in the car). The sample cars are out of the way, and I did not feel put on the spot whatsoever. Try it out if you aren't sure! - Big Mama EDITOR'S NOTE: To find the sample car, exit the gift shop and turn right. For Expedition Everest seating photos visit: http://allears.net/tp/ak/ak_ee5.htm

Animal Kingdom's Expedition Everest - While heading up the big lift, once you've passed the "building" and before you go back inside the mountain, you can look left and see the Studios (and the Tower of Terror) and Epcot (and Spaceship Earth). Turning your head further back, you can catch the Contemporary and the Magic Kingdom (and Cinderella Castle). - Kenny

Animal Kingdom's Expedition Everest - There are two entrances for Expedition Everest. The Standby line offers the most extensive theming and queue. It's worth the time to look at all the different artifacts! Disney Imagineering has said that this queue is designed to hold at least one hour's worth of waiting guests.

The FastPass line is a very abbreviated version of the regular queue. You'll get to experience smaller versions of just a few of the displays that are found in the Standby line. But when this ride officially opens, FastPass will be almost mandatory for Expedition Everest. Expect large crowds and long waits.

When waits were getting a little out of control this past weekend, they started pulling folks who didn't mind riding solo from the FastPass line into a Single Rider Line. If you opt to go as a Single Rider, you'll basically bypass all pre-show queue areas and walk right to the loading zone. This may be your fastest option for getting on the ride, however, the Single Rider line is not always available. (According to ALL EARS(R) Researcher Kenny, it seems that the Single Rider line is only available when the Standby wait time is 40 minutes or more.).

There is also a special line for those wanting the front seat. Once you get to the loading area, if you request the front car, you may find yourself off to the side waiting with others. The wait can be substantial -- almost everyone wants to ride up front! - Deb Wills.

As a vegetarian I was very concerned when my family wanted to go to the German pavilion in Epcot to have supper. Germans are known for their love of meat! I went in and asked the man at the front about vegetarian choices. He turned out to be the chef, who asked me what I liked to eat and then told me to get anything I would like from the buffet and he would be back. Oh my gosh, he came back with the best pasta dish I have ever eaten in my life! (I tried to coax him home with me, but to no avail.) If you don't see anything that you prefer on the buffet line, just ask. We now stop here every year when we come. - Lori Beros