Tips about BWI Airport, Epcot, Food & Beverage and Planning
We just returned from our trip to Disney World. The night we went to Fantasmic I knew we would be sitting for a while waiting for the show to begin. The best investment I made was buying one of those soft folding stadium seats. I carried it with me like a purse. Even used the side mesh pocket to carry drinks to our seats. We waited for over an hour and a half for the show to begin but I didn't mind - I was very comfortable with my seat padding and back support! - Marilyn Lewis
Be flexible with making your ADR dining arrangements. If the table you want is unavailable try different combinations -- 2 tables of 2 instead of one table of four; a 3-2 split rather than a table of 5, etc. Splitting up your group for just an hour or so may be the way to go, given that you're spending all day and all night together for several days on end. Splitting up may also allow you to gain more flexibility in changing ADR reservations without penalty if, after several days in the parks, someone in your party says "I don't need to see any more characters, I'll stay at the hotel, sleep late and meet you later, go and enjoy!" - Phylis
ALL PARKS - There is another show at WDW that most people miss; sit down and watch the other guests. You will never see so diverse an amount of tennis shoes, fashion statements or age groups. - CMarlan
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If you are making your own drinks adding sugar or Kool-Aid powder to gallon water jugs, be sure to pack a funnel from home. I did this on the last trip and it made adding the powder and sugar to the containers a cinch! - Wendy Wilson
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When we went to WDW on vacation last year, I packed one suitcase full of snacks and non-perishable food (i.e. mini cereal boxes, cereal bars, various pre-packaged snack packs, juice boxes). Our entire family was able to eat a quick breakfast before going to the parks, have mid-day park munchies, and late evening snacks. The suitcase was then used to bring home dirty laundry at the end of the trip. - Julie Duffy
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ALL PARKS - What our tip is, is to tie a bright bandana on the luggage rack or one of the mirrors of your car/minivan/truck that face the tram pick up area. We tied a bright colorful bandana nearest the tram pick up side on our while rented minivan, each day of our 11 day trip to WDW. It didn't matter what park we were at or what row we parked at. All we had to remember was the section, (example, stage, donald, unicorn, etc) we always found our van many times from very far away. We also used the bandana's on our stroller and on our luggage. - Clemley
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My wife and I like to do a "monorail meal" when we visit: We get a salad at the Polynesian, get on the monorail, then stop at Grand Floridian for the main course. Then we get back on the monorail, and stop at the Contemporary for dessert. This is for people who have visited often, want to spend time out of the parks, spend a little shopping time in each hotel and just take your time. Start early! - Ford Adam
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ANIMAL KINGDOM - A lot of people just run right by Pizzafari on the way to the Safari. My friends had been there 3 times and never knew what Pizzafari even was. The building blends in with the tropical plants and trees. It is awesome inside. The most themed quick food restaurant I have seen in Disney World. When you finally take your eyes off the ceiling, floors and walls (I love the snails and frogs!) you will notice they have great food for sale. - Elaine Taddeo
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I just read your article about trip hassles (When
Good Trips Go Bad, Revisited, Issue #233) and I can relate.
Although we have had many experiences, both good and not so good
in the course of our 30+ trips, one of the worst was when I
thought we'd have to break in to our own home. That's right, I
lost our house key. Of course, I didn't realize it until we were
all packed and waiting for the bellman to come and check the
bags. We tore the luggage apart and still couldn't find the key.
We eventually called our house sitter (and kitty-sitter) who was
able to unlock the back door a few hours before we were
scheduled to land. All's well that ends well, but the tears and
stress almost wiped out the magic of the trip. Now, I make sure
that I carry a spare key in the pocket of my carry-on bag and
check it before we leave the house. That way this will never
happen again! - Vicki
On www.mcdonalds.com, there is a trip planning feature that will map your route and give you the locations of all McDonald's within even .5 miles. It also tells you if there is a PlayPlace and Drive-Thru. This is invaluable for those of us driving two 4-year-olds for 24+ hours. Go to the restaurant locator and scroll down to Trip Planner. - Laurie
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I think a lot of times people forget
(or do not know) that there is a Wal-Mart pretty close to WDW,
in Kissimmee. We have been there on many of our trips, and they
have a lot of great Disney T-shirts and souvenirs, not to
mention that they're one of the cheapest places to buy food and
sunscreen. - Christy R. Tripp
EDITOR'S NOTE: If you're driving from the airport and want a grocery stop, be sure to check out our directions page, which includes area stores: http://allears.net/pl/directions.php
EDITOR'S NOTE: If you're driving from the airport and want a grocery stop, be sure to check out our directions page, which includes area stores: http://allears.net/pl/directions.php
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ALL PARKS - We read complaints about some of the attractions being too loud so we carried a set of earplugs in our fanny packs and found that they helped tremendously! We could still hear well, but our ears were much more comfortable. The earplugs don't take up any room at all either! - Diane Taylor
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A tip for parents is to carry a few
changes of clothes for the kids. There are a few places where
there are fountains that come out of the ground (like at the bus stop entrance to Disney Markeplace) and some rides on which
you can get very wet. This way the parents can take their kids
into a restroom and change them into dry clothes so that they'll
enjoy the rest of the trip to the park without having to run
around in wet clothes or underwear.
- W.V. Daniels, Jr.
