Tips about Characters, Epcot, Mousecellaneous, Planning and Resorts

Epcot - We are currently planning a trip to Disney. There are two pieces of information I discovered while making reservations that I would like to share, one about the spa and one about diving in The Seas in Epcot. Being a plus-sized woman, I asked about robe sizes available at the spa, and was delighted to learn that they have robes up to size 5X. In the past, I have brought my own robe so as not to be surprised by a robe that wasn't comfortable. Also, when making reservations to dive in the Living Seas, I was informed that wet suits were available to size 5X. Another wonderful surprise! Good information for visitors who may have ruled out this experience for fear of not fitting into a wet suit! - EL

Epcot - We are currently planning a trip to Disney. There are two pieces of information I discovered while making reservations that I would like to share, one about the spa and one about diving in The Seas in Epcot. Being a plus-sized woman, I asked about robe sizes available at the spa, and was delighted to learn that they have robes up to size 5X. In the past, I have brought my own robe so as not to be surprised by a robe that wasn't comfortable. Also, when making reservations to dive in the Living Seas, I was informed that wet suits were available to size 5X. Another wonderful surprise! Good information for visitors who may have ruled out this experience for fear of not fitting into a wet suit! - EL

To make my children's autograph books a little more special we always save a page for each member of the family on the trip. Towards the end of the vacation we share a special memory of each child from that trip. This works especially well when traveling with extended family. I know I still enjoy reading what my grandmother, mother and aunts wrote about our special trip when I was 10, and that was 25 years ago. - Amanda Spears

While visiting Walt Disney World recently I made it a point to thank the cast members who were stuck in the bathrooms, keeping them clean, and/or those picking up the garbage in the park. I let them know that we really appreciate them keeping things clean. The smiles from these often-unappreciated workers made my day, as you can see how much they appreciated being recognized. - Bonnie Lorenzetti

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.

Epcot - If you've been to Le Cellier you already know there's more to the Canada pavilion than the beautiful landscaping. But I walked through the garden in Canada for years without ever noticing the wooden walkway that takes you through the waterfalls behind this wonderful setting. Don't miss it! - Emily Pickle

Epcot - If you've been to Le Cellier you already know there's more to the Canada pavilion than the beautiful landscaping. But I walked through the garden in Canada for years without ever noticing the wooden walkway that takes you through the waterfalls behind this wonderful setting. Don't miss it! - Emily Pickle

Schedule one evening to be at the perfect place and time to view a fabulous Florida sunset. Most regular visitors have their own favorite sunset view, but in the crush of other things to do, this is one of those "I wish I had done it" things you remember after you get home. It is one of those quiet moments that are most treasured later, and is a good "last evening at Disney" tradition to incorporate into your stay. Depending on your resort, cast members can usually suggest the best sunset view. One of my favorites is the point that juts into the lagoon at the Polynesian, but any western view over water is a winner. Another great place is at the Cantina in Mexico at Epcot. Get a cool drink and sit at a table by the water and just soak up the peace and beauty. - Mary Jane Walley

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

I have a tip about an AllEars Hears item, which said WDW wedding packages start at $4,000. You can be married at The Swan and Dolphin resorts for much less and still receive some of the benefits of a Walt Disney World Wedding, including appearances by characters like Mickey and Minnie. Packages start at around $2,200. Shades of Green is another lower-cost option (for those who have family in the military). - C. Hayward

I wanted to capture my daughters' first trip to WDW by collecting character autographs. However, with my girls being 3 years old and 16 months, a collection of autographs in a book wouldn't be much fun for them, so I decided I would make them a blanket of autographs. I pre-washed a heavyweight white cotton fabric and cut it into 7"x10" panels. I found iron-on appliques of Disney characters. I also cut out extra blank panels. I cut foam core to the same size as the panels and secured the panels with binder clips. I found fabric markers that worked well, but the X-tra large chisel tip Sharpies (in various colors) worked great. The characters, especially the princesses, loved being able to sign next to their applique. With the blank panels, I asked characters to sign as big as they wished. I used iron-on transfers to transfer the photos of those characters onto fabric. I then sewed the panels together with a backing fabric and both girls ended up with a custom blanket to commemorate their trip. - Kelly Ostroski

We visited Walt Disney World this past July with five children ranging from 2 to 14 years old. We found the best place to line up for character photos was at Epcot's Character Connection. It is air-conditioned and the staff were very friendly and interacted with the children and adults. The characters went out of their way to please and play with my 2-year-old. An experience as an adult I will never forget: Pluto kneeling on the floor, nose-to-nose with my 2-year-old, and Minnie and his first kiss. - Valerie Fisher