Tips about Christmas, Food & Beverage, Kids and Magic Kingdom

I always take a few of the bubble bottles with me. Then, when I'm in a long line or waiting for a parade or fireworks, I just start blowing bubbles. All of the little kids (and some of the big ones too!) are delighted to chase and pop the bubbles or just watch them drift by. It's so funny to hear the comments from guests who don't see me blowing the bubbles - they just think it's more Disney "magic." - Kymberli Oakes

My dh and I have used this idea on our past two trips with our young children (ages 5 and 2 at our last trip last week) We thought it was a sensible "duh" until we had tons of people tell us what a great idea it was. We even had several cast members comment on our "brilliant" idea.

If you are travelling with young children that sometimes would prefer to walk than ride in a stroller all day, tie bells to their shoes. You will be able to keep up with them and if they do get seperated from you, their jingling will alert you to where they are. We had bells tied on two or our children our last trip and used different bells on each of their shoes. Because of all the noise at Disney you don't really notice the constant jingling until it stops or you need to hear it! - Michelle

CHRISTMAS - Buy a Christmas ornament that commemorates that year in one of the Christmas shops. My father started this back in the early '90s and when I got married. He gave me all of them from the trips just the two of us made. Now every year when my husband, son and I decorate our Christmas tree it reminds me of each trip we have taken to the park. - Megan Kelley

If you are traveling with a young girl, around 5, buy a Princess Hat! My niece got one on her last trip and the Cast Members made such a fuss over her. She wore it every day, in every park, and someone commented every day. The CM's asked if she was a princess. The taxi boat CM said to "stand aside, we have royalty coming on board." Goofy even bowed down and worshiped her. It really made her feel very special during the trip. - Holly

With four children, we are always looking for a way to help smooth over areas that might turn into calamities. The very best thing that we found was to bring hip pouches with water bottles attached, and every night, we fill them up about halfway with water or juice. Then we freeze them overnight. (This even works if you do not have a freezer...get an ice chest, fill it with ice, and you are good to go!) Then in the morning, finish filling it up with your choice of beverage, and you will have a cool drink until early afternoon. At that point, you can refill from a water fountain or head to the room for a refill. We did this in May, and it really helped keep the costs down on those $2 and $3 drinks! - Modesta

When visiting WDW we like to bring our own bottles and fill them at the parks. Trouble is, we don't enjoy the sulfur taste of the water. Last year, we bought Brita Fill and Go water bottles at Target for about $7 each. Each filter lasts for 15 gallons and really helps get rid of the unpleasant taste. The bottles come with a filter and replacements are a couple dollars each. This is much more convenient than having to stop and buy bottled water and is very economical, too. I've also noticed that the cold water from the faucets in the Disney resorts is not too cold, so we fill the bottles with half water and half ice, which helps keep it cool for a couple of hours at least. - Terri Padavona

Have a special hat for everyone for each day at Walt Disney World. I have tried to relate it to the park where we will be visiting on each day. For instance animal print ears for Animal Kingdom day, international themes for Epcot days, fun pinwheels for Hollywood Studio days, and of course all things Mickey for Magic Kingdom days. Not only is this fun but it is a great way to keep track of your group. You know exactly what to look for when trying to spot your family. For night time visits to the parks choose something that will light up and keep them the same for all which will distinguish your family above everyone else in the dark. Be sure and take hats off during attractions so they don't bother or interfere with other guests.

CHRISTMAS - Several years ago for a mid-December trip to Disney World we took along a huge Christmas stocking (about 3 feet long). This was our first Christmas trip (our girls were 4 and 7) to Disney World. Each day during the trip, my husband and I would purchase small items such as candy, stickers and other items related to the trip or to what we had done on that particular day. We would also purchase one larger item for each of the girls (water toys, balls, etc., or something they might have seen during the day). Each morning we would stuff the stocking full of all the fun goodies and hang it outside the room on the doorknob. Then once the girls' "Mickey wake - up call" came, they would spring out of bed to see if their "Secret Disney Santa" had come, which he had every morning. I'm not really sure who got the biggest kick out of it, the girls, or Mom and Dad! - Jan Reynolds

CHRISTMAS - I had two little ones at the time who were very scared that Santa could not find them at Walt Disney World, so we sent Santa a letter telling him where we would be on Christmas morning.

My husband and I packed an entire bag full of presents. My sister and I packed a three-foot artificial Christmas tree, and we had collected several ornaments prior to our trip. Add some Christmas lights, and it was a miniature version of home! We set it up late Christmas Eve, when everyone was asleep. You can imagine their surprise when they saw it Christmas morning complete with gifts! We even strung some lights in our hotel window! We just had it shipped home when our trip was over so we didn't have to deal with it on the plane. My mother has set it up along with her real tree every year since! - Laura Bonke

Consider purchasing a clear backpack for your child. We got one for our granddaughter and packed it with a change of clothes for her and other necessities for the day. The security guards at the airport and Walt Disney World loved it. They just had to look and then sent us on our way. - Peggy

When we last visited the world, I got two "key" lights - the kind you attach to your key chain and squeeze when you need a bit of light to find your lock. I attached one to our backpack/diaper bag. It was always where I could find it and our 3-year-old had to just squeeze it for a bit of comfort. And it was too small to disturb the other guests and affect the theming. - Diane

Regarding the small lights on attractions, I wanted to mention that just before one trip, my daughter received for her birthday a light-up necklace (like the ones they sell for the fireworks and night parades) that lit up with a magnet connection. The light was very minimal (not actually giving off real light), just enough to be reassuring to a child. - Alysha G.

When we were at WDW this past October, we bought my 5-year-old a light-up Tinker Bell necklace to help ease her fears in dark attractions. Whenever she was nervous about the dark she would just light up Tinker Bell to "help show us the way out." The light wasn't bright enough to annoy other guests but just enough to let my daughter think that she had control of the situation. - Laura Richards

There are two important items that I don't think that we could have done without. One was a small flashlight/penlight for my 5-year-old daughter who is extremely afraid of the dark. Many rides took us into the dark, so she had complete control over the light on her face and even conquered the Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain without a whimper. The other was a small purse/fanny pack for all three girls for their snacks, pens, autograph books and cameras. I don't recommend that they wear the fanny packs around their waist because it prevents the safety belts from coming down securely. Instead, wear them across the chest diagonally. I wore a large messenger bag instead of a backpack and didn't have any back pain or shoulder strain. - Tina Pryor

EDITOR'S NOTE: While we like Tina's tip about the light for fearful children, we encourage our readers to only take a small penlight, and, of course, to be considerate of other guests who may be enjoying the dark.

ALL PARKS - While wandering around Walt Disney World, I like to carry a small plastic tube for paper souvenirs. I use a plastic tennis ball container that has a lid -- other similar tubes will work well. This allows me to store maps, menus, napkins and any other paper items without them being crushed, wrinkled or soaked. I just put them under a few heavy books when I get home. - Brian Brennan