Tips about Countdown, Mousecellaneous, Planning, Resorts and Souvenirs

ALL STAR MOVIES - We recently visited Walt Disney World with my 3-year-old granddaughter. We stayed at the All Star Movies Resort -- I had forgotten how large it was. We had debated over the need for the umbrella stroller but were very glad we had it, as getting to the food court and bus stop was quite a hike for little legs. The airline transported this stroller with no problem. -Donna R.

POP CENTURY - I recently stayed at Disney's Pop Century Resort and I found parking to be a challenge. Beware, the parking spaces are extra-tiny, and there were several large SUVs that had to take up two spots -- which means you have to park further away from your room than you'd like. Other than that it's a great resort, and a real value. - Brennan P.

Last week, Jill Murtha mentioned double-checking your Mr. Potato Head arms before purchasing to make sure they fit. Another tip when purchasing the Mr./Mrs. Potato Heads is to put pieces inside the potatoes before you put them in the box. You pay for whatever you can fit in the box, so you might as well get your money's worth. You can get quite a few extra pieces this way. - Elaine Frazee

For $.79 at your local Target store you can purchase a clear plastic coupon holder in the office supply department. It's 5" x 7" in size, has a Velcro closure, and is perfect for holding your tickets, money, etc. It keeps everything from getting wet on the water rides and is easy to find in your backpack! I never go to WDW without mine! - Noreen Rachuba EDITOR'S NOTE: Magic Bands eliminate the need to carry many cards, but for those you do, this is a great suggestion.

I just read over the section on postcards and remembered a crazy idea I had with them. On one trip to Disney World, a friend asked me to get Mickey's autograph. Not wanting to come back with a piece of paper, I bought several different postcards of Mickey. I waited in line to meet the Mouse and when I got to him, I asked if he would give me his autograph on the postcard. He took the postcard, looked at it for a brief second, and then gave me a thumbs up and signed the postcard. It's a great way to add a little magic to the postcard. I would suggest mailing autographed postcards to kids and family members as well. - Skip Broome

If you buy one of those Mr. Potato Head toys where you can fill the box up with whatever parts you want from the bins, double-check that the "arms" fit into the arm holes. Our 7-year-old recently purchased a Mr. Potato Head at Once Upon A Toy at Disney Springs, and after we got back to the hotel room we found that the pegs in the arms were too small for the arm holes so the arms wouldn't stay in their sockets! Luckily we were able to exchange them for a new pair of arms at a different toy store at Disney's Hollywood Studios. When we were exchanging them, we noticed that the bin of arms varied a lot in the size of the pegs -- some were bigger and fit fine, while many others were too small and didn't fit. So, a word of advice: check to make sure that your Mr. Potato Head parts fit into the potato before purchasing them! - Jill Murtha

I brought Dawn DishWipes with us and washed out our refillable mug in our room sink every night. My mug just never felt truly clean on any of our other trips when I would just rinse it well with hot water. The wipes come in a clear plastic box and are dry, so I just put a bunch in a Ziploc bag. Dina

I wanted to share something I have done that I am probably entirely too proud of -- haha! My boyfriend and I are set to leave for the World in three weeks, and I wanted to do some kind of countdown for him. My mother had bought me a wooden box Advent calendar last year. It counts down 25 days, and each day is marked by a little door that opens up to a small "chamber" in the box. I have filled each mini-chamber with a picture or small token to represent his favorite attractions and new things we want to try this time around! Some examples of the tokens are little animals for the Kilimanjaro Safari, Christmas light bulbs for the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights, and a piece of Ghirardelli chocolate for the ice cream shop at Disney Springs. - Ashley McCoy

BEACH CLUB VILLAS - I just got back from a great four-night stay (my first) at the Beach Club Villas. We had a studio with fridge and microwave but I was very disappointed to see there were no real dishes to use. There were a few paper plates and bowls in the cabinet, and I was able to get plastic utensils, but this didn't help with anything needing to be microwaved. I had brought a few of those macaroni and cheese packets for late night snacks, not realizing that nothing is provided for actually USING the microwave. For those of you heading to a studio, keep this in mind and bring a little microwavable bowl with you, especially if you're planning to use it to cook instant oatmeal or that type of thing for the kids. - Amy Miles

EDITOR'S NOTE: EDITOR'S NOTE: Some readers have reported that housekeeping has delivered dishes on request, so if there's something you need, just ask! It can't hurt!

We had great luck booking the Illuminations Cruise over the years. We have done it several times. This year we booked the Magic Kingdom Fireworks Cruise. I think it is a little more available. We enjoyed it much more. There was a lot more "cruising" before the show and the backdrop of the castle and Magic Kingdom was fantastic. - Margaret

I'm going to WDW with my family and we are meeting my sister and cousin there. To get them even more excited about the trip, I sent them a box of little presents to open daily, every day of the month before we meet at Disney World. I have included small Disney items -- for example, a postage stamp, sticker, countdown calendar, and Disney bracelet. One of my favorites is a placemat that I made simply by taking a gift box and cutting off the sides. I put numbered pictures on both sides and even included some Hidden Mickeys! The pictures are of places all over the "World." I included instructions for them to try to decipher where each picture was taken. (This is kind of like your game of "Where in the World Are We?") On one side, I put pictures from all over, but the other side I filled up with pictures only taken in Epcot! I covered the whole thing with contact paper. Since they haven't been to WDW in years, this will be a fun little way for them to get reacquainted with the parks! - Alea

When I know a trip to WDW is approaching, as I reach the last of the shampoo, conditioner, etc., I stash the almost empty bottle aside, then pack it for the trip. When I run out, I discard the bottle and there is automatically more room for Mickey stuff to bring home! - Jenny Drake

A great souvenir to buy from the China pavilion in Epcot is bamboo. The plant costs about $1-$1.50 and comes with care instructions. You can also buy a vase for the plant starting at about $3. - Jen Wolf

If your child likes to collect the pressed pennies from each area in the park, buy the book that holds them. Buying the pennies will cut down on your child asking for everything in the park. You just have to spend 51 cents! - Randi Gold

My 4-year-old son has a real problem with loud noises, but refused to wear ear plugs. We would put a pair in and he would pull them right back out. Before we left I contacted a store that specialized in hunting equipment and ordered a pair of the smallest child-sized headphones used at target ranges to muffle sound. They fit him perfectly and when we were in the parks, if there was even a hint of loud noises coming, we would just slip them on. My son actually went through the Haunted Mansion four times without a hitch. It was the best $17 I ever spent and I got quite a few comments of, "Oh, I wish we had thought of that." - Bonnie Schweizer