Tips about Disney Cruise Line, Magic Kingdom, Mousecellaneous, Planning and Resorts

We are annual passholders and try to go often to Disney and stay at an onsite resort. The convenience of that is worth the extra money. The night before we check into our Disney resort, however, we stay at one of the Disney Springs within walking distance to Disney Springs. We usually don't get there until after 6 p.m. so it seems like a waste to pay for the Disney resort for just a few hours of use. The hotels in Disney Springs aren't very expensive compared to the Disney resorts and we feel that is a good use of our less than half-day at the World. Plus Disney Springs is the best place for things to do. They usually have some sort of fun going on, like a dance party for the kids, or performers of some kind. There are fabulous goodies to eat and great shopping. The Guest Services here is the best place to buy tickets and passes because it's hardly ever crowded. You can take care of so many things the night before and then wake up at the crack of dawn, drive to your choice of Disney resort, drop off your luggage with them and start right out for the parks having had a good night's sleep and fun the night before. It's really a great idea to consider, especially if you live in Florida and have your car with you. - Lisa Dunne

Velcro makes a 3/4-inch x 10-foot roll with the hooks on one side and the loops on the other so it sticks to itself. I bought mine in Walmart but I've also seen it in Home Depot. I cut it off in one-foot lengths to attach a mug or folded windbreaker to my belt loop. It has a hundred uses, and rolls up to fit in a pocket or backpack. - Brian Phillips

All Resorts - We always buy the refillable mugs at our resorts, the only problem is how to carry all the mugs you just filled to the park each day. Well, you need to buy the plastic "S" hooks that go onto the baby style gyms. They work great and secure the mug perfectly. You can get them at your local "dollar store." They also work great attaching packages and many, MANY other things to your stroller. - Rene Hogan

We just got off the Disney Magic cruise ship this past Sunday. As usual, Disney showed other cruise lines how to do it! Just a tip for what you should not pack and/or try to bring on board, though. My wife decided to buy a steamer to take care of any wrinkles (I'm not talking about my face!) on clothes. It was refused. So was the heating pad for her back. We did get these items back on debarking, but I thought I'd pass this on so you leave those items and at home. It will give you room in your luggage, or possibly help you avoid paying luggage overweight charges. Happy cruising! - Dan Cheresna

Walt Disney World occasionally changes the contractor that runs the spa at the various resorts. As of 2015,it's best to look up the spa you are considering on Disney's official website for details and phone numbers: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/spas/

FORT WILDERNESS - On a recent trip to Disney, we stayed in a cabin at Fort Wilderness. We decided one evening to take a wagon ride around the campgrounds. In addition to seeing all the decorations the campers put up for the holidays (some of them are fantastic), we pulled up along the lake and were joined by a Cast Member with a boom box. After just a few minutes, the fireworks began at the Magic Kingdom right across the lake. The boom box gave us the music along with the fireworks. It was fantastic! The fireworks ride is not offered every night, so be sure and check with the Cast Members there. You cannot make reservations ahead -- just show up early and enjoy! - Vicki Stark

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We generally start planning at least a year in advance. I have a plastic tub that is labeled "WDW stuff." I place our heavy-duty hotel mugs in it so they are already packed. I also buy things throughout the year for the trip: toothbrushes, toothpaste, magic gloves and whatever else we normally use during our week-long trip. I also go to my local laundromat and pick up boxes of laundry detergent for $.50 a box. One box cleans two loads and is a lot cheaper than the hotel laundry dispenser. I also pack several dryer sheets in a freezer bag and place them in my suitcase. It keeps the clothes smelling nice and I have dryer sheets for use while there. One nice thing about the bin is that, for those times that we drive to WDW, we just put the lid on it and pack it in the van. After we arrive to the hotel we empty it out and use that as our clothes hamper for dirty clothes. It works great for those trips to the hotel laundry. - Sirena Penn

Hang on to your hat! My husband wears a baseball cap to prevent sunburn. He was astounded to have it fly off his head on the Tower of Terror. He was very relieved he caught it. What he didn't realize was that our brand new annual passes had been in his front shirt pocket. They, too, had levitated. Fortunately, the Cast Member saw them and called our names. WHEW! - TJ

Our family went to Cozumel and Costa Maya on the Disney Magic in September 2004. We wanted to go to the beach in Cozumel. The Disney staff only recommended private beaches to us. Thanks to our taxi driver, we went to Mr. Sancho's Beach, which is a public beach -- which means no admission fee. It's a beautiful beach with water activities. Also in Costa Maya, we didn't take the taxi anywhere, but later talked to someone who said she paid $3 to go to Tequila Beach. Feel free to talk to the locals when you're in Mexico since they can recommend great places to visit and sight-see. - Janine Ho

On our recent cruise on the Wonder, we went to guest services to obtain an extension cord for my husband's CPAP machine. The cast member asked if we needed distilled water, and said if so, they would provide it, free of charge. When we arrived back at our cabin later that evening, there was a gallon of distilled water waiting for us. This is a great service since it's so hard to get liquids through airport security. - Sue Sansoucy

We just returned from a whirlwind Disney vacation including a 3-night Disney Cruise on the Wonder. Traveling with our 9-month-old son was obviously a different experience, but the Cast Members on the cruise made everything go as smoothly as possible. Here are a couple of tips for cruising with a baby: Disney has portable cribs available for your stateroom; just make sure to request one when you book. Something we do when out and about is bring zipper baggies for the stinky diapers -- this was a nose saver in the stateroom. We packed a bunch of those and the dirty diapers were sealed to prevent any odor problems. The dining room waitstaff were more than happy to bring bowls and heat up baby food at dinner. Finally, my main concern was cleaning our baby bottles while on the boat. One of the nights I asked our stateroom host if it was possible to get dish soap so we could wash the bottles. Instead, he took the bottles and had them sterilized. He also learned our son's name and always made sure to say hi to him every day. Everyone onboard made sure that we had the most relaxing trip you could have with an infant. - Tracey Perry

When you have WDW resort hotel reservations, the cancellation policy on the confirmation says you must cancel five days before scheduled arrival or forfeit the deposit, equal to the first night's stay. What that actually means is that you must cancel six days ahead, because what they are looking for is for there to be five days between the time you call and the arrival date. For example, we found out the hard way that you can't call on Sunday to cancel a Friday reservation. - Rhame Nelson

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.

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.