Tips about Disney Springs, Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Planning, Resorts and Souvenirs

For neat and different things, we always check out the shop at DisneyQuest. They have the coolest items -- T-shirts, mugs, paper -- some are Disney related and some aren't. If you need or want something different, this is the place -- and it's very reasonable too! - Candy Selby

For a peaceful break from the crowds and a nice rest for your kids, take the boat over to Saratoga Springs for a treat at Artist's Palette or down to Old Key West for key lime pie at Olivia's -- then back to shopping! - Jennifer Maxwell

During the summer, when the "non shoppers" or the "got it done quickly" shoppers are waiting for the "real shoppers," they can go outside and enjoy the concerts and entertainment. The kids dance down front where it is easy to see them, the adults sit and relax, and the shoppers have time to browse and enjoy. - Faye P.

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

Epcot - If your kids aren't big enough to ride Test Track go into the gift shop/exit. I thought it was just a gift shop, and I was wrong. My 3-year-old was thrilled to be able to sit in a Hummer and a Saab. All he talks about are the cool cars he played in at Test Track. I am so glad I didn't walk by this attraction. - Robin from Deltona, FL

Epcot - If your kids aren't big enough to ride Test Track go into the gift shop/exit. I thought it was just a gift shop, and I was wrong. My 3-year-old was thrilled to be able to sit in a Hummer and a Saab. All he talks about are the cool cars he played in at Test Track. I am so glad I didn't walk by this attraction. - Robin from Deltona, FL

We took them all home, also, but what we used them for was to "wrap" our everyday photo album with our pictures in it from our vacation! This lets us know exactly which album is our "Disney" album among our other ones. - CapeGoofy5

I also use the Disney plastic bags that I bring home to carry my lunch to work. It helps me have a little bit of the magic here in the frozen tundra of Indiana. - Jude Wood

Another benefit of shipping purchases home is that Florida sales tax won't be applied to the purchase if shipped outside of the state. I'm pretty sure the cash registers take care of it automatically now, as long as the shipping is processed on the same transaction. - Kenn C.

Don't forget that the gift shops will also ship directly to your home. I usually buy water globes and my husband buys steins from Epcot. It's much easier and safer to have them shipped directly to the house, and if I remember correctly it wasn't that expensive. - luvmy2girls

Although lots of people ship home their souvenirs, I usually UPS home most of our clothes. I go to the laundromat, wash them and pack them up in a sturdy box (usually provided by the store from whichever Disney Resort we are staying in). They help tape it up and it goes UPS Ground. That way the kids can play with the souvenirs and/or bring them to school, and our vacation clothes arrive 3-5 days after we do! - Brenda Hawk

Someone mentioned using all those Disney plastic bags to wrap packages. We brought them all home (seemed like thousands!) and the kids use them to bring snacks to school/daycare, transport gym clothes, or anything else needing a quick bag. Not only are they much cuter than grocery store bags, they are a fun reminder of a magical trip. - Amanda

My favorite tip to pass along is this... I always ship my souvenirs home. I have both a UPS and a FedEx account. I pre-print the labels before I go and pack them in my suitcase. I get a box from the gift shop at my hotel and slowly pack the box during my stay. Then, the morning of my departure, I take the box to the front desk. They call the shipping company and the package gets shipped. About 2-3 days after I've arrived home, it's like Christmas opening the box. - Lisa Noch

Don't break the bank on souvenirs. We had our children create a "wish list" as we went through the parks. If they saw something they wanted, we were more than happy to write it down for them. Then on our last day, we made a special shopping trip to Disney Springs so that they could choose one gift from their wish list (or something new) and they only spent about $20 each. If Mom and Dad wanted to get them something extra (which of course we did!), that was a bonus. Jeanette

Before we go to Disney, my husband and I ask all our friends and family the name of their child's favorite Disney character. We list them along with their home addresses and bring them with us to Disney. When we go to the parks we look for postcards with that character's picture. It's kind of like a scavenger hunt for the whole family when we are searching for more obscure characters. Then we have fun filling them out with personalized messages like, "To my Little Honey -- Love, Winnie" or, "May all your dreams come true -- Love, Cinderella." Then we sign the character's name to the card and mail them. My friend's 4-year-old daughter slept with hers under her pillow for a month. It's a lot of fun, and my family and I get to share a little Disney magic without spending a fortune. - Kathy Donofrio