Tips about Disney Springs, Mousecellaneous and Planning

We always get a ton of round Mickey stickers from cast members and I feel guilty wasting them at the end of each night when I pull them off of everything the kids have stuck them to. Now, I keep them and use them to repair torn game boxes at home. They are the perfect size, are durable, and remind us of our Disney trip each time we pull out a game with a repaired box! - Kari Svinarich

When visiting Disney Springs, don't forget to slip into Ghirardelli's Chocolate Factory. They sometimes give out free small chocolate bars. One for each person in your group. The packages have already been snipped open at the end so if you don't want to eat your chocolate right then, bring along a small zipper-top bag to slip it into. It's not often that you get something "free" while at Walt Disney World! - Lisa McBride

Forgive me for recycling these old tips I learned a few years ago. I am a planner and before I leave home (UK), I prepare all my "mousekeeping" tips in separate envelopes with a little message of thanks and the date to be given. This saves a great deal of time -- more time for the World -- and a lot of scrabbling in purses and wallets for the requisite amount. Before travelling and when changing my currency I always ask for small denominations so I am prepared for those immediate gratuities (luggage, valet parking, etc). I am already writing my envelopes for our next trip, September '08 -- Boardwalk Villas!

We took a short trip to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, and it rained quite frequently. We have two children in strollers, and the best thing we bought prior to the trip were two $10 stroller covers. Our girls were comfortable and dry, even when it was pouring and windy. There were a lot of people using ponchos, but we noticed that they did not stay on the strollers like ours did. When it stopped raining, we put them in the storage area under each stroller (ours are the larger umbrella strollers). - Angie

If you're a teenage girl (like me) and you're going to Disney, bring your cellphone or iPod with you! It's nice to be able to listen to your music while waiting in line. Another thing: make sure you put your name and address on everything -- with iPods or mp3 players, stick some white tape on the back and write your info with a pen or marker, because Disney will return items if they find them! - Stephanie

If you're a teenage girl (like me) and you're going to Disney, bring your cellphone or iPod with you! It's nice to be able to listen to your music while waiting in line. Another thing: make sure you put your name and address on everything -- with iPods or mp3 players, stick some white tape on the back and write your info with a pen or marker, because Disney will return items if they find them! - Stephanie

If you're a teenage girl (like me) and you're going to Disney, bring your cellphone or iPod with you! It's nice to be able to listen to your music while waiting in line. Another thing: make sure you put your name and address on everything -- with iPods or mp3 players, stick some white tape on the back and write your info with a pen or marker, because Disney will return items if they find them! - Stephanie

I saw the tip in the June 3 newsletter about the reusable tote bags Disney now has in stores for those who don't like getting all the plastic bags. However, I have a tip about those plastic Disney bags. I have a Disney-themed bathroom and the medium-sized bags fit perfectly in the wire wastebasket I have in there, so I take them home and store under the cabinet to use in my wastebasket to keep it clean. The neat Disney design shows throught the wire and goes great with my decor. - Sharon McMurray

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

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

Most people like to visit Disney Springs during the late afternoon and at night. True, this is a good time to visit Pleasure Island and eat at the wonderful restaurants when you don't have any children with you. But if you are with a family who just wants to do some shopping this is not the time to do it. What I like to do is go to the Marketplace to do my shopping on the last day. Since we usually leave in the afternoon we have a few hours in between checking out and leaving on the Magical Express. By the last day you know all of the merchandise from the parks and what you really want to buy. Plus if you forgot something that you saw in the parks chances are you will find it in the World of Disney Store, they have everything! In the morning there is almost no one there and you can actually shop in the stores without someone breathing down your neck. This is the perfect way to end my Disney vacation and a chance for me to get some things to bring the magic back home with me! - Kara Tillyer

The Pin Trading store has the most complete selection on property and several sculptures are great for more photos. There is a kid-sized railroad ride that we love looking at. The atmosphere in Rainforest Cafe is unbelievable, but the lines are, too! A Tuesday or Wednesday night at the Cafe is easier to get seating. Don't miss their shop. There are other fun stores that we sometimes visit, too. - JanACA

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

We stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter, so we took the boat ride to Disney Springs, had dinner at Raglan Road and then spent the rest of the evening shopping. Raglan Road was phenomenal! In fact it was one of only two restaurants my boyfriend requested we go back to again this September! The bar was great and the service was excellent. - Betsy Ralph

We always end each trip with an afternoon spent shopping in the Marketplace. Usually at the end of each trip we have a handful of snack credits remaining from the Dining Plan. Instead of them going to waste we take full advantage of The Enchanted Dining Room at World of Disney. This room is divided into two areas, housewares and gourmet food. Here we trade in our credits for Disney cookies, pretzels, snack mixes, candy, or whatever else is available. This way we can take a small piece of Disney home with us to enjoy over the weeks following our return. - Brooke