Tips about Disney World Dining, Kids, Magic Kingdom and Resorts

ALL PARKS - While standing in lines for rides that might have a long wait, my children bring along a deck of cards and take turns playing magician and guessing which card the other one picked. They also have a note pad each to write on and I get them to write down their favorite part of the day so far. Having some small snacks on hand also helps to keep them from getting bored. We bring animal cookies, crackers etc. -- nothing that is too messy. - Jackie Pluim

ALL PARKS - While standing in lines for rides that might have a long wait, my children bring along a deck of cards and take turns playing magician and guessing which card the other one picked. They also have a note pad each to write on and I get them to write down their favorite part of the day so far. Having some small snacks on hand also helps to keep them from getting bored. We bring animal cookies, crackers etc. -- nothing that is too messy. - Jackie Pluim

My daughter, Kathleen, had a wiggly tooth on our recent trip to Disney World and the Tooth Fairy normally leaves her a gold dollar in return for her tooth. However, the Tooth Fairy had a momentary lapse about Kathleen going to Disney World and left the gold dollars at home. After searching high and low for a gold dollar, the Tooth Fairy was about to give up when a Cast Member suggested a Disney Dollar. Lo and behold, here was the answer! The Tooth Fairy went searching and found a wonderfully crisp Cinderella Disney Dollar to place under the pillow. Not only was my daughter thrilled to get a Cinderella Disney Dollar, but it also has this year's imprint on the dollar. Additionally because she was at WDW, the Tooth Fairy obviously thought that losing the tooth there meant an even more special reward. My daughter is still talking about her Disney tooth. - Roxanne

CHRISTMAS - My one tip would be for anyone who is thinking about going to the taping of the Christmas Parade -- DON'T, unless you want to totally waste a day of your vacation. They bring the first group in and don't make them move. The second group comes in and they are way in the back. I stood there from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. and was not in any film. I even wore my red Christmas party sweatshirt and Minnie Santa hat. It was certainly hot! If you don't want to stand around and get pushed around don't go. - Bonnie Lock

MAGIC KINGDOM - For you Disney Princess enthusiasts, to ride Cinderella's particular horse on Cinderella's Golden Carrousel, look for the white horse with a gold ribbon tied around its tail. To help locate this mighty steed, ask a Cast Member. - Dee Dee Scarborough

Wilderness Lodge - For all of you Wilderness Lodge fans, you certainly have found the lobby music list on AllEars.Net (http://allears.net/acc/faq_wl4.htm). To my surprise, I found a few Wilderness Lodge music lists on iMixes on iTunes.com. Some have more selections than others. The one I selected had 25 or 26 tunes. I now have that wonderful music on my mp3 player; I can close my eyes and see the breathtaking lobby of which I never grow tired. Enjoy! - Cleve in Columbia, SC

I thought I would share my son's way of spreading Disney magic. I carry small surprises for him on vacation. One day while waiting for a bus, I gave him a sheet of Disney stickers to keep him occupied. To my amazement and delight, my son gave every one of his stickers away. He gave them to the bus drivers, cast members in the parks and at the resorts, and he even gave them to the characters at Liberty Tree Tavern. He gave one to Chip, Minnie, and Goofy, but forgot to give one to Dale... a few minutes later Dale pulled Chip by the hand to our table and points at Chip's sticker. Our son asked if he wanted one, too. Dale nodded his head and when our son gave him a sticker Dale started jumping up and down and made a really big scene. Everyone else was just staring and laughing not knowing what was going on. It just goes to show you that even Chip and Dale need some magic, too! - Kelly Adams

EDITOR'S NOTE: Editor-in-Chief Deb Wills has carried Disney stickers with her everywhere she goes for quite some time. As she notes, you just never know when a child (or even an adult, for that matter) will need a happy diversion!

Taking teens to Disney? Pack waterproof watches with alarms! (The cheap discount store version is fine.) Other watches/cell phones can't be taken in the swimming pool, on water rides, etc. Waterproof watches with alarms are the perfect tool to allow responsible kids to succeed when given a bit of freedom -- and therefore to let parents nap during swim time! - Sterghe

ALL PARKS - When a Cast Member asks you how many people are in your group, tell them the ENTIRE number in your group. The Cast Members are trying to group your entire party onto the ride at the same time. If you tell them a number less than your party, don't be surprised when your party gets split up. (You might be asked by up to three different Cast Members for your party size.)

POLYNESIAN RESORT - I just wanted to add a great place to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks. At the Polynesian, just off the path that leads to the Grand Floridian (by Luau Cove), there is a nice little beach removed from the rest of the resort, with lounge chairs and a swing. It's a perfect place to watch the fireworks from afar, and you get a whole different perspective and realize just how majestic they really are. It's also nice to watch them and not be in crowds of people. - Tim

ALL STAR MUSIC - I just returned from a very quick trip to Walt Disney World. Normally we stay for at least three nights, but this time we only had a one-night stay. This is the first time that we stayed in Building 1 at All Star Music. Since we made our reservation at the last minute, we did not have much choice in the way of a room selection. We got a room facing the swimming pool. If you are a light sleeper, or have problems falling asleep because of noise, a room facing the swimming pool is a very bad idea. The pool is open late, and the noise from the pool made it very difficult to sleep. In the morning, I was awakened at about 7:15 from more noise coming from people at the swimming pool. The tip here is to stay away from the swimming pool if you can't handle the noise. - Craig M

Magic Kingdom - If you ever walk past Space Mountain and it's been shut down for maintenance for a few minutes, jump on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. As the ride passes by Space Mountain, the lights will be turned on and you can see what the coaster actually looks like. As a repeat visitor to Disney World, I thought it was just about the coolest thing I'd seen all day, and it made the idea of going on the ride a lot less scary. - Allie

All Resorts - The shower stalls at our hotel (Villas at the Wilderness Lodge) were quite slippery when wet. We did find out that housekeeping has a limited number of rubber floor mats available on request. They also have night lights available. - Naomi

When we traveled to Hawaii with my young sons, ages 4 and 7, I discovered a company that makes temporary "Lost and Found" tattoos with a space to write in your telephone number. Various bands, lanyards, cards or pins can get lost during a day in the parks, but a tattoo applied to your child's arm or hand is always there. And kids love them! There are also tattoos available for allergies, autism, Alzheimer's, etc. I always use these tattoos on my children when we visit Walt Disney World now. Even the teenagers will still wear them! - Becky

A wonderful way to keep toddlers entertained is to purchase inexpensive disposable cameras for them to use. My son was 2 when he made his first visit to WDW. He loves having his picture taken and usually cries for my camera. Rather than risk losing or damaging my camera, I found disposable cameras at our local dollar store. I bought a package of four for $8. Needless to say, we have some priceless pictures! - Charlotte