Tips about Epcot, Food & Beverage, Kids, Magic Bands and Resorts

Magic Kingdom - On my last trip to WDW I had my 9 month old with me. After running out of formula, I asked around and none of the cast members knew where I could get any within WDW. After taking a $30.00 cab ride to the nearest grocery store, I found out that WDW does stock the popular brands of formula, among other baby necessities, at a small baby store by the Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom. - Cara Nelson

EDITOR'S NOTE: Each of the 4 theme parks at Walt Disney World have a Baby Care Center (usually located near the First Aid building). They have a variety of items for sale.

ALL PARKS - On our last trip to Disney we brought our own 2 way radios. This came in extremely handy and we were able to separate and change plans as we needed. We had to share the frequency with quite a few other people, but if you don't mind waiting your turn, it really is a convenient way to communicate if you decide to split up. - Sharmon Simonetti

ALL PARKS - Assign a meeting place IN THE SHADE! Meeting by the fountain at Epcot is great except it can be brutal in the afternoon sun. Better to meet at one of the Innovations cafes where you can stay cool and relax if your party is late. - D. Hamilton

MAGIC KINGDOM - I've found that making a lunch reservation as early as possible at Crystal Palace is far better than the breakfast. You can get to the park early and get a lot of stuff done before the crowds pour in and then take a break in the air conditioning! - Julie Budd

We Recently took our 4 year old daughter to Disney for the first time. Before we went I bought foil wrapped chocolate coins with the Princesses on them at the Disney store. Each morning I put a coin, along with a note from Tinkerbell somewhere in the room so our daughter would find it as soon as she woke up. Our last morning she found a Cinderella coin purse with the remainder of the coins and a note that said thanks for visiting Cinderella at the castle (we did the breakfast there). It was so fun to watch how excited she got when she discovered her treats from Tinkerbell each morning!! She couldn't wait to show the other family members who were there with us. - Nancy Bush

When I drive to WDW (or anywhere) with kids, I give them each a roll of quarters at the START of the trip. They can spend the money any way they want when we get there. Oh, every time they ask any question resembling "Are we there yet?", they have to give me back 25 cents. Either way, I win. - Larry Herman

If you go to the Winn-Dixie store, sign up for a free money saving card...you will save even more with each purchase! - Ricke Z

My wife and I have found a great way to save money on food if you have a car or the car service will make a grocery stop. We drive out to the Publix supermarket on Rte 192. The way we save on water is we buy several gallon jugs of Publix water and then a 50 oz bottle of the same water. We continue to refill the smaller bottle from the gallon jugs. Using the 50 oz bottle gives you a good supply of water for a good part of the day and saves a fortune by not having to pay the high theme park prices for a small bottle of water. The water may not be ice cold but it is very cheap. - Andy & Denise

ALL PARKS - There is another show at WDW that most people miss; sit down and watch the other guests. You will never see so diverse an amount of tennis shoes, fashion statements or age groups. - CMarlan

Parents should remember to shorten their strides to match their child's stride. The little kids are taking 4-8 steps to your one step. - CMarlan

A tip in a previous newsletter mentioned the problem of switching hotels while on the dining plan. It is true that your MagicBand will not work (for dining only) until after midnight on the day you check out of one hotel into the next (therefore you cannot charge a meal on the dining plan with your MagicBand all your next day). But guest services will write down the numbers that you need to give at the restaurants so that they can be manually entered and you do not have to pay or charge them on your credit card and be reimbursed. After midnight, when your dining plan becomes activated on your MagicBand, the dining credits are just automatically calculated and deducted. This was how it was handled for us in October when we moved from the Cabins at Fort Wilderness to the BoardWalk. It went very smoothly. - K.G.

GRAND FLORIDIAN - My tip is to enjoy the fireworks from the boat launch dock at the Grand Floridian. We had just finished the truly remarkable key lime creme brulee at Narcoossee's and some of us just wandered up to the dock. The lights lowered, the voice came over the speaker: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS! And with the lagoon shimmering before us, we enjoyed the wonderful sight of Wishes -- with all the music, but without the crowds of Main Street. Personally, I also love being in the big crowd, but it was truly magical, and totally free! Just hop the monorail over to the Grand Floridian and follow the signs to the boat. It was a wonderful moment! - Judy

If you are making your own drinks adding sugar or Kool-Aid powder to gallon water jugs, be sure to pack a funnel from home. I did this on the last trip and it made adding the powder and sugar to the containers a cinch! - Wendy Wilson

ALL RESORTS - If you need cash and hate paying those outrageous ATM fees, simply cash a personal check at the front desk. There is no charge for this service and they will cash up to $100 a day. - Bob and Kate Salazar

When we went to WDW on vacation last year, I packed one suitcase full of snacks and non-perishable food (i.e. mini cereal boxes, cereal bars, various pre-packaged snack packs, juice boxes). Our entire family was able to eat a quick breakfast before going to the parks, have mid-day park munchies, and late evening snacks. The suitcase was then used to bring home dirty laundry at the end of the trip. - Julie Duffy