Tips about Epcot, Food & Beverage, Kids, Magic Kingdom and Special Events

CHRISTMAS - I'm 14 and today I was decorating my mini Christmas tree in my bedroom. Since we are going to the World on December 15, I was trying to think of a way to bring Disney magic to my tree. Then I found the perfect thing! I took all of my pins and laid them out on my bed. Then, I took some thread and cut pieces about five inches long and looped the thread around the pointy part leaving the back on. Simply tie the string together and *ta-da* you have an instant ornament! It also puts your pins on display instead of them sitting on a shelf gathering dust. - Leah

Last year I bought my husband the "Cooking with Mickey and the Disney Chefs" cookbook. This year when we went, my husband brought the book and requested (at each dining establishment) that the chef sign the page in our book that had the recipe from their kitchen. It was a treat for both the chefs as well as my family when, on occasion, the chef came out to our table. Now we have started a family tradition that we can continue as adults while our kids work on the autographs of the characters. - dollydawne

Even if you are not a fan of food on the bone, don't let that stop you from going to the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue. I let our hotel concierge know my aversion to food on the bone and he called over to Hoop-Dee-Doo. When we arrived I was served one of the most tender, juicy and well-seasoned boneless, skinless chicken breasts I have ever had. Great also for those watching their weight. The restaurant requests that you let them know at least 12 hours in advance. Enjoy the show! - Michelle Buchecker

With the necessity of ADRs (Advanced Dining Reservations) and keeping track of all those reservation numbers, I decided this year to type a list of our reservations. I included the date, time, and name/location. Then I shrunk the text, printed it and laminated it. It was smaller than a credit card! I put a hole in it, placed it on a carabiner and hung it on my backpack. It was always handy and ready for use and easier to make any needed changes! - Marie from Long Island

ALL PARKS - As you are waiting in line, a great way to spend the time is to play what we call the Disney Alphabet Game. Start with the letter "A" and the first person has to name a Disney character that starts with the letter "A," like Ariel. The next person has to name a character whose name starts with the letter "B," such as Br'er Rabbit, and so on. Once you reach "Z" start over back at "A" but you can't use the same character twice. If you need a hint for "X", there is a Buzz Lightyear character named XR. It's fun for kids and adults. We played while waiting for Fantasmic! and had everyone around us shouting out suggestions within a few minutes. - Chris in Iowa

ALL PARKS - As you are waiting in line, a great way to spend the time is to play what we call the Disney Alphabet Game. Start with the letter "A" and the first person has to name a Disney character that starts with the letter "A," like Ariel. The next person has to name a character whose name starts with the letter "B," such as Br'er Rabbit, and so on. Once you reach "Z" start over back at "A" but you can't use the same character twice. If you need a hint for "X", there is a Buzz Lightyear character named XR. It's fun for kids and adults. We played while waiting for Fantasmic! and had everyone around us shouting out suggestions within a few minutes. - Chris in Iowa

ALL PARKS - As you are waiting in line, a great way to spend the time is to play what we call the Disney Alphabet Game. Start with the letter "A" and the first person has to name a Disney character that starts with the letter "A," like Ariel. The next person has to name a character whose name starts with the letter "B," such as Br'er Rabbit, and so on. Once you reach "Z" start over back at "A" but you can't use the same character twice. If you need a hint for "X", there is a Buzz Lightyear character named XR. It's fun for kids and adults. We played while waiting for Fantasmic! and had everyone around us shouting out suggestions within a few minutes. - Chris in Iowa

ALL PARKS - As you are waiting in line, a great way to spend the time is to play what we call the Disney Alphabet Game. Start with the letter "A" and the first person has to name a Disney character that starts with the letter "A," like Ariel. The next person has to name a character whose name starts with the letter "B," such as Br'er Rabbit, and so on. Once you reach "Z" start over back at "A" but you can't use the same character twice. If you need a hint for "X", there is a Buzz Lightyear character named XR. It's fun for kids and adults. We played while waiting for Fantasmic! and had everyone around us shouting out suggestions within a few minutes. - Chris in Iowa

ALL PARKS - I am from Colorado where we are on Mountain Time. In addition to feeling like it is two hours earlier when we are in Florida, we let our kids stay up later on vacation. This works out really well for Extra Magic Evening Hours. We were recently at the Magic Kingdom where the Extra Magic Evening Hours were from 9 p.m. to midnight. For us, it felt like 7 to 10 p.m. During that time, we went on all the kiddie rides with our 3- and 4-year olds with absolutely no lines! We were able to save the hot afternoons for the pool rather than waiting in lines. - Laura Moos

ALL PARKS - I am from Colorado where we are on Mountain Time. In addition to feeling like it is two hours earlier when we are in Florida, we let our kids stay up later on vacation. This works out really well for Extra Magic Evening Hours. We were recently at the Magic Kingdom where the Extra Magic Evening Hours were from 9 p.m. to midnight. For us, it felt like 7 to 10 p.m. During that time, we went on all the kiddie rides with our 3- and 4-year olds with absolutely no lines! We were able to save the hot afternoons for the pool rather than waiting in lines. - Laura Moos

ALL PARKS - I am from Colorado where we are on Mountain Time. In addition to feeling like it is two hours earlier when we are in Florida, we let our kids stay up later on vacation. This works out really well for Extra Magic Evening Hours. We were recently at the Magic Kingdom where the Extra Magic Evening Hours were from 9 p.m. to midnight. For us, it felt like 7 to 10 p.m. During that time, we went on all the kiddie rides with our 3- and 4-year olds with absolutely no lines! We were able to save the hot afternoons for the pool rather than waiting in lines. - Laura Moos

ALL PARKS - I am from Colorado where we are on Mountain Time. In addition to feeling like it is two hours earlier when we are in Florida, we let our kids stay up later on vacation. This works out really well for Extra Magic Evening Hours. We were recently at the Magic Kingdom where the Extra Magic Evening Hours were from 9 p.m. to midnight. For us, it felt like 7 to 10 p.m. During that time, we went on all the kiddie rides with our 3- and 4-year olds with absolutely no lines! We were able to save the hot afternoons for the pool rather than waiting in lines. - Laura Moos

Our children are too young to memorize our cell phone numbers so we came up with a solution in case they got lost while on vacation. We use our computer to create iron on transfers containing our cell phone numbers, using transfer paper that can be used in our inkjet printer. We iron a label on the inside hem of each shirt our children will wear while at WDW. This way we know that if we ever get separated from our children they can show the phone numbers to Disney Cast Members who can contact us immediately. - Cindy

If there are any tween parents out there I am sure they are familiar with the Club Penguin website for kids. My daughter, a huge Disney fan and a huge Club Penguin fan, was extremely excited to learn today that the two companies are partnering. The idea of getting a set of Mickey ears for her penguin caused her to jump with joy! Not too many details have been announced on their website but it looks like it will be a wonderful and safe way to get a little Disney magic from home to tide her over until our next trip. - Lori Stubbeman

We spent six days in the parks at Disney with three kids, 2, 5, and 7 years old. Late in our vacation, after several days of standing in line with grumpy, hot and tired kids, we figured out that if you get a frozen treat and take a break it makes the world of difference and extends the day. Toward the end we took two breaks to fight the 90-degree heat, but those were the smoothest days we had. It was well worth the cost of a frozen pop or five. - Tim Prouty