Tips about Epcot, Food & Beverage, Kids, Packing and Planning

ALL PARKS - If you have kids, bring a change of clothing for them to the parks! I know this must seem like something everyone knows, but we didn't! During our first trip ever to WDW last December my then 4-year-old daughter found the water sprinklers at Pooh's Playful Spot in Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom. She went in to play and the next thing I knew she was soaked from the water! It was tough, too, because it was a tad chilly and we didn't bring a change of clothing for her. Finding young kids' clothes at Disney is not easy! I did manage to get a pair of Mickey sweatpants, a T-shirt and a pair of socks for my daughter at one of the shops in Fantasyland. So my tip is to bring a change of clothes even for the 4-5 year olds! - Jennifer K.

ALL PARKS - If you have kids, bring a change of clothing for them to the parks! I know this must seem like something everyone knows, but we didn't! During our first trip ever to WDW last December my then 4-year-old daughter found the water sprinklers at Pooh's Playful Spot in Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom. She went in to play and the next thing I knew she was soaked from the water! It was tough, too, because it was a tad chilly and we didn't bring a change of clothing for her. Finding young kids' clothes at Disney is not easy! I did manage to get a pair of Mickey sweatpants, a T-shirt and a pair of socks for my daughter at one of the shops in Fantasyland. So my tip is to bring a change of clothes even for the 4-5 year olds! - Jennifer K.

ALL PARKS - If you have kids, bring a change of clothing for them to the parks! I know this must seem like something everyone knows, but we didn't! During our first trip ever to WDW last December my then 4-year-old daughter found the water sprinklers at Pooh's Playful Spot in Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom. She went in to play and the next thing I knew she was soaked from the water! It was tough, too, because it was a tad chilly and we didn't bring a change of clothing for her. Finding young kids' clothes at Disney is not easy! I did manage to get a pair of Mickey sweatpants, a T-shirt and a pair of socks for my daughter at one of the shops in Fantasyland. So my tip is to bring a change of clothes even for the 4-5 year olds! - Jennifer K.

ALL PARKS - The last time we went to Disney World, we took along the cards from Trivial Pursuit Junior. My wife kept some in a zipper-type bag in her purse and when we had a long wait in line or were waiting for the buses to take us back to the hotel, she would get them out and we would have an informal trivia game. Many times we would involve other kids in line or on the bus and it was a great way to pass the time. Of course, Disney trivia cards would be a natural alternative. - Dave Ference

By the sixth day of our WDW vacation, our 6-year-old daughter had lost her stamina, and was walking very slowly and lagging behind the rest of the family. We were at Epcot that day and had stopped by Guest Relations when we first arrived to make a dining reservation. They had given our daughter a long, thin balloon (the kind that are normally twisted into shapes, though this one was not). The balloon temporarily lifted her spirits, but soon afterwards she was back to walking slow and falling behind. My husband came up with the idea that the balloon holder was the "line leader." This turned out to be a great idea! My daughter loved playing the role of "leader," marching ahead and holding her balloon high in the air for us to follow. This simple game kept its appeal for most of the morning, upon which time her energy had returned and she was back to her usual, energetic self for the rest of the day! - Mindi S.

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

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

As a fan of sugar-free desserts myself, I found that the children's applesauce dessert at the counter service restaurants is sugar-free and allowed with an adult meal as part of the Dining Plan. Also, "bakery," not pre-packaged desserts are still available at Seasons counter service in The Land at Epcot. The huge variety (and they also had fruit bowls) made this a must-do counter service on our next trip. - Heidi S.

My husband and I always buy the refillable mugs for our morning coffee or juice. However, we find we are never able to finish our drinks prior to leaving for the parks. We try to pack light for the parks so we prefer not to bring our mugs with us. So, we buy disposable coffee cups, with lids, from our local supermarket or discount store (they are just like the ones you would get at your local coffee shop). We can just transfer our coffee to the disposable cup and bring it along with us. When finished, they go right into the garbage. Then we don't need to carry the mugs around with us all day. - Joann W.

We just returned from a week at the World. I had read more than once that the refillable mugs were a must purchase at the resort so we picked up a couple on our first day. Between the drinks included with meals and using snack options to purchase water at the parks, we did not make use of them at all. We did spend a few partial days at the resort pools, but did not have them with us to fill up at the right times. The tip here is: unless you plan to spend a lot of time in your resort, the drink options offered with the meal plans may be sufficient. - Jennifer

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!

EPCOT - Soarin' has become one of Epcot's most popular attractions, but many miss the chance to enhance the experience. When the attraction is loaded, guests are asked to remove loose-fitting shoes/sandals and leave them on the attraction floor. I recommend that you DO take your footwear off, for two reasons. One, it is cool to leave your shoes on the floor and then be swept away from them as the ride lifts and sweeps forward (and later, almost magically, to be returned to your original position and waiting footwear). Two, and more importantly, the sensation of bare feet dangling during the ride is so much more enjoyable. This may sound strange, but you can almost feel your feet dipping into the ocean surf or brushing against the orange trees. Try it and see what I mean. - Rich Czarnecki

EPCOT - Soarin' has become one of Epcot's most popular attractions, but many miss the chance to enhance the experience. When the attraction is loaded, guests are asked to remove loose-fitting shoes/sandals and leave them on the attraction floor. I recommend that you DO take your footwear off, for two reasons. One, it is cool to leave your shoes on the floor and then be swept away from them as the ride lifts and sweeps forward (and later, almost magically, to be returned to your original position and waiting footwear). Two, and more importantly, the sensation of bare feet dangling during the ride is so much more enjoyable. This may sound strange, but you can almost feel your feet dipping into the ocean surf or brushing against the orange trees. Try it and see what I mean. - Rich Czarnecki