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

Christmas - Just a tip for booking the Candlelight Processional Dinner Package: Use the online system and try calling. I called and was told there was no availability for any shows at any restaurant on the two days I was considering. I prepared myself to just make a "regular" dining reservation and stand in the longer line. But when I got to disneyworld.disney.go.com/reservations/dining/ I noticed a radio button that said "Dining Event." And what do you know? "Holidays around the World - Candlelight Processional" was a choice. Looks like you can also book Fantasmic, Victoria & Albert's Chef's Table, etc., which I don't remember being able to book in the past either. I was able to find a TON of choices for the dates and times that the Disney Reservation Center told me were unavailable for the Candlelight Processional -- including some of the "harder to find" restaurants. Cheers! - Gregory

Christmas - Just a tip for booking the Candlelight Processional Dinner Package: Use the online system and try calling. I called and was told there was no availability for any shows at any restaurant on the two days I was considering. I prepared myself to just make a "regular" dining reservation and stand in the longer line. But when I got to disneyworld.disney.go.com/reservations/dining/ I noticed a radio button that said "Dining Event." And what do you know? "Holidays around the World - Candlelight Processional" was a choice. Looks like you can also book Fantasmic, Victoria & Albert's Chef's Table, etc., which I don't remember being able to book in the past either. I was able to find a TON of choices for the dates and times that the Disney Reservation Center told me were unavailable for the Candlelight Processional -- including some of the "harder to find" restaurants. Cheers! - Gregory

Christmas - About the ABC Christmas Parade taping -- it was a wonderful experience from the perspective of someone interested in film and media as a potential career, but if done again I would not stress out as much about predicting the schedule. My family wanted to attend the actual parade, not the castle performances, so we based our park days on Disney's schedule the year before, and everything was opposite. So if you like TV production, definitely go! Just don't get caught up in details, know that things may change from year to year, be prepared for stop-and-go filming, and soak in the experience, because it is pretty cool. - Blake Taylor

Christmas - My 7-year-old daughter and I take an annual trip to Disney to see the Christmas decorations. Since we started in 2006, I have decorated her stroller with battery-operated lights! She loved it and it got a lot of attention. It was also easy to find when you come out of a ride and a cast member has reorganized the stroller parking! - Jennifer M.

Christmas - If you want to see everything decorated for the holidays, consider driving your car or rent a car for Disney World. That's the only easy way to see all of the decorations at each of the hotels and Fort Wilderness. Otherwise, you'll have to see the Grand Floridian, Polynesian, and Contemporary by monorail (or boat), the Wilderness Lodge by boat (from the Magic Kingdom), and then the Epcot hotels (Swan, Dolphin, Yacht & Beach Club, and Boardwalk) by boat from either the back entrance of Epcot or from Hollywood Studios. Don't forget to check out the World Showcase at Epcot where each country shows its Christmas traditions in both decorations and several performances a day of someone dressed in character. And finally, don't miss the Osborne Lights show at Hollywood Studios. - Terri Jensen

ALL PARKS - A great way to save time if possible is to go to the park without a bag. We could not accomplish this on every park visit, but when we would go to Magic Kingdom for a short visit in the morning or evening, we packed small necessary items (camera, lip balm, antibacterial gel) in my husband and son's cargo pockets, wore our Photopass and tickets around our necks and breezed into the parks. - Tanya

ALL PARKS - A great way to save time if possible is to go to the park without a bag. We could not accomplish this on every park visit, but when we would go to Magic Kingdom for a short visit in the morning or evening, we packed small necessary items (camera, lip balm, antibacterial gel) in my husband and son's cargo pockets, wore our Photopass and tickets around our necks and breezed into the parks. - Tanya

We love the refillable mugs at the Disney resorts and find them to be a great value. Before leaving home, I purchase disposable dishcloths and spray them with a foamy dish-washing detergent, let them dry and place in a zipper top bag. Just dampen the wipes to thoroughly clean the mugs with soap and water. Each wipe lasts for several washings. No leftover, sticky residue; just a nice clean mug. Especially great if one member of the family has the sniffles. - Linda Jacobs

Before our current trip to the World we were trying to come up with a way to tell each of our water bottles apart in the insulated bag that we carry to the parks. We decided to use six different color ponytail holders, which we placed around each bottle. No confusion as to whose bottle was whose! - Gerrie Springer

Some tips for Epcot's Food and Wine Festival from AllEars: -- Some of the most popular food booths, such as Australia, Desserts & Champagne, Craft Beers, and Canada, have registers on both sides of the booth. We found that the side furthest away from Future World usually had a much shorter line. -- The food and wine vendors for Epcot's Food and Wine Festival close at 9 p.m. every night. Don't be surprised when you can't buy any food from the marketplaces during evening Extra Magic Hours. -- Stop at the Welcome Center before going into World Showcase for a free Passport to the Food and Wine Festival. You can check off the items you've sampled, jot notes on what you've tried, and get the passport stamped at each kiosk you visit. It's a great way to remember where that dessert, drink, or food came from that you liked so much, and it makes a wonderful free souvenir. -- Use the snack option of your Disney Dining Plan to pay for food items at the Epcot Food and Wine festival International Marketplaces. (DDP is not valid at other Food and Wine Festival events.) EDITOR'S NOTE: On select nights, Epcot and the Food Booths may be open later (typically on Friday and Saturday)

Magic Kingdom - During our recent trip to Walt Disney World, my son enjoyed playing Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. The only problem was carrying the cards and sorting through them. We saw several folks carrying binders with the clear sleeves used for baseball cards. A great idea. It keeps the cards "organized" and keeps them clean. You can see all your cards, and know which ones you need when trading. Since getting home, we have put our cards into a binder and are ready for our next visit. - Joelle Rehberg

MNSSHP - If you're a fan of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs don't miss out on seeing and taking pictures with all of the Dwarfs! Get there early as this is a very rare occurrence (usually only at MNSSHP) and therefore the line forms rather early. Last year they were located next to the queue near Splash Mountain (near the restrooms), but check your MNSSHP map for their exact location. - Dana Spinelli

MNSSHP - My best tip for attending MNSSHP pertains to costumes. If you are attending in September or even early October, it is still very warm at night. I always feel bad for all the kids dressed up with layers of costumes in that heat. In order to combat the heat along with staying in the Halloween spirit, I have been making family t-shirt costumes for the past 8 years. I buy t-shirts for the whole family in Halloween colors (orange, green etc.) and I decorate them with puffy paint, decals, stickers, glitter, etc. The front always says the "Horan Family Halloween Costume". Not only does it make it easier to spot your family, but everyone stays cooler during the party while being in "costume". We've gotten many compliments from other guests as well as cast members, plus we have a souvenir from each year! - Angela Horan

MNSSHP - 1. Schedule some "down time" the afternoon of the party so everyone is well rested.

2. Don't try to be there right when the party starts, either go early or go a little later so as to avoid the back-ups on the buses and any crowds leaving the parks that are NOT attending the party.

3. If you have younger children, try hitting the characters/ trick-or-treat early and shoot for watching the second parade. That way they can trick-or-treat before getting too tired to walk and can just relax and watch the fireworks/parade before heading out (best of both worlds)! - Heather MacGregor

MNSSHP - Be sure to get there in advance and get the best seating, which is on the curb right in front of the Castle. From here you will be able to see the dance show on stage, then turn right around for the parade, which will follow immediately after. Once it is complete you can go toward Tomorrowland easily across the bridge, then head up toward Fantasyland, which is the most popular for children to trick-or-treat! Be sure to stop by the Haunted Mansion for a unique queue experience and ride! Once here you can go back down the bridge toward the castle to get a great view of the fireworks and pictures along Main Street! - Chad Simpson