Tips about Epcot, Food & Beverage, Magic Kingdom, Planning, Running and Souvenirs

On our recent Magic Kingdom visit my two children really wanted to get their faces painted. We first tried the Pirates' League in Adventureland, but it closed at 3:30 p.m. on the day we visited. However, we found a face painting area tucked away next to Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin in Tomorrowland. And the best part -- just keep your receipt, and they'll touch up your face paint throughout the day for no extra charge! - Laura Gjere

On a recent trip to Walt Disney World I was stymied as to what to get our neighbors as a "thank you for house- and pet-sitting" gift. They don't have the same affinity for Disney products as we do, so finding a gift that didn't have a character printed on it was challenging -- until I went into The Pantry at Disney Springs. There I found a great collection of items at the Spice and Tea Exchange section of the store. They have a variety of "collection packs" of 3 types of "something" (like interesting sugars, or curries, or salts, or a Hot and Spicy) for a reduced price. I ended up buying the "Grilling Rub" pack for our neighbors, and a "Super Duper Catnip" package for our furry felines we vacationed without. - Michelle B.

On a recent visit to the Magic Kingdom, I stopped in the Main Street Bakery to check out the recent renovation and treat myself to a Starbucks coffee. When I reached the counter to pay, I was pleasantly surprised to be able to pay with my Starbucks gift card. Not only did I buy coffee with my gift card, but also a bottle of soda for my son. Don't leave home without your gift cards! - Kim Chesser

Wanted to pass along a tip for inexpensive souvenirs. When we go on vacation, I always like to buy a Christmas ornament for each of our kids. However, Christmas ornaments can get pricy at Disney ($12 and up), which adds up for three kids. One way I have found to keep costs down is by picking out keychains instead (around $5). When I get home, I just replace the chain with a ribbon and voila! Perfect for hanging on the tree. It is fun to "go down memory lane" when we decorate the tree.- Barb H.

One tip I don't recall seeing concerns the Florida wildlife. As people walk and jog the Disney trails around hotels and ponds they need to be smart about the wildlife. Alligators and snakes in Florida are a way of life. I'm sure that Disney, like most communities in Florida, does its very best to relocate the creatures that wander in, but these are not cute, furry bunnies and are not "fake." Each year tourists in our area are bitten by venomous snakes. Just be careful and mindful of where you are walking, jogging and playing. - Patricia Dahl

-- I bring along suction cups to stick to the bathroom walls. This gives everyone their own place to hang washcloths or other personal bathroom items.

-- A power strip gives everyone easy access to plug in their electronic devices instead of searching for an unused one in the room.

-- Lastly, we always have a spot in the room (a table or the spot next to the door) where we put the things we take with us each day -- for example, sunglasses, backpack, water bottle, celebration pin, jacket. That way when you are ready to walk out the door, you can just grab your stuff instead of scrambling around the room trying to make sure you remembered those things. - Traci Regan

The jogging trail at Pop Century/Art of Animation is wonderful. It's very beautiful to run, approximately 1.4 miles around the lake for the entire run. Saw many bunnies (or it could have been Thumper!) on my early morning runs. Also, all around the lake there are trivia signs, and the trivia is different on each side, so changing the direction of your walk/run from clockwise to counterclockwise around the lake provides the opportunity to read the trivia on both sides. By the way, AllEars.Net has the most detailed information I have found anywhere in regard to each resort's jogging trails! - Susan Fadel

Epcot - If going to Epcot with elementary school-aged kids, play Agent P! Even if you have never watched Phineas and Ferb, you should play the game. It made the World Showcase so much more interesting for my 8- and 10-year-olds. I enjoyed it also and my husband liked the fact that he could sit and have a beer at the Rose and Crown while we did our secret agent thing in the United Kingdom. - Margaret

Epcot - If going to Epcot with elementary school-aged kids, play Agent P! Even if you have never watched Phineas and Ferb, you should play the game. It made the World Showcase so much more interesting for my 8- and 10-year-olds. I enjoyed it also and my husband liked the fact that he could sit and have a beer at the Rose and Crown while we did our secret agent thing in the United Kingdom. - Margaret

If you have dietary concerns, don't assume you know your "safe" foods, especially at buffets. When recently dining at Cape May Cafe for dinner, I told the chef that I had a shellfish allergy. Surprisingly, he warned me not to eat the steamed corn or steamed potatoes -- they are both steamed with shellfish/fish. The chef offered to make them separately for me, saying it would take only 15-20 minutes.

Another time I was unable to have the chicken dish at Yachtsman Steakhouse because it was fried with seafood.

A friend was also at a buffet with an onion allergy and told not to eat the corn as it was steamed in a broth that contained onions.

Better to be safe than sorry! Be sure to tell the hostess, server and if needed, ask for a chef. - Deb Wills

Epcot - Thank you for your site. It's awesome! I wanted to submit a tip for viewing IllumiNations that I haven't seen yet. I worked at Walt Disney World for four months and saw the fireworks shows almost nightly. The most important thing I learned was to pick my viewing spot based on the direction the wind was blowing. Each night, when the torches were lit, I would look at the way the flames were blowing and I would choose a location in the opposite direction (so the smoke would blow away from me). This always ensured a clear view of the fireworks each night. Luckily there are a few prime viewing spots in every direction so if the wind direction is different on a different day, you can still pick a great spot. It doesn't matter if you choose a "prime" viewing location -- if the wind is blowing toward you, you end up getting engulfed in a thick cloud of smoke and can only see the glow of the fireworks behind it. - Garrett

Epcot - Thank you for your site. It's awesome! I wanted to submit a tip for viewing IllumiNations that I haven't seen yet. I worked at Walt Disney World for four months and saw the fireworks shows almost nightly. The most important thing I learned was to pick my viewing spot based on the direction the wind was blowing. Each night, when the torches were lit, I would look at the way the flames were blowing and I would choose a location in the opposite direction (so the smoke would blow away from me). This always ensured a clear view of the fireworks each night. Luckily there are a few prime viewing spots in every direction so if the wind direction is different on a different day, you can still pick a great spot. It doesn't matter if you choose a "prime" viewing location -- if the wind is blowing toward you, you end up getting engulfed in a thick cloud of smoke and can only see the glow of the fireworks behind it. - Garrett

We just returned from a trip to Disney with my grandchildren. Of course, they want to buy everything. We found that by taking pictures of the item wanted (and the price) they could later go through the list and select the item they really wanted. It saved a lot of running around and they kids were able to "see" the items they were considering. - Stephen James

Join the Earl of Sandwich's Upper Crust sandwich club for free at: http://www.earlofsandwichusa.com/ Get $5 off added to your account 7 days after sign up. - Deb Wills

In reading the comments on the article about "Overcoming the Drop" (AllEars® Issue #735) it reminded me of a fun thing we do when the kids ride a new ride, especially one they have been scared to try. They "earn" a Disney pin for that attraction. We love picking out new ride pins with the kids and then love to show them off to friends and family when we return from our trip. - Jamie