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

Magic Kingdom - If you ever walk past Space Mountain and it's been shut down for maintenance for a few minutes, jump on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. As the ride passes by Space Mountain, the lights will be turned on and you can see what the coaster actually looks like. As a repeat visitor to Disney World, I thought it was just about the coolest thing I'd seen all day, and it made the idea of going on the ride a lot less scary. - Allie

My 20-month-old son is lactose-intolerant and I wanted to share the places that we went that offered Silk soy milk: Port Orleans (French Quarter and Riverside); Chef Mickey's; 50's Prime Time Cafe. Here is a list of other sit-down restaurants we ate at that didn't have any soy milk options: the Crystal Palace; Biergarten; Mama Melrose's; All Star Cafe; Planet Hollywood. Also, no counter service restaurants we visited had soy milk. I hope this helps anyone with a soy milk kid! - Tammy Rother

Disney's Hollywood Studios - We discovered the delicious blue crab wonton appetizer at the Hollywood Brown Derby recently. It's a generous portion of crab, bundled along with cucumber, tomato and a slightly hot wasabi aioli in a deep-fried wonton wrapper. It was the perfect start to a wonderful meal. - Linda

We just rented a cabin at Fort Wilderness and thought we would pass on some tips. We ordered water and drinks, along with eggs and cold cuts from an Orlando grocery delivery service. We also had room in our checked luggage for some groceries, condiment packs and little pouches of basic spices (sea salt, fresh pepper, garlic powder). The cabin's kitchen has about everything you need, but you might want to pack a small sharp kitchen knife, and if you plan to fry anything, know that the pan is stainless steel and not nonstick (VERY non-nonstick!). Stop at your local sub shop and pick up some oil packets (canola or extra virgin olive) and throw them in a zipper-top bag in your checked luggage. Being able to throw together breakfast in the morning is a great time- and money-saver, and having a late-night turkey sandwich and chips on the couch is a bonus. - Brian Phillips

ALL PARKS - As a teacher I have found the park maps to be a wonderful way to teach map skills to my first graders. I always make sure to pick up a handful for my students. I also laminate them and put them in our reading basket. Even laminated, they get a lot of wear. Too bad...I guess I'll have to go back for replacements! - Rae Vautrin

ALL PARKS - As a teacher I have found the park maps to be a wonderful way to teach map skills to my first graders. I always make sure to pick up a handful for my students. I also laminate them and put them in our reading basket. Even laminated, they get a lot of wear. Too bad...I guess I'll have to go back for replacements! - Rae Vautrin

Disney character toys are so expensive. We have found a great way to save money on our trip and let the grandchildren enjoy the characters on the way to Disney. We buy the toys on eBay for a fraction of the price, sometimes for as little as 99 cents plus shipping. I know it gives us more spending money and our grandchildren are just as happy. - Susan Smeltzer

ALL PARKS - When visiting the Disney parks, I usually like to pick up an extra guide map or two. I use them to decorate my cube walls at work and will also give extra copies to friends and family who may be planning their own trip in the near future. This helps them get a better idea of the park layout and make plans. - Kerry Kollasch

ALL PARKS - When visiting the Disney parks, I usually like to pick up an extra guide map or two. I use them to decorate my cube walls at work and will also give extra copies to friends and family who may be planning their own trip in the near future. This helps them get a better idea of the park layout and make plans. - Kerry Kollasch

ALL PARKS - When visiting the Disney parks, I usually like to pick up an extra guide map or two. I use them to decorate my cube walls at work and will also give extra copies to friends and family who may be planning their own trip in the near future. This helps them get a better idea of the park layout and make plans. - Kerry Kollasch

ALL PARKS - When visiting the Disney parks, I usually like to pick up an extra guide map or two. I use them to decorate my cube walls at work and will also give extra copies to friends and family who may be planning their own trip in the near future. This helps them get a better idea of the park layout and make plans. - Kerry Kollasch

After doing Disney for years and years we decided to do a photo scrapbook of Disney Dining... We started doing just the desserts everywhere we ate; now we've added other edible items of interest and fun. We're hoping to add some Happiest Celebration desserts to the album in May! - Betsy Vancura

I made a scrapbook of a WDW trip and on the book itself I used the road map that we used to drive there. At the starting and stopping points I put car stickers, traced the route in a red marker, and added interesting sites along the way. It makes a beautiful cover! - Michelle

When we took our baby to Walt Disney World the first time, we were worried about having our stroller taken, even accidentally, since it is a popular Disney umbrella stroller. My husband made a sign and laminated it, and hung it from the back of the stroller. It said, "Please don't take my stroller; I'm only 6 months old!" It made it easier to pick ours out, and still didn't hamper folding it up. - Alea Laughery

Epcot - Since we're passholders, the kids have been so many times it can get boring for them. They've done the masks and passports at Epcot over and over. What I do before each trip is make up a new passport. I include a picture on the page and certain facts about the country that they need to find. It's interactive with the Cast Members in that country and they enjoy teaching the kids! For instance, in China, learn how to count from 1 to 10 in Chinese. In Germany, have a Cast Member tell you about the wall that used to separate their country. In America, what does the Liberty Bell stand for? As I said, the Cast Members love the interaction with the kids. They are proud to talk about their countries. As a prior homeschooling mom, I am always trying to sneak in a learning experience when I can and Epcot is the perfect place to do so without the kids realizing it! - Julie Turbide