Tips about Epcot, Food & Wine Festival, Resorts and Souvenirs

I noticed at the Food & Wine Festival that many of the more popular marketplaces (France, for example) have two sets of registers, one on either side of the booth. Much of the time, the line on one side would be overflowing, the other side would be empty, or much less crowded. So take a peek before getting in line, it could save you a lot of time! - Al Schaefer

We always carry a cinch-sack to the parks. To help us get through the security bag check a little faster, my husband put all our items in two large zipper-top bags before we put them in the sack. Several security guards commented that it was a great idea. It made their job easier by being able to just look at the bags instead of digging through the cinch-sack. - Chris

We always carry a cinch-sack to the parks. To help us get through the security bag check a little faster, my husband put all our items in two large zipper-top bags before we put them in the sack. Several security guards commented that it was a great idea. It made their job easier by being able to just look at the bags instead of digging through the cinch-sack. - Chris

My family and I just returned from a fantastic trip, staying at Beach Club for the first time and loved it! Wanted to share this tip: If you want a patio or full balcony, be sure request it when booking and through the online check-in system. Many second-floor balconies are standing room only. We were fortunate enough to have a full balcony and Epcot right outside our door. - Colleen Ziemkiewicz

A tip "for when you are almost on the ride and it gets stopped for bad weather": This happened on our last visit. We were just about to board Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the ride was stopped due to storms. Although the wait was around an hour, my wife and daughter got chatting to others in the queue, and soon one of the girls opened up a game app on her phone. It kept quite a few people busy and the wait just flew by. It's worth loading a couple of games onto your mobile device for delays like this, especially if you have young children, to keep them occupied. - Tony M.

Most TVs in the hotels have an HDMI port. This means you can connect your HDMI-ready laptop to them if you have the proper cable. This is nice for end of the day unwinding if your little one needs a favorite movie or some such to go to sleep. - Mike Layman

I just wanted to share a tip for those who may be visiting Disney World as part of a graduation trip. If you want a really unique and affordable Disney keepsake, have Disney characters sign your graduation cap! Metallic silver and gold markers work really well for making their signatures stand out against a black cap. Also, make sure to bring more than one marker because they tend to dry out quickly. Many of the characters I met had a lot fun playing around with my cap during the meet and greet, especially the Mad Hatter! Based on my experience, I would suggest scheduling at least one character dining experience. This way, you don't have to carry around your cap all day. Even if you do decide to carry it with you, at least it is a very light item to keep in your travel bag. My college graduation was a very memorable experience, but now, each time I see my graduation cap, I feel that extra Disney magic that makes it even more special. - Chiara

I just wanted to share a comment on Remy's Ratatouille Hide & Squeak, the scavenger hunt that's part of this year's Food and Wine Festival. My family and I have enjoyed Epcot's Food and Wine festival many times. It seems to get bigger, better and tastier every year! Our daughters, ages 8 and 11, had fun finding Remy and his ingredients that were cleverly hidden in each country. (The search became quite a competition between the four of us for the rest of the day!) The map, stickers and souvenir pin will be a nice memory of our trip! - Denise Darconte

EDITOR'S NOTE: For more details on this fun new scavenger hunt, be sure to read Kristin Ford's latest entry in her "A Mom and the Magic" blog!

If you're visiting the Food and Wine Festival, don't forget to stop by the Port of Entry shop at World Showcase Plaza. In addition to selling a wide variety of festival merchandise, the shop also features specialty food and beverage items from around the world. And at 3 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the festival, chefs from around Epcot will give mini-culinary demonstrations -- for free! -- recreating recipes from the Festival cookbook and other favorites. - AllEars® Editor Deb Koma

I found out last week that distilled water is available to purchase upon request at the Everything Pop food court (at Pop Century Resort). Distilled water is important to the many guests who use CPAP machines. It was as easy as going to one of the cashiers at the Everything Pop food court and requesting it. They keep it stocked in the back. I'm guessing many/all of the Disney Resorts carry it, too. Next visit I won't have to pack small bottles of distilled water in my luggage! Thanks, Disney! - Catherine Ryan

If you love to raise your hands during high-intensity rides (or any that take a photo during the ride) please consider sitting at the back of the ride vehicle. If you sit at the front or even in the middle you block out the faces of the people behind you, ruining their pictures. Keep in mind this may be the once-in-a-lifetime trip for those people and they may only have time to ride that once. - Nicole

In last week's tips, Gretchen Foster wrote about the difficulty of finding birthday cards on Disney property. The Japan pavilion in Epcot has a wonderful selection of all types of greeting cards. One of my grandsons has a summer birthday and I was able to find the perfect card there and slipped in a Disney gift card. - Carol Trainor

In last week's tips, Gretchen Foster wrote about the difficulty of finding birthday cards on Disney property. The Japan pavilion in Epcot has a wonderful selection of all types of greeting cards. One of my grandsons has a summer birthday and I was able to find the perfect card there and slipped in a Disney gift card. - Carol Trainor

We just returned from a Disney World vacation. We purchased packages of MagicBand "bits" for our children on our first day there. The second day both boys had lost some of their "bits" from their Magic Bands. We asked a cast member at the Emporium if we were doing something wrong. We were sure we had pushed them all the way in the holes. She got a manager who told us you need to be careful, as they easily catch on things when getting on and off rides. He replaced one son's by opening a new pack, but he did not have my other son's, so he brought out a box of open packs and let him pick the two he wanted. - Jolene

My tip is for fans of the trading pins. I have a lanyard and pins that I wear daily at school (I am a teacher). I had the problem of the pin backs coming off and losing my precious pins. I've solved the issue by using an eraser from a mechanical pencil. They can be purchased cheaply at local stores and I have yet to lose a pin that is backed by an eraser. - Angela