Tips about Epcot, Health, Planning and Souvenirs

Going through the metal detectors at the park entrances, you have to remove celebratory buttons and put them in the little bins with other metal objects. This can be a pain, especially if you're park-hopping! Consider wearing buttons on a lanyard or bag strap to make it easier to take them on and off. - Gilly R.

Going through the metal detectors at the park entrances, you have to remove celebratory buttons and put them in the little bins with other metal objects. This can be a pain, especially if you're park-hopping! Consider wearing buttons on a lanyard or bag strap to make it easier to take them on and off. - Gilly R.

My best hot-weather tip is the frozen washcloth. I fold wet washcloths in quarters and put them in our villa's freezer the night before going to the parks. In the morning, each washcloth goes in a sandwich sized zipper-top bag and then all go into an insulated lunch bag in my backpack. We pull them out midday when the Florida heat and humidity are killers! It feels SUPERB to run a freezing cold cloth along your arms and across the back of your neck! It's reallly refreshing when you are hot and tired! - Lee Bickerstaff

Epcot - If you've been to Le Cellier you already know there's more to the Canada pavilion than the beautiful landscaping. But I walked through the garden in Canada for years without ever noticing the wooden walkway that takes you through the waterfalls behind this wonderful setting. Don't miss it! - Emily Pickle

Epcot - If you've been to Le Cellier you already know there's more to the Canada pavilion than the beautiful landscaping. But I walked through the garden in Canada for years without ever noticing the wooden walkway that takes you through the waterfalls behind this wonderful setting. Don't miss it! - Emily Pickle

Deb Wills shares: A recent item in the Orlando Sentinel reminded me of the threat of lightning strikes in Florida. According to the National Weather Service, Florida averaged more than 1.2 million lightning strikes a year during the last decade. It also has the most lightning-strike deaths and injuries each year. Lightning Safety Awareness Week began on the first official day of summer, so I thought it would be good to share the following safety tips:

• Lightning can strike even when it isn't raining.
• When you hear thunder, take shelter, since that means lightning is close. The safest place is inside a sturdy, enclosed building.
• A metal-topped vehicle with the windows up is also safe shelter.
• Stay inside for 30 minutes after you hear the last sound of thunder.
• When inside, stay away from corded phones and electronics.
• Avoid sinks, showers and faucets.

I thought that Alice McNutt Miller's post about money saving tips was spot on. Our family has enjoyed Disney World every few years and I always consult the AllEars® tips database while planning. One tip that I would add to Alice's list is considering travel during the room-only discount periods. This way you can combine frugal and fairly extravagant if you're willing to move from value/moderate to deluxe for a few days (especially to the BoardWalk area). Our kids felt like it was two vacations in one. - Jack

Don't be too quick to dismiss the Deluxe resorts. For the UK visitor, free dining is usually not available at the Value resorts, while the Quick Service plan is included at the Moderates and the regular dining plan comes with Deluxe or Villas. We have found that it can often work out cheaper for us to book a villa when free dining is included than it would be to book at a Value resort and buy a dining plan or just pay for food as we went along. - Debi

When we go to WDW we keep the kiddie meal Mickey-shaped plates as souvenirs. They wash up nicely (top-rack dishwasher) and have three compartments. I usually use one of the "ears" to put their cups into so that they don't tip them over. They last long, too. We've had ours since the summer! - Kari Svinarich

Epcot - For anyone with ties to General Motors, make sure to take advantage of the GM suite at Test Track. There is a great lounge with a huge window overlooking the park and you can get free drinks while you relax. You can also bypass the line and get right on the ride (better than Fastpass). You just need to present the appropriate GM identification card. - Shan Haase

Epcot - For anyone with ties to General Motors, make sure to take advantage of the GM suite at Test Track. There is a great lounge with a huge window overlooking the park and you can get free drinks while you relax. You can also bypass the line and get right on the ride (better than Fastpass). You just need to present the appropriate GM identification card. - Shan Haase

Remember when you're purchasing merchandise at Walt Disney World and using Disney's shipping to send it out of state, sales tax should not be charged. Sometimes new cast members don’t know this or long-time veterans simply forget. Be sure to check your sales receipt. - Jack Spence

I print out clear labels with all of our information and bring along extra to label everything that we get new at the parks, from our cups to our PhotoPass. The extra labels are great in case you do forget to label something before you leave and the clear labels blend right in. - Cara Martin

I recently returned from Coronado Springs and found that it was not very friendly to limited mobility people. I had a standard wheelchair and had to depend on my family for all transport. Usually I can walk to almost anywhere... not true at Coronado Springs. If you go, rent an ECV or expect to be pushed everywhere or go nowhere. I had to use my car to go anywhere in the resort and the walk from any parking space to the Dig Site was also too long. I was very disappointed. I would call Coronado Springs the most handicapped-unfriendly of the Disney resorts -- Pop Century was better! - Nadine Edelman

My 10-year-old son had scout camp this summer. I wanted to include a few essentials in his backpack, but I knew they would end up lost at the bottom. I got a plastic coupon organizer (the accordion wallet type) and put bandages in one section, bug repellant in another, along with hand wipes, sunscreen, etc. It worked so well that I have added the coupon organizer to my "Disney supplies." I think it will keep our trip backpack organized as well! I plan to add in individual packs of over-the-counter medicines. - Beth Spellman