Tips about Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom and Planning

Just learned that if you go to a park prior to checking in to your Disney resort they will reimburse you for parking! Did this myself this past weekend when we stayed at Art of Animation and worked perfectly! Couldn't quite get up early enough to do check-in before park opening and I didn't want to waste any of my theme park time! - Mary

EDITOR'S NOTE: this is also true if you are going to purchase an annual pass that includes parking. Just bring your parking receipt to the Guest Relations window and they will credit what you paid for parking that day towards your annual pass.

Just learned that if you go to a park prior to checking in to your Disney resort they will reimburse you for parking! Did this myself this past weekend when we stayed at Art of Animation and worked perfectly! Couldn't quite get up early enough to do check-in before park opening and I didn't want to waste any of my theme park time! - Mary

EDITOR'S NOTE: this is also true if you are going to purchase an annual pass that includes parking. Just bring your parking receipt to the Guest Relations window and they will credit what you paid for parking that day towards your annual pass.

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

-- 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

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

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

If you're not on the Disney Dining Plan, I recommend purchasing a Disney gift card to pay for all of your snacks and incidentals. I wish I had done this. We just got home and I have a very thick stack of credit card receipts for amounts ranging from under $3 to $10. It would have been much easier to just buy a $50 or $75 gift card and use that each time we purchased a drink, ice cream, etc. - Christy B.

Epcot - I'm not sure if they've already been mentioned because I'm not sure when they appeared, but for those attending anything at the America Gardens Theater, there are brand new restrooms to the RIGHT side of the American Adventure, at the back of the garden area. No more wandering down that kind of creepy "where-am-I-going?" walkway just to wait in that dreadful line and deal with the logjam through the too-small doorway to get into those too-small restrooms around the left side of the restaurant. The new ones are AWESOME! At quick count there are about 25 regular and two handicapped stalls on each of two "aisles", big entrance, they're large, immaculate, auto-everything including Dyson Blade hand dryers (but still has paper towels, too.) The cast members at the Chase Lounge said they've been asking for expanded restrooms for years and are so excited they're finally here, especially before this year's Candlelight Processional crowds, and they've already been a hit with the Eat to the Beat crowds. - Linda Masi

Epcot - I'm not sure if they've already been mentioned because I'm not sure when they appeared, but for those attending anything at the America Gardens Theater, there are brand new restrooms to the RIGHT side of the American Adventure, at the back of the garden area. No more wandering down that kind of creepy "where-am-I-going?" walkway just to wait in that dreadful line and deal with the logjam through the too-small doorway to get into those too-small restrooms around the left side of the restaurant. The new ones are AWESOME! At quick count there are about 25 regular and two handicapped stalls on each of two "aisles", big entrance, they're large, immaculate, auto-everything including Dyson Blade hand dryers (but still has paper towels, too.) The cast members at the Chase Lounge said they've been asking for expanded restrooms for years and are so excited they're finally here, especially before this year's Candlelight Processional crowds, and they've already been a hit with the Eat to the Beat crowds. - Linda Masi

Disney's Hollywood Studios - Concerning people wary of riding Tower of Terror -- When riding Tower of Terror try to avoid holding onto the hand grips by your seat. Either just keep your hands at your sides or if you're the hand-raising type then raise them high. Why? During the drops and when the raises get to the top, you actually will feel yourself floating off of the seat. This is much less jarring to the body than if you hold on to the grips for dear life and more fun too. Try it. I find it makes all the difference. - Jeff P.

Disney's Hollywood Studios - This is specifically in response to Abigail Hartlein's article (AllEars® Issue #735, October 22, 2013) about riding the Tower of Terror. For those afraid of drops, here's a little hint: Right before, and as you're dropping, look at the floor around your feet. I don't know if it's an optical illusion or what, but I find that you won't feel the dropping sensation! If you don't like that feeling in your stomach, this might allow you to experience the sensational theming of Tower of Terror without feeling sick! - Kylie Lacey

The Walt Disney World Lost and Found department is amazing! My designer sunglasses flew off during Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and I thought they were gone for good. I called the Lost and Found department and described what day and location I lost them, gave a description of the glasses, and to my surprise, in true Disney Magic they were found! (Allow 24-48 hours for cast members to process your lost items.) - Michelle

EDITOR'S NOTE: You can report missing items at Guest Relations in the theme parks, but if you don't discover the item has been lost until you get home, try calling Theme Parks Lost & Found: (407) 824-4245. They're open seven days a week between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. EST. Give them a description of the item and where you lost it, and if it's been turned in, they'll let you know.

The Walt Disney World Lost and Found department is amazing! My designer sunglasses flew off during Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and I thought they were gone for good. I called the Lost and Found department and described what day and location I lost them, gave a description of the glasses, and to my surprise, in true Disney Magic they were found! (Allow 24-48 hours for cast members to process your lost items.) - Michelle

EDITOR'S NOTE: You can report missing items at Guest Relations in the theme parks, but if you don't discover the item has been lost until you get home, try calling Theme Parks Lost & Found: (407) 824-4245. They're open seven days a week between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. EST. Give them a description of the item and where you lost it, and if it's been turned in, they'll let you know.