Tips about Epcot, Kids, Magic Kingdom, Packing and Planning

I had a great fear of my kids wandering away from us, so I made them bracelets with my cell phone number on it. For my 5-year-old daughter I bought girly, shimmery beads, and for my son (who's 4) I bought sporty beads (football, soccer ball and baseball). I also bought beads with numbers on them. I made them each a bracelet/anklet and put my cell phone number in between beads. This way they each had a cute bracelet/anklet to wear! They were also small enough that others could not read the numbers as they were walking by. It really helped me with my anxiety of losing the kids! - Jessica

I like to line the front and back of my suitcase with scented trash bags. That way, if it is raining when we leave and luggage is exposed to the elements, the clothing stays dry. Plus, I can put dirty clothes in the scented trash bags during the trip. - Michelle

On our first trip to WDW with our twins, who believe in the theory of "divide and conquer" and often go off in two different directions at the same time, I was frantically searching for in-park safety tips. After reading about luggage tags it occurred to me our vacation packet from WDW included sturdy plastic luggage tags (for the Magical Express service). Since my kids were limited to a single rolling backpack each, I put the tags on their backpacks for the flight down, then removed them and attached them to their waistpacks for the park visits. The info cards were filled out with our names, my cell phone, and our resort name, then turned backwards inside the tags and tucked in a pocket. The kids liked having control of that "secret" information. I liked knowing that my kids or their packs could be easily returned by Cast Members if lost. As backup, I also brought along the laminated photo ID that our school issues to each child. I didn't have to use them, but knew they would stand up better to travel and weather than any wallet-sized picture. - Judy

Here is a tip to save on luggage fees, if flying, or trunk space, if driving, to Disney. We ran into a "space" problem when plans changed and we were transporting luggage for nine people in one van. Not to mention the six people who were riding in the van. I found that if you pack each persons clothes in a vacuum "storage bag" (as seen on TV!). I was able to fit three bags into one large suitcase. So instead of having nine suitcases, we only had three. Be sure that the suitcases have wheels. It does make them a bit heavier. When your vacation is over and you are ready to repack, call room service and ask to have a sweeper with a hose attachment sent to your room. They are more than happy to oblige. - Amy Williams

I pack a travel French Press to ANY Walt Disney World resort hotel. The inability to get fresh-brewed coffee at WDW is frustrating to a coffee drinker like me! I only need one good cup in the morning for me and it makes my day. You can get a travel coffee press from online retailers for $20. It's only slightly bigger than a soda can and easily fits in a carry-on. Simply put the grounds in the bottom (you can buy Mickey coffee at the hotel), add hot water, wait 5-10 minutes, press, and pour a great cup of coffee!

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you don't want to bring your own, AllEars.Net maintains a page of places to get fresh-brewed coffee around the World: http://allears.net/din/coffee.htm

We happened upon a wonderful mid-day break for our Chicago area family during our Christmas break trip to Walt Disney World. We stayed off property. The kids (8 and 6) were more excited about the monorail than they were about anything else at Epcot. To kill time until our FASTPASS+ time on Soarin', and to satisfy their curiosity, we took a ride on the monorail after lunch. It was a fun, air-conditioned trip that gave them a sensory break from the heat and intense sounds of touring, they got to see other parts of WDW and we were all totally refreshed when we came back to Epcot about half an hour later. It didn't cost us anything extra and it was just their speed! - Ruth Gauss

EDITOR'S NOTE: Please be careful of your timing. Monorails can be in holding periods or be delayed leaving you in a situation where you will not be able to make your FastPass+ time window.

Just returned from a trip to Walt Disney World with our five grandkids, ages 6/6, 5, 3 and 1 (and their parents!). I brought some small paper cups in a sandwich bag inside my tote into the parks to see if I'd use them. They came in handy a few times for sharing a water bottle, etc. amongst the kids. - Karen Jacobi

Epcot - We found that the Electric Umbrella restaurant at Epcot has free drink refills... not only for soft drinks but for apple juice as well, which worked out great for our little one. This is the only "quick service" restaurant we visited that didn't give us a juice box when we ordered her a kid's meal with juice. - Michelle P.

Epcot - We found that the Electric Umbrella restaurant at Epcot has free drink refills... not only for soft drinks but for apple juice as well, which worked out great for our little one. This is the only "quick service" restaurant we visited that didn't give us a juice box when we ordered her a kid's meal with juice. - Michelle P.

Going to a sit-down, outdoor presentation on a cold winter's night? Here's a simple, easy-to-carry way to keep your rump from freezing: bring one of those bubble-wrap filled envelopes of an appropriate size to sit on. The bubble-wrap insulates your nether regions from that cold, cold seat, is light as a feather and is easily carried in one of those many Disney World plastic bags you've acquired. It makes quite a difference! - Mamayama

At Magic Kingdom, there is a small bench big enough for two kids at the very back of the WDW train, where my kids love sitting. You might have to wait for someone to get off at a stop to get a turn. And, if the cast member/conductor in the back doesn't ask, don't be shy to ask if your child/children can help out by saying, "All aboard!" And then ask for the "Railroad Guest Conductor" card. - Annette Reifsteck-Chalk

As a Floridian I'd like to suggest to visitors to check the weather for Walt Disney World/Orlando before packing for their trip, especially December through February or March. While this seems like a "no-brainer", it's amazing to see folks dressed in shorts or sleeveless tops, even on chilly days. While "winters" in Florida are generally mild, we can experience some "cold snaps" (or at least it's cold to us!). We are frequent visitors to the Disney parks, and, I get upset when I see young children in shorts or sleeveless tops even when the weather is "chilly" by any standards. The parks are wide open spaces, and folks are generally outdoors most of the day. Even with highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s, the evenings can be chilly when the sun goes down. Dress in layers or, at least, bring a jacket for the evening. You'll be glad you did! - Marian in Florida

We visited Disney's Hollywood Studios last week with our daughters, 16 and 2. While my 16-year-old loved the park, my 2-year-old found it very scary. If you have a little one who is timid, you may want to prepare them for this park or skip it all together. The Star Wars theme and characters are everywhere here. We were standing in line to meet Disney Junior characters when Star Wars music started playing and the characters marched right by us. She was terrified. We had to get out of line. Then we were stopped by a few stormtroopers while leaving Toy Story Mania. She started crying saying she wanted to go home... I saw several children crying when they had to walk by Darth Vader or a stormtrooper... I like Star Wars. But the constant shows that you can hear throughout the park with ominous-sounding music, the sound of scary voices (Kylo Ren and Darth Vader), and intimidating (to a small child) characters were just too much. Hopefully they will keep it localized to just the Star Wars area once it opens. - Jennifer D.

To survive large crowds, I suggest that you go out early, at the time the parks open. Bring just a snack for breakfast if you can't manage to get up early enough to eat breakfast at your resort. You then will have 3-4 hours of park time before lunch. Since lunch is when the crowd volume really picks up, this is when you should go back to your resort to refresh and relax by the pool, or you could go shopping. Then go back to a park after you eat dinner. Leave the park before any fireworks shows to avoid long waits at the bus stops. Of course, if you want to experience more, then you will have to get out in the crowds. I've been so many years (at all times of year) and I've learned my lesson. The one thing that will drain your energy and make you more ill and fussy, is fighting a crowd daily. That's no vacation. Find time to rest and relax. - Melody Moore

To survive large crowds, I suggest that you go out early, at the time the parks open. Bring just a snack for breakfast if you can't manage to get up early enough to eat breakfast at your resort. You then will have 3-4 hours of park time before lunch. Since lunch is when the crowd volume really picks up, this is when you should go back to your resort to refresh and relax by the pool, or you could go shopping. Then go back to a park after you eat dinner. Leave the park before any fireworks shows to avoid long waits at the bus stops. Of course, if you want to experience more, then you will have to get out in the crowds. I've been so many years (at all times of year) and I've learned my lesson. The one thing that will drain your energy and make you more ill and fussy, is fighting a crowd daily. That's no vacation. Find time to rest and relax. - Melody Moore