Tips about Epcot, Kids, Magic Kingdom, Planning, Rain and Souvenirs

My daughter and I wore our Crocs, the comfortable-foam like shoes. It didn't matter whether our feet got wet or not. Carrying a small jacket for those days can help young children to stay warm under their ponchos during the colder months. We also brought homemade ponchos made of hunter orange fabric and could easily find each other in the crowd. - Diane Taylor

For those busy moms who need to keep track of strollers and children during a rainy park day I suggest a great invention.....the umbrella hat! You can find them at various novelty stores on line and they simply are worn as a hat but are actually small umbrellas. They will not keep your entire body dry but they keep the rain out of your face so you can see and you have both hands free to use on the strollers and kids. I have actually worn them and they are pretty comfortable and yet snug enough that they won't blow off unless there is a huge gust of wind.

Disney Springs is a great spot to visit on rainy days. You can go from shop to shop many times without evening going out into the weather. While you are there shopping you might consider taking in a game of bowling or a movie at the AMC theaters.

Take a Disney Vacation Club Tour. That's what we did and we are so glad we did. The DVC has been a wonderful purchase for our family. It is an opportunity to explore the DVC and be in out of the rain at the same time! - Steve & Susan Beck

Take advantage of the exercise rooms in most of the Disney hotels, a nice meal and maybe even a nap... the sun will come back soon enough. And, you will be refueled and energized, ready to go. - Mary Parker

One day it rained the entire day and we were lucky enough to have planned the tea with Alice that day. We took the monorail to the Grand Floridian where my daughter spent a wonderful hour with Alice and the Mad Hatter and my husband and I had a quiet hour together listening to the piano player in the lobby and watching the rain. We took the boat back to the Wilderness Lodge where she spent the rest of the afternoon at the Cub's Den making crafts. After dinner at the hotel where she rode in a hobby horse race, we sat and watched her have her character portrait drawn by the lobby artist. It was a wonderful day and we discovered many wonderful new things to do that we might not have done had it not rained. - Lisa Bliss

A great way to spend a potentially not-so-magical day is to visit Disney Springs. The shops are fantastic and are each beautifully themed. The Once Upon a Toy Store will keep the younger set busy with its interactive toy displays -- be sure to design your own Mr. Potato Head postcard for a fun and cheap (free!) souvenir. The outdoor LEGO play area is also sure to be a hit. As far as dining goes, there are plenty of options to please all members of your group. Disney Springs is also home to a huge movie theater and DisneyQuest -- an indoor interactive theme park good for a few hours of fun when the weather isn't wonderful. My family and I could easily spend an entire day wandering around Disney Springs. Regardless of the weather it's a great place to relax a bit after storming the parks. Enjoy! - Amanda Downs, Whitney Point, NY

Last time we were in Disney on a rainy day we took a bus to Disney Springs to the shops and bought a scrapbook and supplies. We then went back to the hotel and I started working on it while my husband plotted out the next day's itinerary. I even included a rainy day section with pictures of us stuck in the hotel room. I was able to do most of the scrapbook before we left Disney and I had something fun to show my coworkers when we came home. - Danielle Mahoney

My husband and I like to drive over to Disney Springs and do a movie marathon at the AMC24 theater. If we are at the BoardWalk Villas as DVC members when it is pouring, we try to grab a rocking chair on the deck outside the main lobby, curl up with a book and we have a great view of the lagoon and BoardWalk. - Shelley Bordo-Bracken

All Star Resorts - My husband, 4-year-old son and I just returned from a fantastic 10-day WDW trip and one of the best things we did was ship a small coffee pot with filters and coffee packets to our All-Star resort ahead of time since they do not provide coffee pots in those rooms. What a treat it was to just wake up and make our own personal pot of coffee each morning. The 4-cup pot at Walmart was only $19.99, and the filters/coffee were inexpensive. - Laureen EDITOR'S NOTE: The Family Suites at Art of Animation and All Star Music have coffee pots.

We tried to book a room for the first week of December. Not a single room was available at any Disney resort. The Disney representative suggested looking at a resort that was still on Disney property but not an actual Disney resort. She said the Buena Vista Palace had rooms available. They are located across from Disney Springs and offer bus service via Mears shuttles. I called them directly and because I'm a firefighter was able to get a greatly reduced rate that isn't offered at Disney resorts! (It's called the "government rate." I just had to show my firefighter ID when I checked in.) - Alexiss from MA

Here's a tip for traveling with a young child. We recently returned from Disney World with our grandson who turned 3 while we were there. I had taken his own toddler fork and spoon with us and it made mealtimes so much easier for him. The adult size cutlery is so big and cumbersome for such small hands. - Audrey G.

Getting out of the hotel room door can be a challenge if you have a child who takes about an hour trying to figure what she wants to wear and then another half-hour getting ready. I solved this problem for my daughter on a surprise trip with a friend. I wasn't going with her so I didn't want my friend to have to experience the same problem I did when we wanted to leave for early entry to the park but could never get out the door on time. I purchased gallon zipper bags with the white area for labeling. I assembled each day's outfit right down to the "unmentionables" in the bags with a happy note written on it. This included what accessories went with the outfit, including the shoes. Since this was a surprise, I wrote a separate letter that included detailed instructions for each outfit ensemble. Not only did my friend have a worry-free time, but my daughter really appreciated the time I put into it. I had such fun doing it, too. - Christine M.

I'm always looking for a way to relive the magic of the parks, so this last trip my family and I purchased a bunch of little inexpensive souvenirs like keychains, magnets, coffee mugs, etc. (A great place to find these is in Disney Springs at Mickey's Mart: Everything $10 and Under.) I left them in the bags, sealed them shut with a Disney sticker, took them home and put them in a box in an out-of-the-way spot. Now every time I need a little Disney Magic I just go to the goodie box, pull out a bag, and it takes me right back to my favorite place in the world. I also made one for my son -- he loves to go to the magic box (as he calls it) and get a Mickey Mouse sucker, a small toy, or a Disney book. You could also decorate the box you put the goodies in. It's a fun craft for you and your child to do together. - Linda Wooden

Take your Hidden Mickey book and head over to a hotel on an adventure looking for them. We were on one of the floors by a room looking for one when a family came out. They were very surprised when we showed them that a Hidden Mickey was right by them. - Sharon Petrow