Tips about Epcot, Kids, Mousecellaneous, Souvenirs and Special Events

Last time I went to Walt Disney World I bought a fleece shirt that had a "security tag" on it. Unfortunately, I did not realize until I got home that the cast member who checked me out never removed it. How frustrating! Do yourself a favor and double-check your clothes for those tags before leaving for home. - mkmouse

We reuse our popcorn containers we get from Disney. They come in handy for many things. Our main use for them is to cut up fruit, like watermelon or pineapple, and store the fruit in those containers. Then the kids can grab their fruit whenever they want some and it's already cut up. We also use them for markers and crayons, great storage containers. - Nicole Miller

ALL PARKS - A great way to save time if possible is to go to the park without a bag. We could not accomplish this on every park visit, but when we would go to Magic Kingdom for a short visit in the morning or evening, we packed small necessary items (camera, lip balm, antibacterial gel) in my husband and son's cargo pockets, wore our Photopass and tickets around our necks and breezed into the parks. - Tanya

The best investment of my recent trip at Disney was two notebooks and a couple of pencils. They were real lifesavers to entertain the girls while we were waiting, or just when they were bored. They used them at restaurants, on the buses, in the stroller, in the lines, waiting at the shows... and they also used them as autograph books. They ended up being the most useful thing I brought with me! - Melanie

All Resorts - If you have toddlers and/or crawling babies, it is a good idea to check the floor, including under the beds, for medications dropped from the previous resort guests. We found an unknown pill picked up by our one year old as he was scouting out the place. It only takes a minute and is well worth the effort! - Timothy

Before our current trip to the World we were trying to come up with a way to tell each of our water bottles apart in the insulated bag that we carry to the parks. We decided to use six different color ponytail holders, which we placed around each bottle. No confusion as to whose bottle was whose! - Gerrie Springer

Some tips for Epcot's Food and Wine Festival from AllEars: -- Some of the most popular food booths, such as Australia, Desserts & Champagne, Craft Beers, and Canada, have registers on both sides of the booth. We found that the side furthest away from Future World usually had a much shorter line. -- The food and wine vendors for Epcot's Food and Wine Festival close at 9 p.m. every night. Don't be surprised when you can't buy any food from the marketplaces during evening Extra Magic Hours. -- Stop at the Welcome Center before going into World Showcase for a free Passport to the Food and Wine Festival. You can check off the items you've sampled, jot notes on what you've tried, and get the passport stamped at each kiosk you visit. It's a great way to remember where that dessert, drink, or food came from that you liked so much, and it makes a wonderful free souvenir. -- Use the snack option of your Disney Dining Plan to pay for food items at the Epcot Food and Wine festival International Marketplaces. (DDP is not valid at other Food and Wine Festival events.) EDITOR'S NOTE: On select nights, Epcot and the Food Booths may be open later (typically on Friday and Saturday)

All Resorts - We just returned from a visit to the World. We have a 3-year-old, so upon check-in I asked if I could have a stepstool in the room so he would be able to easily use the sink to wash hands and brush teeth. I am happy to report they were able to accommodate my request! It was great! I thought other parents traveling with toddlers would find this helpful. - Amy Devoe

MNSSHP - If you're a fan of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs don't miss out on seeing and taking pictures with all of the Dwarfs! Get there early as this is a very rare occurrence (usually only at MNSSHP) and therefore the line forms rather early. Last year they were located next to the queue near Splash Mountain (near the restrooms), but check your MNSSHP map for their exact location. - Dana Spinelli

MNSSHP - My best tip for attending MNSSHP pertains to costumes. If you are attending in September or even early October, it is still very warm at night. I always feel bad for all the kids dressed up with layers of costumes in that heat. In order to combat the heat along with staying in the Halloween spirit, I have been making family t-shirt costumes for the past 8 years. I buy t-shirts for the whole family in Halloween colors (orange, green etc.) and I decorate them with puffy paint, decals, stickers, glitter, etc. The front always says the "Horan Family Halloween Costume". Not only does it make it easier to spot your family, but everyone stays cooler during the party while being in "costume". We've gotten many compliments from other guests as well as cast members, plus we have a souvenir from each year! - Angela Horan

MNSSHP - 1. Schedule some "down time" the afternoon of the party so everyone is well rested.

2. Don't try to be there right when the party starts, either go early or go a little later so as to avoid the back-ups on the buses and any crowds leaving the parks that are NOT attending the party.

3. If you have younger children, try hitting the characters/ trick-or-treat early and shoot for watching the second parade. That way they can trick-or-treat before getting too tired to walk and can just relax and watch the fireworks/parade before heading out (best of both worlds)! - Heather MacGregor

MNSSHP - Be sure to get there in advance and get the best seating, which is on the curb right in front of the Castle. From here you will be able to see the dance show on stage, then turn right around for the parade, which will follow immediately after. Once it is complete you can go toward Tomorrowland easily across the bridge, then head up toward Fantasyland, which is the most popular for children to trick-or-treat! Be sure to stop by the Haunted Mansion for a unique queue experience and ride! Once here you can go back down the bridge toward the castle to get a great view of the fireworks and pictures along Main Street! - Chad Simpson

MNSSHP - Make sure you and your family eat a good meal before you get to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party because many of the restaurants in the MK close before the party begins, and the ones that are open are packed with people trying to eat and change their little ones into costumes before the magic of trick or treating begins! Last year, which was our first time at the Halloween party, my family and I entered the MK before the party began, hoping to eat a nice meal before the festivities. Unfortunately, many of the restaurants were closing early. We ended up at the Pecos Bill counter service restaurant as a last resort, and it was very crowded and noisy. It took a long time to order and get our food. Next time, we'll eat somewhere outside of the park, so we won't miss a minute of the fun! - Susan Brown

We recently went to Walt Disney World with a 7-year-old and 5-year-old. We rented a stroller with a glider board, which saved the day. Both kids were able to either sit in the stroller or stand on the board, and we never heard, "I'm too tired of walking." The stroller also came with a storage area underneath, a mini-cooler bag and a parent tray to hold a few bottles of water! - Scott Paul

I enjoyed reading the article on tips for taking children on an airplane (AllEars® Issue #661, May 22, 2012). It reminded me of the first time I took my four young children (age 6 months, 4, 8 and 10 years) on a plane. We were going to meet up with Dad who was doing work out of state, so I was on my own with them. To prepare for the flight we did "airplane practice" at home. I lined up chairs in our living room in rows like on a plane. We practiced how we would walk through the airport in a row like a mama duck and her ducklings. They carried their backpacks. We practiced talking to the flight attendants and having snacks. We practiced appropriate behavior on the plane and I told them they could only go to the airplane bathroom one time. (I knew my son would think it was cool and want to keep going in there.) That trip was many years ago, before the enhanced security requirements implemented by TSA, but we did practice walking through security as well. The funny thing is they still remember having airplane practice and they are 15, 19, 23 and 25. We were reminiscing a few weeks ago about that very thing. They were laughing so hard about airplane practice and walking like a row of ducklings. The practice really worked because I got several compliments on how well they behaved on that trip. - Jennie Blakeney