Tips about Epcot, Mousecellaneous, Packing, Planning and Resorts

This summer, my family decided to give back a little to the Cast Members who make each stay even more magical. Before leaving home, we printed (using print programs that are out there on the Web) character thank you cards. Each card had a different princess or Tinker Bell on it, and said something nice like, "We put your service to the test, and you're the best!" or "Thank you for making our vacation magical!" We added our family name, hometown, and "Summer 2004." We printed them out, and each member of our family got a sheet of their own to color. After coloring, we laminated them. Once in the park, we handed them out to Cast Members who we felt had gone above and beyond the call of "normal magic." Most of the Cast Members we handed them out to were so surprised and thanked *us*! We really enjoyed doing this, and I feel sure that it will be a new tradition for our family. - Ashlee Farris

When we go down we ship down [to our resort] a variety of food etc via UPS. We send down coffee, bagels, peanut butter, jelly coffee filters, cereal (Disney themed of course), snacks, iced tea and kool aid mix to name a few things. It takes about 5 days from Vermont. We address it including our ressie number and arrival date. When we check in they tell us there's a package waiting. It sure beats hauling a lot down and beats the prices at Orlando stores. - Heidi Coughlin EDITOR'S NOTE: Resorts with convention services will issue a delivery charge for all packages shipped.

If you plan on visiting WDW during the winter months, buy several pairs of those "magic" stretch gloves before you leave for your trip. If a cold front comes through during your visit and you need gloves, you'll be happy you bought them before you left home. The parks sells them for $6.00 a pair. Quite a difference in price than what your local Wal-Mart sells them for. - Noreen Rachuba

From time to time people want to know the location of the closest church to WDW. Now you can search: http://masstimes.org. You can search for services in any state and town. They even have city maps, too. I thought this might be helpful to anyone wanting to go to services while on vacation. Tina

ALL PARKS - On our last trip to Disney we brought our own 2 way radios. This came in extremely handy and we were able to separate and change plans as we needed. We had to share the frequency with quite a few other people, but if you don't mind waiting your turn, it really is a convenient way to communicate if you decide to split up. - Sharmon Simonetti

ALL PARKS - Assign a meeting place IN THE SHADE! Meeting by the fountain at Epcot is great except it can be brutal in the afternoon sun. Better to meet at one of the Innovations cafes where you can stay cool and relax if your party is late. - D. Hamilton

We always pack a plastic garbage bag in our suitcase to use for wet swimsuits and other items that are not completely dry before you leave for home. Also, pack a suitcase inside of a suitcase if you are not taking that much so you will have something to pack souvenirs in. I usually pack a small duffle bag to use as my carry-on when I return so I can make sure my breakables get home safely. One of our larger suitcases is used just for dirty clothing and it goes right to the laundry room when we get home. We roll the dirty clothes to make more room in the suitcase. - Sonny Huffman

We have been going to WDW since our children were toddlers. Now they are all teenagers (and beyond), but this tip is still good. We have them bring plastic beverage holders that can clip onto a fanny belt. They start out with water, but if we ate a meal in the park, frequently there would still be some beverage left from the meal. The kids would fill the bottle with the leftover drink and take it with them. This has worked well over the years. - Anne Cioffi

When packing for the children I pack a zip-lock bag for each outfit. It holds their shorts, shirt, socks, undies, etc. When we get to the resort it is very easy for them to unpack they just open the drawer and in goes a bunch of zip locks! In the morning they just pull one out and there are no issues about what goes with what etc! I iron all their clothes and they stay wonderfully pressed in the bags. They also save a tremendous amount of space in their suitcases, which leaves room for the really important things like stuffed animals and game boys!

I also bring a folding clothes drying rack and a collapsible mesh hamper, both of which can be found at Target or Wal-Mart. These items are indispensable to me. I use the clothes drying rack for hanging up wet bathing suits or laundry on the balcony or in the rooms. The mesh hamper has handles so it is easy to carry down to the laundry room--I even have one that has separators for whites, colors, etc. I can't tell you how many people have stopped me in the halls and asked me where I got it! - Tracey

We just returned from our trip to Disney World. The night we went to Fantasmic I knew we would be sitting for a while waiting for the show to begin. The best investment I made was buying one of those soft folding stadium seats. I carried it with me like a purse. Even used the side mesh pocket to carry drinks to our seats. We waited for over an hour and a half for the show to begin but I didn't mind - I was very comfortable with my seat padding and back support! - Marilyn Lewis

Be flexible with making your ADR dining arrangements. If the table you want is unavailable try different combinations -- 2 tables of 2 instead of one table of four; a 3-2 split rather than a table of 5, etc. Splitting up your group for just an hour or so may be the way to go, given that you're spending all day and all night together for several days on end. Splitting up may also allow you to gain more flexibility in changing ADR reservations without penalty if, after several days in the parks, someone in your party says "I don't need to see any more characters, I'll stay at the hotel, sleep late and meet you later, go and enjoy!" - Phylis

ALL PARKS - There is another show at WDW that most people miss; sit down and watch the other guests. You will never see so diverse an amount of tennis shoes, fashion statements or age groups. - CMarlan

For our past couple of trips to WDW and elsewhere we have double labeled our bags. One set of labels we had pre-maid with just our last name on them in a bold green color. The other luggage tags we bought at the hardware store and they are in neon colors - pink, yellow, orange and green. We can't miss our luggage as it comes around on the conveyor belt. Michele M. McQuillen

GRAND FLORIDIAN - My tip is to enjoy the fireworks from the boat launch dock at the Grand Floridian. We had just finished the truly remarkable key lime creme brulee at Narcoossee's and some of us just wandered up to the dock. The lights lowered, the voice came over the speaker: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS! And with the lagoon shimmering before us, we enjoyed the wonderful sight of Wishes -- with all the music, but without the crowds of Main Street. Personally, I also love being in the big crowd, but it was truly magical, and totally free! Just hop the monorail over to the Grand Floridian and follow the signs to the boat. It was a wonderful moment! - Judy

ALL RESORTS - If you need cash and hate paying those outrageous ATM fees, simply cash a personal check at the front desk. There is no charge for this service and they will cash up to $100 a day. - Bob and Kate Salazar