Tips about Epcot, Mousecellaneous, PhotoPass, Planning and Souvenirs

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

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

I just placed a merchandise mail order online and the cast member was able to offer me an annual pass discount as long as I emailed or faxed her a copy of my pass. - Michael Landman

Girls who have long hair, when showering, need one towel for their body and one for their hair. To "go green" and save on hotel laundry, bring a turban made just for your wet hair. They can be bought in most big chain stores and online for a few dollars; they are small and dry in no time, cutting way down on the towels your family uses! - Patty

I always bring the small 3-ounce bathroom cups when I travel. They are great to use in the hotel when brushing your teeth. I have a 5-year-old son and sometimes the hotel provides glass drinking cups. Not a good thing for those little hands. The paper cups avoid any chance of him breaking the glass in the bathroom sinks. I also carry them around in the parks, too. They are great for handing out little snacks like gummy bears or goldfish crackers and make sharing a bottle of water easy as well. - hbryfogle

Our Disney booklet arrived a few weeks before our vacation. In the booklet there is a PhotoPass card. I decided to laminate it with a luggage tag pouch. While in Disney, my husband wore it around his neck on a lanyard. We used the type that you can unclip the lower part of the lanyard. It was easily available every time we found a PhotoPass photographer. They were also very thankful, because the card was clean and the code was easy to read. - Regina Cavacas

I always bring a cheap hand pump soap with me to use in my resort hotel. I hate using bar soap, especially since I share my hotel room, and it just never feels "clean" enough for me. I purchase a 99-cent hand pump soap before I go and put it in our resort bathroom upon arrival. I'll tell you, it beats using the slippery little Mickey soap bar the Disney resort hotels provide! - Kim

I just returned from WDW and had a great time. While there we enjoyed the PhotoPass+ card. It was awesome and well worth the price. I have seen mentioned many places the concern that only one card is issued, and that even though you can use the regular PhotoPass cards in conjunction, only the red card can be used on rides and other special events. This is a problem, because if members of your group separate for some time, not everyone has the card. Well, early in our week, without even asking, a photographer shared some very important information. He said that if the people in your party take pictures of the card, with cellphones for example, the PhotoPass camera readers are able to read the code. This way groups can split up and still take advantage of the Photopass+ card. - Doug Means

It has been many years since our first trip but I wanted to share a very valuable tip. Before you go, log onto Disney's website and order or print the park maps and study them extensively before your trip. I had read about the crowds and knew that if we didn't half way know where we were going, we would be lost. I studied the routes to the rides that we wanted to ride first, the restaurants we wanted to eat at and of course where the bathrooms were located. These parks are huge and knowing which way to start was super helpful. - Mindy

Buy a post card for each day of your Disney vacation on the first day. Each evening write down the day's highlights and mail the postcard to your home address from the hotel's front desk or postal box in the lobby. When you return home, you'll have a day by day 'mini journal' of what you did each day. So many of us plan to journal every day but after a day or two forget about it. Postcards are quick and easy! - Judith

I was all set with extra batteries on our last trip, however finding a screwdriver was the problem. I will be packing one of the all-in-one screwdrivers I found at the dollar store next trip. - Jennifer C.

I found that there is a Disney Gift Card app for iPhones. This keeps track of what's left on your cards, and what the transactions are. I believe that it is only available for the iPhone. To get it, just go into the App Store on your iPhone and search for "Disney Gift Card app." It's a free app. I downloaded it and put in the info for our wrist cards, and it showed our balance. Real easy. I'm loving it already! One thing -- you have to pick a character for each card. I do not think that you can have the same image for two cards. - Dave Adams

ALL PARKS - Just a reminder to check when counter service restaurants close. We were at Disney's Hollywood Studios three weeks ago, counting on eating our meal at one of the counter service restaurants. All were closed by 8:15, except for the one closest to Fantasmic, so we had to eat at Mama Melrose's and pay $150. It was a lovely meal, but we were on the dining plan and had carefully planned when to use our dining credits. - Ellen

Our friends at ALL STAR Vacation Homes send in these tips to remember when booking a vacation home:

-- Verify that the vacation rental services and facilities are reliable. Look for third-party endorsements on vacation rental websites and membership in industry associations, including AAA, Better Business Bureau, Vacation Rental Managers Association, local conventions and visitors bureaus or other tourism and vacation rental management groups. It is also helpful to read guest reviews, comments and testimonials and listings on guest review websites.

-- Review the terms and conditions of the rental agreement carefully. If you have any questions, be sure to inquire prior to reserving a home.

-- Only make reservations over a secure website or phone system that has the ability to accept major credit cards. You should expect to make a security or a reservation deposit.

-- Consider and inquire about travel insurance. Many professional management companies offer travel insurance to provide coverage should any unexpected or last minute emergencies cause a change to your travel plans.

-- Check for guest service contact. The vacation rental company should provide an emergency contact number that you can call at any time for maintenance issues, questions and guest services.

-- Choose a vacation home managed by a professional management company. Vacation rentals managed by a professional management company ensure quality and consistency, and present a variety of hospitality services, including professional cleaning and concierge services. Look for an "About Us" section on the vacation rental website for an established company history.