Tips about Epcot, Packing, Planning and Resorts

I just read your article on planning for a large group. In October 2002, I brought my entire family (parents, sisters and their families) of 15 to WDW. In order to include everyone in the decision-making process, my family (the fanatics) prepared questionnaires that were sent to each family member, regardless of age (we ranged 9-80). The first questionnaire was broad and had different categories of likes and dislikes (parades, fireworks, swimming, parks, sleeping late, buffets vs. sit down vs. fast food, etc.) to determine what each person wanted to do. The second then gave each person three choices of what to do each day, morning, afternoon, and night -- one of which was ALWAYS "be on your own." We all stayed at the same hotel (Polynesian) and came and went according to what we had chosen. All 15 of us were only required to be together for three meals during the five days we were there. The groups constantly changed, and a fabulous time was had by all! We definitely recommend polling your traveling companions so everyone feels involved. - Margie Smith

ALL STAR MOVIES - If you stay at the All-Star Movies Resort, try to stay in the Mighty Ducks area. You are close to the buses for All-Star Music, which are less crowded, and you can choose either bus to return on. You can also choose either food court if one is too busy. The pool is close and not as crowded as the main pool. It is also quiet. The rooms facing the parking and trees are in the shady side of the building and are less expensive. - John Harman

Scotchgard those canvas sneakers before you leave home for WDW! Apply several coats, and allow plenty of drying time between applications. Dry feet make those sudden Florida downpours a whole lot more bearable! - Mary Mitchell

On our last visit we packed empty plastic luggage bags that you are supposed to pack your clothing in and then roll up to get the air out. I find that utilizing them that way leaves you with wrinkled clothes when you arrive. I use them to put dirty laundry in. When filled, seal them and then roll them up to get the air out. This will leave you with plenty of room in your luggage for souvenirs. - Rose Jackameit

I'm organizing a Disney World family reunion for 13 people, ranging in age from 5 up to 79. We all have various Disney experiences from total rookie to very experienced. Needless to say, it's been interesting. My tip is how to get everyone informed of important data needed every day of the stay. I used the template in Word for business cards and made up paper cards with the following information:

1. Their name (so they can easily identify their packet)
2. Everyone's cell phone numbers (we'll use these for communication since we'll be spliting up every day)
3. The resort phone number and a place to put the room number on it once we know it
4. For the five year old, I made a card that said "Hi, my name is Jane Doe and I'm traveling with my mother Mary Doe. I just turned five years old" - I did this on the advice from a Cast Member who said that lots of kids who get lost clam up and even forget their own name, let alone their parent's name. Also, all the reservations are in my name so even doing a search on the five year old's last name wouldn't turn up anything.
5. For the adults, everyone will have a card listing what the five year old is wearing that day - I did this on the advice of the same Cast Member who said that's the first thing they ask lost parents - what their child is wearing. Most can't remember.

I put all this information into inexpensive holders (the kind you use for sports cards works well and costs about 25 cents each). Everyone can easily slip their admission ticket, room key (the five year old will not have one), driver's license, and a credit card into the holder too. This way, all daily information and ID are in one handy packet. - Sheri Niklewski

ALL PARKS - I purchased "The Unofficial Guide to WDW" book before our trip. I tore out the pages in the back of the book (the ones that suggest which attractions to see and in which order -- a very valuable tool) and laminated them. I then punched a hole in a corner of each page. As we set off for a certain park for the day, I would attach that set of pages with a binder ring to my fanny pack. I then had a quick reference guide for all the attractions and restaurants in that park. It was outside my fanny pack so I could look at it quickly without having to open my fanny pack each time. It was laminated so if it rained, the pages were not ruined, and they could withstand a lot of abuse. I took along a Sharpie marker and marked off each attraction as we visited it so I could see at a glance where we'd been and where we were supposed to go next. It worked out very well for our trip. - Lisa Kent

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