Tips about Food & Beverage and Health

MAGIC KINGDOM - I've found that making a lunch reservation as early as possible at Crystal Palace is far better than the breakfast. You can get to the park early and get a lot of stuff done before the crowds pour in and then take a break in the air conditioning! - Julie Budd

Disney goes out of its way to accommodate people with mobility issues, but for those who opt against the motorized scooters, please remember: Although one doesn't think of the parks as having significant ups and downs, the truth is those walkways and lovely bits of landscaping often disguise some serious slopes and inclines. If your wheelchair rider has some weight, don't expect him or her to be able to propel that chair all day long at a fast clip. Feet, backs, and legs are going to get really tired. Before you get to the parks, consider whether renting a scooter would be more practical and/or fit into your budget. If you decide on the push chair for whatever reason, don't expect to cover as much ground as you might have, unless you have several adults who can swap off providing the extra boost (or ballast!) needed to get up and down those slanting pathways. I mention ballast because what goes up laboriously will come down the same slope at a frightening speed if someone doesn't act like a drag chute on a race car! - Joyce A. Deen

If you go to the Winn-Dixie store, sign up for a free money saving card...you will save even more with each purchase! - Ricke Z

My wife and I have found a great way to save money on food if you have a car or the car service will make a grocery stop. We drive out to the Publix supermarket on Rte 192. The way we save on water is we buy several gallon jugs of Publix water and then a 50 oz bottle of the same water. We continue to refill the smaller bottle from the gallon jugs. Using the 50 oz bottle gives you a good supply of water for a good part of the day and saves a fortune by not having to pay the high theme park prices for a small bottle of water. The water may not be ice cold but it is very cheap. - Andy & Denise

If you are making your own drinks adding sugar or Kool-Aid powder to gallon water jugs, be sure to pack a funnel from home. I did this on the last trip and it made adding the powder and sugar to the containers a cinch! - Wendy Wilson

I carry corn pads and antibiotic ointment (Bacitracin) in my bag. If you get a blister, put the corn pad on so that the blister is in the hole in the center. Squirt the ointment in the hole and put a band aid over the whole thing. The corn pad, since it is cushiony, keeps pressure off the blister, and the ointment heals and cools it off. - Lynn LaMunyon

To prevent blisters (we did alot of walking and no one had an issue with their feet) use bandaid blister pads and put them on normally where you would blister. Prevention is better than reacting to a blister. If you don't remember, feel the feet for some hardened areas. The biggest tip that I did was buy Dr. Scholls foot powder. The key is to keep the feet dry at all times. I put the powder on our feet and in our shoe and always had a pair of clean socks. - Terry Ammirati

When we went to WDW on vacation last year, I packed one suitcase full of snacks and non-perishable food (i.e. mini cereal boxes, cereal bars, various pre-packaged snack packs, juice boxes). Our entire family was able to eat a quick breakfast before going to the parks, have mid-day park munchies, and late evening snacks. The suitcase was then used to bring home dirty laundry at the end of the trip. - Julie Duffy

My wife and I like to do a "monorail meal" when we visit: We get a salad at the Polynesian, get on the monorail, then stop at Grand Floridian for the main course. Then we get back on the monorail, and stop at the Contemporary for dessert. This is for people who have visited often, want to spend time out of the parks, spend a little shopping time in each hotel and just take your time. Start early! - Ford Adam

ANIMAL KINGDOM - A lot of people just run right by Pizzafari on the way to the Safari. My friends had been there 3 times and never knew what Pizzafari even was. The building blends in with the tropical plants and trees. It is awesome inside. The most themed quick food restaurant I have seen in Disney World. When you finally take your eyes off the ceiling, floors and walls (I love the snails and frogs!) you will notice they have great food for sale. - Elaine Taddeo

If you have someone in your party who is allergic to bug stings, etc., purchase (before the trip) the "new" Benadryl Tabs that can be taken without water. My son was stung by a wasp while waiting in line for "It's Tough To Be A Bug." We were very thankful that we had thought to pack some of these in our bellybags, as we were able to give him the Benadryl immediately, instead of getting out of line and running to buy a drink!

On www.mcdonalds.com, there is a trip planning feature that will map your route and give you the locations of all McDonald's within even .5 miles. It also tells you if there is a PlayPlace and Drive-Thru. This is invaluable for those of us driving two 4-year-olds for 24+ hours. Go to the restaurant locator and scroll down to Trip Planner. - Laurie

I think a lot of times people forget (or do not know) that there is a Wal-Mart pretty close to WDW, in Kissimmee. We have been there on many of our trips, and they have a lot of great Disney T-shirts and souvenirs, not to mention that they're one of the cheapest places to buy food and sunscreen. - Christy R. Tripp

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you're driving from the airport and want a grocery stop, be sure to check out our directions page, which includes area stores: http://allears.net/pl/directions.php

Food & BeverageSouvenirs

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Don't forget the First Aid Centers. Before a trip to Disney World in October my daughter had her braces adjusted. While in Disney she began having problems. She asked me for wax and I hadn't brought any. On a whim we stopped in to the First Aid Center and lo and behold they had wax! I just couldn't believe that they had even thought of that. It was a great save and definitely helped our trip. - Amy Oliger

Take care of your feet! We always carry a pair of flip-flops or sliders in our backpacks when in the parks. We put these on for wet rides (Kali River Rapids or Splash Mountain) or in the event of a notorious Florida pop-up storm. Walking around for hours in wet shoes and socks will make your feet miserable. We also stock up on moleskin (you can get it in rolls or sheets and cut it to fit). On our last trip we started Day One by applying moleskin to areas we thought might blister. We still had tired feet, but getting ahead of the blisters made a big difference! - Jen