Tips about Food & Beverage, Keep The Magic Alive, Kids and Mousecellaneous

After having almost missed dinner because we did not have our confirmation number and they could not find us in the computer, I now keep all of our confirmation numbers, dining places, and times in the calendar on my cell phone. That way when I am in the park I have dining reservations literally a fingertip away -- no more forgetting them in the room. - pigget74

Wanting our kids to have the items they "needed" at WDW but wanting to build the magic before and during the trip, we decided to bring our own treat box and let the girls "shop" from that box before each day's activities began. I gave each girl a fanny pack or small backpack, water bottle and an autograph book/pen on the airplane. I packed a small shoebox with treats (gum, mints, fruit roll-ups, cookies, etc.) and another with Disney-related trinkets (keychains, playing cards, stickers, personal fan, etc.). Each morning the girls "shopped" for edible treats to place in their backpacks and a trinket -- this sometimes eliminated them even wanting to shop at a gift shop during the day! I saved countless dollars and had a great time selecting the items for the treat boxes. - Diana L. Maslowski

Ever wonder how much walking you do at the different parks, or on different days? So did we. A couple of years ago I bought an inexpensive pedometer basically for this purpose. You may want to consider this, as it gives you a little more to talk about after your vacation. We keep a daily log of the miles we walk and share it with our friends back home. Also you will either confirm what you already think about how far you walk, or you may be quite surprised that you walked as far as you did. Just a note -- we always rack up the most miles on our days at Epcot. - Bob Rogers

As a vegetarian I was very concerned when my family wanted to go to the German pavilion in Epcot to have supper. Germans are known for their love of meat! I went in and asked the man at the front about vegetarian choices. He turned out to be the chef, who asked me what I liked to eat and then told me to get anything I would like from the buffet and he would be back. Oh my gosh, he came back with the best pasta dish I have ever eaten in my life! (I tried to coax him home with me, but to no avail.) If you don't see anything that you prefer on the buffet line, just ask. We now stop here every year when we come. - Lori Beros

I just got off the phone with WDW Dining and they have changed how far in advance you can book the Hoop Dee Do Revue -- from two years to 180 days. - Rich

EDITOR'S NOTE: You can now book seatings at most WDW sit down restaurants up to 180 days in advance.

My kids love Disney, so all year long I save all the bags from shopping both at the resort and stores. At holiday/birthday time these bags become great wrapping paper. I cut off the bottoms and turn them into sheets and, voila, quick and cute. We're in the process of planning our next vacation and seeing their Disney wrapped gifts just gets them more excited about our trip. It's also a great way to cater to everyone's favorites. This year we have everything from Buzz, Mickey, Princesses, and Chicken Little to Narnia to wrap in. - T.S. from Madison, WI

In response to the tip from PJ from Huntsville, AL, regarding asking a restaurant for children's food even if it's not on the menu, that may be true for SOME of the restaurants, but definitely NOT true at Akershus in Norway at Epcot. We were at the Princess Lunch there, and there was nothing on the menu that my daughter would eat. I asked the server if it would be possible to get chicken fingers, french fries, anything at all, and she said no, only the food on the menu was available. So be warned -- if you have a picky eater, skip the Princess Lunch at Akershus in Norway, or at least eat before you go in -- and understand you will be paying just for your little one to meet the Princesses and not eat! An extra note: it is a great meet and greet -- five princesses were there (Cinderella, Belle, Ariel, Aurora and Jasmine), and they were gracious, beautiful, and in no rush -- every single child got a picture and conversation with each of them. It was my daughter's birthday, and every single one of them wished her, "Happy Birthday, Princess!" It made her day, and mine! - DM from Mamaroneck, NY

In response to Shawna's tip from last week regarding children's foods at 'Ohana, we recently found out that this should be available at all WDW restaurants. We were dining at the Hollywood Brown Derby and asked our waiter what the children's menu was like since we are expecting our first child and would hate to have to give up our favorite restaurants for a while. Our waiter told us that most WDW sit down restaurants can make most typical children's food favorites -- hot dogs, mac & cheese, chicken fingers, etc. -- whether they are on the menu or not. Just ask! - PJ

I noticed in some of the online forums that many people will use their vacation as a reason or inspiration to get in shape. After all, you will need your "walkin' shoes" in the World! I, too, have begun walking in the mornings for exercise... inspired by our pending trip to that Magical Place! My tip is: there are many new sources for podcasts about Disney World. Listening to these podcasts really makes your walk go quickly! You don't need an iPod to listen; any MP3 player will do, or even burn them to disc for your old-fashioned CD Walkman! - Tom in Connecticut

EDITOR'S NOTE: We're aware of several Disney podcasts that have started up in recent months -- there's MouseTunes found at: http://mousetunes.com/ There are also the podcasts at WDWToday.com -- be sure to check out Episodes #19 and #22, which feature ALL EARS® editors Deb Wills and Deb Koma, discussing their book (PassPorter's Walt Disney World for Your Special Needs). We're sure there are other podcasts out there, too -- do a quick internet search if you're interested in finding more.

I am not a "ride person," so when we are at the parks at night I'm usually waiting somewhere in the crowd when my husband and son come off the rides. I stock up on glow sticks at our local dollar store, and as long as I remember what color my son is wearing, can spot him easily, especially when he waves it in the air! Perhaps I should be wearing one as well? - Cindy Strong

For parents interested in eating at 'Ohana at the Polynesian Resort, we just learned while there last week that they do have a few items available for children that are not listed on the menu. So, if you have picky eaters, be sure to ask. Macaroni and cheese and PB&J can be more appealing to some kids than the Polynesian fare 'Ohana has to offer. - Shawna

While preparing for our trip and reading all the tips I could find, I came across the tip about getting the dish wipes for washing out the refillable cups or anything else you might need to wash. I thought that it was an excellent tip and set out to try to find them. I looked in every store in my area trying to find them, but could not. Finally I decided to try to make my own. I got some thick baby wipes and laid them flat on the kitchen counter. I squeezed on some dish soap and left them to dry until the next day. When they were dry, I put them in a zipper top bag. It worked perfectly and I was able to use things I already had around the house! - Angela B.

Goofy's Candy Co. in Disney Springs has an area next to the cash register that offers large danish and pastries, bagels, coffee, etc., that you can purchase and save for a great breakfast the next morning in your room. The cost was extremely reasonable: danish - $1.25, huge sticky buns - $1.50, and bagels were only $1.00. All were very delicious and filling. They even include butter and cream cheese along with utensils and napkins. If your day of arrival to Disney is late in the day or early evening and you don't want to use a hopper pass for only a few evening hours in a major park, try Disney Springs instead. It's a great way to get in some "Disney," shop, eat, see a fireworks display at midnight, and get breakfast items for the next day to have with the in-room coffee. These sweet treats also came in handy to keep in our room to satisfy a late evening sweet tooth craving after being in the parks all day. - Susan Fadel

We have visited Walt Disney World 10 times over the last eight years. Needless to say, we've dined at quite a few of the restaurants. Sometimes when you are hot and sweaty, you just don't want a big meal, and salads seem to be a perfect choice. Here are some of my favorites: 1) The chicken salad at Pecos Bill's is delicious. The lime vinaigrette is superb. The salad is so large, two could share! 2) Chicken Caesar Salad at Pizzafari in the Animal Kingdom. There is just enough dressing on the salad without taking away from the delicious mesquite-flavored chicken. 3) Vegetarian Salad at Liberty Inn in Epcot. The salad has lots of veggies, including romaine lettuce, huge black olives and red peppers. You would never know the vinaigrette was low-fat! 4) China Salad at Rainforest Cafe at Disney Springs. A salad unlike any other -- chock full of crisp lettuce, potato sticks and rice noodles. Very unusual.- Lisa McBride

AllEars.Net team member Glo from Miami offers these tips on traveling with a toddler who's potty-training:
We've been to Disney with our grandson who was in the midst of potty-training for at least two visits. (It was a LONG process!) First, mark the locations of the Baby Centers on your map. There is one in each park and they are absolutely great places to take the little ones to cool off for a bit, watch some Disney videos on TV, rock in a chair, play with other children AND (drum roll, please!) use child-sized potties! They are also the place to go if you need diapers, pull-ups, wipes or any other needs such as that.

Second, use Post-It Notes! Those self-flush potties scare the daylights out of the little ones. Take a small pad of Post-It Notes with you, and when you enter the bathroom stall, put one over the sensor on the wall. That way, your child can sit there as long as he wants to, get down, get his pants pulled up and be out the door before you pull the paper off the sensor, drop it in the trash and close the door. The potty will flush a few seconds later, but you'll be all the way to the sinks to wash hands by then.

Third, think proactively: How long will it be from the time you decide to leave the park until you're back at your resort? How long will you be waiting in line for an attraction? How long is that line to get Mickey's autograph? Plan accordingly. Don't even bother asking, "Do you have to go to the potty?" Just say, "It's time to go to the potty," and go! If your child really, really doesn't have to go, what have you lost but a few minutes? But, if you ask and he/she says "no" just because he/she doesn't want to interrupt the fun, then you're going to have a problem somewhere down the line.

For more information read our Infant and Toddler FAQ at: http://allears.net/pl/infant.htm