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

We tried to book a room for the first week of December. Not a single room was available at any Disney resort. The Disney representative suggested looking at a resort that was still on Disney property but not an actual Disney resort. She said the Buena Vista Palace had rooms available. They are located across from Disney Springs and offer bus service via Mears shuttles. I called them directly and because I'm a firefighter was able to get a greatly reduced rate that isn't offered at Disney resorts! (It's called the "government rate." I just had to show my firefighter ID when I checked in.) - Alexiss from MA

All Star Resorts - If you're staying at the All Star Movies, one extremely useful tip is to use the bus for the All Star Music resort when coming back from the theme parks at night, and simply walk over to All Star Movies. The Music buses are by far less crowded than the Movies (seeing as the Movies is a more popular resort), and the short walk between the resorts is much more enjoyable than standing in line for an hour trying to get on the All Star Movies bus. - Lindsay P.

Here's a tip for traveling with a young child. We recently returned from Disney World with our grandson who turned 3 while we were there. I had taken his own toddler fork and spoon with us and it made mealtimes so much easier for him. The adult size cutlery is so big and cumbersome for such small hands. - Audrey G.

ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE - We just returned from our annual visit to Disney World. We stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge for the second time. On our previous visit, the Sunset Safari of the three savannahs was only offered to concierge level guests. It has recently been opened to all hotel guests. My husband is handicapped, but the truck was equipped with a wheelchair lift so he was still able to take the tour. The tour also included dinner at Jiko. It was a great experience, and one I would highly recommend to any guests staying at the resort. - Kimberly Shannon

Getting out of the hotel room door can be a challenge if you have a child who takes about an hour trying to figure what she wants to wear and then another half-hour getting ready. I solved this problem for my daughter on a surprise trip with a friend. I wasn't going with her so I didn't want my friend to have to experience the same problem I did when we wanted to leave for early entry to the park but could never get out the door on time. I purchased gallon zipper bags with the white area for labeling. I assembled each day's outfit right down to the "unmentionables" in the bags with a happy note written on it. This included what accessories went with the outfit, including the shoes. Since this was a surprise, I wrote a separate letter that included detailed instructions for each outfit ensemble. Not only did my friend have a worry-free time, but my daughter really appreciated the time I put into it. I had such fun doing it, too. - Christine M.

I'm always looking for a way to relive the magic of the parks, so this last trip my family and I purchased a bunch of little inexpensive souvenirs like keychains, magnets, coffee mugs, etc. (A great place to find these is in Disney Springs at Mickey's Mart: Everything $10 and Under.) I left them in the bags, sealed them shut with a Disney sticker, took them home and put them in a box in an out-of-the-way spot. Now every time I need a little Disney Magic I just go to the goodie box, pull out a bag, and it takes me right back to my favorite place in the world. I also made one for my son -- he loves to go to the magic box (as he calls it) and get a Mickey Mouse sucker, a small toy, or a Disney book. You could also decorate the box you put the goodies in. It's a fun craft for you and your child to do together. - Linda Wooden

ALL PARKS - If you have kids, bring a change of clothing for them to the parks! I know this must seem like something everyone knows, but we didn't! During our first trip ever to WDW last December my then 4-year-old daughter found the water sprinklers at Pooh's Playful Spot in Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom. She went in to play and the next thing I knew she was soaked from the water! It was tough, too, because it was a tad chilly and we didn't bring a change of clothing for her. Finding young kids' clothes at Disney is not easy! I did manage to get a pair of Mickey sweatpants, a T-shirt and a pair of socks for my daughter at one of the shops in Fantasyland. So my tip is to bring a change of clothes even for the 4-5 year olds! - Jennifer K.

ALL PARKS - If you have kids, bring a change of clothing for them to the parks! I know this must seem like something everyone knows, but we didn't! During our first trip ever to WDW last December my then 4-year-old daughter found the water sprinklers at Pooh's Playful Spot in Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom. She went in to play and the next thing I knew she was soaked from the water! It was tough, too, because it was a tad chilly and we didn't bring a change of clothing for her. Finding young kids' clothes at Disney is not easy! I did manage to get a pair of Mickey sweatpants, a T-shirt and a pair of socks for my daughter at one of the shops in Fantasyland. So my tip is to bring a change of clothes even for the 4-5 year olds! - Jennifer K.

I've found a perfect way to keep the magic going from my long ago trip to WDW and get my daily dose of Disney at the same time. I tune to MouseWorld Radio on Live365.com. I'm able to listen at work and be transported to WDW. Listening to the Magic Kingdom atmosphere music always puts me in a happy mood! - Donia Camarena

EDITOR'S NOTE: Thanks, Donia! We love MouseWorld Radio, too! And a big ALL EARS® hello to MouseWorld Radio's Mike Newell!

All Resorts - We recently spent five days at Port Orleans and during check-in were asked if we needed any help with reservations. We responded that we did not, we already had dining reservations, so the Cast Member told us to stop at the lobby concierge desk and they would print out an itinerary for us. We did so and were pleased to see that in addition to our reservation locations, times and confirmation numbers, our Backstage Safari Tour was also listed on the itinerary. - Leland Groves

My husband and I were in Disney World last month and we took with us pins of our city. We know that Cast Members can only trade Disney pins, but we gave out our pins to Cast Members who made our trip extra magical. It was a great way to show our appreciation and a good conversation piece, too. The smiles on the faces of the Cast Members made us feel like we, too, had spread some Disney magic. - Sue from Pittsburgh

By the sixth day of our WDW vacation, our 6-year-old daughter had lost her stamina, and was walking very slowly and lagging behind the rest of the family. We were at Epcot that day and had stopped by Guest Relations when we first arrived to make a dining reservation. They had given our daughter a long, thin balloon (the kind that are normally twisted into shapes, though this one was not). The balloon temporarily lifted her spirits, but soon afterwards she was back to walking slow and falling behind. My husband came up with the idea that the balloon holder was the "line leader." This turned out to be a great idea! My daughter loved playing the role of "leader," marching ahead and holding her balloon high in the air for us to follow. This simple game kept its appeal for most of the morning, upon which time her energy had returned and she was back to her usual, energetic self for the rest of the day! - Mindi S.

ALL PARKS - While standing in lines for rides that might have a long wait, my children bring along a deck of cards and take turns playing magician and guessing which card the other one picked. They also have a note pad each to write on and I get them to write down their favorite part of the day so far. Having some small snacks on hand also helps to keep them from getting bored. We bring animal cookies, crackers etc. -- nothing that is too messy. - Jackie Pluim

ALL PARKS - While standing in lines for rides that might have a long wait, my children bring along a deck of cards and take turns playing magician and guessing which card the other one picked. They also have a note pad each to write on and I get them to write down their favorite part of the day so far. Having some small snacks on hand also helps to keep them from getting bored. We bring animal cookies, crackers etc. -- nothing that is too messy. - Jackie Pluim

My daughter, Kathleen, had a wiggly tooth on our recent trip to Disney World and the Tooth Fairy normally leaves her a gold dollar in return for her tooth. However, the Tooth Fairy had a momentary lapse about Kathleen going to Disney World and left the gold dollars at home. After searching high and low for a gold dollar, the Tooth Fairy was about to give up when a Cast Member suggested a Disney Dollar. Lo and behold, here was the answer! The Tooth Fairy went searching and found a wonderfully crisp Cinderella Disney Dollar to place under the pillow. Not only was my daughter thrilled to get a Cinderella Disney Dollar, but it also has this year's imprint on the dollar. Additionally because she was at WDW, the Tooth Fairy obviously thought that losing the tooth there meant an even more special reward. My daughter is still talking about her Disney tooth. - Roxanne