Tips about Food & Beverage and Keep The Magic Alive

We purchased four inexpensive framed cork boards, one for each member of our family. We use the maps from the various parks for the background and purchase pins that symbolize those memorable moments we have at Disney, e.g. first ride, first time staying at a resort. We also use the pins to attach leftover fast passes, room keys and other little tidbits we picked up on our trip. This is our version of the scrapbook and we can display it on our family room wall. - tcgaspie

Our daughter was only 4 the first time we took her Walt Disney World and we thought she might forget quite a bit of her trip, so we typed up each night that we were there what we did each day so we wouldn't forget. When we got home, we filled a Disney photo album with 200 pictures and labeled the days. Before each day is the typed sheet of the daily events and comments (written diary style) that she can read and then look at the day's pictures to remember her trips. - Lisa Thompson

Create a simple, inexpensive scrapbook. Before a magical vacation, look for Disney theme stickers on sale and a scrapbook with at least 15 - 20 pages at a discount store such as Walmart or Target. While on your magical vacation save 'free' items such as a few unused fast passes, napkins, resort papers and key, airline stubs, pressed pennies, paper menus (just ask to keep it). Also remember to take some pictures of your resort, the monorail and Disney bus, views from your window and in the parks, favorite rides, and your family photos. When you arrive home from your magical vacation, create your scrapbook with everything you have collected, plus some cutouts and ride descriptions from your old guide book. After a few years, you will be glad you created a scrapbook. It will bring back many magical memories of where you stayed and ate, a description of what you did, and how you traveled about. Enjoy! I hope the above helps Disney fans have magical memories without spending a fortune. - Wendy

In order to cut down on food expenses, I always bring my crockpot along when we drive to Florida. I mix up dinner before we leave our condo for the day. When we return supper is done! I have also found make-ahead breakfast casseroles that cook in the crock while we sleep. If we eat a hearty breakfast we usually only need to eat one meal at the parks. - Theresa Denton

I am a divorced father of two who was lucky enough to take my children to the Kingdom just as all of the Christmas decorations were being unleashed upon the parks. As an idea for the girls to give a gift to their mom for Christmas, when we arrived at Epcot we purchased one special autograph book (the larger size that can have a picture put on the opposite page) and the Christmas shirt for each daughter. I then took a picture of the girls in front of each country's pavilion and had a cast member write in their language Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. There were some pages left over, so we also were able to insert pictures and autographs from the main characters (Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy) and some others. The girls had fun posing for the pictures and telling the cast members what they were doing and why, and it became our "little secret," which Mom got on Christmas Day. - Ted Donnelly

YACHT CLUB - Just returned from a stay at the Yacht Club resort and found that the Ale and Compass Lounge serves a continental breakfast each morning. Muffins, croissants, fruit, cereal & milk, juices, coffee and more. I stumbled upon this on my first morning and was pleased to see that I didn't have to go to the Beach Club or Boardwalk to get a quick breakfast. - Ruthie White

Magic Kingdom - On our May 2010 trip to WDW we ate, as always, at Pecos Bill's at the Magic Kingdom. We always order the veggie burgers. The cast member gave us our tray with only our drinks and sides. She told us the burgers were being prepared at the "Fixin's Bar" and we needed to go there to pick them up. The reason given was that they are prepared on a separate grill, away from meat, making them totally vegan. Other counter service restaurants which grill them in the kitchen told us they always use a separate grill. - Jeannie B.

Epcot - My husband and I recently learned of something called the "Wine Walk" at Epcot. For $20 you can purchase a passport at the France, Germany or Italy wine shops. The passport allows you to taste six different wines (two per country). The passport lists the two specific wines in each country. What is unique about the Wine Walk is that you do not have to use the whole passport in one trip. You can try a few and then save the rest for a future trip if you like. Each wine is a two-ounce pour, but Germany seems to be the only country that was very strict on this. Italy and France were a bit more liberal with their pours. Our favorite country for the tastings was Italy. Even though you only get about two ounces per taste, we felt it was a pretty good bargain as we would have paid about $35 if we bought each pour individually. - Tiffany Harmon

Epcot - My husband and I recently learned of something called the "Wine Walk" at Epcot. For $20 you can purchase a passport at the France, Germany or Italy wine shops. The passport allows you to taste six different wines (two per country). The passport lists the two specific wines in each country. What is unique about the Wine Walk is that you do not have to use the whole passport in one trip. You can try a few and then save the rest for a future trip if you like. Each wine is a two-ounce pour, but Germany seems to be the only country that was very strict on this. Italy and France were a bit more liberal with their pours. Our favorite country for the tastings was Italy. Even though you only get about two ounces per taste, we felt it was a pretty good bargain as we would have paid about $35 if we bought each pour individually. - Tiffany Harmon

To pass the time until the next trip, my mom started an email poem. She writes four lines about anything at WDW that she can't wait to do, and then sends it to the next person. They add to it and send it on. It's so much fun to see what everyone writes and it gets everyone excited! - Callie C

While Disney resorts don't have microwaves in the room, they do have at least one microwave for common use that is usually situated close to the food court. They are available 24 hours a day and can be a great money-saver. From a snack such as popcorn to soup or noodles, using the microwave to replace or supplement bought food can be a big money-saver. - Connie McGouldrick

Use Google maps. They have great aerial shots of Walt Disney World, all of the parks and resorts. You can even see the monorail cars on their tracks, and cast member buildings. Just type Walt Disney World into Google and choose maps, then satellite. After that you can zoom in and out all you like. Another cool thing -- everything is labeled, so you can learn all the road names and names of the ponds and lakes around the property. - John

If you are there for a week or longer, find out how much it is to take a cab for shopping. We did a roundtrip cab (having him even wait for us in parking lot) and it cost us $32 with tip to Walgreen's. We got much needed cold/flu supplies, drinks, and snacks. I added up just two of the tons of items we bought price for price for what they were in the gift shop, and there alone was our cab fare! - Dana Barish

Animal Kingdom - If you're looking for a cheap, healthy snack in the Animal Kingdom, check out the fruit cart in the Harambe Village of Africa. There's lots of fresh, ice cold fruit that's cheap and much healthier than ice cream or popcorn. Our family got apple slices with caramel, fresh oranges and bananas, and it was delicious. The cart also sells chips, water and drinks. - Katherine

Animal Kingdom - If you're looking for a cheap, healthy snack in the Animal Kingdom, check out the fruit cart in the Harambe Village of Africa. There's lots of fresh, ice cold fruit that's cheap and much healthier than ice cream or popcorn. Our family got apple slices with caramel, fresh oranges and bananas, and it was delicious. The cart also sells chips, water and drinks. - Katherine