Tips about Food & Beverage, Kids, Mousecellaneous and Packing

When we travel to Disney World we usually worry about the 50 lb. limit coming home just like everyone else. We have learned to put a flat box with a pre-addressed label on it in the bottom of our luggage with a roll of packing tape. When we have made several purchases (non-breakable) we pack them in the box and take it to the desk at the hotel. They mail it to our home and it arrives shortly after we do. It extends the magic just a little longer when we open the box at home, and there are no worries about being over the weight limit at the airport. - Nancy Nickerson

With regard to the 50 lb. weight limit for luggage on the airlines, I now carry a duffle bag with me. I just pack it in my suitcase on the way down to WDW. If I think I'm over the limit, I just throw a few things into the duffle for the return flight. It also comes in handy if you have breakables and need a bag to carry things home on the plane. - Noreen E. Rachuba

When flying to my happy place I usually pack waaaaayy more than I need to. This means that on my return flight I am usually pushing the envelope on the 50lb weight limit per bag for air travel. What I do now is carry a fish scale with me. You can pick them up at Wal Mart or any bait and tackle shop. I elected to go with a digital one which set me back $20 but you can find others in the $5-$10 range. Basically it is a hand-held scale that has a hook at the bottom and a handle at the top. You hold it up in the air and attach your fish... I mean luggage... to the bottom hook and it weighs it for you. The one that I have only goes to 50 pounds, so if I get an error I know that I am over the limit. I find it much easier to distribute my items while still in my hotel room than standing at the sidewalk of the airport an hour before my flight. I hope this helps others and HAPPY SHOPPING! - Tom

Last year I bought my husband the "Cooking with Mickey and the Disney Chefs" cookbook. This year when we went, my husband brought the book and requested (at each dining establishment) that the chef sign the page in our book that had the recipe from their kitchen. It was a treat for both the chefs as well as my family when, on occasion, the chef came out to our table. Now we have started a family tradition that we can continue as adults while our kids work on the autographs of the characters. - dollydawne

I love having Disney reminders everywhere. I think it is wonderful that even pets can get into the action. But what if you are like us and have a feathered pet? Well, we bought our parakeet, Mr. Freeze, a Mickey-shaped pet tag and hung it in his cage! He really enjoyed looking at it and playing with it. It was shiny, reflective and noisy. We then purchased a pet tag in the shape of a star with Tinker Bell, and he is in LOVE! Each time I clean his cage, he guards it with his... beak. So even if you don't have a furry pet, check out some of the pet items and see if they will work to share the magic with everyone in your family! - Kimberly K. Lawton

Even if you are not a fan of food on the bone, don't let that stop you from going to the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue. I let our hotel concierge know my aversion to food on the bone and he called over to Hoop-Dee-Doo. When we arrived I was served one of the most tender, juicy and well-seasoned boneless, skinless chicken breasts I have ever had. Great also for those watching their weight. The restaurant requests that you let them know at least 12 hours in advance. Enjoy the show! - Michelle Buchecker

With the necessity of ADRs (Advanced Dining Reservations) and keeping track of all those reservation numbers, I decided this year to type a list of our reservations. I included the date, time, and name/location. Then I shrunk the text, printed it and laminated it. It was smaller than a credit card! I put a hole in it, placed it on a carabiner and hung it on my backpack. It was always handy and ready for use and easier to make any needed changes! - Marie from Long Island

ALL PARKS - As you are waiting in line, a great way to spend the time is to play what we call the Disney Alphabet Game. Start with the letter "A" and the first person has to name a Disney character that starts with the letter "A," like Ariel. The next person has to name a character whose name starts with the letter "B," such as Br'er Rabbit, and so on. Once you reach "Z" start over back at "A" but you can't use the same character twice. If you need a hint for "X", there is a Buzz Lightyear character named XR. It's fun for kids and adults. We played while waiting for Fantasmic! and had everyone around us shouting out suggestions within a few minutes. - Chris in Iowa

ALL PARKS - As you are waiting in line, a great way to spend the time is to play what we call the Disney Alphabet Game. Start with the letter "A" and the first person has to name a Disney character that starts with the letter "A," like Ariel. The next person has to name a character whose name starts with the letter "B," such as Br'er Rabbit, and so on. Once you reach "Z" start over back at "A" but you can't use the same character twice. If you need a hint for "X", there is a Buzz Lightyear character named XR. It's fun for kids and adults. We played while waiting for Fantasmic! and had everyone around us shouting out suggestions within a few minutes. - Chris in Iowa

I recently bought something that made me say, "This will be perfect for Disney World." It is a cell phone charger that uses two AA lithium batteries to charge your phone. It is just a little bigger then a cigarette lighter and fits nicely in my digital camera bag. I already carry extra AA batteries for the camera, so the power is available everywhere I go. They are packaged with the connectors hanging out, so you can make sure they fit your phone before you buy. It takes about a hour to charge my phone, just about right for the Fantasmic show experience. - Toohill

ALL EARS® recently mentioned some new packages/baskets from the Disney Florist -- including a "Proclaim Her a Princess" basket. The information indicated the basket is intended for girls 5-12. I wanted to make sure folks know that either the Disney Florist or most hotel concierge cast members can help personalize any basket, making it more age appropriate and unique to the recipient. I worked with our concierge (kudos to Stephanie!) at the Grand Floridian to personalize that basket and delivery for my niece's 8th grade graduation this past June. It included items appropriate to her, including a unique tiara we didn't see anywhere at WDW and a personalized beach towel and wallet. It's hard to impress a 14-year-old... but between the delivery (complete with rose petals lining the room to the basket that was waiting for her) and the basket itself, she was speechless! We all know the "if you can dream it, they can do it" Disney motto, but I could never have come up with these ideas! These folks are fabulous! - Lori Degliantoni

Every couple of years we take an "adults" only vacation at Disney, and we also wanted to try something different for our scrapbook. We tried beers in every county at Epcot (not all in one day!). Most of the beers were very good and we had our picture taken in that country, next to the stand, with the server. Some of the countries actually peeled the label off the beer bottle for us to keep and we added that to our pictures as well. The last country was Germany and we bought the stein to take home. I've heard of someone else who did wines around the world. It is a lot of fun for adults and lets you enjoy many different tastes. - Dawn Hewitt

Our children are too young to memorize our cell phone numbers so we came up with a solution in case they got lost while on vacation. We use our computer to create iron on transfers containing our cell phone numbers, using transfer paper that can be used in our inkjet printer. We iron a label on the inside hem of each shirt our children will wear while at WDW. This way we know that if we ever get separated from our children they can show the phone numbers to Disney Cast Members who can contact us immediately. - Cindy

If there are any tween parents out there I am sure they are familiar with the Club Penguin website for kids. My daughter, a huge Disney fan and a huge Club Penguin fan, was extremely excited to learn today that the two companies are partnering. The idea of getting a set of Mickey ears for her penguin caused her to jump with joy! Not too many details have been announced on their website but it looks like it will be a wonderful and safe way to get a little Disney magic from home to tide her over until our next trip. - Lori Stubbeman

I put a luggage tag with my name and cell number on everything we take in -- strollers, backpacks, camera cases, etc. A brightly colored luggage tag also helps me spot our stroller more quickly in the sea of strollers when returning from an attraction. - Allison Valdes