Tips about Food & Beverage, Kids, Mousecellaneous and Running

It is so easy to lose a toddler amongst heavy crowds in the blink of an eye. Get your little ones used to wearing their MagicBands a few days before your trip and write your cell phone number with a waterproof marker on the colored part of the band. This way whoever finds your child can easily contact you if you get separated. - Ayse Clark

I have a runDisney tip. I make sure to pack an easy to carry "pack-away" bag in the clear, checked bag they provide. This way, I can transfer all of the items I checked into a manageable bag. The last thing I need after running 10 or 13 miles is to carry a shoulder-destroying string bag during the after-party! P.S. Next to the World, AllEars® might be my favorite thing. Thank you for all you do! - Molly Bryant Roberts

So I get home and save the MagicBand we got in March, but I'm not really sure what to do with it. Then my brilliant boyfriend came up with a great use. Since it snaps into various sizes he suggested using it to hold extension cords or electrical cords. Great way to recycle! - Grandeb from NJ EDITOR'S NOTE: You can bring your Magic Band back for your next visit. They last approximately two years.

The gluten-free offerings [at 'Ohana] for my husband were excellent, and included lettuce wraps, chicken wings, all of the grilled meats and a special dessert. They did require my 10-year-old to be charged as an adult, which made the price tag high in my opinion, but the food was great. - A reader in the AllEars.Net Rate and Review section

Save the little bottles of bubbles you get at weddings and bring them with you to Disney. Our daughter keeps one in her fanny pack. She has stopped many a potential meltdown by blowing bubbles for a fussy toddler as we waited in line. It's portable pixie dust! - Karen B

I carry a folded plastic shopping bag in my running belt during runDisney events. After crossing the finish line the bag comes in handy to carry the water, fruit, snacks and drinks that are given at the finish line. The bag also helps carry your items as you get your finish line photo taken. - Stephanie

We recently took my nieces, ages 5, 9, 11 and 13, to Disney World. I went online and refreshed my memory on some string games (Cat's Cradle, Witches' Broom, etc) and took along several strings to play with. While standing in the longer lines I let the girls try their luck, two-person games for the older ones and easier things for the little ones. It kept the girls entertained as well as the little ones around us, and some of the parents, too! I gave away some of the extra strings I had to the other kids in line. So simple, but with all this technology no one thinks of the entertainment value of a loop of string anymore. And when it is time to get on the ride just slip it in your pocket until next time. - Suzanne Gould

I know a lot of people get caught up in the Fastpasses and waiting in line is horrible, but some of my fondest memories were waiting in line at Disney. I think sometimes you need to just take a moment and chill. Enjoy yourself and not worry about long lines. Often those can be goofy/funny moments with your family -- whether it be a time where you play a silly game or talk about how much fun you're having. - Cristen P

This is a tip for those participating in the half or full marathons. Runners need to be at these events very early in the morning and it can be quite chilly standing around waiting for the race to start. While bringing a jacket is the obvious solution, few of us want to deal with it once we get moving and warm up. The solution is to bring a "throw-away" jacket. Just go to the local Goodwill or similar charity and purchase an inexpensive jacket. Wear it that morning until time for your corral to start and then simply leave it behind. Disney staff/race volunteers will gather up the discarded items of clothing and donate them to charity, making it a win-win situation. - Mary Turner

On a recent trip to Disney my 5-year-old discovered several things she wanted to buy and, like most parents, we told her we would "think about it" as we moved on to the next part of our trip. Because I had my computer with me I was able to visit the Disney Store website the last night of our trip and order many of the things she had seen in the parks, as both Christmas and her birthday were coming up. I was thrilled to receive free shipping and knowing that I didn't have to try to "hide" these presents in our suitcases. But the icing on the cake was that several of the items were actually cheaper on the website than they would have been had we bought them at the park! - Kim Meyerholtz

On our recent Magic Kingdom visit my two children really wanted to get their faces painted. We first tried the Pirates' League in Adventureland, but it closed at 3:30 p.m. on the day we visited. However, we found a face painting area tucked away next to Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin in Tomorrowland. And the best part -- just keep your receipt, and they'll touch up your face paint throughout the day for no extra charge! - Laura Gjere

On a recent visit to the Magic Kingdom, I stopped in the Main Street Bakery to check out the recent renovation and treat myself to a Starbucks coffee. When I reached the counter to pay, I was pleasantly surprised to be able to pay with my Starbucks gift card. Not only did I buy coffee with my gift card, but also a bottle of soda for my son. Don't leave home without your gift cards! - Kim Chesser

One tip I don't recall seeing concerns the Florida wildlife. As people walk and jog the Disney trails around hotels and ponds they need to be smart about the wildlife. Alligators and snakes in Florida are a way of life. I'm sure that Disney, like most communities in Florida, does its very best to relocate the creatures that wander in, but these are not cute, furry bunnies and are not "fake." Each year tourists in our area are bitten by venomous snakes. Just be careful and mindful of where you are walking, jogging and playing. - Patricia Dahl

The jogging trail at Pop Century/Art of Animation is wonderful. It's very beautiful to run, approximately 1.4 miles around the lake for the entire run. Saw many bunnies (or it could have been Thumper!) on my early morning runs. Also, all around the lake there are trivia signs, and the trivia is different on each side, so changing the direction of your walk/run from clockwise to counterclockwise around the lake provides the opportunity to read the trivia on both sides. By the way, AllEars.Net has the most detailed information I have found anywhere in regard to each resort's jogging trails! - Susan Fadel

Epcot - If going to Epcot with elementary school-aged kids, play Agent P! Even if you have never watched Phineas and Ferb, you should play the game. It made the World Showcase so much more interesting for my 8- and 10-year-olds. I enjoyed it also and my husband liked the fact that he could sit and have a beer at the Rose and Crown while we did our secret agent thing in the United Kingdom. - Margaret