Tips about Food & Beverage, Kids, Photography and Planning

A wonderful way to keep toddlers entertained is to purchase inexpensive disposable cameras for them to use. My son was 2 when he made his first visit to WDW. He loves having his picture taken and usually cries for my camera. Rather than risk losing or damaging my camera, I found disposable cameras at our local dollar store. I bought a package of four for $8. Needless to say, we have some priceless pictures! - Charlotte

Disney's Hollywood Studios - We discovered the delicious blue crab wonton appetizer at the Hollywood Brown Derby recently. It's a generous portion of crab, bundled along with cucumber, tomato and a slightly hot wasabi aioli in a deep-fried wonton wrapper. It was the perfect start to a wonderful meal. - Linda

When we go to WDW I want my kids to look nice; after all, they are in more pictures on vacation than at any other time. This means that they will wear good clothes into the parks. Of course, my kids are as messy as the next, so I always carry a tube of stain stick around with me. This way, I can rub it on as soon as the kids make a mess and their clothes are pretreating while they are wearing them. This has really saved us from a lot of ruined clothes! - Jenny Longwell

We just rented a cabin at Fort Wilderness and thought we would pass on some tips. We ordered water and drinks, along with eggs and cold cuts from an Orlando grocery delivery service. We also had room in our checked luggage for some groceries, condiment packs and little pouches of basic spices (sea salt, fresh pepper, garlic powder). The cabin's kitchen has about everything you need, but you might want to pack a small sharp kitchen knife, and if you plan to fry anything, know that the pan is stainless steel and not nonstick (VERY non-nonstick!). Stop at your local sub shop and pick up some oil packets (canola or extra virgin olive) and throw them in a zipper-top bag in your checked luggage. Being able to throw together breakfast in the morning is a great time- and money-saver, and having a late-night turkey sandwich and chips on the couch is a bonus. - Brian Phillips

Disney character toys are so expensive. We have found a great way to save money on our trip and let the grandchildren enjoy the characters on the way to Disney. We buy the toys on eBay for a fraction of the price, sometimes for as little as 99 cents plus shipping. I know it gives us more spending money and our grandchildren are just as happy. - Susan Smeltzer

In response to Betsy Vancura's scrapbook idea, since every couple of years we take an "adults only" vacation at Disney, we also wanted to try something different for our scrapbook. We tried beers in every country at Epcot (not all in one day!). Most of the beers were very good. We then had our picture taken with the server in that country, next to the stand. Some of the Cast Members 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 gives you the opportunity to enjoy many different tastes. - Dawn Hewitt

After doing Disney for years and years we decided to do a photo scrapbook of Disney Dining... We started doing just the desserts everywhere we ate; now we've added other edible items of interest and fun. We're hoping to add some Happiest Celebration desserts to the album in May! - Betsy Vancura

After doing Disney for years and years we decided to do a photo scrapbook of Disney Dining... We started doing just the desserts everywhere we ate; now we've added other edible items of interest and fun. We're hoping to add some Happiest Celebration desserts to the album in May! - Betsy Vancura

Epcot - Since we're passholders, the kids have been so many times it can get boring for them. They've done the masks and passports at Epcot over and over. What I do before each trip is make up a new passport. I include a picture on the page and certain facts about the country that they need to find. It's interactive with the Cast Members in that country and they enjoy teaching the kids! For instance, in China, learn how to count from 1 to 10 in Chinese. In Germany, have a Cast Member tell you about the wall that used to separate their country. In America, what does the Liberty Bell stand for? As I said, the Cast Members love the interaction with the kids. They are proud to talk about their countries. As a prior homeschooling mom, I am always trying to sneak in a learning experience when I can and Epcot is the perfect place to do so without the kids realizing it! - Julie Turbide

Epcot - Since we're passholders, the kids have been so many times it can get boring for them. They've done the masks and passports at Epcot over and over. What I do before each trip is make up a new passport. I include a picture on the page and certain facts about the country that they need to find. It's interactive with the Cast Members in that country and they enjoy teaching the kids! For instance, in China, learn how to count from 1 to 10 in Chinese. In Germany, have a Cast Member tell you about the wall that used to separate their country. In America, what does the Liberty Bell stand for? As I said, the Cast Members love the interaction with the kids. They are proud to talk about their countries. As a prior homeschooling mom, I am always trying to sneak in a learning experience when I can and Epcot is the perfect place to do so without the kids realizing it! - Julie Turbide

One way my mom and I got ready for our trip to Disney World was to make a list of every animated Disney movie (in order of when each came out) and watch a movie a day until the trip! It helps you remember the magic of the movies while you get ready to experience the magic of the parks! - Chelsea

I have a 2-year-old who doesn't eat much. The kids' meals at the counter service restaurants are always too much for her, and we feel like we're wasting our money. One day we discovered that we could order a SIDE order of macaroni and cheese for only $1.79 (at Columbia Harbour House in the Magic Kingdom). It wasn't on the printed menu, but when we asked, they had no problem ringing it up. I am sure we could do this at most other counter service restaurants as well. This saves us from wasting money and food! - Renee Lunsford

We had our first "magical" visit in February. One of the things I wanted to ensure was that as much of the "mouse magic" as possible was recorded on digital pictures and digital video. Before leaving home I tried several options for having both cameras instantly accessible, but not cumbersome. The best system for me: I had my camcorder attached to the carrying strap (at its shortest length) that came with the camera. Using a carabiner, I attached the hand strap of my digital camera to the camcorder's carrying strap. I hung this setup around my neck and had instant access to both. In addition, I was quickly able to release the digital camera if one of the other adults wanted some still shots of what I was videoing or of something else that was going on that I was not capturing on video. We not only have some wonderful video, but some great pictures for scrapbooking. - Jess Chapman

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

Use your camera phone to take pictures of items you think you want. First, take a picture of the sign of the store where it is located. Then take pictures of the item and the tag of the item. Review nightly or at the end of your trip. Best of all, you can buy it from Disney Mail Order Merchandise when you're back home if you forget! - Crissy Stout