Tips about Food & Beverage, Kids, Planning, Rain and Resorts

ALL RESORTS - If you need cash and hate paying those outrageous ATM fees, simply cash a personal check at the front desk. There is no charge for this service and they will cash up to $100 a day. - Bob and Kate Salazar

When we went to WDW on vacation last year, I packed one suitcase full of snacks and non-perishable food (i.e. mini cereal boxes, cereal bars, various pre-packaged snack packs, juice boxes). Our entire family was able to eat a quick breakfast before going to the parks, have mid-day park munchies, and late evening snacks. The suitcase was then used to bring home dirty laundry at the end of the trip. - Julie Duffy

ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE - This one is a reminder that the Animal Kingdom Lodge is a must-see even if you're not staying there! On cool, overcast days, the animal viewing can be better than the Safari ride! Walk to the end of any floor, going toward the pool area, and go onto the outside staircase. Climb to the top floor. It's amazing! The Lodge lobby is not to be missed! You pick up a visitor's pass ("does not include swimming privileges") at the Security guard's checkpoint and you are free to explore. Because my kids consider AK a "half-day" park, the Lodge is a great teaser first. Or if you just don't have time or inclination to do AK this trip, a visit to the Lodge will make you feel like you've been to Africa!! - Natalie Lipman

During our trip, we got caught in one of those rain storms. What saved the day and our souvenirs, brochures, guidebooks and everything else in our backpack was a good 3 coats of ScotchGuard that I had applied to our backpack when we had purchased it for the trip.

After having waited in the rain 1/2 hour and watching Illuminations without an umbrella or poncho, and walking to the parking lot, the inside of our basic $15 backpack was as dry as could be! Not only were our paper goods dry, so was my wallet and our camera and extra film which I had forgotten to put in a ziplock bag.

ScotchGuard (or any other spray on fabric protector/waterproofer) is available in office supply stores, craft stores and places like PepBoys. One thing that also saved our stuff was the fact that the zippers on our backpack were covered by a hem or flap that also helped keep out the water, but with all the water I had to wring out of my clothes, I know that can of ScotchGuard saved our day! - Regina Aaron

My wife and I like to do a "monorail meal" when we visit: We get a salad at the Polynesian, get on the monorail, then stop at Grand Floridian for the main course. Then we get back on the monorail, and stop at the Contemporary for dessert. This is for people who have visited often, want to spend time out of the parks, spend a little shopping time in each hotel and just take your time. Start early! - Ford Adam

ANIMAL KINGDOM - A lot of people just run right by Pizzafari on the way to the Safari. My friends had been there 3 times and never knew what Pizzafari even was. The building blends in with the tropical plants and trees. It is awesome inside. The most themed quick food restaurant I have seen in Disney World. When you finally take your eyes off the ceiling, floors and walls (I love the snails and frogs!) you will notice they have great food for sale. - Elaine Taddeo

Don't let the rain keep you from the water parks! On the day we were to go to Typhoon Lagoon we awoke to cloudy skies and rain. We checked with the front desk and they said that the park was still scheduled to be open. When we arrived at about 10:15 a.m. the Cast Member at the turnstiles said that we were numbers 9 and 10 in the park for the day. We had a blast! It was like having the park to ourselves and saved us from being turned into lobsters. Next time we go, we will schedule our water park day on the rainy day. - Melissa Gvist

My 8-year-old daughter loves her pressed penny collection, and this year we discovered that you can get a complete listing of all pressed penny machine locations in WDW from Guest Services. This gave us a great "excuse" to go resort-hopping! For those folks with a little time on their hands and their own transportation (WDW bus transportation is not a viable option for this activity), pressed penny "scavenger hunts" can be an excellent activity to save a rainy day, and a wonderful way to decide which resort you'd like to stay in on your next visit to WDW! - Susan Hughes

I just read your article about trip hassles (When Good Trips Go Bad, Revisited, Issue #233) and I can relate. Although we have had many experiences, both good and not so good in the course of our 30+ trips, one of the worst was when I thought we'd have to break in to our own home. That's right, I lost our house key. Of course, I didn't realize it until we were all packed and waiting for the bellman to come and check the bags. We tore the luggage apart and still couldn't find the key. We eventually called our house sitter (and kitty-sitter) who was able to unlock the back door a few hours before we were scheduled to land. All's well that ends well, but the tears and stress almost wiped out the magic of the trip. Now, I make sure that I carry a spare key in the pocket of my carry-on bag and check it before we leave the house. That way this will never happen again! - Vicki

On www.mcdonalds.com, there is a trip planning feature that will map your route and give you the locations of all McDonald's within even .5 miles. It also tells you if there is a PlayPlace and Drive-Thru. This is invaluable for those of us driving two 4-year-olds for 24+ hours. Go to the restaurant locator and scroll down to Trip Planner. - Laurie

I think a lot of times people forget (or do not know) that there is a Wal-Mart pretty close to WDW, in Kissimmee. We have been there on many of our trips, and they have a lot of great Disney T-shirts and souvenirs, not to mention that they're one of the cheapest places to buy food and sunscreen. - Christy R. Tripp

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you're driving from the airport and want a grocery stop, be sure to check out our directions page, which includes area stores: http://allears.net/pl/directions.php

Food & BeverageSouvenirs

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A tip for parents is to carry a few changes of clothes for the kids. There are a few places where there are fountains that come out of the ground (like at the bus stop entrance to Disney Markeplace) and some rides on which you can get very wet. This way the parents can take their kids into a restroom and change them into dry clothes so that they'll enjoy the rest of the trip to the park without having to run around in wet clothes or underwear. - W.V. Daniels, Jr.

A tip for parents is to carry a few changes of clothes for the kids. There are a few places where there are fountains that come out of the ground (like at the bus stop entrance to Disney Markeplace) and some rides on which you can get very wet. This way the parents can take their kids into a restroom and change them into dry clothes so that they'll enjoy the rest of the trip to the park without having to run around in wet clothes or underwear. - W.V. Daniels, Jr.

I have been going to WDW for the last 25 years... Three years ago I took my children for the first time when they were 7, 3 and 6 months. We are going back this year in June and I have already started the planning. The best thing I have found are the Disney Deals on eBay. Last time my kids loved the souvenir light-up Pooh bears. In the park they were around $7 each. They have long since disappeared. I found them on eBay for only $2.99 each and have ordered three. I also bought T-shirts for around $5, candy, ball caps, etc. I have put all this in a suitcase the kids have not seen. When we get to Disney, I will give them a new treat each morning. This way, we have already saved more than $150, and we haven't even left the house yet! - Aimee F.

Our daughter is not yet 2, but we have gone to WDW twice in her short lifetime. Every time we go, we stop at our favorite resort, Wilderness Lodge, and take her picture with the totem pole right in front of the Trading Post store inside. This way we can see how much she's grown since our last trip. There are a lot of places you could use as a "heightchart". Just look around at your favorite Disney spot. The Indian on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom, any one of the thousands of signs, the tile wall inside the castle... just make sure it's something that's going to be around for awhile! - Alea Laughery