Tips about Food & Beverage, Kids, Planning, Resorts and Strollers
On our last trip to Disney we saved a lot of money on breakfast by bringing instant oatmeal packets, bowls and spoons from home. We used the coffee maker in the room to heat the water and had a quick, inexpensive breakfast. Plus, it required no refrigeration so we didn't spend the $10 per day extra for a refrigerator. - Katie in Maryland
EDITOR'S NOTE: The $10 per day charge is for value resorts only. Deluxe and moderate resorts now offer complimentary small refrigerators.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The $10 per day charge is for value resorts only. Deluxe and moderate resorts now offer complimentary small refrigerators.
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On our last trip to WDW, we were so excited to find that Columbia Harbour House sells sweet tea (a south Mississippi staple). This is "real" sweet tea that is fresh-brewed right there in the restaurant (not that stuff that comes out of a soda fountain that they call "tea"). The cast member working there told us that Columbia Harbour House was the only place in the Magic Kingdom that brews its own tea. Of course, throughout our stay we visited the restaurant many times to quench our thirst! - Lori K.
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To help solve the problem of carrying leftover food, we tried those new Tupperware bowls that pop out. They start out flat and can be tucked into a backpack or purse very easily, and then open to three or four cups and a number of sizes in between. We bought a bag of chips and bagels from the gift shop and used the bowls to keep the chips and any leftover food from the food court. We used a number of dining vouchers and had so much food left over every day, so we really put those containers to good use. Sandi
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Regarding mickderb's tip on ordering canvas bags for strollers, we brought two lightweight, fold-up umbrella strollers for our 3-year-old twins. (They were the kind where all four wheels collapse and fold up together, as opposed to a stroller that just folds in half.) To keep the strollers clean and get them through the airport easily, we just used the long canvas "tube" bags that our fold-up canvas chairs came in. The strollers fit into those bags very easily and most of those bags even have carrying straps. We slung the straps over our shoulders and easily carried the strollers around when we needed to. - Sharon Leonard
When you have WDW resort hotel reservations, the cancellation policy on the confirmation says you must cancel five days before scheduled arrival or forfeit the deposit, equal to the first night's stay. What that actually means is that you must cancel six days ahead, because what they are looking for is for there to be five days between the time you call and the arrival date. For example, we found out the hard way that you can't call on Sunday to cancel a Friday reservation. - Rhame Nelson
Instead of bringing a towel to the park to dry the kids, stroller, etc., try a chamois. They are small and compact and so much easier to carry around than a regular towel. They work best when wet, and then when they are full of water, you wring them out and they are ready to soak up some more. You can find them in the automotive section of discount stores or a smaller size (for more money) in sport stores in the swimming section. Angela
We visited WDW in early December with our 2-month-old granddaughter. Before we left I ordered canvas bags from Target.com for her stroller and infant seat. We used the strollers right up to the gate, and then easily slipped them into the bags and set them at the airplane entrance. The flight crews all commented on what a great idea this was. The bag does not protect them from all damage, but it certainly keeps them clean. (They can be used at home to keep the stroller clean in the trunk as well). - mickderb
We took our 3-year-old son to lunch at the Garden Grill. The character interaction was fun and he really enjoyed it. One tip for those with young kids: ask to be seated in the upper tier if you want a high chair. We went without and he felt free to hop down and run to the edge of the restaurant a lot. It would have been nice to keep him in one spot. All in all, this is a good meal, lots of fun and well worth your time. The character interaction was first-rate and our son was charmed by how the restaurant rotated. We were still full well into the evening. - Jennifer Maxwell
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ALL STAR MOVIES - We recently visited Walt Disney World with my 3-year-old granddaughter. We stayed at the All Star Movies Resort -- I had forgotten how large it was. We had debated over the need for the umbrella stroller but were very glad we had it, as getting to the food court and bus stop was quite a hike for little legs. The airline transported this stroller with no problem. -Donna R.
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POP CENTURY - I recently stayed at Disney's Pop Century Resort and I found parking to be a challenge. Beware, the parking spaces are extra-tiny, and there were several large SUVs that had to take up two spots -- which means you have to park further away from your room than you'd like. Other than that it's a great resort, and a real value. - Brennan P.
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If you are renting a stroller and you need it for more than a day, you can do a multi-day rental. I stood in a line our first day to rent a double stroller for $15. On the second day, after standing in another line, I asked for a multi-day rental (three days, to be exact). I was given tickets for all three days at a discounted price! Each day, instead of waiting in line for a new stroller I just showed the attendant my stub and off we went, bypassing the line! Thanks for the great website! - Mary EDITOR'S NOTE: I saw the multi-day rental lines in action this past weekend and they really are great time-savers. In addition, the discount on multi-day rentals is 10 percent per day -- every little bit helps!
For my cousin's upcoming trip, I put together a booklet of coloring pages. She can color them and then have the characters sign the colored pages. It's inexpensive and you can find coloring pages online of almost all the characters now. I also added a packet of the "Puzzlers" section from old Disney Adventures magazines. These are great boredom-busters when waiting. Dania
This is something that my kids, ages 4 and 6, love to do. Whenever we are in the car going somewhere and they start to quarrel, we start a game. I start describing a Disney character and then they have to guess it. For example, "She wears a pretty blue dress and has blonde hair" -- Cinderella. Then the person who guesses it will be the next to give the clues. This worked on the plane this year to our favorite vacation place, Walt Disney World, and also when we were waiting in line or for a show to start. The whole family (there were 13 of us) all got into guessing and trying to think of the hardest character. You will be amazed at how many the kids really know. - Wooster Plumbs
