Tips about Food & Beverage, Kids, Planning and Thanksgiving

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 print out clear labels with all of our information and bring along extra to label everything that we get new at the parks, from our cups to our PhotoPass. The extra labels are great in case you do forget to label something before you leave and the clear labels blend right in. - Cara Martin

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

My 10-year-old son had scout camp this summer. I wanted to include a few essentials in his backpack, but I knew they would end up lost at the bottom. I got a plastic coupon organizer (the accordion wallet type) and put bandages in one section, bug repellant in another, along with hand wipes, sunscreen, etc. It worked so well that I have added the coupon organizer to my "Disney supplies." I think it will keep our trip backpack organized as well! I plan to add in individual packs of over-the-counter medicines. - Beth Spellman

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

In response to the recommendation to wear Crocs at the parks, after seeing everyone in Crocs on our trip to Disney in 2006, I decided to wear them on our trip this April. (My kids are quite fans of them as well.) By Day Two, I had blisters on the tops of both feet. At a visit to the nurse for much needed bandages at the Magic Kingdom, she confirmed that quite a few people stop in due to blisters from their Crocs. By the end of the week, my one son had blisters as well. We still love our Crocs, but definitely suggest taking bandages and a backup pair of shoes! - Kelly P.

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 purchased an all-inclusive 12-day package for Disney World in November 2010 for travel in March 2011. The total cost of the package including airfare was approximately $9,000. In addition, I purchased the Travel Insurance for $134. We had an extreme family medical emergency five days into our trip and had to fly home. Not only were Disney cast members helpful and understanding, right down to providing us with a voucher for cab fare to the airport, the Disney Travel Company made all the arrangements for our travel home. Disney Travel Company also called me a few days later to help me file a claim for trip interruption reimbursement and for the reimbursement of airfare and medical expenses. I was reimbursed approximately $7,000 in expenses that I would have spent additionally if I had not purchased the travel insurance. The $134 I spent on the travel insurance was the wisest investment I have ever made. I highly recommend purchasing Disney's Travel Insurance when purchasing a Disney package. - deAnna Hellstrom

I wanted to make our family reunion trip special for all involved. Six months before we were to go to Disney World I bought everyone matching T-shirts. I figured we could all wear them one day in the parks. I had buttons made and also a refrigerator magnet that was inscribed with "Our Trip to Disney World 2007." Each family also received a Disney guidebook so everyone could be a part of the planning. Some of our family had never been before. But... the tip I really want to share is to keep the magic alive even after the trip. I decided to make up a 25-question trivia contest and send it to everyone in our party after we returned home. The questions consisted of different aspects of our trip... for example: "What was the name of the director who performed as a street performer in Disney's Hollywood Studios?"; "What ride did we go on first after we entered Magic Kingdom?"; "Where did we all eat for lunch in Animal Kingdom?"; "What section did we sit in when we watched Fantasmic?", etc.

I had a great time making the questions up. I also bought a 2007 Disney magnet before I left. That was the prize for the person who got the most answers correct. My whole family had a lot of fun receiving this in the mail a couple of weeks later (we're spread out between the U.S. and Canada). Not only did they enjoy answering the questions to see if they would win but it also brought back all the wonderful memories of our trip! This certainly made the magic last a little longer. - Heather Willis

We discovered this year a wonderful solution to the problem of shoes and socks getting soaked during trips to WDW during "rainy season." Instead of tennis shoes, wear "Crocs." Don't buy the knock offs you see at Target, etc., because they are not comfortable for walking so much. The original Crocs (although expensive, they are less expensive than good tennis shoes) are rubbery and extremely comfortable. The more you wear them the more comfortable they become because they seem to "mold" to your feet. Rain water washes off of them and your feet remain dry and comfortable. Disney even offers their own Crocs with Mickey holes instead of round ones. They are about $5.00 more than the Crocs in the stores, but we think they are worth it! LOL! - Laura Lester

If you do decide to go in summer (we went in August), take an extra pair of shoes. Afternoon showers can be mini flash floods. We put on ponchos, but streets flooded and our shoes were soaked. I held the dryer door shut for an hour at the Wilderness Lodge because the tumbling sneakers kept popping it open. The Disney magic was that I wasn't the only one. There were several of us having a good time laughing about the situation and comparing days and experiences. - CassyDix EDITOR'S NOTE: It's always a good idea to bring an extra pair of walking shoes/sneakers to Disney. If it looks like it might rain, put on your older or more waterproof shoes leaving the better/drier pair in the room. Sneakers DO take a while to dry but you can stuff them with newspaper and use the room hair dryer to help speed things up.

We spent six days in the parks at Disney with three kids, 2, 5, and 7 years old. Late in our vacation, after several days of standing in line with grumpy, hot and tired kids, we figured out that if you get a frozen treat and take a break it makes the world of difference and extends the day. Toward the end we took two breaks to fight the 90-degree heat, but those were the smoothest days we had. It was well worth the cost of a frozen pop or five. - Tim Prouty