Tips about Food & Beverage, Kids and Travel By Car

Epcot - The new Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival in the Magic Eye Theater (in the Imagination pavilion) has a 15-minute standing pre-show that, while informative, is not very entertaining for kids. - A Reader

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

I'm a kid myself, so trust me on this one. When you wait in those LONG, LONG lines, it's nice to have something to do, especially if you are young. I'm older, so I'm a little more patient, but if you're small, like 5, it'd be easier with something to do. Books aren't always best... a little too bulky. Coloring books and crayons? OK, but the crayons are hard to keep track of. I have an easy one: mini-pads of paper (white lined or plain) available pretty much everywhere, and a multi-colored pen. They are easy to keep around (keep them in your pocket!) and very entertaining to draw with. They are also very cheap. Now they make them with kittens and puppies on them, so it's even better. It's pretty handy around lunch, too, with waiting for your food and all. - Caitie

We just returned from a great trip at Walt Disney World. It was the first time with our 2-year-old and our second time since 1995. We highly recommend using the Baby Care Center for anyone who has little ones. We were very excited to find a cool, comfortable place to change diapers. They have padded changing tables with a disposable sheet on each table for sanitary purposes. In addition, there was a water cooler where you could refill your water bottle. They also have private nursing rooms for breastfeeding moms and a separate TV room where older kids can wait while baby is changed and fed. There is a bathroom there, too, for older kids and adults. They also have some sundries, such as diapers and formula, available for purchase. The Magic Kingdom one is located next to the First Aid area, between Casey's and the Crystal Palace. They are all on the Disney maps for each park. - The Tietjes

For those who are staying in Home Away from Home accommodations and are interested in grocery delivery, I would highly recommend a company called WeGoShop. They are a national grocery shopping and delivery company, and their Orlando location is run by a husband and wife team who are very nice people. You can email them your exact order (including product brand names, sizes and quantity), your hotel and the time you'd like your delivery, and they will be there with your groceries safely stowed in a large plastic container. They will charge you cost for the items you've bought, as well as a modest delivery charge. Their website is at www.wegoshop.com. Our groceries were just as we'd asked for them, and they even brought them to Bell Services for us as our room wasn't ready yet. - Jessica Slivak

My 4-year-old son has a real problem with loud noises, but refused to wear ear plugs. We would put a pair in and he would pull them right back out. Before we left I contacted a store that specialized in hunting equipment and ordered a pair of the smallest child-sized headphones used at target ranges to muffle sound. They fit him perfectly and when we were in the parks, if there was even a hint of loud noises coming, we would just slip them on. My son actually went through the Haunted Mansion four times without a hitch. It was the best $17 I ever spent and I got quite a few comments of, "Oh, I wish we had thought of that." - Bonnie Schweizer

The Gooding's Store at Crossroads in Lake Buena Vista will deliver right to your resort. Your order must be at least $50 and there is a $10 delivery charge. You can order via Internet or fax before you leave home and they will guarantee delivery on the day of your arrival, usually late in the afternoon. Your order will be delivered to the concierge (or the office) of your resort. They will also deliver personalized birthday cakes! No alcohol delivery is allowed, but they do deliver perishables. To place an order: Phone: 407-827-1200; Fax: 407-827-1219; Website: http://shop.goodings.com/ - Glo from Miami

I just wanted to let you know of a tip I found out this past trip. A friend who was with me can't eat sesame seeds, but most hamburger buns in the parks have the seeds on them. After pulling the seeds off the bun the first few times, he asked the cashier if they could give him a burger with two bottom buns. When the Cast Member heard it was because of the seeds, she said that they could make him a burger with a seedless bun. She added that most fast food counters in the parks have a supply of seedless buns on hand. You just have to request them. - Rob Steere

We have driven several times to Disney from Massachusetts with three boys currently ages 11, 7,and 3. Patience is number one. We make sure we have our toll moneys already set out in baggies which makes for easy passage when driving through the nights. The best investment we made for about 30 dollars was a power converter for our boys to plug their game cube into along with our portable T.V.. Another useful toy if you don't have tv or gamecube is the gameboy. Best of all are the good old fashioned mad libs and invisible marker coloring books. Happy driving!! - dollydawne in MA

We also found that most of the motels along the 95 corridor have what they call family suites that can accomonate more then 4 ( we thought we would have to get two rooms) they are alot cheaper then getting two rooms! - Jennie and Glenn Wallace

When my then 7 year old was bored on the drive from New York State to the Mouse House a few years ago, I gave her the video camera and told her to tape our vacation drive. That kept her amused for hours. When I got home I finally viewed the tape she did. Well I thought she was going to tape South of the Border signs, world's largest Canada Dry soda can etc etc and instead it was all of herself goofing around in the back seat. I laughed so hard when I watched it. Well worth the long drive. - Elaine Taddeo

I give my kids a roll of quarters at the beginning of our road trips to Disneyworld (10 hour drive). I have 3 girls 10-17 yrs. old, and I've been doing this for 10 years. They start off with the roll of quarters, but any time they complain, argue, tattle or fight with each other, I take a quarter away from each person involved. Once they loose one or two quarters, I don't have anymore problems. Our last few trips, none of the girls lost any money. It's great! Then they are able to use that money for the game room at the hotel. It's money you end up giving them anyway, so why not have it work for you! - Laura

We've kept a diary of all of our road trips since 1998. We document the time we leave, weather, temps, arrival times in all the major cities. We document the traffic jams ( how long we're in them, & how ugly it gets!), and construction areas. We document unusual events ( the accident involving a semi hauling live pigs...poor piggees!) We document the hotel rooms we've had, the McDonalds @ exit 341 in Fla. that has the BEST breakfast sandwiches ever (yes, there is a difference!)and our Disney experience (crowds, weather, what worked, what didn't.) It's fun to look back and read about the special times we've had as a family. - Jan Kolkema, Muskegon, MI

Another thing we did was to plan at least one new thing or place to stop and see on the way home that would help keep the interest up so the trip home would not be such a let down. - Andrea Rose Ankeny, Iowa