Tips about Food & Beverage, Magic Kingdom, Mousecellaneous, Planning and Sun & Heat Tips

I used the Disney Parks Mobile Magic App from Verizon for my recent trip. It was amazing. It was great for information on character meet and greet times and ride wait times, but the most magical part of it all was the ability to make dining reservations. Believe it or not, at 3 p.m. I was checking availability for Epcot restaurants for dinner while waiting for a ride in the Magic Kingdom. To my utter disbelief, I saw Le Cellier open for a spot at 5:30. I quickly chose it and got my email confirmation in seconds. A short two-and-a-half hours later, my family of four was enjoying one of the best and most sought-after meals in Walt Disney World. Can't believe we were so lucky. (Note: I saw openings on this app for Le Cellier two more times during the trip, so use it if you can.) Love the newsletter. - Chris Hellerman

Animal Kingdom - If you're looking for a healthy breakfast alternative, try the oatmeal at Pizzafari in Animal Kingdom. It's a generous serving of oatmeal topped with fresh crisp chunks of apple, golden raisins, Craisins, and brown sugar. And at only $2.79 it's quite a bargain! - Laura Gilbreath

On my family and friends' trips to Walt Disney World, we tend to be a bit tired when we arrive. We will get a snack and refillable mugs before heading to the pool to relax (some of us take a short nap there). Afterwards we go to the Animal Kingdom Lodge to see the animals they have there. It is a little taste of visiting one of the parks without using a park pass. We then get dinner at this resort before heading back to our own resort for a stroll around the paths and a good night's sleep. - Deb Wilde

Magic Kingdom - Be sure you catch "The Magic, The Memories, and You!" light show projected on the front of the castle in Magic Kingdom! It was one of the most amazing things I have seen in my many trips to Disney World. I was surprised it wasn't highlighted more and it was scheduled at off times (9:45 and 10:35 p.m.) when we were visiting. - William Sharp

ALL PARKS - On water rides use one-gallon freezer bags over your shoes and socks. (You can zip them shut right around the lower part of your leg.) Keeps your shoes and socks dry and they are easy to fold up and carry until the next water ride. - Dennis Garwood

We are planning a trip to WDW this December-January. I was surprised to find out that some tours do not take place the last two weeks in December. We were interested in Backstage Magic, which is one of the tours that does not go when the park is that crowded. Readers might want to check on available tours when planing their trips. - Sue Lykins

My daughter and I make Basin in Disney Springs Marketplace one of our first stops when getting to the "World." We buy soap and lotion we'd like to use while on vacation, and save the Mickey soap bars for when we're back home again. - Diane Peters

On a recent family trip to Disney I soon found out that a bottle of hand soap should have been on my list of things to bring. With five of us sharing a hotel room, the bar soap can be not so nice to share. - Susan Riedling

While vacationing in Walt Disney World last week, my wife and I opted to change our ride view experiences slightly; we switched seats. As a true "Prince Charming", I normally hold doors open for my wife to enter buildings or vehicles first, but on this trip she was "Princess Charming" and had me enter ride vehicles with only one entrance first (e.g., Spaceship Earth, Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan's Flight, etc.). We were amazed at the new views of the attractions we had! - Denny

If you are planning a summer trip to Walt Disney World, it is pretty safe to assume that you will experience both very hot temperatures and rain. My tip is to buy inexpensive water shoes for the whole family at your local discount or dollar store prior to your trip. The pavement around the pools and in the water parks gets very hot. Areas with sand can become so hot that you can barely walk on them. I would recommend water shoes instead of flip-flops, because you will not be allowed to wear flip-flops on water slides. Water shoes can be purchased at WDW, but you will easily pay double for them. My second tip is to also purchase rain ponchos at the discount/dollar store. Ponchos take up much less space in luggage than rain coats. Buy one for each member of your party, and if you will be taking a stroller on your trip, buy an additional large poncho. Why? To cover your stroller while you are in an attraction. Nothing is worse than exiting an attraction only to find that a sudden rain shower has soaked your stroller, and everything in it. At WDW, strollers are almost never allowed inside of buildings or attractions. Instead, you will have to put your stroller in the "stroller parking" area. This area will be outdoors, and will rarely be under cover. Because the summer weather in Orlando can be unpredictable, I put our ponchos in a large zip top plastic bag, and keep them in the pocket of our stroller at all times. - Shannon Barrett

If you are planning a summer trip to Walt Disney World, it is pretty safe to assume that you will experience both very hot temperatures and rain. My tip is to buy inexpensive water shoes for the whole family at your local discount or dollar store prior to your trip. The pavement around the pools and in the water parks gets very hot. Areas with sand can become so hot that you can barely walk on them. I would recommend water shoes instead of flip-flops, because you will not be allowed to wear flip-flops on water slides. Water shoes can be purchased at WDW, but you will easily pay double for them. My second tip is to also purchase rain ponchos at the discount/dollar store. Ponchos take up much less space in luggage than rain coats. Buy one for each member of your party, and if you will be taking a stroller on your trip, buy an additional large poncho. Why? To cover your stroller while you are in an attraction. Nothing is worse than exiting an attraction only to find that a sudden rain shower has soaked your stroller, and everything in it. At WDW, strollers are almost never allowed inside of buildings or attractions. Instead, you will have to put your stroller in the "stroller parking" area. This area will be outdoors, and will rarely be under cover. Because the summer weather in Orlando can be unpredictable, I put our ponchos in a large zip top plastic bag, and keep them in the pocket of our stroller at all times. - Shannon Barrett

Remember, it is very important to balance water intake with the amount that you normally perspire! If you sweat profusely, and then drink very large quantities of water to compensate and 'feel' hydrated', what comes in quickly most often exits quickly -- through your pores, or through bathroom breaks. An imbalance can result if you are drinking large quantities of water in a very short amount of time. If you do this, you are just flushing your system, and your body will become electrolyte 'starved'. If you develop a headache, or don't feel 'right', or if you notice that you are making frequent bathroom breaks, don't instantly take pain reliever in hopes that your headache will go away. It is very possible that your body is telling you something is out of balance! Instead, take a break, grab a sports drink, sit in the shade and drink it a little at a time over 30 to 45 minutes or up to an hour. It is not good for your body if you drink 20+ ounces of fluid in just a few minutes trying to 'catch up' on your hydration. However, if you drink 20 ounces over an extended amount of time, it gives your body time to catch up and restore the balance. My suggestion is to pack the powdered REGULAR (not light or diet) version/flavor of your favorite sports drink and add a little to your water bottle at a time throughout the day. Or if you do not drink sports drinks regularly or have experienced digestive problems in the past from drinking them, buy a bottled sports drink and dilute it in a free cup of ice-water from any of the quick service dining locations. - Chris

On our last trip we brought a couple of the battery-operated tea candles. Used one in the bathroom as a night-light. - Brenda

I'm sharing a tip that definitely bears repeating. Everyone should sign their Key to the World (KTTW) cards as soon as they receive them, especially if the cards are valid for room charges or if any dining options are included with the reservation. If each KTTW card is signed this will help prevent someone else from using your card for food or merchandise purchases should you lose it. If you find you can't sign your card with a regular ink pen, try applying scotch tape to the signature panel (sometimes you need to do this a few times) then you should be able to sign the signature panel. If you didn't bring your own scotch tape every front desk and merchandise register location have tape available. Cast members may ask for a photo ID if your KTTW card is not signed -- be prepared! - Rob C.

My family just recently returned from our week vacation at Disney World in May. We are a family of five. We always bring one water bottle per person into the parks. This trip I bought a ball of different colored rubber bands. Each person had their own color and attached it to the neck of the water bottle. So when all the water bottles were put in the stroller, you could tell whose bottle belonged to who. With young children, this ended all arguments of "Who drank all my water?" - Karen Hopkins