Tips about Food & Beverage, Magic Kingdom, Mousecellaneous, Souvenirs and Wilderness Lodge

When visiting WDW we like to bring our own bottles and fill them at the parks. Trouble is, we don't enjoy the sulfur taste of the water. Last year, we bought Brita Fill and Go water bottles at Target for about $7 each. Each filter lasts for 15 gallons and really helps get rid of the unpleasant taste. The bottles come with a filter and replacements are a couple dollars each. This is much more convenient than having to stop and buy bottled water and is very economical, too. I've also noticed that the cold water from the faucets in the Disney resorts is not too cold, so we fill the bottles with half water and half ice, which helps keep it cool for a couple of hours at least. - Terri Padavona

I work with elementary school-age children and have many friends with kids in that age category. I buy postcards when in the World and bring them home to use throughout the year. I send them to my own kids (at college), and to my nieces and nephews scattered around the nation. But my most fun postcard use is sending one to someone I know is going to Disney with a message like, "We are so excited you are coming to see us! Please stop by and get my autograph when you are here. And don't forget to bring your camera so we can take our picture together. See you next week! Mickey." My friends have told me how fun it has been to have the kids get this sort of mail and I love being the secret Mickey spreading a little pre-Disney pixie dust. - Terry Heyward

After-park ideas: You could also take the boat at Disney's Hollywood Studios or Epcot over to the Boardwalk Resort and check things out there after the Studios or Epcot closes. We also did the Hoop Dee Doo Revue, which was great food and great fun, but hard to get to without a car. Marketplace and Disney Springs are always options when a park closes, too! - Christie Falck

I think the best thing that we did was to buy cylume sticks and little LED lights at Target before the trip. We hid them from our daughters and every night we brought out a light toy -- they loved them. (They didn't know where we bought them.) Everyone stopped and asked us about them. One other thing that helped was small elastic laces that we also brought so the girls could carry their drinks and we could also attach their lights to. - The Knight Family from Wyoming

I just wanted to add that it's best to use older pennies in the pressed penny machines. Starting in the middle of 1982, the US Mint switched from copper pennies to zinc pennies with a thin layer of copper. When you put these pennies through the pressed penny machine, you get a kind of "marble cake" appearance with the zinc sometimes peeking through. Some people like this effect, but I prefer to search through my pennies and find the older ones to use. - John Hayes

The images on new shiny pennies are a lot clearer than old used pennies! I suggest you roll up your pennies and head right to the bank to exchange for a brand new roll! - Cathy

I would just like to say that I love your website and can't wait for our trip to WDW at the end of May 2002. Your website and newsletter have really helped us out a lot!! Maybe my tip can help others out. Last year I bought a CamelBak (www.camelbak.com) for when I race my all-terrain vehicle in the hot and humid weather here in Connecticut. These drinking systems come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are very lightweight -- they are also hands-free. What I like about these is, it keeps your back nice and cool and is also snug against your body, so nothing is bouncing around. Some also have zippers and pockets to store your passes, money, and keys. Some can even hold most of your stuff, which will eliminate all other bags. Hopefully this tip will help others. I know I will be keeping cool on my trip!!! - Jeff and Cherie

A tip for Jacqui Bull on a trip journal, try using an old check register booklet as your diary. I find it perfect to fit in a pocket or my wife's purse. It's small but has about 25 pages, more than enough space to record "holiday" experiences at WDW. - Brian Phillips

My tip involves the keeping a diary of sorts -- after several visits to WDW and trying, unsuccessfully, to keep a journal for whatever reason -- I either left it behind, it was cumbersome to carry about, or I was just too moused out to fill it in at the end of the day -- I eventually hit on the perfect answer (for me, anyway). In the weeks up to our last visit in February, I printed one sheet of paper for every day of our holiday (as we call it here in the U.K.). Of course, I put Disney characters and the day/date on each one, as well as little reminders such as, "Have we got the Valentine's Pin?" and "Have we had a Dole whip in MK?" It was easy to write notes on the page throughout the day as we waited in line, etc., and the crumpled, but well-used sheet was exchanged each evening for the next day's. - Jacqui Bull

Last year one grandchild got the postcard I sent from Walt Disney World, and the other one never did, so this year I took a business envelope and sent them both to their mom. They both got their cards. I also took a small padded envelope and sent a group of postcards to the first-graders in a class where I am a volunteer. (And the money saved on postage paid for the envelope!) - Deborah L.

ALL PARKS - While wandering around Walt Disney World, I like to carry a small plastic tube for paper souvenirs. I use a plastic tennis ball container that has a lid -- other similar tubes will work well. This allows me to store maps, menus, napkins and any other paper items without them being crushed, wrinkled or soaked. I just put them under a few heavy books when I get home. - Brian Brennan

We have discovered that it is very handy to carry an Igloo 1-quart cooler filled with ice and water while in the parks. Best of all, any refreshment stop will gladly provide cups of free ice water for refill. While the cups may provide a short-term refreshment, the cooler keeps the water cold much longer, and since it has a strap is easy to carry on stroller handles and/or over the shoulder while waiting in long, hot lines. - Kevin W. Bowden

Another idea to control the "I wants" from your kids. My daughter earned money before going on our trips. Sometimes she collected cans to recycle, sometimes she did chores around the house. She was much more selective about her choices and valued her souvenirs much more. - Suzanne P.

Another idea to control the "I wants" from your kids. My daughter earned money before going on our trips. Sometimes she collected cans to recycle, sometimes she did chores around the house. She was much more selective about her choices and valued her souvenirs much more. - Suzanne P.

ALL PARKS - Be sure to have a group destination while walking around the park -- for example, once everyone in your party has ridden Buzz, decide where your group is headed, just in case someone gets separated. Then the rest of the group will continue on to that spot and wait until you regroup. This happened to us recently at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party -- while heading toward the Haunted Mansion, the first parade ended and it was crazy in front of the castle. Our group of 11 broke up into 8 and 3 and luckily we all headed on to Haunted Mansion and waited until everyone met up again. It took only about 20 minutes to regroup, instead of everyone heading off to a "central meeting place" like in front of the castle! It is also always good to have a specific spot for emergencies, like at the Sword in the Stone, for example. Just stay together! That 20 minutes separated was scary. - Suzanne from Patchogue, NY

MAGIC KINGDOM - Time your ride of Splash Mountain around the fireworks display. Not only is the line usually shorter as everyone rushes to get a good spot to see the fireworks but, if you're lucky, you can emerge mid-ride into the open air, to a sky lit up by fireworks with a fantastic view. It happened to us by chance and we've managed to time our rides to that magical moment since then. Truly fantastic! - Joy Kennedy