Tips about Food & Beverage, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Planning and Souvenirs

I must say that one of our most recent "fun things" to do is visit the "snack bars" at the hotels. Who knew that you could get a Dole whip outside the Magic Kingdom? We are now making a stop at the Polynesian snack bar for Dole Whip and the super Polynesian chips, prepared fresh with each order. I also have to say that the Adult Grilled Cheese is to die for. Prices are great. It is usually not crowded and the food is delicious -- oops, almost forgot the great flatbreads.

Another favorite stop is the snack bar at the Wilderness Lodge. We used to love their hot dogs and they had great biscuits with sausage in the AM. Now we go for the fantastic cupcakes. Only $2.29 and they are delicious and huge--enough for two to share. I also had a grilled chicken salad prepared while I watched--asked for extra bleu cheese(freshly crumbled) ---It was one of the best salads I have had anywhere. Coronado Springs, our favorite place to stay, has wonderful pastries. Some evenings if we have had a buffet for lunch, we just make a snack run to the hotel "fast food" joints. Quick service--good price-- nice atmosphere in the hotels -- and the food is super.

We always tell everyone that the hotels are an adventure all their own. If you have the time, don't miss a chance to just wander for a little while at several of them. Have a snack and enjoy the atmosphere. - Christy Allen

Instead of stopping at a grocery store on arrival we have found Garden Grocer to be a great delivery service for all those drinks, water, snacks and breakfast goods that make getting organized in the mornings especially easy. We order from the comfort of home, there's a discount for ordering a couple of months out, and we have the items delivered early on our arrival day. Bell Services hold them and refrigerate perishables and then when we arrive we simply ask to have them delivered to our room. It's so convenient and we love not having to actually stop and shop enroute to our hotel. - Moira

EDITOR'S NOTE: Read what other AllEars.Net readers have to say about this service in our Rate and Review section.

We have been planning a March 2009 family get-together at Disney World since last summer. Trying to read up on and make all the right choices has been overwhelming. Your AllEars.Net site and newsletter helped a lot. We are all driving from Canada and we are staying off-site, so attraction ticket prices with foreign exchange rates added on has been a wait-and-see decision. Until a trip to one of the Disney Stores in the Toronto area in February, that is. Much to our delight (and financial relief) we learned that the attraction tickets (including the 6.5% Florida tax) are currently priced in Canadian dollars and the prices are comparable to all of the other US-priced tickets out there. The brochure price is what you pay, as no other taxes are added. Our family group of 12 adults and one child are very happy to pass this information on to all of the Canadians who are planning a trip to Disney World in the near future. - Anne Hewton

Wal-Mart is now carrying Disney shirts in the stores and online. However, they run small! I normally wear a 2X, but I feel much more comfortable in Wal-Mart's 3X or even 4X! - Jo-Anne Harris

For those of us who collect the pressed coins, here's an easy way to keep them safe and organized: I bought a business card book (the small one). It fits perfectly into my pack and I can look back to see which ones I have gotten. - Danny Gauthier

I have a tip for the vegetarians visiting Disney. At some counter service restaurants (Cosmic Ray's in particular) you can order just a bun and two slices of cheese for $1.79 and put whatever toppings you want from the topping bar. This works really well at Cosmic Ray's in Tomorrowland because they have a huge variety at the topping bar including sauteed mushrooms. - Angie

Regarding hard to get dining reservations. If at first you don't succeed... Count back 45 days from the date of your desired reservation. Call that day to check for cancellations. The thinking behind this is your final payment for any Disney vacations is due 45 days prior to arrival. People may need to change travel dates or cancel before final payment is made. It worked for me with Chef Mickey's. I called 45 days prior to my desired reservation date and got a 5:00 ressie. The cast member and I were both shocked and surprised. Simply Magical! - Gina Thayer

I always take a spiral notebook along and leave it out in the room for "where we will be" notes. As family returns to the room/villa, they can see that, "Mom & Dad went to the main pool at 3:45 p.m., back to room at 6 p.m.," so they know where we are, and if they have time to jump into their suits and join us; or "left for Epcot at 9 a.m., remember dinner res 6 p.m. in Canada," etc. This notebook travels with us from year to year, and is fun to look through once in awhile! Of course, cell phones make communications like this not quite as necessary as in past years! - Karen Jacobi

T-REX, the restaurant, is loud. We brought earplugs, but only needed them during the meteor shower. I saw some people complaining about the ice room, but it was actually pretty cool (ha ha) to look at... We were seated in a room that had the woolly mammoth, the baby mammoth and some flyers. The Dino room was very cool as well, and one of the tables is surrounded by a dinosaur. Neither of my kids was overwhelmingly disappointed that they weren't in that room, though. They liked looking around. - Holly P.

Blogger Kristin Ford shares the following tips for navigating Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party:

-- Guests can collect their special Christmas Party Sorcerer of the Magic Kingdom cards beginning at 4 p.m. if they have their party wristbands. Get this done early so you don't forget and then save it for another day at the Magic Kingdom when you're not trying to get to all the party entertainment.

-- Club Tinsel, the dance party inside Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe, typically does not get very crowded, so it's the perfect place to take a break from crowds or from waiting for other entertainment. You could even pick up hot chocolate and peppermint bark cookies at the nearby Lunching Pad and sit at one of the many tables in the restaurant.

-- The Magic Kingdom continues to offer allergy-friendly and healthy snack alternatives to those who prefer to skip the cookies. In the past, individual packets of apple slices and apple juice were available at each station upon request.

-- If you want to see new Zootopia characters Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps, get in line before the party officially starts at 7 p.m. Reports from the first week of the parties say the pair began greeting guests early, as long as you have your party wristband. At the very least, you'll save party time by getting what are sure to be long lines out of the way before most holiday entertainment starts.

Be sure to check out Kristin's blog for more tips and for what's new for 2016 at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.

MVMCP - AllEars offers some tips:

-- Take advantage of the 4 p.m. entry into the Magic Kingdom. Your Christmas Party ticket will get you into the park, no need to use a day on your general admission tickets.

-- Watch the Castle Lighting Ceremony shortly after dusk (check your guide map for the time).

-- Take advantage of the special Character photo opportunities that seem to change each year. 2016 includes Zootopia's Nick and Judy, Sandy Claws, all 7 of the Dwarfs, Princesses with their Prince. -- The Treat Stations have special gluten-free and sugar-free cookies available upon request. You can also get sugar-free hot chocolate.

-- There is a new castle show - Mickey's Most Merriest Celebration.

-- Find someplace other than Main Street (which gets very crowded) to watch the parade, which begins in Frontierland.

-- Attraction wait times are generally lower later in the evening.

Epcot - Let me start by saying, like so many others, I always look forward to your newsletter. After reading one of the "tips" this week, I was reminded of a really special Father's Day gift we did for my husband the last time we were in Disney. (Father's Day just happened to be during our trip) I purchased a khaki hat with the little Mickey on the front and we took it to every country in Epcot and had them write "Happy Father's Day" in their native language. They were all more than happy to do it for us & thought it was the neatest idea they ever saw. Now there is a special keepsake for my Disney loving hubby! - Sheri H.

Epcot - Let me start by saying, like so many others, I always look forward to your newsletter. After reading one of the "tips" this week, I was reminded of a really special Father's Day gift we did for my husband the last time we were in Disney. (Father's Day just happened to be during our trip) I purchased a khaki hat with the little Mickey on the front and we took it to every country in Epcot and had them write "Happy Father's Day" in their native language. They were all more than happy to do it for us & thought it was the neatest idea they ever saw. Now there is a special keepsake for my Disney loving hubby! - Sheri H.

Epcot - While paying for a purchase for my wife at Morocco in the World Showcase, the cast member asked if I would like to have her name, written in Arabic, on the inside of the box? It gave me an idea. I purchased some Disney stationery and went to every country asking for a cast member to write my wife's name in their native language. They all cheerfully did this! Then I placed it in a Mickey frame. Needless to say it was a very inexpensive gift and my wife loved it! - Gene Scott

Epcot - While paying for a purchase for my wife at Morocco in the World Showcase, the cast member asked if I would like to have her name, written in Arabic, on the inside of the box? It gave me an idea. I purchased some Disney stationery and went to every country asking for a cast member to write my wife's name in their native language. They all cheerfully did this! Then I placed it in a Mickey frame. Needless to say it was a very inexpensive gift and my wife loved it! - Gene Scott