Tips about Food & Beverage, Mousecellaneous, Planning, Resorts and Running

So I get home and save the MagicBand we got in March, but I'm not really sure what to do with it. Then my brilliant boyfriend came up with a great use. Since it snaps into various sizes he suggested using it to hold extension cords or electrical cords. Great way to recycle! - Grandeb from NJ EDITOR'S NOTE: You can bring your Magic Band back for your next visit. They last approximately two years.

The gluten-free offerings [at 'Ohana] for my husband were excellent, and included lettuce wraps, chicken wings, all of the grilled meats and a special dessert. They did require my 10-year-old to be charged as an adult, which made the price tag high in my opinion, but the food was great. - A reader in the AllEars.Net Rate and Review section

When traveling to Orlando from the UK you tend to get to Orlando about 3 p.m. By the time you get to your Disney hotel it's about 6 p.m., so instead of rushing to the parks we head to Disney Springs, pick up our park tickets at Guest Relations (this saves doing it the next morning when you want to hit the parks), then go and have dinner and do some shopping. We are then fresh for the next morning. - Ruth

Save the little bottles of bubbles you get at weddings and bring them with you to Disney. Our daughter keeps one in her fanny pack. She has stopped many a potential meltdown by blowing bubbles for a fussy toddler as we waited in line. It's portable pixie dust! - Karen B

I carry a folded plastic shopping bag in my running belt during runDisney events. After crossing the finish line the bag comes in handy to carry the water, fruit, snacks and drinks that are given at the finish line. The bag also helps carry your items as you get your finish line photo taken. - Stephanie

I know a lot of people get caught up in the Fastpasses and waiting in line is horrible, but some of my fondest memories were waiting in line at Disney. I think sometimes you need to just take a moment and chill. Enjoy yourself and not worry about long lines. Often those can be goofy/funny moments with your family -- whether it be a time where you play a silly game or talk about how much fun you're having. - Cristen P

This is a tip for those participating in the half or full marathons. Runners need to be at these events very early in the morning and it can be quite chilly standing around waiting for the race to start. While bringing a jacket is the obvious solution, few of us want to deal with it once we get moving and warm up. The solution is to bring a "throw-away" jacket. Just go to the local Goodwill or similar charity and purchase an inexpensive jacket. Wear it that morning until time for your corral to start and then simply leave it behind. Disney staff/race volunteers will gather up the discarded items of clothing and donate them to charity, making it a win-win situation. - Mary Turner

On a recent visit to the Magic Kingdom, I stopped in the Main Street Bakery to check out the recent renovation and treat myself to a Starbucks coffee. When I reached the counter to pay, I was pleasantly surprised to be able to pay with my Starbucks gift card. Not only did I buy coffee with my gift card, but also a bottle of soda for my son. Don't leave home without your gift cards! - Kim Chesser

When we stayed at the French Quarter in December, we were delighted to find a refrigerator and put in some fresh fruit we purchased at the on-site store, as well as some water bottles. Unfortunately the guests who were there before us turned the temperature knob so cold that everything froze solid and was wasted. This is a reminder to check the temp setting before putting anything in the refrigerator. - Carol Berube

One tip I don't recall seeing concerns the Florida wildlife. As people walk and jog the Disney trails around hotels and ponds they need to be smart about the wildlife. Alligators and snakes in Florida are a way of life. I'm sure that Disney, like most communities in Florida, does its very best to relocate the creatures that wander in, but these are not cute, furry bunnies and are not "fake." Each year tourists in our area are bitten by venomous snakes. Just be careful and mindful of where you are walking, jogging and playing. - Patricia Dahl

-- I bring along suction cups to stick to the bathroom walls. This gives everyone their own place to hang washcloths or other personal bathroom items.

-- A power strip gives everyone easy access to plug in their electronic devices instead of searching for an unused one in the room.

-- Lastly, we always have a spot in the room (a table or the spot next to the door) where we put the things we take with us each day -- for example, sunglasses, backpack, water bottle, celebration pin, jacket. That way when you are ready to walk out the door, you can just grab your stuff instead of scrambling around the room trying to make sure you remembered those things. - Traci Regan

The jogging trail at Pop Century/Art of Animation is wonderful. It's very beautiful to run, approximately 1.4 miles around the lake for the entire run. Saw many bunnies (or it could have been Thumper!) on my early morning runs. Also, all around the lake there are trivia signs, and the trivia is different on each side, so changing the direction of your walk/run from clockwise to counterclockwise around the lake provides the opportunity to read the trivia on both sides. By the way, AllEars.Net has the most detailed information I have found anywhere in regard to each resort's jogging trails! - Susan Fadel

Recently stayed at Old Key West for Marathon Weekend. Upon check-in, my room was not ready. I do not have text messaging on my phone so was given a phone number to call later in the day. I found out at Bay Lake Tower that I could receive an email instead of a text. I called Old Key West and requested this. Since Walt Disney World now has wireless internet throughout, I enjoyed my day and received my room number via email through my Kindle. - M. Hoyt

Animal Kingdom Lodge - On a recent trip to Walt Disney World we had dinner at Boma. After dinner we walked around the grounds out back (as we had first-timers with us) and were surprised to find that night-vision binoculars were available to view the animals in the dark. We all enjoyed this very much and saw many animals. Also the cast members who supervised this activity were very helpful and informative about the animals and the country where they were from. We really learned a lot! - Jane Carvalho

If you have dietary concerns, don't assume you know your "safe" foods, especially at buffets. When recently dining at Cape May Cafe for dinner, I told the chef that I had a shellfish allergy. Surprisingly, he warned me not to eat the steamed corn or steamed potatoes -- they are both steamed with shellfish/fish. The chef offered to make them separately for me, saying it would take only 15-20 minutes.

Another time I was unable to have the chicken dish at Yachtsman Steakhouse because it was fried with seafood.

A friend was also at a buffet with an onion allergy and told not to eat the corn as it was steamed in a broth that contained onions.

Better to be safe than sorry! Be sure to tell the hostess, server and if needed, ask for a chef. - Deb Wills