Tips about Food & Beverage, Resorts, Souvenirs and Tickets

A great souvenir to buy from the China pavilion in Epcot is bamboo. The plant costs about $1-$1.50 and comes with care instructions. You can also buy a vase for the plant starting at about $3. - Jen Wolf

For those "financially challenged," who accumulate Hilton HHonors points, a WDW 4-day Magic Your Way pass can be purchased for 65,000 points per adult, and 55,000 points per child. Given that 65,000 points also buys $150 worth of gift certificates at Bloomingdale's or Sharper Image, or two nights in a Category 4 hotel, I think it's a pretty good deal for a park hopper pass. We're looking forward to using these passes in October on our first trip in two years!

Don't stay at the Hilton family of hotels frequently? They also offer American Express and Visa Rewards cards at no annual fee. The AmEx card gives you 3 points per dollar (5 points for charges at their hotels). Visa is 2 points per dollar (3 points for hotel charges). There is also a 10,000 point signup bonus with your first purchase with either card. More information and applications can be found at http://hhonors.hilton.com/en/hhonors/points/index.jhtml - M. Michelle Buchecker

If your child likes to collect the pressed pennies from each area in the park, buy the book that holds them. Buying the pennies will cut down on your child asking for everything in the park. You just have to spend 51 cents! - Randi Gold

For those of you looking for low-priced souvenirs that will be both fun and useful, you should really consider the Mickey Mouse ears ice cube tray! I bought one for $4 at World of Disney, and have been smiling ever since. I'll definitely buy some for my friends as souvenirs on my next trip! - Michele Cardona

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

Coronado Springs -At the Coronado Springs Resort, if you want to be assured a seat on the bus, do not go to the main entrance to catch the bus. Go to stop 2, which really is the first stop on the bus route. The main entrance stop is the last stop for the resort and during peak times, the bus is often full by the time it gets to the main entrance (since it has already stopped at three other bus stops). - Rebecca

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

Recently on a vacation to Walt Disney World, we noticed several refillable mugs left unattended and presumably left behind by mistake. Oftentimes cast members just tossed them in the trash. We brought address labels and added our cell phone numbers to the labels. We attached the labels not only to our refillable mugs, but also our camera and other valuable items just in case something got left behind. - Becky from Oshkosh

My 4-year-old daughter wanted to find gifts for all 12 children in her preschool class. We went to the Disney shops and found sets of crayons in the shapes of various Disney characters. These crayons come 12-15 in a pack, so we broke up the set and gave each child their own special crayon. We added to that the crazy Mickey straws that we could purchase, or sometimes were given for free, at the food court at Port Orleans Riverside. Then, when we got home, we realized that we were able to scrounge together 12 Disney World shopping/gift bags! Each child was thrilled to have his/her own package direct from Mickey! - Evalynn Kuehner

I am an 11-year-old girl who has visited WDW at least 35 times, and I found the best Disney World product for us Disney nuts. It is the Walt Disney World Resort Scavenger Hunt. It is only $4.00 in the Magic Kingdom Emporium on Main Street. It has questions like: What is the name of the mill on Tom Sawyer Island? What are they auctioning in Frontierland? If you WANT to know everything about Disney, or think you DO know everything, then this is for you. My family and I thought that we knew Disney, but we were so wrong! I thought you would like to know about this awesome product. - Chris B.

I am an 11-year-old girl who has visited WDW at least 35 times, and I found the best Disney World product for us Disney nuts. It is the Walt Disney World Resort Scavenger Hunt. It is only $4.00 in the Magic Kingdom Emporium on Main Street. It has questions like: What is the name of the mill on Tom Sawyer Island? What are they auctioning in Frontierland? If you WANT to know everything about Disney, or think you DO know everything, then this is for you. My family and I thought that we knew Disney, but we were so wrong! I thought you would like to know about this awesome product. - Chris B.

I read the tip about using the WDW shopping bags for packing and had to add this -- I also bring home several of those from each trip and save them. When I have my garage sale each year, I like to give those to the kids who come in and buy a little toy or something. They are so excited to get the WDW bags and, of course, many of them have never been to WDW, so it is a special treat for them just to have that bag. - Diane

Did you ever go for breakfast or dinner and find out your Priority Seating cannot be found, and you don't have the PS number with you? Well, this happened to me a couple of times. The cast members were very nice, but also sorry because the wait for dinner at Cinderella Castle would be at least one hour and Chef Mickey had no openings at all. So this past May I made a printout of our restaurants, times and Priority Seatings, shrank it to the size of a credit card, had it laminated and put it in my wallet next to my credit card. It worked wonders because for dinner at San Angel in Mexico they could not find our seating -- I gave them my PS card and within seconds it came up on the computer. By the way, dinner at San Angel was just too delicious, you must give it a try! - Fran Giambalvo

I am 35 and made my first trip to Disney two years ago. It was spectacular, and we are going for our fourth trip in October. I always get a gold charm for a charm bracelet I have had for years. I have a Mickey, Tigger and Tinker Bell charm. This year I am going to put the charms on their own special Disney bracelet. I hope it will become a family heirloom one day. - Lucretia German

ALL STAR MOVIES - If you stay at the All-Star Movies Resort, try to stay in the Mighty Ducks area. You are close to the buses for All-Star Music, which are less crowded, and you can choose either bus to return on. You can also choose either food court if one is too busy. The pool is close and not as crowded as the main pool. It is also quiet. The rooms facing the parking and trees are in the shady side of the building and are less expensive. - John Harman