Tips about Food & Beverage and Strollers

We just returned from a wonderful two-week trip to Disney and I have a great tip for anyone traveling with a stroller. We brought our own ultralight stroller, and along with it a plastic rain shield that covered the entire stroller. I cannot tell you how much this saved us during the many rain showers we had over our trip, since ponchos do not work well for a baby in a stroller. Even if it looked like there was a chance of rain I pulled the cover over our son's stroller before going into an attraction, and the seat never got wet. During one storm at Disney's Hollywood Studios, we were able to walk across the park to attractions that had no line, because so many people were staying put under shelters. We got the rain cover at Babies R Us and it is made by Graco, but is supposed to fit most strollers, and I am sure there are similar products out there. - Tanya Sheehan

We secured one of those D-ring keychain clips to the stroller handle with a Velcro strap. It was a handy place to hang all of our souvenir shopping bags that we would accumulate! - Jackie Beering

Having just returned from an exhausting, yet wonderful week in Disney, I'd like to share with your readers what we found to be our "saving grace". Our girls are 5 and 7, yet we decided to bring along an umbrella-type stroller for each of them. We used them to haul carry-on luggage to the gate of the plane, easily gate-checked them, and brought them into the parks all seven days of our stay. They fold so easily and are so light, that getting on and off the bus was quick and simple. The girls rode in them almost all of the time. This not only saved time (we walked at our pace, not theirs), but we knew where they were at all times! They in turn saved energy by riding (and occasionally napping). We were always able to spot them easily in the stroller parking, unlike ALL those park rentals! The best part was that at the end of each day, when the girls (and we) were most tired, we didn't have to return our strollers and then make the long trek to the bus pick-up! So many people commented on how they wished they had thought of the "outside the park gates" traveling around. We used so many of tips from ALL EARS® and AllEars®.net that we wanted to share our tip! - The West Family of Massachusetts

I brought my own stroller from home, but I was meeting family who live in Florida. We decided to rent a double stroller so the cousins could sit together. My daughter loved sitting with her cousin, but by midday she wanted back in her own stroller. WHY? Those new strollers in MK, Epcot and AK are HARD. She wanted the comfort of her soft stroller. Here is my tip! If you do plan on renting one of these strollers, bring a blanket so you can soften it up a bit. Remember none of the strollers recline. - Suzanne

Whenever possible, park your stroller under a designated shelter. We parked both of ours outside during the Country Bear Jamboree, and were surprised by a total drenching shower that left about a quarter-inch of rain in our belongings and two very soggy toddlers for the rest of the day! - Mark Brown

Rent a double stroller for your "big" kid. If you've got an older child (4, 5, 6, or even 7) who's too big for a regular stroller from home, rent a double stroller for him/her. They offer plenty of room for a larger child and hold more weight than a single rental or a regular stroller. Plus, you've got a handy place to carry sunscreen, drinks, snacks, rain ponchos, etc.

Last summer, we rented one at all four parks for our then 5-year-old daughter, and it made all the difference in the "World". They were worth every penny we paid for them. We could cover a lot more ground and our daughter was able to rest and get some relief from the sun. We're heading back to WDW this summer, and our now 6-year-old has already asked to make sure we'll rent strollers for her again.

Only one caution: as of July 2000 when we visited, the double strollers at Disney's Hollywood Studios had a canvas divider to make two separate seats, meaning there was no room for a big kid to stretch out. We ended up trading the double in for a single (we were cheerfully refunded the price difference), but that was a little too small. This year we'll skip the stroller at Disney's Hollywood Studios. - Beth Peter, Waukesha, Wisconsin

EDITOR's NOTE: The Stroller FAQ has photos of strollers from each of the 4 main Theme Parks. http://allears.net/pl/strol_faq.htm

Back when we used to travel to WDW with a nice stroller, I'd bring a ski lock. (A ski lock is like a cable-style bike lock, but thinner and smaller so it is easier to carry in your pocket.) When we went on a ride, we'd leave the stroller locked by running the wire through two wheels so no one could roll it away. If a Cast Member needed to move the stroller, they could still pick it up and carry it. - Jean Pugh

The Coral Reef restaurant is no longer considered a signature meal! When I visited in August it was still considered a signature. I went onto the Disney site recently, though, and noticed that it was changed to a table service meal. - Michael Venere

A great new item for that hot thirsty Disney trip -- individual cold brew tea bags! Any restaurant will give you free tap water but it doesn't taste very good. Just pop in a tea bag and some sugar (if desired) and you have delicious iced tea. - Amy

There is no milk on the beverage island at any of the food courts, but if you are a coffee drinker like me who prefers milk to cream, just ask one of the CM's. They have some put aside in the "back room" just for this. - Jack Marshall

We stayed at the All-Star Movies Resort. My tip to everyone who's gotta have MILK: Instead of buying the little cartons of milk at the food court for 99 cents each, go into the gift shop and buy a whole quart for $1.50. This saved us a lot of money, once we realized they sold milk in the back of the gift shop. Take your own cereal from home, send someone for the bottle of milk in the morning and this will save you lots of time and money. - Donna Glatfelter

I just returned from 17 days in Orlando. Although I stayed off-site, I ate quite a bit at Disney hotels. We all know about character dining, but all you Brits should try normal meals at any of the hotels. Fantastic! - Chris M. from the UK

Did you get a great hotel deal for a Disney All Star "value" resort? Don't let the food court prices steal your bargain. At your value resort, a little Minute Maid sip box costs $1.50, and a 2-liter Coke in the gift shop is $3.50. You will probably not exceed your baggage allowance for a 4- or 5-day trip, so you can bring along another suitcase without exceeding your airline limit. Get that old suitcase out of the basement or buy one from a flea market, and the day before your trip, take the family on a grocery shopping trip. Let everyone pick out their favorite snack items. It will be a fun start to the trip, and you could literally save hundreds of dollars. Make sure you have included breakfast items like donuts, fruit cups, juices, bottled water, etc. Breakfast in the room can save you up to $10 per person, per day. If you are a coffee drinker, bring along that old coffee pot or pick up a little five-cup pot at Walmart. Not only will you save money, but you'll also save time not having to walk back and forth to the food court each morning. - Timothy Helm

We just returned from WDW, which was wonderful as always, and I wanted to give you a tip about eating at Chef Mickey's without a Priority Seating. When we called during the day for a Priority Seating for the same evening, there were none available. Since we were staying at the Contemporary, I went to the hostess around 4 p.m. (they close for lunch) and was told that they start taking seating requests at 4:30 p.m. for the 5 p.m. restaurant opening. I went at 4:30, put in my request, got my buzzer, and went to the shops. Promptly at 5 p.m., my buzzer went off, sending me back to the restaurant for dinner with my party of five. - Linda Bradley

I have some tips on how to save money on food at WDW. For breakfast, consider room service! You would think it would be expensive, but you can get a tea, muffins, croissants, and fruit platter for 2-4 people for under $20! And many rooms have free coffee machines... Another option is to do the two-meal-a-day plan. Have a big meal (breakfast/ brunch) around 10-11 a.m., and another big meal around 3-4 p.m. This way, you beat the restaurant rush at the more popular meal times, and when everyone else is eating, you are enjoying the slightly shorter ride lines. - Laura P., Bel Air, Md.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Room Service breakfasts are only available at deluxe resorts and Coronado Springs.