Tips about Health, Kids and Magic Kingdom

When our son was much younger he always wanted another souvenir. Short of buying all of Disney World, we had a very small notebook and when he came upon another, "I need that!" we wrote all the information in his "souvenir handbook." At the end of the vacation he was able to go through the entire book and decide what he really wanted as his souvenir. After careful consideration he purchased his favorite. It stopped us from constantly having to say "no" and allowed him the control to really pick out the item that meant the most to him. Win-win situation! - Marti & Paul Linetzky

You can also ship baby items to your resort so they are there when you arrive. Address all boxes with the name the reservation is under, reservation number, date of arrival, and resort name and address. Do not send a month in advance as then you will risk boxes being misplaced but instead try to have a box arrive no more then a week in advance. When you check in let them know you have a box that was shipped and they will get that for you and arrange for it to be delivered to your room. Please note that some convention resorts might have a small fee for box shipments.

The Walt Disney World Lost and Found department is amazing! My designer sunglasses flew off during Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and I thought they were gone for good. I called the Lost and Found department and described what day and location I lost them, gave a description of the glasses, and to my surprise, in true Disney Magic they were found! (Allow 24-48 hours for cast members to process your lost items.) - Michelle

EDITOR'S NOTE: You can report missing items at Guest Relations in the theme parks, but if you don't discover the item has been lost until you get home, try calling Theme Parks Lost & Found: (407) 824-4245. They're open seven days a week between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. EST. Give them a description of the item and where you lost it, and if it's been turned in, they'll let you know.

My daughter is severely allergic to some laundry detergents, so much so that she ended up in the ER twice in July covered in hives from head to foot due to allergic reactions when we were on vacation. The first night we were at our Disney hotel last week I noticed her scratching and moving around a lot. I quickly realized the sheets were bothering her, even though we have stayed at Disney on many other occasions without issue. The next morning I went to Guest Services and they were only too happy to change out all the bedding on our beds with items washed in a specialty detergent designed for those with sensitive skin. From then on she slept peacefully and I didn't have to be concerned that this vacation would once again send us to the ER! One more reason to love Disney! - Catherine

For those Disney fans who loved the SpectroMagic Parade in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom and miss it as much as I do, you now have an opportunity to buy the music. The full 14-minute song is available for purchase in the iTtunes store for $3.99. My wife and I now have it on our iPods and enjoy taking a 14-minute trip to the Most Magical Place on Earth (without having to travel to Tokyo). - Patrick Markham

We will be going to WDW for our 19th trip in two weeks -- can't wait! One of the best tips we can offer is to definitely go to the parks at night -- they all look so different as the sun goes down. The sun setting and the darkness coming -- it really brings out the beautiful lighting and colors of the parks. Animal Kingdom will be open in the evenings when the Rivers of Light show debuts in 2016. I just wish Walt Disney could come back for one day and see the beauty and magic that he created! - Trudy

I just read through your Tips database and didn't see the one thing we use for keeping our kids safe -- temporary tattoos that you can order with a variety of messages. We have my cell phone number on ours, but you can also have them blank (so you can fill in your resort number) or with a specific allergy. I say "temporary" because we have to use maybe two per child for our entire trip -- they DO NOT come off easily, even when wet. - Kim P.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Do an internet search on "child safety tattoos" to find the various companies that manufacture these temporary tattoos -- there are several!

We packed small boxes of cereal in our suitcase when we flew to the World. We stayed on WDW property. We got styrofoam cups from the resort food court, and bought milk from the resort convenience store. The kids were able to eat breakfast in our room as soon as they got up. We did not have to use a dining plan for the meal. It allowed us to get to the parks sooner by having things organized this way. As long as the children were fed, we were good to go. It also freed up some space in our suitcase on the way home for some souvenirs. - Dana from Nova Scotia, Canada

Last year we traveled to Walt Disney World and stayed at Bay Lake Tower with a Magic Kingdom view. Our son, who is a veteran and has PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), was especially sensitive to the loud noises and explosions throughout the parks. I never realized how noisy some of the attractions were. We could hear the explosions of the fireworks from our resort hotel. The Indiana Jones Stunt show is another attraction with loud and sudden explosions. These noises that some of us may take for granted can be unsettling for those who have recently experienced combat. - Kim Bieler

Magic Kingdom - My daughter is 8 years old, and on one of our last trips to Magic Kingdom she asked if we could make a reservation for the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. I was unable to get a reservation that fit our schedule. She was understanding, but a little disappointed. We decided to have our older boys experience the barber shop in the Magic Kingdom on the same trip. After we entered the barber shop and the boys were in their respective chairs, a cast member asked us if our daughter wanted her hair "done." They proceeded to put her hair in an up-do, complete with sparkling glitter! She looked like a princess and the up-do was a mere fraction of the cost that the Biddidi Bobbidi Boutique would have charged for a similar hairdo! - Danielle

For those who use a mobility scooter, pack a BBQ cover. When you need to leave your scooter outside, cover it up and if there is a rain shower you will have a dry seat to come back to. - Cindy Waters-Goodman

We are heading to Disney World for our first trip ever in just a few days. My 9-year-old daughter has Type 1 diabetes and I've used AllEars.Net to research restaurants and menus. I want to pass along something new we just found out from our endocrinologist this morning. Mickey Mouse has a new friend, Coco the Monkey, who's a Type 1 diabetic! My daughter was so excited to hear about this, especially with our upcoming trip... I understand Coco has been a part of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and carries her diabetic supplies in a backpack, and wears a diabetes bracelet, too. Our doctor gave us a free book about Coco -- ask for one for your child at your doctor's office. Thank you Disney and Lilly Diabetes for bringing this very important issue to the public's attention and making a friend of Mickey's seem as normal as all the kids with diabetes want to be. - Sheila Meyle

For more information: www.diabetesdaily.com/voices/2011/07/meet-coco-1st-disney-character-with-diabetes/

Many attractions at WDW are tied to amazing stories, but some of the stories are not as popular as they once were. We recommend watching classic movies like "Swiss Family Robinson" and "Tom Sawyer" so young children can understand, appreciate and experience the attractions. Otherwise, climbing a tree house or rafting to an island may not have the same "magic" as it could. Also, as a mother of boys who are not as familiar with princesses, we watched "Snow White," "Cinderella" and "Little Mermaid" so they are familiar with the stories and could recognize the princesses more easily. - Sandy

Many attractions at WDW are tied to amazing stories, but some of the stories are not as popular as they once were. We recommend watching classic movies like "Swiss Family Robinson" and "Tom Sawyer" so young children can understand, appreciate and experience the attractions. Otherwise, climbing a tree house or rafting to an island may not have the same "magic" as it could. Also, as a mother of boys who are not as familiar with princesses, we watched "Snow White," "Cinderella" and "Little Mermaid" so they are familiar with the stories and could recognize the princesses more easily. - Sandy

Magic Kingdom - While at Magic Kingdom at night, we tried to take advantage of some busier attractions during the fireworks, in hopes there would be short wait times. We chose Enchanted Tales with Belle, as the wait time stated 20 minutes. Well, there was essentially no line. But the best part was that standing just outside of Maurice's house turned out to be one of the best places to see the fireworks. They appeared to be shot off right behind Beast's Castle and were literally right over our heads. And then when they were done, we were able to walk into the cottage and participate in the Belle experience right away. It was magical! - Megan