Tips about Health, Kids, Mousecellaneous and Planning

I am writing as a person HIGHLY allergic to latex. My greatest joy about Disney is that I can travel there and know that they are using latex-free gloves and feel relaxed and comfortable. After seven trips to WDW I was disappointed during our trip last week... For the first time we stayed in a value resort (All Star Music) and to my dismay they handed out latex balloons to the children. There are balloons in the front foyer and the snack bar... Very disappointing... SO, if you are traveling to Disney you might want to consider other than value resorts. We have always stayed at deluxe resorts and never had these kinds of problems. - Karen Holycross

For more information visit: http://allears.net/pl/latex.htm

We took a short trip to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, and it rained quite frequently. We have two children in strollers, and the best thing we bought prior to the trip were two $10 stroller covers. Our girls were comfortable and dry, even when it was pouring and windy. There were a lot of people using ponchos, but we noticed that they did not stay on the strollers like ours did. When it stopped raining, we put them in the storage area under each stroller (ours are the larger umbrella strollers). - Angie

Our last trip to Walt Disney World was our first with a little one. I thought I did such a great job packing, remembering all the important baby things -- special toys, sippy cups, favorite blanket, pacifier, and all that. But I completely forgot to bring one important thing -- dish detergent to wash those sippy cups and pacifier! Now that we are planning our next trip for the fall, I have that on the top of my list! - Elizabeth Doda

If you're a teenage girl (like me) and you're going to Disney, bring your cellphone or iPod with you! It's nice to be able to listen to your music while waiting in line. Another thing: make sure you put your name and address on everything -- with iPods or mp3 players, stick some white tape on the back and write your info with a pen or marker, because Disney will return items if they find them! - Stephanie

If you're a teenage girl (like me) and you're going to Disney, bring your cellphone or iPod with you! It's nice to be able to listen to your music while waiting in line. Another thing: make sure you put your name and address on everything -- with iPods or mp3 players, stick some white tape on the back and write your info with a pen or marker, because Disney will return items if they find them! - Stephanie

If you're a teenage girl (like me) and you're going to Disney, bring your cellphone or iPod with you! It's nice to be able to listen to your music while waiting in line. Another thing: make sure you put your name and address on everything -- with iPods or mp3 players, stick some white tape on the back and write your info with a pen or marker, because Disney will return items if they find them! - Stephanie

We always pack a couple of first aid ice packs with us. We buy the kind that DO NOT need to be frozen, you just squeeze them to activate them. They are soooooo wonderful when you are stuck in a hot line or watching a parade/show in the hot sun. You just give it a quick squeeze and you have an icey cold pack that you can rub on your face & back and get instant relief! - Marie

I saw the tip in the June 3 newsletter about the reusable tote bags Disney now has in stores for those who don't like getting all the plastic bags. However, I have a tip about those plastic Disney bags. I have a Disney-themed bathroom and the medium-sized bags fit perfectly in the wire wastebasket I have in there, so I take them home and store under the cabinet to use in my wastebasket to keep it clean. The neat Disney design shows throught the wire and goes great with my decor. - Sharon McMurray

While visiting Walt Disney World recently I made it a point to thank the cast members who were stuck in the bathrooms, keeping them clean, and/or those picking up the garbage in the park. I let them know that we really appreciate them keeping things clean. The smiles from these often-unappreciated workers made my day, as you can see how much they appreciated being recognized. - Bonnie Lorenzetti

Just prior to leaving for a trip to the World, I needed to have a liquid prescription filled. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to take the large size bottle in my carry-on, I asked my pharmacy to put part of the medicine in a smaller TSA-approved bottle. They did, including making another pharmacy label. I will be able to have the smaller bottle with me and the larger I can check. And if my luggage does happen to get lost I have enough in my carry-on until the luggage is found. - Laura

Consider putting the kids in their pajamas before returning to the parks for the evening. That way when you get back to your room they can just get into bed! Less work for Mom and Dad and it makes for an easy transition to bed for the tired little ones! - Diane

My best hot-weather tip is the frozen washcloth. I fold wet washcloths in quarters and put them in our villa's freezer the night before going to the parks. In the morning, each washcloth goes in a sandwich sized zipper-top bag and then all go into an insulated lunch bag in my backpack. We pull them out midday when the Florida heat and humidity are killers! It feels SUPERB to run a freezing cold cloth along your arms and across the back of your neck! It's reallly refreshing when you are hot and tired! - Lee Bickerstaff

My kids don't like riding in strollers, so about three months before our first trip to Disney, I started taking the kids on daily walks. I explained that we do LOTS of walking in Disney and we needed to build up our stamina. We went on walks five days a week. We'd talk about what we would see and do at Disney while we walked. My youngest had just turned 5 before the trip, and he had no trouble keeping up with all the walking in the parks. - Margaret Erath

Schedule one evening to be at the perfect place and time to view a fabulous Florida sunset. Most regular visitors have their own favorite sunset view, but in the crush of other things to do, this is one of those "I wish I had done it" things you remember after you get home. It is one of those quiet moments that are most treasured later, and is a good "last evening at Disney" tradition to incorporate into your stay. Depending on your resort, cast members can usually suggest the best sunset view. One of my favorites is the point that juts into the lagoon at the Polynesian, but any western view over water is a winner. Another great place is at the Cantina in Mexico at Epcot. Get a cool drink and sit at a table by the water and just soak up the peace and beauty. - Mary Jane Walley

AllEars® Reader Laura Taylor sends in these tips for those traveling with toddlers:

-- The marketplace inside of the Mexico pavilion at Epcot is a great place to sit down and cool down if it gets hot, or to avoid the rain.

-- Our toddler always wants to hold the camera and take pictures, but it's too expensive and he might break it. Instead, we buy two or three little disposable cameras, and let him take his own pictures. It's nice to see what he sees from three feet high.

-- Souvenirs can get expensive when traveling with children who want everything they see, so I spend the months leading up to our trip shopping the Disney Outlet online, and our local Disney Stores for clearance items. I ship them to our hotel so they are there for pick-up. When my son opens the box, he thinks Mickey left him some presents, and he doesn't want to buy things quite as early on the trip.

-- Building the magic tip: "Mickey" mails my toddler a postcard every month before we go to Disney. He says things like, "See you soon!" or "Can't wait to play with you!" My son gets excited that he has mail from Mickey, and can't wait to get down to see him.

-- Avon's Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus is wonderful -- it's sunscreen, it's insect repellent, it comes in spray and wipes, and it smells like baby lotion. Oh, and it's waterproof. We take it everywhere and load up on it for Disney trips.

-- It gets hot in Florida, and hot babies are no fun, so we bought a little battery-operated fan. We stuck it between the canopy and the tray on the stroller -- instant air conditioning. Everyone thought it was a clever idea, and the baby stayed comfortable, even during naps.

-- Take a stroller cover, or some extra ponchos to cover your stroller. Two years in a row now I've forgotten one, and during a ride the stroller got soaked by an afternoon rainstorm. It will rain in Florida in the afternoon, and soggy strollers are nobody's friend. We ended up buying some beach towels for the baby to sit on.