Tips about Health, Mousecellaneous, Planning and Resorts

We just returned from a great five days down at WDW... One thing I discovered this trip was how many cards I ended up carrying around: park ticket, hotel room key, Disney Visa redemption card, Photopass card (or cards, because we always end up with more than one), Fastpasses... whew! That's a lot, and that's not even counting what's usually in my wallet, like a credit card and ID. I was constantly afraid I would lose something. My uncle (I have to credit him on this one) came up with a great solution: he picked up a small business card case (around $5) at an office supply store to keep all of his important cards in. He always had his Fastpasses ready to get in line while the rest of us were still digging through our pockets. I've already picked one up and it's in my "things to take to Walt Disney World" pile for our next trip! - Nathan Jones EDITOR'S NOTE: Magic Bands have eliminated a few cards to carry around the parks. However you will still want to carry your Annual Pass card (for discounts), photo ID, and if you have it, your Tables in Wonderland Card

Animal Kingdom Lodge - If you are staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge, Jambo House, I would strongly suggest considering renting a car. My husband, 4-year-old and I have just returned from a 14-night trip and found that with the completion of Kidani Village, the bus transportation picks up and drops off at Kidani FIRST. This meant that when the bus transportation arrived at Jambo House to go to the parks, it was sometimes already full (standing room only) and on the return journey from the parks we had to drive past Jambo House to drop off and collect new people at Kidani before going to Jambo House.

The BoardWalk often offers jugglers and magicians in the evening. My son loves just sitting and watching all of the performers. But we just returned from our rainiest Disney trip ever. We certainly thought that the performers would not be on the BoardWalk on those nights. We were right, they weren't -- but, to my son's delight, we found that they perform indoors on those nights. We found the performers near the bar area and also in the lobby. - Kelly

Our son is 19 years old, but we have not ditched the stroller for Disney World. Of course, we don't use it for him. For someone with chronic back and shoulder pain, it is the best. We bring an umbrella stroller to keep our backpack with ponchos, snacks, etc. Anyone who has back difficulties knows that walking for long periods of time is pretty uncomfortable. The support from the stroller for the back is amazing, and really makes a difference on how long you can last in the park. It's like using a rolling walker, but it's not, and it also holds all your belongings. - Nancy

Our most recent trip to Disney was a very busy one between extra activities and dinner reservations. Before leaving home, I prepared a schedule, which upon arrival I posted on the fridge (we stayed in a villa) with magnets I brought from home. This way, everyone knew where and when they needed to be somewhere. - Ann

All Resorts - Remember that Disney Gift Cards are not honored to cover valet parking. - Nalyn Marcus

I have just returned from a trip to the Yacht Club. During my visit, I found myself with a medical emergency, as my glucose meter decided to die. I went to the desk and was relieved to find that there is a drug store, Turner Drugs, that will deliver to the resorts for a $5 charge. What a blessing for a nervous diabetic! - Sue Tucci

Port Orleans Riverside - I go to the gym daily, it's part of my lifestyle. As you know, gyms are only located in the deluxe resorts in Disney. Last trip we stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge, and I advised the concierge there that I would be staying at Port Orleans Riverside next trip and asked about gym accommodations. I was told that I could attend any gym for a $35 fee that would cover my entire length of stay. When we checked into Port Orleans Riverside recently, I inquired about the gym fee, and was told that guests staying at Port Orleans can use the gym at Saratoga Springs at no charge! This was an extra savings that was unexpected! - Linda A. Graffagnini

Port Orleans Riverside - I go to the gym daily, it's part of my lifestyle. As you know, gyms are only located in the deluxe resorts in Disney. Last trip we stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge, and I advised the concierge there that I would be staying at Port Orleans Riverside next trip and asked about gym accommodations. I was told that I could attend any gym for a $35 fee that would cover my entire length of stay. When we checked into Port Orleans Riverside recently, I inquired about the gym fee, and was told that guests staying at Port Orleans can use the gym at Saratoga Springs at no charge! This was an extra savings that was unexpected! - Linda A. Graffagnini

I wrote you in January of this year regarding the fact that Earl of Sandwich in Disney Springs was using latex gloves in food prep. I wanted to update you with the fact that when we were at WDW at the end of September, we were happy to learn that "Earl" has now become latex-free! Of course, it's always important to ask at the time of ordering, but we were told they would be latex-free going forward. Unfortunately, when we went to purchase fudge at the Main Street Confectionery, we were told that they for some reason are still using latex gloves (despite the fact that we've been told over and over that WDW food prep is now latex-free) as well as vinyl gloves, so we were advised not to chance purchasing anything. Very disappointing! - Amy Keen

Don't be afraid to use GoLynx, the public buses serving Orlando. Using the No. 50 gets you to Seaworld and I-Drive from the Ticket and Transportation Center and Disney Springs. The No. 111 is a direct bus to the Florida Mall. It's cheap, reliable and punctual, and way cheaper than shuttles or taxis. - Diane

Know the theme park closing schedule and schedule your non-hotel dinners before the buses make you route to Disney Springs to get back to your "home" hotel. We went from Boma (Animal Kingdom Lodge) to Disney Springs and back to All Star Music. That occurred starting at 10:45 p.m. We didn't make it to bed until just before 12:30 a.m. Fortunately we didn't have to be at Typhoon Lagoon until 10 a.m. the next day. - Rudy Costa EDITOR'S NOTE: Sometimes it is in your best interest to use the taxi service for late evening transportation from resort to resort. Cost is usually under $20.

I always start walking more on the treadmill to get ready for all the Disney walking on a trip. This time, I went and bought a new pair of tennis shoes six months prior to the trip. I kept them only to walk on the treadmill. I then took them with me to Disney. They still looked brand new since they were only used in the house on the treadmill, but they were well broken in for the trip. - Shannon

To keep the thread, no pun intended, of lost glasses pins/screws going, here is a tip to keep from losing them in the first place -- put a drop of clear nail polish on the thread end of the screw and it will act like Loctite®. - Marc

I saw the tip from the reader regarding getting her husband's eyeglasses repaired at the Magic Kingdom watch store. On our trip in April, the screw in my mother's eyeglasses came out. We were staying on property and called the front desk to see if they would happen to have an eyeglass repair kit. They did and promptly brought it to our room-free of charge. My mother now carries it in her purse for any future accidents. - Tracie Smith