Tips about Health and Planning

We have gone to Walt Disney World every year for the last five years with our two kids (now ages 5 and 10) and I have one "must purchase" item prior to a summertime Disney trip: a personal size water fan -- and extra batteries. The water fans in the parks are around $20, but you can buy your own at home for $5 to $7. If you have a stroller, a clip-on stroller fan is great, too. - Ingrid

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

If a member of your party likes to wear certain types of pants with fairly loose pockets (i.e., athletic or cargo pants), and carries a wallet, it would be a very good idea before your trip to purchase those small Velcro closures and sew them inside the top edge of the pocket. These are just small round bits of Velcro with adhesive on the back so you can place them where you want them. Then just a couple of stitches to secure the front of the pocket to the back, and you are good to go. The Velcro will come apart easily with just a finger tug. We learned the hard way that wallets tend to pop right out of some pants, especially the very loose and comfortable exercise pants my husband favors for park-wear. Luckily, the wonderful people at Cosmic Ray's were able to find his wallet and return it, but we know next time to add a little security! - Joyce A. Deen

We started planning trips around events so that even if we could only go for a weekend, it was still possible. Just last October, we took in Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. That was our only visit to a park during our three-day stay, but not our only Disney adventure. We visited the Winter Summerland miniature golf for the first time -- what a blast! We also visited a few resorts, eating in some of our favorite locations like the Kona Cafe at the Polynesian. Although we enjoy spending four, five, or more days in the park, these shorter trips have meant just as much, and we have plenty of memories! - Shawna

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

Did you know that the cost of booking a vacation with a Disney travel agent is the same as booking a vacation yourself directly through Disney? Sometimes it can even be cheaper, as the agent will watch for discounts to help you get the most value for your hard-earned dollar. - Melissa Weis

Take advantage of all the discounts -- we use the military and annual passholders' ones regularly. We also stay Sunday through Thursday to avoid "weekend" rates and bonus! -- parks are usually less full weekdays. - Katherine Marshall

Research! Utilize the excellent menu feature here on AllEars.Net. Know what the different restaurants or service counters offer so that you know they serve something both you and your kids like. With the costs of an entree, you definitely don't want your child to tell you they don't like what you ordered. Make a list of the places in each park that satisfy all of your needs. Then, if possible, actually make choices before you go. Stick with what you know works, especially for your kids. - Tom Galloway

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/

I haven't seen this widely publicized yet, but Amazon Prime Now has started delivery to the WDW resort hotels. It's open to Prime members and can be used to order groceries, diapers and tons of other things that you may need while on vacation. Delivery is free within two hours and $7.99 if you want it delivered within one hour. They'll drop your items at Bell Services for you to pick up. You have to order through the primenow.amazon.com website or use the Amazon Prime Now app to place your order though, not the regular Amazon site or app. It's certainly a convenient way to get the stuff you need without having to leave the property. - Brian B.

My husband uses an ECV to get around the parks. After several trips to the parks, we came up with an easy way to attach our hotel refillable mugs: a shoestring! Usually the basket in front of the ECV is full of other things, so attaching our cups with a shoestring or cup holder is essential. - Judy Shock

For international visitors, using mobile phones abroad can be very costly as roaming charges vary so much. We bought two-way radios to keep in contact in the parks. They have become a Walt Disney World trip essential for us. We bought ours with a charger pack. One word of advice though: the radios bought in USA are not legal in UK and vice versa. - Heather Young

We all remember to notify our credit card companies before we leave home to let them know we will be out of town so we can use those cards. Something I failed to remember, though, was to notify the company that manages my health insurance "Flex Spending" debit/credit card that I would be in Orlando! Of course, the fourth day into our vacation I got sick. My physician called in an antibiotic to Turner Drug (which, by the way, does not accept any form of insurance). Turner Drug would have accepted my flexible spending card, but it was declined since I hadn't updated it with my traveling details. Also, you don't get a traditional receipt that you can turn in for reimbursement -- that fee was charged on my resort bill. I can't imagine trying to recoup that money with a Disney Resort receipt! - Peggie Radke

Please call your credit/debit card company before leaving home and alert them to all the places you will be traveling. My card was locked out at Disneyland after I bought my annual pass! The companies are trying to minimize credit card fraud. The worst thing is if customer service isn't there 24/7, and you can't use your card until they reopen. - Leslie Seibert

For all those with peanut and/or tree nut allergies, make sure you have a meal at the Be Our Guest Restaurant (which was breathtaking, by the way). The chef advised us that no nuts are used on premises, and although the bread was made in a facility that may have resulted in cross contamination, ALL of the desserts were safe for those with peanut/tree nut allergies! My son was able to pick his own cupcake for dessert, and I'm not sure who was more excited -- him or me. The chef just had to prepare the cupcake without the garnish, which did not take away from it at all. Not to mention the cupcakes are amazing! I would highly recommend Be Our Guest, as most other sit-down restaurants are only able to offer ice cream without the Mickey sprinkles for dessert! - April Slavin