Tips about Health and Planning

Forgive me for recycling these old tips I learned a few years ago. I am a planner and before I leave home (UK), I prepare all my "mousekeeping" tips in separate envelopes with a little message of thanks and the date to be given. This saves a great deal of time -- more time for the World -- and a lot of scrabbling in purses and wallets for the requisite amount. Before travelling and when changing my currency I always ask for small denominations so I am prepared for those immediate gratuities (luggage, valet parking, etc). I am already writing my envelopes for our next trip, September '08 -- Boardwalk Villas!

My husband has epilepsy and his neurologist has prescribed a medication to place under his tongue if he starts feeling "funny". The pills aren't very dense so that they can dissolve rapidly. We had trouble finding something to store them in as he has to keep them in his pocket at all time. So, I had a wonderful idea. We took a hard plastic (resin type material) contact lens case and cut the case to separate it into two pieces. The cases are perfect for storing the pills in. No water or humidity can get into the case. Be sure to get the screw top kind as they seal up better. - Lisa

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

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

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

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

Deb Wills shares: A recent item in the Orlando Sentinel reminded me of the threat of lightning strikes in Florida. According to the National Weather Service, Florida averaged more than 1.2 million lightning strikes a year during the last decade. It also has the most lightning-strike deaths and injuries each year. Lightning Safety Awareness Week began on the first official day of summer, so I thought it would be good to share the following safety tips:

• Lightning can strike even when it isn't raining.
• When you hear thunder, take shelter, since that means lightning is close. The safest place is inside a sturdy, enclosed building.
• A metal-topped vehicle with the windows up is also safe shelter.
• Stay inside for 30 minutes after you hear the last sound of thunder.
• When inside, stay away from corded phones and electronics.
• Avoid sinks, showers and faucets.

I thought that Alice McNutt Miller's post about money saving tips was spot on. Our family has enjoyed Disney World every few years and I always consult the AllEars® tips database while planning. One tip that I would add to Alice's list is considering travel during the room-only discount periods. This way you can combine frugal and fairly extravagant if you're willing to move from value/moderate to deluxe for a few days (especially to the BoardWalk area). Our kids felt like it was two vacations in one. - Jack

Don't be too quick to dismiss the Deluxe resorts. For the UK visitor, free dining is usually not available at the Value resorts, while the Quick Service plan is included at the Moderates and the regular dining plan comes with Deluxe or Villas. We have found that it can often work out cheaper for us to book a villa when free dining is included than it would be to book at a Value resort and buy a dining plan or just pay for food as we went along. - Debi

I print out clear labels with all of our information and bring along extra to label everything that we get new at the parks, from our cups to our PhotoPass. The extra labels are great in case you do forget to label something before you leave and the clear labels blend right in. - Cara Martin

I recently returned from Coronado Springs and found that it was not very friendly to limited mobility people. I had a standard wheelchair and had to depend on my family for all transport. Usually I can walk to almost anywhere... not true at Coronado Springs. If you go, rent an ECV or expect to be pushed everywhere or go nowhere. I had to use my car to go anywhere in the resort and the walk from any parking space to the Dig Site was also too long. I was very disappointed. I would call Coronado Springs the most handicapped-unfriendly of the Disney resorts -- Pop Century was better! - Nadine Edelman

My 10-year-old son had scout camp this summer. I wanted to include a few essentials in his backpack, but I knew they would end up lost at the bottom. I got a plastic coupon organizer (the accordion wallet type) and put bandages in one section, bug repellant in another, along with hand wipes, sunscreen, etc. It worked so well that I have added the coupon organizer to my "Disney supplies." I think it will keep our trip backpack organized as well! I plan to add in individual packs of over-the-counter medicines. - Beth Spellman