Tips about Hollywood Studios and Souvenirs

Going through the metal detectors at the park entrances, you have to remove celebratory buttons and put them in the little bins with other metal objects. This can be a pain, especially if you're park-hopping! Consider wearing buttons on a lanyard or bag strap to make it easier to take them on and off. - Gilly R.

Disney's Hollywood Studios - If you're going to see Fantasmic and you want to grab a snack to enjoy during the show, there are concession stands located right where the show is, up toward the Fantasmic "stage". My husband and I were at the world last week and there was a huge line for the popcorn stand by Tower of Terror -- all people going to Fantasmic! - Donna

When we go to WDW we keep the kiddie meal Mickey-shaped plates as souvenirs. They wash up nicely (top-rack dishwasher) and have three compartments. I usually use one of the "ears" to put their cups into so that they don't tip them over. They last long, too. We've had ours since the summer! - Kari Svinarich

Remember when you're purchasing merchandise at Walt Disney World and using Disney's shipping to send it out of state, sales tax should not be charged. Sometimes new cast members don’t know this or long-time veterans simply forget. Be sure to check your sales receipt. - Jack Spence

ALL PARKS - As you are waiting in line, a great way to spend the time is to play what we call the Disney Alphabet Game. Start with the letter "A" and the first person has to name a Disney character that starts with the letter "A," like Ariel. The next person has to name a character whose name starts with the letter "B," such as Br'er Rabbit, and so on. Once you reach "Z" start over back at "A" but you can't use the same character twice. If you need a hint for "X", there is a Buzz Lightyear character named XR. It's fun for kids and adults. We played while waiting for Fantasmic! and had everyone around us shouting out suggestions within a few minutes. - Chris in Iowa

ALL PARKS - I am from Colorado where we are on Mountain Time. In addition to feeling like it is two hours earlier when we are in Florida, we let our kids stay up later on vacation. This works out really well for Extra Magic Evening Hours. We were recently at the Magic Kingdom where the Extra Magic Evening Hours were from 9 p.m. to midnight. For us, it felt like 7 to 10 p.m. During that time, we went on all the kiddie rides with our 3- and 4-year olds with absolutely no lines! We were able to save the hot afternoons for the pool rather than waiting in lines. - Laura Moos

ALL PARKS - I am from Colorado where we are on Mountain Time. In addition to feeling like it is two hours earlier when we are in Florida, we let our kids stay up later on vacation. This works out really well for Extra Magic Evening Hours. We were recently at the Magic Kingdom where the Extra Magic Evening Hours were from 9 p.m. to midnight. For us, it felt like 7 to 10 p.m. During that time, we went on all the kiddie rides with our 3- and 4-year olds with absolutely no lines! We were able to save the hot afternoons for the pool rather than waiting in lines. - Laura Moos

At Disney's Hollywood Studios in the summer, be sure to stop and refresh by having a milkshake or a frozen lemonade at Min and Bill's Dockside Diner. The shakes are just the right size and the frozen lemonade is perfect in the summer. Sitting in the shade while having a cold drink is a nice touch for a summer day at the Studios. - Nancy Rymut

At Disney's Hollywood Studios, it is good to know how to wait for the characters that only come outside for a few minutes, such as Cars, and Power Rangers. There are yellow painted curbs where the lines form and you will need to get there about 30 minutes early. The line for the Cars characters was closed as they arrived because there would not be enough time for pictures. Power Rangers fill up quickly as well. They only get about 15-20 minutes. - Shannon Stockman

At Disneyshopping.com, you can customize polo shirts with embroidered characters and names up to eight characters long. For children and adults, the cost is only $12.50 per shirt! Check often and look for special codes on the site, and you can get an additional discount. With a 20% off code, I ordered seven shirts this past weekend for $82.50 including shipping. We're going to wear them on our next trip! - Dayshel Harwood

I spent most of a week visiting most every store on Disney property looking for a cell phone charm. All I seemed to come across were the Disney Mobile charms at more than $18 each. I finally found just what I was looking for -– a keychain! The keychain had four or five cell phone loops on the ring, and each loop held a metal charm representing a different WDW park. One loop had the castle; another, Mickey's sorcerer's hat; a third had Animal Kingdom's Tree of Life; and one had Spaceship Earth. On the keychain there also were two rubber charms: a Dreams Come True tag and Sorcerer Mickey. And this keychain with six charms cost under $8! I chose to use the castle and the sorcerer's hat, then added Mickey ears, Mickey's hand, and Mickey's red pants charms that I found in the "make your own charm bracelet" collection. Each of these charms has a lobster clasp that easily attached to the metal ring on the cell phone loop from the keychain. Yes, I probably spent more than the Disney Mobile charm, but instead of one charm, I now have nine to choose from! - Vicki Stephens

ALL PARKS - I have been to Disney many times and always carry a bag of some sort with me for sunscreen, wallets, camera, ponchos, and other things of that nature. I found that a clear backpack will get you through the line at the security checkpoint quicker than it normally takes. Since security can see through the backpack they normally do not have to open it up. If you are worried about everyone seeing what you have in the clear backpack, than all you have to do is take a hand towel and pull it out before the security check point and, once through, place it in the backpack so that everything that you have cannot be easily seen. It also helps if you get a little wet and need to dry off. - Kelly Henrichsen

ALL PARKS - We put small inexpensive inflatable bath pillows (about $.79 to $1.50 at most drugstores) in our parkpacks. When we go to see a show on a hard wooden or steel bench, or are stuck with only a concrete curbside seat to view the parade, we take out our pillows, blow them up, and voila -- a nice soft cushie for our tushie! - Michele Abbamondi

I'm always looking for a way to relive the magic of the parks, so this last trip my family and I purchased a bunch of little inexpensive souvenirs like keychains, magnets, coffee mugs, etc. (A great place to find these is in Disney Springs at Mickey's Mart: Everything $10 and Under.) I left them in the bags, sealed them shut with a Disney sticker, took them home and put them in a box in an out-of-the-way spot. Now every time I need a little Disney Magic I just go to the goodie box, pull out a bag, and it takes me right back to my favorite place in the world. I also made one for my son -- he loves to go to the magic box (as he calls it) and get a Mickey Mouse sucker, a small toy, or a Disney book. You could also decorate the box you put the goodies in. It's a fun craft for you and your child to do together. - Linda Wooden

ALL PARKS - If you have kids, bring a change of clothing for them to the parks! I know this must seem like something everyone knows, but we didn't! During our first trip ever to WDW last December my then 4-year-old daughter found the water sprinklers at Pooh's Playful Spot in Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom. She went in to play and the next thing I knew she was soaked from the water! It was tough, too, because it was a tad chilly and we didn't bring a change of clothing for her. Finding young kids' clothes at Disney is not easy! I did manage to get a pair of Mickey sweatpants, a T-shirt and a pair of socks for my daughter at one of the shops in Fantasyland. So my tip is to bring a change of clothes even for the 4-5 year olds! - Jennifer K.