Tips about Keep The Magic Alive, Planning and Resorts
Please remember to keep your patio doors locked and secure your valuables, even when staying in the relative safety of a Disney resort. An article in the Orlando Sentinel a few days ago reported that the Orange County Sheriff's Office recently arrested two suspects trying to enter a room at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa through a French door. There have been more than 20 cases of electronics stolen at that resort and others near by since late December. According to the article, Disney has been working closely with law enforcement throughout the investigation and has put additional security patrols in place. Disney has also encouraged its housekeeping team to ensure patio doors are locked, and literature has been left in the rooms to remind guests to lock all doors and secure valuables. - Editor Deb Koma
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Please remember to keep your patio doors locked and secure your valuables, even when staying in the relative safety of a Disney resort. An article in the Orlando Sentinel a few days ago reported that the Orange County Sheriff's Office recently arrested two suspects trying to enter a room at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa through a French door. There have been more than 20 cases of electronics stolen at that resort and others near by since late December. According to the article, Disney has been working closely with law enforcement throughout the investigation and has put additional security patrols in place. Disney has also encouraged its housekeeping team to ensure patio doors are locked, and literature has been left in the rooms to remind guests to lock all doors and secure valuables. - Editor Deb Koma
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Just saw saw that someone mentioned in a recent newsletter that they were used to traveling with a sound machine, and suggested that guests bring them to help drown out noise from traffic. Wanted to share my tip -- we found it helpful to just put the room's clock radio to a static channel. - Tracey DiMillo
Going to a sit-down, outdoor presentation on a cold winter's night? Here's a simple, easy-to-carry way to keep your rump from freezing: bring one of those bubble-wrap filled envelopes of an appropriate size to sit on. The bubble-wrap insulates your nether regions from that cold, cold seat, is light as a feather and is easily carried in one of those many Disney World plastic bags you've acquired. It makes quite a difference! - Mamayama
Polynesian - We recently returned from a six-night stay at the Polynesian. We stayed in the Tokelau House and found that walking to the Transportation and Ticket Center when going to Epcot was a timesaver versus taking the Resort Monorail through the Grand Floridian, Magic Kingdom then to the Transportation and Ticket Center. - Lori C.
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Free Dining is sometimes offered with a resort package. My trip dates didn't include all of the free dining dates. I called Disney reservations to ask how I could take advantage of the free dining that is being offered and got a wonderful agent who checked into it for me. When she came back on the line, she had booked my trip for free dining for all 10 days. My tip is even if your dates are only partially covered, CALL! You may be able to get the whole trip included. It definitely made for a magical day in my house. - Stefanie
We purchased four inexpensive framed cork boards, one for each member of our family. We use the maps from the various parks for the background and purchase pins that symbolize those memorable moments we have at Disney, e.g. first ride, first time staying at a resort. We also use the pins to attach leftover fast passes, room keys and other little tidbits we picked up on our trip. This is our version of the scrapbook and we can display it on our family room wall. - tcgaspie
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All Resorts - Disney resorts themselves have a limited number of wheelchairs, which they will allow you to use for free for the length of your stay. I found this out when a member of my party fell and broke her ankle on property. If you go to the main desk, they'll ask you to "sign out" the wheelchair like a library book. It can be taken anywhere: your room, the parks, Disney Springs, off property. Best of all, unlike rented chairs, it doesn't need to be returned and picked up again daily. You just need to make sure it is returned before you leave. - Melody Townley
EDITOR'S NOTE: Please note, you can not check into the resort and expect a free wheelchair for your stay. The loaner chairs are for unexpected accidents as described above. If you need a wheelchair, push or electric, during your stay, AllEars recommends
http://www.buenavistascooters.com/
Our daughter was only 4 the first time we took her Walt Disney World and we thought she might forget quite a bit of her trip, so we typed up each night that we were there what we did each day so we wouldn't forget. When we got home, we filled a Disney photo album with 200 pictures and labeled the days. Before each day is the typed sheet of the daily events and comments (written diary style) that she can read and then look at the day's pictures to remember her trips. - Lisa Thompson
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Create a simple, inexpensive scrapbook. Before a magical vacation, look for Disney theme stickers on sale and a scrapbook with at least 15 - 20 pages at a discount store such as Walmart or Target. While on your magical vacation save 'free' items such as a few unused fast passes, napkins, resort papers and key, airline stubs, pressed pennies, paper menus (just ask to keep it). Also remember to take some pictures of your resort, the monorail and Disney bus, views from your window and in the parks, favorite rides, and your family photos. When you arrive home from your magical vacation, create your scrapbook with everything you have collected, plus some cutouts and ride descriptions from your old guide book. After a few years, you will be glad you created a scrapbook. It will bring back many magical memories of where you stayed and ate, a description of what you did, and how you traveled about. Enjoy! I hope the above helps Disney fans have magical memories without spending a fortune. - Wendy
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I am a divorced father of two who was lucky enough to take my children to the Kingdom just as all of the Christmas decorations were being unleashed upon the parks. As an idea for the girls to give a gift to their mom for Christmas, when we arrived at Epcot we purchased one special autograph book (the larger size that can have a picture put on the opposite page) and the Christmas shirt for each daughter. I then took a picture of the girls in front of each country's pavilion and had a cast member write in their language Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. There were some pages left over, so we also were able to insert pictures and autographs from the main characters (Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy) and some others. The girls had fun posing for the pictures and telling the cast members what they were doing and why, and it became our "little secret," which Mom got on Christmas Day. - Ted Donnelly
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YACHT CLUB - Just returned from a stay at the Yacht Club resort and found that the Ale and Compass Lounge serves a continental breakfast each morning. Muffins, croissants, fruit, cereal & milk, juices, coffee and more. I stumbled upon this on my first morning and was pleased to see that I didn't have to go to the Beach Club or Boardwalk to get a quick breakfast. - Ruthie White
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Animal Kingdom Lodge - We recently stayed at Jambo House in the Animal Kingdom Lodge. While there, we noticed a sign stating that all balloons had to be kept in the luggage holding room for the duration of the guest's stay. Apparently, they are concerned that balloons will find their way onto the savanna, and cause problems for the animals. You may want to reconsider purchasing a balloon, if staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge! - Paul and Kris Munson
