Tips about Kids, Magic Kingdom, PhotoPass and Planning
We are annual passholders and try to go often to Disney and stay at an onsite resort. The convenience of that is worth the extra money. The night before we check into our Disney resort, however, we stay at one of the Disney Springs within walking distance to Disney Springs. We usually don't get there until after 6 p.m. so it seems like a waste to pay for the Disney resort for just a few hours of use. The hotels in Disney Springs aren't very expensive compared to the Disney resorts and we feel that is a good use of our less than half-day at the World. Plus Disney Springs is the best place for things to do. They usually have some sort of fun going on, like a dance party for the kids, or performers of some kind. There are fabulous goodies to eat and great shopping. The Guest Services here is the best place to buy tickets and passes because it's hardly ever crowded. You can take care of so many things the night before and then wake up at the crack of dawn, drive to your choice of Disney resort, drop off your luggage with them and start right out for the parks having had a good night's sleep and fun the night before. It's really a great idea to consider, especially if you live in Florida and have your car with you. - Lisa Dunne
We generally start planning at least a year in advance. I have a plastic tub that is labeled "WDW stuff." I place our heavy-duty hotel mugs in it so they are already packed. I also buy things throughout the year for the trip: toothbrushes, toothpaste, magic gloves and whatever else we normally use during our week-long trip. I also go to my local laundromat and pick up boxes of laundry detergent for $.50 a box. One box cleans two loads and is a lot cheaper than the hotel laundry dispenser. I also pack several dryer sheets in a freezer bag and place them in my suitcase. It keeps the clothes smelling nice and I have dryer sheets for use while there. One nice thing about the bin is that, for those times that we drive to WDW, we just put the lid on it and pack it in the van. After we arrive to the hotel we empty it out and use that as our clothes hamper for dirty clothes. It works great for those trips to the hotel laundry. - Sirena Penn
Epcot - If your kids aren't big enough to ride Test Track go into the gift shop/exit. I thought it was just a gift shop, and I was wrong. My 3-year-old was thrilled to be able to sit in a Hummer and a Saab. All he talks about are the cool cars he played in at Test Track. I am so glad I didn't walk by this attraction. - Robin from Deltona, FL
Epcot - If your kids aren't big enough to ride Test Track go into the gift shop/exit. I thought it was just a gift shop, and I was wrong. My 3-year-old was thrilled to be able to sit in a Hummer and a Saab. All he talks about are the cool cars he played in at Test Track. I am so glad I didn't walk by this attraction. - Robin from Deltona, FL
Our 3-year-old is very scared of fireworks, but she loved Wishes. This year we took the Wishes soundtrack and she listened to it on headphones while we watched our local fireworks. It worked like a charm and made the 4th of July fireworks enjoyable for all. This also works with the Fantasmic! soundtrack. - Konni Liechty
While the new PhotoPass is a cool new idea, make sure you either take a digital picture of the pass or write down the pass number, not just in case it gets lost, but because the number wears off the back of it really fast. I used mine every day for a week, and the numbers were completely worn off by the end. Good thing I took a photo of it earlier in the week. - Arthur Maggi II
The new PhotoPass system is great. However, if you want the package deal that WDW parks offer, which includes one 5x7 and four wallets, this package deal is not offered on the PhotoPass website. You must purchase the 5x7 and wallets separately. You pay much more on the website compared to buying them at the parks, but if you just want the 5x7 there isn't much of a price difference. - Barb Murin
We looked at our PhotoPass (Disney's photo service) pictures online today and a few were missing. Whenever the Cast Members took our picture, I also had them take one with my camera. They were always happy to do so. If you have any pictures missing, they ask you for the day, time, and place where your picture was taken. Using your own personal camera as a backup makes it much easier for them to search for your missing photos. PhotoPass will even ask you for a photo of someone in the missing picture and sending your own copy along is the easiest and fastest way for them to see. PhotoPass enabled me to purchase my pics when I got home, therefore saving me some money in the parks. Onnie
When you have WDW resort hotel reservations, the cancellation policy on the confirmation says you must cancel five days before scheduled arrival or forfeit the deposit, equal to the first night's stay. What that actually means is that you must cancel six days ahead, because what they are looking for is for there to be five days between the time you call and the arrival date. For example, we found out the hard way that you can't call on Sunday to cancel a Friday reservation. - Rhame Nelson
Instead of bringing a towel to the park to dry the kids, stroller, etc., try a chamois. They are small and compact and so much easier to carry around than a regular towel. They work best when wet, and then when they are full of water, you wring them out and they are ready to soak up some more. You can find them in the automotive section of discount stores or a smaller size (for more money) in sport stores in the swimming section. Angela
For my cousin's upcoming trip, I put together a booklet of coloring pages. She can color them and then have the characters sign the colored pages. It's inexpensive and you can find coloring pages online of almost all the characters now. I also added a packet of the "Puzzlers" section from old Disney Adventures magazines. These are great boredom-busters when waiting. Dania
