Tips about Kids, Magic Kingdom, Pins, Planning and Souvenirs

ALL PARKS - For those following the "10,000 Steps" type program, I averaged 22,000 steps per day during a four-day stay last week, visiting each park. No wonder we were exhausted! - Michele

MAGIC KINGDOM - My family and I never knew about the "pre-show" done at the Magic Kingdom a few minutes prior to opening. We were anxiously waiting for the gates to open when we were surprised to see the Mayor of Main Street greeting everyone and tons of characters arriving via the Disney Railroad, including the Mouse himself who did a countdown and even had a lucky family sprinkle "Pixie Dust" on everyone! The best part, however, was when the gates did open we were right in front of the train station entrance when ALL of the characters came out, including Mickey and Minnie. We got some great photos and lots of autographs within our first 10 minutes in the park! It was a wonderful way to start our Magical Day! - Carol Holland

MAGIC KINGDOM - We found that one of the best times to meet characters is before the park opens. We had EARLY breakfast reservations at the Crystal Palace (before the Magic Kingdom opened). It was a pain to fight through the lines at the gates to get in for our reservation, but it was worth it. We found most of the characters were beginning to come out and we were able to visit with tons of them while we waited to be seated. We got family and individual pictures with Mickey and Minnie TOGETHER, and that's next to impossible. It was the highlight of our trip! - Suzanne Kadinger

Alea Laughery shares some of her favorite "kids" tips:

-- In a zipper-type bag, we pack an easy to rinse bib and kid-sized plastic "silverware" and take them to the parks each day for our little guy. You can also pack a plastic table cover. Forks at Disney restaurants can be huge!

-- I bring special glow stuff (necklaces, bracelets, etc.) for every night we are going to be at the parks after dark. It's so much cheaper, and the kids love it just as much. Often people will ask us where we found it.

-- Find something fun to take pictures of in each country at Epcot. For example, I took a picture of my 3-year-old in a different hat that reflected the type they would wear in that country. We looked for hats in each gift shop as a family challenge.

-- Bring a small bag of toys for the kids so that they can play in their downtime at the resort. Kids need time to just play! Toys that can be played with in the tub are great because you can kill two birds with one stone! You can bring matchbox-sized cars to the park in your bag for the kids to drive around while waiting for shows, parades or in lines. Small posable plastic figures work well, too. Four crayons and a tiny dollar store sticker/coloring book are also great for a long wait.

-- At 10, my daughter feels too big to dress like a princess, but I found a cool tiara headband that she agreed to wear and she loved being recognized as a princess. For our breakfast with the Princesses, she wore an outfit we put together that I called a modern-day Belle. She wore a blue, ruffled skirt, and a white ruffled shirt, and completed the look with her hair in a ponytail of curled ringlets off to the side, a blue bow in her hair and a French-inspired necklace. I let her wear makeup and sprayed her hair and outfit with glitter spray found in the party section at a discount store.

Alea Laughery shares some of her favorite "kids" tips:

-- In a zipper-type bag, we pack an easy to rinse bib and kid-sized plastic "silverware" and take them to the parks each day for our little guy. You can also pack a plastic table cover. Forks at Disney restaurants can be huge!

-- I bring special glow stuff (necklaces, bracelets, etc.) for every night we are going to be at the parks after dark. It's so much cheaper, and the kids love it just as much. Often people will ask us where we found it.

-- Find something fun to take pictures of in each country at Epcot. For example, I took a picture of my 3-year-old in a different hat that reflected the type they would wear in that country. We looked for hats in each gift shop as a family challenge.

-- Bring a small bag of toys for the kids so that they can play in their downtime at the resort. Kids need time to just play! Toys that can be played with in the tub are great because you can kill two birds with one stone! You can bring matchbox-sized cars to the park in your bag for the kids to drive around while waiting for shows, parades or in lines. Small posable plastic figures work well, too. Four crayons and a tiny dollar store sticker/coloring book are also great for a long wait.

-- At 10, my daughter feels too big to dress like a princess, but I found a cool tiara headband that she agreed to wear and she loved being recognized as a princess. For our breakfast with the Princesses, she wore an outfit we put together that I called a modern-day Belle. She wore a blue, ruffled skirt, and a white ruffled shirt, and completed the look with her hair in a ponytail of curled ringlets off to the side, a blue bow in her hair and a French-inspired necklace. I let her wear makeup and sprayed her hair and outfit with glitter spray found in the party section at a discount store.

MAGIC KINGDOM - The girls and I bought some glow in the dark nail polish and painted our nails and a glow stick and painted our faces. It was fun to glow in Haunted Mansion and on Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. - Beth Ratliff

ALL PARKS - My husband and I pass the time waiting in lines by playing handheld Yahtzee. We take turns setting a score for one another to beat and keep track of who is ahead in wins. When one of us is 10 games ahead, the other person owes the winner a favor. We've been doing this for several vacations and it still helps to pass the time. Next time we plan to get a similar game for our kids. - Pam Lau

ALL PARKS - We all LOVE LOVE LOVE seeing the kids in costume (Belle, Cinderella, etc.). We try to make a big deal about it when we see them dressed up and, truthfully, it is fun seeing them think they have fooled the adults into believing they really *are* the characters they are portraying. If your child is a sticker collector, bring a special book for all the awesome stickers they can get at each of the parks and hotels. Most places have their own special stickers that they give the kids. In the Magic Kingdom there are at least 6 different ones the kids can get (and there are probably many more. The kids all love getting stickers, but by the end of the night most stickers have gotten wet or wrinkled up. Ask the Cast Member for an extra one for the child's book. Chances are they will be *more* than happy to give an extra one, just for the sticker book or for your scrapbook! - Tip from a Magical Magic Kingdom Cast Member

ALL PARKS - For those who have little ones who don't like the "line ride" at the beginning of most attractions or for those who hate waiting in queues themselves, spotting Hidden Mickey's is a wonderful diversion. We made small index card booklets listing all "confirmed" Hidden Mickey's in each park, organized by lands and attractions. They fit easily in a pocket or daypack and can be decorated with character stickers. We took the one for the park(s) we were in each day and looked for HM's in line or checked to see where we could find them once on the ride. An added benefit was getting to meet the numerous other guests who asked what we were reading and pointing at. This decreased the frustration of line-waiting even more. I think we made many other HM fans and also took the opportunity to mention ALL EARS® to them. Hopefully we helped (in a small way) your goal of making the 25,000 subscriber mark! - Gavin Adams

EDITOR'S NOTE:: To learn more about Hidden Mickey's, go to: http://allears.net/btp/hiddenm.htm

I read the information about birthday buttons that one of your readers sent in. I thought of that tip when we went to Target last month to get items for our daughter's gift bags. This is where we found a ribbon that says "Birthday Girl" on it. It looks like a first place ribbon and can be found in the party supply aisle. She wore it to school and on her birthday. We are saving it for our trip to WDW next year. Thanks to your reader's tip, even if we don't make it to City Hall in Magic Kingdom to get our daughter a Birthday Button, at least she'll have something to wear for the four days we will be staying at WDW. Thanks for all the great tips, readers. I've been saving a lot of newsletters to refresh my memory for next year. - The Schroeder Family

We just returned from a GREAT week at WDW. My family and my sister's family took the trip together. We purchased glow sticks from an online auction and carried them with us for night visits to the parks. It was a great way to keep up with five kids, four parents and two grandmothers. We saved money this way because the park glow sticks are very expensive -- especially when everyone wants one for their arms, legs, ears, neck, etc. These were a life saver! - Kelli Brown

We have a 3-1/2 year-old daughter who is at that toddler stage of learning how to do things for herself. We thought for every time she helps us out by cleaning her room, helping me make her bed, putting on her clothes, (fill your own chore in ), we would give her spare change. She gets to put it in her specially marked coffee can, then when a bit of that change accumulates, we make a trip to our local Disney Store and redeem it for Disney Girt Cards. She is a lot more helpful around the house now! - Stacey Hoover

We've made "sticker charts" for our three children (ages 11, 8, and 5), and for each chore they do, they earn a sticker. Each sticker is worth a dime and once their charts are full, Mom will count the stickers and trade them in for Disney Dollars. We've posted the charts in the kitchen and they've made it into a competition to see who can earn the most stickers. So now instead of fighting over who HAS to walk the dog, they fight over who GETS to walk the dog and earn a sticker! - Bill and Tina Crane

My boys, ages 3, 6, and 7, are very into pin trading. They have large collections that reflect their interests. When we were home I found the pins were collecting dust, so I created pin boards for them. I bought an artist's canvas then covered it with a thin layer of batting and some fabric they chose from the fabric store. My husband added a bit of wire to hang them and voila! Their pins are on their walls, over their beds where they can show them off to guests or do some trading with each other. It has really made the magic of Disney a daily occurrence in their bedrooms! - Beth Spellman

We have two infants still in diapers, so when we go to the parks, we make "diaper packages" for each child. We take a gallon Ziploc bag and put in a diaper and a smaller bag Ziploc bag with a couple of wipes. Then we write the name of the child on the outside of each package, since they wear different sizes. When it is time to change one, we just grab a "diaper package" for the right child and head straight for the bathroom without having to search for everything. - Kate from Colorado