Tips about Kids, Planning, Souvenirs and Travel

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!

Meg Beriau shares some tips for 5- to 8-year-olds:

We go to Walt Disney World a couple of times each year, thanks to our DVC membership, and have learned a lot over the years:

-- One trick we found that works great is that we bring our MP3 players to the fireworks, if the noise is too much for the younger ones they can listen to their Disney favorites without the loud sounds, especially at Epcot!

-- Glo-Sticks! This is family favorite. I always stock up before we go, double bag them in checked bags and carry them along to the parks. They are always a big hit with the kids and it makes it easier to see the kids when things get dark at night or in rides. If a child jumps out of the stroller, you can see them better with a glo necklace or bracelet.

-- Crocs, the official footwear for our kids at Disney! We put socks on with them for plane travel, but they are great when we get to sunny Florida! I like that the toes are protected, but not sweaty and if they get wet, it is not a big deal since they dry quickly.

-- We also pack snacks and small cereal boxes in the carry on bags. It makes a cheaper and usually preferred alternative to the expensive snacks available in the parks. The kids can have a dry cereal in the morning before we head off to grab breakfast and we have the smaller portion snacks to offer all day in the parks without waiting in line and spending a lot of extra money.

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

Our last trip to Walt Disney World was our first with a little one. I thought I did such a great job packing, remembering all the important baby things -- special toys, sippy cups, favorite blanket, pacifier, and all that. But I completely forgot to bring one important thing -- dish detergent to wash those sippy cups and pacifier! Now that we are planning our next trip for the fall, I have that on the top of my list! - Elizabeth Doda

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

For those who hate using all of those plastic bags that you get every time you go to buy another souvenir at the gift shops, Disney is now selling a reusable option. For $5.95, reusable tote bags (that come in a variety of colors) are now an option. I saw them being sold at multiple parks and at Disney Springs. These tote bags come in a small pouch with a clip attached for when the bag isn't in use. It's easy to keep with you, and it's a way to reduce your plastic waste. Go Disney! - Jennifer B

I recently travelled through Orlando Airport (MCO) and was surprised to find that they do not sell gum at the airport shops. A shop attendant stated that they are not allowed to sell it as it is to hard to clean up off the ground and the carpet. If you like to chew gum when flying or if you have little ones that need it before they fly, you might want to pick up some gum before you arrrive for your flight. - Trevor Hanko

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

Consider putting the kids in their pajamas before returning to the parks for the evening. That way when you get back to your room they can just get into bed! Less work for Mom and Dad and it makes for an easy transition to bed for the tired little ones! - Diane

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.

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.

My kids don't like riding in strollers, so about three months before our first trip to Disney, I started taking the kids on daily walks. I explained that we do LOTS of walking in Disney and we needed to build up our stamina. We went on walks five days a week. We'd talk about what we would see and do at Disney while we walked. My youngest had just turned 5 before the trip, and he had no trouble keeping up with all the walking in the parks. - Margaret Erath

AllEars® Reader Laura Taylor sends in these tips for those traveling with toddlers:

-- The marketplace inside of the Mexico pavilion at Epcot is a great place to sit down and cool down if it gets hot, or to avoid the rain.

-- Our toddler always wants to hold the camera and take pictures, but it's too expensive and he might break it. Instead, we buy two or three little disposable cameras, and let him take his own pictures. It's nice to see what he sees from three feet high.

-- Souvenirs can get expensive when traveling with children who want everything they see, so I spend the months leading up to our trip shopping the Disney Outlet online, and our local Disney Stores for clearance items. I ship them to our hotel so they are there for pick-up. When my son opens the box, he thinks Mickey left him some presents, and he doesn't want to buy things quite as early on the trip.

-- Building the magic tip: "Mickey" mails my toddler a postcard every month before we go to Disney. He says things like, "See you soon!" or "Can't wait to play with you!" My son gets excited that he has mail from Mickey, and can't wait to get down to see him.

-- Avon's Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus is wonderful -- it's sunscreen, it's insect repellent, it comes in spray and wipes, and it smells like baby lotion. Oh, and it's waterproof. We take it everywhere and load up on it for Disney trips.

-- It gets hot in Florida, and hot babies are no fun, so we bought a little battery-operated fan. We stuck it between the canopy and the tray on the stroller -- instant air conditioning. Everyone thought it was a clever idea, and the baby stayed comfortable, even during naps.

-- Take a stroller cover, or some extra ponchos to cover your stroller. Two years in a row now I've forgotten one, and during a ride the stroller got soaked by an afternoon rainstorm. It will rain in Florida in the afternoon, and soggy strollers are nobody's friend. We ended up buying some beach towels for the baby to sit on.

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