Tips about Kids, Pressed and Resorts

ALL RESORTS - My name is Malorie Boutwell and I am 13 years old and have been going to Disney World on vacation ever since I was little and love it. I think that a helpful hint I have to offer is that you stay in a Disney Resort so you can get early admission to each park on the designated days also so you can get there before it begins to crowd.

We always make sure we have a small or travel size magna doodle in our backpack. The kids can use it to draw a picture, play hangman, tic-tac-toe, anything of that nature. PLUS we always brought it out on the table at character meals & usually at least one character at each meal would sign it, doodle on it or ask my son a question on it. It is more interactive & versatile than a hand held game & it doesn't beep or make noise 🙂 - Missy

I always take a few of the bubble bottles with me. Then, when I'm in a long line or waiting for a parade or fireworks, I just start blowing bubbles. All of the little kids (and some of the big ones too!) are delighted to chase and pop the bubbles or just watch them drift by. It's so funny to hear the comments from guests who don't see me blowing the bubbles - they just think it's more Disney "magic." - Kymberli Oakes

My dh and I have used this idea on our past two trips with our young children (ages 5 and 2 at our last trip last week) We thought it was a sensible "duh" until we had tons of people tell us what a great idea it was. We even had several cast members comment on our "brilliant" idea.

If you are travelling with young children that sometimes would prefer to walk than ride in a stroller all day, tie bells to their shoes. You will be able to keep up with them and if they do get seperated from you, their jingling will alert you to where they are. We had bells tied on two or our children our last trip and used different bells on each of their shoes. Because of all the noise at Disney you don't really notice the constant jingling until it stops or you need to hear it! - Michelle

I LOVED your article on pressed coins and I have to agree they are fabulous and inexpensive. Something I do to collect my coins and give as souvenir gifts is create jewelry. A small awl used for piercing leather works well in piercing the ends of these coins, and then simple jump rings and clasps found in Michael's or any craft store work great in connecting the coins into bracelets, key chains, earrings -- you name it! You can do these as themes, such as princesses or the Fab Five or even by parks. I once brought these home for several of my students! - Erika Swanson

If you are traveling with a young girl, around 5, buy a Princess Hat! My niece got one on her last trip and the Cast Members made such a fuss over her. She wore it every day, in every park, and someone commented every day. The CM's asked if she was a princess. The taxi boat CM said to "stand aside, we have royalty coming on board." Goofy even bowed down and worshiped her. It really made her feel very special during the trip. - Holly

I just wanted to add that it's best to use older pennies in the pressed penny machines. Starting in the middle of 1982, the US Mint switched from copper pennies to zinc pennies with a thin layer of copper. When you put these pennies through the pressed penny machine, you get a kind of "marble cake" appearance with the zinc sometimes peeking through. Some people like this effect, but I prefer to search through my pennies and find the older ones to use. - John Hayes

The images on new shiny pennies are a lot clearer than old used pennies! I suggest you roll up your pennies and head right to the bank to exchange for a brand new roll! - Cathy

I found this out a few years ago, while doing research for my trip. I have severe food allergies and asthma, which can be triggered by dust, mold, etc. If you have severe allergies or asthma (or both), phone in, instead of booking online, when making your reservation. You can request what they call a "VIP Room Clean." Your entire room is basically deep cleaned before you arrive, top to bottom, to remove any traces of allergens, dust, etc. You can also request, as part of this clean, to have different pillows (non-feather) put in, all scented things completely removed, etc. You can request linens be specially washed, or completely removed if you want to bring your own. It is no longer available to book online, it has to be done over the phone. Best of all, it's completely free. - Laura

Have a special hat for everyone for each day at Walt Disney World. I have tried to relate it to the park where we will be visiting on each day. For instance animal print ears for Animal Kingdom day, international themes for Epcot days, fun pinwheels for Hollywood Studio days, and of course all things Mickey for Magic Kingdom days. Not only is this fun but it is a great way to keep track of your group. You know exactly what to look for when trying to spot your family. For night time visits to the parks choose something that will light up and keep them the same for all which will distinguish your family above everyone else in the dark. Be sure and take hats off during attractions so they don't bother or interfere with other guests.

Consider purchasing a clear backpack for your child. We got one for our granddaughter and packed it with a change of clothes for her and other necessities for the day. The security guards at the airport and Walt Disney World loved it. They just had to look and then sent us on our way. - Peggy

When we last visited the world, I got two "key" lights - the kind you attach to your key chain and squeeze when you need a bit of light to find your lock. I attached one to our backpack/diaper bag. It was always where I could find it and our 3-year-old had to just squeeze it for a bit of comfort. And it was too small to disturb the other guests and affect the theming. - Diane

Regarding the small lights on attractions, I wanted to mention that just before one trip, my daughter received for her birthday a light-up necklace (like the ones they sell for the fireworks and night parades) that lit up with a magnet connection. The light was very minimal (not actually giving off real light), just enough to be reassuring to a child. - Alysha G.

When we were at WDW this past October, we bought my 5-year-old a light-up Tinker Bell necklace to help ease her fears in dark attractions. Whenever she was nervous about the dark she would just light up Tinker Bell to "help show us the way out." The light wasn't bright enough to annoy other guests but just enough to let my daughter think that she had control of the situation. - Laura Richards

There are two important items that I don't think that we could have done without. One was a small flashlight/penlight for my 5-year-old daughter who is extremely afraid of the dark. Many rides took us into the dark, so she had complete control over the light on her face and even conquered the Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain without a whimper. The other was a small purse/fanny pack for all three girls for their snacks, pens, autograph books and cameras. I don't recommend that they wear the fanny packs around their waist because it prevents the safety belts from coming down securely. Instead, wear them across the chest diagonally. I wore a large messenger bag instead of a backpack and didn't have any back pain or shoulder strain. - Tina Pryor

EDITOR'S NOTE: While we like Tina's tip about the light for fearful children, we encourage our readers to only take a small penlight, and, of course, to be considerate of other guests who may be enjoying the dark.

You can also ship baby items to your resort so they are there when you arrive. Address all boxes with the name the reservation is under, reservation number, date of arrival, and resort name and address. Do not send a month in advance as then you will risk boxes being misplaced but instead try to have a box arrive no more then a week in advance. When you check in let them know you have a box that was shipped and they will get that for you and arrange for it to be delivered to your room. Please note that some convention resorts might have a small fee for box shipments.