Tips about Kids, Resorts and Saving

BEACH CLUB VILLAS - I just got back from a great four-night stay (my first) at the Beach Club Villas. We had a studio with fridge and microwave but I was very disappointed to see there were no real dishes to use. There were a few paper plates and bowls in the cabinet, and I was able to get plastic utensils, but this didn't help with anything needing to be microwaved. I had brought a few of those macaroni and cheese packets for late night snacks, not realizing that nothing is provided for actually USING the microwave. For those of you heading to a studio, keep this in mind and bring a little microwavable bowl with you, especially if you're planning to use it to cook instant oatmeal or that type of thing for the kids. - Amy Miles

EDITOR'S NOTE: EDITOR'S NOTE: Some readers have reported that housekeeping has delivered dishes on request, so if there's something you need, just ask! It can't hurt!

I shop at a grocery store that has a store discount card. Each week, in addition to my loose change, I "deposit" the amount saved at the grocery store. Boy, has THAT added up fast. My trip next month is paid for. Now I can Christmas shop. - Ann

I'd like to expand on Joanie's idea of saving change. I, too, am a change saver. But let's carry it one step further -- I never spend change! I pay for all my purchases with bills, even if I have the change in my pocket to cover it. At the end of the day, all my change (sometimes as much as $3-$4) goes into a water cooler bottle in our bedroom. Last year, we cashed in over $600 in change and it made the trip to WDW. Eventually, the jug may contain enough to cover Annual Passes so we can get to the World more often! - JPATTI1

Every year, from vacation to vacation, I save change. I have ended up with anywhere from $75 to $210 at the end of the year. I reserve this money for tips. It's money I never missed and money I won't miss giving out as a tip to our driver, to the bellman, to the taxi driver and so on. Joanie

My 4-year-old son has a real problem with loud noises, but refused to wear ear plugs. We would put a pair in and he would pull them right back out. Before we left I contacted a store that specialized in hunting equipment and ordered a pair of the smallest child-sized headphones used at target ranges to muffle sound. They fit him perfectly and when we were in the parks, if there was even a hint of loud noises coming, we would just slip them on. My son actually went through the Haunted Mansion four times without a hitch. It was the best $17 I ever spent and I got quite a few comments of, "Oh, I wish we had thought of that." - Bonnie Schweizer

A few years ago, I went to one of those "paint your own pottery" places in our home town. I selected a jar with a lid, and painted it with Walt Disney World themes, Cinderella Castle, etc. On the lid, I painted the words "Disney Fund." I gave this to my wife as an anniversary gift. All year long we throw our spare change in the jar and then use that change for a special romantic dinner for the two of us on our next WDW trip. This also worked very well as a Christmas gift for my parents this year; although, inside the jar was a reservation confirmation. We bought the entire family a trip to WDW for Christmas to join us for six days in October 2006. I visited Mom's and Dad's house just a few weeks after Christmas and they already had the jar nearly filled with change! I guess dinner will be on them! - Kevin-John Jobczynski

Coronado Springs -At the Coronado Springs Resort, if you want to be assured a seat on the bus, do not go to the main entrance to catch the bus. Go to stop 2, which really is the first stop on the bus route. The main entrance stop is the last stop for the resort and during peak times, the bus is often full by the time it gets to the main entrance (since it has already stopped at three other bus stops). - Rebecca

If you travel with any individual, especially children, who is afraid of or does not like loud noise, purchase disposable foam ear plugs from a hardware store before leaving home. These are easy to take in and out, cheap (less than a $1.00 a pair) and can be kept in a pocket or fanny pack. Don't forget to purchase several pairs, just in case one pair is lost. - The DeHoff Family

EDITOR'S NOTE: We've mentioned this tip before, but it bears repeating

ALL STAR MOVIES - If you stay at the All-Star Movies Resort, try to stay in the Mighty Ducks area. You are close to the buses for All-Star Music, which are less crowded, and you can choose either bus to return on. You can also choose either food court if one is too busy. The pool is close and not as crowded as the main pool. It is also quiet. The rooms facing the parking and trees are in the shady side of the building and are less expensive. - John Harman

Have disposable cameras for your children to get their 'view' on their vacation experiences! - Madison

We just returned from our first trip to Disney World since having kids. I was a little anxious about how I would be able to make bottles for our 10 month old daughter at the parks--I didn't want to rely on trekking to the baby care stations every time. I found that at any counter service/quick service location in the parks I could ask for a cup of hot water to make a bottle--they must get this request a lot because everyone was ready and willing to hand over a hot cup of water (and for free of course). I just mixed in some of my own ice water with the hot and made the perfect bottle every time. It was a great time saver for us and kept our daughter happy. - Matt & Ellen Evans

When at WDW, no matter the time of year, there always seem to be a "wait" for something! We help pass the time with our 3 yr old by packing a deck of cards. While waiting for meals, Mickey's Philharmagic, parades, and even the boat back to the hotel, we'll play quick games of "Go Fish" or "Crazy Eights." She'll even make up her own games to help pass the time. It's truly been a lifesaver for an ansy little pre-schooler! - Alison Boeckman

We have just returned from a week in Disney World with our almost 4-year-old granddaughter. With the help of PassPorter and AllEars® we were able to do it up right. Our own saving grace was purchasing a pair of "earmuffs" (sound protection earmuffs) for our princess. We kept them easily accessible on the top of our knapsack. The excitement, loud noises, fireworks and scary rides were a piece of cake. We saw and heard lots of little ones crying from the noise. Our granddaughter has always been scared of fireworks and we wanted to make the whole experience positive. She enjoyed everything and was so proud of herself that she wasn't afraid of anything, because nothing in Disney World would hurt her! - Diane Russell

I've found a great way to save for our trip. Every time I go to our local mall, we stop by the Disney Store. I purchase Disney Gift cards, as many as I can afford that day. The main reason I do this is I know if I had the cash around the house, it would be spent on something else. This way, it can only be used at Disney. On our last trip, I didn't tell my husband I had done this. Right before our trip, I showed him my stash. On each envelope I had written the name of the restaurant, the time for priority seating and the confirmation number. The envelope contained the exact amount of money for that meal, including tax and tips if it was something like a character breakfast or dinner show. When we got to the restaurant, I just pulled out the envelope and everything was taken care of. With other meals, I just guessed what the meal would cost and marked that envelope Other Dinners. I had one envelope which had $200 worth of Disney gift cards for breakfasts for the eight days, one just for gifts to bring home and one for Tara's spending money. By having her own envelope, she knew she could buy whatever was in that envelope and when it was empty, that was it. By saving little by little over a period of time, we didn't have to charge anything. Alex was thrilled with the idea of no credit card bills and we've already begun saving for our next trip. Each time Tara gets cash or a check for her birthday, Christmas, etc., we go right to the mall. This is the best gift anyone could give her. I've told two friends who've begun to do the same. Hope it works for you! - Tara Gergar

Magic Kingdom - On my last trip to WDW I had my 9 month old with me. After running out of formula, I asked around and none of the cast members knew where I could get any within WDW. After taking a $30.00 cab ride to the nearest grocery store, I found out that WDW does stock the popular brands of formula, among other baby necessities, at a small baby store by the Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom. - Cara Nelson

EDITOR'S NOTE: Each of the 4 theme parks at Walt Disney World have a Baby Care Center (usually located near the First Aid building). They have a variety of items for sale.