Tips about Kids, Resorts, Souvenirs and Typhoon Lagoon

Do not assume that all ride reviews apply to your child. Our 10-year-old son, who will ride any thrill ride again and again, got off the Haunted Mansion (one of my favorites) and was very upset. - Beth

Walt Disney World occasionally changes the contractor that runs the spa at the various resorts. As of 2015,it's best to look up the spa you are considering on Disney's official website for details and phone numbers: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/spas/

FORT WILDERNESS - On a recent trip to Disney, we stayed in a cabin at Fort Wilderness. We decided one evening to take a wagon ride around the campgrounds. In addition to seeing all the decorations the campers put up for the holidays (some of them are fantastic), we pulled up along the lake and were joined by a Cast Member with a boom box. After just a few minutes, the fireworks began at the Magic Kingdom right across the lake. The boom box gave us the music along with the fireworks. It was fantastic! The fireworks ride is not offered every night, so be sure and check with the Cast Members there. You cannot make reservations ahead -- just show up early and enjoy! - Vicki Stark

http://allears.net/btp/carriage.htm

Did you forget to purchase that special souvenir? Although Walt Disney World does NOT have an Internet shopping site, nor do they have a catalog of park items, they do have a Mail Order Merchandise Department that can get most items for you. They are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Eastern) and may be reached by phone, fax or e-mail.
Telephone: 407-363-6200
Fax: 407-352-6369
Email: [email protected]

Shipping charges are $8.95 to $13.95 for UPS, and $13.95, $18.95, $22.95 and $27.95 for Federal Express charges, depending on the value of the order and the service requested. - Glo from Miami

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

We took them all home, also, but what we used them for was to "wrap" our everyday photo album with our pictures in it from our vacation! This lets us know exactly which album is our "Disney" album among our other ones. - CapeGoofy5

I also use the Disney plastic bags that I bring home to carry my lunch to work. It helps me have a little bit of the magic here in the frozen tundra of Indiana. - Jude Wood

Another benefit of shipping purchases home is that Florida sales tax won't be applied to the purchase if shipped outside of the state. I'm pretty sure the cash registers take care of it automatically now, as long as the shipping is processed on the same transaction. - Kenn C.

Don't forget that the gift shops will also ship directly to your home. I usually buy water globes and my husband buys steins from Epcot. It's much easier and safer to have them shipped directly to the house, and if I remember correctly it wasn't that expensive. - luvmy2girls

Although lots of people ship home their souvenirs, I usually UPS home most of our clothes. I go to the laundromat, wash them and pack them up in a sturdy box (usually provided by the store from whichever Disney Resort we are staying in). They help tape it up and it goes UPS Ground. That way the kids can play with the souvenirs and/or bring them to school, and our vacation clothes arrive 3-5 days after we do! - Brenda Hawk

Someone mentioned using all those Disney plastic bags to wrap packages. We brought them all home (seemed like thousands!) and the kids use them to bring snacks to school/daycare, transport gym clothes, or anything else needing a quick bag. Not only are they much cuter than grocery store bags, they are a fun reminder of a magical trip. - Amanda

My favorite tip to pass along is this... I always ship my souvenirs home. I have both a UPS and a FedEx account. I pre-print the labels before I go and pack them in my suitcase. I get a box from the gift shop at my hotel and slowly pack the box during my stay. Then, the morning of my departure, I take the box to the front desk. They call the shipping company and the package gets shipped. About 2-3 days after I've arrived home, it's like Christmas opening the box. - Lisa Noch

Don't break the bank on souvenirs. We had our children create a "wish list" as we went through the parks. If they saw something they wanted, we were more than happy to write it down for them. Then on our last day, we made a special shopping trip to Disney Springs so that they could choose one gift from their wish list (or something new) and they only spent about $20 each. If Mom and Dad wanted to get them something extra (which of course we did!), that was a bonus. Jeanette