Tips about Magic Kingdom, Miscellaneous, Mousecellaneous and Planning

Buy a thin wallet that fits in your shorts pocket to hold your Disney cards, Fastpasses, and money, then buy an antibacterial lotion that clips to your belt. You can then go right through the no bags line at the park entrances. It saves you waiting in another line. - Michelle

Before our trip, we purchased a sports towel at the local sports store. It is about 12" x 16" and folds up into a sandwich-size zip-top bag. What a lifesaver! We used it after the daily August rainstorms to dry off outdoor tables, ride seating, benches, and even ourselves when we got soaked in the rain! These types of towels are made by Speedo, TYR and other companies that make competitive swim equipment. When they get soaked, just wring out and they're dry again. For the $11 we spent it was worth it not to have to sit on wet seats or have wet behinds all day. We got ours at a sporting goods store, but they are also available on Amazon.com. - Becky Hecker

I used the Disney Parks Mobile Magic App from Verizon for my recent trip. It was amazing. It was great for information on character meet and greet times and ride wait times, but the most magical part of it all was the ability to make dining reservations. Believe it or not, at 3 p.m. I was checking availability for Epcot restaurants for dinner while waiting for a ride in the Magic Kingdom. To my utter disbelief, I saw Le Cellier open for a spot at 5:30. I quickly chose it and got my email confirmation in seconds. A short two-and-a-half hours later, my family of four was enjoying one of the best and most sought-after meals in Walt Disney World. Can't believe we were so lucky. (Note: I saw openings on this app for Le Cellier two more times during the trip, so use it if you can.) Love the newsletter. - Chris Hellerman

On my family and friends' trips to Walt Disney World, we tend to be a bit tired when we arrive. We will get a snack and refillable mugs before heading to the pool to relax (some of us take a short nap there). Afterwards we go to the Animal Kingdom Lodge to see the animals they have there. It is a little taste of visiting one of the parks without using a park pass. We then get dinner at this resort before heading back to our own resort for a stroll around the paths and a good night's sleep. - Deb Wilde

Magic Kingdom - Be sure you catch "The Magic, The Memories, and You!" light show projected on the front of the castle in Magic Kingdom! It was one of the most amazing things I have seen in my many trips to Disney World. I was surprised it wasn't highlighted more and it was scheduled at off times (9:45 and 10:35 p.m.) when we were visiting. - William Sharp

ALL PARKS - On water rides use one-gallon freezer bags over your shoes and socks. (You can zip them shut right around the lower part of your leg.) Keeps your shoes and socks dry and they are easy to fold up and carry until the next water ride. - Dennis Garwood

We are planning a trip to WDW this December-January. I was surprised to find out that some tours do not take place the last two weeks in December. We were interested in Backstage Magic, which is one of the tours that does not go when the park is that crowded. Readers might want to check on available tours when planing their trips. - Sue Lykins

My daughter and I make Basin in Disney Springs Marketplace one of our first stops when getting to the "World." We buy soap and lotion we'd like to use while on vacation, and save the Mickey soap bars for when we're back home again. - Diane Peters

On a recent family trip to Disney I soon found out that a bottle of hand soap should have been on my list of things to bring. With five of us sharing a hotel room, the bar soap can be not so nice to share. - Susan Riedling

While vacationing in Walt Disney World last week, my wife and I opted to change our ride view experiences slightly; we switched seats. As a true "Prince Charming", I normally hold doors open for my wife to enter buildings or vehicles first, but on this trip she was "Princess Charming" and had me enter ride vehicles with only one entrance first (e.g., Spaceship Earth, Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan's Flight, etc.). We were amazed at the new views of the attractions we had! - Denny

I recently read a tip about notifying your credit card company if you are going to be using your card outside of the country or state. I would add you need to do the same for your local bank if you are using a debit card. On our recent trip, our card was denied the first time I tried to use it in Florida. Because of recent debit card "skims" our bank does not allow any charges from certain states without the card holder's authorization. Florida is one of those states, and I didn't think to call before we left. As soon as I did, the hold was lifted for the duration of our trip and to be on the safe side, I called as soon as we got home to put the hold back on. - Lorie M.

On our last trip we brought a couple of the battery-operated tea candles. Used one in the bathroom as a night-light. - Brenda

I'm sharing a tip that definitely bears repeating. Everyone should sign their Key to the World (KTTW) cards as soon as they receive them, especially if the cards are valid for room charges or if any dining options are included with the reservation. If each KTTW card is signed this will help prevent someone else from using your card for food or merchandise purchases should you lose it. If you find you can't sign your card with a regular ink pen, try applying scotch tape to the signature panel (sometimes you need to do this a few times) then you should be able to sign the signature panel. If you didn't bring your own scotch tape every front desk and merchandise register location have tape available. Cast members may ask for a photo ID if your KTTW card is not signed -- be prepared! - Rob C.

My family just recently returned from our week vacation at Disney World in May. We are a family of five. We always bring one water bottle per person into the parks. This trip I bought a ball of different colored rubber bands. Each person had their own color and attached it to the neck of the water bottle. So when all the water bottles were put in the stroller, you could tell whose bottle belonged to who. With young children, this ended all arguments of "Who drank all my water?" - Karen Hopkins

Not sure if this has been brought up before, but I would highly advise anyone traveling from out of the country or state to Disney World to be sure you notify your credit card company about where you intend to be on vacation. When I just recently came to Florida from Texas I purchased several expensive items at Hollywood Studios. Chase Bank tried calling me at home to confirm I was using the card in case fraud was present. They wound up cancelling my credit card four days into my vacation. I was very upset as everything was on that card. Luckily, I always bring a back-up credit card and keep it in the safe just in case. With more fraud occurring on a daily basis, abnormally large purchases in another state could get your credit card cancelled if they aren't notified about your vacation plans. Also, be sure they have your cell phone number just in case. - Ronny Taylor