Tips about Magic Kingdom, Mousecellaneous and PhotoPass

I've noticed a lot of comments on the benefit of Photopass, but have yet to see this one. If you are going on a Disney vacation and know that you will be utilizing Photopass photographers and will want to purchase the pictures, you can go to the Photopass website and PRE-PURCHASE the photopass CD more cheaply before you travel as opposed to when you get back home from your vacation. I saved $25 and did not have to pay for them to ship it to me! - Christina Holland

Pay attention to the dates! Each photo is online for 30 days from when it was taken. Make sure you claim your photos on http://www.disneyphotopass.com/ before the 30 days are up. They will be deleted from the system and can't be restored.

Save your ID number in some way! Write it down or take a digital picture of it. If you have your ID, you have your photos, no matter what happens to the card. Also remember, you can have more than one card! The PhotoPass site allows you to enter multiple IDs.

Before you leave the parks on your last day, go to one of the photo centers and have them upload the photos from your digital camera. They will use your Photopass card and upload your photos to the same Photopass. This was much faster than doing it from home. Then when I got home and looked at the Photopass, I was able to use the pictures from the Disney photographers as well as my own photos to create a Photobook. The album is great. It was well worth the money I spent. - Susan Vaughan

ALL PARKS - Just wanted to share a fun tip for kids taking a foreign language at school (or adults trying to pick up a second language!). At each park, pick up a guide map in the foreign language. Your learner will only be allowed to look at that guide and will be responsible for finding and describing the rides and eateries your group is going to by translating the foreign language guide map for the rest of your group. (The guide maps are IDENTICAL to their English counterparts, by the way.) Even reading the FastPass rules becomes fun this way! (The maps are usually available on the front steps of City Hall at Magic Kingdom, as you come through the gates at Epcot, across from the stroller rental near the washrooms in AK and at the round photo/souvenir stand just after you enter the Studios. A lot of times they are out in dispensers and you do not even have to ask a cast member for a copy.) I've even had a cast member wish me well in French when I requested the map in French from him! - Jen from NYC

Can you encourage your readers who are considering buying Photopass pictures online at home to check their pictures prior to leaving the parks (especially if what they plan to buy can only be purchased online)? The pictures are so small online that you cannot determine the quality. I ordered a CD of all my photopass pictures and did not find out until after I paid all the money and received the CD that 1/2 of them were blurry. Thanks for passing this along so others don't have to learn the hard (and expensive) way! - Kristi Webber

MAGIC KINGDOM - The little containers that the individual chocolate cakes come in at the Columbia Harbor House (and other places on property) make great little recycled "terrariums" to start seeds and tiny plants in. Just remember to poke little holes in the top for air to get in or the contents will get moldy! They can be reused several times and are a fun way for kids to remember thier Disney vacation later on in the year. - Lynn Quintieri

MAGIC KINGDOM - The little containers that the individual chocolate cakes come in at the Columbia Harbor House (and other places on property) make great little recycled "terrariums" to start seeds and tiny plants in. Just remember to poke little holes in the top for air to get in or the contents will get moldy! They can be reused several times and are a fun way for kids to remember thier Disney vacation later on in the year. - Lynn Quintieri

MAGIC KINGDOM - The little containers that the individual chocolate cakes come in at the Columbia Harbor House (and other places on property) make great little recycled "terrariums" to start seeds and tiny plants in. Just remember to poke little holes in the top for air to get in or the contents will get moldy! They can be reused several times and are a fun way for kids to remember thier Disney vacation later on in the year. - Lynn Quintieri

The plastic weight tags on the Disney balloons make wonderful decorative ties on curtains and blinds at home. - Andrea M. Eis

My family and I have always enjoyed looking for Hidden Mickeys around Disney World. I had a great idea for a Hidden Mickeys activity for the readers. We all hate when our trip to Disney is over and we have to go back to the real world, but that's no reason we have to let go of the magic. While visiting Chicago, my wife and I were standing outside a restaurant and I noticed a Hidden Mickey on the sidewalk in a grate around a tree. I'm sure if we look around we can find Hidden Mickeys all over. Just a thought. - Mike L.

On our way out of the park, my daughter and I spied a silhouette cart down a side alley of Main Street, USA. It was after midnight, but the young woman was still doing silhouettes. We hurried over and she cheerily did one more silhouette for us. We were done in about 15 minutes, and for only about $15 including a frame, I think it's one of the best and most unique souvenirs at Walt Disney World. It's a special keepsake for my 9-year-old daughter of our fun marathon day at Magic Kingdom. - Natalie H.

We always get a ton of round Mickey stickers from cast members and I feel guilty wasting them at the end of each night when I pull them off of everything the kids have stuck them to. Now, I keep them and use them to repair torn game boxes at home. They are the perfect size, are durable, and remind us of our Disney trip each time we pull out a game with a repaired box! - Kari Svinarich

Do take the time to take your children out of the strollers when taking pictures with the PhotoPass photographers! It can be a hassle (especially when you're in a hurry), but the pictures come out so much better. Half the time you couldn't see my kids' faces because of the shade from the stroller, or their head was under the canopy. The few pictures for which we took the time to take them out are the best... and we'll cherish them forever! - Sarah Barnes

Wilderness Lodge - Just returned from a week at WL and they now have a photopass counter in the hotel as well as sessions (for a fee) with photographers for pictures around the lodge - Lesley

Magic Kingdom - I enjoyed reading the article on bashful travelers (AllEars Newsletter Issue #460), as I am one myself. I had a comment that might help people who want to see the Monsters, Inc. show in Tomorrowland. There are tabletops in front of everyone when you sit down in the theater. On the tables, there are "reading" lamps every so often. Those conceal the cameras that they use to interact with guests. Avoid sitting directly behind one of those and you should be fine. - Mandy Blank