Tips about Magic Kingdom, Mousecellaneous, Pins, Planning and Souvenirs

Magic Kingdom - Just wanted your readers to know that the Magic Kingdom's barbershop not only cuts hair. For an additional amount, they will put fun colors, stars, pixie dust and other cool stuff in your hair, just for the fun of it. Ask for the glow in the dark cream, so when you go on the dark rides your hair lights up! All my kids love it. General prices for haircuts range from $15-$18. NOTE: It washes out very easily. - Jim Keenan

Magic Kingdom - I have found a way to beat the huge crowd leaving the park after the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom. I delay my exit by visiting the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor (it stays open late even if the park is closed) and getting an ice cream cone or hot fudge sundae. Then I find a bench (or a wall) and watch the crowds go by. When I am close to finishing my ice cream, I begin walking toward the exit and the crowds have thinned considerably. Also, when staying at a Disney resort, the line for either the bus or the boat isn't very long anymore and you aren't squished in like sardines. It is an enjoyable way to finish your evening at the Magic Kingdom. - Susan VanVleet

All Star Resorts - My husband, 4-year-old son and I just returned from a fantastic 10-day WDW trip and one of the best things we did was ship a small coffee pot with filters and coffee packets to our All-Star resort ahead of time since they do not provide coffee pots in those rooms. What a treat it was to just wake up and make our own personal pot of coffee each morning. The 4-cup pot at Walmart was only $19.99, and the filters/coffee were inexpensive. - Laureen EDITOR'S NOTE: The Family Suites at Art of Animation and All Star Music have coffee pots.

We tried to book a room for the first week of December. Not a single room was available at any Disney resort. The Disney representative suggested looking at a resort that was still on Disney property but not an actual Disney resort. She said the Buena Vista Palace had rooms available. They are located across from Disney Springs and offer bus service via Mears shuttles. I called them directly and because I'm a firefighter was able to get a greatly reduced rate that isn't offered at Disney resorts! (It's called the "government rate." I just had to show my firefighter ID when I checked in.) - Alexiss from MA

I'm always looking for a way to relive the magic of the parks, so this last trip my family and I purchased a bunch of little inexpensive souvenirs like keychains, magnets, coffee mugs, etc. (A great place to find these is in Disney Springs at Mickey's Mart: Everything $10 and Under.) I left them in the bags, sealed them shut with a Disney sticker, took them home and put them in a box in an out-of-the-way spot. Now every time I need a little Disney Magic I just go to the goodie box, pull out a bag, and it takes me right back to my favorite place in the world. I also made one for my son -- he loves to go to the magic box (as he calls it) and get a Mickey Mouse sucker, a small toy, or a Disney book. You could also decorate the box you put the goodies in. It's a fun craft for you and your child to do together. - Linda Wooden

"Boredom is Energizing!" After years of going to Disney, I have found that the best way to get everyone up in the morning for an early start is to flip on all the lights at 6 a.m. for Early Morning Entry or 7 a.m. for a regular entry time, and keep the television off. This is also important for adults. Checking the news on CNN and the weather on The Weather Channel can easily extend into sitting around for a long time. We just eat a roll, drink some juice and look out the window for the weather forecast. With nothing to do, it does not take long for everyone to get motivated to do something/anything. - John P.

ALL PARKS - If you have kids, bring a change of clothing for them to the parks! I know this must seem like something everyone knows, but we didn't! During our first trip ever to WDW last December my then 4-year-old daughter found the water sprinklers at Pooh's Playful Spot in Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom. She went in to play and the next thing I knew she was soaked from the water! It was tough, too, because it was a tad chilly and we didn't bring a change of clothing for her. Finding young kids' clothes at Disney is not easy! I did manage to get a pair of Mickey sweatpants, a T-shirt and a pair of socks for my daughter at one of the shops in Fantasyland. So my tip is to bring a change of clothes even for the 4-5 year olds! - Jennifer K.

I am adding to a tip in the October 17 newsletter regarding shipping of merchandise from your resort. We just returned from a weeklong stay at the Wilderness Lodge and had a large box (weighing 29 pounds) shipped home on the morning of our departure from the WL. When we first inquired about shipping rates, we also were rather stunned to find out the outrageous cost. The gift shop (going strictly by dollar amount of items shipped) would have cost us $76. We were instructed (for comparison) to see what the cost would be to ship through the front desk instead. Going through the front desk was much cheaper -- $23 UPS -- and our merchandise arrived at our home about three days after we did. We chose UPS, but they also ship FedEx and DHL. - Debbie

My family uses an updated version of "I Spy" to pass the time when having to wait! We use our camera phone to take a close-up picture of something that is near us (like the napkins at the table, or a corner of a menu) and then we pass the phone around taking turns guessing what the photo shows. Super close-up pictures of things can be challenging to figure out -- even for adults! And, I have found that even my 6-year-old has no problem "pushing the button" to take a picture. We've made several long waits in restaurants as well as car trips pass by a little faster playing this game -- and the best part is I always have my phone with me, so whenever an unanticipated delay hits, we're prepared! - Heather Thomas

ALL PARKS - The last time we went to Disney World, we took along the cards from Trivial Pursuit Junior. My wife kept some in a zipper-type bag in her purse and when we had a long wait in line or were waiting for the buses to take us back to the hotel, she would get them out and we would have an informal trivia game. Many times we would involve other kids in line or on the bus and it was a great way to pass the time. Of course, Disney trivia cards would be a natural alternative. - Dave Ference

Be forewarned that shipping charges at the resorts have skyrocketed. The manager and cashier could not figure out why my items, which were $15.95 to ship previously, rang up at $112.95! It took about 30 minutes before they found out about the new rate charts. The shipping is based on retail price, not weight. Mailing home souvenirs is no longer cost-effective. We bought a new suitcase instead. - Sandy Schneider

ALL PARKS - While standing in lines for rides that might have a long wait, my children bring along a deck of cards and take turns playing magician and guessing which card the other one picked. They also have a note pad each to write on and I get them to write down their favorite part of the day so far. Having some small snacks on hand also helps to keep them from getting bored. We bring animal cookies, crackers etc. -- nothing that is too messy. - Jackie Pluim

For everyone taking souvenirs home, be careful what you choose when flying. We decided to purchase a princess cup that had the floating glitter and water inside the glass and packed it in our carry-on with the rest of the things we purchased. Well, the airlines considered that a liquid and it couldn't be in our carry-on. It was too late to put it in with our luggage because it had already been checked in, so we had to consider it as a loss. So, when buying this kind of souvenir remember to pack it in with your luggage or go with one of the many other cute cups they have! - Lisa P., and several other readers

We were just in the World a few weeks ago and wanted to buy a snowglobe. With the new FAA regulations, we knew that we would not be able to bring it on board in our carry-on and did not want to have it in our luggage in case of it breaking. We spoke to a Cast Member who told us that they are encouraging people to have the snowglobes shipped home. It is a great way to do it... you don't pay tax if it is being shipped out of state, you have the Disney guarantee, so if it breaks they replace it, and it is a fun little thing to get in the mail the week after you come back from vacation -- the Disney magic keeps on going! - Laurie Fay

Just came back from a business trip and was informed by my little princess that I needed to bring a snowglobe back with me. Didn't get a chance to shop at Disney Springs so I thought I would pick one up at the airport gift shop. Wrong! Due to the new FAA regulations, snowglobes can't be carried on anymore. I was still able to check it into my luggage before boarding, thankfully. - Adam Guthy