Tips about Magic Kingdom, Mousecellaneous, Planning, Resorts and Special Events

As great as zipper-top bags are for holding snacks, you might want to think about hard plastic storage containers for them or something equally sturdy. I've witnessed a squirrel literally rip a hole in a reusable supermarket bag to get at the chips inside, no matter how many times we shooed him away. Anytime you're in a show or a ride with a long line the squirrels and birds have PLENTY of time to mess with your stuff that you've left in your stroller or scooter. - Aren

We have been searching for Hidden Mickeys at WDW, so to 'train' my husband for our last trip, I hid one Hidden Mickey a day for him to find before work. I only hid them in the bathroom because if he had to look all over the house before work, it wouldn't be fun! We both enjoyed this pre-trip practice, and I really think it paid off! He did 100 times better at spotting Hidden Mickeys once we got to WDW. A few words of advice for anyone who might want to try this: limit it to two weeks or less before your trip! Also, certain scrapbook stores sell Mickey punches; those were small and I could stick them anywhere! Other good ideas for Hidden Mickeys are placing anything in the three-circle shape, such as dots of cream connected to look like Mickey. There are many Hidden Mickeys like that at the World, so be creative! - Alea Laughery

FORT WILDERNESS - When we stay at the Fort Wilderness Resort, we arrange to have an hour-long carriage ride that starts at 8:30 p.m. We ask the carriage driver to find us a good spot to watch the "Wishes" fireworks show, and the driver takes us to a secluded area next to the lake. We have a great view of the show, plus it is so nice and peaceful to be all alone there and not crushed amongst thousands of people. - Darrin Brooks EDITOR'S NOTE: Carriage rides are generally 30 minutes long so if you want an hour you will need to book two consecutive reservations.

ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE - Suggestions for Animal Kingdom Lodge: Go to the Front Desk/Guest Services of Animal Kingdom Lodge and request a list of activities and the "Hidden Mickey" list. The resort's Cast Members will give culinary tours, art tours, and tell stories, depending on the time of day you visit the resort. (The Hidden Mickeys are easier to spot during the daylight hours.) You can also visit the Sunset Overlook, located in the lounge next to the Front Desk. Cast Members at the Arusha Rock Overlook will even have night-vision binoculars! I recommend the dinner buffet at Boma. It has a wide variety of foods that would satisfy picky eaters too. - Lori

We were in Disney World last month and noticed that there are new ways that the MagicBands interact with various attractions. At Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, there is an electronic poster in the queue that displays the name and home city of guests. At Mission: Space, there are video screens in the post-attraction room that will display the names of the guests who finished the ride, along with their hometown and their mission projection. At Space Mountain there are video screens along the moving walkway that display the names of the guests who finished the ride. At the end of "it's a small world," look for the video screen to display the names of the guests on the boat. There may be more attractions that may also implement this technology, so keep your eyes open in the queues and in the post-attraction areas. - Brian Kehoe

We were in Disney World last month and noticed that there are new ways that the MagicBands interact with various attractions. At Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, there is an electronic poster in the queue that displays the name and home city of guests. At Mission: Space, there are video screens in the post-attraction room that will display the names of the guests who finished the ride, along with their hometown and their mission projection. At Space Mountain there are video screens along the moving walkway that display the names of the guests who finished the ride. At the end of "it's a small world," look for the video screen to display the names of the guests on the boat. There may be more attractions that may also implement this technology, so keep your eyes open in the queues and in the post-attraction areas. - Brian Kehoe

Regarding two-way communication with other members of your party, we have found that texting works the best. It's too hard to hear my cell phone ring with all the noise of the parks, and it's also too hard to talk on the phone. So we just send each other text messages to set up meeting places, or to let the other person know if we're running late. - Kirsten Searle

Make up labels with your name, your resort and the resort phone number. Place these labels on your cameras (including disposables), video equipment and even kids' backpacks. If these items are lost, this will increase your chances of getting them back. - Timeless Tip o' the Week brought to you by www.themouseforless.com and Binnie Betten

MAGIC KINGDOM - When two showings of a parade are offered at the Magic Kingdom in an evening, the second is almost always much less crowded and just as nice! - Timeless Tip o' the Week brought to you by www.themouseforless.com and Mike Boyer

ALL RESORTS - If you are staying at a Disney resort, dial '0' from your room phone and ask the operator to connect you to Mears or any local Disney number. It'll save $0.75 per call. - Timeless Tip o' the Week brought to you by www.themouseforless.com and Laura B.

Before buying the guidebooks, try your local public library. Most libraries have extensive sections of travel books. If your local library doesn't have the book you want, they might be able borrow it from another library. If you decide to buy a guidebook anyway, borrowing from the library first can give you a good idea which book or books are best for your needs. - Becky

ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE - Each night at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, a Cast Member speaks about his or her own country in one of the lounges. They have storytelling each night outside around the Arusha fire pit, too (unless it's raining). - Jennifer

ALL RESORTS - Some of the resorts have life vests (child size) that you can use for free at the resort pools during your entire stay. One year we stayed at Beach Club (prior to my daughter learning how to swim), and were told she couldn't go down the slide with the vest on. So she worked really hard and learned how to swim that summer. I just wanted to let you know that there may be some things your child won't be able to do if they are unable to swim "unassisted." Mary W

Mini M&M's tubes are great for storing quarters (and pennies)! I buy the candy for my daughter and when she's done, I "steal" the tubes. Every few days, I fill one up with quarters, and put it in my WDW luggage. When we get to WDW, I'll put one of each (pennies and quarters) in my waist pack each morning, and I don't have to dig through my pockets for change. I also put change tubes in the car so we'll be ready to pay those pesky tolls. I'm ready to press some pennies, y'all! -Ksumn1

I have an important tip for all of you taking a trip during the fall rainy season. My husband and I went last fall and found that one pair of tennis shoes is not enough. If you get caught in a rainstorm, you might be fine in wet shoes the rest of the day, but when you put them back on later that night, it makes for uncomfortable dancing! Buy and break in that second pair of shoes so you have something to wear around while your wet shoes dry.Christie