Tips about Magic Kingdom, Photography and Resorts

ALL PARKS - This is a tip for anyone who celebrates a special day or occasion on the same day every year at one of the Disney parks. My wife and I have celebrated every one of our 11 wedding anniversaries at Disneyland. To add to our tradition, we get a Fastpass that is marked for that day and covers the time that we were married, i.e. 4 p.m. Then we have a cast member take a picture of us in front of that attraction at the exact time that we said our "I Do's." Between the photo and the Fastpasses, it makes a nice keepsake of that specific day and time. The only drawback is we can see how we have aged over the years. Go out and CELEBRATE! - Michael Greening

We're heading to the land of the Mouse tomorrow and of course, plan on lots of picture-taking. As soon as I purchase a memory card for my camera, I take a picture of a placard I've made up with the message: "If found, please call phone number 301-XXX-XXXX to arrange for return." Then I "lock" this picture on the card, so even when I move my pics to my computer, this one in particular remains. - Kelly S. Firmbach

You need not carry medications in an ice pack through the parks all day. The First Aid station has a fridge for guest meds, and they are happy to store them for you. The nurse on staff was polite and professional. She allowed my 7-year-old daughter to practice being a self-advocate, and listened patiently to her medical needs. It was a stress-free experience and we could enjoy Magic Kingdom without worrying about heat or spilling. - Tracy Boylan

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

Coronado Springs - We want to let "winter" vacationers know that the outdoor pools are heated. We stayed at the Coronado Springs Resort in October, and thought it was too cool to swim at night. One night I happened to see how cold the water was and to my surprise it was warmer than it was during the day. No one mentioned that the outdoor pools are heated! So fellow vacationers, enjoy the uncrowded pools under the stars, in the warm, warm heated pools. - Krista Hook

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

This tip is for all fans with video cameras. On our recent Disney trip we filmed a total of six video cassettes, which we packed in our check-in luggage as we usually do. When we played them at home, we found that four of the six tapes were blank. We called a professional photographer who told us that they were erased when they went through the airport scanner and there was nothing we could do to recover them. His advice is to ALWAYS carry on your video cassettes in a clear plastic bag, hand them to security and ask them to check them without putting them through the scanner. Please, please follow this advice to avoid the heartbreak we experienced! - Tracy

Old Key West - We just enjoyed a wonderful week at Disney's Old Key West. However, we wondered why we spent so much time (greater than 45 minutes on a couple occasions!) waiting for buses to take us to the parks. After inquiring (finally) with the concierge, we were told that if the bus filled prior to our stop at Hospitality House, the bus driver would automatically skip this stop and a bus would only stop when vacant. Our tip -- walk the extra three minutes to the Peninsular Rd. bus stop and enjoy an empty bus each time! - Jen Tesoriero

EDITOR'S NOTE: We are afraid that the concierge gave you some erroneous information. Buses at OKW make all of the stops since many times people will use a park bus (any park bus) as an internal shuttle to the Hospitality House as they all stop there last before heading out to a park. This is especially true in the mornings and around dinner time.

POLYNESIAN RESORT - I just returned from a magical nine days in the World. It could have just as easily been a disaster. As soon as I checked into my room at the Polynesian, I went to charge my cell phone. Unfortunately I realized that I had forgotten to bring my charger. I thought I'd be incommunicado for the entire trip. Since my husband and I often take our kids in seperate directions, I was really worried about how we would manage our days. Thinking it was a slim chance, I inquired at the concierge desk. What a pleasant surprise when they brought out a bin of about 20-25 cell phone chargers for me to look through and find the right one. I was able to borrow it a few times during my trip so that I always had my phone ready and charged. - Vicky

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a great idea, but don't depend on it, as not all resorts can accommodate you like this. Go ahead, ask Senior Editor Debra Martin Koma how she knows...

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.

Following on with the tip to change memory cards every day, in case you lose your camera -- I created a document on my computer with a note: "Please return memory card to..." with my address. I take a picture of that document on each new memory card. Hopefully if the camera is recovered I will at least get my memory card and priceless pictures returned! - Kristeen Kohrs

My advice to anyone bringing a digital camera to Disney World is to change your memory card every day! We lost our digital camera at Epcot last month, and it still hasn't been recovered. I do not miss the camera as much as the photos that were lost from my children's first three days at the parks. I can't say enough about the kind staff members at Epcot guest services. They did everything they could to help us recreate our lost photos. - Rebecca Sherfey

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