Tips about Miscellaneous, Planning and Resorts

After reading today's newsletter (12/5/06), specifically the ALL EARS® Hears section with the note from Sarah in Pittsburgh about the reward dollars, I took note that she said she would save her reward dollars for her next trip. It is worth noting that many rewards cards will expire at the end of a year, and if there are any reward dollars on the card when it expires, then they will be lost forever. Every year many people lose their reward dollars because they don't realize the card expires, so I thought that this was something worth mentioning. Reward dollars can be spent at the Disney Store, and Disneyshopping.com, for those people who can't get to a park before the end of the year, and I believe you can also call Disney and have them apply the dollars to an existing reservation. - Jason

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

All Star Resorts - If you're staying at the All Star Movies, one extremely useful tip is to use the bus for the All Star Music resort when coming back from the theme parks at night, and simply walk over to All Star Movies. The Music buses are by far less crowded than the Movies (seeing as the Movies is a more popular resort), and the short walk between the resorts is much more enjoyable than standing in line for an hour trying to get on the All Star Movies bus. - Lindsay P.

ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE - We just returned from our annual visit to Disney World. We stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge for the second time. On our previous visit, the Sunset Safari of the three savannahs was only offered to concierge level guests. It has recently been opened to all hotel guests. My husband is handicapped, but the truck was equipped with a wheelchair lift so he was still able to take the tour. The tour also included dinner at Jiko. It was a great experience, and one I would highly recommend to any guests staying at the resort. - Kimberly Shannon

All Resorts - We recently spent five days at Port Orleans and during check-in were asked if we needed any help with reservations. We responded that we did not, we already had dining reservations, so the Cast Member told us to stop at the lobby concierge desk and they would print out an itinerary for us. We did so and were pleased to see that in addition to our reservation locations, times and confirmation numbers, our Backstage Safari Tour was also listed on the itinerary. - Leland Groves

Wilderness Lodge - For all of you Wilderness Lodge fans, you certainly have found the lobby music list on AllEars.Net (http://allears.net/acc/faq_wl4.htm). To my surprise, I found a few Wilderness Lodge music lists on iMixes on iTunes.com. Some have more selections than others. The one I selected had 25 or 26 tunes. I now have that wonderful music on my mp3 player; I can close my eyes and see the breathtaking lobby of which I never grow tired. Enjoy! - Cleve in Columbia, SC

If you don't like to carry a lot of cash, or use travelers checks (which can be a pain for small purchases), buy a Visa gift card at your local bank. It can be used as a credit card or as a debit card. What's nice is that, just like travelers checks, if it's lost or stolen you just call Visa with your card information (which you keep separately from the card) and they'll send you a replacement. I use it to pay for all our meals and gifts. It's a great way to keep track of your spending, too, since you pre-pay the card -- no debt to come home to! - Rebecca

Just to remind anyone who might read this before traveling to the US and will want to use a UK credit card... let the card company know you are going! On our first day at WDW our card got refused and we couldn't use it for the duration of our stay. We knew there was credit available when we left home and could have called the company from the US to find out what was wrong, but at quite a cost. When we returned home the credit card company said they had only blocked it as a security precaution. Luckily we had some Travelers Cheques as back-up. - Mark Burden, Dorset England

POLYNESIAN RESORT - I just wanted to add a great place to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks. At the Polynesian, just off the path that leads to the Grand Floridian (by Luau Cove), there is a nice little beach removed from the rest of the resort, with lounge chairs and a swing. It's a perfect place to watch the fireworks from afar, and you get a whole different perspective and realize just how majestic they really are. It's also nice to watch them and not be in crowds of people. - Tim

ALL STAR MUSIC - I just returned from a very quick trip to Walt Disney World. Normally we stay for at least three nights, but this time we only had a one-night stay. This is the first time that we stayed in Building 1 at All Star Music. Since we made our reservation at the last minute, we did not have much choice in the way of a room selection. We got a room facing the swimming pool. If you are a light sleeper, or have problems falling asleep because of noise, a room facing the swimming pool is a very bad idea. The pool is open late, and the noise from the pool made it very difficult to sleep. In the morning, I was awakened at about 7:15 from more noise coming from people at the swimming pool. The tip here is to stay away from the swimming pool if you can't handle the noise. - Craig M

All Resorts - The shower stalls at our hotel (Villas at the Wilderness Lodge) were quite slippery when wet. We did find out that housekeeping has a limited number of rubber floor mats available on request. They also have night lights available. - Naomi

We just rented a cabin at Fort Wilderness and thought we would pass on some tips. We ordered water and drinks, along with eggs and cold cuts from an Orlando grocery delivery service. We also had room in our checked luggage for some groceries, condiment packs and little pouches of basic spices (sea salt, fresh pepper, garlic powder). The cabin's kitchen has about everything you need, but you might want to pack a small sharp kitchen knife, and if you plan to fry anything, know that the pan is stainless steel and not nonstick (VERY non-nonstick!). Stop at your local sub shop and pick up some oil packets (canola or extra virgin olive) and throw them in a zipper-top bag in your checked luggage. Being able to throw together breakfast in the morning is a great time- and money-saver, and having a late-night turkey sandwich and chips on the couch is a bonus. - Brian Phillips

One way my mom and I got ready for our trip to Disney World was to make a list of every animated Disney movie (in order of when each came out) and watch a movie a day until the trip! It helps you remember the magic of the movies while you get ready to experience the magic of the parks! - Chelsea

All Resorts - I'm sure that many people, like myself, are light sleepers and wake up at the slightest noise. As you may well know, even the Deluxe resorts at Disney World are plagued with their share of noises, and for me nothing ruins a vacation more than not getting enough sleep. What I've found to be extremely helpful in getting a good night's sleep is to bring along a cheap pair of foam earplugs. I put them in right before bed and sleep soundly the whole night. I've found them in stores such as Target, but you can also get them at your local pharmacy for only a few dollars. - P.F.

We have just returned from a stay at the Art of Animation Resort, in a Little Mermaid room. It didn't have any tea- or coffee-making facilities in it, so if you want to make a hot drink in your room or warm a baby bottle, you'll want to bring a travel kettle (or something similar) with you. - Katy Hand