Tips about Mousecellaneous and Other

ALL PARKS - I have been to Disney many times and always carry a bag of some sort with me for sunscreen, wallets, camera, ponchos, and other things of that nature. I found that a clear backpack will get you through the line at the security checkpoint quicker than it normally takes. Since security can see through the backpack they normally do not have to open it up. If you are worried about everyone seeing what you have in the clear backpack, than all you have to do is take a hand towel and pull it out before the security check point and, once through, place it in the backpack so that everything that you have cannot be easily seen. It also helps if you get a little wet and need to dry off. - Kelly Henrichsen

ALL PARKS - We put small inexpensive inflatable bath pillows (about $.79 to $1.50 at most drugstores) in our parkpacks. When we go to see a show on a hard wooden or steel bench, or are stuck with only a concrete curbside seat to view the parade, we take out our pillows, blow them up, and voila -- a nice soft cushie for our tushie! - Michele Abbamondi

My husband and I spent Christmas 2006 in the World and knew from reviews it would not be worth trying to get into a park on Christmas Day. Instead we decided to try Typhoon Lagoon. Such a good call! We felt like we were the only ones there. We walked up to every slide and never waited because no one was in front of us. The wave pool was EMPTY... well, it felt like it. If you want a stress-free day not waiting in lines but still having fun, try a water park! - Brenda

For all WDW visitors from the UK -- try to find jet-setting friends who will bring you home US coins, quarters especially, because when you land at Orlando they're jolly useful for tolls. Saves having to worry about splitting paper money when you're tired and the kids can't wait to get to Mickey! - Rosie, Northampton, UK

We're headed down to the world very soon and we've been looking for ways to cut costs. At home, we've found you can save a lot by drinking water. Well, we find the water in Florida to taste a little funny because of the high content of sulfur so we didn't want to do that, but suddenly I remembered those little drink flavoring packets they have now to put into bottled water. The Crystal Light brand says to mix with 16.9 oz. of water but I've found I can go up to 24 oz. and it still tastes strong enough for me. Kool-Aid also makes the individual packets now for the kids and I noticed several other brands at the store. I can't wait to go down and use these. With drinks costing anywhere from $1.50 to around $5.00, I think this will be a huge savings for us! - Terri Daugherty

"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.

ALL PARKS - If you plan on going to the Extra Magic Hours in the mornings at the parks, DO NOT go hungry. Nothing is open, except for the rides. We had a hard time even finding a drink. Be sure to eat a breakfast before you get to the park. The only place to have breakfast in the parks are at certain restaurants (character breakfasts) and you'll need reservations for those. - Desiree

EDITOR'S NOTE: While not EVERYTHING is closed during Extra Magic Hours, Desiree is correct that your counter service and snack choices are limited during these times. (This includes evening as well as morning Extra Magic Hours.) To avoid touring with a cranky, hungry group, eating before you head to the parks is not a bad idea.

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

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

Before we go to the Parks I always go on eBay and buy packages of 100 or more glow bracelets. They are incredibly cheap in bulk and can be linked together for necklaces just like the much more expensive park ones. The kids can mix up the colors and have as many as they want by stacking them up necks, arms and legs so you can identify your little folks even in the darkest places. We even attach them to our stroller and bags to make them easier to find. The unbroken ones keep for up to a year or more and you can find tons of ways to use any leftovers during the year, like giving them away to trick-or-treaters at Halloween instead of candy (this is a REAL hit with the kids and parents around here), or wear them to July 4th fireworks, evening sports events, etc. - Nita Furlong

A certain "mart" store carries glow bracelets and necklaces around Halloween (quickly approaching) for only about 88 cents each! Needless to say, I grabbed a few to eliminate that extra expense, and so my kids have just a good a time as all the other kids who have glowing items at the SpectroMagic parade. Extra tip: If your trip is not until AFTER Halloween, the bracelets/necklaces go on sale (which is when I bought mine!) for HALF PRICE! 44 cents each! We're on countdown! - Angelique Williams

While school shopping at an office supply store we found these really neat fiber optic pens at each register. A press of the button changes the colors from red, blue and green to mixes, with it finally going into a mode where it rotates between the colors. The best part? They are only $2 each AND they are functioning pens! So far I've seen them at three different locations here in New England (always at the register). I've already bought eight and put them away for our next WDW trip. This is a very cheap way to get out of buying light-up toys from the carts at night! - Jody LaFerriere

I enjoyed Joshua Olive's article on the little something extra and also his point that it can be the Cast Member you only see for a few moments that makes the difference. We have our own way of thanking folks -- my husband does origami and always carries paper with him to keep his hands busy. On our trips to WDW, when we see a Cast Member that we think needs a special thank you (because they never get noticed), he'll give them a small origami model -- a butterfly or an elephant, for example. We've thanked bus drivers, Fastpass checkers, and even a woman who was busing tables in the eating area of a counter-service restaurant. - Maggie Rioux