Tips about Mousecellaneous, Packing and Souvenirs

Don't go immediately to the t-shirts for your kids. Look at oversized sleep shirts instead. They'll still fit years later, while a regular t-shirt may not fit in a few months. In fact, my dad bought me one back when I was 12. I'm 21 now and still sleep in it! (Mickey glows in the dark. It's very cool.) - Lauren

My daughter and I make Basin in Disney Springs Marketplace one of our first stops when getting to the "World." We buy soap and lotion we'd like to use while on vacation, and save the Mickey soap bars for when we're back home again. - Diane Peters

That tip reminded me of an opposite issue we had with items freezing. This was our first trip flying since the airline changes of needing to pack certain liquid items in our checked luggage. When we got to the resort and began unpacking, I found that my liquid facial cleanser that I had put in a travel bottle was super-thick and extremely cold from being in the luggage compartment of the plane. It was almost impossible to get out of the bottle. It never did go back to its normal consistency, even after a week. I plan to take a small bar of facial soap next time to avoid the problem. I also had some liquid toner in a travel bottle, luckily in a baggie, because I guess with the pressure changes, had leaked out in the bag. Now that many toiletry items are packed in checked luggage, zip-top baggies are a must, and you may want to avoid bringing some of your usual liquids and opt for alternative products to avoid messes and freezing. - Sandy Ednie

We have been Disney Vacation Club members since 2004 and have been staying in villas since, often times for 7-14 nights. Finally, during this last trip it dawned on me that it would be really nice to have magnets to put on the fridge to hold park hour schedules, ADR schedule, etc. So we did manage to find some magnets that we loved and used them for the remainder of our time. It made it so much easier for all to be able to see the ADR schedule along with park hours! Now I have added those magnets to future packing lists! - Lisa Fredsbo

While vacationing in Walt Disney World last week, my wife and I opted to change our ride view experiences slightly; we switched seats. As a true "Prince Charming", I normally hold doors open for my wife to enter buildings or vehicles first, but on this trip she was "Princess Charming" and had me enter ride vehicles with only one entrance first (e.g., Spaceship Earth, Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan's Flight, etc.). We were amazed at the new views of the attractions we had! - Denny

I'm sharing a tip that definitely bears repeating. Everyone should sign their Key to the World (KTTW) cards as soon as they receive them, especially if the cards are valid for room charges or if any dining options are included with the reservation. If each KTTW card is signed this will help prevent someone else from using your card for food or merchandise purchases should you lose it. If you find you can't sign your card with a regular ink pen, try applying scotch tape to the signature panel (sometimes you need to do this a few times) then you should be able to sign the signature panel. If you didn't bring your own scotch tape every front desk and merchandise register location have tape available. Cast members may ask for a photo ID if your KTTW card is not signed -- be prepared! - Rob C.

My family just recently returned from our week vacation at Disney World in May. We are a family of five. We always bring one water bottle per person into the parks. This trip I bought a ball of different colored rubber bands. Each person had their own color and attached it to the neck of the water bottle. So when all the water bottles were put in the stroller, you could tell whose bottle belonged to who. With young children, this ended all arguments of "Who drank all my water?" - Karen Hopkins

For those wishing to use the web while at the resorts: If you have a smartphone, check if it can be used as a wireless hotspot (also known as tethering). Verizon charges $20/month for tethering with a hotspot-enabled 3G phone (I use a Droid X), which is a great deal when compared to the resorts' $9.95 per 24 contiguous hours fee. There is no cancellation fee for this feature, so you can activate it just for the month you'll be staying at the resort. Plus, you're no longer limited to the length of the ethernet cable. It sure came in handy on my stay at Caribbean Beach last week! A few things to consider: speed is dependent on 3G signal strength in your room, and there's usually a data cap per month (mine is 2GB). - Patricia

This was our second trip to Disney -- both equally awesome! Our hotels were great for our family of four (Port Orleans - Riverside and Caribbean Beach, respectively), with ample drawer and hanging space for our clothes, but never enough hangers. This year we brought extra hangers from home, which really helped to organize our clothes and to get some wrinkles out. And after we came home, I left the extra hangers in the suitcases for our next trip! - Sandy from Connecticut

Please remember to keep your patio doors locked and secure your valuables, even when staying in the relative safety of a Disney resort. An article in the Orlando Sentinel a few days ago reported that the Orange County Sheriff's Office recently arrested two suspects trying to enter a room at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa through a French door. There have been more than 20 cases of electronics stolen at that resort and others near by since late December. According to the article, Disney has been working closely with law enforcement throughout the investigation and has put additional security patrols in place. Disney has also encouraged its housekeeping team to ensure patio doors are locked, and literature has been left in the rooms to remind guests to lock all doors and secure valuables. - Editor Deb Koma

My husband and I did the 2015 four-day Disney Vacation Club Member's Cruise and then spent five days at the BoardWalk Villas. We realized that our shopping and all the DVC gifts we received during the cruise were not going to fit in our luggage and would add a lot of extra weight. I asked in the gift shop about mailing cruise items and was directed to the business center that is part of the Convention Center at the BoardWalk. We took all of our bags to the business center, including two pieces of art. They were carefully wrapped and put in a big box that we sent FedEx ground. The box arrived the same day we got home. It was so was nice to have our purchases right away. - Annette A.

We took a nightlight for the room, and we brought a toddler toilet seat (our son would fall through otherwise). - Stephanie

I also bring on of those pop-up hampers that you can get for like $4. That way we can keep the dirty clothes separated. They have nice handles so I can take the whole hamper to the laundry room and throw a load in when the kids are swimming and then bring them back to the room. - Jamie

My entire crew is used to sleeping with a sound machine. On our first trip, I forgot to bring one, and needless to say we did not sleep well (there is no way to keep the bathroom fan or air conditioner running nonstop). So, if you are used to having one, make sure you take one along. They also cut down on the "traffic" noise from the hotel. - Heather

Clean out your closet! When we travelled to Walt Disney World (we now live in Florida), we would take clothes we never really wore. The clothing we brought, we disposed of after its use. Here are the benefits: We did not care how wet or dirty our son got; we had room for our souvenirs without adding baggage when we departed; and we had much less laundry to deal with when we got home. Also, it gave us a reason to buy an extra Disney shirt or two. - The Bornsteins