Tips about Mousecellaneous, Photography and Souvenirs

Last year one grandchild got the postcard I sent from Walt Disney World, and the other one never did, so this year I took a business envelope and sent them both to their mom. They both got their cards. I also took a small padded envelope and sent a group of postcards to the first-graders in a class where I am a volunteer. (And the money saved on postage paid for the envelope!) - Deborah L.

Another idea to control the "I wants" from your kids. My daughter earned money before going on our trips. Sometimes she collected cans to recycle, sometimes she did chores around the house. She was much more selective about her choices and valued her souvenirs much more. - Suzanne P.

Another idea to control the "I wants" from your kids. My daughter earned money before going on our trips. Sometimes she collected cans to recycle, sometimes she did chores around the house. She was much more selective about her choices and valued her souvenirs much more. - Suzanne P.

Use different SD cards in your camera for each day at the parks. This way if you do lose your camera, you only lose one day's photos, not your entire vacation. - Emily Lang

On a recent trip to Disney World, my feet were killing me by Day 2. Well, out came the EXTRA pair of memory foam insoles that I brought with me in my backpack. A trip to Guest Relations for a pair of scissors to cut to length and I was walking on pillows the rest of the week. - Craig

We secured one of those D-ring keychain clips to the stroller handle with a Velcro strap. It was a handy place to hang all of our souvenir shopping bags that we would accumulate! - Jackie Beering

I was a lucky kid -- visited Disney three times before graduating high school... One of my favorite souvenirs from Disney is my sterling silver Doc charm. My sisters and I got silver charm bracelets while in elementary school, and whenever there was an "event" or trip we'd get a silver charm to commemorate it. I've since married and have three daughters of my own. The girls each have a silver charm bracelet and plan on adding another character charm for each of our visits to Disney. Who knows? Maybe someday we'll be adding charms to their daughters' bracelets! - Suzanne Vallillo

To help create a trip report complete with all rides and activities done throughout the day,take a digital photo of each ride sign before you ride and each place where you eat or snack. This will help you create a timeline of activities done throughout the day and in the correct order. If your camera has a clock on it you can have it listed in the photo as well. We usually can't remember which ride we rode and in what order. This helps greatly for us. - Laurie Hoffman

At the beginning of each roll of film, take a photograph of an index card with your name, address and phone number, or even just your phone number, written in large letters. When someone develops the roll, they'll know who to contact. - Bill Wilson

On our last trip I applied a return address-sized label to each roll of film with our name, address, phone number, our dates of visit and resort visited. On one occasion I had to change film in the middle of an act that my child was invited to participate in. Later in the day I realized that I had absent-mindedly left the roll of film on the bench next to me. I was not worried, because I knew it was labeled. Later in the day I went to the park's lost & found (at Guest Relations) and described the roll. The Cast Member came back with it in no time. - Flybaby Deb

I wanted to let you know that some cameras end up LOST for good. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE write your name and hotel, or a phone number where we can reach you, on your cameras -- disposable or not. We would just LOVE to be able to call and let you know we found your camera! - A Concerned Cast Member

We also lost a camera at WDW, which was never recovered. They actually sent us someone else's camera once we got home, which I returned. Now, when we go to WDW, I put two or three of those self-stick return address labels on all cameras, equipment, and anything else I don't want to lose. It's an easy way to identify your stuff. - Disnemom

For digital camera users, bring several smaller memory cards instead of a large memory card. Each day swap out the used memory card for a new one. In addition, label your digital camera with a name, address, and something like: "Reward if returned." Last week at Disney we lost our digital camera with a week's worth of pictures. Since we had used a massive memory card everything was lost. Despite registering with lost-and-found the camera was never recovered. - Brian

When you get your picture taken by the park photographers, have the picture put on a watch. You can ask Guest Relations where to get this done. I had it done at the watch shop on Sunset Boulevard in Disney's Hollywood Studios. There is also a watch shop on Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom. It is a wonderful souvenir. - Connie La Tempa

Like most of you out there, I take lots of pictures when I am at Disney World. In order to keep the taken film separate from the untaken film, I have finally come up with a simple method of identifying the canisters of film. When packing my camera case, I put some of my self-stick address labels in with my film. When I finish a roll of film, I attach one of the labels to the outside of the canister to identify it as being taken. I also use these labels when I take my film for processing -- I don't have to write my name and address on all those film envelopes that way! I have been known to double expose rolls of film and to process blank rolls of film, but this is the best solution I have come up with to avoid that. - Sue Nelson