Tips about Mousecellaneous, Planning and Strollers
I don't know how many folks travel with teens but I travel with my 16-year-old son. We usually stay at the All Stars and the only place for us to change privately is the bathroom. This can cause problems if you have had a shower and it's all steamy. So to solve the problem and give us a little more privacy, I go to the dollar store and buy a cheap white or colored shower curtain. Then I get two of the 3M hooks (with Command adhesive) that have the pull tab to remove them from the wall. We then hang the shower curtain between the sink area and the bedroom area. When we aren't using the area we hang the shower curtain on one hook. But when one of us wishes to change, we just hook the curtain up and we have a nice private area to change. I discovered this about 10 years ago when I was traveling with three kids. This way the two girls could change in one room and the two boys in the other. Editor's Note: We've checked out these hooks by 3M with the Command adhesive, and they seem to really work as the manufacturer claims: they are specially designed so that they won't mark the walls or remove paint, and they don't leave a sticky residue behind.)
We have been searching for Hidden Mickeys at WDW, so to 'train' my husband for our last trip, I hid one Hidden Mickey a day for him to find before work. I only hid them in the bathroom because if he had to look all over the house before work, it wouldn't be fun! We both enjoyed this pre-trip practice, and I really think it paid off! He did 100 times better at spotting Hidden Mickeys once we got to WDW. A few words of advice for anyone who might want to try this: limit it to two weeks or less before your trip! Also, certain scrapbook stores sell Mickey punches; those were small and I could stick them anywhere! Other good ideas for Hidden Mickeys are placing anything in the three-circle shape, such as dots of cream connected to look like Mickey. There are many Hidden Mickeys like that at the World, so be creative! - Alea Laughery
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Regarding two-way communication with other members of your party, we have found that texting works the best. It's too hard to hear my cell phone ring with all the noise of the parks, and it's also too hard to talk on the phone. So we just send each other text messages to set up meeting places, or to let the other person know if we're running late. - Kirsten Searle
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Make up labels with your name, your resort and the resort phone number. Place these labels on your cameras (including disposables), video equipment and even kids' backpacks. If these items are lost, this will increase your chances of getting them back. - Timeless Tip o' the Week brought to you by www.themouseforless.com and Binnie Betten
Before buying the guidebooks, try your local public library. Most libraries have extensive sections of travel books. If your local library doesn't have the book you want, they might be able borrow it from another library. If you decide to buy a guidebook anyway, borrowing from the library first can give you a good idea which book or books are best for your needs. - Becky
Mini M&M's tubes are great for storing quarters (and pennies)! I buy the candy for my daughter and when she's done, I "steal" the tubes. Every few days, I fill one up with quarters, and put it in my WDW luggage. When we get to WDW, I'll put one of each (pennies and quarters) in my waist pack each morning, and I don't have to dig through my pockets for change. I also put change tubes in the car so we'll be ready to pay those pesky tolls. I'm ready to press some pennies, y'all! -Ksumn1
I have an important tip for all of you taking a trip during the fall rainy season. My husband and I went last fall and found that one pair of tennis shoes is not enough. If you get caught in a rainstorm, you might be fine in wet shoes the rest of the day, but when you put them back on later that night, it makes for uncomfortable dancing! Buy and break in that second pair of shoes so you have something to wear around while your wet shoes dry.Christie
I will not travel without Ziploc bags, scissors, thread, first aid supplies, a list of everyone's phone numbers, medical cards, an old pair of prescription glasses (in case I break the ones I wear), clothes pins for the hotel room curtains, earplugs (to block out the snoring husband!) and two small flashlights. One other thing I must take is extra instant coffee, creamer and one of those gizmos that will heat just one cup of coffee rapidly. Lynette
Many people use either the seat (if the child walks a lot) or the basket underneath to stash stuff in. It may prove helpful to keep everything in your backpack or diaper bag at all times, so you only have one bag to grab when trying to make that last minute bus, etc.
Bring your own strollers! After lunch, we checked out the Kilimanjaro Safari before settling on the train ride to Conservation Station. Great accessibility for the wheelchair, my son simply rolled right on in his power chair, but if you have a stroller you must park it at the train station (tip: if you have your own collapsible stroller you are allowed to bring it along...a good idea since the hike in Conservation Station is a long one with a few hills). The ride was scenic, but no animals. After the train ride, we looked around & started the hike to Conservation Station but turned around since we no longer had our strollers (carrying 2 40 lb boys in 100 degree heat depleted our energy!). - Cherie and Joel Belcher
Strollers roll on fine and kids can remain seated on the ferryboats between TTC and MK. Strollers can also roll onto the larger boats that run the MK-Ft. Wilderness Loop. The smaller motor launches from Ft.W and the Grand Floridian cannot be rolled onto. Strollers and wheel chairs must be folded prior to boarding for motor launches and guests using wheel chairs must be able to walk onboard.
We have a lot of experience maneuvering our double-wide stroller around the "world" and in general it fits everywhere a standard wheelchair can go, but gets twice the dirty looks in a crowd that a regular stroller gets. Connecting two umbrella strollers together side-by-side makes them too wide for most turnstiles and gates, but fold and go on a WDW bus much easier than the double-wide. The Contemporary monorail station can be accessed by elevator.
Also, the AK walkway surfaces are really rough and tough to push a stroller on. I think that is why they rent out strollers with the larger wheels. - Jim Hunt
I have always rented a stroller when in the parks. I have found it invaluable to use for my daughter to take an afternoon nap. If you have a child who can sleep almost anywhere (like mine), try it. It also makes better use of time since you don't have to spend time leaving the park, going back to your room, and returning again after the nap. Sometimes we do walk around still, my daughter likes the movement when she sleeps. In the MK, there is a side street down main street that is usually very quiet and shaded to take a siesta. In Disney's Hollywood Studios, we go to the covered eating place outside of the Beauty and the Beast show/Tower of Terror. We have never found a single spot in EPCOT but my mother-in-law prefers to sit on the bench across from the Rose and Crown pub. Also, for safety's sake, most parents know this but never leave your child unattended while napping in the stroller. We used to take turns "standing guard" or just walk her around. - Corina Drozdowski
We have a 2 year old and took his stroller to all of the parks. Before we left home I bought a Black and Decker snake fan that we duct taped to his stroller and in the afternoons when he was tired and hot we would turn on his fan and it helped alot. It especially worked great when he fell asleep because it kept him cool and he could rest. We got a huge amount of comments from other parents saying that they wished they had thought of something like that. - Robin Sowders
