Tips about Other, Planning and Souvenirs

ALL PARKS - Be sure to have a group destination while walking around the park -- for example, once everyone in your party has ridden Buzz, decide where your group is headed, just in case someone gets separated. Then the rest of the group will continue on to that spot and wait until you regroup. This happened to us recently at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party -- while heading toward the Haunted Mansion, the first parade ended and it was crazy in front of the castle. Our group of 11 broke up into 8 and 3 and luckily we all headed on to Haunted Mansion and waited until everyone met up again. It took only about 20 minutes to regroup, instead of everyone heading off to a "central meeting place" like in front of the castle! It is also always good to have a specific spot for emergencies, like at the Sword in the Stone, for example. Just stay together! That 20 minutes separated was scary. - Suzanne from Patchogue, NY

[Unless you have a car] don't attempt to go to the Winter Summerland miniature golf course at Blizzard Beach after BB closes. No buses travel there after BB closes (which is either 5 or 6 p.m.), so you have to take a taxi or a "short walk" from Coronado Springs to get there. But the "short walk" is 25 minutes along a highway. Go in the morning or afternoon, instead. - Jennifer Beck

ALL PARKS - I thought it might be a good idea to remind people to NOT help themselves to the ice that most WDW shops use to cool the water in the popular "Squeeze Breeze" bottles. We fill the bottles (with potable water) and then place them in a container of ice. That ice came from a restaurant or counter service and most likely started out sanitary. But after being in the container for a while, exposed to the air, bugs, and many little hands, it is no longer sanitary, and should not be placed into any bottles. There was an incident of people getting sick after being sprayed (in the face) with water from a bottle like that last year. Likewise, giving kids some of the ice from those containers to suck on is a bad idea. It's better to go to any counter service location and ask for some ice in a cup. - A WDW Cast Member

ALL PARKS - For those following the "10,000 Steps" type program, I averaged 22,000 steps per day during a four-day stay last week, visiting each park. No wonder we were exhausted! - Michele

ALL PARKS - My husband and I pass the time waiting in lines by playing handheld Yahtzee. We take turns setting a score for one another to beat and keep track of who is ahead in wins. When one of us is 10 games ahead, the other person owes the winner a favor. We've been doing this for several vacations and it still helps to pass the time. Next time we plan to get a similar game for our kids. - Pam Lau

ALL PARKS - We all LOVE LOVE LOVE seeing the kids in costume (Belle, Cinderella, etc.). We try to make a big deal about it when we see them dressed up and, truthfully, it is fun seeing them think they have fooled the adults into believing they really *are* the characters they are portraying. If your child is a sticker collector, bring a special book for all the awesome stickers they can get at each of the parks and hotels. Most places have their own special stickers that they give the kids. In the Magic Kingdom there are at least 6 different ones the kids can get (and there are probably many more. The kids all love getting stickers, but by the end of the night most stickers have gotten wet or wrinkled up. Ask the Cast Member for an extra one for the child's book. Chances are they will be *more* than happy to give an extra one, just for the sticker book or for your scrapbook! - Tip from a Magical Magic Kingdom Cast Member

ALL PARKS - For those who have little ones who don't like the "line ride" at the beginning of most attractions or for those who hate waiting in queues themselves, spotting Hidden Mickey's is a wonderful diversion. We made small index card booklets listing all "confirmed" Hidden Mickey's in each park, organized by lands and attractions. They fit easily in a pocket or daypack and can be decorated with character stickers. We took the one for the park(s) we were in each day and looked for HM's in line or checked to see where we could find them once on the ride. An added benefit was getting to meet the numerous other guests who asked what we were reading and pointing at. This decreased the frustration of line-waiting even more. I think we made many other HM fans and also took the opportunity to mention ALL EARS® to them. Hopefully we helped (in a small way) your goal of making the 25,000 subscriber mark! - Gavin Adams

EDITOR'S NOTE:: To learn more about Hidden Mickey's, go to: http://allears.net/btp/hiddenm.htm

I wanted to share our fantastic -- and surprising -- experience from our recent WDW visit (December 1-8). My husband and I wanted to skip the water parks because we were so focused on the "real" parks, but we were vetoed by our four children (ages 11, 9, 6, and 3). After a lot of debate, we decided to do 1/2 a day at Blizzard Beach. We got there one hour before it opened and were the first ones there!! So they told us we were the 'First Family' and that made us the Ski Captains of the Day. We got in 1/2 hour early, got a medal, a giant free refillable mug, free locker, free towels, and a covered cabana to use! Then Fred (DH) and Matthew (9) opened the park for everyone else by being the first ones down Summit Plummet. The kids strutted around like royalty! We loved the family raft ride 3-year-old Noah was beside himself with the giggles! All in all it made for a memorable day! - Kelly Schweiger

Consider having dessert for dinner! If you're on a budget, but your tummy's growling about 4:30 or 5 p.m... if you don't have time or money for a sit-down dinner... if you don't want to get loaded down with meat and potatoes... have dessert for supper! Find one of those awesome coffee and sweet shops located in every park, let each child order their own personal favorite, and go for a pick-me-up latte or mocha for the grown-ups! Everyone is full and recharged, and you've spent about $20 (maybe a little more if kids drink milk with their sweets, but if it's hot, water is much better!). Plus your kids will never forget the evening Mom and Dad let them have ice cream for supper at Disney World! - Natalie Lipman

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

Don't throw out those popcorn buckets! They make excellent protection in your luggage for small breakable souvenirs, such as glass ornaments.- Lori Welch

I have one more tip related to Mary Cronin's idea. I hate walking on my treadmill. Has anyone actually recorded the walk from Spaceship Earth to the American Adventure to play back while walking the treadmill at home? My tape would always have to include a stop at Boulangerie Patisserie in France! YUM! - "Jungle" Jim Sirks

I read Mary Cronin's advisory to walk in order to be in shape for WDW, and I couldn't agree more. My wife and I are in our mid-50s and we have always wondered just how far we really do walk while at WDW, so we bought a pedometer and I wore it on our trip October 18-25. On the 18th and the 25th, our walking was limited to three hours each day due to our arrival and departure from WDW. Our first full day, which included Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, we logged 8 miles -- for the week we were just shy of 40 miles! Believe me, we do not race around the parks. We walk at a normal pace, and we were astounded at the total. Our advice: start walking. - William Kested EDITOR'S NOTE: ALWAYS be sure to break in any new pair of shoes/sneakers you have purchased for your trip.

Do lots of walking before you go to get in shape for walking at the World. This really pays off when you get there, in terms of stamina and enjoyment. We take family walks, and my husband and I also walk on a treadmill in the mornings. Just imagine you are walking from Spaceship Earth to the American Pavilion, or from the far end of one of the parking lot rows to the tram. If you're in better shape, you can pretend to jog from the rope at Tomorrowland to Space Mountain, or from the park entrance to Kilimanjaro Safari in Animal Kingdom. Even if your style of Disney touring is a relaxed stroll, you will benefit from any walking that you do before you go. - Mary Cronin