Tips about Rain and Resorts

ALL RESORTS - My name is Malorie Boutwell and I am 13 years old and have been going to Disney World on vacation ever since I was little and love it. I think that a helpful hint I have to offer is that you stay in a Disney Resort so you can get early admission to each park on the designated days also so you can get there before it begins to crowd.

ALL RESORTS - My name is Malorie Boutwell and I am 13 years old and have been going to Disney World on vacation ever since I was little and love it. I think that a helpful hint I have to offer is that you stay in a Disney Resort so you can get early admission to each park on the designated days also so you can get there before it begins to crowd.

Here is one of the best tips I can offer. We have just returned from a week in Disney where it rained for three days... and over 10"!! I had forgotten to pack our umbrellas, so we had to pick up WDW rain ponchos. They were $5.66 each. I originally cringed at spending our souvenir money on them (we needed five of them). My son accidentally ripped his while trying to pull up his hood. I had commented to a Cast Member later in the day and she smiled and said "No problem!" They exchanged his poncho quickly and stated that any time your poncho rips, you can trade it in for a new one from any store that sells them. My husband's ripped on our last day and his was just as easily exchanged. Most people I told this to had no idea Disney would give you a new one. My tip: those ponchos are worth their weight in gold! - Colleen Anastasi

I just want to second this. I wore my Nike Prestos to Disney last year, and it was amazing how well my feet held up in these shoes. Not only did I save my feet from blisters, but, because the shoes are cloth, they are extremely light, so your legs are less tired. The cloth also dries much more quickly than traditional sneaker material, which is great for rainy days and water rides. They are around $80, but on a quick trip to the Nike Outlet on 192, I found them for $30-$40. I now have four pairs of them -- they are all I ever wear! - Vanessa Gold

I just want to second this. I wore my Nike Prestos to Disney last year, and it was amazing how well my feet held up in these shoes. Not only did I save my feet from blisters, but, because the shoes are cloth, they are extremely light, so your legs are less tired. The cloth also dries much more quickly than traditional sneaker material, which is great for rainy days and water rides. They are around $80, but on a quick trip to the Nike Outlet on 192, I found them for $30-$40. I now have four pairs of them -- they are all I ever wear! - Vanessa Gold

I found this out a few years ago, while doing research for my trip. I have severe food allergies and asthma, which can be triggered by dust, mold, etc. If you have severe allergies or asthma (or both), phone in, instead of booking online, when making your reservation. You can request what they call a "VIP Room Clean." Your entire room is basically deep cleaned before you arrive, top to bottom, to remove any traces of allergens, dust, etc. You can also request, as part of this clean, to have different pillows (non-feather) put in, all scented things completely removed, etc. You can request linens be specially washed, or completely removed if you want to bring your own. It is no longer available to book online, it has to be done over the phone. Best of all, it's completely free. - Laura

We went to the Spirit of Aloha at the Polynesian Village Resort show a few weeks ago. I wanted to let you know that they do NOT have space heaters and it can be very cold once the sun goes down. It's a little warmer than the outside temperature, but still dress warmly. It was 45 degrees the night we went! Thank goodness for the heated towels to wash your hands with after the meal. - Vanessa

We were staying at the Fort Wilderness Resort when a black snake decided he wanted to take up residence next to our camper. We watched it from the safety of our camper for a bit, but the snake didn't seem to want to move. We decided it was best just to call the front desk for assistance. We did not want to harm the animal, yet we didn't want to be on edge all week wondering if it went back into the woods or slithered into our belongings. We have small children so we knew we needed assurance that it was gone. Upon calling the front desk we were very kindly transferred to Disney Animal Control line. (Didn't even know this existed but amazing that it does!) They sent someone over within a half-hour. Wonderful woman scooped the snake up with safety tongs and placed him in a bag and was on her merry way. We spent the rest of the week more cautious, but extremely happy that Disney was able to competently handle such things that we hadn't even considered during all of our planning! - Teri Allen EDITOR'S NOTE: While this is central Florida and there are conservation areas throughout Walt Disney World, seeing snakes is not the norm.

An inexpensive rain-cover for the double strollers that the parks rent is a clear rain poncho that can be purchased for less than a dollar at Wal-Mart. I was able to snap the poncho in with the top cover of the stroller and then draped it over the sides and in front. The kids tucked the poncho around themselves and enjoyed the view as we strolled through the rain. - Patricia Moery

We just returned from a wonderful two-week trip to Disney and I have a great tip for anyone traveling with a stroller. We brought our own ultralight stroller, and along with it a plastic rain shield that covered the entire stroller. I cannot tell you how much this saved us during the many rain showers we had over our trip, since ponchos do not work well for a baby in a stroller. Even if it looked like there was a chance of rain I pulled the cover over our son's stroller before going into an attraction, and the seat never got wet. During one storm at Disney's Hollywood Studios, we were able to walk across the park to attractions that had no line, because so many people were staying put under shelters. We got the rain cover at Babies R Us and it is made by Graco, but is supposed to fit most strollers, and I am sure there are similar products out there. - Tanya Sheehan

Whenever possible, park your stroller under a designated shelter. We parked both of ours outside during the Country Bear Jamboree, and were surprised by a total drenching shower that left about a quarter-inch of rain in our belongings and two very soggy toddlers for the rest of the day! - Mark Brown

ALL STAR RESORTS - If you have the option to pay extra for a "premium room" at the All Star Resort, do it. The room will be just the same as the others, but it will be located in one of the two buildings nearest the lobby, food court, and bus transportation. The All Star resorts are huge, and it can be quite a walk from the furthest building to the bus transportation. - Timothy Helm

DOWNTOWN DISNEY RESORTS - If you're staying at one of the seven Disney Village hotels, don't forget that you don't have to rely entirely on their bus system. For example, at the Magic Kingdom, the Disney Village buses don't go to the main gate. While this isn't a big deal for getting to the park (you just have to use the monorail or ferry like all other non-Disney hotel visitors), it's quite inconvenient at the end of an exhausting day, especially if you exit at park closing time. We just took a Disney bus to a resort (Port Orleans is close to Disney Springs, so it works well), hopped on a bus to Disney Springs and from there you have lots of options! You can shop, visit Pleasure Island, take the Disney Village shuttle, or just walk back to your hotel -- most are an easy walk from the first Disney Marketplace bus stop. From Epcot, after IllumiNations, there's another great option -- exit via International Gateway (allowing you a convenient view of IllumiNations from the far side of the lake), walk to the nearest resort and take the bus to Disney Springs. - Jacob Love

BOARDWALK - Because of the size of our "purchases" pile, my sisters and I started using the UPS mailing service at the Boardwalk. This year we took everything to them in large trash bags, which we had packed and tied shut. They put the bags in shipping boxes and everything arrived in great shape. It was much easier to be sure the small and large items were received OK. Opening the boxes a couple of days after we got home was almost like being in WDW again. - Joanne Kammer EDITOR'S NOTE: Shipping is available from resorts which have business centers such as Contemporary, Yacht and Beach, Coronado Springs, Swan and Dolphin and Grand Floridian. Please note that shipping costs are quite expensive.

ALL STAR MOVIES - I just returned home from our week-long vacation in Disney and it was fabulous. I wanted to remind everyone to please tip Housekeeping. We stayed at the All-Star Movies and these men and women worked very hard at cleaning up our mess, giving us more towels and Mickey soaps, and placing our kids' stuffed animals in cute little scenes. - Charlotte Reine