Tips about At Large, Epcot and Magic Kingdom

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

MAGIC KINGDOM - Time your ride of Splash Mountain around the fireworks display. Not only is the line usually shorter as everyone rushes to get a good spot to see the fireworks but, if you're lucky, you can emerge mid-ride into the open air, to a sky lit up by fireworks with a fantastic view. It happened to us by chance and we've managed to time our rides to that magical moment since then. Truly fantastic! - Joy Kennedy

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 - 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 - 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

EPCOT - I wanted to share an idea I came up with. When my husband and I visited Disney this past November, I was concerned about losing our active 6-year-old in the dim lighting following IllumiNations at Epcot. Then I remembered that he liked glow necklaces and purchased a few from our local Walmart (party supply department). After the show, which we were lucky enough to watch from the outside dining area of the Rose & Crown, I took the necklace from my fanny pack and gave it to him to wear. He thought it was great because no one else had one and we could keep track of him in the low lighting. Because the necklaces are packed in protective tubes, they shouldn't break during travel. When we return in 2-3 years with our daughter (now 20 months) I plan on bringing glow earrings and bracelets. - Terry Heist

EPCOT - I wanted to share an idea I came up with. When my husband and I visited Disney this past November, I was concerned about losing our active 6-year-old in the dim lighting following IllumiNations at Epcot. Then I remembered that he liked glow necklaces and purchased a few from our local Walmart (party supply department). After the show, which we were lucky enough to watch from the outside dining area of the Rose & Crown, I took the necklace from my fanny pack and gave it to him to wear. He thought it was great because no one else had one and we could keep track of him in the low lighting. Because the necklaces are packed in protective tubes, they shouldn't break during travel. When we return in 2-3 years with our daughter (now 20 months) I plan on bringing glow earrings and bracelets. - Terry Heist

MAGIC KINGDOM - My family and I never knew about the "pre-show" done at the Magic Kingdom a few minutes prior to opening. We were anxiously waiting for the gates to open when we were surprised to see the Mayor of Main Street greeting everyone and tons of characters arriving via the Disney Railroad, including the Mouse himself who did a countdown and even had a lucky family sprinkle "Pixie Dust" on everyone! The best part, however, was when the gates did open we were right in front of the train station entrance when ALL of the characters came out, including Mickey and Minnie. We got some great photos and lots of autographs within our first 10 minutes in the park! It was a wonderful way to start our Magical Day! - Carol Holland

MAGIC KINGDOM - We found that one of the best times to meet characters is before the park opens. We had EARLY breakfast reservations at the Crystal Palace (before the Magic Kingdom opened). It was a pain to fight through the lines at the gates to get in for our reservation, but it was worth it. We found most of the characters were beginning to come out and we were able to visit with tons of them while we waited to be seated. We got family and individual pictures with Mickey and Minnie TOGETHER, and that's next to impossible. It was the highlight of our trip! - Suzanne Kadinger

Alea Laughery shares some of her favorite "kids" tips:

-- In a zipper-type bag, we pack an easy to rinse bib and kid-sized plastic "silverware" and take them to the parks each day for our little guy. You can also pack a plastic table cover. Forks at Disney restaurants can be huge!

-- I bring special glow stuff (necklaces, bracelets, etc.) for every night we are going to be at the parks after dark. It's so much cheaper, and the kids love it just as much. Often people will ask us where we found it.

-- Find something fun to take pictures of in each country at Epcot. For example, I took a picture of my 3-year-old in a different hat that reflected the type they would wear in that country. We looked for hats in each gift shop as a family challenge.

-- Bring a small bag of toys for the kids so that they can play in their downtime at the resort. Kids need time to just play! Toys that can be played with in the tub are great because you can kill two birds with one stone! You can bring matchbox-sized cars to the park in your bag for the kids to drive around while waiting for shows, parades or in lines. Small posable plastic figures work well, too. Four crayons and a tiny dollar store sticker/coloring book are also great for a long wait.

-- At 10, my daughter feels too big to dress like a princess, but I found a cool tiara headband that she agreed to wear and she loved being recognized as a princess. For our breakfast with the Princesses, she wore an outfit we put together that I called a modern-day Belle. She wore a blue, ruffled skirt, and a white ruffled shirt, and completed the look with her hair in a ponytail of curled ringlets off to the side, a blue bow in her hair and a French-inspired necklace. I let her wear makeup and sprayed her hair and outfit with glitter spray found in the party section at a discount store.

Alea Laughery shares some of her favorite "kids" tips:

-- In a zipper-type bag, we pack an easy to rinse bib and kid-sized plastic "silverware" and take them to the parks each day for our little guy. You can also pack a plastic table cover. Forks at Disney restaurants can be huge!

-- I bring special glow stuff (necklaces, bracelets, etc.) for every night we are going to be at the parks after dark. It's so much cheaper, and the kids love it just as much. Often people will ask us where we found it.

-- Find something fun to take pictures of in each country at Epcot. For example, I took a picture of my 3-year-old in a different hat that reflected the type they would wear in that country. We looked for hats in each gift shop as a family challenge.

-- Bring a small bag of toys for the kids so that they can play in their downtime at the resort. Kids need time to just play! Toys that can be played with in the tub are great because you can kill two birds with one stone! You can bring matchbox-sized cars to the park in your bag for the kids to drive around while waiting for shows, parades or in lines. Small posable plastic figures work well, too. Four crayons and a tiny dollar store sticker/coloring book are also great for a long wait.

-- At 10, my daughter feels too big to dress like a princess, but I found a cool tiara headband that she agreed to wear and she loved being recognized as a princess. For our breakfast with the Princesses, she wore an outfit we put together that I called a modern-day Belle. She wore a blue, ruffled skirt, and a white ruffled shirt, and completed the look with her hair in a ponytail of curled ringlets off to the side, a blue bow in her hair and a French-inspired necklace. I let her wear makeup and sprayed her hair and outfit with glitter spray found in the party section at a discount store.

EPCOT - When I was researching for my family's trip to WDW, I was always checking out what people listed as their favorite spots to view IllumiNations. But, when my family and I were trying to find a spot, it seemed nearly impossible. My father, who was becoming rather impatient at this point, was ready to head back to the resort. But, being the headstrong and stubborn teenager that I am, I was determined to find a good spot. Just as we were leaving the United Kingdom and entering Canada, there was this trail that led off to the side. Only three other people were standing in this area, since there were quite a few trees. I sat down with my two little sisters, and started to enjoy the show. My father came back a few moments later, and he had snacks for all my family to enjoy. We could see the show perfectly. The family sitting next to us said that they had seen the show the previous night from France, with a perfect view, but preferred this little-known path better! I would definitely recommend this spot to anybody who is going to see IllumiNations! - Kristen Novak Editor's Note Sometimes there are private parties in this area so you can not access it.

EPCOT - When I was researching for my family's trip to WDW, I was always checking out what people listed as their favorite spots to view IllumiNations. But, when my family and I were trying to find a spot, it seemed nearly impossible. My father, who was becoming rather impatient at this point, was ready to head back to the resort. But, being the headstrong and stubborn teenager that I am, I was determined to find a good spot. Just as we were leaving the United Kingdom and entering Canada, there was this trail that led off to the side. Only three other people were standing in this area, since there were quite a few trees. I sat down with my two little sisters, and started to enjoy the show. My father came back a few moments later, and he had snacks for all my family to enjoy. We could see the show perfectly. The family sitting next to us said that they had seen the show the previous night from France, with a perfect view, but preferred this little-known path better! I would definitely recommend this spot to anybody who is going to see IllumiNations! - Kristen Novak Editor's Note Sometimes there are private parties in this area so you can not access it.

MAGIC KINGDOM - The girls and I bought some glow in the dark nail polish and painted our nails and a glow stick and painted our faces. It was fun to glow in Haunted Mansion and on Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. - Beth Ratliff