Tips about Christmas, Epcot and Mousecellaneous

Christmas - About the ABC Christmas Parade taping -- it was a wonderful experience from the perspective of someone interested in film and media as a potential career, but if done again I would not stress out as much about predicting the schedule. My family wanted to attend the actual parade, not the castle performances, so we based our park days on Disney's schedule the year before, and everything was opposite. So if you like TV production, definitely go! Just don't get caught up in details, know that things may change from year to year, be prepared for stop-and-go filming, and soak in the experience, because it is pretty cool. - Blake Taylor

Christmas - My 7-year-old daughter and I take an annual trip to Disney to see the Christmas decorations. Since we started in 2006, I have decorated her stroller with battery-operated lights! She loved it and it got a lot of attention. It was also easy to find when you come out of a ride and a cast member has reorganized the stroller parking! - Jennifer M.

Christmas - If you want to see everything decorated for the holidays, consider driving your car or rent a car for Disney World. That's the only easy way to see all of the decorations at each of the hotels and Fort Wilderness. Otherwise, you'll have to see the Grand Floridian, Polynesian, and Contemporary by monorail (or boat), the Wilderness Lodge by boat (from the Magic Kingdom), and then the Epcot hotels (Swan, Dolphin, Yacht & Beach Club, and Boardwalk) by boat from either the back entrance of Epcot or from Hollywood Studios. Don't forget to check out the World Showcase at Epcot where each country shows its Christmas traditions in both decorations and several performances a day of someone dressed in character. And finally, don't miss the Osborne Lights show at Hollywood Studios. - Terri Jensen

ALL PARKS - A great way to save time if possible is to go to the park without a bag. We could not accomplish this on every park visit, but when we would go to Magic Kingdom for a short visit in the morning or evening, we packed small necessary items (camera, lip balm, antibacterial gel) in my husband and son's cargo pockets, wore our Photopass and tickets around our necks and breezed into the parks. - Tanya

Before our current trip to the World we were trying to come up with a way to tell each of our water bottles apart in the insulated bag that we carry to the parks. We decided to use six different color ponytail holders, which we placed around each bottle. No confusion as to whose bottle was whose! - Gerrie Springer

Buy a post card for each day of your Disney vacation on the first day. Each evening write down the day's highlights and mail the postcard to your home address from the hotel's front desk or postal box in the lobby. When you return home, you'll have a day by day 'mini journal' of what you did each day. So many of us plan to journal every day but after a day or two forget about it. Postcards are quick and easy! - Judith

I was all set with extra batteries on our last trip, however finding a screwdriver was the problem. I will be packing one of the all-in-one screwdrivers I found at the dollar store next trip. - Jennifer C.

I found that there is a Disney Gift Card app for iPhones. This keeps track of what's left on your cards, and what the transactions are. I believe that it is only available for the iPhone. To get it, just go into the App Store on your iPhone and search for "Disney Gift Card app." It's a free app. I downloaded it and put in the info for our wrist cards, and it showed our balance. Real easy. I'm loving it already! One thing -- you have to pick a character for each card. I do not think that you can have the same image for two cards. - Dave Adams

ALL PARKS - Just a reminder to check when counter service restaurants close. We were at Disney's Hollywood Studios three weeks ago, counting on eating our meal at one of the counter service restaurants. All were closed by 8:15, except for the one closest to Fantasmic, so we had to eat at Mama Melrose's and pay $150. It was a lovely meal, but we were on the dining plan and had carefully planned when to use our dining credits. - Ellen

Thank you so much for your WDW at large info! Like many others, I have tons of anxiety before amusement park visits, but your site put me at ease. Since it was so helpful to me, I wanted to share my experience at Disneyland Resort. I am a 310-lb. woman with large legs, hips and bottom, size 24/26. I was able to ride everything at Disneyland just fine. Yes, some rides such as Star Tours and Goofy's Sky School weren't super-roomy, but I fit with no problem. The tip of pulling out the seat belt before sitting down was very helpful. My advice: relax and go have a magical time! - Kate L.

ESPN Wide World of Sports now offers free high-speed internet throughout the complex including in the Baseball Quadraplex, Champion Stadium, Hess Sports Fields, the Jostens Center, HP Field House, Softball Diamondplex, Tennis Complex, Track & Field Complex and the ESPN Wide World of Sports Grill. Simply connect your laptop or mobile device to the Hotspot SSID: Disney-Guest, accept the Terms of Service and you will then be automatically connected to Disney's network and have the ability to surf the web, check your email, Facebook and Twitter. - Rick

I just love reading the "Magical Moments" section of the AllEars® newsletter. As a former Disney College Program cast member I would like to remind everyone that if a cast member goes above and beyond in their service, it is greatly appreciated if you go to Guest Relations in the front of the park to let them know that someone made your day extra magical. That way you can make that cast member's day magical, too! It is a great way to give back. - Amanda Atilano

Epcot - I just wanted to let you know there is now an additional place to get kosher food in Epcot. It is at the Electric Umbrella restaurant in Future World. This is helpful, because if you need the kosher food, you don't have to go all the way to the American Adventure's Liberty Inn in World Showcase. - Michael Lorch

Epcot - I just wanted to let you know there is now an additional place to get kosher food in Epcot. It is at the Electric Umbrella restaurant in Future World. This is helpful, because if you need the kosher food, you don't have to go all the way to the American Adventure's Liberty Inn in World Showcase. - Michael Lorch

I like to make my hotel room feel a little more special by bringing in a small bouquet of flowers. You can buy these at the local supermarket for a few bucks. I always bring an old vase from home (which I leave at the hotel when I return home) and have a nice smelling and beautiful thing to come back to at the end of every day. - Amanda Bohning