Tips about Disney Dining Plan and Magic Kingdom

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

We just returned from Disney World (not our first time). We discovered if you are on the dining plan and do not stay at one hotel for your entire stay, you REALLY need to plan. We stayed Saturday night at hotel #1 and knew enough to use all our meals before checking into hotel #2 on Sunday morning. What we DIDN'T know, is that our second dining plan wouldn't work with our MagicBands until after midnight on Sunday. We had to charge our meals and then have the hotel take the meals off our bill. They were willing to do so, but you should keep your receipts to make it easier on all. My advice is that if you use the dining plan, stay in the same hotel for your entire visit. (Disney cast members we spoke to are aware of this problem, but have not yet found a solution.) - David Bowman

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

We just returned from WDW for a wonderful week at Saratoga Springs Resort. However, we were unable to use all of our dining plan counter service and snack credits before the last day arrived. We spoke with a cast member, Sandra, about not wanting to lose them, nor wanting 10 breakfast platters. She informed us that for a counter service credit you can do several things. (This was breakfast time.) We used two counter service credits for two breakfast sandwiches and two drinks, and we used three credits for three packaged ham and cheddar sandwiches in the refrigerator section with three desserts and three drinks. The final five credits were used to make five continental breakfasts -- one piece of fresh fruit, a pastry and a beverage times five. This made the trip home easier as we didn't have to stop for food along the way. This is a much better idea than just letting your credits go to waste. - Kristen Filer

The dining plan is a huge plus for our family. We love not worrying about prices, and we consistently save tons. One thing to note when you're figuring out if it works for you, make sure to include the Orange County tax of 6.5 percent. When you're on the dining plan you don't have to pay that as well, which can tip the scales in the favor of the dining plan if you're on the fence. - Britney Phillips