Tips about Epcot and Kids and Money
Epcot - Don't forget the single rider lines at Test Track and Mission: SPACE, especially if you're just part of a couple. This is a GREAT way to ride quickly. Even when we have the kids, we'll each take the 9-year-old (the other kids are too small) and ride using the single rider line, then we switch... oftentimes it even beats out the child swap option because you don't have to stand in the regular line. - - Sarah
Epcot - Don't forget the single rider lines at Test Track and Mission: SPACE, especially if you're just part of a couple. This is a GREAT way to ride quickly. Even when we have the kids, we'll each take the 9-year-old (the other kids are too small) and ride using the single rider line, then we switch... oftentimes it even beats out the child swap option because you don't have to stand in the regular line. - - Sarah
Last year, the day before we were leaving for Disney World, I remembered my daughter had received some Disney Gift Cards over the years that were never used. I put them in a separate envelope for her and stuck them in my purse. When I pulled them out at WDW, she was so excited to be able to spend her own money. It seemed to make her feel so grown up and she actually took the time to decide what souvenirs she REALLY wanted, rather than asking me to buy her everything she saw. - Marissapg5
0 Users found this helpful.
We just returned from another great trip to our favorite place on earth... Disney World! We homeschool, so since we have a more flexible schedule, we have taken several trips there this year. The only problem we've encountered is that our three children (7, 9, and 13) never seem to get tired of souvenir shopping, or those yummy Mickey ice creams, and let's face it... Mickey ice cream isn't cheap. So, to save tears and money out of Mom and Dad's wallet, we've implemented a pretty workable plan. All three children are responsible for earning their own spending money, or saving their gift money for our Disney vacations. We provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner... anything else the children pay for themselves. Not only do they enjoy freedom from the words, "No, you can't have that," but they are learning how to handle and manage money at the same time. Who would have thought... Disney, three kids, and no tears! - Evelyn Horton
0 Users found this helpful.
ALL PARKS - I just returned from a trip to WDW. The 3M Company now has a new Post-It Flag Highlighter that includes both a highlighter and Post-It flags in one. It was PERFECT for marking the maps to the parks. I would circle the attraction number with the highlighter and then put a Post-It flag on the number on the map. They are see-though, so they don't cover up the number. The "pen" fit perfectly in my fanny pack! - Leah Price
0 Users found this helpful.
ALL PARKS - I purchased "The Unofficial Guide to WDW" book before our trip. I tore out the pages in the back of the book (the ones that suggest which attractions to see and in which order -- a very valuable tool) and laminated them. I then punched a hole in a corner of each page. As we set off for a certain park for the day, I would attach that set of pages with a binder ring to my fanny pack. I then had a quick reference guide for all the attractions and restaurants in that park. It was outside my fanny pack so I could look at it quickly without having to open my fanny pack each time. It was laminated so if it rained, the pages were not ruined, and they could withstand a lot of abuse. I took along a Sharpie marker and marked off each attraction as we visited it so I could see at a glance where we'd been and where we were supposed to go next. It worked out very well for our trip. - Lisa Kent
0 Users found this helpful.
ALL PARKS - On our last trip to Disney we brought our own 2 way radios. This came in extremely handy and we were able to separate and change plans as we needed. We had to share the frequency with quite a few other people, but if you don't mind waiting your turn, it really is a convenient way to communicate if you decide to split up. - Sharmon Simonetti
0 Users found this helpful.
ALL PARKS - Assign a meeting place IN THE SHADE! Meeting by the fountain at Epcot is great except it can be brutal in the afternoon sun. Better to meet at one of the Innovations cafes where you can stay cool and relax if your party is late. - D. Hamilton
0 Users found this helpful.
Not being a mom myself but a very dedicated aunt, I have given each niece and nephew a set amount of money to use as their own spending money on our big family trips, usually in Disney dollars (until they were discontinued). This is for them to spend on the things they want that their parents say no to. This time, though, I thought it would be fun for me if they all had to "work" for their money. I made up a game for them where they each have to call me every Sunday. If they call up and say "I love you" and "Mickey Mouse," they get $1.00 in their fund. However, if they are creative and make up a story incorporating those two lines, they get $1.50. This is fun for them and fun for me. And I feel like they are "earning" their spending money. - Sue Kohlert
0 Users found this helpful.
ALL PARKS - There is another show at WDW that most people miss; sit down and watch the other guests. You will never see so diverse an amount of tennis shoes, fashion statements or age groups. - CMarlan
0 Users found this helpful.
ALL PARKS - What our tip is, is to tie a bright bandana on the luggage rack or one of the mirrors of your car/minivan/truck that face the tram pick up area. We tied a bright colorful bandana nearest the tram pick up side on our while rented minivan, each day of our 11 day trip to WDW. It didn't matter what park we were at or what row we parked at. All we had to remember was the section, (example, stage, donald, unicorn, etc) we always found our van many times from very far away. We also used the bandana's on our stroller and on our luggage. - Clemley
0 Users found this helpful.
ALL PARKS - We read complaints about some of the attractions being too loud so we carried a set of earplugs in our fanny packs and found that they helped tremendously! We could still hear well, but our ears were much more comfortable. The earplugs don't take up any room at all either! - Diane Taylor
0 Users found this helpful.
