Tips about Epcot, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, Mousecellaneous and Resorts

My sister, her family and I took a trip to WDW, and before we left my brother-in-law thought it would be neat if we bought T-shirts that everyone would all wear one day. We decided to purchase The Incredibles red logo T-shirt for everyone. It was a success. We wore them on our Magic Kingdom day and everyone kept saying, "Look! The Incredibles!" or "Hey, where did you all get the shirts?" I am sure they probably sold the shirts somewhere on property but we bought them at The Disney Store before we left home. It also helped keep track of everyone. We are now in the process of finding another style of shirt for everyone to wear one day on our upcoming October trip. - Amy

One thing I find myself doing... as I read along the fantastic tips shared in the ALL EARS® weekly newsletter, I copy and paste segments of the tips and email them to myself, so I do not forget them. Later, I scroll through my email and print out or save the important tip to a folder on my PC. I even go as far as making a brightly colored folder for my "Disney Information," which becomes my lifeline for all things related to any future trip. It is easily carried along on the trip when the time comes and has my notes, tips, dining reservations, hotel information, grocery store lists... you get the idea. - Bonnie from PA

ALL PARKS - When a Cast Member asks you how many people are in your group, tell them the ENTIRE number in your group. The Cast Members are trying to group your entire party onto the ride at the same time. If you tell them a number less than your party, don't be surprised when your party gets split up. (You might be asked by up to three different Cast Members for your party size.)

POLYNESIAN RESORT - I just wanted to add a great place to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks. At the Polynesian, just off the path that leads to the Grand Floridian (by Luau Cove), there is a nice little beach removed from the rest of the resort, with lounge chairs and a swing. It's a perfect place to watch the fireworks from afar, and you get a whole different perspective and realize just how majestic they really are. It's also nice to watch them and not be in crowds of people. - Tim

ALL STAR MUSIC - I just returned from a very quick trip to Walt Disney World. Normally we stay for at least three nights, but this time we only had a one-night stay. This is the first time that we stayed in Building 1 at All Star Music. Since we made our reservation at the last minute, we did not have much choice in the way of a room selection. We got a room facing the swimming pool. If you are a light sleeper, or have problems falling asleep because of noise, a room facing the swimming pool is a very bad idea. The pool is open late, and the noise from the pool made it very difficult to sleep. In the morning, I was awakened at about 7:15 from more noise coming from people at the swimming pool. The tip here is to stay away from the swimming pool if you can't handle the noise. - Craig M

All Resorts - The shower stalls at our hotel (Villas at the Wilderness Lodge) were quite slippery when wet. We did find out that housekeeping has a limited number of rubber floor mats available on request. They also have night lights available. - Naomi

I was reading through your site for something new and fun at Disney that we hadn't done and that is a little less "Disney" so my husband might quit complaining about another trip to WDW. Well, I found it -- parasailing. After reading the reviews I decided to schedule two double tandem flights for two adults with two children, ages 7 and 10. Wow, was that great! The kids loved it and so did my husband and I. (Note: maximum combined weight is 300 lbs. per flight). We went to the Contemporary Resort marina, and the boat driver and instructor were both excellent at their jobs. - Crystal

We just rented a cabin at Fort Wilderness and thought we would pass on some tips. We ordered water and drinks, along with eggs and cold cuts from an Orlando grocery delivery service. We also had room in our checked luggage for some groceries, condiment packs and little pouches of basic spices (sea salt, fresh pepper, garlic powder). The cabin's kitchen has about everything you need, but you might want to pack a small sharp kitchen knife, and if you plan to fry anything, know that the pan is stainless steel and not nonstick (VERY non-nonstick!). Stop at your local sub shop and pick up some oil packets (canola or extra virgin olive) and throw them in a zipper-top bag in your checked luggage. Being able to throw together breakfast in the morning is a great time- and money-saver, and having a late-night turkey sandwich and chips on the couch is a bonus. - Brian Phillips

ALL PARKS - As a teacher I have found the park maps to be a wonderful way to teach map skills to my first graders. I always make sure to pick up a handful for my students. I also laminate them and put them in our reading basket. Even laminated, they get a lot of wear. Too bad...I guess I'll have to go back for replacements! - Rae Vautrin

ALL PARKS - As a teacher I have found the park maps to be a wonderful way to teach map skills to my first graders. I always make sure to pick up a handful for my students. I also laminate them and put them in our reading basket. Even laminated, they get a lot of wear. Too bad...I guess I'll have to go back for replacements! - Rae Vautrin

ALL PARKS - When visiting the Disney parks, I usually like to pick up an extra guide map or two. I use them to decorate my cube walls at work and will also give extra copies to friends and family who may be planning their own trip in the near future. This helps them get a better idea of the park layout and make plans. - Kerry Kollasch

Epcot - Since we're passholders, the kids have been so many times it can get boring for them. They've done the masks and passports at Epcot over and over. What I do before each trip is make up a new passport. I include a picture on the page and certain facts about the country that they need to find. It's interactive with the Cast Members in that country and they enjoy teaching the kids! For instance, in China, learn how to count from 1 to 10 in Chinese. In Germany, have a Cast Member tell you about the wall that used to separate their country. In America, what does the Liberty Bell stand for? As I said, the Cast Members love the interaction with the kids. They are proud to talk about their countries. As a prior homeschooling mom, I am always trying to sneak in a learning experience when I can and Epcot is the perfect place to do so without the kids realizing it! - Julie Turbide

Epcot - Since we're passholders, the kids have been so many times it can get boring for them. They've done the masks and passports at Epcot over and over. What I do before each trip is make up a new passport. I include a picture on the page and certain facts about the country that they need to find. It's interactive with the Cast Members in that country and they enjoy teaching the kids! For instance, in China, learn how to count from 1 to 10 in Chinese. In Germany, have a Cast Member tell you about the wall that used to separate their country. In America, what does the Liberty Bell stand for? As I said, the Cast Members love the interaction with the kids. They are proud to talk about their countries. As a prior homeschooling mom, I am always trying to sneak in a learning experience when I can and Epcot is the perfect place to do so without the kids realizing it! - Julie Turbide

ALL PARKS - My tip is for keeping track of your hats while on rides or shows at the World... I bought some carabiners that we put on the strap of our fanny packs. I learned the hard way to put it through a part of the strap so that the carabiner is trapped and can't fall off when you take the fanny pack off. When we step inside at WDW, we both take off our hats, and snap them to the carabiner on our fanny packs -- it's easy to keep track of, and we don't worry about losing our hats or leaving them behind. We even do this on the rides, and find we can ride most things with our fanny packs (and hats) left on our waist. For wet rides, we put the hat over our fanny pack, and it helps keep splashes off. - Jill Neill

Epcot - I just returned from a day at Epcot and wanted to give you a tip about Test Track. When I (5'3", 315 lbs.) asked the Cast Member at the end of the queue if I would fit, he told me that there was a mock car I could sit in. He called another Cast Member who escorted me to a private area. The car wasn't an exact copy of the cars in use, but was close. I found that I did not fit enough to be comfortable. The Cast Member showed me the side exit and I went on about my day. It was handled with care and privacy and I was never made to feel embarrassed. - L.