Tips about FastPass+, Kids and Souvenirs

We just got back from Disney World. We bought our son a Magical Moments pin, which lights up at the various shows and on rides. (A secret bonus was that on the dark or scary rides he just pushed the pin, which lit up so that he wasn't scared.) Unfortunately, even though the pin comes with replacement batteries, we went through three parks before we found that the jewelry store on Main Street USA had the screwdriver necessary to remove the back panel. Our tip: bring your own small screwdriver with you. The batteries can be purchased anywhere in the park for $1.49 + tax for one, but you need two batteries per pin. It is a wonderful keepsake. - Tracey and Mackenzie

EDITOR'S NOTE:: If you are flying to WDW and plan on bringing a screwdriver, please remember to pack it in your checked luggage, NOT in your carry-on luggage.

I work with elementary school-age children and have many friends with kids in that age category. I buy postcards when in the World and bring them home to use throughout the year. I send them to my own kids (at college), and to my nieces and nephews scattered around the nation. But my most fun postcard use is sending one to someone I know is going to Disney with a message like, "We are so excited you are coming to see us! Please stop by and get my autograph when you are here. And don't forget to bring your camera so we can take our picture together. See you next week! Mickey." My friends have told me how fun it has been to have the kids get this sort of mail and I love being the secret Mickey spreading a little pre-Disney pixie dust. - Terry Heyward

I just wanted to add that it's best to use older pennies in the pressed penny machines. Starting in the middle of 1982, the US Mint switched from copper pennies to zinc pennies with a thin layer of copper. When you put these pennies through the pressed penny machine, you get a kind of "marble cake" appearance with the zinc sometimes peeking through. Some people like this effect, but I prefer to search through my pennies and find the older ones to use. - John Hayes

The images on new shiny pennies are a lot clearer than old used pennies! I suggest you roll up your pennies and head right to the bank to exchange for a brand new roll! - Cathy

Have a special hat for everyone for each day at Walt Disney World. I have tried to relate it to the park where we will be visiting on each day. For instance animal print ears for Animal Kingdom day, international themes for Epcot days, fun pinwheels for Hollywood Studio days, and of course all things Mickey for Magic Kingdom days. Not only is this fun but it is a great way to keep track of your group. You know exactly what to look for when trying to spot your family. For night time visits to the parks choose something that will light up and keep them the same for all which will distinguish your family above everyone else in the dark. Be sure and take hats off during attractions so they don't bother or interfere with other guests.

Last year one grandchild got the postcard I sent from Walt Disney World, and the other one never did, so this year I took a business envelope and sent them both to their mom. They both got their cards. I also took a small padded envelope and sent a group of postcards to the first-graders in a class where I am a volunteer. (And the money saved on postage paid for the envelope!) - Deborah L.

Consider purchasing a clear backpack for your child. We got one for our granddaughter and packed it with a change of clothes for her and other necessities for the day. The security guards at the airport and Walt Disney World loved it. They just had to look and then sent us on our way. - Peggy

When we last visited the world, I got two "key" lights - the kind you attach to your key chain and squeeze when you need a bit of light to find your lock. I attached one to our backpack/diaper bag. It was always where I could find it and our 3-year-old had to just squeeze it for a bit of comfort. And it was too small to disturb the other guests and affect the theming. - Diane

Regarding the small lights on attractions, I wanted to mention that just before one trip, my daughter received for her birthday a light-up necklace (like the ones they sell for the fireworks and night parades) that lit up with a magnet connection. The light was very minimal (not actually giving off real light), just enough to be reassuring to a child. - Alysha G.

When we were at WDW this past October, we bought my 5-year-old a light-up Tinker Bell necklace to help ease her fears in dark attractions. Whenever she was nervous about the dark she would just light up Tinker Bell to "help show us the way out." The light wasn't bright enough to annoy other guests but just enough to let my daughter think that she had control of the situation. - Laura Richards

There are two important items that I don't think that we could have done without. One was a small flashlight/penlight for my 5-year-old daughter who is extremely afraid of the dark. Many rides took us into the dark, so she had complete control over the light on her face and even conquered the Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain without a whimper. The other was a small purse/fanny pack for all three girls for their snacks, pens, autograph books and cameras. I don't recommend that they wear the fanny packs around their waist because it prevents the safety belts from coming down securely. Instead, wear them across the chest diagonally. I wore a large messenger bag instead of a backpack and didn't have any back pain or shoulder strain. - Tina Pryor

EDITOR'S NOTE: While we like Tina's tip about the light for fearful children, we encourage our readers to only take a small penlight, and, of course, to be considerate of other guests who may be enjoying the dark.

Another idea to control the "I wants" from your kids. My daughter earned money before going on our trips. Sometimes she collected cans to recycle, sometimes she did chores around the house. She was much more selective about her choices and valued her souvenirs much more. - Suzanne P.

Another idea to control the "I wants" from your kids. My daughter earned money before going on our trips. Sometimes she collected cans to recycle, sometimes she did chores around the house. She was much more selective about her choices and valued her souvenirs much more. - Suzanne P.

After securing your Fastpasses on My Disney Experience, take a photo of the confirmation screen to carry with you. One morning I was able to change my Fastpass to the Anna and Elsa meet-and-greet, but for some reason it didn't transfer to my MagicBand. Fortunately I had taken a picture of my confirmation so the FP was honored. Sure did beat waiting 90 minutes! - Mishawna

You can also ship baby items to your resort so they are there when you arrive. Address all boxes with the name the reservation is under, reservation number, date of arrival, and resort name and address. Do not send a month in advance as then you will risk boxes being misplaced but instead try to have a box arrive no more then a week in advance. When you check in let them know you have a box that was shipped and they will get that for you and arrange for it to be delivered to your room. Please note that some convention resorts might have a small fee for box shipments.

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.