Tips about FastPass+, Magic Kingdom and Mousecellaneous

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

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

MAGIC KINGDOM - I've found that making a lunch reservation as early as possible at Crystal Palace is far better than the breakfast. You can get to the park early and get a lot of stuff done before the crowds pour in and then take a break in the air conditioning! - Julie Budd

MAGIC KINGDOM - Here's a neat thing to do at the Magic Kingdom that only costs $.01 -- The movieolas in the upper floor of the train station at the Magic Kingdom are real; they really do work and they only cost a penny. I think the player piano is just a nickel. - Julie

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

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

On a recent Disney trip I decided to forgo bringing my purse and just buy a cheap, small man's wallet. I just popped my ID, credit cards, ticket and a few dollars in, and off I would go. I could skip the bag line and not worry about where my money and information was. It made airport check-in a breeze also. I still use it today and leave all my other seldom-used cards in my larger wallet in my purse. How often do you really use all that other stuff you drag around with you? - Donna

Want to get prepped for your Hidden Mickey hunt at WDW, Disney style? Just watch Lion King 1 1/2. There are so many Hidden Mickeys in this movie that I lost count! - Alea L.

We watched the AllEarsNet TV episode about FastPass+ with interest, having used it for the first time in August. One thing worth mentioning is that we booked our FastPass+ 60 days ahead as we were staying on property. Our parents, however, who live locally and so were not staying on property, were meeting us there and could only book 30 days in advance, even though our tickets were all linked. This meant that they couldn't necessarily get the same times as us for various attractions. For example, there were no reservations left for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train by the time they could book. Apart from this, other readers/viewers may not know that families can link their tickets like this, and that generally this was really useful. - Louise & Jason Herrick from England

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

ALL PARKS - You will only move at the pace of the slowest person in your group. Accept this, be patient, and do what you can to help that slowest person - under certain circumstances, it might be you! (Jen Kitchen)

Just back from our first trip with a toddler. He goes down for a nap each afternoon. We were unsuccessful getting him down in the Magic Kingdom (too much stimulation) so we headed out for the buses through Tommorrowland. As we strolled through the Tomorrowland Terrace, we realized less noise, no visual stimulation, and protection from the sun! It was the perfect place for our son to finally fall asleep. It probably saved us an hour to the hotel. - Doug C

If any last-minute changes occur to your traveling party, be sure to print out a paper copy of all of your FastPass+ reservations. Prior to a recent trip, I had to cancel one member of our party. Upon arrival we learned that they mistakenly removed my mother, not my father, from the reservation. Though a cast member at our hotel was able to add my mother's name and remove my father's name, in doing so, it left her with no FastPass+ reservations. Despite the fact that I made each FastPass+ reservation in advance and was actually heading down with one fewer person in my party, due to an error on Disney's part, my mother could not participate in any of the FastPass reservations. I tried on several separate occasions at Guest Relations, but was told that they were "non-transferable." It was our most un-Disney guest service experience in our many years of travel, especially because the mistake was theirs. - Amanda T.

As great as zipper-top bags are for holding snacks, you might want to think about hard plastic storage containers for them or something equally sturdy. I've witnessed a squirrel literally rip a hole in a reusable supermarket bag to get at the chips inside, no matter how many times we shooed him away. Anytime you're in a show or a ride with a long line the squirrels and birds have PLENTY of time to mess with your stuff that you've left in your stroller or scooter. - Aren

We have been searching for Hidden Mickeys at WDW, so to 'train' my husband for our last trip, I hid one Hidden Mickey a day for him to find before work. I only hid them in the bathroom because if he had to look all over the house before work, it wouldn't be fun! We both enjoyed this pre-trip practice, and I really think it paid off! He did 100 times better at spotting Hidden Mickeys once we got to WDW. A few words of advice for anyone who might want to try this: limit it to two weeks or less before your trip! Also, certain scrapbook stores sell Mickey punches; those were small and I could stick them anywhere! Other good ideas for Hidden Mickeys are placing anything in the three-circle shape, such as dots of cream connected to look like Mickey. There are many Hidden Mickeys like that at the World, so be creative! - Alea Laughery