Tips about Hollywood Studios and Mousecellaneous

While school shopping at an office supply store we found these really neat fiber optic pens at each register. A press of the button changes the colors from red, blue and green to mixes, with it finally going into a mode where it rotates between the colors. The best part? They are only $2 each AND they are functioning pens! So far I've seen them at three different locations here in New England (always at the register). I've already bought eight and put them away for our next WDW trip. This is a very cheap way to get out of buying light-up toys from the carts at night! - Jody LaFerriere

I enjoyed Joshua Olive's article on the little something extra and also his point that it can be the Cast Member you only see for a few moments that makes the difference. We have our own way of thanking folks -- my husband does origami and always carries paper with him to keep his hands busy. On our trips to WDW, when we see a Cast Member that we think needs a special thank you (because they never get noticed), he'll give them a small origami model -- a butterfly or an elephant, for example. We've thanked bus drivers, Fastpass checkers, and even a woman who was busing tables in the eating area of a counter-service restaurant. - Maggie Rioux

Your tip about deodorant reminds me of a trip we took not too long ago. On our Epcot day, my husband realized at around noon that he forgot to put on deodorant. Luckily we weren't far from the France pavilion. The perfume shop sells fancy French men's deodorant! He was able to get some, and it smelled very nice. I actually liked it better than what he usually wears! It certainly was better than not wearing any, and we didn't even have to leave the park -- a bargain in my opinion! (And actually the price wasn't bad at all.) - An anonymous reader

My son (who is now 11) and I go to a Disney park every year. We have visited Disneyland six times so far, Disneyland Paris once and we are going to WDW for the third time in September. He was only 2 on our first Disney trip. Each trip I purchase several t-shirts for the both of us. I always try and get at least one with the year printed on it. (They do a new style each year.) I have saved all of them. In 5 or 6 years I plan to have them made into a quilt. I will give him the quilt when he leaves for college. His first t-shirt is so tiny compared to the newer ones and I know they will just keep getting bigger! I hope that when he looks at it he remembers all of the Magical Memories we have shared at Disney. - Shellie Bandy

Disneyshopping.com has t-shirts with Disney characters that you can personalize and they are very reasonable. There are several designs to chose from and they can say whatever you want. "The Smiths' Magical Adventure" or "The Smiths on Holiday," for example. It's fun. - ErinNGreg

Here is a fun twist on that (wearing identical t-shirts) idea. My family recently went to WDW for our 10th trip together. We had t-shirts made at our local sports shop before the trip (for about $15 each). "WDW Trip #10" was on the front of the shirts. On the back, each person got to customize. They all said "I'm here for" and the person got to pick what they were most excited about to fill in the rest of the sentence. Mine said "I'm here for the safari!" What an experience! Cast members and other guests commented on our shirts all day! We felt like VIPs. It was one of my favorite Disney experiences. - Dsnygrl8!

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.)

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

Disney's Hollywood Studios - We discovered the delicious blue crab wonton appetizer at the Hollywood Brown Derby recently. It's a generous portion of crab, bundled along with cucumber, tomato and a slightly hot wasabi aioli in a deep-fried wonton wrapper. It was the perfect start to a wonderful meal. - Linda

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

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