Tips about Kids, Mousecellaneous and Rain

Those clear plastic zipper cases that bed sheets come in are perfect for carrying rain ponchos. Since they are clear, the baggage check is able to see exactly what's in them. - Jackie Claxton

We visited Disney's Hollywood Studios last week with our daughters, 16 and 2. While my 16-year-old loved the park, my 2-year-old found it very scary. If you have a little one who is timid, you may want to prepare them for this park or skip it all together. The Star Wars theme and characters are everywhere here. We were standing in line to meet Disney Junior characters when Star Wars music started playing and the characters marched right by us. She was terrified. We had to get out of line. Then we were stopped by a few stormtroopers while leaving Toy Story Mania. She started crying saying she wanted to go home... I saw several children crying when they had to walk by Darth Vader or a stormtrooper... I like Star Wars. But the constant shows that you can hear throughout the park with ominous-sounding music, the sound of scary voices (Kylo Ren and Darth Vader), and intimidating (to a small child) characters were just too much. Hopefully they will keep it localized to just the Star Wars area once it opens. - Jennifer D.

As adults we all know what to expect on our trips to Disney. But for young first-timers it's going to be a lot of firsts: plane ride, bus trip, rides, characters, hotel stay, etc. To prepare my 2-year-old for our upcoming trip, I've had him start watching YouTube videos of other family vacations to the world. Many show the plane ride, buses, different rides and character meet-ups. Now he's starting to get excited to go see Mickey Mouse. - Rachel

Magic Kingdom - My son is afraid of fireworks, but we wanted to stay in the Magic Kingdom. A cast member directed us to the Baby Care Center. The walls are soundproof for nursing moms. There was a TV and lots of books to entertain him. My son didn't hear a thing, and the rest of the night was tons of fun! - Mary Locker

Our daughter was 3 years old on her first trip to the Disney. We were concerned about getting separated from her and she wasn't quite old enough to memorize our cell phone numbers. We bought her a charm bracelet with a small heart. We had the heart engraved with her first name on one side and our cell phone numbers engraved on the back. All she had to do if she got lost was to show it to a cast member. (We practiced this when we got to the park.) Once we arrived, we discovered we could purchase Disney charms that we could easily add to the bracelet! She loved wearing it and as we prepare for our next trip, she is already talking about which charms she wants to add! - Buffy

When our 6-year-old broke her arm, we thought that swimming would be out of the question, a fact that, when discussed, brought nearly as many tears as the original injury -- until we were told about the waterproof cast materials they have! The office charged us a little out of pocket as insurance doesn't cover this "luxury" item, but it is well worth it. She can shower, wash her hands, and even swim -- something that is a necessity on those hot steamy Florida days! (There are also heavy rubber cast covers that I was investigating prior to finding out about the waterproof casts. My friend has used them and they work very well also.) - Naomi

"Darling Daughter" refused to wear boating shoes (the type that slip on easily and stay on all day). So I took a bottle holder strap from the Animal Kingdom, ran it through the straps of her sandals, back through itself and hung it from my shoulder whenever we went into the water parks. Even cast members commented it was a good idea. The pavement gets hot and shoes are a must moving between pools. If you have a kid who has a mind of her own, the strap trick is an easy way to keep the shoes with you at all times. It goes without saying that the straps should not be worn around the neck unless you get one with a safety release. And I'd never trust my daughter to keep track of them. This is really for the parents of stubborn kids. - Jackie Newman

We are traveling with my 2-1/2 year-old granddaughter early next year. I have witnessed, as well as heard from others about the "Fear Factor" getting the tots close to the characters can cause. Since she watches Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, she only has that and her stuffed animals for size reference. So, I have been telling her about how Mickey is big like Mom and Dad. Then one day I spotted some sing-along DVDs Disney has for sale through their movie club: SingAlong Songs at Walt Disney World: Beach Party and Campout. They show kids around 10 years old interacting with full-size characters in a variety of settings and activities to go with the DVD title, singing songs together with the words dubbed below. She LOVES these DVDs! Fort Wilderness and Bay Lake (and the former Discovery Island) are featured on CAMPOUT. Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach and other beaches in the "World" are the settings for BEACH PARTY. Hopefully, these perspective videos will help her deal with the surprise size of the characters she meets!

EDITOR'S NOTE: You can purchase these DVDs and other Disney-related items, though the AllEars.Net Amazon Store:

Sing Along Beach Party DVD: http://astore.amazon.com/debsunoffiwaltdi/detail/B0009X75WO
Sing Along Campout DVD: http://astore.amazon.com/debsunoffiwaltdi/detail/B0009X75XI

I wanted to add a tip for parents after reading your Survival Guide for Parents (in last week's AllEars® Issue #572). We took foam earplugs for our daughters to use when watching the fireworks at night. Neither of our daughters, ages 6 and 10, like loud noises (especially fireworks), and the earplugs allowed us to watch the fireworks up close without the girls being upset by the loud noises. You squish the foam to make it small, insert it into the ear, and then it expands to have a custom fit. Well worth being able to enjoy the fireworks or other loud attractions without tears and fears. - Jennifer Danczyk

Every day, several cell phones are lost at Walt Disney World. When a phone is lost, you not only lose communications, you also lose the important phone numbers stored in them. Though the wireless companies encourage you to donate your old phones when you upgrade, I suggest that you hang onto one and its charger as a spare and toss them into your suitcase when you pack. Odds are that you'll never need to use it, but should the worst happen while you're visiting the Mouse, you might be able to switch your phone number to the old phone by contacting your carrier. In a couple minutes, you have a working phone again. If you subscribe to some kind of "Backup Assistant", you might also be able to download your contacts to the spare phone. (Note that only someone who is authorized on the account and knows the password can make that change.) It may not be the shiny new Blackberry that you just got, but that old Motorola Razr is better than no phone for that week. - Mike J.

If it starts raining in Disney Springs, and you don't have a poncho, some of the non-Disney-owned stores may have cheaper ones. We got two clear plastic ponchos for around $2 each at the Raglan Road gift shop, when the other stores were selling Disney-branded ponchos for $7 each. - Amanda Porter

Magic Kingdom - I read about another reader having problems making reservations for the Harmony Barber Shop. I called 407-WDW-PLAY and the cast member helped me immediately, there was no confusion. She also told me that there are some appointments available BEFORE 9 a.m., some days as early as 8:05 a.m. Might give you a head start on your Magic Kingdom day. - Marianne

I've always kept receipts and written records of all our trips to WDW, starting in September 1971. In the '90s when we bought our first computer I put it all in. I can tell you the dates, the resort and room number, room rate, who joined us and the highlights of each of the 62 visits (430 nights) that we have stayed in Disney resorts. I also include highlights of each trip, like meeting Miss America and Bob Hope in the Studios, my wife singing with Bob Jackson in the Cotton Co-op and all the other magical moments we have enjoyed. - Mike Shook

My husband and I have a 1-year-old little girl. We've found it very helpful to purchase disposable bibs and placemats when we travel. We found them at Target. They make mealtimes so much easier for all of us! No messy bib to put back in the bag. We can spread out her food on the table in front of her without the germs, and she can eat at her own pace. The disposable placemats have Disney themes (Disney Princess for girls and Cars for boys), and there are activities on them to keep kids busy. I hope this is helpful for other families traveling with little ones that are still learning how to feed themselves. - Mary Stogsdill

Magic Kingdom - Unfortunately, I am a victim of motion sickness. When I took my 7-year-old son to Magic Kingdom, he had no fear of riding the "big" rides by himself. I was able to stand in line with him and once we reached the ride, he got on, and I found the exit and waited for him to get off. However, we ran into a problem on two of the rides (Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad). Both of these rides have two exits depending on where you get on. So if you plan to do this, be aware and pick a good meeting place. In our case, before our trip, I ensured my son knew my cell phone number and we discussed how to find a cast member if he got lost. - Christine Crews