Tips about Kids and Packing

I packed a pair of scissors that came in handy throughout the trip. I used them to open packages, cut off loose threads, and to take the tags off Disney merchandise my girls couldn't wait to wear. - Mary Kay Fenske

EDITOR'S NOTE: Remember that only scissors with blunt tips may be packed in your carry-on luggage. Scissors with pointed tips must be packed in your checked bags. For the latest list of prohibited and permitted luggage items go to the Transportation Security Administration's Travelers and Consumers web page at: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm

If you are traveling with a young girl, around 5, buy a Princess Hat! My niece got one on her last trip and the Cast Members made such a fuss over her. She wore it every day, in every park, and someone commented every day. The CM's asked if she was a princess. The taxi boat CM said to "stand aside, we have royalty coming on board." Goofy even bowed down and worshiped her. It really made her feel very special during the trip. - Holly

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.

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

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.

On a recent trip to Disney World, my feet were killing me by Day 2. Well, out came the EXTRA pair of memory foam insoles that I brought with me in my backpack. A trip to Guest Relations for a pair of scissors to cut to length and I was walking on pillows the rest of the week. - Craig

On a recent trip to Disney World, my feet were killing me by Day 2. Well, out came the EXTRA pair of memory foam insoles that I brought with me in my backpack. A trip to Guest Relations for a pair of scissors to cut to length and I was walking on pillows the rest of the week. - Craig

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.

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.

I read the information about birthday buttons that one of your readers sent in. I thought of that tip when we went to Target last month to get items for our daughter's gift bags. This is where we found a ribbon that says "Birthday Girl" on it. It looks like a first place ribbon and can be found in the party supply aisle. She wore it to school and on her birthday. We are saving it for our trip to WDW next year. Thanks to your reader's tip, even if we don't make it to City Hall in Magic Kingdom to get our daughter a Birthday Button, at least she'll have something to wear for the four days we will be staying at WDW. Thanks for all the great tips, readers. I've been saving a lot of newsletters to refresh my memory for next year. - The Schroeder Family