Tips about Magic Kingdom, Mousecellaneous, Security and Souvenirs

At the parks in Walt Disney World, there are numerous gift shops that sell princess dresses for little girls. Well, let me just tell you, I purchased an Elsa dress at the Disney Store beforehand for $45.95. A similar dress was $104 in the parks, for what I thought was a lesser-quality version. I suggest you buy your own in advance! - Vanessa

To survive large crowds, I suggest that you go out early, at the time the parks open. Bring just a snack for breakfast if you can't manage to get up early enough to eat breakfast at your resort. You then will have 3-4 hours of park time before lunch. Since lunch is when the crowd volume really picks up, this is when you should go back to your resort to refresh and relax by the pool, or you could go shopping. Then go back to a park after you eat dinner. Leave the park before any fireworks shows to avoid long waits at the bus stops. Of course, if you want to experience more, then you will have to get out in the crowds. I've been so many years (at all times of year) and I've learned my lesson. The one thing that will drain your energy and make you more ill and fussy, is fighting a crowd daily. That's no vacation. Find time to rest and relax. - Melody Moore

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

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.

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

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

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

Shopping in the World is an adventure in itself! We have found some shops offer discounts that are not always advertised. My solution is to ask whenever I am making a purchase. Since we are DVC members, have a Disney Visa and have been Annual Passholders, it never hurts to ask if there are any shopping discounts. Most times, the cast member will ask to see the card before the purchase. It's much easier to ask before the transaction, than to remember when you're walking away. - jsbow

I have two little Disney fans, 2 and 4 years old who love the night lights. Buying new light toys at each park can get expensive, not to mention they take up room in the luggage when we have to leave. To save money and room, I started bringing our own light toys. I bought a pack of 10 light bracelets from a discount store for $1. The container hides nicely in the diaper bag, and the kids don't know I have them. When the kids see the light carts on the streets, I bring out my surprise and they love it. They each get four bracelets, one for each arm and leg, and one left for Mom and Dad. The kids get so much attention going home on the bus, because they have something different. We've even had people ask us where we purchased them. We have also saved our light sticks from Halloween and used them at Disney. As long as they stay sealed they are good for up to a year. - Kelly Pride

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

Another helpful hint to those parents whose children like to collect rocks. My kids each bought rocks at the store next to Country Bear Jamboree. While my 7-year-old daughter put hers in the checked luggage, my 11-year-old son put his in his carry-on (and in the mild chaos of making sure everything was packed, it never occurred to me to not have him pack it there). Well, a fist-sized round rock will get you extra time in the security area! Due to its size and shape, they had to pull the carry-on to open it up for extra screening to see what the unidentifiable object (the rock!) was. Amusingly, the security officer asked before he even opened it up if my son had bought a rock as a souvenir... evidently he's seen many come through. So save yourselves the extra time getting through security and pack any rocks in your checked luggage. - Vickie

No need to wait for your trip to Disney World to purchase the Disney Silly Bandz. I found the Fab Five, Princesses and Toy Story sets at our local Office Depot for $4.99 each. Silly Bandz are the big craze now. They are rubber band bracelets that will revert back to their original shape when you take them off of your wrist. - Amy Cribbs

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

ALL PARKS - We have gone down to Walt Disney World 24 times and are looking forward to going again in November. My tip is that when you go, always take a break where there is a water feature. If you are over-warm, they will help cool you off and if you are not then the sound helps relax and focus your mind so you can enjoy the rest of your day. At Magic Kingdom, the best one is right next to the Splash Mountain ride. If you don't want to get wet, step back. In Epcot, they are all over. They are in every park and various places, so ENJOY. - Dana Lind

EDITOR'S NOTE: The water features Dana refers to include the various fountains, water play areas, and misters found around the parks, such as the squirting Tiki Gods in Magic Kingdom's Adventureland or the Cool Wash mister near Test Track in Epcot.

Magic Kingdom - On our May 2010 trip to WDW we ate, as always, at Pecos Bill's at the Magic Kingdom. We always order the veggie burgers. The cast member gave us our tray with only our drinks and sides. She told us the burgers were being prepared at the "Fixin's Bar" and we needed to go there to pick them up. The reason given was that they are prepared on a separate grill, away from meat, making them totally vegan. Other counter service restaurants which grill them in the kitchen told us they always use a separate grill. - Jeannie B.