Tips about Mousecellaneous and Packing

In addition to taking out all electronics bigger than a cell phone, TSA at the Orlando airport recently made everyone in my line and the security lines around me take out all food items --- every granola bar, every bag of Mickey treats --- and lay them in a single layer in the security bins. One lady had a whole duffle bag full of snacks and it took several bins and extra time for a TSA person and her to lay them all out in a single layer. I will definitely change the way I pack my carry-on! - Sally Schneider

Be prepared if you're doing The Pirates' League. Our dear son finally was old enough to participate in the Pirates League. We were gung-ho to select the Zombie Pirate look. The day of the reservation the cast member at the registration was steering many of the guests away from the "full make-up" because of the heat/humidity. We were so glad she did. Not only was my son constantly touching his face the whole afternoon, but the dark eye make-up was a bear to remove before bedtime. I had purchased travel-size make-up remover wipes before our vacation since I knew my son was going to have make-up on. The make-up artists do give you one wipe and make-up removal tips, but it took almost a whole package of wipes plus a lot of elbow grease to remove the black eyeliner, etc. I wish I had packed cold cream or Vaseline in addition to the make-up remover. - Judi Sifuentes

Consider tucking a small, pocket flashlight into your suitcase, just in case of a power outage. The electricity went out throughout the entire hotel one night during our stay last week at Disney's BoardWalk Villas. There were emergency lights in the hallway, but our room was in complete darkness for an hour. - Linda

We've run a tip about distilled water before, but Albert G reminds us: Before my last trip in December 2016 I looked everywhere to find out where I could purchase distilled water for my CPAP machine without going offsite. We used the Magical Express and didn't have a car. Taxi cab and Garden Grocer seemed a little expensive for a gallon of water. Even the Disney Mom's Panel said that there is nowhere onsite to purchase distilled water. I decided to ask a cast member at Pop Century and found that they indeed do stock distilled water by the gallon, it's just not out on the shelves. You have to ask and they will be more than happy to get it from the back, and the cost isn't bad. I got sick on my previous trip without water in my machine. I'm not sure if all the resorts sell it, but it's worth asking for.

Many people do not know, but Disney now sells battery power packs through FuelRod in at least one location in every park (there are four in Magic Kingdom), Disney Springs and ESPN Wide World of Sports. They're about $30, but that price gives you a lifetime membership to any FuelRod terminal around the country. Their chargers can be switched out for fresh ones a limitless number of times per day. - Amanda

Remember to bring spare power packs for your phones. Because of so many people being in the parks, phones die quickly because they are constantly looking for a signal... even with the WiFi in the parks, it still takes up a lot of battery power. I think people tend to forget that these "smartphones" die so quickly. - Anna Kirch

We just returned from an eight-day stay at Walt Disney World and I have a tip regarding package deliveries from stores like Amazon. We ordered items for our baby (diapers, wipes, formula, etc.) 10 days prior to our trip and had them shipped to All Star Sports. I received emails a few days prior to our check-in day that our packages were delivered. Because of this, I only packed enough baby items for our first day. When we checked in around noon time, I asked about our packages and was told that hotels have been so overwhelmed with the number of package deliveries in the past several months, they no longer have the space to store the packages on-site. Instead, packages are sent to an off-site location. When you check in, your packages are then called for... but it can take a few days to get them to you. About 75 percent of our stuff was located by midnight, the rest by the following day. Needless to say, it was a very stressful start to our vacation and I won't be doing that again! - Jillian

This trip to Walt Disney World we decided to bring our own beach towels from home. We found it much easier to identify our chairs and verify the security of our belongings while lounging in the pool. The resorts do provide white towels, but it is so difficult to differentiate one chair from the next! - Amy Coronis

My daughter brings all her old Disney stuffed animals with us and arranges them in the window of our room. This year I bought some battery-powered, multicolored lights (the ones used for a jack-o'-lanterns) to accentuate the stuffed animals. It was so fun to see. - Michelle

Start saving all your and your kids' old clothes -- the ones that are stained or a little torn, clothes that you don't wear any more or don't let your kids wear to school. Rather than discarding them, keep these clothes. For your trip to The World, take these clothes -- especially for the children. No one cares or pays attention to what you wear in the parks, and that way you won't have to stress out when eating meals or snacks. Spill away! Stain away! No being careful! When you get back to the room, throw that tee shirt or pair of shorts away. When you get home: Hurray! No laundry to do! - Andrea Fisher

We aren't really big soda drinkers, so the refillable mugs aren't a good investment for us. However, we do like our morning coffee. I found disposable coffee cups with lids at the local dollar store. We make coffee in our room, take it with us on the way to the parks, then throw the cups away when we are finished. It's super-cheap and we aren't carrying around a cup all day! - Laura Briggs

My suggestion for those who wish to travel light when going through the parks is to pick dual-function clothing. For instance, you can get by without a bag in some cases by wearing cargo pants or shorts. Keeping small things in the pockets like sunglasses, small cameras, handkerchiefs for those hot days. Also if traveling with small children see if you can get by with a small child-size backpack with just the essentials: diapers, wet wipes, small snacks, one sippy cup, one change of clothes in a zipper-top bag. It is even better if you can attach it or hang it to a collapsible umbrella stroller. These cheaper options will give you peace of mind that if these items in the kids' small bags disappear while on a ride it is no big loss, as your important items are on your person in cargo pockets. Think with the minimalist approach and I'm sure the trip will be more enjoyable. - Josh Prouty

In last week's tips, Gretchen Foster wrote about the difficulty of finding birthday cards on Disney property. The Japan pavilion in Epcot has a wonderful selection of all types of greeting cards. One of my grandsons has a summer birthday and I was able to find the perfect card there and slipped in a Disney gift card. - Carol Trainor

I loved your article last week on birthday trips. However, people should be aware that it's difficult to buy greeting cards, wrapping paper, gift bags or ribbon on-property (I don't know why). If you are going to bring gifts that need to be wrapped, bring your own cards and wrapping from home. Also, don't bring pre-wrapped packages if you are flying as they will almost always stop you at security and make you unwrap it. - Gretchen Foster

If you are in the World now or will be soon, keep your eyes open. We saw two bald eagles last week on World Drive, between Buena Vista Drive and the Epcot exit. The next day I saw one at the entrance to the Wide World of Sports complex. Beautiful birds and my phone's camera did not do them justice. - Michael S.