Tips about Mousecellaneous and Travel By Car

Recently, on a trip to WDW, the screw to one of the arms of my sunglasses came out. Luckily it happened in my purse so I had the screw but I didn't have a tool to screw it in with. My friends and I went through our purses trying to find something we could use (we weren't at our hotel at the time), but we came up empty-handed. Then my friend Gina came up with the idea to try one of her pressed pennies. It worked! Pressed pennies are just the right thickness for tightening eyeglass screws, and they are big enough to make it easy to turn them. Even if you don't have a pressed penny, the machines are everywhere you turn, and the cost (51 cents) is much cheaper than buying an eyeglass repair kit in a vacation destination. - Karen Zayas

We have driven several times to Disney from Massachusetts with three boys currently ages 11, 7,and 3. Patience is number one. We make sure we have our toll moneys already set out in baggies which makes for easy passage when driving through the nights. The best investment we made for about 30 dollars was a power converter for our boys to plug their game cube into along with our portable T.V.. Another useful toy if you don't have tv or gamecube is the gameboy. Best of all are the good old fashioned mad libs and invisible marker coloring books. Happy driving!! - dollydawne in MA

We also found that most of the motels along the 95 corridor have what they call family suites that can accomonate more then 4 ( we thought we would have to get two rooms) they are alot cheaper then getting two rooms! - Jennie and Glenn Wallace

When my then 7 year old was bored on the drive from New York State to the Mouse House a few years ago, I gave her the video camera and told her to tape our vacation drive. That kept her amused for hours. When I got home I finally viewed the tape she did. Well I thought she was going to tape South of the Border signs, world's largest Canada Dry soda can etc etc and instead it was all of herself goofing around in the back seat. I laughed so hard when I watched it. Well worth the long drive. - Elaine Taddeo

I give my kids a roll of quarters at the beginning of our road trips to Disneyworld (10 hour drive). I have 3 girls 10-17 yrs. old, and I've been doing this for 10 years. They start off with the roll of quarters, but any time they complain, argue, tattle or fight with each other, I take a quarter away from each person involved. Once they loose one or two quarters, I don't have anymore problems. Our last few trips, none of the girls lost any money. It's great! Then they are able to use that money for the game room at the hotel. It's money you end up giving them anyway, so why not have it work for you! - Laura

We've kept a diary of all of our road trips since 1998. We document the time we leave, weather, temps, arrival times in all the major cities. We document the traffic jams ( how long we're in them, & how ugly it gets!), and construction areas. We document unusual events ( the accident involving a semi hauling live pigs...poor piggees!) We document the hotel rooms we've had, the McDonalds @ exit 341 in Fla. that has the BEST breakfast sandwiches ever (yes, there is a difference!)and our Disney experience (crowds, weather, what worked, what didn't.) It's fun to look back and read about the special times we've had as a family. - Jan Kolkema, Muskegon, MI

Another thing we did was to plan at least one new thing or place to stop and see on the way home that would help keep the interest up so the trip home would not be such a let down. - Andrea Rose Ankeny, Iowa

Consider learning a new hobby to pass time in the car. My husband and I along with my parents recently took a road trip to Walt Disney World. We passed time by trying to teach ourselves how to crochet. Prior to the trip, I bought a "how to" book and the appropriate supplies from my local craft store. And even though we never could quite get the hang of it, it was a fun way to pass the time and provided us with lots of laughs. - Heather

After reading your column for several years now, I have never seen you mention good ol' "Febreze". The stuff is a God send after being in the car for hours, upon hours, upon hours..... Remember in the movie 'Vacation', Clarke mentioned the "smell from the backset" ? It never fails, the car STINKS after long car rides.... Spritzing Febreze, or even the new fabric refresher 'All' on pit-stops, alleviate this stinky odor! And, it can be spritzed in your hotel room, and on clothes you've only worn a few hours for dinner, etc. I always, always pack a mini-Febreze, and think a lot of readers will benefit from this anti-stinky-spray! :o) - Cathryn Augustine

And with parents who have 2 kids and only one back seat, create a barrier, like a pillow or a stuffed animal and make it clear who's side is who's to help alleviate the crankiness and fighting of a long road trip. If you keep the kids occupied with games, singalongs, etc... they will have little time to fight. Happy road tripping! - Rebekah

For our drive from New Jersey to WDW, we get a few of those glow sticks/neclaces for when it gets dark. It's not too much light so it won't disturb the driver and the kids seem mesmorized by them. - Susan R.

I checked a wonderful book out of the library that we took along, called Along the I-75. It is hard to describe the book, but we found it full of information and it was fun to follow along page by page, mile by mile. I-75 runs from Detroit to Florida. We were able to have lunch at Colonel Sander's very first restaurant in Kentucky (home of the famous Kentucky Fried Chicken) because of this book. We never would have known about it otherwise. If you are going to be traveling on I-75, I would say this book is just as important as your WDW guidebooks! - T-Nina Hermann

I always prepare a "goody" bag for the drive for each kid. I start with a gallon zip lock bag & put their name on each one. Inside put in colored pencils (I do not use crayons as they melt in the hot sun on to your car seats) coloring book, stickers, a spiral notebook which they can use for coloring pictures & also as a "journal" for the trip recording each days events. I also add some mcdonalds happy meal toys with a Disney theme. - Anne Marie Cronin

I have found that having a EZ Pass on your car is very useful if you are traveling from the north. All toll roads bridges and tunnels south of Conn. accept EZ Pass and you just zip through only slowing down not stopping. They keep adding new roads bridges and tunnels, ie. Summner Tunnel and Ted Williams Tunnel and also the Tobin Bridge all in Boston. - Frank Groom

I have a road trip tip that we have used on several vacations - Books On Tape. We happened on to this a couple of years ago when someone loaned us a Harry Potter book on tape for our vacation. We have two boys 5 and 9. We have found that this is something the entire family enjoys. We actually look forward to getting back into the car! For this most recent trip I checked out several books on tape at our local library. It made the two day drive pass more quickly and it was absolutely free. If your library can't provide, check out the books on tape program at the Cracker Barrel Restaurants or visit your local Blockbuster. - M.Archer