Tips for Disney Parks & Cruise Lines

While my children were young, I would always dress them in the same color or same character (e.g. Tigger) that I was wearing. If you get separated, one of the first things the Cast Member will ask you is what are the children are wearing. [When this happened to me] in a pre-panic state I couldn't remember anything except that they had on Tigger shirts. Fortunately that was enough. - Denise

My tip is a simple way of helping the children keep within their spending limits. My two daughters both save well for their WDW trips, but spending their money produces different hazards for each of them. The youngest (12) would spend her savings for the whole two weeks in the first shop she visited; the eldest (16) would still be deciding what to spend it on in the airport going home, worried that she was spending too much, too soon!

To overcome their separate *difficulties*, we came up with this plan, which helps them both: At the beginning of the trip, they each divide their savings by the number of days they will be on vacation - this gives them a guideline as to what would be a sensible amount to be spending each day. They know that if they spend more than that amount one day, it will leave them less for the remaining days, and vice versa. Every morning, we count up how much they have left and divide it by the number of days remaining, giving them a new guideline for the day.

They know that if they've seen something expensive they want to buy, it's sensible to have a couple of 'lean' days to make up for the big purchase they want. On the other hand, if they've been frugal for a while, a couple of days of overindulgence won't break the bank. Of course, I'm always willing to negotiate a loan if they just *have* to have that extra something they can't afford - oh, and it all helps with the math homework, too! - Wolfe

I was a lucky kid -- visited Disney three times before graduating high school... One of my favorite souvenirs from Disney is my sterling silver Doc charm. My sisters and I got silver charm bracelets while in elementary school, and whenever there was an "event" or trip we'd get a silver charm to commemorate it. I've since married and have three daughters of my own. The girls each have a silver charm bracelet and plan on adding another character charm for each of our visits to Disney. Who knows? Maybe someday we'll be adding charms to their daughters' bracelets! - Suzanne Vallillo

I brought my own stroller from home, but I was meeting family who live in Florida. We decided to rent a double stroller so the cousins could sit together. My daughter loved sitting with her cousin, but by midday she wanted back in her own stroller. WHY? Those new strollers in MK, Epcot and AK are HARD. She wanted the comfort of her soft stroller. Here is my tip! If you do plan on renting one of these strollers, bring a blanket so you can soften it up a bit. Remember none of the strollers recline. - Suzanne

Whenever possible, park your stroller under a designated shelter. We parked both of ours outside during the Country Bear Jamboree, and were surprised by a total drenching shower that left about a quarter-inch of rain in our belongings and two very soggy toddlers for the rest of the day! - Mark Brown

Whenever possible, park your stroller under a designated shelter. We parked both of ours outside during the Country Bear Jamboree, and were surprised by a total drenching shower that left about a quarter-inch of rain in our belongings and two very soggy toddlers for the rest of the day! - Mark Brown

Rent a double stroller for your "big" kid. If you've got an older child (4, 5, 6, or even 7) who's too big for a regular stroller from home, rent a double stroller for him/her. They offer plenty of room for a larger child and hold more weight than a single rental or a regular stroller. Plus, you've got a handy place to carry sunscreen, drinks, snacks, rain ponchos, etc.

Last summer, we rented one at all four parks for our then 5-year-old daughter, and it made all the difference in the "World". They were worth every penny we paid for them. We could cover a lot more ground and our daughter was able to rest and get some relief from the sun. We're heading back to WDW this summer, and our now 6-year-old has already asked to make sure we'll rent strollers for her again.

Only one caution: as of July 2000 when we visited, the double strollers at Disney's Hollywood Studios had a canvas divider to make two separate seats, meaning there was no room for a big kid to stretch out. We ended up trading the double in for a single (we were cheerfully refunded the price difference), but that was a little too small. This year we'll skip the stroller at Disney's Hollywood Studios. - Beth Peter, Waukesha, Wisconsin

EDITOR's NOTE: The Stroller FAQ has photos of strollers from each of the 4 main Theme Parks. http://allears.net/pl/strol_faq.htm

Back when we used to travel to WDW with a nice stroller, I'd bring a ski lock. (A ski lock is like a cable-style bike lock, but thinner and smaller so it is easier to carry in your pocket.) When we went on a ride, we'd leave the stroller locked by running the wire through two wheels so no one could roll it away. If a Cast Member needed to move the stroller, they could still pick it up and carry it. - Jean Pugh

After reading Sherry Theriault's tip about writing postcards while waiting in line or in restaurants, especially the part about, "I am about to ride Rock N Roller Coaster and you wouldn't believe how my heart is beating", I thought: what a great way to remember our own trip! I'm going to print out labels with our own address on them and mail postcards to ourselves for us to enjoy and relive the magic once we return. I keep a plastic storage box for each of my two children in which I put their artwork, school pictures and yearbooks, birthday cards, and special notes. It will be great to add postcards from our Walt Disney World vacations for them to read when they are adults! - Amy Mason

Last year, I read a tip on the web about using a tent as a "haven" for young children who need to bed down before others in their hotel room. This worked great last year with my son. It fit perfectly on top of the second double bed. He did nap-time, play-time and night-time all in his "cave". I found the PERFECT pop-up tent by Ozark Trail at my local Wal-Mart that folds up into a soft, 2' carrying disk w/straps. (My 6' husband can lay down in the thing!) It has two windows with flaps that tie up or Velcro down. I wanted an exact replica for his sister, but alas, Wal-Mart has discontinued them with no plans to restock! I immediately went to my best friend "E. Bay" for help. I found a NEW Ozark Trail Child's Pop-Up tent for $15 + shipping. So when we're not enjoying MK, we're playing camp-out in the den. Oh, and if you're at WDW in June, we'll be the ones with the well-rested children! - Bari Brumfield

ALL STAR RESORTS - If you have the option to pay extra for a "premium room" at the All Star Resort, do it. The room will be just the same as the others, but it will be located in one of the two buildings nearest the lobby, food court, and bus transportation. The All Star resorts are huge, and it can be quite a walk from the furthest building to the bus transportation. - Timothy Helm

ALL STAR RESORTS - If you have the option to pay extra for a "premium room" at the All Star Resort, do it. The room will be just the same as the others, but it will be located in one of the two buildings nearest the lobby, food court, and bus transportation. The All Star resorts are huge, and it can be quite a walk from the furthest building to the bus transportation. - Timothy Helm

DOWNTOWN DISNEY RESORTS - If you're staying at one of the seven Disney Village hotels, don't forget that you don't have to rely entirely on their bus system. For example, at the Magic Kingdom, the Disney Village buses don't go to the main gate. While this isn't a big deal for getting to the park (you just have to use the monorail or ferry like all other non-Disney hotel visitors), it's quite inconvenient at the end of an exhausting day, especially if you exit at park closing time. We just took a Disney bus to a resort (Port Orleans is close to Disney Springs, so it works well), hopped on a bus to Disney Springs and from there you have lots of options! You can shop, visit Pleasure Island, take the Disney Village shuttle, or just walk back to your hotel -- most are an easy walk from the first Disney Marketplace bus stop. From Epcot, after IllumiNations, there's another great option -- exit via International Gateway (allowing you a convenient view of IllumiNations from the far side of the lake), walk to the nearest resort and take the bus to Disney Springs. - Jacob Love

BOARDWALK - Because of the size of our "purchases" pile, my sisters and I started using the UPS mailing service at the Boardwalk. This year we took everything to them in large trash bags, which we had packed and tied shut. They put the bags in shipping boxes and everything arrived in great shape. It was much easier to be sure the small and large items were received OK. Opening the boxes a couple of days after we got home was almost like being in WDW again. - Joanne Kammer EDITOR'S NOTE: Shipping is available from resorts which have business centers such as Contemporary, Yacht and Beach, Coronado Springs, Swan and Dolphin and Grand Floridian. Please note that shipping costs are quite expensive.

BOARDWALK - Because of the size of our "purchases" pile, my sisters and I started using the UPS mailing service at the Boardwalk. This year we took everything to them in large trash bags, which we had packed and tied shut. They put the bags in shipping boxes and everything arrived in great shape. It was much easier to be sure the small and large items were received OK. Opening the boxes a couple of days after we got home was almost like being in WDW again. - Joanne Kammer EDITOR'S NOTE: Shipping is available from resorts which have business centers such as Contemporary, Yacht and Beach, Coronado Springs, Swan and Dolphin and Grand Floridian. Please note that shipping costs are quite expensive.