Tips for Disney Parks & Cruise Lines

Just a helpful hint to those planning future trips (we're already planning our next year's visit!) -- Ziploc bags are your friends! We put snacks, cameras, and even aspirin in them and carried them in our backpack. Even when we went on the Kali River Rapids or Splash Mountain we didn't have to worry about anything getting ruined. - Sue Harshbarger

As I sit at my computer researching my vacation, I keep a small notebook next to the keyboard. When I find some valuable information I jot it down. This way I don't have to remember links or specifics and can go back later to get more info. I then periodically file the information in a larger notebook -- restaurants, transportation, hotel info, etc. This helps keep me organized and that is hard to do! LOL! - Lisa

I am the family travel agent, so to speak, and I am very organized in my planning. One thing that I found helpful was to buy a cheap marble copybook from our local discount store. Then I covered it in Disney Princess wrapping paper, along with other cut-outs and stickers of other characters I could find. I use this book to keep track of all of our reservation and flight information, priority seating, as well as a "scratch pad" of sorts to plan our journey through the parks. Since it has at least a hundred pages, I plan on using it as a journal as well, having the kids write down certain experiences, and draw pictures of what they have seen. I plan on using it over and over again, as both a memory piece and a trip planner for the next time we plan on visiting WDW! - T. Porretta who is planning her family's first trip to WDW

We just got back from Walt Disney World. What a week! After spending a lot of time waiting in autograph signing lines, we actually received a compliment from one of the characters -- Cinderella, I think. We had tied the pens on curling ribbon (another "must have" to tie around knapsacks and rental stroller handles, etc.) and attached them to the spiral wire of the autograph books. We were always ready when our turn came up and were never without a pen! Thanks so much for your other tips. It made our trip a lot less stressful since we were so prepared! - Leslie Sacks

At the beginning of each roll of film, take a photograph of an index card with your name, address and phone number, or even just your phone number, written in large letters. When someone develops the roll, they'll know who to contact. - Bill Wilson

On our last trip I applied a return address-sized label to each roll of film with our name, address, phone number, our dates of visit and resort visited. On one occasion I had to change film in the middle of an act that my child was invited to participate in. Later in the day I realized that I had absent-mindedly left the roll of film on the bench next to me. I was not worried, because I knew it was labeled. Later in the day I went to the park's lost & found (at Guest Relations) and described the roll. The Cast Member came back with it in no time. - Flybaby Deb

I wanted to let you know that some cameras end up LOST for good. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE write your name and hotel, or a phone number where we can reach you, on your cameras -- disposable or not. We would just LOVE to be able to call and let you know we found your camera! - A Concerned Cast Member

We also lost a camera at WDW, which was never recovered. They actually sent us someone else's camera once we got home, which I returned. Now, when we go to WDW, I put two or three of those self-stick return address labels on all cameras, equipment, and anything else I don't want to lose. It's an easy way to identify your stuff. - Disnemom

For digital camera users, bring several smaller memory cards instead of a large memory card. Each day swap out the used memory card for a new one. In addition, label your digital camera with a name, address, and something like: "Reward if returned." Last week at Disney we lost our digital camera with a week's worth of pictures. Since we had used a massive memory card everything was lost. Despite registering with lost-and-found the camera was never recovered. - Brian

When you get your picture taken by the park photographers, have the picture put on a watch. You can ask Guest Relations where to get this done. I had it done at the watch shop on Sunset Boulevard in Disney's Hollywood Studios. There is also a watch shop on Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom. It is a wonderful souvenir. - Connie La Tempa

Make sure you get doubles of pictures taken with characters. That way on your next trip to the "World", you can have the character autograph his or her picture with you in it! - Mmmgong

Like most of you out there, I take lots of pictures when I am at Disney World. In order to keep the taken film separate from the untaken film, I have finally come up with a simple method of identifying the canisters of film. When packing my camera case, I put some of my self-stick address labels in with my film. When I finish a roll of film, I attach one of the labels to the outside of the canister to identify it as being taken. I also use these labels when I take my film for processing -- I don't have to write my name and address on all those film envelopes that way! I have been known to double expose rolls of film and to process blank rolls of film, but this is the best solution I have come up with to avoid that. - Sue Nelson

I am the picture taker in our family, so needless to say I am not included in our family vacation photo album! Solution: I have a group shot taken at every park that we visit by the Disney photographers at the entrance way. I also have them taken at the water parks. I use these pictures for our yearly Christmas cards. - Fran Dodge

One other thing I didn't read anywhere before we went was that some of these meals (Chef Mickey's and Tusker House) offered family photos. I know some people are put off by this, but for families with young children, who are often in strollers in the parks, this is a nice way to get a picture of everyone together and (hopefully) smiling! We found the photographers in Magic Kingdom and Epcot especially seemed to avoid those of us pushing our clan in strollers... especially doubles! - Hollie Moots -

Just call 1-407-363-6200 -- WDW Merchandise Guest Services! You can order just about anything they sell at WDW! Holly