Tips about Planning, Resorts and Security

We love the refillable mugs at the Disney resorts and find them to be a great value. Before leaving home, I purchase disposable dishcloths and spray them with a foamy dish-washing detergent, let them dry and place in a zipper top bag. Just dampen the wipes to thoroughly clean the mugs with soap and water. Each wipe lasts for several washings. No leftover, sticky residue; just a nice clean mug. Especially great if one member of the family has the sniffles. - Linda Jacobs

All Resorts - If you have toddlers and/or crawling babies, it is a good idea to check the floor, including under the beds, for medications dropped from the previous resort guests. We found an unknown pill picked up by our one year old as he was scouting out the place. It only takes a minute and is well worth the effort! - Timothy

All Resorts - We just returned from a visit to the World. We have a 3-year-old, so upon check-in I asked if I could have a stepstool in the room so he would be able to easily use the sink to wash hands and brush teeth. I am happy to report they were able to accommodate my request! It was great! I thought other parents traveling with toddlers would find this helpful. - Amy Devoe

Art of Animation - Six of us (four adults and two kids) recently stayed in a Cars suite [at Disney's Art of Animation Resort] for 10 days. It was great to have the extra space and having two bathrooms was especially nice. The only complaint we had was that some of the electrical outlets are at the perfect height to entice a curious 14-month-old and they have no child protective covers. I would strongly suggest that anyone traveling with a toddler bring their own. - j2mom

All Resorts - On our trip in June 2012 we learned that they leave the scales on all night at the airport luggage check-in desk. This made it easy to find out if our suitcases were too heavy before we had to check them in the next morning. - Sharon H.

Girls who have long hair, when showering, need one towel for their body and one for their hair. To "go green" and save on hotel laundry, bring a turban made just for your wet hair. They can be bought in most big chain stores and online for a few dollars; they are small and dry in no time, cutting way down on the towels your family uses! - Patty

I always bring the small 3-ounce bathroom cups when I travel. They are great to use in the hotel when brushing your teeth. I have a 5-year-old son and sometimes the hotel provides glass drinking cups. Not a good thing for those little hands. The paper cups avoid any chance of him breaking the glass in the bathroom sinks. I also carry them around in the parks, too. They are great for handing out little snacks like gummy bears or goldfish crackers and make sharing a bottle of water easy as well. - hbryfogle

I always bring a cheap hand pump soap with me to use in my resort hotel. I hate using bar soap, especially since I share my hotel room, and it just never feels "clean" enough for me. I purchase a 99-cent hand pump soap before I go and put it in our resort bathroom upon arrival. I'll tell you, it beats using the slippery little Mickey soap bar the Disney resort hotels provide! - Kim

It has been many years since our first trip but I wanted to share a very valuable tip. Before you go, log onto Disney's website and order or print the park maps and study them extensively before your trip. I had read about the crowds and knew that if we didn't half way know where we were going, we would be lost. I studied the routes to the rides that we wanted to ride first, the restaurants we wanted to eat at and of course where the bathrooms were located. These parks are huge and knowing which way to start was super helpful. - Mindy

Coronado Springs - The Pepper Market at Coronado Springs is now doing a regular breakfast buffet. No ticket and stamping, it's just pay one price (I think it was $15) and it's all you can eat. - Juli Ruffing

EDITOR'S NOTE: The $14.99 buffet service was tested at Pepper Market earlier this year, and has apparently been implemented full-time now. We have updated menus here:
http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm#cs

Beach Club - We will be staying at the Beach Club in August. I recently called to add some room requests. When I requested a metal crib (the deluxe resorts used to have these, as opposed to the soft-sided Pack 'n' Plays), they informed me that they are no longer providing them. My son does not sleep well in Pack 'n' Plays. He is a tall 2-1/2-year-old. We requested a roll-away and will be transferring our son to a big boy bed this summer. The metal cribs were a nice feature that the deluxe resorts provided. - Sara

All Resorts - If you have diabetes, let the cast member know that you will need a special container for used medical supplies when you check in to your hotel. After checking in at Boardwalk, within 10 minutes housekeeping was at our door with a small haz-mat container. One less thing to worry about! - Judy Peek

Wilderness Lodge - We are staying at Wilderness Lodge and have a room overlooking the pool area. We also have a couple of kids and tired grownups who like to nap during the afternoon. Unfortunately, Wilderness Lodge has a daily pool party blasting loud music, so be aware and request a garden view if this will be a problem for you. Luckily, we have our sound machine to help drown out the noise, but I wish I had known this. I might have stayed elsewhere. - Melanie Drake

EDITOR'S NOTE: The main pools at many Disney resorts feature similar afternoon parties and poolside activities, which tend to be quite noisy.

Our friends at ALL STAR Vacation Homes send in these tips to remember when booking a vacation home:

-- Verify that the vacation rental services and facilities are reliable. Look for third-party endorsements on vacation rental websites and membership in industry associations, including AAA, Better Business Bureau, Vacation Rental Managers Association, local conventions and visitors bureaus or other tourism and vacation rental management groups. It is also helpful to read guest reviews, comments and testimonials and listings on guest review websites.

-- Review the terms and conditions of the rental agreement carefully. If you have any questions, be sure to inquire prior to reserving a home.

-- Only make reservations over a secure website or phone system that has the ability to accept major credit cards. You should expect to make a security or a reservation deposit.

-- Consider and inquire about travel insurance. Many professional management companies offer travel insurance to provide coverage should any unexpected or last minute emergencies cause a change to your travel plans.

-- Check for guest service contact. The vacation rental company should provide an emergency contact number that you can call at any time for maintenance issues, questions and guest services.

-- Choose a vacation home managed by a professional management company. Vacation rentals managed by a professional management company ensure quality and consistency, and present a variety of hospitality services, including professional cleaning and concierge services. Look for an "About Us" section on the vacation rental website for an established company history.

A great way to psych yourself up for an upcoming trip to the World is to save your AllEars® newsletters for later reading. I've spent the last few weeks "catching up" on the latest Disney news in preparation for our upcoming trip. They help keep the Magic alive in the meantime, and are invaluable in terms of tips and information before you go! I, for one, can never get enough Disney information, and being able to read my newsletters one after the other is a wonderful treat when it feels like the Disney countdown isn't moving fast enough! - Karen P. Jordan

EDITOR'S NOTE: Thanks, Karen, both for the positive feedback, and for giving us a chance to shamelessly promote AllEars®!