Tangerine Suites - Orlando Vacation Homes

Take along a highlighter. When you get your park maps, highlight the rides/attractions that are a MUST SEE for you. We would do this each night with the next day's 'touring plan' in mind. No more searching when you can see the highlighted areas!

We all LOVE LOVE LOVE seeing the kids in costume (Belle, Cinderella, etc.). We try to make a big deal about it when we see them dressed up and, truthfully, it is fun seeing them think they have fooled the adults into believing they really *are* the characters they are portraying.

If your child is a sticker collector, bring a special book for all the awesome stickers they can get at each of the parks and hotels. Most places have their own special stickers that they give the kids. In the Magic Kingdom there are at least 6 different ones the kids can get (and there are probably many more. The kids all love getting stickers, but by the end of the night most stickers have gotten wet or wrinkled up. Ask the Cast Member for an extra one for the child's book. Chances are they will be *more* than happy to give an extra one, just for the sticker book or for your scrapbook!

For those who have little ones who don't like the "line ride" at the beginning of most attractions or for those who hate waiting in queues themselves, spotting Hidden Mickey's is a wonderful diversion. We made small index card booklets listing all "confirmed" Hidden Mickey's in each park, organized by lands and attractions. They fit easily in a pocket or daypack and can be decorated with character stickers. We took the one for the park(s) we were in each day and looked for HM's in line or checked to see where we could find them once on the ride. An added benefit was getting to meet the numerous other guests who asked what we were reading and pointing at. This decreased the frustration of line-waiting even more.

When the parks get crowded, learn to make the most of FastPass. We start our day by getting a FastPass at the most popular attraction. When the pass's time comes around, we get a new pass, and THEN go on the first FastPass ride. That way we always have a FastPass in hand. In between FastPass rides, we ride the non-FastPass rides. In the end we ride everything and stand in very few lines!

My husband and I pass the time waiting in lines by playing handheld Yahtzee. We take turns setting a score for one another to beat and keep track of who is ahead in wins. When one of us is 10 games ahead, the other person owes the winner a favor. We've been doing this for several vacations and it still helps to pass the time. Next time we plan to get a similar game for our kids.

I don't know if your readers have found the terrific little inflatable seat cushions that are just perfect for "tush" protection while waiting for parades or Fantasmic to begin. We found them in MouseGear at Epcot, and when the manager of the Emporium at MK saw our family using them, he promised to stock them as well! They are inexpensive and fold up into a little plastic pouch.