Services & Facilities

ATMs -- Money machines are available near the entrances to all parks and usually at least one other place inside. They honor cards from banks using the Cirrus, Honor, and PLUS systems.

Baby Care -- All parks have a Baby Care Center that's equipped with private breast-feeding rooms and sells baby-care basics, which are also available at Guest Relations. All women's restrooms, and some men's, are equipped with changing tables.

Cameras & Film -- Film and Kodak disposable cameras are sold at various locations in all parks (at much higher prices than those in the free world), as are limited digital supplies. Services, including CD burning, film developing, and minor repairs, vary from location to location.

Car Assistance -- If you need a battery jump or other assistance, raise the hood of your vehicle and wait for security to arrive. When necessary, AAA provides free towing from the parks during park operating hours.

First Aid -- All parks have stations marked on the handout guide maps.

Internet Access -- Disney has installed phones with large touch-screens and Internet access capabilities at several locations in the theme parks, resorts, and other locations (locations are marked on park guide maps). For 25¢ a minute, with a 4-minute minimum, you can access the Internet or check your e-mail.

Lost Children -- Every park has a designated spot for lost children to be reunited with their families. In the Magic Kingdom, it's City Hall or the Baby Care Center; in Epcot, the Earth Center or the Baby Care Center; in Disney's Hollywood Studios, Guest Relations; and in Animal Kingdom, Discovery Island. Children younger than 7 should wear name-tags inside their clothing; older children and adults should have a prearranged meeting place in case your group gets separated. If someone gets lost, tell the first park employee you see -- many wear the same type of clothing and all have special name-tags.

Package Pickup -- Nearly all WDW stores can arrange for packages to be sent to the front of the park. Allow at least 3 hours for delivery. If you're staying at a Disney resort, you can also have all packages purchased by 7pm sent to your hotel (they will be delivered by noon the next day).

Parking -- At press time, Disney charged $12 for car, light truck, and van parking, and $13 for RVs.

Pets -- It's illegal to leave yours in a parked car, even with a window cracked open; cars become ovenlike death traps in Florida's sun. Only service animals are permitted in the parks, but there are five (soon to be six) kennels at WDW (tel. 407/824-6568; $10 per day, $13 overnight for resort guests; $15 overnight for those staying elsewhere). The ones at the Transportation and Ticket Center in the Magic Kingdom and near the entrance to Fort Wilderness board animals overnight. Day accommodations are offered at kennels just outside the Entrance Plaza at Epcot and at the entrances to Disney's Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. Proof of vaccination is required.

Shops -- In addition to the ones listed in the following pages, many of Disney's attractions feature small gift shops filled with merchandise and souvenirs based on that attraction's theme.

Smoking Alert -- Disney prohibits smoking in its shops, attractions, restaurants, and ride lines (even its resorts). There are, however, a few designated outdoor smoking areas in the park if you feel the urge to light up.

Stroller Rental -- Strollers are available near all of the park entrances. The cost is $15 for a single and $31 for a double. Length-of-stay rentals are available at a rate of $13 per day for a single and $27 per day for a double. Full payment is expected up front for length-of-stay rentals.

Tip Boards -- Each park has a tip board that tells visitors the approximate waiting time at all of the major rides and attractions. In Magic Kingdom it's at the end of Main Street on the left as you face the castle; in Epcot, the digital board is in Innoventions Plaza; at Hollywood Studios it's at the intersection of Hollywood and Sunset boulevards; inside Animal Kingdom, you'll find it just over the bridge to Discovery Island.

Wheelchair Rental -- A wheelchair is $10 per day. Electric wheelchairs rent for $45, with a $20 refundable deposit.

For Travelers with Special Needs -- WDW does a lot to assist guests with disabilities. Its services are detailed in the Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities. You can get one from Guest Relations in the parks, other information areas, at Disney resorts, or online at www.disneyworld.com and www.disney.go.com/disabilities. You can also call tel. 407/824-4321 with questions regarding other special needs. Some examples of other services: Almost all Disney resorts have rooms for those with disabilities, and there are Braille directories inside the Magic Kingdom -- in the front of the Main Street train station, and in a gazebo in front of the Crystal Palace restaurant. There are special parking lots at all parks. Complimentary guided-tour audiocassette tapes and players are available at Guest Relations to assist visually impaired guests, and personal translator units are available to amplify the audio at some Epcot attractions (inquire at Earth Station). For hearing-impaired information call tel. 407/939-7670 or for information regarding Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf (TDDs) call tel. 407/827-5141 (TTY), or the main number listed above.

It Ain't Fair, But . . . -- Disney rides sometimes break down or need routine maintenance that can take them out of commission for a few hours, a day, a week, or sometimes months. Test Track at Epcot, for example, occasionally experiences technical difficulties. And Pirates of the Caribbean closed for a few months in 2006 for renovations.

Many, but not all, of the ride rehabs are listed on the Disney website (www.disneyworld.com). Deb's Unofficial Walt Disney World Information Guide site (www.allearsnet.com) and Travel Insights (www.travel-insights.com) list most ride rehabs as well. The moral of the story: Err on the side of caution and don't make promises to kids about specific rides just in case something happens. Note that refurbishments and technical difficulties are unfortunate but part of the deal -- neither Disney nor Universal will discount or refund any tickets when rehabs occur.

Extra Magic -- Extra Time

The free Extra Magic Hour program allows Disney resort guests (as well as those staying at the WDW Swan, the WDW Dolphin, and the Hilton at the Walt Disney World Resort) some extra playtime in the parks (even the water parks). Under the program, a select number of attractions, shops, and restaurants at one of the four major Disney parks (or one of its two water parks) open an hour early on scheduled mornings, and those at another park remain open up to 3 hours after official closing on scheduled evenings. And because only resort guests can participate in the Extra Magic Hour, crowds are almost nonexistent, and lines are much shorter -- not to mention that the temperatures are usually a lot more agreeable early in the morning and later in the evening.

To enter a park for the morning Extra Magic Hour, you must present your Disney resort room key and park ticket. For the evening Extra Magic Hour, your room key, park ticket, and a special wristband (for every member in your group) are required. You can obtain the wristband at the park scheduled to remain open that evening, but no earlier than 1 hour prior to park closing.

Warning: If you hold a ticket with a Park Hopper add-on, then you can attend any Extra Magic Hour at any park. But, if you hold a Base Ticket with no park-hopping privileges, then you can only attend the Extra Magic Hour at the park where you're spending your day. So, if you have only a Base Ticket and go to the morning Magic Hour at Epcot and spend the day there, you cannot head over to Magic Kingdom's evening Magic Hour on the same day. Call tel. 407/824-4321 or visit www.disneyworld.com for details.