See Disney in a whole new light. Walt Disney World comes alive after dark, with a whole different type of magic. Buildings appear enchanted by colorful lights, trees are illuminated by tiny lights (or are those fairies?). Even Epcot looks different around dusk, thanks to the fiber optic lights embedded in the walkway. Enjoy a cooler, starlit experience at Disney, out of the sun. The Magic Kingdom offers attractions and events for families as well as for couples. For night owls, stick around for the 11 p.m. crowds, after the kids are tucked in bed.

Fireworks cruise - View the Electrical Water Pageant and Wishes Nighttime Spectacular while cruising the waters of Bay Lake at Disney. Book a reservation at least 180 days in advance when planning your vacation. The fireworks cruises are appropriate for couples and for families.

Fantastic fireworks - Kids can enjoy a great fireworks show, without leaving dry land. Mickey Mouse himself lights up Disney's Hollywood Studios with a 25-minute

The bags are packed and you're ready to walk out the door for the vacation of a lifetime. You've got clothes, toiletries, a few books, toys and games for the kids, and several bags full of DVDs, portable video game systems, smartphones, digital cameras, tablets, computers, and MP3 players. The minute you walk out the door, you start to worry about the hundreds (sometimes thousands) of dollars of technology you have with you. Is there a way to keep track of your family's gadgets when you're on vacation?

You pack it? You watch it.

If your child is old enough for their own mobile phone or smart phone, MP3 player, or portable video game system, they're old enough to be responsible for it.

Less is more.

Which gadgets are must-haves on vacation and which can you live without? Determining this before you walk out the door can reduce those extraneous items from your luggage and minimize your stress while you're gone. Do you need a small digital camera and the large camera with the zoom lens?

Budgeting for your family vacation can be one of the most difficult parts of your trip. You want to try to head out the door on your vacation with an idea of how much you'll spend on food, drinks, activities, airfare or gas, and accommodation. When my husband and I took our family of five on a recent week-long vacation, we were halfway to our destination before it occurred to us that our children would probably want to purchase souvenirs. How much should they spend? Should it be their money or ours? Don't leave your children's souvenir budget for your next vacation to chance.

Require older children to spend some of their own money on souvenirs.

My daughters were all 6 years old and younger on our vacation, so it didn't seem reasonable to expect them to pitch in for their own souvenirs. However, there's no reason that older children can't and shouldn't be expected to do so. If your children earn an allowance, save their birthday money, or work part-time jobs, expecting them to spend