American Express-- There's an American Express Travel Service Office at Epcot's main gate (tel. 407/827-7500). The one nearest to Universal is at A Time to Travel, 7512 Dr. Phillips Blvd. (tel. 407/345-1181).

Babysitters-- Some Orlando hotels, including higher-end ones at Disney offer supervised evening babysitting services, and several have good child-care facilities with counselor-supervised activity programs. Disney programs usually run $8 per child per hour and include dinner and games or activities. Babysitting rates elsewhere usually run $10 to $15 per hour per child; some offer discounts for the second, third, or fourth child. Disney and some other hotels offer in-room sitters through a company called Kid's Night Out (tel. 407/827-5444).

Business Hours-- Theme park hours vary, depending on the time of year. Most open at 9am and stay open at least until 6 or 7pm (sometimes as late as 9pm during summer and holidays). Office hours for central Florida businesses are generally Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. Bars are usually open until 2am. "Rave" and other after-hours clubs stay open until the wee hours. After-hours clubs don't serve alcohol.

Doctors & Dentists-- There are basic first-aid centers in all of the major parks. There's also a 24-hour toll-free number for the Poison Control Center: tel. 800/282-3171.

Disney offers in-room medical service 24 hours a day by calling tel. 407/238-2000. Doctors on Call Service (tel. 407/399-3627) is a group that makes house and room calls in most of the Orlando area. Centra-Care has several walk-in clinics listed in the Yellow Pages, including ones on International Drive (tel. 407/370-4881) and at Lake Buena Vista near Disney (tel. 407/934-2273).

To find a dentist, contact Dental Referral Service (tel. 800/235-4111; www.dentalreferral.com). Folks there can tell you the nearest dentist who meets your needs. Phones are manned weekdays from 10am to 7pm EST. Check the Yellow Pages for local 24-hour emergency services.

Emergencies-- Dial tel. 911 to contact the police or fire department, or to call an ambulance. For less urgent requests, call tel. 800/647-9284, a number sponsored by the Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation, the state tourism promotion board. With operators speaking over 100 languages, this source can provide directions and help with lost credit cards, medical emergencies, accidents, money transfers, airline confirmation, and much more.

Hospitals--Sand Lake Hospital, 9400 Turkey Lake Rd. (tel. 407/351-8550), is about 2 miles south of Sand Lake Road. From the WDW area, take I-4 east to the Sand Lake Road exit and make a left on Turkey Lake Road. The hospital is 2 miles (up on your right). Celebration Health (tel. 407/303-4000), located in the town of Celebration, is at 400 Celebration Place. From I-4, take the U.S. 192 exit. At the first traffic light, turn right onto Celebration Avenue. At the first stop sign, take another right.

Internet Access-- You will find a few local cybercafes listed at www.cybercafes.com or www.netcafeguide.com/mapindex.htm.

Kennels-- The major theme parks offer animal boarding usually for about $6 per day. Disney's kennels are at Fort Wilderness, Epcot, the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Disney-MGM Studios (tel. 407/824-6568). Resort guests can board their pets overnight for $9 ($11 for those not staying at Disney) at the Transportation and Ticket Center's kennel on Seven Seas Drive near the Polynesian Resort. SeaWorld and Universal also offer kennels where you can leave your animals during the day but not at night. A current vaccine record is a must at all kennels.

DogFriendly.com (tel. 530/672-5316; www.dogfriendly.com) is a dandy source of information about canine-friendly places. It lists hotels, parks, and even restaurants that welcome well-behaved critters.

Remember: Don't leave your pet in the car -- even with a window cracked -- while you enjoy the park. Many pets have perished this way in the hot Florida sun, and you may be charged with animal cruelty.

Liquor Laws-- The minimum drinking age in Florida is 21. No liquor is served in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. However, drinks are available at the other Disney parks and are quite evident at Universal parks (more so at its Mardi Gras days and Halloween Horror Nights).

Lockers-- You can rent lockers at all Disney, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld parks. The cost varies but averages $7 a day, including a $2 refundable deposit. Many other attractions, such as the water parks, also offer lockers, sometimes at a lower fee. Inquire at a Guest Services desk. For safety purposes, it's better to keep valuables, such as camera equipment, in a locker rather than in your car.

Lost Children-- Every theme park has a designated spot for adults to be reunited with lost children (or lost spouses). Ask where it is when you enter any park (or consult the free park guide maps) and instruct your children to ask park personnel to take them there if they get separated from you. Point out what park personnel look like. Young children should have nametags that include their parents' names, the name of the hotel where they're staying, and a contact number back home in the very rare case that parents can't be located.

Lost & Found-- Be sure to tell all of your credit-card companies the minute you discover your wallet has been lost or stolen while in Orlando and file a report at the nearest police precinct. Your credit-card company or insurer may require a police report number or record of the loss. Most credit-card companies have an emergency toll-free number to call if your card is lost or stolen; they may be able to wire you a cash advance immediately or deliver an emergency credit card in a day or two. Visa's U.S. emergency number is tel. 800/847-2911 or 410/581-9994. American Express cardholders and traveler's check holders should call tel. 800/221-7282. MasterCard holders should call tel. 800/307-7309 or 636/722-7111. For other credit cards, call the toll-free number directory at tel. 800/555-1212.

If you need emergency cash over the weekend when all banks and American Express offices are closed, you can have money wired to you via Western Union (tel. 800/325-6000; www.westernunion.com).

Identity theft or fraud are potential complications of losing your wallet, especially if you've lost your driver's license along with your cash and credit cards. Notify the major credit-reporting bureaus immediately; placing a fraud alert on your records may protect you against liability for criminal activity. The three major U.S. credit-reporting agencies are Equifax (tel. 800/766-0008; www.equifax.com), Experian (tel. 888/397-3742; www.experian.com), and TransUnion (tel. 800/680-7289; www.transunion.com). Finally, if you've lost all forms of photo ID, call your airline and explain the situation; they might allow you to board the plane if you have a copy of your passport or birth certificate and a copy of the police report you've filed.

Newspapers & Magazines-- The Orlando Sentinel is the major local newspaper, but you can also purchase the Sunday editions of other papers (most notably, the New York Times) in some hotel gift shops or bookstores such as Barnes & Noble or Borders. Don't count on finding daily editions of West Coast papers, such as the Los Angeles Times, without making special arrangements. The Friday edition of the Sentinel includes extensive entertainment and dining listings as does the Sentinel's website, www.orlandosentinel.com. Orlando Weekly is a free, alternative paper that has a lot of entertainment and art listings focused on events outside tourist areas.

Pharmacies-- Walgreens, 1003 W. Vine St. (Hwy. 192), just east of Bermuda Avenue (tel. 407/847-4222), operates a 24-hour pharmacy. There's an Eckerd Drugs at 12125 Apopka-Vineland Rd. (tel. 407/238-9333) that's open until 7pm (5pm Sun). Turner Drugs, 12500 Apopka-Vineland Rd. (tel. 407/828-8125) will deliver medications to the Disney resorts for a $5 delivery charge (a doctor first must fax the store your prescription). You can find other pharmacies in the Yellow Pages.

Photography-- Two-hour film processing is available at all major parks. Look for the PHOTO EXPRESS sign. You can also buy film in all of the theme parks. But you'll save money on both if you use discount stores in the free world, including Walgreens, Eckerd, Kmart, and Target. They often provide coupons for half-off photo processing, which could save you a significant amount of money. They're listed in the Yellow Pages under "Photo Finishing."

Post Office-- The post office most convenient to Disney and Universal is at 10450 Turkey Lake Rd. (tel. 800/275-8777). It's open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm, Saturday from 9am to noon. You can buy stamps and mail letters at most hotels.

Safety-- Don't let the aura of Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy allow you to relax your guard; Orlando has a crime rate that's comparable to that of other large U.S. cities. Stay alert and remain aware of your surroundings. It's a good idea to keep your valuables in a safe-deposit box (inquire at your hotel's front desk), although many hotels today are equipped with in-room safes. Keep a close eye on your valuables when you're in public places -- restaurants, theaters, even airport terminals. Renting a locker is always preferable to leaving your valuables in the trunk of your car, even in the theme-park lots. Be cautious, even when in the parks, and avoid carrying large amounts of cash in a backpack or fanny pack, which could be easily accessed while you're standing in line for a ride or show.

If you're renting a car, carefully read the safety instructions that the rental company provides. Never stop for any reason in a suspicious or an unpopulated area, and remember that children should never ride in the front seat of a car equipped with air bags.

Special Diets-- Kosher, salt-free, and other dietary needs can be arranged at sit-down restaurants inside the Disney parks and resorts with 24-hour or longer notice. Call tel. 407/939-3463.

Taxes-- Florida's 6% sales tax is charged on all goods except most grocery store items and medicines. Additionally, hotels add another 5% or 6% to your bill for a total of 11% or 12%.

Telephone-- Because of its growth spurt, Orlando has had to go to 10-digit dialing. If you're making a local call in Orlando's 407 area code region, even across the street, you must dial the 407 area code followed by the number you wish to call, for a total of 10 digits.

Time-- Orlando is in the Eastern Standard Time zone, which is 1 hour later than Chicago and 3 hours later than Los Angeles. Call tel. 407/646-3131 for the correct time and temperature.

Weather-- Look for the "Weather Channel" on Time Warner Cable, the local cable provider. Most hotels carry basic cable. The Orlando Sentinel also includes a daily forecast. A local 24-hour news station, Channel 13, offers weather forecasts several times an hour. You can also get weather information from the National Weather Service by calling tel. 321/255-0212. (They answer as National Weather Service in Melbourne, FL, but after that you get an option to punch in 412 from a touch-tone phone, which plugs you into the Orlando forecast.) Also check with the Weather Channel online at www.weatherchannel.com.