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A Disney vacation is in your future. Maybe this is your first trip, maybe it’s your tenth, but the important question is this: do you know what things to buy BEFORE Disney to save money? Maximize your Disney savings by including these Disney World essentials items when packing for your vacation!
Disclosure: TravelingMom uses affiliate links.
Disney World Essentials to Buy BEFORE Your Trip
You’ve got your resort reservations, your Fastpass+ slots are filled, the magical MagicBand box has arrived at your house and you’ve made the decision between the Disney Dining meal plan or packing lots of snacks. But have you made your list and checked it twice to see if you included some items that will add up to big Disney savings?
The Disney World vacation pixie dust can easily take over and lead to extra spending. When the parade at Magic Kingdom starts and every other kid has a glowing light toy, you can guarantee your toddler will find them fascinating. And you’ll find the price for one mind-boggling,
Some advance planning can yield big savings, with lots of these items available at your local dollar store or through a quick Amazon shopping trip. Here are the Disney World essentials to buy before landing in Orlando, Florida for maximum savings! (And yes, they can also be used for your Disneyland trip.)
Note: Even when you can’t travel to Disney World in person, there are plenty of ways to get your Disney fix while at home!
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Practical Disney World Essentials to Buy BEFORE Your Vacay
1. Ponchos
When it rains at Disney, this magical theme park becomes a sea of Mickey ponchos. At roughly $10 per poncho, it would cost $60 to cover our family of 6. But who wants to pay that? There are a few ways to go here: dollar stores typically have ponchos for $1, but they are the thin ones. I found heavier ponchos with reusable pouches for $3 (kids) and $4 (adults) at Walmart. The bonus was that my family stood out with our red and blue ponchos, making the kids easier to spot. Buy these before a Disney vacation for uniqueness and savings! Savings: $33-45, depending on the quality of ponchos
TravelingMom Tip: Even if rain isn’t in the forecast, bring the ponchos to Animal Kingdom for Kali River Rapids. You will get soaking wet on it. If that isn’t your thing- wear a poncho! Other water rides like Splash Mountain vary on the “soak factor,” so you’ll have to decide how comfortable you are with being damp.
2. Sunscreen
You know what makes your day at EPCOT miserable? A toddler with a sunburn. One essential item on your Disney World packing list needs to be sunscreen. Don’t forget it because it’s a pretty pricey hotel gift shop purchase. Sunscreen has a Use By date printed on it. This year I scored sunscreen on markdown at the end of the summer at Target, getting three aerosol bottles of it for just $2.99. Buy this before your Disney vacation and score major savings. Heads up – if you’re traveling with only a carry on, this won’t be an option for you. Savings: around $21
TravelingMom Tip: Pack a few Ziploc bags. Not only do they come in super handy for all sorts of reasons (wet clothes, diaper blowout), you should pack each sunscreen into a Ziploc bag to protect your other items from accidental leakage.
3. Items to Beat the Heat
First time visiting the Disney World resort area? In case you hadn’t heard, Walt Disney World is in Florida. Florida is hot. In some months, unbearably so. Preparing for that in advance and packing for Disney in a smart “heat friendly” way will be a lifesaver. A misting fan can go a long way in lowering little ones whining levels during long wait times.
Things we always buy before Disney to help with the heat? Cooling towels, misting fans and more. Check out everything you need here.
4. Snacks
Bringing your own food can provide a TON of Disney savings. Yes, part of the experience is eating the food, but find out how we saved at least $50 every day by packing snacks and being selective on dining in the park. Best part? You’re not surviving on granola bars. We’ve got a whole list of varied snack and food ideas.
5. Sunglasses & Hats
As we mentioned before, it can get HOT! Our Disney World essentials include sunglasses and hats for all family members. But buying them on site can really add up. We always include a few extras. Our teen son has a habit of putting his hat into the mesh pocket on roller coasters and walking off without it. It seems silly, but if you want to save money at Disney World, you’ve got to be prepared for shenanigans.
Fun Disney World Essentials to Buy Before Disney
6. Glow Sticks/ Light Up Toys
Night descends on Disney and suddenly like fireflies, glow sticks and spinning light toys pop up everywhere. Pick up a few packs of glow stick bracelets, wands, and necklaces, and you’ll have your kids covered for $3 instead of twenty dollars. Not feeling the plain dollar store offerings? Head to a Disney Outlet and still save money, even for the fancy light wands. Savings: $17
7. Costumes
A favorite tradition of ours has become having the girls wake up on their first morning at Walt Disney World to find a dress left for them by a “princess.” By keeping an eye on Disney Store emails, I am usually able to snag these for an average of $23 apiece. While at Walt Disney World during our last visit, I spied the exact same Belle dress my girls were wearing for $64.95. Savings: $42
8. Disney Clothing/Pajamas
With sales at the Disney Store and the outlets, you can often score Disney t-shirts for $4.95-$9.95 and pajamas for $7.99-9.99. We usually grab a few t-shirts for $4.95 and nightgowns for 9.99. Savings: at least $10 per child
Want it to be even easier? Amazon Prime it to your hotel.
9. Autograph Book
A popular toddler and kid activity at Disney is collecting the autographs of various characters as you wander the parks or attend character meals.Autograph books in the parks average $15-$20. We made our own out of dollar store notebooks (2 per pack for $1) and Disney princess stickers (also $1). Disney Savings: per child $12.50+
TravelingMom Tip: Feeling a little fancier? Here are 11 other unique ways to collect Disney character autographs!
10. Disney Pins/Lanyard
Pin trading is a great way to interact with the characters and to introduce a new aspect of Disney to kids who may have visited several times already. Pins need to be Official Disney pins with the original backing on them in order to be traded. I bought several at the Disney Store Outlet for $4.95 each to get each of my kiddos started. I utilized my collection of conference lanyards (I knew I was saving them for a reason!) for the pins.
Pins in the parks range from $7.95-$13.95 each and you’ll pay around $8 for a lanyard. Savings: $11 per child
11. Bring Change
Packing pennies and quarters may seem like strange advice, but it will save you on souvenirs once you’re there! There are penny press machines in the parks and kids love pressing pennies. This souvenir will cost you a mere 51 cents, but only if you remember to pack the change.
Lock in Your Disney Savings Before Your Disney Vacation
12. Discount Gift Cards
The art of discount Disney gift cards is truly that – an art. Disney gift cards can be used across the parks for everything from dining to hotel rooms to souvenirs. Plan ahead and shop sales to turn your Disney budget up a notch.
For example, my local grocery chain HEB recently offered an app special coupon to buy $100 in Disney gift cards and save $20. Utilizing my husband and my son’s mobile apps, we purchased $300 worth of Disney gift cards for $240. These deals tend to pop up starting in November through the Christmas season.
In addition, you can purchase Disney gift cards at Target using your Red Card for an everyday savings of at least 5%. Savings: 5-20% of the value you buy.
My biggest TravelingMom Tip? When packing for Disney, use a packing list! Print it out and check it twice for Disney World essentials. Nothing makes the cost of a Disney vacation skyrocket like items you forgot to bring. Knowing about things to buy before Disney only works if you actually pack them!
Be sure to check out this post on TravelingMom before packing for Disney. We’ve compiled a master list for you!
Where to Buy Discounted Disney Tickets
We recommend purchasing your Disney tickets through Get Away Today. Not only does the company have the lowest prices, it offers a best price guarantee. If you ever find park tickets cheaper, Get Away Today won’t just match the price, the company will beat it.
If you call to make your purchase be sure to mention TravelingMom!
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how did you get the disney outlet emails? I can’t seem to find the website.
Looked back in my email and it comes from DisneyStore.com but mine often has outlet specials in it- maybe because I am located near one and it knows that from my zip code?
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