Living 30 minutes away from Walt Disney World throughout my whole life, I think I can safely say I’ve nailed down what to bring and what not to bring to Disney. Whether we spend a couple of hours or the whole day at the parks, I always make sure we aren’t spending loads of money on things you could easily buy beforehand.
For tourists though, expect to spend a nice chunk of change if you don’t plan prior to your vacay. To avoid breaking the bank, check out these must haves to buy before your next Disney World vacation.
Here are my top things to buy before your Walt Disney World Vacation!
(Psst! Click here for a FREE Disney Day Bag Checklist PDF! It will make your vacation planning a million times easier 😉 )
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Portable Fan and Water Mister
I’ve been to Disney World every single month of the year and I can confidently tell you that a portable/handheld fan will be a MUST no matter the month you visit.
It’s important that you buy one BEFORE your trip because you will end up caving for the pricey $25 dollar misting fan they sell. Trust me, I have. Also, get a small one for each family member. No ones going to share when it’s blazing hot outside.
Mouse Ears
You NEED to purchase these beforehand if you want to save major cash. At Disney, these are 25 dollars a pop. For a family of 4, you could easily spend 100 buck on just ears. Not cheap. I have 2 pairs of ears from Disney and one pair of generic ears.
Do yourself a favor and buy some inexpensive ones before your trip, especially if you’re a tourist. The quality is basically indifferent.
Disney Apparel
If I can tell you to steer clear of one souvenir at Disney, it’s the T-Shirts. They are craaazy expensive. Instead, get a shirt off of Amazon, or if you’re a local, Publix sells tons of Mickey shirts for a good price.
I am an owner of many and all of my Mickey shirts are from Publix. 🙂
Collapsable Water Bottles
I recommended these in my “Top Carry on Essentials” post and I recommend them for Disney World too. They fold down when not in use, which is perfect for space saving.
Psst. You are allowed to bring water inside the park 😉 Don’t buy the bottled water at Disney because it’s 5 bucks a bottle. We once spent 30 bucks just on water because we left ours at home.
Disney Autograph Books
Unless you want to spend 20 bucks on a book of paper for the Characters to sign, I suggest you order an autograph book beforehand. When you meet the characters during a meal or during a meet-and-greet, you get a chance to take a pic and get their autograph. It can be a nice inexpensive souvenir if you buy the autograph book beforehand.
Want a FREE Disney Bag Checklist Printable? Click HERE!
Portable Poncho
One thing I love about Florida is that it rains all the time. If you aren’t from Florida, the regular 20 minute thunderstorm might catch you off guard. I bought a cute Mickey water resistant winder-breaker from Disney Springs. But a few generic clear ones will be just fine if you’re visiting. Don’t buy them inside the park though. The second there’s a dark cloud in the sky, all the poncho vendor carts pop up.
Glow Sticks
When night falls, the glow sticks and light sabers come out! Super fun, but not for the hiked up price. Make sure to buy a pack or two of cheap glow sticks for the nighttime firework spectacular– especially if you have littles.
These contain 100, plenty for the whole family during a week stay at the parks.
Extras:
Sunscreen
Snacks/Packed Lunch (We ALWAYS bring PB&Js from home. If you’re not a local, you could always buy sandwiches before entering the park and keeping them stored until lunchtime.)
Hand Sanitizer
Sunglasses
Hat
Most importantly, don’t forget to have FUN! By cutting out the unnecessary expenses, you’ll have plenty of $$$ to spend on the rest of your trip. Let me know in the comments if you have any other items to purchase before entering the parks!
Don’t forget to download your FREE Disney Packing checklist HERE!
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