Disney vacations are magical, wonderful, memorable... and cheap? No, you've never heard anyone say that I'm sure. To be honest, trips to Disney are expensive. You can save money here and there, but as a whole, it does cost a bit more than an average family vacation. Totally worth it I believe!
But since the upfront cost of the vacation is a bit higher than other places, it's always wise to look for areas in which you can save money. I've blogged about saving money before, but in this case I want to specifically talk about items you're better off buying before seeing the "Welcome to Disney" sign, both for cost and convenience.
Ponchos - you may think of California or Florida as always sunny and warm but it does rain. In Florida, we usually get rained on often. When the rain starts is not the time to go searching for a poncho. Besides the ridiculous costs of them at the parks, you don't have them right with you. I go to the dollar store and buy one per person per day and throw one for each of us in our backpack each morning. They're lightweight so it's not a pain to carry them around. And they're cheap enough to be considered a "one-time-use" item so I don't try to fold them up and carry them after it's rained. We just toss them in the trash and go.
Sunscreen - along the same lines as ponchos, the cost of sunscreen is crazy. Besides, I like to put it on before we even leave the room in the morning so that we're set for a while. And if you have anyone in your group that is sensitive to some ingredients, it's nice to have your own brand that you know works for them.
Water Bottles and Flavor Packets - I always carry a water bottle for each family member to save us time as well as money. No waiting in a line for drinks - we can just grab the water from the backpack at any time. (I bring a sharpie with us to put our initials on the bottles - you might want to do this if you don't relish the thought of sharing your germs.) The flavor packets come in super handy for kids who may not like the way the water tastes - I don't think it's bad but it may not be what you're used to. I also have a Diet Coke addiction so need my caffeine fix fairly often. Did you know they make flavor packets with caffeine? You're welcome. Just don't mix yours up with the kids' packets!
Hand Sanitizer - We have a certain germaphobe in our family that won't touch anything that anyone else may have touched. He doesn't hold the bar on the bus, won't touch handrails... But at an amusement park, sometimes you do have to pull down on a safety bar or just hang on! Disney does a good job of providing hand sanitizer throughout the parks but it's just more convenient to carry a little bottle of it in your bag.
Medications and First Aid - Disney also has first aid stations but pretty much just one per park. If you have a blister, the last thing you want to do is walk back a mile from where you are to get a band-aid. Carry a few in your bag along with over-the-counter pain medication and you'll save yourself from buying them at sky-high prices in the closest gift shop that is within limping range.
Souvenirs/Disney Merch - While you are going to want to make a purchase of a few Disney souvenirs, you can make your kids happy by sneaking in a few you buy ahead of time. Just hide them in your suitcase and once they go to sleep at night, put them out and say Mickey left them. Won't stop every meltdown but if you tell them there might be a prize that next morning, it might curb some of the greedy gimmies. One thing I never miss out on, though is the Disney candy from Goofy's Candy Co. Goofy makes the best licorice of all time!
If you're going to Disney, you'd make me the happiest travel agent of all time if you pick me up a bag of this. Can't get it elsewhere. Do yourself a favor and get one for you too!! :)
Want to plan a trip to Disney to get me some licorice? Call me and I'll give you a free quote!!