We’ve been to the Disney World Theme Parks enough times now that we have a list of things that we always pack. We learned after our first trip what we absolutely have to bring with us in order to avoid spending extra money buying these items at the parks or taking time away from the parks to go out and purchase once we arrive.
Here is my Top 10 overlooked items to pack for your Disney Vacation…
Sunglasses/Hat – This should be pretty self-explanatory. Hats are great if you want to protect your head from getting sunburned and sunglasses are essential if you plan on visiting the parks since they don’t have a lot of shade to protect you from the harsh Florida sunlight. You’ll pay almost $20 for sunglasses in the parks, so just stop by the store before you leave for your trip and pick up a pair of sunglasses. I’ve broken a pair of sunglasses on all but one trip in the last few years, so I don’t feel bad when I break a pair since I only paid $5 for them.
Personal Fan (with mister) or Cooling Towel – If you’ve been to the parks between May-October, then you know that the temperatures can get pretty high and can make for a somewhat miserable experience (even at the ‘happiest place on earth’). You also know that you’ll end up spending more than $15 for one of the Disney misting fans. Places like Wal-Mart and Target often have the misting fans available for under $7. If you have a car and can get off resort, you can also buy them at the local Wal-Mart & Target stores in Kissimmee. Another option is a cooling towel, such as Frogg Toggs. Either one of these will help keep both yourself or your children cool when the temperatures are not.
Trading Pins – If you think there is even a chance that you or your children will trade pins, it’s essential that you buy them before you go to the parks. You will end up paying between $6 and $16 per pin once you get to the parks. Since we’re serious traders, I’m not going to advocate buying them in large lots on eBay that you end up paying $1 or less per pin, as those are almost always unauthorized or rejected Disney pins (also referred to as scrappers). Check the reviews, even the bad ones, when buying on eBay or Amazon to make sure that you’re getting authentic pins to trade. A good price is about $3/pin when buying real pins online. Also check Craigslist to see if someone is selling their collection of pins. If you’re new to pin trading, be sure to read the rules of trading and my Top 10 Best Places to Trade Pins at Disney World.
Snacks – If you’re on a tight food budget, bringing snacks is a great way to save money. And even if you’re not, it’s always a good idea to have some snacks in a bag with you in case you or your children are stuck in a ride line for a while and get hungry or if you just can’t stand to eat another Disney cupcake *gasp*.
Sunscreen – This one should be a no brainer. You’re in Florida and it’s sunny (and VERY hot in the summer), so be prepared to get a painful sunburn if you forget to apply sunblock before going to the parks. And yes, you can still get a sunburn on a cloudy day, so it’s best to be safe and apply sunscreen.
Sharpie’s – If you have little ones that love to get character autographs, be sure to bring a Sharpie. We’ve found the pens you may get with the autograph books purchased in the parks do not last long and are not the greatest quality. And based on our experience, characters just love it when you have a Sharpie, especially a big fat one that makes it easier for those in costumes to hold. Having colored Sharpies earn you extra bonus points.
Ziploc Bags – These little baggies come in handy so often when we’re in the parks. We like to pack snacks in them, store our cell phones and other electronics while on wet rides, keep our trading pins in them, etc. The list can go on.
Medicines/First Aid Kit – You never know when someone will skin their knee or have a stomach ache, so it’s best to be prepared. If you’re in the parks, you can stop by the First Aid areas, but when in your room, it’s great to have something on hand. You’ll end up spending a lot of money to buy these necessities from the resort otherwise.
Disney Themed Items for Kids – Merchandise can be pricey at Disney World, that’s no secret. If you bring cheaper Disney items that you purchase before you leave home with you, then you’ll save yourself a lot of money and your kids will not know the difference. Some items to bring include: Glow sticks, Disney coloring books, Disney character stuffed animals, a Princess Costume (you’ll pay a fortune for them in the parks). You can find a lot of these items in the dollar section of Target or Dollar Tree, minus the princess costume of course. Give your kids an item each day as a gift – they’ll love it even if you didn’t pay 5x as much for it in the parks!
Hand Sanitizer and Baby Wipes – You’re in a theme park with A LOT of people, so there will be germs everywhere! Hand Sanitizer is essential, especially if you have kids. An even better thing to have with you are baby wipes (yes, even if you’re going on an adult-only trip). It allows you to clean your hands before eating a meal or after eating a Mickey Ice Cream Bar, because you will get chocolate on you.
Of course, always pack extra changes of clothes, comfortable shoes, toiletries; you know, the usual. What are some items that you think are essential to pack and bring with you to parks that may not be so obvious to those planning their first trip.
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That’s a good idea for popcorn! We only buy a bucket once every few trips at most and I usually end up eating it all, so no leftovers 🙂
I’m glad that you were able to find some that were real and sold in lots, but we’ve NEVER found any that were under $1 that were real and we’ve purchased at least 3000 pins in those lots – before we knew of course how to tell if they were real or fake and before we actually cared if we had real pins or not. And yes, some even had “LE” pins, but when you do your research, you quickly learn that they too are scrappers. There are lists out there that are updated that also note which ebay sellers have fake ones. Nearly every pin made will still have the pin trading logo on the back, but you can more often that not tell the ones that are fake by the front of the pin in comparison to one that is real since the colors are usually wrong on the fake pin. If the post says ‘tradeable’ and not ‘authentic’ or something like that, then they’re fakes – another tell-tell sign since every pin is tradeable as long as it has the Disney copyright on the back. Our pin collection is worth more than one or both of our cars lol, so we take great pride in having real pins now and like to educate others on how to tell if they’re fake and why it’s a bad idea to buy from those who sell in big lots. If you have any questions or want to know where the list is of ebay sellers, let me know and I’ll pass that on to you.
It’s Florida. It could rain at any time. When a cold front comes through, it generally rains and this could happen all year round. You repeated my first sentence in your last one. It is second nature for me to bring my sunglasses anywhere I go and I always pack a first aid kit so those do not apply for me. This is the first time I have heard anyone say that CM’s won’t exchange ponchos. The ones in the parks are cute but not all that sturdy and will tear or rip. I am just trying to help those who are planning a trip and may be unfamiliar with the weather in Florida. It does not take up much room at all in the suit case and not everyone has $10 in their budget to buy a poncho for all those who may need one while in the parks.
we’ve bought trading pins on eBay several times, and they’ve always been official–most of the more reputable dealers will give a photo of the pinbacks so you can see that they’re official. If they don’t say so, don’t assume, but we’ve purchased from a couple of dealers and easily been able to buy official trading pins (including some very special edition and CM-only pins in the lots!) for less than $1 per pin, usually closer to $0.50 per pin.
I always bring Ziplocs to the parks. I use them for food I don’t finish or at the end of the day when I buy popcorn I dump the whole thing in a large Ziploc bag. That way I don’t lose any on the way to the bus and I can eat it when I get back to the room.
We’ve traded in our ponchos before that were a year old, but not every CM is willing to let you exchange it. We got some weird looks from the CM when we asked to trade it in after ripping it back in April. I didn’t add it to the list since it’s not something that you need to pack throughout the year and is really only needed in the warmer months when it rains every single day (i.e. probably not going to need in in February…). And if you don’t already have a decent one, then it’s good to wait until you get to the parks to buy one since they are pretty sturdy instead of buying one of those thin $1 ponchos before you leave for your trip. That being said, we always pack ours just in case, but it’s just second nature and not something that we typically overlook.
A poncho is a must-have just in case. I live in Florida and believe me, no matter what the forecast says, you never know when you might get a rain shower. Also, if you already own one that you purchased in the parks and it’s torn, you can exchange it for a new one anywhere they are sold (I’ve heard about guests who have traded in ones that were years old, even). 🙂
We don’t like carrying around extra items, so we just get a free cup of water from a counter service restaurant or kiosk. No need to drink fountain water at all. You never should pay for water at WDW….it’s free as long as you’re not someone who absolutely has to drink Dasani water.
Britta Water bottles. We bought two for $18 and they were the MOST used things on our trip earlier this month. I HATE paying for water and fountain water always taste funny to me. These things were awesome. I bought a few “D” clips and used them to hang the bottles from my small park bag. I’ll never go on another vacation without them.