Planning A Trip To Disney World On A Budget – You are going to Walt Disney World! You’ve chosen your travel dates and made reservations, but what should you bring with you? To help you with this problem, we’ve created a downloadable packing checklist listing the things you’ll need on your trip.
The checklist includes all of these, but the rationale for the various checklist items is broken down here. A Walt Disney World vacation package involves collecting five essential items:
Planning A Trip To Disney World On A Budget
My biggest suggestion when evaluating your clothing needs is to check the Orlando weather forecast 2-3 days before your trip, especially if you’re traveling anywhere other than mid-summer. I have been to Walt Disney World in the winter with temperatures below 20 degrees (F). This means you need jeans, sweaters, jackets and gloves, not shorts and tank tops. Temperatures fluctuate more during winter trips. Wear layers that you can take on/off throughout the day.
How Many Days Do I Need For A Walt Disney World Vacation?
I’m not a fan of housework while on vacation, so I usually skip laundry on my travels, but you should know that coin-operated guest laundry rooms are available at every Walt Disney World Resort hotel. This can be useful if you have a vulnerable child or are trying to take a long journey with only hand luggage. If I’m not doing laundry on my trip, I pack at least one or two extra shirts and a change of underwear and socks for each person in my family. It’s amazing how great new clothes can make you feel after a sweaty day in the parks.
If you are checking bags and luggage is delayed or lost, keep a change of clothes. I recommend wearing clothes for the return flight. Nine hours late at Orlando International with a sick child, no stores open, no extra clothes.
Shoes are a big topic in Walt Disney World planning circles. The only shoe restrictions I know of at Walt Disney World is that you must wear shoes in the theme parks, and heels (or similar) cannot be used in their wheeled form. As I toured the parks, I saw guests wearing flip-flops, sneakers, Crocs, sandals, boots, Uggs, ballet flats, and even high heels. You should wear what you are most comfortable with. Keep in mind that you’ll be walking miles on your trip; Blisters are a common complaint in parks. This is not the time to try something new. If you’re traveling in the summer, you might want to bring a second pair of walking shoes in case Florida’s frequent rains get your feet wet. Walking with wet shoes is quite unpleasant. If I’m visiting in the summer, I’ll throw a pair of flip-flops in my day bag so I can change into sneakers during the inevitable rain.
As I mentioned in your Walt Disney World Hotel Gift Shop post: What did you forget? Given the opportunity, the Walt Disney World Resort gift shops are well stocked with all the personal care items you may have forgotten. However, the prices will be higher than what you would pay at home and you may not be able to find the exact brand you are looking for.
Here’s How Far In Advance You Need To Be Planning Your Disney World Trip!
I will give a quick shout out to my favorite website minimus.biz. Minimus is a great source for all kinds of travel-sized items, including toiletries, baby care products, snacks and toys. As always, check back on the TSA website for current carry-on regulations.
Several members of my family take prescription drugs every day. Due to weather issues, my Disney vacations were unexpectedly extended by a few days. I had packed extra medicine to cover our unplanned extra days, but barely enough. If there are any prescriptions that your family needs to take, I encourage you to take at least 3-4 days more than you think you will need. If your travels are still delayed, having copies of your prescriptions can help you make up for it. Of course, prescription drugs should never be placed in checked baggage.
If you are staying at a Walt Disney World resort, you can use the MagicBand during your trip. Most guests will have MagicBands delivered to their homes prior to travel. (If you did not receive a MagicBand in advance because you booked at the last minute or are from a location outside the US, MagicBands will be available upon check-in.) If you have MagicBands sent home, be sure to pack them. You’ll want to keep your bands in your carry-on, as you can use them at the Magical Express Welcome Station at Orlando International.
Disney Park tickets are now often linked to MagicBands, so you don’t need to have paper tickets to keep track of your hotel stay. However, if you have paper tickets, you must pay to make copies of them. On a recent trip to the parks, my daughter’s ticket fell out of her bag – lost. A cell phone photo of the ticket barcode saved disaster (and a huge replacement cost). As soon as we realized the ticket was missing, I took the photo to Guest Relations and the ticket was reissued within minutes. For easy replacement, copy or photograph the back of your ticket. As such, MagicBand users should ensure that they remember their MyDisneyExperience username and password. You can manage your MagicBand activation online or give your MagicBand serial number (listed on the MyDisneyExperience site) to a cast member and request a replacement band if you lose it. Also note that although Annual Pass tickets can be loaded onto the MagicBand, the discounts associated with owning the Annual Pass do not transfer to the band. You must have the original card (photo ID) if you want to take advantage of the discounts on purchase.
Tips For Planning A Trip To Disney World On A Budget (a Guide For Solo Travelers)
When I’m at home, my wallet contains several dozen items: grocery cards, frequent shopper cards, department store credit cards, etc. When I travel, I ditch all of that and just take the essentials: driver’s license, major credit cards, personal health insurance cards, and Disney-related membership cards (DVC, Annual Card, D-23). Fewer items are easier to carry and fewer items are easier to replace if lost or stolen. If something untoward happens, carrying photocopies of each item with you will speed recovery time.
On several recent vacations, members of my extended travel group had their credit cards stolen (not at Walt Disney, but you never know). My new top tip for any traveler is to have multiple credit cards easily accessible while on vacation in case one card gets canceled while traveling. This could mean you have two or three cards, or you have one, or your partner/partner has one, but make sure at least one remains active if you cancel the other.
I also recommend that you bring your ID and health insurance cards to the Walt Disney World theme parks. ID is required to check resort room rates over $50. Insurance cards may be necessary if you have the unfortunate situation of having to travel directly from a park to a medical care situation. (Yes, this happened to my family. Hey, you just have to visit and things happen.) There is a school of thought that suggests you can spend a day at Walt Disney World using only the room key that is coded your ticket. face I strongly do not recommend this.
You don’t need big bucks at Walt Disney World. Credit cards and room charges are accepted at almost all locations on site. Still, it’s always good to keep on hand. You may have to pay a taxi driver or tip the bellboy. If you are driving from the airport, there are several tolls along the way. Dollar bills will speed up your journey. Disney theme parks and resorts have ATMs.
The Disney Payment Plan
Between phones, iPads, iPods, cameras, and computers, my family of five travels with at least a dozen electronic gadgets. Before you leave home, make sure you have all the power cords and chargers you need. I regularly pack a power strip to make charging all of these items easy – much easier than tripping over cables in the room or worrying about dropping your phone in the sink while charging it in the bathroom. Needless to say, don’t pack electronics or their chargers in checked baggage. There is nothing more frustrating than having your flight delayed for hours and having no way to recharge your dying cell phone.
I’ve become a big fan of portable chargers for external devices. I use a Mophie case for my iPhone, but there are similar and cheaper options for other devices. While at the parks, I check the lines for ride updates, call my kids, play games while I wait, update my FastPass+ reservations, and take pictures.
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