Sundries

Image: DisneyYou’ll need certain items when you’re at Walt Disney World. You’ll want sunglasses and suntan lotion to protect yourself against the blistering Florida sun. You’ll need a rain slicker or umbrella, too. Orlando is notorious for its spontaneous thundershowers. In this day and age, you’ll also need a battery charger, too. Your phone has become integral since the inception of My Disney Experience.

You should buy these things in your hometown and then bring them to Walt Disney World. I know it packs your suitcase that much fuller, possibly causing you to check an extra bag. Here’s the reality, though. Walt Disney World has the highest mark-ups on merchandise that you’ll see this side of Las Vegas. When you buy a battery charger at the park, you’ll pay $35 or more for something you can get for less than $20 via Amazon. While sundries like suntan lotion are only a few dollars extra, that’s money you don’t want to give away, right? With a bit of planning you can avoid it.

Similarly, NEVER take your favorite pair of sunglasses to a Disney theme park. You’re just asking for heartbreak. Pull a ZZ Top and get yourself some cheap sunglasses instead. Think of them as disposables for your trip. Should they fall off during a ride through Expedition Everest, you’re not out anything. My advice is to go to Wal-Mart or a Dollar General in your area right before you pack. Grab the cheapest stuff you can find for your trip. You won’t be attached to anything you buy, but maybe you’ll fall in love with those unicorn-print sunglasses anyway.

Hotel stays

Image: DisneyDeciding where to stay during your trip is probably the most difficult choice. You have a multitude of options, but let’s start with the obvious one. Disney incentivizes guests to stay at their official resorts. They give these theme park tourists special benefits such as Extra Magic Hours. Their resorts are also closest to the parks and have free transportation to and from each Walt Disney World gate. The catch is the price. Most of these resorts cost more than third party options.

When you visit Orlando, you’ll have several other housing options. You could rent a house or condo, you could stay at a cheaper hotel, or you could rent an Airbnb. All of them are valid, but the downside is significant. I believe that the logistics of Walt Disney World virtually force guests to stay onsite. I understand that others have a differing opinion. If you want to save money by renting somewhere or staying in a third-party hotel, you’re already saving money. So, you don’t need my advice.

Image: DisneyI can help on the Disney part, though. I recommend several different strategies for saving money on hotels. The first is to find a package offer. This idea will come into play in the next two sections, too. Admittedly, some of these deals aren’t the greatest. Disney tends to price their packages in a way where you only save a bit from the cost if you purchased each item individually.

Something you may not know that you can do is book a hotel room using Disney Vacation Club (DVC) points. You could join the program, something I heartily recommend to frequent Disney visitors, or you could merely rent points for a single trip. You’ll oftentimes get to stay in some of the most luxurious resorts on the Disney campus for the cost of a moderate tier room. Warning: it’s addictive!

Alternately, you should speak with a Disney third party travel agency. These services are free to you, as the agents work on commission through Disney. Your agent will keep an eye on prices for hotel rooms, booking your room at the lowest possible cost for you. It saves you a bit of aggravation, too. Someone else worries about your hotel stay for you.