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8. Groceries

Adorable girl eating candy sushi with chef hat

Image: Disney

We’ve talked about how buying some basic groceries can save you a huge amount of money on a Walt Disney World vacation. Eating breakfast in your room, bringing your own water bottles or filter bottle, and carrying some basic snacks can save you big.

However, if you don’t have a plan for how to get those groceries, your brilliant scheme to save could quickly fall apart. Don’t just immediately trust the resort gift shop or grocery delivery services. You’ll end up spending a little extra on both of these options. If you will be driving a rental car or personal vehicle, you can stop at a grocery store on the way in. Along with normal mainstays like Walmart and Trader Joes, Central Florida’s two major grocery stores are Winn Dixie and Publix. The latter are excellent stores with costs similar to Safeway, Albertsons, or King Soopers (depending on where you live). If you don’t have a vehicle, you will need to plan for the cost of an Uber or Lyft ride.

The easiest way to avoid this? Buy what groceries you can in your hometown and bring them with you in a suitcase or carry-on bag. Either way, it is still wise to budget for your WDW groceries.

9. Pet care

A pretty, pretty princess dog with flowers on its head

Image: Alinne Santos, Flickr (license)

If you don’t have a friend or loved one watching your furry, feathered, or scaled family members, you may be in for a surprise budget item if you didn’t account for pet care costs for your vacation. I recommend always budgeting as if you are going to have to board your animals somewhere for a fee, just in case your caretaker has an emergency. With the exception of some special dog friendly rooms at a few of the resorts (which require a special fee), you are not allowed to bring pets to Walt Disney World.

If you are local to Florida, Walt Disney World has an excellent pet resort called the Best Friends Pet Care center. Costs for boarding vary, but we have always found them to be reasonable. Our bird usually doesn’t want to leave when we bring him! I would not recommend bringing pets with you to Walt Disney World on an airplane when you won’t be able to spend much time with them—most airlines charge extra fees for pets if they allow them and require a recent veterinarian visit.  Do some research on options for boarding in your area and budget as if you will have to board your pet, just in case your usual caretaker has an emergency.

10. A buffer

Gaston with kid

Image: Disney

It is always better to plan a budget with breathing room. This is a common practice used in the film industry—always pad your budget. You can’t take into account every unforeseen situation or cost which will pop up. You could call this the “Mickey’s Law” budget line or just pad all the other areas of your budget to give you some free space. Give yourself a buffer for error on any vacation spending plan. It’s well worth the peace of mind knowing you don’t have to plan for everything. If an unforeseen cost pops up, you have the breathing room necessary to take care of it and proceed with your magical vacation.

What other hidden costs have you run into on Walt Disney World vacations?

 
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