Planning a Disney vacation is exciting and nervewracking. It’s easy to get a bit overwhelmed with the hundreds of hours of YouTube reviews, TikToks and blog posts to catch up to make sure you’re “in the know” and ready for your trip.
One of the easiest things to do first is to make sure you are prepared with the right items for your trip. Packing the necessary items ahead of time can save you money and ensure you don’t forget anything important. From extra snacks to sunscreen, there are some items that are essential for a successful and enjoyable Disney vacation. With the right preparation, you can make sure that you’re ready for the adventure and maximize the fun of your trip.
This post is all about essential items to buy before your Disney trip to save money.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links. No extra cost is added to the item. Commissions come from a portion of the sale.
With so much to consider it can be difficult to know where to start. Let me make it easy for you, start with your dates, tickets, park reservations, hotel, and travel.
Let me break that down with a bit more context.
What to book first for Your Disney Vacation
All of these items will need to be purchased or reserved before you head out on your Disney trip.
Pick Your Travel Dates
Review your calendar and if you have kids, check school dates to be sure no big games or school tests are happening during your vacation. Next, check the Disney calendar or do some Google research to see if there are any events happening at the Disney Park you’re visiting that may cause early closures like: private parties, runDisney weekends, holiday parties, etc.
Disney likes to plan a ton of separately ticketed events during the year that can cause Park closures as early as 6 PM. Unless you’re purchasing a separate ticket for these events (separate from the regular day admission) you will not be able to stay in the Park when the event starts – even though you have already paid for a full day.
Please check calendars before booking so you aren’t disappointed with early park closures during your big trip.
Book Your Park Tickets
You must purchase your theme park tickets before arriving at Disneyland or Disney World. You must also purchase your tickets for the correct park – they are non-transferable.
Disneyland is in Anaheim, California and Disney World is in Orlando, Florida. They each have their own separate website to book through. Double check you are booking at the correct location.
Book Your Ticket Reservations
Disney has made things especially confusing with their reservation system. You must make a separate ticket reservation for a specific park BEFORE arriving.
This means that even though you purchased a ticket to be used on a specific date, it will not be accepted if you did not also make a separate reservation for that date.
Once you purchase your ticket (or group of tickets), you must then reserve your date.
Please check the Disney ticket calendar to make sure they have enough reservations for that specific day before you purchase your ticket.
It’s a lot to do to simply go to Disneyland, I know.
Book Your Hotel
Once you’ve secured your dates, tickets, and theme park reservations, you can book hotel accommodations.
I created an in-depth blog post all about the key items to research to pick the right hotel for you and your family. You can find it here.
You’re going to want to determine your budget and then research hotels from there. I highly suggest checking out hotel tours and room tours on YouTube and TikTok once you’ve narrowed down a few locations.
Related Post: 3 Things to Consider While Finding a Hotel For Disneyland
Book Your Travel
You may be driving or flying but either way you will need to get organized. How long is the drive? Will there be set rest stops? Will you need to stay the night on the way?
For flights – what time does it take off and arrive? How will you get to the hotel – rental car, bus, or ride share?
Depending on what Park you attend there will be different transportation options around the area. Disney World is much bigger (39 sq miles) so they offer Disney shuttles for free, they also offer boat rides too. You can always drive your own car or ride share.
Disneyland in California does have a free shuttle but it only leaves from the Toy Story parking lot. Off-property hotels use the ART Bus to transport people to the parks. This bus is not free for hotel guests. Passengers will have to pay per person/per day to use the ART Bus.
Now, let’s dive into what you should buy ahead of time for your Disney trip.
The most popular items to buy ahead are some of the more overpriced items you’ll find on Disney property. Buying ahead and packing these items for your trip can save you a ton of money on your Disney trip.
Dining Reservations
Once the logistics are taken care of you can start on the fun items like booking dining reservations. Disney dining reservations can be made up to 60 days in advance. And trust me, they get booked that far in advance. Please be sure to do your research on menu items for each restaurant you choose to dine at before booking a reservation.
Dining reservations can be difficult to make, especially at premier locations like character dining or hotel restaurants. You don’t need to secure a dining reservation for every meal of your tip but having a few good meals as anchor points for your day helps to structure your trip.
Remember, you can only make reservations at restaurants for the parks you are attending on that date. You must have a valid entry ticket for that park or you cannot enter to go to the restaurant. Restaurants at hotels are different, you don’t need to be staying at that hotel to dine at the restaurants.
Save money on your Disney vacation with these must-pack items
Prepare for the Elements
- Sunglasses
- Hats
- Ponchos
- Fans
- Cooling Towels
- Sunscreen
You can very easily overheat at Disneyland or Disney World. Both parks can reach temperatures in the 100s. If you’re planning to visit the Parks during a warmer season, plan ahead and pack the appropriate gear. Sunglasses and a hat are helpful for most days at the Parks and are always recommended. On warmer days, pack a small portable fan and cooling towels in addition to your hat and sunglasses. Disney sells all of these items but at a hefty price.
Ponchos are also wildly overpriced at Disneyland and Disney World. If you’re visiting Disney World, you will most likely experience rain – so a poncho is great to have in your bag or a light rain jacket – hats also help with rain. At Disneyland, you can expect rain usually in the fall to mid-January.
Water Bottles
Skip the single-use water bottle at the Parks and pack your own reusable water bottle. Insulated water bottles are best, especially in warmer weather. I’ve also tried the Brita water bottles with a filter and loved them.
Pack a water bottle that will be in your backpack or can clip onto your bag. You can find great sling bags or crossbody that fit water bottles if you don’t want to carry a backpack. Carabiners are nice to use too to attach to any bag or even a stroller.
Souvenirs
Buy and pack your souvenirs ahead of time and surprise your family with them when you arrive or spread them out throughout the trip. Either way, your kids won’t know the item is from Target and not Disneyland.
Some great souvenirs to buy before your Disney trip are:
- Bubble Wands
- Glow Sticks – Light up Items
- Disney Pins
- Minnie or Mickey Ears
- Family shirts – matching shirts or new outfits
- Autograph book
A lot of the stores like Walmart and Target near Disney Parks will carry great Disney merchandise. You can also buy some fun ears from small shops on Etsy or make your own.
Souvenirs can add up fast and eat into your budget pretty quickly, especially during the holiday season. Check out how much your favorite Disney souvenirs are at the parks in this full post all about it.
Snacks
My personal favorite item to buy/pack ahead for Disneyland is snacks. Packing your own snacks is a must. They are great for breakfast in the room, late-night snacks, waiting in long lines. Snacking is very easy to do at a Disney Park.
Some great snacks to pack for your Disney vacation are:
- Individual cereal for an easy in-room breakfast
- Trail mix
- Sandwiches – I personally like Pb&J since you don’t need to refrigerate (uncrustables)
- Instant Ramen or Cup o Noodles for the room. Just add hot water. You can even enjoy these in the parks buy asking for hot water.
- Cheese and crackers
- Chips
- Fresh or dried fruit
Zip Lock bags
This item may seem random but trust me its not. Ziplock bags or reusable and sealable bags are perfect for Disney trips. Add snacks to pack in your bag, store your phone in a ziplock bag on a water ride, save any leftovers or smaller snacks from the park in the bag for later – the list goes on. If we grab too many napkins, we save them and add them to the bag, if we have trash while we’re waiting in line we cant store it in a bag – small reusable bags help with everything. Have a couple handy for your park bag and even in your room to store swimsuits if you need to pack them while they’re still damp.
Disney Gift Cards
Budget each day using a Disney gift card or use them to help with budgeting for souvenirs. Disney gift cards are easy to load and your kids can keep them with them on a lanyard if they’re old enough or load onto their Disney account to use with their magic band. There are also some great money-saving hacks for purchasing gift cards using your Target Credit Card. I personally haven’t done this but you can find a ton of information about it online.
Disney gift cards can be used at your Disney resort hotel, at restaurants and in the shops. Some locations may not have gift card readers, so if it’s a small location like a food cart – double check they accept Disney gift cards before ordering.
Portable Phone Chargers
Always have an external phone charger with you. It’s surprising how quickly your phone will drain at the Parks. Purchase an external phone charger ahead of time to keep with you in your bag. Outlets are tough to come buy at Disney Parks, so don’t rely on your regular power cord to charge your phone.
Hand Wipes/ Sanitizer
There are a lot of surfaces at Disneyland and Disney World. Lots of tables, chairs, railings and lap bars on rides. Keep hand wipes or sanitizer with you to use after rides or to wipe down tables. Disney has been doing a great job of providing sanitizer stations throughout the Parks and wiping down tables but having your own is always more convenient.
Regular baby wipes are good to have on hand too to use for sticky fingers or spilled items. This has happened to us a few times in line with melting ice cream or spilling a drink and baby wipes saved the day.
First Aid Kits
Blisters can happen quickly while walking around at Disneyland and there will be A LOT of walking. Pack a few bandaids to help with shoes rubbing or even moleskins. Pack a pain reliever too to take towards the end of the day or before bed to avoid any aches and pains.
Tracking – safety – Identification
This one is more for families. If you have small kids that love to run around a lot then taking some extra precautions might be helpful. For the most part, Disney Parks are a very safe place, there are a lot of cast members around and security but it’s still a public place with people you don’t know.
Have your kids wear an ID bracelet or even attach an Airtag to their shoes for added peace of mind. It’s easy to get lost in the heavy crowds and if the kids aren’t old enough to know to find a Cast Member to ask for help then having something on them to find them is very helpful.
Airtags are also helpful to attach to your stroller to help you find it after watching a show or exiting a ride. There was also this crazy story of people taking expensive strollers from Disney World and reselling them. So an Airtag can also help with tracking it down if you think it’s gone missing. Once again, being prepared is always good.
I hope this post was able to help you prepare for your upcoming Disney vacation. There are a lot of pieces that go into planning a trip to Disneyland or Disney World, so I hope this offered a bit of guidance for you. Let me know what you think is the best pack-ahead item for Disney Parks and if I missed any on my list.
Have a wonderful trip!
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