Disney4me Posted yesterday at 02:30 PM Report Share Posted yesterday at 02:30 PM Disney World is expensive enough without WASTING your money — and we’re about to save you SO MUCH CASH! Main Street, U.S.A. There’s a lot you need to juggle while planning your Disney World vacation: Reservations, itineraries, packing… But ain’t nobody got time to throw buyers’ regret into the mix too! Today, we’re talking about ALL the purchases that you could potentially make during your Disney World trip… that you might find are money better unspent. Over-The-Counter Meds Picture this: Your group convinces you to go on Mission: SPACE. How? Dunno. They must be super convincing. You decide to ride the Orange Mission — You brave, brave soul you. And when you step off the ride? You’re in headache central. Or…uh…tummy ache central, to put it lightly! Mission Space Over-the-counter medications like Tylenol or Tums are offered in the gift shops around the Disney World Resort property — but they’re a lot pricier than buying them outside of the parks. As in DOUBLE the amount you’d normally spend at a regular drug store back home. Medicine at Port Orleans You can save money (and your poor head) by stocking up on these drugstore items ahead of your trip. Some items from the hotel gift shop However — if you’re REALLY in desperate need of some queasiness relief while you’re inside the parks, you can swing by one of the First Aid Centers at ANY of the parks — where a licensed nurse will be able to provide you with a single-serve dose of whatever over-the-counter meds you might need… for absolutely free! Magic Kingdom First Aid Center This can help hold you over until you’ve got time to pick up a bigger bottle for a more affordable price at one of the big box stores outside of the Disney bubble. Souvenirs You Can Get Cheaper…Elsewhere Have you been eyeing a particular Loungefly bag in the World of Disney gift shop? Or is there a certain pair of ears calling your name? Or do you just HAVE to HAVE those Mickey glove corn-on-the-cob holders for the next time you host a backyard barbecue? No matter HOW much you wanna purchase these cutesy souvenirs while you’re in Disney World…don’t buy them JUST YET. ©Amazon Many times over, we’ve been able to find the EXACT SAME Disney park souvenirs on the Disney Store website. You don’t even technically have to GO to the parks to pick ‘em up — you can just have them sent directly to your house! ©Disney But does THAT mean these souvenirs are REALLY gonna be that much more affordable? For the most part…absolutely! The Disney Store often has sales and discount opportunities featured on its website. Even BEYOND ShopDisney, we’ve also seen discounts for select Disney parks merch pop up on the Amazon website for way cheaper, too! Disney Springs So before you commit to paying full price for a Disney Parks souvenir, pull out your phone and do a quick once-over on these websites first to make sure you can’t find them cheaper… elsewhere. Food You’re Not Going To Eat Time to talk about the love-em-or-hate-em prix fixe menus, y’all. Prix fixe menus — in basic terms — are usually made of a multi-course meal (traditionally an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert) sold at one set price. While you can typically choose between a variety of options in each course when ordering off a prix-fixe menu, you’re not going to be able to choose how much (or how little) you pay. Adults have a set price, kids have a set price — and that’s that. Tutto Italia Prix-Fixe Menu options Prix fixe menus are becoming more commonplace around the parks — and can be found over at several popular Disney World restaurants like Space 220, California Grill, Be Our Guest Restaurant, and Cinderella’s Royal Table — just to name a few. Be Our Guest Prix fixe menus can be a good thing for some. For starters, these menus can take some of the stress out of picking a dish. No matter what you choose, you’re paying the exact same price anyway — so you might as well get what you want instead of worrying about something costing more or less than other menu items. Space 220 But, prix fixe menus can also be a MAJOR pain and a major money suck, too. If you eat a plant-based diet, you’re often ordering some of the cheapest items on these menus, simply because meat tends to be more expensive than veggies. If you go to a prix fixe meal, everyone is paying the EXACT same price — whether you order the filet mignon or the veggie stir fry — so those who are ordering plant-based items only are likely paying the same price for meals that would cost much-much less if they were ordering them a la carte instead. California Grill Prix Fixe meals also tend to have more “creative” menus than regular restaurants do. So even if you DO eat meat, but you’re just a pickier eater and tend to be satisfied with a simple chicken tender basket or mac and cheese cup, then it might be harder for you to find something that you want to eat on these menus to make it worth what you’re spending. More than likely, a quick service at ANY of the parks or resorts would more than suffice for ya at a WAY cheaper price point — since you’ve got several fast food options pretty much EVERYWHERE. Cinderella’s Royal Table Now, if you love eating BIG meals whenever you book a table service, then a prix fixe restaurant will hook you UP. But if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t even finish their entree — or you’re someone who likes to order an appetizer as your full meal — this is another case of “not getting your money’s worth” out of the full prix fixe dining experience. Be Our Guest Honestly, eating at resort lounges can provide you with quality lounge bites (and FULL drink menus) without forcing you to pay for more than you want to eat. And some restaurants — like Yak n Yeti at Animal Kingdom — even have shareable portions on the menus! So you can order just one or two things that’ll satisfy multiple people in your group without having to pay for a full entree for each person. Souvenir Plastic Let’s throw popcorn buckets and refillable mugs under the bus for a minute. Yes, collectible popcorn buckets and cups are cute. And yes, you really CAN get your money’s worth out of them… if you use them to their full potential. But they can also be a nuisance. How cute! You know those GINORMOUS popcorn buckets — like the one shaped like the Millennium Falcon? As cute as those may be, they also require you to carry them with you. All day long. And, to get the FULL use out of the whole “popcorn refill” benefit, you’ll have to lug these bad boys around during your ENTIRE trip. And that’s on TOP of the backpack or purse or diaper bag that you might already be carrying on your shoulder. Millennium Falcon Popcorn Bucket These popcorn buckets also make your savory snacking feel pretty limited. Sure, you could pick up something from one of the EPCOT festival booths for a more UNIQUE snack option…but why do THAT when you can get ANOTHER cheap refill of popcorn to get your money’s worth out of that bucket purchase? Without meaning to, you might get boxed into the same old popcorn snack at every single park, just because you feel guilty about spending MORE on a different snack elsewhere. Santa Sulley! AND if you purchase your popcorn bucket too late into your trip, then you’re really NOT getting your full use out of it. As far as refillable mugs go, they tend to have the same sort of downfall and then some. Resort Refillable Mug With a popcorn bucket, you can at LEAST get popcorn refills all around the parks. But with the refillable mugs, you can ONLY get your free refills at the quick service restaurants INSIDE the Disney-owned resorts. So to really get your money’s worth out of these, you’re going to have to make the effort to hit up those resort quick services as often as possible during your trip and fill ‘er up on fountain sodas, teas, and coffee. Refillable Resort Mug Display If you’re not even staying at a Disney resort… then the refillable mugs ain’t gonna be worth it. Just remember that these refillable plastic items could be more of a hassle — and less of a benefit — during your vacation, depending on your circumstances. GIANT Merch Oversized plushies, humongous Cinderella Castle playsets, big and (very) breakable snow globes that play a music box version of your favorite Disney tune. These souvenirs are great…until you realize you can’t get them sent back to your resort, forcing you to carry them around all day long. Angel While you can still typically pay for items to be shipped from the Disney World gift shops to your home, the days of having those purchases sent over to your hotel room — so you don’t have to carry them all the way over there yourself — are still a thing of the past. We’re hoping that this resort perk does return to the hotels someday, but — for now — if you want to purchase something big and bulky from one of the gift shops, consider waiting until the end of the day to buy them instead. Disney Princess Cinderella carriage Play set You might also want to rent a locker up toward the front of the park if you’re worried that your giant-sized souvenir might sell out if you wait too long to purchase it. That way, you don’t have to carry your merch around with you all day long, but you also don’t have to backtrack all the way to your hotel room — and sacrifice that precious vacation time that you COULD be spending inside the parks — just to drop off an item. The Infamous Package Deal Okay… so we’ve actually got QUITE the extensive list of Disney World purchases that we love to hate on… But instead of talking AT you about them, we’re just gonna hit you with a super-speedy run down of 4 purchases we REALLY wish we had never bought during past Disney trips. Ready? Let’s DO this. Bubble Wands Kids might love these, but parents might not. Not only are they WAY too overpriced in the parks (when you could get them at your local big box store for way cheaper), but if that bubble liquid leaks out of the wand and all over your suitcase, you’re not gonna be a happy camper. Ariel Bubble wand in Magic Kingdom If you do buy a bubble wand, remember to dump the bubble juice (or put it in a reusable container) before packing it with the rest of your stuff. Balloons Iconic? Sure. But paying $15+ for something that’s going to deflate eventually is kinda sad. Disney World Balloons Tying a Disney balloon to your stroller DOES make it easier to find in a sea of other strollers, so if you’re gonna purchase one, make it as useful as possible! Ponchos Ponchos at the drugstore? $1-$5. Ponchos at Disney? $12+. Meaning a family of four could end up paying around $50 JUST for ponchos alone. Tower of Terror So pick up ponchos ahead of your trip instead of dropping a whole bunch of extra cash on something you’ll more than likely throw out before heading home. Blind Boxes Whether it be for little collectible plushies or pins, or something else entirely, blind boxes can end up being the bane of your trip. Sure, it’s possible that you’ll get the one item you really wanted, but — more often than not — you’ll be underwhelmed by what’s inside. (And your kids might even beg you for ANOTHER blind box, just so they can try their luck again!) Endor Blind Box If your children (or even if you) wanna try for a blind box, set a limit to how many you purchase (ie: 2 per person) ahead of time so you don’t blow ALL your souvenir funds on random mystery items. Yellow Munchling Box Hopefully ,this helped ya figure out how to stretch your dollar even more during your Disney World vacation! Stay tuned right here at DFB for all the latest Disney World news, tips, reviews, and more! Disney Adults Are DIVIDED Over This Money-Saving HACK Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW What are some Disney World souvenirs you regret buying? Let us know in the comments!The post Former Disney Cast Member Reveals the WORST Things You'll Buy in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.View the full article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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