Items you pack that save you money

[Belster]

My question is...are there any items that you pack for Disney World that save you money while you are there?

My number one thing is medicine....if you ever need it you would pay a bundle for it there. What are your money saving items?

[NJGIRL]

Because most airlines charge for baggage now I pack as little as possible. With the exception of prescription medication, I only bring advil, anything else can be purchased at Walgreen's in Fl for about the same cost at home. Years ago I brought everything but the kitchen sink, not only did we get tried of carting so much stuff, we found that 80% of what we were bringing never made it out of the suitcase. I made myself stop the "we might need it" mind set and I think it has made everyone happier.

Our vacations are 10 days long and consist of 4 people. I have one semi large (not huge)and 1 medium suit case for all of our cloths and bathroom products. We have one small carry on for snacks on the plane, cell phones, a camera, ipods and DS's. I don't even bring a purse anymore.


I do have Garden Grocer deliver water, soda, a few snacks, bagels & cream cheese. This is more of a time saving thing, because it really doesn't save any money.

BTW we will be arriving Sept 29 and leaving Oct 9th this year so we will be there the same time as you!

[buzznwoodysmom]

Since we drive I can bring pretty much anything want. I tend to have a "medicine cabinet" packed on all our trips. We also bring drinks and snacks for the room, as well as breakfast items. We find having breakfast in the room while getting ready not only saves money, but more importantly saves tons of time. We also throw a few snacks in a back pack for the parks. Not that we mind paying for snacks in the parks, but sometimes its just easier to grab something we already have, plus my kids can have their favorites at any time.

[CanadianWDWFan]

Since we drive I can bring pretty much anything want. I tend to have a "medicine cabinet" packed on all our trips. We also bring drinks and snacks for the room, as well as breakfast items. We find having breakfast in the room while getting ready not only saves money, but more importantly saves tons of time. We also throw a few snacks in a back pack for the parks. Not that we mind paying for snacks in the parks, but sometimes its just easier to grab something we already have, plus my kids can have their favorites at any time.
:ditto:
We find that by having breakfast in our room sure does save us a ton of both time and money. Now that the mods have fridges, cold drinks are always an hand as well.

[sara114]

Purex washing detergent sheets. The kind that have the fabric softener in them also. I pick up a sample size at Walmart for 97 cents. It has 2 sheets in the package. This saves about $3 on just detergent and fabric softener per load. the detergent at the resorts are $2 a box

[luvdiznee]

I try to not go with the idea that we might not need it, because as I learned on our last trip, we did need it.

This actually was a Cruise we took to the Bahamas last week. Me and DD did a horse and carriage ride and she got an allergic reaction from the horse. She had her asthma inhaler of course, thank goodness. But we then had to get back to the ship to get her some allergy medicine, because her eyes were at that red teary itchy stage. I realize thats a cruise ship and things may be different, but we were also in Disney for a few days before the cruise and I was hoping to buy her some sudafed because of some nasal issues. But could find none.

Anyway, I just picked up a $.97 bottle of 20 oz Wisk for our next trip.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

All kinds of things:

1. Cereal bars, pop tarts, juice, fruit etc. for breakfast in the room
2. Ibuprofen, imodium, benadryl just in case we don't feel well
3. bandaids in case we get a blister
4. Can sodas-its lots cheaper than vending machines
5. Batteries for my camera
6. A case of bottled water-we take one into the park every day and refill it at the water fountains

[princessjojo]

There are two things that I've found that if I pack saves me a lot of money. The first is quick and easy breakfast foods/snack foods. My kids were brought up on instant oatmeal and love it to this day. Between this and pop tarts we can get from bed to lunch without being too hungry. I also try to pack some snack bars or microwave popcorn for a snack during the evenings

I also bring along the Purex laundry sheets. They're easy to pack and between them and the washer/dryer in the villas, we can get away with packing less, thus avoiding extra baggage charges should we have to fly other than SWA. We can also leave space in our luggage on the way there that gives us space for those things we purchase during our trips. At $25 per bag/person (4)/direction (to & from) this saves us about $200 alone.

Personally, I learned to take cheap sunglasses because I always break or misplace mine on rides. I can't afford to loose my "good" glasses every trip as that can get really expensive, too.

[DizneyRox]

My mantra is you pack it, you carry it.

That has cut down on what we bring, plus I tend to edit what other people pack anyway. This can save on airline fees, BOTH WAYS unless you're flying Southwest. Also, anything heavy or expensive goes in the carry-ons. This too saves on airline fees.

Time and convenience are money. Anything in the IF column goes through a price check. IF I might need it, what would it cost to get it. If the price isn't that bad, then it stays home. Also, if something doesn't get used for a trip or two, it goes in the DO NOT BRING column.

On a cruise though, all bets are off. They got us one time for $12 I think it was for a small bottle of Aloe. Hundreds of miles out at sea, they really got you! WDW? Civilization isn't that far away from the gates.

[CanadianWDWFan]

Something else that I have always gone with is to pack half the clothes you want and take twice the money you think you need.:D

Seriously though, just about every time there is always something that was never worn while on vacation. So in recent trips we have dratically cut back on the amount of clothing that we take and always do a laundry at least once.

[Dream'nDisney]

I use to pack full bottles, etc. of medicine. Now I take one small ziplok baggy with a few bandades, a small bottle of Advil; small bottle if Exedrine, one "sheet" of allergy pills, Imodium, etc. Just putting a portion of the medicine we might need as opposed to the whole container really saves room and money if we would have to buy it there.

We also pack plastic utensils, bowls, cups, plates, etc. and snacks.

Also, we use gardengrocer to bring us a case of water, gatoraid, gallon of milk, juice, cereal, beer, etc. That is the biggest saver for us!

[HoosierDisneyFan]

As a couple of previous posters have said, we bring breakfast foods with us (mainly cereals & raisins). We buy milks and bananas / apples at the resort. This saves time & money. We generally look to eat an early lunch and early dinner to beat the crowds.

We also bring extra hangers to hang up all of our clothes.

Finally I bring ziplock baggies for use when we are on water rides (or for rainy days).

[alaMode]

We don't do the ddp, so I ship a case of water to myself via Costco.com ($7) and bring along those individual servings of powdered drink mixes, in case someone wants more "flavor". I also bring my own ground coffee in a ziploc bag b/c I don't care for the WDW coffee.

I bring a travel amount of every type of OTC medicine we may need.

I think this trip I'll also bring breakfast bars to get us past through the early mornings w/o having to hit the cs at the resort-that will save time & money!

If possible, ds continues the same autograph book from trip to trip, and he uses the same xtra chubby markers.

We also bring 1-2 of the few light-up souvenirs we've bought over the years before we realized we should just recycle them each trip. Ds always wants one, but doesn't play with them at home. I put them away when we return home & I break them out again after we've arrived at the parks!

[PETE FROM NYC]

DW and I joined DVC a couple years back, and we book a 1 BR, with a full kitchen, and laundry room. We drive from NY so we pack whatever we want.
DW and I are both handicapped, and use ECVs for getting around. With the ECVs, we carry two one gallon jugs, one with ice water, the other with a drink. We also carry a small cooler bag with sandwiches and snacks. We have our breakfast in the room which saves both time and money. By doing this, we can afford to splurge on supper if we want. You can save a small fortune by purchasing your souveniers off property, the same merchandise for a lot less. If you are a member of AAA, you can get your park admission tickets at a discount.
If you have small children, bring your own stroller, renting at the park ain't cheap. Besides, a stroller can also be used as a pack mule.

[catkrazy]

Case of water is a necessity!

[Disney-4-Me]

I've really cut down on the stuff I bring. After a couple of years of having gaggles of snack crumbs in the bottom of my backpack at the end of the trip, I realized I was wasting money. The only thing I bring extra now is a pack of cereal bars for emergencies.

I always carry a little emergency medical kit in my backpack anyway.

Like everyone else, the fact that we have to pay so much for baggage on the airplane has caused us to cut back.

[magicalmom]

Water bottles with filters.

[kemps@wdw]

All the items you pack save you money. We pack it all. Medicine, breakfast foods, snacks, paper plates, towels, utensils, drinks, adult beverages, toiletries, detergent/softner sheets, even prevoiusly purchased WDW items. The only thing we buy when we get there is milk, bread, and lunchmeat.

[Belster]

I love these lists guys. Thanks for your suggestions...I love the purex one.

[Loweschevy]

Batteries, memory cards and toiletries

[ElenitaB]

I bring a Brita pitcher and filter, and water bottles. The pitcher gets packed with stuff coming and going. Saves a ton of money on bottled water in the parks.

I also pack my own coffee which saves me time, money and having to drink that awful stuff they leave in the rooms. ;)

[BrerGnat]

I bring a Brita pitcher and filter, and water bottles. The pitcher gets packed with stuff coming and going. Saves a ton of money on bottled water in the parks.



This is probably the smartest packing trip I've ever read! What size pitcher do you bring? Will the larger ones fit in the mini fridges???

[magicjasb]

Our last few trips have been in the summer when it rains almost every afternoon. We usually buy cheap rain ponchos at a local dollar store. They are easy to carry and save you money on Disney ponchos. We usually bring a couple for each of us so that we can throw them out if they get ripped.:mickey:

[azcavalier]

1. Cheap, dollar rain ponchos.

2. Breakfast food (we always have a fridge because we stay at a moderate).

3. A $20 Wal-Mart umbrella stroller. Renting a stroller is outrageous, and they're not comfortable for the kids anyway. umbrella strollers are cheap, more comfortable, easy to fold up and store/carry, and are less bulky.

[IloveJack]

Fly or not, we take a 6-pack of our favorite soda. We take one a day into the parks, and then just refill as necessary with water from a water fountain, or with whatever's left in our cups from a restaurant (much easier to toss a bottle around than a cup with a lid). Plus, my hubby drinks Mt. Dew and Dr. Pepper, neither of which can be found in the parks.

We also take way more memory cards than we could possibly use. We learned on our first trip together (post-digital camera-age) that WDW charges way, way, way more for a memory card than the typical store. But are you going to stop taking pictures? No way! We ponied up the $75ish and kept snapping away. Now, I take 5-6 cards with us.

And since having kids, we take snacks with us in the diaper bag. We can hang it on the stroller, and have snacks whenever needed. My DD eats like a bird (little bites all day long), so just because lunch was an hour ago, doesn't mean she's not hungry now.

[princessjojo]

I love these lists guys. Thanks for your suggestions...I love the purex one.
I don't generally use this brand, but the good thing about them is their size, and the ability to control quantity easily. You plan for 3 loads of laundry, take 3 sheets. They don't spill in your luggage or carry-ons eithers and have literally no weight to them .

[Dream'nDisney]

We also bring extra hangers to hang up all of our clothes.

This is a must for us too. It really cuts down on having to iron on vacation. What I do is save those wire hangers from drycleaning and pack those. Wire hangers really save room in the luggage.

[Dream'nDisney]

We also like the Purex brand laundry sheets. The kids actually love the smell of them. I use Tide and Downy at home, and was worried on our last vacation that we might get a rash by switching. So several days before our last vacation, we tried them out and everyone was fine. If you have sensitive skin, I would suggest doing this prior to your vacation.

[Soph and Han's Mom]

we drive, so i always throw a couple bottles of nice wine in the car...great for relaxing after a long trip! and the non restaurant wine chioces at the resorts leave a little to be desired:sick: so you get better quality too.

[Ramblingman]

Since I grew up nearby, and have almost always lived in the South, we always drive. So, we don't have to worry about luggage fees and we can pack away.

bottled water
cheap disposable ponchos
snacks
breakfast items
all kinds of medicine and toiletries

We will do the sample sizes of shampoo, etc and don't have to worry about bringing a lot of that home. Same with medicine.

Hangers are a great idea. I keep forgetting them but will put them on my list for later this month.

One last item I cannot stress enough - batteries. Lots of batteries. Unless you are driving and can whip down to the Walmart that's twenty minutes away, bring batteries.

[beksy]

At least one more bottle of suntan lotion than I plan on using! I learned that our first trip flying when I had packed two bottles and ran out half way through the trip. They are all over DW but expensive! I also always remember to pack aloe vera gel. I had trouble finding it and what I did find cost 5x more than at Walmart.

[tdk316]

Like other posters have said, those Purex sheets were made for traveling! I also ship a two cases of water to the resort from Costco ($14 + $10 to get it out of hock from the convention center) it's still cheaper than Disney water!

The other big thing for me is kids' snacks 'cause those add up big time at the parks! One of the things I buy are the freeze dried fruit that have Mickey, etc. on them so the kids think they're special WDW snacks when I purchased them from Amazon instead (wait for a big sale and use Swagbucks!)... :secret:

Speaking of kids, one of my favorite finds are the cheap pool balls that are at the dollar store. I buy two of those (one for each) and blow them up for a toy to have in the room.

I also look for the battery operated fans at Walmart in October/November and pick up a couple of those for the next trip. They're normally under $2 each at that time so if they make it home, great. If they're lost on a ride well, left at a restaurant, forgotten on the elevator, or broken by my toddler, I'm not going to kill myself like I would if I bought it at Disney (and taken out a second mortgage to pay for it!).

The other thing we forgot once, and never did again, are cords to hook up or portable DVD player to the tv. Yes there is a DVD player in the main living area at BLT, but there aren't any in the bedrooms which is were our oldest naps and he likes to watch a little tv before being read a book and going to sleep. Yea, that was a fun trip balancing the portable on the bed with a toddler who couldn't understand why Cars weren't on the big tv...

Booze is another must bring. This last time we bought some of those freezable margarita pouches and they worked out well. They don't need to be refrigerated while transporting and they survived flying. I've also been known to pack fancy "wine in a box" if we're going with a large group and they've made it just fine, although it did add considerable weight to the suitcase.

[mouseketeer mom]

I have medicines for any possible ailment. You name it, I pretty much have it covered. I bring batteries, bandaids, q tips, any kind of toiletrie imaginable, I got it. I have a bag just for my pharmacy. And we are not sickly people or people that take medicine even a little frequently..but we have needed to reach into that case on many a trip. Stomach issues, fever, I even have a prescription bottle of Amoxicllin I bring if anybody gets strep throat or something. I bring a nerf for the pool, purex sheets, rolls of quarters..lint remover rolls, stain sticks. What else?? I am a traveling walmart. And I have it all consolidated to one bag! A small bag that fits in my husbands lightly packed suitcase. I have all hair products, girly stuff for any issue, antibacterial wipes and gels.. I better stop now. I sound crazy!

[buzznwoodysmom]

I bring Purex laundry sheets too. It saves so much compared to buying laundry detergent from the laundry rooms in WDW. I also pack extra hangers for our clothes. And batteries, I pack lots and lots of batteries!

[Pop Centurion]

We usually bring breakfast snacks for in the morning as a pick me up then sometimes at night if we're hungry. Breakfast each morning gets expensive so this is a big saver for us.

[jimsgal05]

okay you ALl will laugh at what we bring... I pack in my large suit case water smart water at Target... for when we are in the parks..I also bring snacks for em I am always hungry, then there is the tupperware..fake stuff i mena for leftovers...we had 7 ADRs thats trip so most of them wern't buffets so any left overs we took back ie dessert...my mom was thrill to eat choc cake at 11pm at night.

this trip in less than 2 weeks we are on a quck service and only 3 nights/3 days.. so no water but we have refillable mugs..I am bringing my tea for the am breakfast to save time and also the tupper wear for snacks at night when watching the fireworks... we always bring meds and bandaids and baby wipes cause ya never know who is going to spill what..and I was there a while back and help a woman wipe up fruit punch her daughter spilled in her carage...she didn't have enough wipes but I did!!! the mom was thrilled....

[joonyer]

We always drive, and since we have a van, we have the luxury of bringing lots of food. We bring cereal, milk, juice, breakfast bars, muffins, and usually have breakfast in our room. We usually only eat out just one character breakfast on our trips. We bring a fairly large ice chest and so we have plenty of room to keep things chilled. That's the advantage of driving over flying.
We also bring bottled water and soft drinks, and these save a bundle over vending machine/food court prices at the resorts.

[disneymom15]

Dramamine, a 2 tablet pack costs about $4. Adding this to our packing list. Daughters boyfriend could have used a whole bottle on our last trip.

[CanadianWDWFan]

One thing we always bring with us is a plug-in cooler. I plugs into the car and then when we get to the resort, we plug it into our room and it becomes our fridge. This cooler works out great when we stay at the Value resorts. We always bring rechargeable batteries for the camera and other battery powered items.

[LisaP]

Can't live without my reusable water bottles and the powder packet drink mixes. Not only saves money, but lots of time stopping to buy drinks throughout the day!

Check out Polar brand water bottles. I absolutely love mine. It's the first insulated bottle that I've found to HOLD the COLD. It's thick plastick with a foil insulation, and I fill it with ice and bottled water, and mix in some lemonade :thumbsup:

SUNSCREEN is a must pack. You can only get one brand on Disney property, which we found out the hard way for allergic hubby :(

[Disney OB RN]

Disposable rain ponchos!:number1:

[kakn7294]

Cheap rain ponchos from the dollar store (2 in a pack for $1), batteries (although pretty much everything now is rechargeable), and when we drive, we stop at the local Walmart for a grocery run - milk, water, coffee creamer, and a few breakfast items and snacks.

[Tink#64]

I too pack most of the popular aforementioned items, I was surprised to see how many of us bring extra hangers! Which made me think of the "new" item that I packed last year that was a wonderful time saver! Downy Wrinkle Release! I'm a neurotic ironer, not so much on vacation, but you can't pack all those clothes in a suitcase & expect them to come out looking like they did when they went in! LOL With the help of the extra hangers, I have everyone pick out their clothes the night before & I spray some of the Downy WR, a few tugs here & there & they look great in the morning! I even hang some of the shorts using the skirt hanger clips or the clothes pins I bring with!

One thing that I didn't see mentioned in this thread, but I got the tip on here a few years ago, is one of those over the door shoe bags! This is HUGE for us! It has dozens of clear pockets & I sort everyone's personal toiletries, etc, the items we use everyday, & it keeps us from leaving it all out on the tiny counter or tossing back into the bag just to have to dig for it again! This is a time saver for us every morning & night! :thumbsup:

I'm taking one new item when we go next month, a small fold up drying rack for all of those wet beach towels & bathing suits! I figure we never have enough room for those & we all get tired of taking them down for all to shower & then hang them all up again! I figure I can fold it & stow it under the sink or on the top shelf of the closet area if/when we don't need it! :thumbsup:

[MikeyP]

Food and drinks for the park, of course. You can save HUNDREDS! ;)

[TikiGoddess]

Save money on those light-up toys that your kids beg you for while waiting for the fireworks-- go to the dollar store and buy glow bracelets. I usually buy more than we need and we pass them out to nearby families.

Bring some ziploc bags. Handy for just about anything -- we like to get fruit and muffins from the breakfast buffet at Crystal Palace and have them for later.

Buy trading pins online before going to WDW. You can get pins for about $2-$3 each and have them to trade with other guests and CMs.

We make our own WDW t-shirts every year instead of buying them. The craft stores in our area have shirts for about $5 apiece (then use the 40% coupon). We use craft paint and our imaginations. Voila, matching custom t-shirts.

One year I tried saving money by buying spray fans at Walmart. They broke so quickly! We splurged and bought the WDW fans that year, and we've been using those every trip since. Some things you have to spend money on. ;)

[LoriSan]

last trip I was determined to do it on the way cheap. We drove from NJ and had a 2br value at AKLV. I brought my crock pot and cooked dinner most nights. Easy stuff, like hot dogs, sandwiches, spaghetti (even brought my homemade spaghetti sauce!), sausages, chili. I brought all the food and went to the store when we got there for milk, eggs, etc. We had breakfast in the room and packed sandwiches and snacks for the afternoon.

I have also packed a case of water (loose bottles) in my suitcase. I just stuff the bottles in whereever there is room. Just watch the weight of your bags.

In the parks, I use a Kleen Kanteen stainless steel water bottle. I stop anywhere and everywhere that sells fountain drinks and ask for a large cup of ice and just keep adding it and it keeps melting. Ice cold water, all day long.

[EJS-Houston]

My question is...are there any items that you pack for Disney World that save you money while you are there?

My number one thing is medicine....if you ever need it you would pay a bundle for it there. What are your money saving items?

Besides any medicinal items you can anticipate, I always go to the dollar store and buy ponchos for the water rides (Splash Mountain and Kali River Rafts).

[IloveDisney71]

I buy ponchos ahead of time from Walmart for those pop-up showers. They only cost about a dollar - much cheaper than a Mickey poncho. I also throw one on for water rides - I hate walking around in wet clothes. Then I just put the used poncho in a ziploc bag in case I need it later.

[LisaP]

Two items I went and bought AFTER returning from our last trip are ... a hand held luggage scale and a compact foldup nylon duffle bag.

Can anyone guess why? :confused: Ding ding ding! Rushing to pack the morning of departure, one of the suitcases was overweight and we were promptly gouged the "idiot" fee :bang:

Hubby was able to contact the airline (he's a frequent flyer) and get off on a technicality obtaining a refund :woohoo: but I'm STILL ready for next time!

[faline]

Two items I went and bought AFTER returning from our last trip are ... a hand held luggage scale and a compact foldup nylon duffle bag.

I bought one of the luggage scales a while ago and have found it to be very helpful!

[brivers222]

whats the rules for bringing OTC medication on the plane as carryon? do you need to original packaging or will just putting them in a ziplock back be okay? (not the same bag as that 3-1-1 liquid)

[Katzateer]

1. Cheap, dollar rain ponchos.

$20 Wal-Mart umbrella stroller. Renting a stroller is outrageous, and they're not comfortable for the kids anyway. umbrella strollers are cheap, more comfortable, easy to fold up and store/carry, and are less bulky.

When we go for a week I always get one of these strollers. Then I load all our water bottles, jackets, anything that is not valuable and then I push it around and leave it in a central stroller parking area. ( and no I don't have a child in it)This is especially wonderful at EPCOT. I also bring a large garbage bag to put over it if it is raining ( something I learned to do years ago when the girls would get a wet bottom after a Florida afternoon shower)

and I bring cherrios granola bars and nuts to snack on since we normally just eat one bog meal a day

[faline]

whats the rules for bringing OTC medication on the plane as carryon? do you need to original packaging or will just putting them in a ziplock back be okay? (not the same bag as that 3-1-1 liquid)

TSA rules can be found here. (http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/9-25_update_passenger_guidance_faq.shtm)

[Jennifer_and_Chris]

We do many of the thing already posted....

Another item that I don't think was mentioned yet is that we bring our Disney park purchased light up toy things every year. If the batteries go out, you can go to any of the light toy carts while waiting for a night parade or fireworks and they will replace the batteries for free. :thumbsup: At least I think they still do this.

We also bring our own toilet paper :D - ah the comforts of home.

Also, the flushable wipes instead of wet wipes now since they are smaller and we are all potty trained now!

I pack the kids clothes hanging to help with unpacking time.

We buy surprise sovienears from the dollar store, disney store (on clearance), halloween time when cheaper costume things are out.

I buy disney iron ons and make our own shirts.

And while its not something I pack, but, something we practise... For lunch in the parks, a few days out of our vacation, we order a double cheeseburger + extra bun + a great fixin's bar and have 2 meals for the price of one.

We drive so we are able to bring more.

[BigRedDad]

Pins: If you are a pin trader, but them on eBay for about $0.85 each now.

Medicine: If you have prescription or a definite need, buy them and pack them at home. If it is only an emergency need, then it is not outrageous at WDW. Yes, a little more, but not 5x.

Sancks/B'fast: As others have stated, these get packed in DD's suitcase. Her clothes take up 1/3 and this stuff takes up 2/3.

Gum/Candy: It is not cheap at WDW. If you want it, bring it. Gum is not sold in the parks at all I believe.

Electronics: Memory cards, batteries, cables, chargers, etc. If you have something you need, it is not cheap at WDW.

LED Flashlights: I get several of the one bulb, versions for dark rides. DD may get scared. The flashlight on the phone, regular flashlight are too bright. These little ones can be covered up to only give enough off not to be scared.

Pool toys/glow lights: I get a blow up beach ball for each day and leave it in the pool area for others. I also get the glow bracelets and necklaces to save a ton.

[faline]

Gum/Candy: It is not cheap at WDW. If you want it, bring it. Gum is not sold in the parks at all I believe.

Gum is not sold on Disney property period! It never has been. In her younger days, my daughter was a gum chewer and always made sure to have a stash with her whenever we headed to Disney World.

On our last trip, we heard folks asking for gum in the store at Animal Kingdom Lodge. They seemed very surprised that none was available.

[NJGIRL]

Gum is not sold on Disney property period! It never has been. In her younger days, my daughter was a gum chewer and always made sure to have a stash with her whenever we headed to Disney World.

On our last trip, we heard folks asking for gum in the store at Animal Kingdom Lodge. They seemed very surprised that none was available.

I am not a gum chewer so I have never noticed that! Is there a reason for not selling gum?

[smsp]

I am not a gum chewer so I have never noticed that! Is there a reason for not selling gum?

Most likely due to the fact of what folks do with their gum when they are done chewing it...spit it on the ground, stick on something, etc...

Dried up gum on everything is ugly and takes a lot of labor to remove after it has dried on something.

SMSP

[RAIDER]

Hand held luggage scales and my DVC card are a must !!!:thumbsup:

[ISLE39]

disposable ponchos from walmart 88 cents, snacks (pringles, cheese and crackers) breakfast foods like little bites muffins aspirin, etc. the best thing you can do is print up the walt disney world packing list so you dont forget the essentials. you would be amazed by how many people im sure left deodarant or toothpaste at home. those are the things you dont want to be purchasing on vacation. they know you need them so they charge a nice premium.

[teambricker04]

Cheap rain ponchos from the dollar store (2 in a pack for $1), batteries (although pretty much everything now is rechargeable), and when we drive, we stop at the local Walmart for a grocery run - milk, water, coffee creamer, and a few breakfast items and snacks.

Ooooh oooh oohhhh! I never thought to check the dollar store! I'm totally doing that! We have our disney ponchos from our last trip, but I really don't want to lug them. My day pack is smaller and lighter than ever before (no more diapers for anyone in my family!) so I really want to keep light!

We are bringing:
Food for breakfast: Cereal bars, oatmeal, cereal
Snacks in individual baggies
Reusable waterbottles and drink mixes
Purex Sheets
1/2 the clothes we normally bring
Mesh laundry bag for dirty clothes... has a strap for carrying it to the laundry room!

:mickey:

[faline]

Most likely due to the fact of what folks do with their gum when they are done chewing it...spit it on the ground, stick on something, etc...

Dried up gum on everything is ugly and takes a lot of labor to remove after it has dried on something.

SMSP

That's exactly it!

[azcavalier]

Most of it has been said, but:

Dollar store rain ponchos

Laundry detergent and dryer sheets

$20 Wal-Mart umbrella stroller

The stroller has been huge for us, meaning that it has saved us a ton of money. Not only is it far cheaper, you don't have to leave it at the park, and it's not a hassle to collapse to take on the buses. When your four year old is out cold, you don't have to carry her from the bus stop to your room, or from the entrance of the park to your car, etc.

One last item, but it's not something we bring, is that we always hit the outlet mall across the freeway from Downtown Disney and go to the Disney Outlet store on our way IN to town. We always find things there for *cheap*. One year, we bought Princess nightgowns and dresses for our DD (4) and a friend of hers from home for $20 each. The dresses normally go for $60-$80. We've bought nice Disney golf shirts, tons of pins, t-shirts, etc there that has saved us money over buying something similar in the parks.