Going to Disney World is expensive, but there are many ways to save money on your WDW vacation. Unfortunately, there’s also many ways to overspend at Disney. I’ve definitely been guilty of this. There’s some WDW phenomenon that makes your brain say “It’s okay, I can buy this. I’m on vacation.” But inevitably, you’ll come back to reality and think to yourself:

“Wait, did I really spend over $50 on ponchos?”

Fortunately, you can learn from my mistakes. Here are five items that I try to never purchase while I’m at Disney World.

1) Disney World Tickets

Don’t buy your Disney World tickets at Disney World! Because Disney has ticket booths set up in front of every theme park entrance, it’s reasonable to think you could purchase your ticket right before breezing into the park.

This is a huge mistake!

Why? There are three reasons why you should never buy your Disney World tickets when you’re at Disney World.

  • It’s more expensive. For years, Disney has added a premium to the same day ticket price. Additionally, you can find discounted tickets from authorized sellers like ParkSavers and sometimes Costco, Sam’s, or regional grocery stores.
  • It takes time. Time is money, especially when you’re on vacation. The few extra minutes it takes to get your tickets at the ticket booth might mean missing out on a short line for a great ride. Also, it will take extra time to link all of your tickets with the My Disney Experience app.
  • You might not even get in the park! Disney World has a Park Reservation system. Theme park entry requires both a reservation for a specific park in addition to your ticket. While the parks will have same day availability on less busy days, you run the risk of being turned away if all reservations are sold out. How this hasn’t led to more Clark Griswold at Wally World-esque meltdowns is a mystery to me.

My recommendation is to purchase your Disney World tickets as early as possible. You should do this either directly through Disney on their website/app, or through an authorized seller like I listed above. If you’re working with a travel agent like our friends at Vacationeer, they can help you with getting both your tickets and your park reservations.

2) Water Bottles

Free Water at Disney World - Disney World Secret Tips

Water bottles at Disney World are an extremely bad deal. A single Dasani water bottle costs $3.50 at Disney World. You can currently buy a 24 pack for $5.50 at a grocery story.

Using that as a comparison, Disney is marking up water bottles by 1527%.

If you only purchase Dasani water bottles at Disney World, you are basically throwing money away. Avoid this by doing one of the following:

  • Get free iced water at any counter service location. There’s a reason why this is one of the best free things at Disney World. You can go to any counter service restaurant at Disney World and ask for cups of ice water. You don’t need to purchase anything else. Some restaurants will even have these pre made and ready to go.
  • Pack reusable water bottles. Be eco-conscious and quench your thirst by packing reusable water bottles. Here are the water bottles that we recommend in our Disney World packing guide.
Hydroflask Travel Water Bottle

Hydroflask Water Bottle

$24.69

The Hydroflask has become my go-to travel water bottle over the past few years, as well as my primary water bottle at home. Water just tastes excellent in these, and the vacuum seal keeps liquids cold or hot for hours.

Buy from Amazon

Hydroflask Travel Coffee Mug

Hydroflask Coffee Travel Mug

$24.71

One of the best aspects of the Hydroflask is that the lids are interchangeable. This coffee mug is perfect for keeping your coffee warm (or cool if you like it iced), and you can use the coffee lid on a bigger bottle if you need a big caffeine fix.

Buy from Amazon

Brita Filtered Water Bottle

Brita Plastic Water Filter Bottle

$19.99

The water fountains at Disney World taste pretty funky (to put it lightly), so I’m reliant on refilling at Counter Service restaurants or my hotel during a mid-day break if I use a Hydroflask. If you want to have more flexibility, this Brita Filtered Water Bottle is a very good choice, as it will take the funky taste out of that Florida fountain water.

Buy from Amazon

3) Ponchos

Ponchos at Disney World - Disney World Secret Tips

Disney World is in Orlando, and Orlando is in Central Florida. And to use the proper meteorological term, Central Florida is a very wet place. Chances are it is going to rain while you’re at Disney World.

If you’re unprepared, you have two options. Get soaked, or pay about $10 a piece for one of Disney’s ponchos. While they won’t have Mickey Mouse on them, you can buy a whole pack of ponchos for your entire family for just slightly more from Amazon.

Family Poncho Pack - Disney World Packing Essentials

Lingito Ponchos – Family 20 Pack

$16.99

This set of 20 ponchos will set you back about as much as 1 poncho will at Disney World. It comes in different colors, and includes both kids and adult sized ponchos. This pack will definitely be enough for your entire party. This set of ponchos ships with Amazon Prime and has a 4.5/5 star rating in customer reviews.

Buy from Amazon

Bonus tip: If you are bringing a stroller, be sure to pack a rain cover for your stroller as well. They don’t sell anything like this at Disney World, and I learned that the hard way.

Stroller Rain Cover - Disney World Toddler Packing Essentials

Bemece Universal Stroller Rain Cover

$17.99

This is the #1 Best Selling stroller rain cover on Amazon. It keeps both your stroller and baby dry, while providing them a view of the outside world while you navigate Disney in the rain.

Buy from Amazon

4) Neon Doodads

One of the more sinister sights a parent can see are the carts with light up toys and glow sticks that Disney carts out before parades and fireworks. These carts are so shiny that your child has no option but to say “Mom, can I have one? Can I have one? Moooooommmmmm. Can I have one?”

When you are inevitably worn down and buy one, you will definitely pay the price. These glowy things are expensive! Unlike some other souvenirs that are actually worth the money, your kid probably won’t be treasuring this glow stick for years to come. In fact, it probably will end up in a junk drawer or the trash shortly after your vacation.

Intrepid parents have seen this Disney World tip on our site for years. Glow sticks and light up toys are really cheap if you buy them from Amazon, Target, or the Dollar Store. Pack a few of these, and bust them out at nighttime once those glowing carts start populating the parks.

Glow Stick 100 Pack

100 Glow Sticks Party Pack

$12.99

Get 100 glow sticks for the price of one glowing toy at Disney World. Pack a few in your bag and give them to your kids when they ask for one of Disney’s expensive options. Plus, you can make them into bracelets and necklaces.

Buy from Amazon

Glow Stick Mickey Ear Pack

Dragon Too Glow in the Dark Party Pack – 605 Pieces

$25.99

This glow stick pack is a great option if you are traveling with several kids in your party. It also includes headbands so you can make mock “Mickey Ears.”

Buy from Amazon

5) Disney Gift Cards

Save Money with Disney Gift Cards at Disney World

You can buy Disney Gift Cards while you’re at Disney World. There isn’t anything inherently wrong with this, and sometimes the gift cards are themed to a seasonal event. And it makes sense to have a Disney Gift Card at WDW, because all Disney World restaurants, shops, and hotels accept them as payment.

But you’d be missing out on a significant discount buy purchasing your gift cards at Disney World.

You can purchase discounted Disney Gift Cards from Costco or Sam’s Club. If you have a Target Red Card, you can save 5% on all Disney Gift Cards from Target. And if you use fuel points and credit card rewards correctly, you can save up to 20% on your Disney World vacation with gift cards.

You can read our complete guide on how to use gift card hacks to save big at Disney World here.

Why you shouldn’t buy these items at Disney World

Buying tickets, water bottles, ponchos, glow sticks, and Disney Gift Cards can cost you both money and time. When you’re planning a Disney World trip, both of these are at a premium. Saving money on these items might mean you can now afford to go to a table service restaurant or skip the line with Lightning Lane instead. Or you could just end up not spending quite so much on your vacation, which is always a win in my book.

We want to hear from you!

What else should be on this list? Is there anything you pack instead of buying at Disney World? Let me know in the comments below!

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