SO WE'RE HEADED FOR DISNEY ... IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE TO STAY WITHIN OUR BUDGET?? (part 2)

In case you missed the last post, the answer is YES!

We just returned from a happy (though scorching & wet) trip to our favorite vacation spot, after being away for five years.   Thought I'd post some thoughts on traveling to Disney with a big family ... if nothing else, it will help me remember for next time.   Upcoming posts:  What You Absolutely, Positively Must Pack.
Keep tuning in! 
 

For all Disneyphile big families out there, here are our last three ways to enjoy the Disney magic without depleting your bank account:

#3.   Recycle your Disney gear from trip to trip.  We have a large plastic container that holds all of our Disney fun stuff.  After each trip, it all goes back in.  We're talkin' shirts, lanyards, beltbags, backpacks, hats, and especially mouse ears.  I know what you're all thinking.  In the Disney afterglow you're thinking how much fun it would be if you leave it all out to enjoy.  Don't do it.  You know what will surely happen:  mouse ears get squashed, pin backs fall out, lanyards slip behind shelves, and shirts fall into the abyss of the laundry room never to reappear.  If you pack it all up right away, you will save money in the long run.  A few weeks before our trip, we pull out the Disney box. We're all excited to see our collection, and it adds to the trip anticipation.  The Disney box is the only way we still have discontinued Jack Sparrow (that's Captain Jack Sparrow) pirate mouse ears from 2007 (left).  And of course, we hit the parks armed with great stuff to begin with, so splurging is less of a temptation.

#2.  BYOPonchos.  This is not an original idea, but it's a crucial one that I must mention, because so many families forget!  How do I know?  Check out the sea of Mickey raingear that emerged during this downpour, and then remember that Disney charges $9 a pop for 'em.

If you are headed to Orlando in the spring or summer, it WILL rain.  You must be prepared to slosh through afternoon thundershowers.  Go to the Dollar Store and load up on cheap ponchos - they'll fit easily into your backpacks and you can toss them after the trip.  Don't bother with your own raincoats or umbrellas from your closet; they're too bulky for your backpacks and you'll regret it.  If you have big boys in your family -- Dads, teenage sons, Grandpas -- buy everyone at least 2.  (After an afternoon of Florida rain and heat, let's just say ... they don't smell "magical" anymore.)  If you get desperate at the end of a long, extra-rainy trip like we just did, you can try this:  I doused all of them in soapy bathwater after EA got out of the tub, then let them drip-dry overnight in the shower.  It did the trick, and I didn't have to throw away $63 for 7 Mickey ponchos.  (We'd rather use that $$ on Dole pineapple floats!!)

#1.  Before buying anything, ask yourself, "Will I actually use this/wear this when I return home to the real world?"  Let's face it:  the same Grumpy shirt that is perfectly acceptable in the Magic Kingdom would be ridiculous at home at say, a football game in the stands.  Will you walk around town with that bright pink Minnie backpack??  Just say no. (The traditional monogrammed mouse ears are the exception of course.)

This time around, we all thought the new illuminated Mickey ears were amazingly cool.  "Glow with the Show" ears change color in sync with the nighttime Disney shows and fireworks, and we McDonalds do LOVE the shows!  But $25 each?  For ears to wear only at night?  When we already had ears for all the kids?  We said no, don't regret it, and saved nearly $200.   
 



 Want more "So You're Headed for Disney ..." posts?  See Why Bother with Matching Shirts? and Is It Even Possible to Stay within our Budget, part 1.