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.

SO WE'RE HEADED FOR DISNEY ... DO I REALLY NEED TO BOTHER WITH MATCHING SHIRTS? (part 1)

YES!

With a hilarious Gaston from Beauty and the Beast in the gorgeous new Fantasyland area.  He told the kids, "OK everybody, think handsome thoughts and say 'Popularity.'"

We just returned from a happy (though scorching & wet) trip to our favorite vacation spot, after being away for five years.  Last time we went I was pregnant with Elizabeth Ann and John Paul was only 3, so you can bet he and I hopped on every wild ride we could.  (The new Seven Dwarves Mine Train was super-adorable with just the right thrill factor.)  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.

So YES, all those Disney bloggers & Etsy moms are on to something with the whole matching shirt thing.  At first google they may seem fanatical ... a different themed shirt for each of the four parks?  Matching clothes for Grandma and Grandpa even?  Coordinating bows and backpacks?  And come on, Mickey manicures???  But I'm a believer.  At least about the shirts.

For one thing, it helps your group stay together.  As you navigate the parks, crowds split to let you through.  As you enter rides and queuing areas where they admit a limited number at a time (Lion King, Enchanted Tales with Belle, Turtle Talk with Crush) your whole family easily gets let in at once.

Your family pictures also turn out great; my favorite pics are always the ones in matching shirts.

But the best reason of all?  Little ones are less likely to get lost.  If you've never been to Disney in the summertime, it is hard to fathom the number of people.  Think wall-to-wall bodies.  Then add half the teen population from Brazil and Argentina, who roam around in huge tour groups during the summer. The day we DIDN'T wear matching shirts, nine-year-old John Paul started following another teenage boy with a red shirt who looked exactly like his big brother.  Thankfully, I had stopped behind our group to adjust the stroller, so I saw him veer off and was able to nab him.  Honestly, my one regret about the shirts is that we only had enough for 2 days. It was so much harder to keep everyone together.  Next time I'll have enough for every day in the parks.

You don't have to break the bank to pull this off.  Just spend a little time cruising all the "crazy Disney mom sites," as my kids have labeled them, and you'll be overwhelmed with do-able, fun ideas.  I stumbled upon the tie dye Mickey shirts, and Emma and I knew we had to try them.  Turned into a great mom & daughter project.  There are a kajillion DIY sites, but we found this one to be the most helpful.  We added the bow on the three girls' shirts for more of a Minnie look.  Below are two of ours ... after 3 washings, they still look pretty good.

We bought our tie dye colors in individual bottles from good ol' Walmart.  (We used blue, green, and turquoise.)  Don't forget the soda ash soak - you can buy soda ash in the same section in Walmart.  You can use old T shirts that you already own - the dye will cover imperfections - or you can buy a few inexpensive ones.  We had good luck at Joanne's finding some for the girls for only $3.99; the boys used ones from their drawers.  100% cotton works best for the dye and for the heat in the park! We were stopped at least 5 times by folks admiring our shirts, asking where we bought them.

Now if your hubby is not thrilled about matching shirts, and your fervent pleas for the safety of your children don't move him, you could always try something like this:

 

We actually saw a guy in the Magic Kingdom with a version of this shirt, which coordinated with his family's shirts, and he looked great. (Whether he liked to admit it or not!)  

Tune in next time to see my all-time favorite DIY shirts and to meet my new best friend, Ultra Heat Bond.