Or rather, what not to pack.

When planning on a Disney vacation, most people (first timers) over-pack and forget the fact that:

1) Airlines charge you for your checked baggage.

2) Airlines charge you for over-weight checked baggage.

3) Some airline charge you for carry-on luggage.

4) Airlines aren’t charging for breathing air at the time that I’ve published this article. This is however, is subject to change.

The best thing for you to do, is to pack lightly and consolidate. Basically, pack smarter.

And Disney really helps you in that department.

You don’t need to bring shampoo, conditioner or soap. Those are refilled daily in your room. Need more? Call down to the front desk and they will have you bring some. As for their shampoo, I have no clue as to what it is, but it’s magic on my hair.

You also don’t need to bring a beach towel. Okay, so let me be clear on this one. IF you are staying at a moderate or deluxe resort, towels are available AT your resort pool. If you’re staying at a value hotel, this is a hit or miss. Always bring a towel with you (if you’re staying at a value) from your room. You can always get more towels from Mousekeeping, but it’s very unlikely that you will find them at the pool. There have been rare occasions that they have been there, but it’s more in the off-season and I’d rather you not take the chance.

Laundry facilities are on site in each hotel, and TIDE (oh, how I love thee) is available in the quarter dispensers. I don’t have the prices for these, but make sure you bring quarters with you if you plan on doing laundry. Actually, on second thought, even if you don’t plan on laundry, it’s good to have an accident back-up.

Worried about all the souvenirs? Don’t be. You can ship from almost any resort on property (we usually use the business center in the Contemporary) and Disney has all the supplies you need. There is no up charge on any of this as well, so rest assured that you’re not paying more than you would at home.

Okay, so what to bring…

Sunscreen. You’ll pay an arm and leg- and maybe your first-born child at Disney. Bringing it with you will cut down on the cost significantly.

Sunglasses. It’s Florida. They don’t call it the “Sunshine State” for nothing.

Backpack. To carry your sunscreen and glasses.

Gum. The airport, stores and Disney Resorts do not sell gum. If you like it, you need to bring it.

Clothes. Duh. But only enough for the days you’ll actually be there- and one extra outfit. Wear the clothes on the plane that you’d like to have on for the whole day. In other words, don’t do a bunch of costume changes. Now, if you’re planning on having an ADR (advance dining reservation) at Victoria and Albert’s- you’ll need a little black dress or a suit. Check out your ADRs and make sure none of your reservations have a dress code. Disney will not let you into the restaurant if you don’t meet their criteria, and you don’t want to be turned away because you’re in park-wear.Oh- and don’t forget pajamas. I always take a shower before I get into mine, so I can get an extra night or two out of them so I can pack less.

Shoes. Bring two pairs. That’s it. And wear the heavier ones on the plane, so they don’t count towards your luggage weight. If you’re planning on going to the pool, bring a pair of flip-flops. But make that your max.

Snacks. This one I am iffy about. We’re on the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan, so snacks are in our plan already. If you haven’t gotten this option, make sure you bring your own from home. It’s going to be a lot cheaper for you.

Odor eaters. There is nothing worse than coming back to your hotel room after a long day, kick off you tennis shoes, only to knock out your whole family by the stench. So throw them in your bag. Trust me. You’ll thank me.

And the obvious- toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, medicine etc…

Body Glide. I’ve heard this one from so many people, but haven’t used it myself. It’s supposed to be used on your inner thighs and prevents chafing. You can get it from sport supply stores.

Now people that want to save on souvenirs-

Head to your local craft or dollar store and pick up as many Disney items you can. Throw those in your carry-on and as soon as your kiddo asks for something, pull that out instead.

Distraction on a dime!

And I’m sure I’ve forgotten something on here, but at least it’s a good run down. If you can think of anything, please add it in the comments!

I have been getting a lot of requests, asking for the monetary breakdown of our Disney Vacation- so I’ve pulled a very detailed report of what I paid for, and when. If you have ANY questions, please don’t hesitate to ask! There are always more ways to save, but I usually chose the route that’s going to benefit my family the best. My options might not work for you- but this gives you a general idea of what a Disney vacation can cost your family.

I made all payments in cash to my AAA office, so NO credit cards were involved. AT ALL!

We booked our Disney Vacation on January 22nd this year, at a AAA event that got us 2 adult Mickey backpacks and 2 Birnbaum’s Guide to Disney World books if we booked that day. I usually wait for these events to book, because I feel like I get a little something extra for a vacation I was already planning on taking. Plus, they have a Disney rep available to answer any questions.

The total cost for a 6 night, 7 day vacation at a Moderate Resort, basic Disney Resort Passes (no park hoppers, no expiration add on or water parks) and the Deluxe Dining Plan through AAA at that time was:

$2500.31

At the time of booking, you have to put down a minimum of $200, which goes towards your balance- so at that time, we owed:

$2300.31

On March 13th, I booked our flights on Air Tran (3 tickets both ways) for $607.20. Obviously, I paid in full on the spot when I booked. I do not add this amount to my “bottom line” but I thought I’d give you an idea of what I pay through AAA.

On April 9th- as an anniversary present to the both of us, we put down $350.31 which brought our total down to:

$1950.00

And then Basic Free Dining was released to the general public- so it was applied to our total (net savings of $377.46 after the upgrade), and then we added the upgrade to the Deluxe Dining Plan- so that brought us to a total owed of:

$1577.54

Then the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party tickets were released, costing us (2 adults and one child) $165.99. We chose the Will Call option, to save $5.

To cover the cost of the Halloween tickets, and then make a small dent in our balance, we paid $389.54 on May 7th which brought us down to:

$1188.00

Not bad right?

So the next payment was made on May 21st, of $400.00 and our total dropped to:

$788.00

And at that point, we could really see the end of the tunnel!!

The next payment was on June 4th- of $230.00

With our total being:

$558.00!!

We got lucky, and our “extra” paycheck hit this month, so we paid off our balance on June 18th:

$0!!

It was our first year of paying on a vacation with cash only, and to have it done in 6 months was a real accomplishment in my book. Granted, Disney helped out a bit by offering free dining for our stay, and I worked a little extra teaching- but it was worth it! I am so happy that this vacation is paid in full-in cash, and that our food is completely covered. All I have to do now is save for our tips (which I put together in advance in case you didn’t know), Photopass and spending money.

Looking for the Disney Vacation Breakdown parts 1-5? Click here for more!

There are many ways to save at Disney World- and sometimes you can get something for nothing!

Below I have a list of freebies I know are available at the moment (however, it’s subject to change) that you can take advantage of!

Disney Maps- which can also double as scrapbooking pages.

Disney Vacation Planning DvD- a great way to get your family excited about an upcoming trip. It’s also a good way to learn about new events/offers at the resort!

Cupcakes- On your birthday, several restaurants in the resorts will give you a cupcake for free!

Pins- Birthday, First Trip, Anniversary, Just engaged, Just Married and Family Reunion are available at Guest Services, or at check in at your Disney Resort. They are free- so just ask!

Tour of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

Drawing class at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Kids activities at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Campfire Sing-along and movies at Disney’s Ft. Wilderness Lodge

If you’re staying on site- Disney’s Magical Express will pick you up at the airport, and Disney transportation will take you throughout the resort by bus or boat.

In downtown Disney, you can get a free sample of chocolate at the Ghiradelli Chocolate Shop!

If you buy something in the parks and are staying on site, the item will be shipped to your room or resort gift shop for free!

*My Disney Vacation Breakdown will continue on Monday. I’m a little behind with my posts right now. See you then!

One way you can save on souvenirs at Disney, is to pre-purchase the Disney Photopass CD.

Don’t know what photopass is?

Basically, there are a bunch of professional photographers stationed throughout the resorts and restaurants, who take pictures of you and your family. They load the information on a little card and give it to you. Then you take the card home, log into the photopass website with the key code on the card, and viola!

Your pictures are there for you to download at $14.95 a copy.

Think that’s a little expensive?

Yeah, me too.

Unless- you buy the photopass CD in advance, through their Pre-Arrival Savings Offer.Which will save you a really nice chunk of change. Not to mention your whole family makes it into the photo (it’s always one person taking the photo, am I right?).

For $99.95 (total, there is no tax or shipping) you get Disney’s PhotoCD- loaded with all of your digital .jpeg photos to you can customize (like adding borders, and making them different colors), and the copyright release so you can print them out where ever you like.

If you buy it after your vacation, the price goes up to $149.95.

Hello savings!!

You can pay with a credit card, or if you’re like me, a Disney gift card.

And what’s really great is that if you tell your Photopass photog that you’ve pre-purchased your CD, they will take additional shots for you and even pose your family to fit in with some of the “photo shop like” add-on images!

So, let’s say you have 300 images taken, and you go a little hog-wild editing them, and end up with say- 1400 images total (’cause you can make as many as you want) you could end up paying $20,930 for the images.

Okay, so I took it to the extreme, but you would have to pay $50 more for the CD if you bought it after your trip.

See where I’m getting at?

Buy the CD before you head out to Disney. You’ll save money, have it pre-paid and have an awesome souvenir (that you OWN the rights to) to boot.

What are ADR’s exactly?

They are your Advanced Dining Reservations.

Which Disney has you do 180 days from the start date of your trip.

Insane right? I know, it’s hard to look 6 months into the future- and decide when and where you are going to eat.

But, if you want that extremely hard to get reservation, you need to do this.

And the best way to do it is to either

A) Buy a Passporter, which has all the dining locations and information

or

B) Spend hours and hours of leg work online and in forums, and create your own spreadsheet.

I’m the nut case who does both.

So, my 180 days has come, and I’m going to share my dining reservations with you!

We’re trying to do a bunch of firsts, so I don’t have a whole lot of information on them, but I can assure you that when I get back, you’ll get a full report!

Just a quick note- characters are subject to change.

Day 1-

Lunch at Downtown Disney- no reservation, most likely at the Earl of Sandwich.

Dinner at 1900 Park Faire at the Grand Floridian. This is a buffet “character meal” with Cinderella, Prince Charming, Step-Mother and Step-Sisters.This is a tradition for us, and is always our first big meal.

Day 2-

Breakfast at Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary. This buffet character meal features Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy and Pluto.

Lunch at The Plaza in the Magic Kingdom. This is a table-service restaurant, and a first for us.

Dinner will be at O’Hana in the Polynesian. This is a lively family-style meal, with lots of games and activities for the kiddos! It’s also a first for us!

Day 3-

Breakfast at Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood studios. This is a buffet meal, with characters from Playhouse Disney. Another first for us!

Lunch is at the Sci-Fi Dine In. J swears we’ve eaten here before. I beg to differ. But, we’re eating here anyways, requesting a car booth to watch some old Sci-Fi movie clips!

Dinner is on the fly, as we’ll be attending the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP for short). This is another first for us, and we couldn’t be more excited!

Day 4-

Breakfast at Tusker House. Word on the street is that it’s a fabulous buffet hosted by Donald Duck. As you can tell, it’s new for us, and I’ll have more information when I come back!

Lunch will be a quick service location, giving the Flame Tree BBQ a try. I’m really looking forward to this one.

Dinner is an all time favorite in Pioneer Hall- the Hoop De Doo Musical Review! This is M’s FAVORITE place/event to eat at. It’s a great break from the character dining- and has unlimited sangria. You’re welcome.

Day 5- THE BIG DAY

Breakfast with the Princesses at Cinderella’s Royal Table, in Cinderella’s castle.

Lunch is another all time favorite, with Pooh, Tigger, Eyore and Piglet at Crystal Palace. Amazing food, and scenery. A must do!

Dinner, another first, will be at Tony’s Town Square. All I know, is that it has a “Lady and the Tramp” theme, and it has an Italian menu. Obviously, I’ll have more when I get back.

Day 6-

Breakfast with the Princesses yet again, but at Akershus in Epcot. It’s a buffet, and that’s about all I know at this point.

Lunch will be at the Coral Reef. Yet another first!

Dinner at Germany’s Biergarten!! A FAVORITE of ours, as we spent 8 WHOLE HOURS in it on our honeymoon! I’m very excited to take M there for her first time. The theme, the music, the beer- ahhhhh home!

Day 7-

A full day of Downtown Disney!

So, that’s what I have so far!

We’re taking advantage of the Free Dining during our time frame, so we’ve upgraded (paid the difference) to the Deluxe Dining Plan- and wouldn’t have it any other way!

So tell me, have you done your ADR’s yet?

To see the Disney Vacation Breakdown parts 1-4 please click here.