Saturday, February 6, 2016

Buy This Before Disney!

What to Buy Before Your Disney Trip

            I’m in the process of planning a trip to Disney World! I have never been, so of course neither has Reagan. I cannot wait to see her excitement and experience such a magical trip with her! This is definitely one of the perks of mom life, am I right?!

            So in all my planning, I’ve been researching places to eat, people to meet, things to do, and I can’t wait to share all the tips and tricks I’ve learned and all the details of our trip once we go. There are a few things I know we want to have on hand right away, so here’s a list of what we’re getting before the trip!




1.          Princess costumes: Of course Reagan is so excited to see Elsa and Anna and all the princesses! She already has a few costumes from Disney from past Halloweens and birthdays, so we will definitely be bringing those. I have always been a big fan of costumes from the Disney Store. When Reagan was two, she wanted to be Sophia the First for Halloween. I got her the outfit and all the accessories, and not only was it SO cute at the time, it still fits her now that she’s 4 (almost 5!) and has held up beautifully! Through tea parties, washes, days and days worth of dress up, it practically looks brand new. Part of that is because Reagan is short and small for her age, and she generally takes good care of her clothes and toys, but still, I feel like for costume and dress up clothes it’s worth the extra money to buy from the Disney Store and get a high quality product that lasts rather than the one-size-fits-most counterparts in other stores.

2.      Autograph books: I’ve never been to any Disney location, so I could be wrong, but I would imagine that any time after you enter the park is fair game for a character spotting. I want to have our autograph books on hand so we’re ready from the start. This princess version looks especially magical!

3.       Special or matching outfits: I’ve seen some matching shirts from the Disney Store, but also Disney themed shirts on Etsy. I’m getting the Mouseketeer shirts with the Minnie ears, and the rest I’ll be designing and making. (And posting on Etsy! I’ll be sharing them here too when they’re listed!) I found the dress in the next picture at Walmart just two days ago. This is a great option for a regular outfit, but also if you're looking for a less expensive or more comfortable alternative to the princess costumes! If you've followed my new Instagram for the blog, you already got a sneak peak at this post and saw this picture! (The blog has a Pinterest now too! Follow us!)




4.       Ear hats or headbands: We already have a pair of pink sequin Minnie ears that I wore for Halloween when Reagan was Minnie Mouse. Unfortunately her hat from that costume no longer fits, so I’m just getting her a matching pair and making our first day shirts to match them. They have some really cool themed headbands and hats at the Disney Store, so I’m hopeful that there will be even more in the parks.

5.       Light Up Toys and Glow Sticks:
 Walmart has tons of glow sticks in the party section, and some are even Frozen themed. I already picked up a set to save for a random occasion, so we’ll be taking that for one of the night parades or fireworks shows. We also already have a few princess wands from costumes and Disney On Ice, so we’ll be bringing those instead of buying more while we’re there.

6.       Something special for the trip: There are a number of play sets, especially those that come with carrying cases, which will give kids something fun to do on the trip, in the hotel during down time, or even in line waiting in the parks.

7.       Trading pins and starter set: Pin trading is a big deal for some families, so we’re going to give it a try. Cast members will even trade with you if you ask. I’m getting a starter set and a couple sets of the less expensive pins so we’ll have some we’re okay with parting with. The pins aren’t crazy expensive and with the lanyards they’re kind of self-contained, so I feel like these make a great souvenir also!

8.       Magicband accessories: We’re going to decorate our magicbands, so I’m getting a few sliders and stickers and we’ll make a fun activity of it in the days before we leave. There are of course accessories or even decorated magicbands themselves from the Disney Store, and I’ve also seen stickers on etsy with characters and monograms. I’m sure a small sticker set from the party section of any store would work as well!

Of course there are tons of other things you may potentially need before you leave, but these are all of the Disney specific items I’m going to be shopping for ahead of time to save a little time and money! What are your favorite things to pack for Disney trips?

xoxo,


Katie