Visiting Disney with a large family and a tight budget...

[chickenpatty]

I'm sorry if questions about Disney have been asked to death... But... I have never been and I'm not sure what to expect or how to plan.

 

Any tips? What do we do about food? Pack a cooler & leave it in the van in the parking lot? Our hotel is about 1 mile from the entrance. Can we carry in our own water? We're on a seriously tight budget. (The disney passes are a gift from my mil.)

 

Our little people are not so little anymore, should we still bring our stroller? (It's a double.)

 

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[BMW]

You are allowed to bring in water bottles. Our backpacks were searched prior to going in. The search was for "glass" bottles. That is a no-no. Water gets heavy... so we had a few shoulder bags/backpacks and had each parent and a couple of older ones each carry a few waters. There are lockers to rent so you don't have to carry them around all the time.

 

They have a picnic ground for those who bring their own food. It is just outside of the entrance. The food is VERY expensive if you are feeding a lot of people.

 

We made really thick sandwiches, had pickles and chips and drinks and went to the picnic area to eat. You could add in crackers and fresh veggies, too!

 

That's what we did.

[journeytolily]

Bringing a stroller can be a pain, but you may still want to bring it. Walking around the parks all day is VERY tiring for younger kids (heck, for the adults too!). They may need a rest every now and then. Also, strollers are handy for other "stuff" you might be walking around with.

 

I've never had a problem bringing in snacks and drinks, but I've never tried a day's worth of food!

 

Veronica

[Ellyndria]

Yes, bring the stroller, especially if you're going to be there more than a day or two. Disney days are long days, and little legs get tired and don't walk as fast. I stopped using a stroller with DS when he was about 2, EXCEPT at Disney. We went to Disney when he was 4 and 5, and we rented a stroller from a company down there...best thing ever. Even if the kids want to walk for a while, it is handy to have to hold stuff.

[Vida Winter]

If you want info on the latest deals as well as tips from the pros, sign up at disboards (a moderated forum - google it for the specific address). You can do research on general topics like saving money and also ask specific questions.

 

As far as the stroller, I think a double would be cumbersome but a smaller one might not be a bad idea just to carry your extra clothing and water. Or you could bring a small backpack for each person.

 

ETA: just saw the age of your kids in your sig. Bring the stroller. The younger kids will still want to use it! If you don't bring it you may end up renting and that gets expensive.

[Tammyla]

Bringing your own food and drinks will save not only $$$ but time.

 

Consider bringing pre wrapped Disney souvenirs too. We bought a lot there too, but didn't break the budget nearly as much.

 

Have a wonderful time. Strollers are great for resting and packing all the stuff around:).

[FloridaLisa]

We brought in lunch and snacks in our backpack. We also brought in a couple of water bottles and refilled throughout the day at the water fountains. Another fun, free activity to extend your Disney time without additional ticket purchases is spending some time at Downtown Disney. It has the Disney feel and Disney shops, but is free.

 

HTH,

Lisa

[hillfarm]

Buy your Disney souvenirs off site. We went on a several day trip to Clearwater, Tarpon Springs, and Orlando a few years ago and had to go to the Kissimmee WalMart to buy an extra cheap suitcase to get it all home. :glare: While there, I bought several Disney souvenirs that were much cheaper than similar items from inside the parks.

Edited November 15, 2010 by hillfarm

[goldberry]

The dollar store is a great stop for souvenirs before you go. They have a lot of disney stuff, and glow sticks too, for night time. (buy extra glow sticks though, about 1/3 are usually duds).

 

If you bring your own water bottles, the counter service restaurants will refill them for you if you ask.

[sheryl]

That would be Jennifer/MI!

 

You're only 1 mile from the entrance. Well, we just came back a week ago from our first ever trip to DW! It was great. I'm not as "experienced" with multiple trips, so that's why I suggest talking to Jennifer.

 

But....to me it may be a toss up as to whether to bring food or just head back to your room. You may carry backpacks in AND coolers that you can "carry", but their new policy is no coolers that you roll on the ground. I saw people breaking this though and pull their backpack. For a large family perhaps it would be in your best interest to head back to your room. But, that will equate in time away from the park. Time to get to your car, unload, etc etc. You could pack a cooler and leave in the car. AND, you could pack sandwiches the night before and freeze them. Take other things to eat. And, by the time they thaw you'd have them to eat at one of the parks. We took 2 bottles each. However, you don't need that.....one bottle and refill will work. There were water fountains, but I didn't see that many. Club cool in Epcot as free beverage drinks from around the world....as much as you can ingest. So, fill up there if you're going to Epcot.

 

A poster in a reply to my thread a few months ago said any restaurant will give you free water. I didn't want to chance that.

 

Take snacks to munch on through the day and tide you over until you eat that lunch and dinner.

 

There's so much more advice, but I hope that helps in some small way. Honestly, you'll be walking, riding, looking, etc so much that the last priority may be food/drinks. But, make it a priority to keep your energy level up and you don't become dehydrated.

 

My husband carried the backpack for the 3 of us. For only 3 (in my family) our needs weren't as great so the backpack was not that heavy. If you ride Kali River Rapids or Splash Mtn you may be loaded down more with ponchos and water shoes, etc. Camera will take up space and weight as well.

 

Wear sunscreen, visors. I bought bandanas for each one of us to spot the other in a crowd....HA who was I kidding!!! It wouldn't have worked. However, in a large family some people used the "Duggar" approach and wore all matching t-shirts, bright. Now, those stood out!

 

 

Sheryl <><

 

Now, go and have fun!!

[kokotg]

Any food place that sells fountain drinks will give you free cups of ice water, too.

 

I'd bring the stroller. My 4 year old actually refused to ride in one this year, but I really wished he would. Both of my older kids were happy to jump in a stroller any chance they got at that age.

 

When are you going? It's never a bad idea to have at least a loose touring plan to follow, and it's pretty much essential if it's a crowded time of year. I like touringplans.com for that; a subscription is something like $10-12 for a year, and it's definitely worth it. Read up on how to use fastpasses!

[Jennifer in MI]

I'm sorry if questions about Disney have been asked to death... But... I have never been and I'm not sure what to expect or how to plan.

 

Any tips? What do we do about food? Pack a cooler & leave it in the van in the parking lot? Our hotel is about 1 mile from the entrance. Can we carry in our own water? We're on a seriously tight budget. (The disney passes are a gift from my mil.)

 

Our little people are not so little anymore, should we still bring our stroller? (It's a double.)

 

Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

I haven't read all the responses, but I'll answer anyway! I love Disney!

 

Food - I would not pack a cooler and leave it in the car. At the Magic Kingdom, it takes a LONG time to get back to your car and you'd lose a lot of time. And, at the other parks, while the lots are closer, it would still take a LONG time to get there. When we did our budget trip, we packed up sandwiches, carrots, chips, and a dessert and water bottles in a backpack. We stuck that in the stroller and wheeled it around all day.

 

YES!!! Bring the stroller. In it, you can stick all your stuff. We carried in an umbrella or rain poncho each, food, water bottles, jackets, ds' medicine, etc. My 9 yo even sat in it on our last trip! It's a LOT of walking.

 

There's so much more to say, but I'm hungry!!!! How long are you staying? How many park days do you have? What time of year are you going? More later!

[LibraryLover]

We bring protein in all the time, as well as water bottles. I would bring the stoller. This way, you can have a place for a tired young one, and gear. We freeze our water bottles, as they help (at least for a time) keep some of our snacks cool. Even if we plan to eat something in the parks, we still bring food. Lines can be long, and if you have kids who need to keep blood sugar level, you will be glad for those cheese sticks snuggled up against a cold water bottle. So, cheese sticks, nut butter on whole wheat bread, granola bars, and carrot sticks are typically packed. Sometimes we have frozen Stoneyfiled Farm yogurt tubes, but they do defrost quickly, so it's the first thing we eat. When the children were little, these foods saved us many a time. Once you start to feel hungry, you still wait for food, even if you have reservations. That can mean disaster for some little ones. I tried to avoid that sort of thing.

 

We might eat our snacks during the first part of the day, have some ice cream during a parade, and then go back to the hotel pool for a swim, and go back for the fireworks later. We might eat park food, we might eat at a place on International Dr. or elsewhere. We've also gone to the Whole Foods in Orlando and had prepared food from their food bar.

Edited November 15, 2010 by LibraryLover

[Jennifer in MI]

That would be Jennifer/MI!

 

You're only 1 mile from the entrance. Well, we just came back a week ago from our first ever trip to DW! It was great. I'm not as "experienced" with multiple trips, so that's why I suggest talking to Jennifer.

 

But....to me it may be a toss up as to whether to bring food or just head back to your room. You may carry backpacks in AND coolers that you can "carry", but their new policy is no coolers that you roll on the ground. I saw people breaking this though and pull their backpack. For a large family perhaps it would be in your best interest to head back to your room. But, that will equate in time away from the park. Time to get to your car, unload, etc etc. You could pack a cooler and leave in the car. AND, you could pack sandwiches the night before and freeze them. Take other things to eat. And, by the time they thaw you'd have them to eat at one of the parks. We took 2 bottles each. However, you don't need that.....one bottle and refill will work. There were water fountains, but I didn't see that many. Club cool in Epcot as free beverage drinks from around the world....as much as you can ingest. So, fill up there if you're going to Epcot.

 

A poster in a reply to my thread a few months ago said any restaurant will give you free water. I didn't want to chance that.

 

Take snacks to munch on through the day and tide you over until you eat that lunch and dinner.

 

There's so much more advice, but I hope that helps in some small way. Honestly, you'll be walking, riding, looking, etc so much that the last priority may be food/drinks. But, make it a priority to keep your energy level up and you don't become dehydrated.

 

My husband carried the backpack for the 3 of us. For only 3 (in my family) our needs weren't as great so the backpack was not that heavy. If you ride Kali River Rapids or Splash Mtn you may be loaded down more with ponchos and water shoes, etc. Camera will take up space and weight as well.

 

Wear sunscreen, visors. I bought bandanas for each one of us to spot the other in a crowd....HA who was I kidding!!! It wouldn't have worked. However, in a large family some people used the "Duggar" approach and wore all matching t-shirts, bright. Now, those stood out!

 

 

Sheryl <><

 

Now, go and have fun!!

 

I'm not worthy!!!! LOL I love the title of Mrs. Disney, but I really feel unworthy of it!! There are so many other people here who have so much more experience than I do! But, I sure do love Disney.

 

Now, I must eat. But, I'll be back!!!

[delaney]

rent a locker in the parks to store the food and give each kid a fanny pack with a drink box and snack. get one of the water filter things for water bottles and refill at the fountains. Heck I would be tempted to put coolers of 2 liters or something in the car and and just make a mid afternoon mercy run. You can eat anywhere in the parks btw. You don't have to go out to eat your own food. There are lots of benches and places to sit around the park.

[Melinda in VT]

Disneyland or Disney World?

 

For Disneyland, I think a picnic is doable. You can rent a locker near the entrance for your cooler and eat at the picnic area just outside the gates.

 

For Disney World, we bring a couple of snacks per person. (My kids wear waist packs and with their own snacks inside.) We always go back to the condo for a lunch/rest break. Depending on how late you are staying in the park that evening, you can either plan to eat when you return to the hotel for the night, grab something in the park for dinner, or eat a bigger lunch and subsist on healthy snacks for dinner.

[chickenpatty]

We're going next week - I think we're there for 5 days. Thanks for any help!

[MaMa2005]

Buy your Disney souvenirs off site. We went on a several day trip to Clearwater, Tarpon Springs, and Orlando trip a few years ago and had to go to the Kissimmee WalMart to buy an extra cheap suitcase to get it all home. :glare: While there, I bought several Disney souvenirs that were much cheaper than similar items from inside the parks.

 

That is by far the best place to buy Disney stuff. We were shocked at the entire section devoted to Disney. We ran into one family that had several littles with them. They were buying the small stuffed animals - enough for each child to have a new one each morning to carry around Disney. I think they spent less on a week's worth of stuffed animals at the WalMart than if they had bought just one of the exact same thing in the park. By going before you visit a park, it will greatly reduce the "I WANT ..."!

[Mom2J112903]

Did you check to see if you can take advantage of the free Disney Dinning Plan? If not, I *highly* suggest you do that. That will save a world of $, offer an incrediable experince and a lot of sore backs ;)

[whitestavern]

We would either bring our lunch in in backpacks or head home (offsite condo) for a midday rest. If I chose to bring lunch, it would be something that would not have to be refrigerated. Some ideas for food: pasta salad w/chicken or ham and veggies w/Italian dressing; peanut butter & jelly sandwiches; granola bars, carrot sticks, grapes, apples, trail mix; that kind of stuff. We always brought our own water bottles which would last the day (although we don't go in intense heat). Kids carried their own water bottles; dh carried our water and food, etc. Hope this helps. Have a great time! We love Disney :)