What To Bring From Home And What To Buy In Orlando – 3 Things To Remember

Packing for a trip can be daunting, especially if it is your first stay at the Most Magical Place on Earth. Some people want to pack light, and take only what they think they will need and others want to pack everything they can to cover any emergency they can think of. How do you know which way is the right way and how do you know what to bring from home to buy in Orlando? Follow these steps as a guide to stress free packing!

3. Know your budget

Knowing what to pack and what to purchase when you are in Orlando can be very subjective to people based on their needs, however there is one thing that is important for everyone to know and understand: your budget. If you have a loose budget for this trip, it is okay if you forget to pack some things such as sunscreen or a bottle of advil. Those things can be purchased at the airport as well as at your resort, at a steeper cost increase than what you would likely pay for at home. If you have a tight budget, it is important to know and understand what money you could be wasting by not bringing something with you. Ponchos are expensive in Disney, so you will want to bring one with you as well as anything else that can easily purchase from the dollar store. Sunglasses, sunscreen, and medications are all things you will want to bring with you as well.

2. What do you plan on eating?

Do you plan on spending breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Disney or around Orlando? Are you doing the Disney Dining Plan? If so, you may not need to bring any food with you or order any groceries before you head to Disney. However, if you have special dietary needs, food restrictions and want to stay on a budget, it might be best to bring food with you or order groceries before you arrive. On my last trip, we brought bagels and peanut butter with us, as well as snacks to bring into the parks and a Brita water bottle for us to use in the parks as we;;. This saved us a lot of money on breakfast, snacking around the resorts and even something as simple as buying water or spending time waiting in line to purchase something. If you are staying in a villa with a kitchen and wish to cook some meals in your room, or even if you want to have perishables like milk and cold cuts in your room, consider ordering groceries to be delivered. There are several sites out there that will deliver straight to your resort for a fee, however what you spend on groceries is likely to be less than what you would spend throughout your stay at the Disney resort.

1. Know your surroundings

Orlando is a destination city with so many different amusement parks and resorts in the area, so you can expect prices to be typically higher than average when you purchase something. Again, consider your budget and what you plan on eating or spend most of your time doing and then think about what Orlando has to offer. If you are renting a car, or want to have organic food at your disposal, you might want to take a trip to Publix or Whole Foods rather than bring things with you. If you don’t want to waste space in your suitcase for sunscreen or alcohol and wish to purchase those on site on your Disney resort, just be aware that you will likely be paying more for those items. Most resorts have a small area for groceries in their gift stores as well which have prices that are marked up, but if you are looking more for convenience rather than budget, you might want to leave some of those items home and just worry about purchasing what you need when you get there. All you have to do is consider your budget, think about what you plan on doing when you are on vacation, and consider what Orlando has to offer before you make your decision on what to bring with you and what to keep at home.

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