Don't Go to Disney Without These Four Must-Haves

Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it’s off to Disney World we go … But it turns out not everything you need is heading there with you. (No matter how many times you check your list, it’s almost impossible not to forget something.) And even though stores sell Mickey merch around practically every corner at Disney, finding simple everyday items can be not only difficult, but also budget-breakingly expensive.

I know I’ve gone through this—more than once—and with the same common item, even though I’ve visited Walt Disney World more than a dozen times. And I’m not alone. According to a former Disney cast member, who was sharing insider Disney tips on Facebook, there are four common, everyday items that even the most prepared guests routinely forget to pack, items that are either not available at the parks, or are wildly pricey.

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What are the four items Disney guests often forget?

Many of these items aren’t just the ones that get left behind at home, they’re the ones that are easy to run out of, easy to lose track of or you need more of when you’re at the parks. In the Facebook post, according to Holly Wallace, a self-proclaimed former Disney World cast member, “things that people always ask if we sell are” the following.

Socks

Close-up of a hand holding socks Grace Cary/Getty Images

One of the top things Disney guests are looking for in the park: socks. And this is my Achilles heel too—joke intended. Before you can ask: How do you not pack socks? Let me say that I actually do pack them, just never enough. And I’m sure I’m not the only one. There are rides that splash and soak unsuspecting socks, rain showers that surprise even the most fleet-footed, and footwear so, uhm, well lived in that by the end of a 10-mile hike through Magic Kingdom, a fresh pair before dinner is pretty much required.

And while my favorite socks cost about $2 a pair when I buy them in a six-pack on Amazon, a branded Disney pair at Just Fun Socks in Disney Springs averages $12 a pair.

Hair ties

It can get hot in Orlando, like really, really hot, and not just in the steamy summer, but in the late spring and early fall as well. While it’s fun to cool off on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure log flume, many long-haired guests (myself included) long for one simple item when they’re heading to their favorite rides: a hair tie. In fact, I stumbled into multiple Reddit and Facebook chat rooms with people searching for something to pull their hair back with at Disney World. There are some hair accessories at the Emporium in Magic Kingdom and at Sephora at Disney Springs, but if you’re hot right now and you’re not near either store, that’s not much help. (And, yes, you can ask for a rubber band—but if you’ve ever had one stick to your ponytail and rip out your follicles, you know why most people don’t choose that option.)

If you do find a scrunchy or hairband, it will cost you. Expect to pay $12 and up for Disney hair ties, instead of the roughly $4.99 at your local drugstore.

Phone cords

You basically can’t go anywhere at Disney without your phone. The Disney World app helps you plan out your day, keeps track of your photos and lets you know the wait times for rides as well as booking your Lightning Lane times, checking on dining reservations and ordering food for pickup. So when you forget your phone cord either at your hotel or for backup power at the parks (and I highly suggest bringing a portable powerbank), having a resulting dead phone becomes an issue with wide repercussions.

And while you can find a charging cord at Disney resort gift shops, expect to pay upwards of $30, as opposed to $6.99 on Amazon.

Feminine hygiene products

You’re planning your Disney vacation but forget to keep an eye on the calendar, only to be surprised with the need for period products. Or possibly you did pack some, but ran out way too soon. It’s a great way to ruin an otherwise fun day in the parks. Although you can get individual items in bathroom vending machines, the gift shops in the parks don’t stock full-size boxes, making the whole day seem like a pretty crumby treasure hunt as you seek out individual versions for 50¢ each (about double what you’d pay if you were buying a box at a drugstore), not to mention you’ll also need quarters.

Tip: If you don’t have change, the First Aid Centers at Disney parks carry individual products that they distribute for free (although only one per person). The Baby Care Centers have small boxes of pads and tampons for sale.

More items to add to your Disney packing list

While you’re double-checking to make sure you have all those items, here are a few more that Disney fans recommend adding to your suitcase.

A refillable water bottle
Band Aids for blisters, anti-nausea meds for spinning rides and pain relievers for other assorted ailments
Sunscreen, sunglasses, lip balm and a hat to beat the Florida sun
Aloe vera, for when you forget to reapply the sunscreen
Rain poncho (one from the dollar store works just as well as a pricey Disney parks one)
Autograph book and Sharpie (once again, dollar store versions work the same as any purchased in the parks)
Extra pin backs for collectible pins (for when you invariably lose the Mickey-shaped ones they come with)
Hand sanitizer (and lots of it)

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