We all know the inevitable Disneyland trip is going to be expensive. No matter how well you plan, the spending adds up quickly. I even bought Billy this shirt, “Most Expensive Day Ever” and we survive our vacation pretty well. This is only because I plan for a whole year, buying as much as I can, as cheap as I can to save us BIG bucks inside the park. I’ve found a lot of truly beneficial things for only $1 and put them together for you in a What to Buy at Dollar Tree for Disneyland list.
What to Buy at Dollar Tree
You can download my FREE Dollar Tree Packing List below. Before we get too much into the list let’s first cover who my list is for. If you’re a family with kids, traveling through an airport, then staying in a hotel, this list is for you. If you’re only going to the Park, there are still a ton of useful things too. But I’ll start at the very beginning with the Airport.
What to Buy for the Airport
If you’ve been to my blog before you may have come across our Airport Travel Kits from Dollar Tree, which we LOVED and I’m doing again this year. The toy and educational aisle alone can fill these for you. They’ve got crayons, coloring books and mini art projects that will keep your kids busy while waiting in the airport and flying. Grab some fun kid supplies in a Mickey or Disney theme then hop on over a few aisles to snag a drawstring bag!
Finally, for the airport, one thing I wish I had our last trip, was an outlet adapter. Airport terminals fill up quickly, and I wanted my boys to stay close together while they were plugged in.
An adapter splitter made it possible to huddle around the same outlet. This is a tip for all traveling, not just going to Disneyland!
What to Buy for the Hotel
Hotel Rooms for Disneyland are an entirely different post for another time. But specifically, on what to buy from Dollar Tree for Disneyland we’re covering fun and function.
Fun & Safety
Dollar Tree has a GREAT party section with balloons. I bought some to make the hotel room more exciting while we were there. It also kept them occupied.
If you’re getting an adjoining room you’re going to want door stops to keep them open. {Or maybe you won’t!} That brings me to my next item: Paper Mailing Tape.
When I was a volleyball coach during away tournaments, responsible for 13 teenagers by myself, I would tape their door jam at night so I knew if they left their rooms after curfew.
Having an adjoining room with my young kids gives me a similar paranoia for kids being out of their room at night. At least with the tape, I’ll know if they conspire… Mine are too young for this, but if you have teenagers, you might consider this strategy. My players once had to run 90 lines on a tournament morning for being caught out of their rooms 90 minutes past curfew.
That should help with your teenagers. If you have babies or toddlers the reverse side is that you can find outlet plugs and corner protectors at Dollar Tree. You can also find a huge selection of night lights. Next, the Dollar Tree has mattress covers. No matter how many stars our hotel has, best believe the first thing I’m doing is covering the mattress with my own brand new cover!
- Disney Balloons
- Door Stops – Adjoining rooms
- Mattress Covers
- Night Light
- Outlet Covers – Babies & Toddlers
- Packaging Tape – Return Shipping Box
- Paper Mailing Tape – Kids Room Door
- Tea & Drink Mixes
- To-Go Coffee Cups
Hanging out at the Hotel
Our hotel has a pool, as most will in California. We plan to spend a lot of time there too {since we paid for it} From the Dollar Tree I bought my husband and I some large, reusable coffee cups to take poolside or walking in the downtown Disney District. I even snuck in some Arnold Palmer Tea mixes for the Hubs. We’ve also got quite the collection of snacks and lunch containers, but I’ll get to that.
Inside the Park
Now here is the truly magical list. Let’s start with these lunch containers and water bottles. You’re allowed to bring in your own food which ensures you’ll save a bundle on snacks. You’ll want to save your spare change for Dole Whips and Mickey Pretzels. Nobody wants to pay Park Prices for carrot sticks. Pack those babies! I’m even shipping a little peanut Butter & jelly jar set to out hotel so we can make sandwiches.
Basic Supplies
You’ll want to pack a basic first aid kit. Don’t worry the park is well stocked with first aid personnel if something serious happens. But, you may pack some extra waterproof bandaids to have in your backpack. Speaking of Backpacks, take a peek inside of mine on a Disneyland day. Stock up on wet wipes too, you’ll want them.
Clothes for Disneyland
Did you know that the Dollar Tree sells plain t-shirts, Disney socks, and kids sunglasses? Yep! Insoles for your shoes too. Better yet insoles for your KIDS new shoes. Reduce all that whine time.
You can even snag a $1 poncho near the checkout stand. Guess how much a poncho for Splash Mountain is inside the park? Go on, guess… It’s $12 so you’re saving $11 whole dollars by shopping at Dollar Tree before you even leave. You’re welcome. Have yourself an extra Dole Whip, which you CAN’T buy ahead or anywhere else. {sad-face}
Now after you’ve been soaked on the Grizzly ride, take off your $1 poncho and let it dry inside the mesh Delicates Bag you’ve conveniently clipped with a carabiner to your backpack. No need to carry it around in your arm or wad it up inside your backpack!
- Band-Aids
- Carabiners
- Delicate Bag- Clip on Wet Poncho
- Disney Socks
- Glow Sticks- Fireworks Show
- Kids Sunglasses
- Ponchos- Splash Mountain
- Shoe Insoles
- Snack & Lunch Organizers
- T-Shirts to customize
- Water bottles
- Wet Wipes
Group Disneyland Vacations
Buying these items at Dollar Tree for your family will save you a TON of money already. But if you’re traveling with a group of 10 or more people, you’re going to save even more. Here are some of my affiliate links to Dollar Tree BULK Buys:
- Ponchos for Splash Mountain – Buy 4 to 24 online
- Gel Insoles for shoes – Sold in cases of 24 online
- Carabiner Clips 2-pack – Sold in a 48 pack unit for 96 total clips
- Travel Wet Wipes – Sold in various amounts
- Glow Stick Wands – MANY choices for the After Dark Fireworks Shows
- Water Bottles – Buy 12 to 24 with many options
- Drawstring Bags – Minimum Order of 4
- Kids Sunglasses – Unit of 36 Sunglasses
- All the Disney Activity Kit & Souvenir Supplies
- Lanyards for Disney Pins – Case of 24
- Queen Mattress Covers – Sold in sets of 24, that’s 12 Double Queen Rooms
Best of luck Team with your Disneyland Vacation Planning. As for me…
I’m done Adulting… Let’s go to Disneyland!
-All Moms Everywhere
Hi Friends! This Blog Post is from a collection of others ALL about Disneyland. Read them all through my main
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