Spring is in the air, flowers and trees are blooming, we are opening windows and soaking in the sun: Spring is here! As Spring approaches so do our dreams of the coming months when the kids are out of school, summer break is in full swing and summer vacation is upon us!
If you are planning a Disney cruise or Disney park vacation this summer or within the next year, I hope to inspire you to think outside the box and thrift things for your vacation to the happiest place on earth. Let’s be honest, when you are planning a Disney vacation, you are spending a ton of money. It is so tempting to order matching custom shirts and Disney everything online and have it shipped to your house, but if you want to save money on items you will probably wear one time on one day, I am here to help!
Our last Disney Vacation was in 2022 and we started planning a whole year in advance. Many friends and family who have traveled to Disney have also planned pretty far ahead and this timeframe gives you plenty of time to scour the thrift stores to dress head to toe in Disney apparel and accessories and do it in a more affordable and sustainable way. I thrift often, and almost every thrift trip I will find multiple Disney items.
Make a list of the things you want to purchase and keep it with you when you go shopping. If you have friends who thrift often, make a copy of your list and give it to them so it is a team effort. Some items to add to your Disney thrift list are:
Mickey/Minnie Ears
(Oftentimes I will find plain black Mickey ears, but you could DIY and make some awesome custom ears with craft supplies, paint, glitter, sequins, bows, etc.)
Water Bottles
Hats
Sweatshirts (for chilly evenings)
Raincoats
T-Shirts
Tank Tops
Flip Flops
Shoes
Bags/Backpacks
Toys
(buy some like new or new Disney toys, wrap them and bring them with you and gift your kids those toys instead of spending a crazy amount of money on several gift shop toys)
Swimsuits
Shorts
Dresses
Princess Dresses
Lanyards for Pin Trading
Suitcases
Autograph Books
I was amazed how many items I accumulated and put together and completely outfitted my family for each day at Disney! I found swimsuits for my kids for pool days, I found Star Wars shirts for me and my kids for Hollywood Studios Day, I found sweatshirts for the plane and the evenings when it was a little cooler. I thrifted two princess dresses for my daughter to wear to meet the princesses and each day the kids (and myself) were decked out with super cute dresses, shoes and t-shirts with Mickey and Minnie on them. I promise, if you thrift often and have some time, you can do the same! Many of these things my kids wore again that summer, but some they did not and I did not feel bad donating back a $1.49 t-shirt or dress. I did some investigating and found that if you were to purchase outfits for each day for each family member and buy brand new items that you may not wear again after your vacation, you could spend hundreds of dollars just on clothing on an already expensive vacation.
I also know that some of you will go on a Disney vacation and could care less about donning Disney apparel and accessories and that is totally fine, but if you want to have Disney everything, thrifting those things is so easy and so much fun!
Why wait? Start this week and we would love for you to tag us on social media with your thrifted treasures of mixed and matched Disney items for your trip and of course those iconic castle pictures.
Happy Thrifting-
Erin