10 Things You Think You Need for Your Disney Trip, But Absolutely Don’t

The online travel planning space is saturated with advice on all things Disney, including where to stay, what to eat, what to wear, and what to bring. After some research, you may begin to feel as if you can't have a good time at Disney without everything that the Disney hive mind claims is a necessity. But what do you really need for your Disney trip, and how much of what you think you need is just extra?

While there are a good many items you will definitely want to have at the ready on your Disney vacation, we guarantee there are some items on your checklist you can absolutely do without! We've compiled a list of the ten most common items many Disney-goers may consider essentials that we don't think are strictly necessary.

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You Don't Need These Things at Disney

Although a few of these may seem slightly controversial at first glance (particularly those near the end of this list), we promise we can back them up with sound reasoning. You may still decide some of the following are non-negotiable for you and your group, and that's okay!

We've been on countless Disney adventures, and in our experience, the things on our list below can sometimes be nice to have, but we've also done just fine without them. So, if any of these are causing stress because you worry they won't fit into your park bag, they're an extra expense, or they require even more planning, we're here to assure you Disney can be done—and done well—without them.

A Rigid Itinerary

The biggest problem with the best-laid plans is that they can go proverbially awry. I've spent weeks carefully constructing detailed touring plans for my family's Disney park days based on data and crowd patterns, and in all my 20 years as a Disney adult, I've never had one itinerary go off without a slew of hitches.

Even the most well-researched park itinerary will never be able to account for an hour-long transportation delay on your way to the Magic Kingdom, or your first, third, and fifth rides of the day closing for maintenance while you're in the queue. Don't get me wrong—it's still wise to have an idea of the attractions you most want to experience and the optimal times of day to experience them, especially the ones that typically post long waits.

Another problem with sticking to a rigid itinerary is that it leaves little room for spontaneity. Planning your trip down to the minute can keep you from enjoying unexpected character appearances, live entertainment, or spur-of-the-moment rides on attractions with short wait times. Whether you value spontaneity or not, you should expect a healthy dose of it at Disney, so when it comes to planning, I find a balanced approach is best. Follow a rough outline that leaves room for special moments to unfold as they may.

Park Tickets for Every Day of Your Trip

Park tickets may seem like an obvious must-have at Disney, but not so fast! Maybe you're staying for longer than a couple of days and can't afford tickets for every day of your trip. Or maybe the idea of spending more than two days in a row navigating crowds and waiting in lines sounds like a recipe for burnout.

Some of my favorite days at Disney have been what my family refers to as “resort days.” Instead of going to the parks, we enjoy time soaking up the environment at our resort and exploring the many other activities Disney has to offer. We swim in the resort pool, participate in games, arts, crafts, and recreational offerings, go shopping at the resorts or at Disney Springs and Downtown Disney, and enjoy a table service meal. See the best things to do outside of the parks at Disney World!

There are so many things to do outside the parks, especially at Disney World, that some families even do an entire Disney trip without park tickets!

Water Bottles

Admittedly, it can be really convenient to keep a water bottle with you at Disney World or Disneyland. It can get brutally hot at times, and staying hydrated is important. However, while it might not seem like a big deal to throw a water bottle in your day pack if you're only carrying gear for one, for a family of four, water bottles can really take up a significant amount of park bag real estate. Not only that, but when they're actually full of water, those things can get pretty heavy. Kids can set them down and forget them, and the bottles can sometimes leak in your bag (even if they're leak-proof, a hastily closed water bottle can soak all your day pack supplies).

The good news is, you absolutely don't NEED a water bottle at Disney. You can get free ice water at any dining location that serves fountain drinks. Many of these locations already have easy-access water coolers in convenient corners of the restaurant, or trays full of prepared water cups at the counter, so you don't even have to ask for them.

Dining Reservations

Disney dining options abound, and if there's a particular table service restaurant you're dying to try, you'll obviously want to book an advance dining reservation for that location. However, it's entirely possible to plan a Disney vacation without any advance dining reservations and still enjoy plenty of good food on your trip.

Not only are there a plethora of exciting quick service restaurants at Disneyland and Disney World that feature a variety of menu options for picky and adventurous eaters alike, but many table service restaurants also offer a mobile walk-up wait list option. Of course, walk-up availability is not guaranteed, but if your heart isn't set on a specific restaurant, you can explore the app to find one nearby with open seating. You may still have to wait for a bit, but if you're not in a hurry, you can absolutely enjoy a nice sit-down meal without stressing about reservations during the planning phase of your trip.

Photo Pass Memory Maker

Disney PhotoPass photographers can make it easier to capture your big moments at Disney World, and Memory Maker can give you access to digital copies of all the images these photographers take throughout your trip for one set cost. Without it, you'll pay at least $18.95 for each photo you decide to download, which seems like a steep price tag for a single image. In light of this, Memory Maker might seem like a must-have for your Disney vacation. I know my family has purchased it plenty of times in the past.

However, you may want to think twice before adding this feature to the cost of your trip. While Memory Maker wasn't exactly inexpensive before, the recent price increase to $75 a day or $185 for the length of your trip ($210, if you wait until after your arrival) is significant. You could download several of your favorite PhotoPass photos for less than that. Plus, if you ask them to, Disney PhotoPass Photographers will cheerfully snap photos for you using your personal device instead. So, while it's nice to have a few of these professional Disney photographs to keep, we don't always think the Memory Maker add-on is worth the money.

Large Amounts of Cash

With many cashless forms of payment available at the parks, restaurants, shops, and resorts — from your mobile wallet, to credit cards, to Disney gift cards, to MagicBands — there's really no need to bring large amounts of cash on a Disney vacation. It's still a good idea to have a bit of pocket money on hand for tipping “mousekeeping,” bell services, tour guides, and the like, but overall, paying electronically is preferred at Disney.

A First Aid Kit

In the past, I've wasted valuable park bag real estate on a fully-loaded (albeit portable) first aid kit, especially during my kids' preschool years. After many, many Disney trips spanning the past couple of decades, I can't recall a single instance when anyone in my family had need of anything in that kit beyond the occasional adhesive bandage or over-the-counter pain reliever. So, these days, I throw a few loose Band-Aids, a tiny tube of antibiotic ointment, and a snack-sized Ziplock bag containing a few doses of ibuprofen (pills for the grown-ups and chewable tablets for the kids) into the front zipper pouch of my day-pack and call it a day.

It's helpful to know that there are First Aid Stations in every park equipped with samples of many common medications and staffed with licensed nurses who are ready to treat whatever ails you. They can administer EpiPens for allergic reactions or injections for health issues like diabetes, and if you need electrolytes or a place to lie down, they've got you covered. They can even store any specialized medication you might personally have at the station, so you don't have to carry it around with you.

Magic Bands

Once upon a time, Disney's all-in-one RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) wristband was free to all resort guests, and receiving yours in the mail prior to your arrival was an exciting Disney planning step to look forward to. Now, these wearable keys to the kingdom are gonna cost you, and while it's definitely fun and convenient to have your park tickets, method of payment, room key, and more on one Mickey-adorned, wearable device, you may decide you would rather forego the expense.

For one thing, prices for each MagicBand start at about $20, and the current version, MagicBand+ can cost anywhere from $34.99 to $54.99! This new iteration features a color-changing ring of light, vibrating sensors, and gesture recognition, with interactive capabilities designed to enhance your experience. However, many of the interactive elements require taking the time to visit specific locations, complete a quest, or pause your trek to the next attraction to wave your hand at a statue. So, if you have other priorities and limited time in the parks, these special functions may not be worth it for you. Another frequent guest complaint about MagicBand+ is the limited battery life. These high-tech accessories need to be recharged frequently.

Although they can be fun to use, you absolutely don't need to purchase a MagicBand or MagicBand+ for your Disney vacation. Instead, you can request a Disney key card, use the Disney mobile apps, or use a Magic Band from a previous trip, no matter how long ago it was — I'm still using one particular MagicBand from 2012.

Park Hopper

Disney's Park Hopper tickets allow guests to visit more than one theme park on the same day. For example, with the Park Hopper option, you can begin your day at Animal Kingdom, which typically closes several hours earlier than the rest of the parks at Walt Disney World, and spend the evening at Epcot, touring World Showcase and ending your park day with a climactic viewing of Luminous: The Symphony of Us.

When I first began taking annual Disney trips, the word on the street was that Park Hopper tickets were a must-have add-on. At some point along the way, however, my family began cutting that expense, and we have never missed it. We've found that we're able to maximize our time in each park by planning our park days in advance, using the posted hours (and extended evening hours, if applicable), as well as data-backed crowd predictions, to inform our decisions. We've also discovered that we simply enjoy immersing ourselves in one Disney park at a time.

Lightning Lanes

This last item is likely to be a controversial one, because Disney's paid skip-the-line feature can definitely help guests experience more attractions with less wait time, but hear me out! The prices for Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass are ever-increasing, and purchasing them can add hundreds of dollars to the cost of your trip. While it can be nice to have the option to skip the standby queue on a crowded day, you can absolutely have a great time at Disney World or Disneyland without these pricey services, and I have done this many times. See our 3-day Disneyland itinerary without Lightning Lane Multi Pass.

Taking advantage of early morning hours and late evening hours in the parks can help you pack in a slew of your favorite attractions. Other time-saving strategies—like using mobile order for meals and hitting the headliners during the fireworks, nighttime spectaculars, and parades—can also make it entirely possible to experience plenty without Lightning Lanes.

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