My Top Disney “Splurges”

I am a pretty budget-conscious person when it comes to my vacations. There’s enough stress and planning that goes into each trip; having to worry about money is something I avoid at all costs.

We all know Disney is expensive. That comes as no shock to any of us, I’m sure. I spend months carefully saving for our hotel, travel, and food. I have enough set aside for each meal (plus some snacks every day). I make sure to have the hotel 100% paid for by the week before we arrive. Being aware of my money and spending always makes me less stressed during my trip!

However, with that being said, Disney has many different aspects I find are worth it to “splurge” a little on!

I like to go into my trip knowing I’m going to splurge on at least one thing, whether that be some merchandise, an experience, or a dining experience. I plan for it, so I’m able to budget for it. If splurging on something is going to put you in a rough place financially, maybe save those big purchases for your next trip! But with a little bit of planning and extra saving (I mean, do you have to get Starbucks EVERY day before work? That’s an extra $25+ each week you could be saving for your Disney splurge! And coffee brewed at home can be just as good!), being able to do ONE expensive thing will make your trip experience that much greater!

So, without further ado, I present to you my top Disney “splurges!”

Merchandise

1. Loungefly backpacks (price around $70+)
   Okay, so, not only are these backpacks super stylish, they’re also so very comfortable and very spacious! There is such a huge variety of designs, that you’re bound to find [at least] one bag that fits your style and aesthetic. The backpack holds everything I need for a day at the parks. Only downside is that it doesn’t have any interior pockets, but I carry a lot of my smaller things in little “change purse” type bags anyway.
   
2. Spirit jerseys (price around $65+)
   I am obsessed with spirit jerseys. They are just SO comfortable! I own two- the rose gold one and a Christmas one. I like to travel in them, sleep in them, lounge in them, wear them out. It is my absolute favorite shirt to put on in the evenings when I need something cozy to relax in. I love wearing it out in the late fall, winter, and early spring with a pair of black leggings. They’re just all around a very comfortable piece of Disney merch to splurge on!
   
3. Park official Minnie ears or classic Mickey hat (price around $25+)
   I love me some homeade Etsy Minnie ears. They’re actually my favorite! BUT everyone should own at least ONE pair of Minnie ears, or even that classic Mickey ears hat you can get embroidered with your name. It’s like a Disney right of passage, lol! My favorite park official ears are the rose gold ones! These aren’t too terribly expensive, so definitely a good merchandise splurge if you want to stick to a stricter budget!

Dining Experiences

1. Trail’s End Buffet (dinner about $35+/- per adult)
   I can’t tell you how much I enjoy the dinner buffet at Trail’s End. Maybe it’s because I’m from the south and they have all kinds of southern comfort foods on their buffet, but y’all. It’s good. And it’s a VERY decent price for a Disney buffet! Of course, it will cost you more if you want to enjoy an alcoholic beverage with your meal. But it is honestly a great price for a buffet. They have tons of great options on their buffet, but they are also really good at making special food and bringing it out to you if you have special dietary restrictions (and they’ll keep bringing more of anything you like!) This fantastic restaurant is located at the Fort Wilderness Campgrounds, and the best way I’ve found to get there is to take a boat over from the Magic Kingdom. It’s located a very short walk from the boat docks.
   
2. Whispering Canyon Cafe (dinner around $30+/- per adult)
   I really love Whispering Canyon Cafe for several reasons. It’s at the Wilderness Lodge, which I love the atmosphere of. The servers are kind of funny and “sarcastic” with you (but not really in like a “mean” or annoying way). They may have you do funny things, like they made all the males 21+ get up and sing “I’m a Little Teapot” when we were there. Oh, and don’t forget to ask for ketchup! Haha!! 😉 However, my favorite part of Whispering Canyon Cafe is their All-You-Care-To-Enjoy skillets! They have several you can choose from. I got the vegan skillet and it was SO good. They will bring you more and more of whatever you like from the skillet until you’re full! The skillets themselves are packed full of very tasty meats (or plant meats in my case) and vegetables, and they bring you very delicious corn bread and cole slaw to start with. It is very much worth the price!
   
3. Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (breakfast around $50+/- per adult)
   I’ve done several different character breakfasts, but Akershus just really stood out to me! It’s a princess breakfast, so it’s very popular with all the little girls. We met Belle, Cinderella, Mulan, Aurora, and Ariel while we were there. They have a cold food buffet packed with fruits, muffins, etc., but bring All-You-Care-To-Enjoy eggs, sausage, bacon, and potato casserole to your table (they also have allergy-friendly versions of all this they can bring to your table). It is located in Epcot in the Norway pavilion, so this one does require a park ticket to get into. It’s a great way to meet lots of princesses so you can save time and avoid waiting in long lines to meet them!

Experiences

1. Disney After Hours (around $125 per adult)
   If Disney is offering their After Hours parties while you are vacationing, DO IT! They offer Disney After Hours in Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. Included with your ticket is FREE unlimited bottled beverages, popcorn, and novelty ice cream (Mickey bars!!) You get to stay in the park three hours after the parks close, and the tickets are super limited so it almost feels like there’s no one in the parks with you. You can ride your favorite ride over and over again with very little or NO wait. It is truly worth every penny, in my opinion. You get to do SO much!
   
2. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party ($99+ per adult depending on what night you go)
   I LOVE both the Christmas and Halloween parties. They’re just so much fun. For the Christmas party, you get free cookies, soft pretzels, snow cones, hot chocolate, apple cider, and eggnog all night. Plus they offer exclusive holiday-themed treats and merchandise for purchase. You get to see a party-exclusive fireworks show, castle show and parade! AND it snows on Main Street! They play fun Christmas music and have great photo-ops. It is so magical and so much fun.
   
3. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party ($79+ per adult depending on what night you go)
   I honestly don’t even know which of the parties I like best between this one and the Christmas party because both are so much fun. For the Halloween party, you can dress up in a costume (yes, even adults!) and trick-or-treat all over the Magic Kingdom! This party also has a party-exclusive fireworks show, castle show, and parade. It also has great treats and merchandise for purchase. They give you SO much candy at all the stops, you may have to get multiple bags to hold it all! There are also fun character meet and greets, and overlays on some of the rides! Last year, they had Space Mountain completely blacked out and they played fun rock music during the ride. We didn’t get to ride it, but we did do the teacups with their crazy lighting that made us EXTRA dizzy, lol!

So there you have it! Those are the types of things I like to splurge a little on! What is your favorite Disney “splurge?” I know there are TONS of amazing experiences that y’all like to do! Let me know some of those things you like to spend a little money on so I can try them out sometime!

XOXO,
Hollie