Let’s set the scene: you’re preparing for your next Disney World vacation. You set a budget for souvenirs, and maybe you have 1 or 2 items on your wish list you intend to buy. Then, when you arrive, you black out for the entire week and arrive home with a full suitcase and an empty bank account!
Sound familiar? We’ve been there! It’s easy to step into a Disney World shop and immediately become entranced. You also might feel pressure to purchase the newest and latest, only to regret it when you get back home, and you’re not alone.
We asked our readers what they regret purchasing in Disney World, and here are their answers!
Some answers told of merchandise that had disappointing quality. One reader shared that they bought a lovely mug only to find the paint slowly disappear after a year! Another purchased some Mickey pot holders that looked cute but didn’t actually perform — unfortunately they aren’t great at protecting hands from heat. Other readers shared that they have purchased t-shirts over recent years that have fallen apart quickly.
Others admitted to succumbing to the hype around certain items only to regret their purchase later on. A reader said they dropped $50 on the popular 50th Anniversary Starbucks Tumbler but don’t like using it, which we can sympathize with. Sometimes the prettiest items aren’t actually practical! Another reader shared that while they enjoyed building their droid, now it just collects dust on a shelf. While this could be seen as a waste of money to some, others don’t mind spending the money on the experience, so that is something to keep in mind.
Not everyone had merchandise purchase regrets — some regretted the money spent on food too. From dining experiences to individual snacks and dishes, many of our readers felt like they wasted money on some less-than-ideal food and beverages. One of the most popular responses was the Turkey Leg! We know there are Turkey Leg lovers out there, but for many guests, this could be an item to skip.
Lastly, some regrets were tied to certain circumstances instead of the purchase itself. One reader commented that they regretted paying for Genie+ on a day when it was raining. Despite the short lines, because the rain was so heavy it was difficult to maneuver around the parks and they ended up only using one Lightning Lane and spent most of the day indoors. Another reader shared that they forgot to pack most of their shirts and ended up spending money on 10 new ones for her trip! These examples show how you can end up spending more money even without intending to, so try your best to plan ahead to help save.
A big thanks to our readers for contributing! Follow us on Facebook for more community discussions like this; we would love to hear from you. If you’re looking for ways to save on your next trip, here are some posts that can help:
- We Go to Disney World Every Day, Here’s How We Save Money on Food.
- Disney World Tips to Save Money on Your 2023 Vacation
- Over 40 Ways to Save Money on Your Disney World Trip
What Your Favorite Piece of Disney Merch Says About You
Join the AllEars.net Newsletter to get our list of 16 Things Everyone Forgets to Bring to Disney World! Click here to get started!
Comment below what you regret spending your money on at Disney World!
We’ve gone to DW almost every year since 1992 and we’ve purchased several items. Our most favorite? On our first trip in 1992, we bought our two daughters the autograph books. We still have those books. In January, we’ll be taking our granddaughters. I plan on pulling out the same autograph books used by our daughters for our granddaughters to use. We’re really looking forward to the new memories we’ll have with our granddaughters.
I have been a Disney lover Ever since my first visit on my Honeymoon in 1990 ! But Please , someone submit this to WDW ! Epcot needs ALOT of work …. is Subpar , especially Horizons, as well as Test TRAK …. what even are you thinking with it???? Its completely OUTDATED and stupid , and only made a little sense when all of the pavilions matched their sponsors! And throughout AK and EPCOT , Get some actual food choices, and Completely STOP with the barbecue and MAC AnD CHEESE ! JUST STOP ! Its Gross , and NO one wants mac and cheese all over the place at a MAJOR theme park that you just spent 200 $$ to get in and 25 to park ! Virtually NO one! Disney! Step up and become worth it ….. OR become AFFORDABLE!!!! Your choice 🙂 🙏🏼
Um, when was your last trip to Disney? Horizons hasn’t existed for several years now.
While not expensive or the latest and greatest: I regret purchasing the honey sticks for coffee/tea. I’m a big tea drinker, and thought these would be perfect instead of using g sugar or dispensing honey myself.
The honey dissolves extremely slowly. The tea is sometimes tepid or cold by the time it’s dissolved. Plus, the honey sticks to your mug. I had to pry the stick from one of my porcelain mugs.
Their cold brewed coffee was so bad, we put more than 10 bags of Splenda and 8 containers of creamer, and it still tasted like dirt! The most expensive coffee I’ve ever bought, to just throw away! And there were 4 of us!!!! That’s really sad. If you expect a high dollar amount for your product, you need to make a high quality food, (or item). We will now bring our own food and drinks there, with a small blanket to sit on. Due to Disney doesn’t have near enough tables, benches, or
places to sit. It’s all about keeping you inside cool stores spending your money! Disney is very CLEVER!!!!!
When I worked at goodwill – a few weeks into January a large Disney shopping bags came in filled to the brim with Disney sweatshirts with the price tags still on them ( all the same size) each one a different character – I really want to know the story behind that …. ( And no , I didn’t ” set them aside” for myself that is against policy)