Understanding WDW “locals”

[Yert3]

Do you buy merch?

Occasionally

What kind of food do you buy, if any?

99% of the time, quick service.

Do you stop by after work, use 3 FP’s and go home?

No, I don’t believe in fastpass and boycott them

Do you stay on site?

Once in a while since we’re DVC.

 

[teknikipedia]

I used to be a local. For about a year and a half, I literally used the parks as my daily exercise. I would leave work, drive to whatever park felt right for the day (but let's be honest, it was 90% Epcot), and I would just walk and walk and walk. Epcot was great for it because there are so many long stretches where I could get in some serious mileage, but also because there was so much to see that it didn't even feel like doing cardio. It was also part of my extended diet plan because I couldn't really afford the food or beverages in the parks, so it was a great incentive not to overindulge. By the time I stopped doing that, I actually had lost about 30 lbs and was probably in the best shape of my life. Since moving away, not so much. Definitely good times!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I do most my shopping at Disney's Character Warehouse.

I do also buy things at the shops on 192, at the Character Warehouse,

Is that the thing where you have to know a CM to get in?

Does dollar tree even have souvenirs?

I was just listing offhand things, but actually, we get all our rain ponchos there, bring a few for each of us per trip, carry them to the parks in our (gasp!) cargo pants, and dispose of them after use (which is probably only once or twice a year.)

And they do sell some Disney branded things, so if people can grab things at Walgreens (I have cheap tee from there) or the gift shops on 192, Dollar Tree can happen.

I wonder how many people buy souvenir gifts for people on the cheap and pretend they came from the parks

That outlet place had a big outdoor tent sale once, and I grabbed some goodies.

Re: buying merch at the parks: I have to really like it. I don’t like clutter, and I prefer items in the home to mean something or represent something. I don’t need a rhinestone castle or whatever. ETA: we buy a Christmas ornament every trip, usually relating to where we stayed or something specific we did.

I like the household goods with a more subtle Disney theme - like picture frames that are all white, but if you look closely, you see a Disney pattern.

I like the shirts with “1971” on them because I was born that year. But I also don’t like carrying things around, so sometimes I’ll order them from Disney Store or the Shop Parks app when I get home (maybe wait for a sale/discount.)

ETA what we don’t spend on merch, we more than make up in drinks!

 

[WDWBigEd]

Is that the thing where you have to know a CM to get in?

Disney's Character Warehouse is Disney's Outlet Store there are two of them. You can find some pretty great deal there. Some of the items are from the parks and some from the cruise lines. They carry a little bit of everything in the store. You can search google maps for Disney's Character Warehouse and it will come up.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

I haven't had conversations with locals at WDW. It seems to be a more "touristy" park than Disneyland. People come there from Europe, Asia, etc. more than they do for Disneyland. People in Canada go to WDW before Disneyland too. So I don't really know how the Florida residents act as opposed me.

I have a bit of insight from California though. In Disneyland we stayed 3 miles away in a hotel. I talked multiple times with locals who were at the hotel for a few days. They liked hanging out at the pool and they may or may not go to the parks but it wasn't pressing for them. I asked them why they did this. One couple was from Long Beach and they said that people in SoCal do this all of the time. It seemed strange to me, until I realize that living close to Niagara Falls (a couple of hours) people my area go there for a few days all of the time and think nothing of it. So I get it.

 

[RustySpork]

I used to be a local. For about a year and a half, I literally used the parks as my daily exercise. I would leave work, drive to whatever park felt right for the day (but let's be honest, it was 90% Epcot), and I would just walk and walk and walk. Epcot was great for it because there are so many long stretches where I could get in some serious mileage, but also because there was so much to see that it didn't even feel like doing cardio. It was also part of my extended diet plan because I couldn't really afford the food or beverages in the parks, so it was a great incentive not to overindulge. By the time I stopped doing that, I actually had lost about 30 lbs and was probably in the best shape of my life. Since moving away, not so much. Definitely good times!

I used to do that too, but I lived closer.

Is that the thing where you have to know a CM to get in?



I was just listing offhand things, but actually, we get all our rain ponchos there, bring a few for each of us per trip, carry them to the parks in our (gasp!) cargo pants, and dispose of them after use (which is probably only once or twice a year.)

And they do sell some Disney branded things, so if people can grab things at Walgreens (I have cheap tee from there) or the gift shops on 192, Dollar Tree can happen.

I wonder how many people buy souvenir gifts for people on the cheap and pretend they came from the parks

That outlet place had a big outdoor tent sale once, and I grabbed some goodies.

Re: buying merch at the parks: I have to really like it. I don’t like clutter, and I prefer items in the home to mean something or represent something. I don’t need a rhinestone castle or whatever. ETA: we buy a Christmas ornament every trip, usually relating to where we stayed or something specific we did.

I like the household goods with a more subtle Disney theme - like picture frames that are all white, but if you look closely, you see a Disney pattern.

I like the shirts with “1971” on them because I was born that year. But I also don’t like carrying things around, so sometimes I’ll order them from Disney Store or the Shop Parks app when I get home (maybe wait for a sale/discount.)

ETA what we don’t spend on merch, we more than make up in drinks!

Good point about dollar tree ponchos, now that you mention it I've bought some there before. I haven't been to the cast store yet, but I should as I know a lot of cast. The Character Warehouses are the discount Disney outlets in the Orlando Outlet malls.

I can't say that I haven't stayed on property before because DRINKS!

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

Is that the thing where you have to know a CM to get in?

There's one at the Vineland Outlets.

we get all our rain ponchos there, bring a few for each of us per trip, carry them to the parks in our (gasp!) cargo pants, and dispose of them after use (which is probably only once or twice a year.)

Funny. I was staying at the Swan one year (maybe 4 or 5 years ago). They have those courtesy umbrellas they give out. We took two before we wandered off to EPCOT. Timing in life is everything. When we came back to return them, one of the staff members mentioned we could keep them, because they were switching to a new type and style umbrella the next day.

So obviously I asked if I could get an additional 2 for our traveling companions (of which there were none). So these 4 Swolphin Courtesy Umbrellas (golf umbrellas) have become our official "Disney Umbrellas". They are far superior to the ones they currently give out.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Disney's Character Warehouse is Disney's Outlet Store there are two of them

The Character Warehouses are the discount Disney outlets in the Orlando Outlet malls.

Ah, then I have been to one.

There's one at the Vineland Outlets.

That's the one. We used to stay at what used to be the Red Roof over there because they took pets (bigger than pocket poodles) without additional fees.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

I can't say that I haven't stayed on property before because DRINKS!

I bet they still charge you for parking in those instances......

 

[RustySpork]

I bet they still charge you for parking in those instances......

BUT MAH ANNUAL PASS!!!1