10 Disney World Sourcing Tips

Sourcing

Oct 13

This post may contain affiliate links. Disclosure here.

Ready to source in the happiest place on earth?

I found over $341 dollars PROFIT in just a couple hours sourcing Epcot, Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. ( videos below )

I learned A LOT and wanted to share my top 10 Disney sourcing tips with you!

1. Sticker UPC’s don’t scan

You will notice that Disney puts a sticker UPC on most of the products. Don’t bother scanning these! No matter how many I scanned, they never pulled up an Amazon listing.

Don’t waste your time like I did!

2. Printed UPC’s don’t scan either

Now you might get excited when you come across a product that has a UPC printed on the package. But wait!

Don’t get your hopes up. In my experience the package UPC’s didn’t want to pull up Amazon listings either…. You could still try. You might get lucky. Or it could be a waste of time.

At this point you are probably wondering. What DOES work? Let me tell you!

3. Product scanning works

The method I found that works the best is scanning the product or package. That’s right! Skip the barcode scanning and go straight to scanning the product.

This worked so much better and I had the best luck with this method and the next method in tip #4.

4. Typing works well too

Does image scanning work 100% of the time… unfortunately not. The next best thing is to type in the product description.

For example: when I was searching for Disney ears I would type in “Disney Park Ears” and it would populate a bunch of options to look through.

BONUS TIP: Use the microphone on your keyboard to talk to type. This saves time typing.

5. Check prices on the Disney app

When you are shopping in the Disney park stores you might come across products that do not have price tags on them.

How are you supposed to calculate profits without a price? YOU CAN’T!

I asked a Cast Memeber how to check the price on an item and they showed me a neat trick.

Head over to your Disney App
Tap the hamburger menu on the bottom right
Tap the “Merchandise Mobile Checkout”
Select the store/park you are in
This will open up a scanner that you can use to check prices

This method is actually for the “Mobile Checkout” feature to skip standing in line. Because who wants to stand in one more Disney line?!

With mobile check out you can scan your purchases and pay for them all from your phone.

6. Passholders save money

If you are an Annual Passholders at Disney World you can save 20% off most merchandise purchases. Be sure to ASK for your discount at check out!

If you are a Magic Keyholder at Disneyland you can save between 10%-20% off most purchases depending on what key you have.

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Unfortunately, As of October 2022 both of these programs are on pause. You can check on the status on the Disney World or Disneyland website for the most current information.

If you are currently a member of one of these programs you will have the option to renew. Lucky you!

Needless to say, becoming a Passholder is WORTH IT if you plan to source Disney frequently ( or just love going to Disney ) and can add more profits to your sourcing trips. Let’s hope these programs open back up soon.

7. Get Ungated

Getting ungated in Disney brands before you go will unlock a whole new woooorld.

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If you do not know what ungating is, you can learn more about it by checking out my resources, HERE.

It is totally possible to find listings that aren’t restricted. But to avoid the frustration of not being able to sell on most listings, ungating is a must.

Here are some brands to consider ungating

Star Wars
Marvel
Loungefly
Disney
Disney Princess
Frozen

8. Keep your phone charged

I get it. You are at Disney! You want to take photos, check the app for wait times, search available Lighting Lanes and scroll while standing in line.

BUT All of that will drain your battery in no time.

Be sure to bring a power bank AND your charger with you to the park. It will come in handy when you need some phone juice to source. You will thank me later.

Nothing is worse than a dead battery when trying to source. Am I right?!

9. Bring help

Congratulations! You just found some great inventory, now what?

Do you carry the bags around the park with you?
Drag the bags 4 miles back to your car?
Drag the bags 1 mile back to your resort?

This is where my next tip comes in. Disney doesn’t have grocery carts and the logistics can be a little challenging.

Luckily for me I had a friend to help carry my large and very heavy bags of inventory. We dragged these bags through the park on a very hot day… with no shoes! ( ok I made up that last one)

It was not fun or magical.

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Here are a few ideas I brainstormed together that might make hauling your inventory around a little more comfortable.

You are going to need help. I would recommend bringing a friend, wife, hubby, cousin, child or whoever to help carry your stuff.
Another option would be to bring a wagon or stroller to wheel your purchases around. Just be sure to check the disney park guidelines.
Have a helper pick you and your inventory up at the vehicle drop off/pick up area
Pay for preferred parking so your vehicle is closer.
Stay at a Disney Resort that is close and easily accessible to and from the park.

10. Have fun FIRST!

Read it again… HAVE FUN FIRST!

Disney is open all morning, all afternoon, into the evening and you’ve got time.. so enjoy yourself! Ride those rides, eat that food, spend time with your family and friends.

Allow yourself to have fun and set aside a time that works for you to source.

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I spent my mornings enjoying the park and doing everything I wanted to do. Then I would spend the hot afternoon in the AC sourcing and drag all my inventory back to the hotel.