Many families save up for months or even years to have the budget to travel to Disney World for a magical family vacation. They are prepared for how much they’ll spend for travel, for lodging, for park tickets, and even for food. But the one item, the main impulse item, that often throws a family’s budget out the window is souvenir shopping. There’s just something about being immersed in all of the magic and bright lights of Disney that makes even cost-conscious people think they have to purchase everything in sight to bring some of that magic home. Then, add in the kids who just want one more stuffed animal or one more bubble wand, and it’s hard to stay on budget. While we can’t determine your budget, if you have one and want to stay on it, here are some tips for each family member to help them stay within the family budget.
For the kiddos
If you have younger kids coming to Disney with you, we have several suggestions to help them deal with the gimmes that take over every young child while at Disney.
- Bring pre-purchased items. Before you even go on vacation, do a dollar-store run and buy little Disney goodies like coloring books, puzzles, stuffed animals, and figurines. You might even find Disney snacks like suckers or crackers. Pack them up in your suitcase and hand them out when your child just wants a little piece of Disney to carry around the park.
- Go for the freebies. Disney has great buttons they’ll happily give out to anyone who asks. Ask a Cast Member for a “My First Visit” or “I’m celebrating…” button to have your child wear. Also, don’t be afraid to ask Cast Members if they have stickers. Lots of Cast Members carry stickers around to happily hand out.
- Collect pressed pennies. If you have a little collector in your family, instead of collecting plush that cost about $30 each or even trading pins that can run at $10-$15 each, try for pressed pennies. There are scores of pressed penny machines all around Disney that have different characters, rides, and experiences on them.
For the tweens and teens
- If you have a creative teen, have her make her own Mickey ears or Disney shirt before you go. Maybe she’ll even want to create family shirts. You’ll save a lot of money having her make the trip souvenirs before you even leave.
- Give your tweens and teens a Disney gift card for their souvenirs and then make it clear that once that card is used, that’s the end of their budget. This gives them the power to decide what they really want to bring home from Disney World.
For the Adults
- Shop before you go. Whether you hit up Kohls, Etsy, or even the Disney Store before you go, you’ll save money on family shirts and other accessories. Look for items that you can bring on your trip and wear for the first time while you’re enjoying your vacation so that they’ll still hold that special memory. Buying it before you go instead of in the parks will bring relief to your budget.
- Agree on the budget. If you’re traveling with your partner, talk about the souvenir budget before you leave on vacation. Making sure you’re both on the same page, will prevent one of you from blowing the family budget without even knowing it.
Need help planning your next Walt Disney World Vacation? We have tons of tips and tricks just like the ones you see here to share with our guests! Reach out to us for your complimentary quote!