Hello and thanks for stopping by!!
Today's tip for saving money on your Disney vacation is about souvenirs.
No trip would be complete without some kind of memento to take home to help you relive the magic every single day. But it is so so easy to get carried away and whip out the credit card. The merchandise in the Disney parks is all so awesome. The clothing is so so cute. The nicknacks are so pretty. Jewelry, toys, hats, keychains, Mickey Mac n Cheese....they really everything under the sun.
Here are some tips for controlling yourself in the gift shops!
1- Do not go in the giftshops. The best way to prevent yourself from shopping is to avoid the temptation. It is impossible though, since many rides exit through a gift shop. But remember why you're there, first and foremost, to experience the parks and attractions. Spend as little time as possible in the gift shops and you'll get to experience more of the parks.
2- Make a list of the souvenirs you like and can go back and buy later. Nothing worse than spending money and then finding something later on that you like better. Many gift shops carry the same things, though there are times you will find something unique, especially in Epcot's World Showcase. So if you see something you need to have and you know you won't be going back to that park later in your trip, it may be best to get it right then and there. But if not, wait and buy later.
3- Ask yourself if you will really use it at home. This is probably the most important part of this post. Yes, that Pluto hat with the ears hanging down is super cute...but will you ever wear that at home? If the answer is no, then you should probably put it back on the shelf.
4- Give the kids a souvenir allowance and be firm with it. It is so easy to spoil the kids with toys and fun souvenirs, especially when they're whining every 5 minutes for the next thing they see. Resist the urge to calm the whines, and instead offer the kids a certain amount of money to spend on whatever they want. But when it's gone, it's gone. It's a good lesson for them to learn on budgeting money.
5- Spend money on things you know you will treasure. I am big into photos and always buy myself a Disney photo album to hold our vacation photos. Once I bought a frame and each trip we purchase a photo package from one of our meals. Right now our photo from Hoop Dee Doo Revue is in it. Our photos of our trips are something I treasure and often look at.
Good luck! :)
I think some of the gift shops outside of the park have cheaper souvenirs. They may not be the same as what you find in the parks, but that was where we always bought ours.
ReplyDeleteYes! The one trip that we rented a car (before we started staying on property) there was a great mall with a huge outlet type of store. I bough a tee shirt that was exactly the same as in the parks for like 1/2 price.
ReplyDeleteI like it--linking to it more my Monday links.
ReplyDeleteThanks Chris!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSteph-I think that can be used for any vacation, not just disney. Most places you go on vacation have so many things that kids feel they need, and parents need to set a budget or they will be broke within minutes. I remember when we went to a place like Six Flags as a kid my mom would give us both a budget for games and when it was done, it was done. My brother would be done in a few minutes and whine and whine and she would not give in. If she gave in, she would need to be a millionaire.
ReplyDeleteAlso writing a list of who you need and some ideas is a great idea so you do not just buy for the sake of buying.
Oh absolutely! It's just that there are soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo many gift shops in Disney. It's very hard to stay away form them....most times you cna;t avoid them even if you want, since rides exit through them. They definitely knew what they were doing when they planned them. If I had unlimited funds, it would be really hard not to buy something in every store!
ReplyDeleteWhen I went it was easy for me as I am not a huge disney fan (sorry to all those that are......It just has not been my thing...but I do enjoy reading your site as I know I will be going in a few years with Nolan). I agree that there are brains behind all things at those parks with how they planned out food/gift shops.
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