Souvenirs: what have you bought and loved and/or regretted?

[TiggerBouncy]

My number one tip is if you see something you want, buy it right then and there. It is entirely possible you won't see it again at another location or later in your trip.

My DW saw a towel once in AK that she passed up at the time and figured to get it on the way out (even though we were staying on property and could have it delivered to the hotel).

We never saw it again. She has looked for it every time we have gone back and they don't have it anymore. I fear mentioning it to her again as it's still a sore spot.

I have never regretted a purchase from Disney, but my most treasured to me are my Lenox statues (several places sell them, but most notably in HS). I have a bunch of Tink, and a few other characters including Micky/Minni, Belle, Ariel and Lady. Everytime I go I try to get at least one more for my collection.

If you want something cheaper and smaller, I also love pin trading. but be careful - it's addictive and won't stay cheap if you keep it up.

 

[jgh]

I almost always get a t-shirt of some kind, and I've never regretted those.

Sometimes I'll pick up a stuffed animal...really, it's whatever catches my eye.

I definitely agree that if you see something you want then you need to buy it right then. A friend of mine wanted a charm for her bracelet and decided to wait until the last day...turns out the night before they left they did a merchandise change and she wasn't able to get the charm she wanted.

 

[kinakat]

The only souvenir we purchased was a Christmas tree ornament to commemorate our first trip. We always try to get a new ornament every year that has meaning. I plan on getting my second Disney World ornament in June!

 

[stindall]

My number one tip is if you see something you want, buy it right then and there. It is entirely possible you won't see it again at another location or later in your trip.

I'm going to add on to this and say take a photo of it if you're hesitant about buying it. You can always ask someone where you might find it or call the merchandising line when you get home and purchase it.

I always like getting antenna toppers for my car. It's something fun that I sometimes forget about so when I see it it makes me smile a bit more.

 

[UncannySquirrel]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that regrets buying the pins. At the park I'd buy them like I needed them to live, got multiple lanyards and the book to display them and the second I get home they get put in a draw & forgotten about until next trip when my addiction relapse.
Although out of all of them only a few I don't regret & most of those were ones I had to hunt off of CM. Scooge McDuck, Mighty Ducks, Baby Simba, & a Lock, Shock & Barrel. Also Huey, Dewy & Louie the year when one of them was sold out everywhere and cause a trip wide search to find.

My favorite souvenir of all time has to be a poster of all the movie villains(at the time in 2005) including those from less popular movies you never find merch of.

Most of my favorite Disney characters are obscure aside from Lion King, Stich & Nightmare before Christmas, so anything I can find that's Disney Afternoon shows (especially Ducktales), Oliver & Company, Black Cauldron or Robin Hood become High Priority souvenirs for me.

 

[stindall]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that regrets buying the pins. At the park I'd buy them like I needed them to live, got multiple lanyards and the book to display them and the second I get home they get put in a draw & forgotten about until next trip when my addiction relapse.
Although out of all of them only a few I don't regret & most of those were ones I had to hunt off of CM. Scooge McDuck, Mighty Ducks, Baby Simba, & a Lock, Shock & Barrel. Also Huey, Dewy & Louie the year when one of them was sold out everywhere and cause a trip wide search to find.

My favorite souvenir of all time has to be a poster of all the movie villains(at the time in 2005) including those from less popular movies you never find merch of.

Most of my favorite Disney characters are obscure aside from Lion King, Stich & Nightmare before Christmas, so anything I can find that's Disney Afternoon shows (especially Ducktales), Oliver & Company, Black Cauldron or Robin Hood become High Priority souvenirs for me.

I wouldn't say pins are a total waste if you enjoy trading and showing them off on trips!

 

[UncannySquirrel]

I wouldn't say pins are a total waste if you enjoy trading and showing them off on trips!

It was enjoyable on the trip(although the mistake of wearing 2 lanyards still brings up memory pain of the weight & scraps to my neck still haunts me. lol)
I'm still gonna bring them around for trading next time I go to Disney(never know, my regret could be someone's second chance at a pin they missed).

 

[Disfamily0405]

I enjoy the pins, they are little art pieces, my husband and I collect and don't trade though...I took window screen, hang it on the wall like a picture frame and use it to display all of our pins. The mesh screen makes it easy for the pins to hang and we can see them year round

 

[Hadjii]

This is too funny. This past October I bought one of those ginormous dinosaurs they sell when you get off of the Dinosaur ride at AK. My gs is 4 and completely obsessed with dinos. The thing was huge, about 2 feet long and really bulky. Not only did I have to carry that giant red dinosaur around the park all day, I couldn't fit it on my luggage or carry on. Sooo....lug it around the Orlando airport while we waited for our flight and I had to bring it on the plane with me, hanging out of a shopping bag all the way home to Providence. People would just look at me with that smile and laugh and shake their heads. It was a huge pain in the butt but really not a regret because my gs loved it and sleeps with it in his bed. Lesson learned though, make all big purchases at the end of the park day and nothing I can't get into my luggage lol.

 

[JennyDrake]

Fave- Mickey Mouse Ear muffs (no longer made) still have 'em, still wear 'em.

Least fave - hair scrunchies and pony tail holders. Elastic went out of scrunchies in records time and Mickey heads broke off pony tail holders.

 

[ryalluvdiz]

Fave- Mickey Mouse Ear muffs (no longer made) still have 'em, still wear 'em.

Least fave - hair scrunchies and pony tail holders. Elastic went out of scrunchies in records time and Mickey heads broke off pony tail holders.

I agree!...I loved my Mickey head pony tail holders, but the heads broke off so quickly!

 

[Vickilynn42]

I have a Fantasia Mickey figurine with a wand. It hangs from a suction cup on my car window for me to admire everyday. It hasn't faded in the sun either. I should have picked up another figurine for my husbands car!

 

[Disneylifeforme]

We get a Christmas ornament every year!

 

[schaefera]

Thanks for the great suggestions everyone! I think we are definitely going to pick up a Christmas ornament and maybe a set of glassware. Useful but memorable is definitely our sort of souvenir!

You all had great suggestions!

 

[palmtreelover08]

Oh no! I have several Disney dooneys & I have the one your talking about the trick is I switch out purses every couple days and I've not had any problem with any if my purses Dooney, coach, guess, LV & I clean house, cook, bake, garden.. If you look on their web site they do have cleaning instructions.. Hope that helps!

ASMU/POR Dec 16-22, 2012 & POFQ Sept 8-15, 2013

Thanks- going to check out the site- cause right now the bag looks so bad- it doesn't leave the house!

 

[dumbolove]

Hi! I didn't get to read the entire thread because I was excited to share : ) my boyfriend and I went on our first trip together in January. Already have reservations for next January! We bought everything to several pairs of ears to the souvenir cups. My favorite thing I got from this trip was my pick a pearl carriage necklace from japan! It was such a great time! If you get a chance and are into jewelry try to get your boyfriend to pay a few dollars for a great piece! I get so many complements on it and reminds me of our trip every time i put it on. Have a great trip!

 

[Simba's Mom]

I've bought a few tea cups in the Twinings store that I use every day and love! I also have some unique teas that I've bought at the Twinings store. I'm a tea drinker and where I live, the only tea is iced tea (at several resturaunts that's all they had, so hot tea), so this is super. I also love the Kindle cover that I bought at WDW. Probably the only souvenier I've regretted was a stretchy bracelet I bought because it broke the first week.

 

[pooh4evr]

Last trip the girls each got custom drawings? (I don't know the right names) from the Art of Animation storeat DTD, they each chose their favorite princess, chose the colors and any saying for the picture (name, date, or quote) they are really nice! We fAmed them once they were sent to us and are on heir bedroom wall. I love the kitchen stuff I have, salt nd pepper shakers, trivet, timer. For us shirts are a total waste - the kids grow out of them so fast!

 

[kbelle8995]

Oh I love all my pins. They are colorful and don't take up a lot of space at home or in the suitcase. Although I have dodged the question about how much I spent on them.

I also own an Orange Bird Print that they released a while ago. It also has the Sunshine Terrace on the print. It is really lovely. It was worth every penny I spent on it.

I love souvenirs that have a bit of a vintage Disney Look. Things that look like the souvenirs and objects that Disney had in the 70's or 80's. In part because it is a part of my childhood.

 

[luvmy2babies]

I love my pins. It’s the only souvenir I buy for myself. I don't trade, just collect. Like another poster said, if I can find it, I get one to represent different things we do on our trips and where we stay and a “year” pin if I can find one. I browse through them at least twice a month and the children like to talk about when we did whatever the pin represents.

Regret: So far only stuff I have purchased for dd. First trip it was a stuffed Minnie. She got home and never touched it again. Next trip it was the case with tiny princess stuff in it. I get tired of finding the tiny pieces different places.

Our other souvenirs are our photopass CD, dd’s BBB experience and their autograph books. We love all of those things.