Where to buy souvenirs?

[Lost in Wonderland]

Where are the best places to buy souvenirs? I am still trying to figure out how much spending money we will be able to give the kids. I know there is a $10 and under shop somewhere. Is it better/cheaper to buy things in Downtown Disney? I would like them to be able to buy more than 1 item.
TIA

[LadyShea]

It really depends on what kinds of souvenirs you had in mind. We usually get an ornament and a coffee mug and maybe a T-shirt (from the clearance or sale rack). My mom gets magnets. None of these are very expensive.

We splurged last visit on DS as it was his birthday and got him a Monorail playset, and he wanted a few little 2-8 dollar things as we were touring and some we chose to get him.

I also keep in my mind that if it is generic Disney (rather than park or WDW specific or exclusive) I can usually get it cheaper somewhere else so we don't buy it at WDW.

[dzneelvr]

With your kids It IS going to be difficult to always be saying "no" because they are at the age where everything they see (and they'll see enough for their eyes to pop out of their heads) they will want. have a discussion prior to leaving; when our DS and DD were those ages, we gave them chores to do at home so they could earn money and then they could "spend down" the money at the parks. My DS bought Woody and DD bought a Dalmation first day first park: guess what, they carried them around EVERY DAY so their hands were full and we made a big deal about "what Woody saw" or does Lucky want some water". And no, DH and I didn't do the carrying unless it was a restroom break. Our rule is to NOT buy anything that isn't marked "park exclusive" --why buy something you can get somewhere else.As a final note, DH and I remembered what item both REALLY wanted, yet didn't get. We picked that up on the sly and they got it for their birthday. There will be some pouting, some tears, but you just have to be strong. utilize the craft stations around EPCOT; go to Lego Land at DTD so they can play to their hearts content with millions of Lego part. At any park where there is Mr. Potatohead you can play around with the options. Use your resort pool area and have fun away from the parks. Most importantly: ask for advice on these boards about what you can find in each park for free. Have a wonderful time and ENJOY. There is so much wonder at your kids age. Remind them of what they can do, focus on the positive and you'll be ok

[mommalissa]

Hit the Character Warehouses in the outlet malls. They usually have some cute stuff at reasonable prices.

[LWatson]

My husband and I were the ones who went crazy last time. It was his first trip to Disney (and our kids' too), and he deff showed it when it came to souvenirs. But, we really liked the stuff we got, and we ended up getting family a bunch of stuff too. We also spent a lot on Pins for our Lanyard. We got a little bit at each park, but our fav place to shop was DTD in their REALLY BIG Disney store. Mousegears was good too (Epcot). If you are going to do shopping for souvenirs and are staying on property remember you can have it sent back to your hotel as long as you arent 24hrs from leaving. That made it nice for us because we didnt have to worry about lugging them around the entire park.

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thanks everyone. I will give them spending money for the week and let them know they need to be sure before they buy. They have no idea we are going to DW until we drive up to MK.
DTD sounds as much fun as going to one of the parks. Maybe they wouldn't have noticed if we had just went there I did buy some pins off ebay last week because I heard how pricey they are at the parks. I bought 25 pins for $21. I hope they are authentic. I will definitely look into all the free things to do without having to pay extra.
I like the idea of buying something without them knowing and saving for their birthday or Christmas.