How do you get your souvenirs home?

[mousehockey37]

I don't know if this has been brought up yet, but I happened to see this on Facebook and it's pretty relevant to people visiting the world this time of year:

http://www.copblock.org/147283/tsa-...d-toy/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

I always try and send whatever I can home separate from what I brought on the trip (unless it's like a tshirt or something that fits easily into my bags), but what do you do?

 

[mountdew1]

Depends on what/how much is being bought. If I can fit it in my luggage, then thats how it goes home. Really important stuff will go in carry ons, other stuff will go in checked baggage. Sometimes I've had to check luggage just so I can carry on breakables like ornaments. I've also had Disney ship everything home (on trips where I've bought most of it at one store) and I've had trips where I've had the front desk send a box home via UPS/FedEx.

 

[daisykp]

This also happened to my nephew last September on his way home from our family trip. They confiscated his wooden POTC sword from the shop that he got on his way out from the ride. It was in his packed luggage. Total overkill.

 

[yeheyprincex2]

We usually carry our souvenirs in our carry on bags and have never had a problem until this past April. We has a POTC toy gun in our carry on. The TSA took it out of our carry on and told us we could not take it on the plane. They told me I had the option to go to the Disney store in the airport and ship it home. Of course my son threw a fit when he saw me leave to ship it home, I was not going to throw it away. Funny thing is we also had a POTC plastic sword it the same carry on and they said it was ok to leave it in the bag.

 

[minnie mum]

The nice thing about driving to WDW- no need to worry about getting souvenirs home.

When we fly, we have one rule - if a souvenir can't fit or isn't allowed in either our carry on or checked luggage, we don't buy it. Most of that stuff can be bought online anyway.

 

[soniam]

This toy gun and sword thing is getting out of hand, especially the Buzz Lightyear gun which looks totally like a toy. Luckily, DS usually doesn't want stuff like that. We try to have empty checked luggage space for souvenirs or carry them on.

 

[mousehockey37]

An update to my original post from yesterday:

http://www.pennlive.com/nation-world/2015/11/boy_gets_buzz_lightyear_toy_ba.html#incart_river_home

 

[freckles04]

My son bought a toy gun from a shop in Frontierland that looked more like a real gun (except that it was orange and teal with an orange tip). I worried about TSA but then again we brought it home in checked baggage so we didn't have any issues.

We have shipped things home before as well. I remember having to pay a small fee to do so but on that particular trip we only brought small carry-ons and had no other choice.

 

[mousehockey37]

So it seems that it's hit or miss with getting these certain toys through TSA. It's sad that it's not consistent. I guess, just like anything else, it comes down to the person at the gate that day.

 

[heart4dis]

We shipped a toy rifle home and had some issues with it getting lost etc. After several rounds of emailing scans of our receipt etc. I believe we finally got it but it was a hassle. Wish my son hadn't fixated on it.

 

[DVC1991]

We usually pack stuff like tee shirts or plush toys in our suitcases and check them from the hotel (BEST BEST BEST Disney service if you ask me). Anything breakable or that won't fit in the checked bag goes in the Disney Vera Bradley duffle (those things hold a ton!!!) and is a carry on.

On one occasion we bought a few bottles of wine from DTD. We had it shipped from the business center at GF back home so we didn't end up with broken glass and wine all over our clothes!

 

[tinkerbella16]

The nice thing about my trip last week was the free shipping, so I just had some things sent home- they said it would take 10-15 business days, but I got home on Saturday the 14th and received my shipped items on Thursday the 19th so that was awesome! But A few trips ago I also bought the big souvenir bag they sell in giftshops next to the cashiers- the black, red and white one with mickey all over it. I love this bag and it is a nice size and has a zipper. This thing will last me years. I just put all souvenirs in there, and I buy a lot of souvenirs lol they get me every trip lol! I have never been charged for an extra carry-on, on any flights home- just get on the plane and put it in the overhead compartment. This bag comes with me on every wdw trip.

 

[tomatecerise]

Big luggage lol! We bring 2 popcorn buckets (Cinderella coach and elf mickey) They take place! They arrive In good shape In Québec. The Cinderella coach is So beautiful on the top of Disney princesses curio!

 

[Minniesgal]

We have shipped many toy guns in checked luggage and never had an issue. Plastic swords too.

If we buy breakables (not unusual) I hand carry as hand luggage. We travel as a party of 5 so between us we can take a fair bit.

 

[kitkat4622]

On our first trip to Disney in 2014 I folded and packed a carry on bag in my checked luggage. I used this to bring home our souvenirs. so flying home I had just this bag filled with goodies and a small crossbody purse with money and ID's......

 

[ParrotBill]

This also happened to my nephew last September on his way home from our family trip. They confiscated his wooden POTC sword from the shop that he got on his way out from the ride. It was in his packed luggage. Total overkill.

Are you saying they took it from his checked luggage or his carryon? Toy weapons are always allowed in checked luggage. Very variable interpretations of what is allowed in carryon luggage. The TSA's own rule says toy weapons are allowed if they do not look like real ones, but, left it up to the gates to interpret what that means. So we see a lot of confiscations. Even light sabers have been confiscated from carry on.

 

[BarbieGal457]

If it is clothing or something larger in size like a photo album, I pack it in my checked bag. If it is delicate like a Christmas ornament, smaller, or something expensive like jewelry or a designer purse/accessory like a Dooney, I take it with me in my carry-on. For that reason alone I try not to pack too much in my carry-on going there, so that on the way home it's even emptier. Going there my carry-on is usually just medicine, a change of clothes, my glasses and my toothbrush, so coming home it's a lot easier to move everything but my glasses and medication (always stays in my immediate possession) to my checked bag. I also take a large Longchamp tote which is really spacious and nylon, so I can sometimes fit souvenirs in there too. We aren't big souvenir people usually but I like knowing I have space for things.

That said I've never tried to take home a toy gun/sword/the like but I would imagine in today's world climate it might be easier just to have them ship it home and avoid any possible airport delays or hassles.

 

[pooh4evr]

Usually we take an extra bag with us for the trip home knowing we will need it, usually as a carry on. But we also have things shipped back too (like pictures, sketches breakables..).

 

[Raenstoirm]

I always pack a small carryon size wheel bag inside my larger suitcase. It serves as a hamper at the hotel and a survenier holder on the way home. Depending on who we fly with (and the luggage fees) it is either checked or a carryon.

 

[epcotty]

We always drive there and back so no worries on that