The items that I bring with me are not your normal travel items - I bring my own souvenirs! You can buy Disney items almost everywhere. I try to get all of our pre-vacation items on clearance. It's not that I'm cheap - I don't mind spending a small a fortune on those special souvenirs at the parks that have a purpose (watches, Christmas ornaments, etc). The real fun about shopping ahead of time is surprising my family when we get to the resort!
I start shopping once I begin planning our trip, and usually do so over a period of many months. As I mentioned, I do it secretly from my husband and daughter. My goal is to fill my daughter's "Magical Mystery Suitcase"! I always begin by purchasing Disney T-shirts for everyone at the Disney Outlet online, or if I see some at Target or in the
Disney store on clearance. I buy them one for each day. It usually ends up costing a lot less than regular t-shirts because I try to shop clearance only. I tuck them aside where no one can find them!
For our trip when my daughter was five and a half, I began shopping early and accumulated a ton of Disney stickers, papers, pencils and scrapbook items. We spent a good half day in the park on our first day. My daughter was a little upset about having to leave the park...that was until told her we had a surprise for her at the room. We opened the Magical Mystery suitcase! She was surprised to see all of the character t-shirts, and her eyes lit up at all of the stickers! She was content to work on her sticker "scrapbook" each day during our down time. We saved all of our maps, receipts, napkins, paper coasters and assorted Disney trinkets each day, which she faithfully added to her scrapbook. There was no crying when we left the park all hot and tired - she was anxious to get to the room so she could add her treasures to her scrapbook.
We returned when she was ten - same deal with the t-shirts. I purchased trading pins on ebay. I got her a bunch of cheapie pins for her to trade with cast members, and I bought "special" pins that I held aside and disbursed throughout the week for specific events. I had planned a parasailing adventure for her at Sammy Duvall's Watersports behind the Contemporary. She didn't know until we checked in at the dock. I had a corresponding Minnie parasailing pin for the event! Same thing with horseback riding at Fort Wilderness - secret event and corresponding pin. I also got her a Port Orleans pin (our resort), a Polynesian pin (we had diner reservations there), well...you get the idea!
We're heading back at the end of August. She's 14 now. I bought the t-shirts already. I have pins for our events (dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table - staying at Wilderness Lodge, etc). I purchased 4 field books about Imagineering at the park (she's starting high school this year and is quite the math nerd), and a Hidden Mickey guide. Tickets go on sale this weekend for an event at the House of Blues during our trip. It's one of my husbands favorite artists. The event is appropriate for all ages so we're going as a family. I will be ordering "concert" shirts for both of them (shhh...don't tell).
The Magical Mystery suitcase has become a tradition. Other items that I have tucked in included personalized autograph books, mickey hair scrunchies, PJs, etc. I notice that we don't spend nearly as much time (or as much money) in the shops since we have all of our "new stuff" already. I enjoy all of the planning that goes into it! It adds something special to an already magical vacation!
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