Am I being Cheap??

[Tracie]

I work at Wal-Mart, and we got in these spinning light things (like the buzz thing I bought DS last year at spectro parade) they have the statue of Liberty instead of Disney character, but the are $4.00. We also have the glow necklace, bracelet, ring, mouth thing, etc for only .84 each. We are taking are friends who will not have a big budget and I can't see me paying for these things in the parks for all 4 of the kids. So am I cheap to buy these things to take with us and give to the kids when they start begging for them at the night time shows??

TIA

Tracie

 

[CEDmom]

No, especially if the kids are little. The young they are the less likely they are to notice/care whether a character is on it. You can always get some Disney stickers for the kids to decorate the spinning lights. It would also give them something to do while waiting for a show to begin. If you get each kid stickers of their favorite character it would also help figure out who each one belongs to.

 

[melindaandrob]

I don't think that's cheap! It's little things like this that allows my family to cut corners and afford our trip to WDW.
Every little bit helps!

 

[InstImpres]

Sure your being cheap (or economical as I call it). We decorated autograph books from the dollar store on the airplane last year with Disney stickers from the dollar store (2 books, total cost $4). We had 50 glow bracelets which we ued as bracelets and connected for necklace from ebay - total cost $16.00, we pin traded with mark-down pins from the Disney store + my DVC discount, cost per pin $.74 (x26) trades CM for $8-$10 pins, we used princess flashlights marked down at the disney store for $2.25 each, 2 ponchos for $1 at dollar store for rain and Rapid and on and on.

Estimated savings $450.00 My "cheapness" paid for our airfare, thus allowing us to go and never feel like we missed out on anything.

Bottom line, I love DISNEY and drop a fortunate while we are there but I mind being wasteful of my money. I don't let my DD miss anything - we left a Legacy in Epcot, own a brick, average 4-6 character meals per trip, do the Illumination Cruise, etc. We go truly first class but my savings in small ways, allows us to go back more often.

JMHO
Sandy

P.S. Sorry for being so long winded

 

[Kallison]

I think it is a great idea to bring your own. At K-Mart they have the giant lollipops that they sell on Main St. for $1. I always bring them, one trip I remember buying and buying those stupid lollipops because the kids kept breaking them.

 

[Tracie]

Thanks y'all

I don't know why I felt cheap!

I look for every discount for our trips, but never thought of buying some of the "junk" my kids always want before we go. I'm going to buy 4 of the spinning things and a load of the glow things! I also get a 10% discount!!

Thanks for your replys.

Tracie

 

[lalapodip]

Tracie, thanks for posting - now I know that I can get those "glow-things" at Wal-Mart before our trip! Economical indeed!!

 

[Tracie]

lalapodip,

the glow things are in the stationary dept. with the party supplies.

Glad I could help!

Tracie

 

[>>^..^<<]

Hi - I don't think you are being cheap - I thing you are being smart.

Not sure if it would work with my DD9 - she seems to get more of a kick out of "buying things" then the actual thing - if you know what I mean.

She takes a lot of pleasure in the "shopping" part - I think I am in big trouble

>>^..^<<

 

[laurabelle]

I brought some glow bracelets from the $ store last trip and my kids were not only happy with them, but other kids' parents wanted to know where I got 'em!

>>^..^<< :I have my kids save their allowance, and this is their spending money for the trip. It cracks me up how carefully they shop with their own money compared to mom & dad's money!

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Cheap is a bad word- call it economical..... spend thrifty.... something.

I am being economical on a lot of things planning way ahead for this trip. I'm so NOT into spending a ton of money on things for the kids there- so I'm getting them cheap way ahead of time!

I bought tons of the pins (to trade) at TDS when they were on mega-sale. I'm not sure if they are anymore- but I figured I'd saved about $140 atleast when I did that alone!!!! (spent about $40 when they would have cost about $200 in the parks!) So they are way "set" on pins to trade- that is if they want to part with them. LOL

I bought the spin toys at the outlet mall in Florida on my solo trip. They played with them for about a day after I brought them home and when they stopped being interested in them- I packed them away for the upcoming trip. Being as it will be a long time in between that time and our trip- they'll be thrilled to have them while there!

I also bought a lot of things on ebay- princess lights for the girls, buzz for my son.... same thing with the Disney beach towels and mickey ears and other hats, stuffed Disney characters, etc! Saved a fortune! I also bought them Disney shirts, outfits, etc. Hoping they fit them at that time and don't outgrow them or something. LOL Okay so maybe planned a little too far ahead on the clothes, especially since our trip changed by 3 more months. LOL

And the kids are saving most of their allowance (which they really have no use for now anyway- what do they need/want for now? Pretty much nothing. LOL) for other spending while there. Now that they have 3 more months to save- they'll have enough...... but they are young. I'm sure if they were older they'd want to shop/spend more while there. At their ages though- they'll be thrilled with the stuff I've already gotten them and won't have a CLUE that I didn't buy them at WDW. I'll just pull them out when there and they'll never be the wiser.

I'm not cheap- I'm just smart about where I spend my money and how.

 

[frannn]

I have been buying stuff at every darn DS sale for my DD to wear on her trip and hopefully after. She is only approaching 8 months old now, and she has a Disney wardrobe to rival Minnie! I have also bought the spinning light thing when it was on sale at DS, maybe $5-8, but I only had to buy 1. I bought about 6 , yes 6 costumes, plus accessories for DD, who will be 1 yo on our trip. She also has a new diaper bag, stroller, we have a new blowdryer/iron, spacebags, fanny pack, spray fans, etc. The funny thing is, I got a ton of new stuff for a trip that will be for 2 weeks (not all at WDW) of our lives. Luckily with sales, ebay, and the flea market, I didn't spend a ton of $ (OK, maybe a half ton). Had I waited to get all of this stuff when we want it while we're there, I might as well just hand them my bank account. I probably paid 1/2-1/3 the retail cost of everything, and our trip will be more magical because of all the stuff I got beforehand, and all the $ we now have leftover!

 

[searlproudbottom]

Dear Tracie

This is the way I see it.

Would you think of yourself as cheap if you were to bring your own bottled water instead of paying michael eisner the $ 2.50 for his 16 oz. of his treated tap bottled water? Or how about bringing your own snacks instead of paying michael $ 5.00 for a .10 box of popcorn. The way I see it if there were more folks like yourself and protested the price gouging maybe the prices might come down, but I don't think so. Wasn’t Walts idea for Disneyland, to be a safe, clean and affordable place for parents to go and enjoy the day with their children. Or was it a place for only the wealthy. Bottom line, you have my respect in not only doing the right thing but also having the backbone to bring your thoughts out in the Open. My family visits either Disneyland or DisneyWorld yearly and for the time being we get by with skymiles and annual passes, but I do often wonder how long before we have to go looking for an affordable family vacation. I truly hope that won’t happen but with the way they keep changing all the ways we used to get discounts and such I’m afraid our visits will be short lived.

 

[Aubrey]

I'm sure your kids would rather spend their time at shows and attractions than standing in vendors' lines. Pre-shopping saves that time which is even more important to a good vacation than saving the money. (Not that saving money isn't wonderful too !!!) I know our kids have enjoyed getting that special light-up bracelet or whatever just at the right moment while waiting for a parade to start or standing in a long ride line. They would have seen so much less of the park and been more frustrated and bored with waiting if they had to stand around while mom bought the trinket from the vendor before we moved on to the next amusement.

 

[MrsPete]

I agree that it's not cheap to do this -- it's smart!

However, I don't see it as "saving" money. It's only saving if you would buy the more expensive items later, which I personally would not do. I see it as "treating" my kids to something special, which I would not do at full price.

On the other hand, bringing in individual packs of peanuts or other snacks IS really "saving" because if I didn't bring them, I would definately have to buy snacks for the kids -- they have to eat.

 

[HvnzCaress]

oh boy the stuff I've bought since starting to plan this trip a year ago in order not to have to buy in park stuff.....

In our case much of what I have purchased has dolphins on it cause we'll be doing DC but mind you I'm not through yet!!

I have also bought the rain ponchos, light up sticks and necklaces, clothes, stickers, and on and on...

And my kids are 11 and 14!! LOL

Now if only I can pay off those ressies this month

 

[bobcat]

As you can see you are not alone in this! I buy things on sale/clearance throughout the year and keep it in a tote until vacation. It's like opening a treasure box the week before vacation when I make up gift bags for my kids. I even bought my DD a light spinner on clearace at Target a while back so she would have on at WDW. DS bought a Buzz spinner with his own money last year.

 

[house_of_princesses]

would definately have to buy snacks for the kids -- they have to eat.

Do you mean I actually have to FEED my four DD's while there! Just may have to forage through their piggy banks!!

 

[dvc guy]

My kids made me buy them the spinners a few years ago. They never look at them after the trip, so they go right back in the suitcase, for the next trip. They have made 3 trips to disney so far. They are waiting in the suitcase for the December trip.

 

[SIDEWALK]

Yeah! I had to buy that stupid spinner and forget about getting DD to bring it out with us anywhere at night to use it! That thing went in the garbage last year because I was sick of being reminded how much I paid for it. We also were coerced into buying a $17 Disney fan bottle - oy!

For This year's trip I bought glow necklaces at the dollar store, rain ponchos at kmart, those fan bottles at the dollar store, I want to save my $$ to waste on really good splurges without being held hostage by Micheal Eisner.

Also - I got a bunch of happy meal toys to put in a gift bag for DD and who cares if it's not all disney - Brats dolls are cool too!.

Did you all know that you can buy the McDonalds toys for $1 without having to buy the happy meal? I go there just for the toys - we don't eat mcd at all!