Best DLR Souvenirs for Kids?

[Mugglemama]

Do any of you have a suggestion for DLR souvenirs that you came home with for the kids that turned out to be really great? Any favorites?

We used to be AP'rs who visited the parks a WHOLE lot (lived half an hour away), and back during that time, the kids came home with souvenirs about once a month (we were there about twice a week so we definitely didn't buy souvenirs every visit!).

We've only been able to visit annually since 2003, and, since we already had so many souvenirs from Disneyland, we haven't really bought any in a long time. The kids already had accumulated their favorite plush toys, and the light-up spinny toys, autograph books, pens, pirate treasure, character dishes, sweatshirts, jammies, backpacks, POTC t-shirts (the "dead men tell no tales" one) giant rubber snakes, ceramic mugs, light-up princess wands, etc. We still have a lot of those items, in fact, and the kids still use them all.

But they haven't gotten souvenirs during our DLR visits in the last few years, so this year to add to the fun, I was going to tell them they could choose something. They are DS11, DD8, and DS4.

Does anybody here have "favorite" souvenirs that their kids got at DLR? Things the kids really enjoyed and played with or used a lot once they came home (because the last thing we need are more toys that are just going to end up forgotten under a dresser, lol)?

I'd love any suggestions!!

 

[teatime]

no, not for a while now. my kids have a lot of disneyland toys, but there usually bored with them in no time. Then I found " if you want it you buy it " that stopped a lot of the " Mommy I want I want ! if they want a toy, or anything my kids have to take money from there bank on the trip. the goodies are free and on me, as is the meals, but anything beyond that and no one wants a thing I got wise to that 2 years ago. Now when they come hom its usually with a good candy and a happy face being in disneyland. no more toys that do not get played with, or broken to easy.

 

[Mugglemama]

no, not for a while now. my kids have a lot of disneyland toys, but there usually bored with them in no time. Then I found " if you want it you buy it " that stopped a lot of the " Mommy I want I want ! if they want a toy, or anything my kids have to take money from there bank on the trip. the goodies are free and on me, as is the meals, but anything beyond that and no one wants a thing I got wise to that 2 years ago. Now when they come hom its usually with a good candy and a happy face being in disneyland. no more toys that do not get played with, or broken to easy.

yeah, i can totally see why you wouldn't want to waste any more money on things that are going to break easy or soon be forgotten!

my kids actually don't ask for much while we're in the parks...we're so busy doing stuff, and we don't spend much time in the shops. they already have their favorites, but i just thought i'd offer because it had been so long.

my daughter has been BEGGING for one of those "mickey-head-inside-a-clear-balloon" balloons since she was 2, lol, but i always tell her no because i don't want it to get stolen off the stroller, and even if we bought it right before leaving, we'd have to carry the thing on the tram (bobbing all over the place), and then live with it in the van for 2 days on our way home. maybe i ought to just give in and let her finally get one.

 

[teatime]

my boy wanted a light up baloon when I showed him the picture. I said well it will have to have the air out of it for the trip home, and the cost is 12.00 he was like then he said... no mama I like baloons but I like my money more

 

[victorandbellasmom]

I take lots of photos on each trip and compile it into one of those photo books. And my kids love it. Each trip gets a new photo book. They love taking it out of the bookshelf and reminiscing about past trips. They also like using it to get ready for the next trip. They love seeing how they've grown up and how they've changed over the years. That by far has been the best souveneir purchased. We've bought our kids so many light up toys, t-shirts, sweatshirts, stuffed animals, etc.. (no balloons, though) from our trips. They play with, them for a week maybe two when we return and that's it. Toys eventually break and clothes eventually are outgrown. It doesn't stop us from buying them, but the photobooks are the best souveneir we've purchased for everyone.

 

[Canyon girl]

The best souvie that we ever purchased was a Disney Monopoly game. The kids love to play it. Since we go later in the year, I usually take this opportunity to have "private time" at the WOD to Christmas shop. I watch the kids for a few days, and then I go back by myself. Then, we ship the presents home from the GCH business center, so the kids don't see what I have gotten.

 

[specialks]

I take lots of photos on each trip and compile it into one of those photo books. And my kids love it. Each trip gets a new photo book. They love taking it out of the bookshelf and reminiscing about past trips. They also like using it to get ready for the next trip. They love seeing how they've grown up and how they've changed over the years. That by far has been the best souveneir purchased. We've bought our kids so many light up toys, t-shirts, sweatshirts, stuffed animals, etc.. (no balloons, though) from our trips. They play with, them for a week maybe two when we return and that's it. Toys eventually break and clothes eventually are outgrown. It doesn't stop us from buying them, but the photobooks are the best souveneir we've purchased for everyone.

These are also a favorite of my daughters'. They love looking over the pics and remembering all the characters they met and rides they went on. I put them in an album that they keep in their rooms. They look through them ALL the time. Also, we purchased Princess shaped crayons and they seem to use them more than the toys we purchased.

 

[Kayla's Mom]

This may not be a favorite of kids, but I love having a silhouette done of my girls at the silhouette shop on Main Street, we do one every year. They are very inexpensive ($8 for one person, I think?) and you get two copies (mirror images of each other). It's amazing to watch them. It takes them literally a minute or so to cut them out. Sylvia has always been there when we go and I have her sign and date them for me.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

We usually limit to one souvenir per trip. I like to get stuff they can "do" instead of things like stuffed animals, etc. The last trip was their princess dresses & crowns, which they bought themselves with their xmas $$ (we went the 2 days after xmas). Also I suggest they get something they can't get at home at the Disney Store or Target even. Our 2005 trip ODD picked out a "My 1st DL Teddy" for her baby sister back at home, but got one for herself too.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

This may not be a favorite of kids, but I love having a silhouette done of my girls at the silhouette shop on Main Street, we do one every year. They are very inexpensive ($8 for one person, I think?) and you get two copies (mirror images of each other). It's amazing to watch them. It takes them literally a minute or so to cut them out. Sylvia has always been there when we go and I have her sign and date them for me.

We did this with DD when she was 4. We didn't get to do it last time since we did a 2 day holiday trip and we packed as many rides in as we could with the crazy crowds. We will do one this year. Is their a max # of people? I'd like to do all 4 kids.

 

[farmgirljen]

We just went on our first trip ever, and my son who is 8 really enjoyed choosing pins that represented his favorite things in the park- In fact, it was the thing he chose the most often-rather than toys, etc...and he came home with a nice collection of them that he will be able to enjoy looking at for a long time.Plus he can add to it each time we go back(already planning our next trip)... I found a nice puzzle of the whole park that is very detailed, like a map- with all the characters, attractions, etc.. pictured on it- it is amazing, and it was only $9.95. I can't wait to do it this winter so we can relive our trip-and it is nice enough to glue and frame after wards too...

 

[Mugglemama]

what GREAT ideas!!

i think i will DEFINITELY do a sillhouette, because this will probably be one of the last, if not THE last trip we take with my oldest daughter...she starts college in the fall and probably won't really be doing family vacations with us anymore. great suggestion, THANKS!

also, the photo memory book is SUCH a fantastic idea!! i think my kids would LOVE those! plus, we'll have fun doing them. GREAT idea, thanks so much for the suggestion!

i love the princess gowns and stuff, but DD8 has already had 3 full gown/shoes/crown ensembles over the years, so we are pretty much outgrowing those. i agree, though, it's a wonderful thing to be able to get for little girls while at disneyland.

 

[DizMe]

I've had the same experience as teatime for the most part--my girls love the souvenir until a few days after we get home, and then it sits forgotten. One exception to this was when DD6 chose the book "Disneyland Then, Now, and Forever" as her item of choice. She reads it all the time still and it has been 5 months. Not only that, the rest of us enjoy it, too.

Other winners: when older dd was into the Disney fairy books, we stocked up at Compass Bookstore. She loves those still, though they don't get read as often as they used to.

Other dd purchased a decorate-it-yourself-crown kit that hangs on the wall. You can put jewels on it and your name and things like that. It was $5 at Compass Bookstore.

I guess I'd have to say books and like items are hits with my girls! Oh yes, they each got a charm bracelet and we add a charm each time we go. They like those a lot, but they rarely wear them so I don't know if I'd say it was a great idea or not. Still, it's inexpensive and fun to pick out which character to get next.

 

[SilentFeline]

We did this with DD when she was 4. We didn't get to do it last time since we did a 2 day holiday trip and we packed as many rides in as we could with the crazy crowds. We will do one this year. Is their a max # of people? I'd like to do all 4 kids.

The max number of people is 4. There is an additional charge for each person, but I'm not sure how much. I highly recommend buying at least one frame.

 

[Grumpy'sWife4Ever]

Our kids save their money before we go, so they spend their own money.....With the exception of ear hats, we get one for each family member. They are usually very choosy about their purchases, and each one is well thought out. This year they bought:

DS 11 - because it was his birthday, we let him chose his gift from us, which was a custom Light Saber. He plays with it almost daily (outside, of course) He also got a "Hidden Mickeys" book, the Fantasmic figurine toy set (his sister plays with it more, he got it for display purposes) and a Sorcerer Mickey light- up spinner.

DS 8 - He chose a bucket of LGMs and a Buzz Lightyear alarm clock. Also white Sorcerer Mickey gloves to go with his hat. Oh, and he fell in love with a stuffed monkey in the fruit stand outside the "Jungle Cruise" so he adopted him.

DD 4 - She chose one of the plump Minnie round dolls - she calls her "Fat Minnie" - and a Sleeping Beauty light up spinner. And candy. She loves suckers!

They were all random purchases that made them very happy at the time, and all are still used/played with today....

 

[Hester]

The best souvenir for us has been the large Disneyland Park Map (not to be confused with the free standard park map.) We put it up in my daughter's room, with her "1st Visit" button adorning it. Surrounding it is a 'paper chain' daily countdown to our next trip in September - she rips off one chain per day.

I collected these large park maps since I was a kid - I have many from the early 80s on, put safely away now. I have ones not only from DL - but also from WDW, Knott's, various Six Flags parks around the country, Opryland ... I guess it's a pretty good collection now.

The silhouette was AWESOME and we did get one during our last visit. You do pay around $9 per person. For us three, it wasn't necessarily a cheap souvenir, but we hung it up and will have it forever now.

 

[Kayla's Mom]

The best souvenir for us has been the large Disneyland Park Map (not to be confused with the free standard park map.)

Did you get that at World of Disney? I keep forgetting to get one and am determined to remember when we go back in September!

 

[Mugglemama]

more great ideas! thanks, everybody!

i'm thinking the park map and LGM bucket might be huge hits with our kids, too. one of our DS4's previous souvenirs was the buzz lightyear blaster gun, which he loves still.

also, my DD8 would probably love one of the charm bracelets. i just recently found mine and will be picking out a new charm for it on this trip, so i'll see if she wants one at that time.

for anyone else who might be trying to figure out a good souvenir to show their own child while at DLR.....i think THE very favorite thing ANY of my kids EVER got at DLR, was a red, die cast airplane over at that little shop across from Soarin'. he got it on his first trip to DCA, which happened to be his 4th birthday (he has the same b-day as DCA, feb. 8th, so it was kind of cool that he was celebrating his b-day on the day they were handing out "happy b-day CA" stickers), and even though he got a blue one on a subsequent trip, i swear he carried that red one around EVERYWHERE until it practically dissolved, lol. it's in pieces now but i still keep it to give him in his little "stuff-when you-were-little" box.

 

[Hester]

Did you get that at World of Disney? I keep forgetting to get one and am determined to remember when we go back in September!

You know, I don't remember ... but I do know they have them at those small shops right at the gate.

You could wallpaper a whole room with these if you wanted to! (always thought that would be cool.)

Also, I tried to get the DCA one last visit ... couldn't find one at any of the shops near the Golden Gate bridge / entrance area. I did get one opening year in the Hollywood area though.

 

[bumbershoot]

DS is an odd one b/c he plays with things forever. OK, well, he's 5 and he will still happily play with his baby toys, if that gives you an indication. He doesn't touch everything he has inside of a week, but give him a couple months and he'll play with everything.

The most playable so far are the cheapie light sabers. Half were purchased for much less at Target, but the other two are from the Star Tours store when we realized hubby and I had as much to do with him losing his enormous "build your own" lightsaber as he did (if not more).

I know that I love his Mickey-themed (not Mickey base, but just a small theme) blue, light up, makes sounds, with-belt-clip light saber ($12 at Star Traders). It's Disney, it's Star Wars, it's awesome.

We have been very careful with ages and age recommendations on things, so his 5th birthday trip meant he could get a few things he's had his eyes on for *at least* a year. The Rebel Alliance Blaster is one, and the bigger Buzz blaster is the other. I don't know why the Buzz one is for 5 and up, but it is, and so we've waited, and that has been much beloved by him so far.

But the cheapie, playable, light sabers so far are the MOST played with.

He does love pins, but I'm going to call a halt to wearing them all on lanyards...that goes for me as well. I've got to find a display that makes me happy, so we can look at them at home, and just wear a select few on lanyards. Even hubby has stopped trading now; each of his pins has special meaning to him, so we don't *need* to wear them at the parks.


So those are DS's (and ours).