Buy souveniors before you get there!

[alansrock]

I bought shirts at Target a year in advance on clearance...$2-$3 a piece!

I got fabric and had a friend make me some matching shorts, I just had to pay for elastic!!

I got some figurines at the Dollar Tree for $1 each.

And I bought Mouse Ears on ebay for $14 shipped. I have an embroidery machine and I put my kids' names on them myself!!!

Doing all of this saved me a lot of money and we didn't waste one minute at WDW shopping!!!!!!

 

[cheap traveler]

I got pins on E-bay for $1.28 each. Beats $9 each when we get there, only to trade them away.

 

[xanphylus]

I do the same thing! I have a closet full of crud for our upcoming disney trip. From Hannah Montana to Tiger and friends, its in my closet for the trip down and when we get there. It helps curb the gimmies.

 

[Moeluv4u7]

We did this & I am doing it again- Same type of thing I do along the lines of when I see a nice "item" on sale- I pick it up for Christmas or birthdays etc- Only difference with Disney is I search out the sales- LOL so to speak- I check Dollar Tree and Big Lots about once a month and always end up on a few good deals- Then if I step in Target I always check out the Dollar area- LOVE IT!- & the Disney Store, I try to check weekly but it is really usually about every 2-3 weeks unless I KNOW about a sale!
I haven't yet, but want to get a few pins- I will get the bulk on e-bay or other pin type for sale board and then use them to have fun trading for the ones we want that mean something to us personally!

In April we didn't buy any souvenirs at all- It was great! The Best thing was though, I forgot most of the "shtuff" at home- My kids had too much to keep them happy- It was our first trip!- When we got home I told them to write down 3 things for their "Wish List" and when we go back (July) that we would allow them to get it - They have been "earning" the money for the items by doing extra chores around the house over and above their usual and saving birthday money- I will pitch in what I told myself would be the budget for souvenirs in the beginning- (amazingly, none of them are choosing very expensive items or "fluff" items) They are choosing to start collecting certain things, or, my DD will be getting a pearl and set... In other words, Items that are kept, valued, etc-
Wow! Did I go off on a tangent... Sry

 

[WINTER]

Half the fun of being at Disney is the SHOPPING for my souveniers!

 

[WdwforLife]

I bought shirts at Target a year in advance on clearance...$2-$3 a piece!

I got fabric and had a friend make me some matching shorts, I just had to pay for elastic!!

I got some figurines at the Dollar Tree for $1 each.

And I bought Mouse Ears on ebay for $14 shipped. I have an embroidery machine and I put my kids' names on them myself!!!

Doing all of this saved me a lot of money and we didn't waste one minute at WDW shopping!!!!!!

That kind of takes all of the fun away. At least to me. I love shopping for authentic WDW shirts while in the parks or buying me ears on Main Street. Getting it all before I go seems to take part of the fun away

 

[Peanut&Piglet'sMom]

I've bought a bunch of little goodies to set out for my kids each morning from "Mickey" or "Tink" which will help them from wanting every little item they see at the parks. We do let them choose one big item during the trip though and they usually wait until the last day to goback and get what they've decided on.

But yeah...you can find a TON of stuff much cheaper outside of the World.

 

[daisyduck123]

Half the fun of being at Disney is the SHOPPING for my souveniers!

Exactly how I feel!

I kind of see the OPs suggestion in an opposite light....a Dollar spent on a Disney item at a dollar store is a dollar wasted/that I could've spent in WDW.