Buying Disney-themed items before going?

[thewritegirl]

In an effort to save a few bucks, I'd like to buy some items before we get to the park. We'll be there the first week in March with dd 7 and ds 5. So, I'm planning to get a t-shirt for everyone on disneyshopping.com (seems to be some good sales going on), but I'm wondering about the price of a few other things. What would you recommend buying ahead of time, and what would you recommend buying there?

Like, are the kids at a good age for the whole autograph book thing? And, how much is an autograph book there? Would you recommend picking up a couple ahead of time?

Same with lanyards to hold the tickets and FP. Probably only need one of those for the whole family. How much does a lanyard run you in the park?

Is there anything else that's worth buying ahead of time? Or on the flip side, what is really worth buying there, either because of the "experience" or because it's about the same price. I was thinking of letting the kids each pick out their mouse ears there, but trying to limit the purchase of much else in the way of souvenirs.

Thanks for the input!

 

[CrazyDuck]

I bought some of the shirts from Disneyshopping.com for my kids because they had then for $5. Still do I believe! Also used the Disney Visa to get another 10% off. I only shop ahead of time so we don't have to waste as much time in the Emporium. The quality of the $5 shirts are pretty cheap but the kids grow out of them so fast anyways. The gear in the parks is much nicer and top quality.

Some of the other stuff I bought from disneystore.com was cold weather gear like pull over hoodie sweater, beanie hats and mittens. We are going in a few weeks and it is always cold in Feb. If you are going when it's warm then you may want to grab some swim gear, trunks and bathing suits.

Also if the have them on clearance look for other stuff like autograph books, hats, princess costumes etc..etc.. They are much more expensive in the parks!

 

[Mugglemama]

Like, are the kids at a good age for the whole autograph book thing? And, how much is an autograph book there? Would you recommend picking up a couple ahead of time?

Is there anything else that's worth buying ahead of time? Or on the flip side, what is really worth buying there, either because of the "experience" or because it's about the same price. I was thinking of letting the kids each pick out their mouse ears there, but trying to limit the purchase of much else in the way of souvenirs.

Thanks for the input!

i believe autograph books are about $7 each. the lines for autographs are often long, so just keep that in mind when deciding to do them or not. if you're time at DLR is pretty limited, waiting for autographs can cut into your ride time. it seems like a lot of kids still like to collect the autographs, despite the wait times. personally, i'd love it if my kids NEVER wanted to wait for autographs, LOL! i feel like it's such a waste of time. but that's just me. my kids really love their books, especially after we get home. but in my opinion, it's a pain to have to carry them around, etc.

as far as things that are worth buying in the parks...we've always really liked the light-up spinny toys. it's been a lot of fun for our kids to pick them out at night when they start seeing everyone else with them. also, even though we can get plush at the disney store, my kids each have one or two very cherished disney plush toys that they actually picked out in the parks. one of my son's all time favorite toys EVER, was a little red metal airplane toy that he picked out at the shop across from Soarin' over in DCA on his 4th b-day. he "loved" it so much, it finally disintegrated after about 6 years!

 

[thewritegirl]

Ok, that's good info to know, thanks. So, on the disneyshopping.com site, the autograph books are 6.95 - sounds like that's about the same price, so it's something that we could wait to buy in the park.

We're going to have quite a bit of time there. We went two years ago and did a three-day park hopper, and felt rushed. This year, we are doing four full days, plus the day we arrive and the day we leave, so we'll have a six-day parkhopper. I'm also hoping that since we will be there weekdays, the first week of March, it will be a fairly quiet time (fingers crossed!) and the wait time for things like that shouldn't be too bad. Am I delusional for thinking that?

Any thoughts on the whole pin-trading thing? We didn't do any of that last year. I don't know if it would be of interest to my kids this time around, but it looks like pins are crazy expensive at the park, and I could buy a bunch of them on ebay and save some money if that's something the kids want to do.

Thanks again!

 

[CrazyDuck]

The plushies are much nicer in the parks that in the Disney store. My DD has a pooh from both places and the one with the Disneyland tag is much better built. Everything from the fur to the clothes to the eyes is better.

 

[ryleeranger]

We are going the 1st week of March, too! Lots of good ideas here.

 

[californiamomof4grls]

We are going the first week of March too! It's our 10 year anniversary. This is our 3rd year going but our first time with out our girls.
The autograph books we bought the first year were 10 dollars each. So the second year I made little booklets out of scrapbooking stuff. It had a cover page with their names on it and they each picked the stickers, of the different characters they wanted to get the autographs of. We also purchased the autograph stickers to place on the pages when we got home. So that they had the autograph if we couldn't find that one. They turned out super cute! My girls love to get the autographs. The best place I think is at the Character breakfast. We love Goffy's kitchen. The food is awesome and the interaction is pretty great too! We also had good luck in toon town!
We all love the pin trading!. It can be expensive though. Although I have seen pins on ebay that there are cheaper. That way you can trade for the better pins! LOL! Although we haven't done that yet. We have researched it. The lanyards are all over, we even found some at our hotel gift shop last year for 5 bucks. So really it's just about shopping.
I always buy my girls matching shirts either online or at the Disney store. I have a friend on these boards and she makes her shirts and they are super cute. She uses iron on transfers and stuff! Really cute!

 

[Mugglemama]

Ok, that's good info to know, thanks. So, on the disneyshopping.com site, the autograph books are 6.95 - sounds like that's about the same price, so it's something that we could wait to buy in the park.

We're going to have quite a bit of time there. We went two years ago and did a three-day park hopper, and felt rushed. This year, we are doing four full days, plus the day we arrive and the day we leave, so we'll have a six-day parkhopper. I'm also hoping that since we will be there weekdays, the first week of March, it will be a fairly quiet time (fingers crossed!) and the wait time for things like that shouldn't be too bad. Am I delusional for thinking that?

Any thoughts on the whole pin-trading thing? We didn't do any of that last year. I don't know if it would be of interest to my kids this time around, but it looks like pins are crazy expensive at the park, and I could buy a bunch of them on ebay and save some money if that's something the kids want to do.

Thanks again!

the person who suggested making autograph books is right on target, IMO. i have a spiral coil binding machine at home and made some for my kids (although we haven't used them yet). the ones at the parks are made really flimsy and the pages fall out (the ones we bought there are completely falling apart, and the kids get bummed because they don't want the autographs to get lost). plus, i don't love the covers of the ones at the parks. at home, i made my kids each ones that had covers that had something on them that they each really like. for instance, for my youngest, i designed the cover to look like Woody's shirt (from Toy Story). i used 110 lb. card stock for the pages, and it would be best to use chipboard for the back cover (support while the characters write on them). you can take them to kinko's to have them coil punched and bound. if you are so inclined to do these yourself, they will hold up much better than the least expensive ones found in the parks.

i don't know about the crowd situation in march, but i would definitely check the anaheim convention center's schedule against your dates, because i think it's common in March to find LOTS of cheerleaders at the parks due to competitions nearby.

we never do the pin trading thing. it's not that it doesn't look fun, it's just that honestly, our whole family is very much the get-on-every-ride-you-can type of bunch, lol. we've just never been willing to spend the time (or money) on the whole pin thing. i know the pins can be expensive, but if you wanted to try the pin trading thing out, you could just buy one or two, and let the kids trade those. that way you could at least see if it's something you'd still be willing to spend more time/money on during later DLR trips. (my kids would probably be more apt to pick out a couple of pins that they LOVED, and then totally refuse the idea of trading them).

hope that helps!

 

[thewritegirl]

I will definitely look into making our own autograph books. I sort of thought that the Disney ones would be better made than it sounds like they are!

I don't think my kids will be in to trading pins, and it kind of sounds like a pain, so we'll probably just stick with the books, if anything.

I checked the convention center and it looks like the spirit competition stuff is later in the month. I think that we will be at Disney the week before any spring breaks start. I really am hoping that it is not too busy. Last time, we went in July and it definitely was a busier time. Either way, we are excited!

 

[Susie63]

Before xmas I bought a bunch of clothes and a backpack at the Disney store and made them a present for my DD. We are going on our first trip to Disney in Feb and I want to make this a lasting memory for my girl. So I also picked up a Mickey and Minnie plushies and ears to match Minnie's and after we get there I will order a balloon bouquet to be delivered while we are out. I am going to have a card signed by M&M saying" We saw you in the park today...We hope you enjoy your first visit to Disneyland...Love Mickey & Minnie". Then when we get back to our room there will be a big surprise for my girl

 

[wannagoback]

DD5 was really into the autographs (except Captain Hook and Cruella, she wouldn't talk to them). I also made my own books. I used layouts that I found on the Creative DISigns board. Printed them two per 8.5x11 page, cut the page in half and had them bound. You can get the binding done for just a few bucks, so the cost is in the printing, and you don't necessarily have to print every page either. Now that we're back from our trip, I will take out the pages/characters that we didn't see. Then, I'll stick our picture with each character on the facing page. I carried the book and a clickable Sharpie in a large ziploc bag.

I would pass on the pin trading... it's an expensive hobby. I bought a few off of ebay because I thought it would be a fun thing to do, but I just couldn't see DD wearing the lanyard, and I'm already holding onto enough stuff as it is!

I also made two t-shirts with iron-on transfers for my two DDs with cheap T's from Old Navy.

Another thing both DDs liked was the pressed penny machines.

I kept tickets in a easily-accessed zipper pouch in my purse/bag. With that and my camera always hanging around my neck, there's no room for a lanyard!

Also, not sure if you're planning on doing any character meals, but I think the meal vouchers from getawaytoday.com are a good price. We did two meals and really enjoyed them both! (Goofy's and Ariel's)

Enjoy your trip!

 

[Disney Dreams]

...Any thoughts on the whole pin-trading thing? We didn't do any of that last year. I don't know if it would be of interest to my kids this time around, but it looks like pins are crazy expensive at the park, and I could buy a bunch of them on ebay and save some money if that's something the kids want to do.

Thanks again!

Now you're talking about my fun!

First, a warning: Pin trading can become VERY addicting. VERY quickly.

A few years ago, a friend giving me 1 pin as a gift when telling me about her and her husband's collections. All I wanted to do was find the other 5 pins in the set of the 1 she gave me.

I now have close to 400 pins. Truly.

You can set perimeters, like only trading with Cast Members, not with other guests. This way you can feel comfortable without etting pushed into any trades or wondering if you are getting a fair trade.

Trading with Cast Members is very easy, fun, and a great way for kids to improve their social skills (and practice their please and thank yous).

You can buy pins from various places on-line - but know that you may or may not be getting genuine Disney pins (regardless what they state in their information). You can also buy multi-pin packs in the Park simply to use as traders. (Ex: 7 pins for approximately $30)

If you think pin trading is something you / they may want to try - post any questions you may have here. I'll answer if I see it, as will others here who also enjoy the fun hobby!

- Dreams

 

[deejdigsdis]

My suggestion isn't Disney-themed, but it's a tip I picked up from the boards that I thought I'd pass along. We bought packages of the glow bracelets/necklaces at the dollar store before our trip. I'd put a few packages in the backpack each day and bring them out at night. They didn't take up much space at all and the kids looked forward to getting new ones each night when it got dark. They also helped us keep track of the kids better when we were walking through some of the lesser-lit areas of DL.

 

[kkmcan]

I too thought that pin trading would be a dumb waste of time but dh wanted to buy dd a starter kit one year in DL. It's truly an obsession now. We use pin trading as something to fall back on if the lines are too long or we need to relax from running around the park etc. We head to the gift shops and start scoping out CM's who have lanyards on.

Last year we did a totally budget one day trip at Halloweentime. I wanted just a little bit more time at DLR so we stayed an extra night and did a ton of pin trading at Downtown Disney and the DL and Grand Cal Hotels. We ate lunch at my favorite Whitewater Snacks and shopped. It was a nice day that didn't cost us a park ticket.

The kids are working on finding pins to complete their various collections. As they grow up their likes/disklikes change. It used to be all princess pins for my dd, then pirate pins and now it's those tiny Cuties pins. For my ds it used to be anything with a mickey head, now it's pins that are based on rides.

It's really fun to see what they find, get excited about.

 

[Mugglemama]

I will definitely look into making our own autograph books. I sort of thought that the Disney ones would be better made than it sounds like they are!

in truth, i don't know if perhaps DLR sells some autograph books that are better quality than the ones we purchased. we were buying them for young children, so we picked up the least expensive ones we could find in one of the DLR shops. they might sell better made books...to be honest, i never checked to see if they had coil bound books or not.

still though, they are a LOT of fun to make at home! plus, the cardstock pages (you can pick up a large ream of 110 lb. cardstock at wal-mart for about $5 - in colors even!) are so much more durable than the pages in the books we bought at DLR. spiral coil binding is extra nice because it makes it possible to add more blank pages as needed.

 

[mgmcpa]

Pin trading is fun if you keep it at a hobby level and don't let it take over the trip. It's a fun thing to do when waiting in a long line (watch for cast members walking by to trade with).

I bought a dozen pins on ebay ahead of time at an average price of $2-$3 each with shipping (don't care what pins they are, just go for cheap price and buy from one seller to combine shipping fees). I had 10 pins going in on my lanyard and traded them all for things I liked better over a couple of days.

I had been scared (by warnings from well-meaning people on the disboards) that if the ones I bought on ebay were fake, the cast members wouldn't trade. While I think I bought real ones, I never once saw a cast member even bat an eye about a trade. They barely look at what you offer up. So, I'd recommend getting some cheap on ebay and have fun.

 

[Mrs. Toaster]

We started our boys a few years ago on pressed pennies. They have machines all over the parks, and even in the hotels. They also have them at many non-Disney parks and attractions (zoos, aquariums, etc.). You simply pack up some pennies and quarters. Each machine takes 2 quarters and 1 penny. There are also some pressed quarter machines, that take more quarters. I found the easiest way to transport the pennies and quarters is in a mini-M & M's tube. Just empty out the candies, and the coins will fit in perfectly!

You can pick up a nice Pressed Penny Book at Disney to hold all their new pennies in!

 

[thewritegirl]

Oooh, we LOVE pressed pennies. We have one of those little books, and have fun getting pressed pennies where ever we go.

I am going back and forth about the pins. You guys all have good points. I might just get a batch on ebay and wing it.

Oh, and we did the glow stick trick last time. It was great. I will definitely stock up again. I was also thinking Disney-themed stickers, pencils, etc. from the dollar store would be fun to take along for down time back at the hotel.

I love all of the feedback, so keep it coming, it's very helpful!

 

[disneydreamer74]

I agree with other posters.. go for the pin trading..we love doing the pin trading there. My DD3 could really care less, but we got my DDniece10 addicted on the last trip and all she talks about it returning with us next month to trade pins.. we do limit it to CM's though and there are plenty to trade with. We bought a bag of 30 pins on e-bay last year for a cheap price and all of them were the real deal..getting ready to order some for this trip to trade with in the parks, Also started the pressed penny collection for my DD and that is VERY fun to her b/c she likes to pick out the machines she wants and crank the knob!!It is great b/c it is a cheap thrill but a momento.
One bit of advice I would give is to purchase your lanyard at Walmart (we got one for a buck last year) and also a mini-cooler (paid 5dollars for it at Walmart)that way u can transport bottled water to and from the park (or juice packs for the kiddos). We did this last year and saved a lot of $$. The bag check will want to look in it, but they have not problems with it. Even though it will be chilly in Feb. we will bring water w/out the ice because all of that walking makes a person thirsty! have a great trip!

 

[kimis]

When we take our grandkids to DL for their 4th birthdays I do buy some things a head of time. I put together a disney things to do in the car bag with disney markers, coloring books, notebooks, story books, and other disney items. I buy disney tshirts where ever I can before the trip. I get something special for their pillow everynight that is disney. So when they are brushing their teeth and taking their bath i slip it on the pillow. I usually get these items at walmart or target. Then we do let them pick a special something from the parks on their last day at the park.
This sounds like a lot of money but it isn't. I use the dollar stores or dollar pins. I look for sales or clearances. I also have a couple years in between trips. For examply we have three granddaughters going to be able to go in three years so I have already started picking items up as I find them.
Oh yeah I even find disney snacks to take in the car and the park. Enjoy.