Disneyland Allowance for kids

[Disney Dreams]

To put the $ amount in perspective, you cannot buy even a pin for $5. It seems low to me. I can't think of a "quality" souvenir for $5. If the amount is too low, they just end up spending it on junk instead of something memorable.

How about having a certain amount for each in their own designated envelope that you keep. When they want something, you give them money from the envelope - at THEIR discretion. They will learn responsibility for allocating their money, but not have to worry about the massive lesson of losing it just yet.

- Dreams

 

[tink929]

When we have gone on our last two trips, we told DD that for every one of her toys she was willing to donate to charity, we'd give her a dollar. She has WAY too many toys, so she made about $20 per trip. Then she gets one special pin and one balloon on us.

 

[MomToOne]

I am going to have to steal your evil mom idea

Evil Mom is also really good at making kids do homework, making them go to bed on time, making them turn off the TV and making them eat their vegetables too! She's quite the lady!!

 

[CaseyK]

We are currently having this discussion in our house. DD4 is in the "can I have this" stage and I think our upcoming trip is going to be crazy. We've also been having some issues with her listening and such- typical 4 year old stuff. We will be making a chart 1 month out and for every day she earns a sticker for helping me or being nice to her brother or listening, she'll get 1$ towards her "allowance". She has the potential to earn 30$ to spend. We will buy her and her brother (20 months) other things but I want her to have her own money to buy something for herself.

 

[azdisneylover]

When we went to DL this past November, the triplets didn't really ask for anything. One daughter asked for a balloon, and I said to wait until the last day so it would last, but we forgot! We did get them gift cards for the Lego store, and we would go into the store a few times, and the last day, they were able to purchase Legos. (They love Legos).
They also picked out a Minnie, Mickey and Nemo stuffed refrigerator magnets when I was getting a coffee mug! (DH is wrapped around their little fingers)!
I use the line with them, lets think about it before we purchase it, and on the last day, if that is what you really want, we will talk about it. This way, they realize the spur of the moment I want that ____(Fill in the blank) isn't what they really wanted. They kept asking to go back to the Lego Store.
They did also wanted to try all the food they have seen on the food porn thread too! LOL

 

[Albort]

What we do is we have a big piggy bank that my DD6 and DS4 use to collect coins and dollars they find lying around the house. Then the weekend before we go we'll go and count and roll the coins, and whatever they end up with is their souvenir money. In 2008 my DD6 was doing this by herself (DD4 was too youn at the time), and she had about $350 to spend on souvenirs. We changed out about $200 to Disney dollars which she carried with her in the parks. I was surprised at how frugal she became with her money. At the end of the week she barely used all the Disney Dollars!

hehehe, those are the cutest moments ever... i got paid in pennies and dimes for an IC(which is annoying) but it came from a little 4 year old girl from her little baggy of money so it didnt matter. It made my day...

 

[marcemc]

Evil Mom is also really good at making kids do homework, making them go to bed on time, making them turn off the TV and making them eat their vegetables too! She's quite the lady!!

I put Evil Mom to work last night. The one thing I did was to change the name to Mean Mom Worked like a charm!!! The boys didn't see that one coming!!!!

 

[3monkeys4me]

We gave each kid a gift card with $75 on it. We paid for their food and one treat a day. They had to use their money for everything else. They each picked out mickey ears on their first day and a few other various toys on the last day and they were happy. There were a few things they liked but chose not to buy and I bought them and put them away for birthday and christmas.

We gave both kdis the option of holding their own card but both kids chose to have me hold on to them. They are 4 and 6 and we made it through Disney without any 'Can you buy me this?' or 'I want thats' AND we didn't have any tears!

 

[Queen Elisabeth]

We are planning to give my girls (they'll be 5 and 7) $25 each for our trip in December. I was going to get them gift cards but sometimes they want stuff from the street vendors which from what I understand don't take gift cards. Do they take Disney Dollars? I'm trying to figure out the best way to give them control over their own spending, and I think that they would really like using the cards, but I don't want them to be too restricted in regards to what they can buy. If I get them cards can they purchase Disney Dollars in the park with them?

 

[MomToOne]

I put Evil Mom to work last night. The one thing I did was to change the name to Mean Mom Worked like a charm!!! The boys didn't see that one coming!!!!

Glad I could help!

You know you've really gotten it ingrained in them when you have a conversation like the one DD10 and I had at the grocery store recently:

DD10: "Mom, can we get <fill in the blank with some random junk food>?"

Me: "No"

(two minutes later)
DD10: "Mom, can we get <something else>?"

Me: "No"

(two minutes later)
DD10: "Mom, can we get <yet something else>? Pleeeeeaaaaase?"

Me: "DD10, who does the grocery shopping??"

DD10: (grudgingly, looking at the floor and putting the item back on the shelf) "Evil Mom...."

BWAHAHAHAHA!

 

[marcemc]

We are planning to give my girls (they'll be 5 and 7) $25 each for our trip in December. I was going to get them gift cards but sometimes they want stuff from the street vendors which from what I understand don't take gift cards. Do they take Disney Dollars? I'm trying to figure out the best way to give them control over their own spending, and I think that they would really like using the cards, but I don't want them to be too restricted in regards to what they can buy. If I get them cards can they purchase Disney Dollars in the park with them?

Yes they do take Disney Dollars!!

Glad I could help!




You know you've really gotten it ingrained in them when you have a conversation like the one DD10 and I had at the grocery store recently:

DD10: "Mom, can we get <fill in the blank with some random junk food>?"

Me: "No"

(two minutes later)
DD10: "Mom, can we get <something else>?"

Me: "No"

(two minutes later)
DD10: "Mom, can we get <yet something else>?"

Me: "DD10, who does the grocery shopping??"

DD10: (grudgingly, looking at the floor and putting the item back on the shelf) "Evil Mom...."

BWAHAHAHAHA!

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

We are planning to give my girls (they'll be 5 and 7) $25 each for our trip in December. I was going to get them gift cards but sometimes they want stuff from the street vendors which from what I understand don't take gift cards. Do they take Disney Dollars? I'm trying to figure out the best way to give them control over their own spending, and I think that they would really like using the cards, but I don't want them to be too restricted in regards to what they can buy. If I get them cards can they purchase Disney Dollars in the park with them?

Yes, they take Disney Dollars as do several locations in DtD including the Lego store and Build a Bear last I checked. No, you cannot buy Disney Dollars with a gift card since Disney Dollars are treated like cash. There are a number of locations in the parks and the Disney hotels (Emporium, Star Traders, and the big gift shop in the Disneyland Hotel, for example) where you can buy the Disney Dollars, so you may simply want to wait until you get there to purchase them and give them to the girls then.

 

[MomToOne]

There really are no advantages to Disney Dollars over cash - if either one is lost, there is no way to recover it. And Disney Dollars have the distinct disadvantage that if the child doesn't spend them all, they can't just go down to Target or Walmart and pick up a new toy - you have to go through the hastle of exchanging them back to cash. So I'd just give a kid cash over Disney Dollars...

 

[Funball]

There really are no advantages to Disney Dollars over cash - if either one is lost, there is no way to recover it. And Disney Dollars have the distinct disadvantage that if the child doesn't spend them all, they can't just go down to Target or Walmart and pick up a new toy - you have to go through the hastle of exchanging them back to cash. So I'd just give a kid cash over Disney Dollars...

Good point! Disney dollars Is great if you are a tourist at the parks for a few days! But I think giving them cash in small increments is better

 

[Queen Elisabeth]

Thanks, everyone, for the tips! Do you all know what is the smallest amount available on a Disney Gift Card?

 

[caimakale]

Thanks, everyone, for the tips! Do you all know what is the smallest amount available on a Disney Gift Card?

I bought one for my nephew for his birthday for our upcoming trip. It required at least $25 be loaded on it.

 

[Mugglemama]

We generally let each kid spend about $20. But that gets a decent souvenir....last month my 2 boys bought blinking, light-up swords for $10, my youngest daughter bought a lanyard and a starter pin, and my oldest daughter bought a little green men T-shirt in the Buzz Lightyear shop. So, they all spent less than $20 each. And they all acted very happy to get what they did (but my kids tend to be very appreciative...to them, Disneyland *IS* the treat, so everything else is just extra, but not expected).

 

[JennyN]

We have always given our daughter money to carry in a purse in her fanny pack while in DL or WDW. The dollar amount has altered as she gets older. The deal is we pay for virtually everything, but if she wants a icecream or some other snack when we havn't suggested it she has to buy her own and be prepared to pay for ours if we want one.
Its amazing how these days she only wants snacks when we suggest them. So no more I'm hungry, I want a lolly or icecream!

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

I bought one for my nephew for his birthday for our upcoming trip. It required at least $25 be loaded on it.

I bought one at Disneyland in June and only needed to put $20 on it. I think $25 is the smallest gift card they sell online. Many stores will sell gift cards as small as $5 or $10, so I'm guessing if you bought it in a Disney store are at the resort, you could buy them for as little as that.

 

[marcemc]

All of your ideas are wonderful!!! Thank you much!


We leave tomorrow & will be at DLR on sunday!. I'll keep you guys posted!