How much do you spend on average at WDW

[Disneyluv111]

on gifts, souvenirs, knick knacks or shopping altogether?

I budgeted 500.00 for our family of 3, but I'm not sure if it's enough.
I want to buy mugs, gifts for only a few people and teacher, and probably just shop here and there.

Suggestions?

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

I spend whatever is in the budget. If it's a once in a lifetime trip I might spend more; $50 per kid or so. But if I know I'll be back again I'll let them buy something small-maybe $25 each? $500 seems like a lot. I would probably budget $150 for my family of four but it will differ between families and significance of the trip.

 

[disney world dreamer]

just for myself i generally spend $200-$250 which covers my portion of tips at table service restaurants ($5 per TS meal and i usually have 5ish TS meals per trip), souvenirs for myself (usually a $50 zip up hoodie, $25 t-shirt, and a couple other things that end up being $20-$30 each), souvenirs for some of my family (usually a few stuffed animals that are about $13 a piece, a mug or two for about $15 a piece... last time i bought a drawstring backpack for my friend cuz she bought the same one the year before and wanted a spare but she paid for that once i got home and gave it to her, and this time i'll be buying my sister a couple pairs of her favorite sunglasses since she lost a pair to the ocean last summer and she'll pay mbe3 back for those).

i usually bring that much in cash but do end up making a purchase with my credit card cuz i have a disney visa card so if i'm spending $50+ i can get 10% at certain gift shops.

 

[barkley]

I probably spend less than most. we don't tend to bring souvenirs back to others, and if we do it's something inexpensive but unique to Disney like the bags of character themed pretzels. as for mugs, stuffed animals and such.....................shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-don't tell anyone I give to, but I go to the walmart near the park because they carry the same items for 1/5th of the price (and this is also where we stop to get the kids new autograph books, mickey water bottles and Disney t-shirts).

 

[gracer9977]

I tend to buy a few things while in the parks but I buy all my dated things around July through the Disney Store when they have the semi annual sale. Last year we went to WDW in January and we picked up a few things but then in July I bought 3 2014 ornaments, 2 2014 t-shirts for my kids, 2 2014 hooded sweatshirts for my kids. A hooded sweatshirt for me and 2 Duffy Bears and I got everything 40-60% off. I also bring photo mats and have the kids get their character signatures on the mats and then when we get home we frame a favorite picture from the trip with the signatures all around it. We got Memory Maker last year and will be getting it again this year. My favorite souvenier is pictures.

 

[dpswift]

I think it all depends on what you are comfortable with and what you are shopping for. 3 shirts or hoodies can easily be $200. For 3 of us we would have money to spare with a $500 budget.

We usually buy a few pins and a couple of Disney holiday and birthday gifts.

When DS was little I would buy him a shirt, a few pins (usually the year, the resort we stayed at and his favorite ride) He also got a stuffed animal or 2.

 

[scottmel]

We are a family of 3 and go every year after school is out in June. I never budget b/c I just don't KNOW. Some years we may see so much we like, other years close to nothing. My DD16 has hardly gotten anything the last few times and neither have I. though we did fall in love with the artist sketches and spent 300 on them last June....You could go crazy there or not depends on how much you have visited before etc.

 

[Original Amber]

I've budgeted $750 for the five of us, but I can knock that down since my mother will give my granddaughter $100-150 in gift cards. We'll buy at least one t-shirt for everyone, we old ladies collect tie tacks, and my real son collects patches - police, fire, and anything else he can find.

 

[kidsfirsttrip]

We spent around $700 for family of 4 for 9 days. That covered tips, souvenirs, extra waters and snacks ( we did the meal plan). One night it was freezing cold and we bought a fleece blanket and another day it poured and I packed cheap ponchos so we bought the good disney ones. That was about $50 we otherwise wouldn't have spent.

 

[finny1981]

Well we are a family of 6 and we will be doing TS every night so I budgeted tips on the high end of what we could spend (we won't spend it all, but just in case) so that is $475, then currently I have $160 set aside for souvenirs and such, but by September when we leave I will probably have at least triple that so about $500 or so. I do Swagbucks for our spending money so I won't know until we get closer. Then we usually divide the spending money (minus tips) by 8, each child gets 1/8 and DH and I get 2/8 each, so the kids will each get 60-70 bucks and DH and I will have around 120-140 each. More than enough for us, but like others have said it depends on how often you have went or plan to go and what kind of taste you have. I know DH will spend most of his on snacks, a hat and stuff for the kids, mine will just depend on what I see.

 

[texasroni75]

We budget $100 a day for anything above and beyond meals. We typically end up spending about half of that. We don't tend to buy pricey souvenirs though.

*edited to add - we have a Disney Outlet store 10 minutes from our house, so we are spoiled and I buy Disney items at very low prices on a regular basis so I'm okay with buying fewer items when we are at WDW

 

[nugov2]

We aren't a souvenir family(I hate knick knacks, mugs and all that other crap). We are an experiences family. We book tours and other extra experiences rather than buy much of anything in the park. I find my kids love the memories of those extra tours/activities more than a stuffed animal or snow globe that will just gather dust. They did get some items, but for the week for all 3 of them it was less than $300.

 

[marmalade]

I've budgeted $750 for the five of us, but I can knock that down since my mother will give my granddaughter $100-150 in gift cards. We'll buy at least one t-shirt for everyone, we old ladies collect tie tacks, and my real son collects patches - police, fire, and anything else he can find.

What is a real son?

We usually spend between $400-$600 on extras (souvenirs, alcohol, snacks)

 

[msmama]

I always spend more than I think I will.

Last trip I was freezing so I ended up buying a hoodie (which was unexpected). I usually try to buy a dated something every trip (frame, ornament, etc).

In the past I've been suckered in by really cute tee shirts, but honestly, once I've get them home I realize that I feel silly wearing fancy Disney clothes. I also like to buy gifts (xmas, birthday) if I see something for extended family members. We also go for events often (birthdays, this year is star wars weekends) so I often end up spending more for those things (my son doesn't get bday presents, but he gets to pick more at WDW, for example).

But anyway...whatever you think...add more is how it works for me.

 

[BethanyLynnFit]

There's 4 of us (soon to be 5!!) and on our last trip we gave each kid a $25 gift card to spend for souvenirs. We also spent around $80 on mouse ears. There was an unplanned purchase of undies for my littlest...I think they were around $25. I can't recall much else...so I'm guessing between $150-$200.

We pay OOP for food, water, snacks, etc., and I budget that separately.

For our next trip we've upped the amount for the kids to $50 each since we have a longer planning period, they have longer to earn it! We require they earn their souvenir money by helping out at home, anything out of their expected behaviors/chores can earn them $$ in their Disney Dollars jars.

 

[smiths02]

My older DS got a bunch of pins and a pin starting set for Christmas. I will have Disney shirts/outfits for the kids before we go (mostly from Target/Walmart). My twins got autograph books for Christmas along with water bottles. I have a $50 gift card for older DS for souvenirs, a $35 gift card for each of the twins for a souvenir. Then about $150 for the adults (DH and I) to spend (which I hope to have on my Disney Rewards Card). I'll want a scrapbook, DH probably a hat or shirt, and then Mickey ears for the kids, and a Christmas ornament for a favorite aunt (tradition).
I may do some postcards, but I don't want to be in the trap of buying everyone I know something from my vacation...I mean do they really care anyhow?
Snacks, tips,alcohol, etc. are already figured in my food budget.
We are also getting Memory Maker, so I will just get cheap frames at some other time and give pictures to grandparents.

 

[tasha99]

We spend about $100 for the three of us (for the whole trip). I tend to put in about $50, and my kids use their own money for the rest. Coffee cups, Christmas ornaments etc--we don't usually buy anything very big.

 

[JohnDaleswife]

For the 4 off us.

50-for extras needed
60-snacks
135-gas
445-spending money-some what more than normal amount spent
630-for room at CSR- 5 nights/6 days
730-food
1260-tickets

3310-total, but my brother is giving the 600.00 for his daughter to go, for her ticket, food, spending money ect.

So for my family of 3,- around 2700.00- too much.

 

[pigletto]

My answer varies wildly. The more we go though, the less we spend on extras. The kids usually have $100 each which is a combo of what we give them and their allowance etc. We may spend another $250 or so over that. We don't drink alcohol in the parks, we usually have the DDP and we don't need any souvenirs except a Christmas ornament every trip. So the $250 covers some snacks and drinks for the room, and tips.

 

[lvillotta1]

We Just got back from WDW. It was our 4th trip in 6 years. I budgeted $500,but spent $700. I bought a Vera Bradley hipster,daughter needed a new backpack,beach towels, minnie mouse jacket for DD, 2 shirts for DD's, mickey tennis shoes and much more. My youngest DD love Minnie Mouse so I splurged for her. We did spend a lot and always get the girls 2 personalized xmas ornaments also. Hope to be back in a year.