How much money do your kids take?

[mamagoose]

I am wondering how much money your kids have to spend on souvenirs at WDW? My kids have been saving gradually (not sure how much yet), but I am wondering if I might need to supplement their savings so they can actually purchase something decent. Thanks!

 

[KJMAX1]

Depending on what my kids say they are looking for I allow 50.00 per child. If there is something super special that they didnt know about or hadnt thought of, I will "loan" the money to them. HTH

 

[firkat]

I asked my DS9 to save $100 and my DD15 to save $200. My son earned his money quickly saving up his $5/week allowance and picking up odd jobs from our retired neighbors. So, today he said he was going to work on saving even more! My DD15 spends it as soon as she earns it, but she has greater earning capacity, so I really hopes she does it.

My plan is that they will pay for all of their own 'extras' such as the souvenir cups and glow cubes, t-shirts, anything . . .

Am curious how much other folks' kids took and what they bought . . .

Great question!

 

[theflowerladee]

We usually go once a year, so we save coins in a jug and the kids get disney dollars for v-day,b-day stocking stuffers or whatever holiday is close to us going. They usually end up with around $150 each and they will take $15-20 a day with them into park to buy something each day, my 12 yr old is getting smart though and will skip a day or two and buy something bigger and better at dtd. I think it will depend on the ages of your kids.

 

[mamacatnv]

We bought the: hats, jackets, t-shirts, autograph books and pins. That aside:

Son had about $250 which he mainly used to buy gifts for the girls at home

DD had about $125 which she used for her big stuffed Eeyore pajama bag, her hair wrap and some misc. trinkets.

Both of the kids got Disney money for their Birthdays and since we went right after Christmas the relatives gave us all Disney Dollars instead of Christmas presents.

We are doing the same thing this year and I have already started to stash Disney Dollars. When we go to the mall and DD wants a treat, we swing by the Disney store, she brouses and we leave with Disney Dollars.

 

[taximomfor4]

We are NOT the norm, I have a feeling. My kids earn their own spending money...they bring about $25 each. They are allowed to browse all vacation long, but don't buy a souvenir till the last day. They get a hat, tshirt, or stuffed animal. Sometimes a toy. Whatever they can get for their $25. (If they go over a dollar or 2, yes I will cover it).

We don't need more "stuff" ... we minimize the "items" on birthdays and christmas, too. Most of my family do differently with their own kids, but we like it this way. Then our kids focus on the experience, not the stuff. (In general, not just at WDW).

Beth

 

[kcork1026]

My daughters (14 and 9) have been saving since Dec., they have asked for Disney Dollars. They each have $125. We will buy them 1 souvenir, has to be something to remember the trip.....t-shirt, towel etc. They buy any and everything else that they want including gifts for their closest friends.

 

[rpbert1]

My DD 10 has been saving for months, she wants to buy loads of stuff[don`t know what, but if DD is like her mum i dread to think]she has saved $400, but we will be there for 3 weeks, so works out about $20 a day

 

[hockeymomoftwo]

We're in the minority here also. 8 y/o will probably have 50 max and 5 y/o will probably have about $10-25 dollars.

We have a one souvenior policy but then I will buy them pins, lanyards, autograph books, journals and film so they'll have many items from their trip without accumulating a lot of "junk". My boys are rapidly learning about the value of a dollar and much prefer shopping at the dollar store so I think they will be in some shock when they see some of the prices on the merchandise at disney.

 

[mommiepoppins]

my kids (4) all get 25 each. we have been 3 years in a row and they really do not need more crap! dd- 9yr has saved 26 extra dollars. dd -14 has saved 0 her babysitting money is going for other vactions not disney. and my other baby's they have not saved ...they will shop on the last day also!

 

[bubba73]

Typically, I haven't given them any money to keep on themselves. If they have seen something that they wanted and if I had enough, I would get it. this year, we are doing a trip with just my DD and we are going to give her $50 for her to spend almost however she would like. There are certain things that she will not be able to use it on but as in everything in life, kids have to have some limits.

 

[Familyofsix]

It really depends on the age of the children. Our basic guidelines are we buy 1 shirt for each child. Each child has $25 per park per day. The older ones know how to save to buy the more expensive items and have learned the value of the dollar. This way we don't end up with a bunch of junk.

 

[Reese]

Our oldest two saved up their paper route money and all of them had birthday and christmas money saved up. My DS, 13, took about 220 for a week, DD, 8, 150 and the younger ones had about 50 each. We also spent about 40 on each child too.

 

[merrily]

Last time we went the kids each had $15 per day. Before we left I put their money in ziplock snack size bags, one for each day. Everyday they got a new bag. If they had leftover $$ from day before, they added it to that day's money. They used their money to buy tshirts, hats, snacks over and above what we were planning to buy. They also used their money to play games at the arcade and buy gifts for their grandparents. I think that when they have there own money to spend and can spend or save it as they wish it really cut down on the "gimmees" and the buying of a bunch of junk. Works for us.

Oh, and some of the money they earned and saved themselves, some I gave them.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I don't want my child to grow up thinking that every trip, whether it's WDW, the circus or the grocery store comes with a present. To me the vacation is the gift. I also don't enjoy shopping and don't want DS to think that shopping is an integral part of vacation. When we go to non-Disney places we might end up with a piece of clothing if it's something I know he'll wear on a regular basis, and we usually get a couple of post cards since I'm a terrible photographer, but that's it.

That said, for our trip I challenged DS who was 6 and had never successfully saved a dollar in his life to save as much as possible by telling him I'd double whatever he had at the end of his WDW trip. Well, he asked for money for his birthday, saved what the tooth fairy brought, asked me and my mother to pay him for extra chores and ended up with a little more than $100. I was amazed.

We left the money in the hotel room and made it through our first 6 days without him (or his godsister who was with us) asking for a single thing. It was so nice to be able to concentrate on shows and rides and not on shoping. On the night of day 7 we went to the big toy store in Downtown Disney. DS had about $220. He chose 1 $3 plastic pirate sword and announced that he was saving the rest. The sword broke that night so we went back the next day and returned it for a top ($4 I think). The next day in the park he bought an autograph book ($10 I think). He was determined not to break either $100 bill. His godsister (she had maybe $30 saved and I gave her $100 for her birthday since I didn't think it seemed fair for one child to be given $100 and not the other) did basically the same thing -- she picked out one very small item and saved the rest.

DS later spent his money on one of those cars that you sit in and drive, which came broken. He returned that and got a video camera which he loves and has gotten so much use out of.

I was really proud of both kids for choosing to save rather than spend and for not even asking for things at the park. DS's favorite souvenir is the AAA luggage tag he got for "free" -- it's on his school backpack. That's plenty for him.

Because of that experience I don't think I'd ever buy my child Disney Dollars. The message that you have to "use up" the money in a certain place discourages saving IMHO.

 

[Lisa_Belle]

Mine (she'll be 5 on the trip) is getting $150, mainly because I bribed her not to take any dance, gymnastics, cheerleading or swimming lessons this summer. It will be worth every penny. Mama needs a break. I gave her $100 - which is the average cost of a class, and the rest is her savings from birthday and Christmas money, as well as money saved from various odd jobs.

 

[kkevcamsmom]

We have a budgeted amount for the family, our DD15 will get less though because she gets an allowance and has been saving money for the trip already. She also has a Visa Buxx card we had gotten for her a few years ago when she went to Europe as a student Ambassador. She will use that and she has her own Discover card linked to our account that she can use for food, since we don't expect her to pay for her own food items.

Our boys (6 and 4 yrs old when we go) we will just buy for them, might take some cash so they can 'pay' for the stuff themselves though.

We are putting aside some of the money they get for B-days and Christmas for the trip though.

Lori

 

[Luv'sTink]

He will get money from his grandparents as a gift, so, it will depend on them.

 

[kcrew]

We are NOT the norm, I have a feeling. My kids earn their own spending money...they bring about $25 each. They are allowed to browse all vacation long, but don't buy a souvenir till the last day. They get a hat, tshirt, or stuffed animal. Sometimes a toy. Whatever they can get for their $25. (If they go over a dollar or 2, yes I will cover it).

We don't need more "stuff" ... we minimize the "items" on birthdays and christmas, too. Most of my family do differently with their own kids, but we like it this way. Then our kids focus on the experience, not the stuff. (In general, not just at WDW).

Beth

ITA!!! My kids both have $25 GCs they received for their birthdays and that's it. I have never indulged my kids with alot of "stuff", thus they don't expect it, don't ask for it, and don't feel the least bit deprived. I get a very self satisfied feeling when a see a little "angel" wearing mickey ears, a princess tshirt, a disney lanyard loaded with pins, a balloon tied to the stroller, eating a Mickey bar SCREAMING for yet another overpriced disposable trinket.

 

[penguin087]

Last trip my son had $100 Disney Dollars. That comes from Chistmas stockings, easter baskets, grandparents... I will buy any clothing (tshirts, ect) and food. He bought a few things but I ended up buying most of the Disney Dollars back from him for arcade money. It seems that after a tshirt or 2 and all you can eat food there is not much a 12 yr old boy wants to buy in WDW.