How much souvenir $ do your kids bring?

[lgiltmier]

It's our first visit, with a 12, 6, and 4 year old. Trying to decide how much $ to give each of them to control. (I suspect mom and dad will buy a couple of souvenirs for them, too.)

Thoughts??

 

[mommytoone]

My DD is 7 and she is brining $100 in disney dollars to spend how she pleases. We do not need alot of "stuff" so I told her I will buy her a shirt and xmas ornament, but that is it. This will be a very tight budget trip. Have a great time on your trip.

 

[turnlisa]

My kids usually take about $120 - but we save it up over many weeks. Starting about 3 months before we go, I make a deal with them - for each week that I don't have to buy them a toy or a special item I set aside $10 for each child. This saves me months of "I need this" and also gives them their money while we are there for the "I want this". It becomes a whole different story when you say, "Well, you can buy it with your money."

 

[CharityLynn]

We save change for the year prior (2 years this time) and out of that each kid gets around $100-120. We did this for the first time last year and worked so well, they knew when the money was gone they had no more. We did buy their Christmas Ornament but everything else came from the change jar and a bit of birthday money they saved.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

Our DD gets an "allowance" of $1/week (okay, before you call me cheap...she's only 4!!). To get her dollar, she really only has to pick up her toys and make her bed. She gets "bonus" dollars if she goes above and beyond. Sometimes her grandfather slips her $5 for no apparent reason. She immediately puts on this in her Belle "Disney" bank. Whatever she has at the end of the year, she brings. Last year, I traded it for Disney Dollars but I won't be doing that again. Disney Dollars lose the fun factor really quick, especially since you get change back in good ol' american dollars. Christmas/Birthday money has to go in the real bank and can't be used for spending money. She certainly doesn't need anymore "stuff"

 

[jack hannah bananah]

DD5 and DS8
They get $25.00-$35.00 to pick one thing they want. This is enough to buy a doll, toy, or game, something to remember the trip. My DD uses it to buy a Minnie doll each time. She has a Princess Minnie, Christmas Minnie, and St. Patrick's Day Minnie. My DS has bought games and toys - not as memorable.
And we buy them a book.

 

[stopher1]

Our children typically bring $35 or $40 that they have accumulated, either through allowance savings, birthday or Christmas money - and we usually give them an additional $10 or $15 each.

 

[jessp1021]

we are saving $100 for each of ours... granted we have a little more say in what dd gets.. but for ds he got 50 automatically and is having to work for the rest of his money.. he has joined a summer reading program at the library and has like an arts class there twice a week and he must keep his room picked up and continue his chores. We are breaking it down to about $20 a day and he will be responsible for keeping up with at least half of it!! We also plan on buying each child something special from us!

 

[Pixeldust Fairy]

My kids usually get 7.00 to 10.00 per day depending on their age to spend how ever they see fit. That includes any snacks during the day or stuff they want to buy such as pressed pennies, or trinkets they just cant live with out. I fill an empty M&M tube with a 5.00 bill, 4 ones 1.00 in quarters and about 5 pennies. This keeps me sane and it keeps them happy knowing they dont have to ask me for every little thing. I dont buy snacks, and I dont buy candy, but while on vacation I let them make their own choice on those items. If they dont spend all the money then I take whats left over and put it into their last day splurge fund. And what ever is left on that last day, they get to splurge on what ever they want.

I guess if you figure at 7.00 x 10 days is about 70.00 bucks or 10.00 x10 days is 100.00 bucks for the duration of our stay and with the non stress issue of them asking me for something in every store, its worth it.

 

[tomboy_m]

I had either 12 or 14 dollars a day for my 4 year old. I split it into envelopes, one for each day, before we left the room I had her choose one envelope, we counted it out and added it to whatever she had left from the day before. I told her that I would buy the food, drinks and snacks and that she could spend her money on what she wanted. I was amazed that after the end of the first day she had not bought or asked me to buy a single thing.. or I will correct myself.. she asked for something... I asked if she wanted to spend her money on it.. she said no and that was the end of that. By the end of the second day she picked a couple of small things. She was way more conservative with her money than with mine. She ended up coming home with a couple of days worth of money left. We had absolutely no meltdowns with her demanding things. We will be implementing this strategy at home.

 

[disneychard]

What is the best form of spending money to give to the kids?
Money, disney gift cards or disney dollars?

 

[lgiltmier]

This is great feedback, thanks! I was thinking of the $10/day in an envelope for each, or maybe I'll just do the $7 because I think grandma is giving them some, too. WE're on the DP, so snacks will be covered.

Keep it coming if you have other ideas!

 

[dunbarfamily]

Our children never ask us for things at WDW, besides on the first day our dd asks for the princess foil chocolate coins (about $3.00) and our ds asks for a goofy candy paintbrush ($2.50). After that, they don't ask for things. Its strange! So, they usually have about $20 that they've saved from doing odd jobs. On the last day, we let them pick something out. The last couple trips our ds has picked out a small plush. I think he has Mickey, Pluto and Pinnochio now. Our dd picked out a baby minnie a few trips ago, and the last few she's picked out accessories for it, like clothes or a front baby carrier. As they outgrow their only WDW sweatshirt, a hoodie with embroidery, we replace it with the next size up at our expense.

 

[AngelBabyJana]

It's our first visit, with a 12, 6, and 4 year old. Trying to decide how much $ to give each of them to control. (I suspect mom and dad will buy a couple of souvenirs for them, too.)

Thoughts??

We are planning our very first trip to Disney World as well. My kids will be 16, 10, and 5 when we go. I've already started buying Disney Dollars each time that we go to the mall. (It helps that I am planning way in advance.) Right before the trip, we plan to surprise the kids by giving them each $100 in Disney Dollars. We will still buy them each a t-shirt, Christmas ornament, a souvenir, plus all food & drinks ....... but I still wanted for them to have their own money for the things that they really want that are extra.

The kids also have a "change jar" (actually an old apple juice container) that we all put our spare change in - we just thought about doing this a month ago, and it is already half full. They will be able to use that money for whatever they want as well.

I just wanted to make this trip extra special since it will be everyone's first time going. I also want to have gift baskets sent to the room (signed from Mickey of course). Thinking about putting personalized Mouse Ears, autograph books & pens, etc ...... things that we would be buying there anyway. It is just more exciting when they think that "Mickey" sent it.

 

[TwoGirlsandDisney]

We also give the kids Disney Dollars, and they become pretty cheap when it comes to buying things. It really cuts down on all the gifts, because they start to think about what they really want. Last time they went they each had a $100 to spend. Of course we gave them a little extra if they wanted something and didn't have enough.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

Our children never ask us for things at WDW, besides on the first day our dd asks for the princess foil chocolate coins (about $3.00) and our ds asks for a goofy candy paintbrush ($2.50). After that, they don't ask for things. Its strange! So, they usually have about $20 that they've saved from doing odd jobs. On the last day, we let them pick something out. The last couple trips our ds has picked out a small plush. I think he has Mickey, Pluto and Pinnochio now. Our dd picked out a baby minnie a few trips ago, and the last few she's picked out accessories for it, like clothes or a front baby carrier. As they outgrow their only WDW sweatshirt, a hoodie with embroidery, we replace it with the next size up at our expense.

My DD is the same way. I think she think the stuff in the stores is part of the decorations! She never asks for anything but popcorn

 

[dunbarfamily]

My DD is the same way. I think she think the stuff in the stores is part of the decorations! She never asks for anything but popcorn

Glad we're not the only ones with kids who don't ask for much! After reading what people give their children to spend, I was feeling like a cheap weirdo! But if they don't ask, why bother giving them extra? Maybe when they get bigger and realize all the stuff they *could* be getting it'll be a different story. But for now, I'm just content they are good with $3 candy!

 

[christa112]

Right around $50.00 a piece. I only let them buy stuff they can buy at WDW. They cannot buy actions figures (Star Wars or Indiana Jones) and definately no Webkinz!!!, but pretty much anything else is fair game. I do buy them each something, usually a t-shirt or sweatshirt and we buy their snacks.