Must Have Souvenirs?!?

[tetrimble]

This is going to be only my 2nd time at WDW and the first time for my DD8 and DS5. A friend suggested one of the first things I should get is a basic pin set so they can trade while they're waiting around in lines or for the parade.

Are there any other "must haves" for those ages that aren't completely budget busting? Can I get the pin sets off-property before actually arriving?

 

[WANNABE@WDW]

Our favorite item is the guest of honour badge. It cost around $6 and the attention is priceless! We wear them on our lanyards. My dd's will forget that they are wearing them and are delited when cast members call them by name. You can buy them in Downtown Disney at the Christmas store or the 5 and Dime at the MGM Studios.

 

[WillAndFinn'sMom]

I second the pin set idea. We each got one and absolutely had a blast with them. You can get them at the parks for $25. They come with a lanyard and four pins (two to keep, two to trade). You can buy the pins before you go on ebay, too. At the parks they start at $6.

Let's see...my ds (10) likes collecting the pressed pennies at the park and he bought one of the penny books as a souvenir. They also sell little stuffed Mickeys, Minnies, Plutos, etc outside of a lot of the main rides and my kids liked to buy one from their favorite rides (they start at $8). My kids have one from Mission Space, Pirates of the Carribean, the safari at Animal Kingdom, and a couple others that I can't remember right now.

 

[Pinnie]

AS to the "Guest of Honor" badges, they were NOT available last week at the Christmas Shoppe at DD. Pet items were on sale there.


pin

 

[tetrimble]

Some great ideas. Thanks!!!

I'm keeping my ears open for more.

 

[WillAndFinn'sMom]

I forgot the obvious! You have to get Mickey Ears! There's a hat shop in MK (near the entrance - walk around the little courtyard to the right and it's down the little side street right there in front of you) that I can't remember the name of (maybe Le Chapeau??) and they embroider them for free.

And...this isn't really a souvenir, but you have to get the kids' hair cut at the barbershop. It is so much fun and only $12 a cut. It's to the left as you go around the courtyard. I'm not sure what they do with girls' hair, but with boys' they let them choose a color, spike it with that color of gel, and then put confetti in it. Michael (one of the barbers) painted a Mickey on the back of my ds's head. He was a hit throughout the park and sooooo many people stopped us to ask where he got it done.

 

[CDoobee]

Autograph books and fat pens (easier for the characters to hold)!!

If you're going to Epcot, the passports are fun. DD12 had one when she was 10 and had fun going to all the different countries in World Showcase, putting stickers on the appropriate page for that country, then going up to the CMs who would then stamp it with a cute stamp, and write a message in their native country's language. Lots of fun! Be sure to ask them to translate it for you and write down the translation so you remember later!

Debbie

 

[ABCMom]

I also vote for pins and Mickey Ears. Make sure you buy ears for EVERYONE int he family and have someone take a family photo in front of the castle!
My family always has a more "formal" photo taken at the Mickey N You photo place in downtown disney also.

 

[MomE@Home]

On our last trip to WDW I bought each of my children a character cup (you can get sippy types & ones with straws attached).

They are not very expensive at all and my kids use them a lot (after two years they are still in great shape-even after being washed in a dishwasher).

I also made scrapbooks for each of my children & one for my DH & I using park maps, tickets, pressed pennies, ect...

 

[snowgooseltd]

Let me second the tip about hair cuts at WDW!! The shop is right next to the Fire Barn, on the left, as you're looking at the castle. My grandson (5 and the shyest child you'd ever want to meet) had his hair trimmed, not really cut, and decorated with colored gel ( which glows in the dark so it's great in Buzz Lightyear and other dark rides) and sparkly Mickey heads. He was the hit of the day!! He got so much attention from the cms and other visitors but the best part was....every stop of the parade brought characters over to him, on the side of the street. He's too shy to get involved but his smile was a mile wide every time one came over. We'll be back, for Halloween this year, and that's our first stop. It was, by far, the best $12.00 I spent all week!!

 

[Pumbaa7287]

Disney Pins can be a lot of fun but also get expensive after a while. Most of them cost about 8.50 at the parks now. Better to buy some cheap on ebay and then trade when you get there.

Another interesting souvenir I picked up on my last trip was my very own Mr. Potato Head. You can fill a box for 20-something dollars and all the accesories are Disney themed, such as a Sorcere Mickey hat or an autograph book with pen! This is a really neat toy gor younger kids and older kids who are young at heart.

 

[tetrimble]

Thank you SOOOO MUCH everyone!!! These are some GREAT suggestions.

I know I'm definitely going to take the children to the barbershop after hearing the comments. My son is getting a haircut this weekend, so he'll definitely need another one by then. He'll LOVE it!! I wonder if they'd put little Mickey's on the back of "mommy's" head, too!!!

 

[outstandinfarmer]

Instead of using a autograph book, here's another idea. Get a plain baseball hat and a permanent marker, and have the characters sign the hat. Once back home, an autograph book can get thrown in a drawer, but a hat can be proudly displayed on a wall. It's also nice not to have to search for the books deep in a backpack, when the hats are already on the kid's head ready to be signed!!! (My favorite is a blue hat with a silver permanent marker, it looks so neat!)

 

[WillAndFinn'sMom]

Oh, and something else that isn't a souvenir (but can be turned into one with pictures!) is riding in the front of the monorail with the pilot. You just have to ask and sometimes have to wait about 5-15 minutes, but it's worth it. The kids will love it and it really is fun.

 

[disneygoof]

Re: Monorail ride, don't miss a ride up front, but ask the driver if s/he has any drivers licenses. They're great for adding to the photo album or scrapbook when you get home.

When we go to Disney, we always end our trip with a stop at the Christmas Shop for a Christmas tree decoration. We have a tradition of buying one for us parents and one for each child, and when we put the tree up, we make a point to talk about which trip each decoration is from, and it gets us excited for the next trip.