Pre buying souvenirs

[Disneyfan754321]

Last year I bought the kids disney shirts at walmart, I was thinking about buying them on ebay so i cant get official tshirts that say the parks name this time. Is that a good idea? Someone told me that was tacky.

 

[HappyHaunts999]

Last year I bought the kids disney shirts at walmart, I was thinking about buying them on ebay so i cant get official tshirts that say the parks name this time. Is that a good idea? Someone told me that was tacky.

I would check your local outlet mall. The disney outlet stores have great things from the parks. You can get shirts plus pins you can trade in the parks for really low prices. Have fun.

 

[DisneyHardin]

If you are on a REALLY tight budget, I might do this. Otherwise I would just set a budget for souvenirs and let the kids pick out what they like in the parks.

 

[Darcy03231]

I did it when my kids were younger. I bought stuff on clearance at the Disney Store and "Tinkerbell" left a gift each night. It helped cut way back on the asking for stuff in the stores. They also each had a budget for souvenir shopping. 2nd to last day of the trip was our shopping day. We'd go to Downtown Disney (now Disney Springs) and they could buy what they wanted. Through the week we would take pictures of the things they thought they wanted and the price and the store sign (so we knew where it was in case we didn't find it at Downtown Disney). This method cut out the "buyers remorse" when they had spent all their money and found something else they liked better.

 

[_19disnA]

I think wherever you buy disney stuff is fine. I would imagine it is way cheaper online or Walmarts compared to buying at Disney. You will see people dressed in all sorts of ways, so I am not sure what that person who said it was 'tacky' was talking about. Small children are also less interested in shopping as compared to doing a theme park and will quickly outgrow whatever you buy them.

 

[Aishaahm]

Not tacky at all! I buy things in advance (JCP, H&M, Target, and shopdisney.com) and mostly because the kids are not interested in tshirt shopping at Disney. They aren’t even interested in souvenirs for the most part they want to enjoy all of the rides and entertainment. Plus I find they cherish things that come for free like the mickey shaped straws that come in some smoothies or the stickers, buttons, or the wand/sword that came with CRT. It was like pulling teeth to have each one pick a souvenir last trip. I do this for myself as well. I will buy a spirit jersey online and have it sent on a promo instead of paying $75 after tax to say I bought it on Main street, I end up saving $15-$20 most times. Every little bit helps!

 

[Cruising Engineer]

How would anyone know if you purchased the souvenirs somewhere else? Cut the price tag off (Minnie Pearl)!!!!
Really, I purchase Disney T-shirts, outfits (princess), and other things in advance so my niece and nephews have something to wear on the plane and first day at the park.

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

I don 't think it's tacky at all! DS was gifted some Disney clothes from elsewhere for our Disney cruise last year and if anything I loved that he wasn't wearing the same thing as 800 other kids. I would say to at least budget for something for the kids to pick out themselves from the parks if you can, but I always buy stuff ahead and plan to do as a pp said and have Tinkerbell leave a gift each night once DS is a little older and would understand.

 

[pooh2001]

Disney Store online sometimes has sales to get real Disney stuff
In the early AM - give each child a gift from Mickey, Minnie, Tinkerbell,....
Pre-write notes at home - bring gift bags from a dollar store - red forMickey, Pink for Minnie, Green for Tinkerbell, ......
Gift bags or envelopes/cards are easy to pack in a suitcase
Keep the gifts small and usable - stickers, day 1 give a autograph book (home made or bought)
maybe a small stuffed Disney character to sleep with

We did this - even when our DS & DD were in their teens - we did some key chains, pins, autograph book, t-shirt, pens, base ball caps.... Do what your children like

We also did a dessert of your choice coupon at any TS we go to
You could do a coupon for anything - popcorn bucket, Mickey ice cream, cupcake - whatever you allow
Make the coupons cute - stickers, print out on a computer with graphics

 

[Shughart]

We bought autograph books and shirts beforehand, so they could wear them all week. They had a shirt for each day. I watched Salvation Army, Walmart, and Target. I didn't consider the shirts souvenirs though. Each of my kids had gift cards for their spending budget. We ended up letting our 5yo (at the time) go over, because he was out of money and we finally found some Baymax gear (he loves robots!)

I will say though, 75% of what my kids picked has ended up in garage sales and donation piles since our 2016 trip. So I suggest employing a strategy like above where you take pictures of what they may like, along with the store it was in, and then go back later through the pictures and maybe pick out one or two items, go back and get them.

Looking back now, I can see the things my kids picked and why they kept/got rid of what they did. So when we go back, I'll make them think a little harder before they spend their money. For instance, after our trip, he loved my husband's light saber so much and regretted not getting one. So his first purchase I think will be one of those. Which I can totally see him keeping long term.

 

[MrsPete]

Why bother with souvenirs at all? We stopped them years ago, and no one really cared. This year's souvenir is next year's yard sale fodder anyway.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

I like your ideas thanks all. I'm kinda doing a little of everything. I found shirts on ebay from disneyworld that were unworn/ slightly worn for cheap. So I ordered those. I think I am going to check out the outlet store. I'm thinking that last we tried that but it was just a store with disney world stuff in it. Not anything offical. Its so hard in vacation areas they make the stores look so inviting. Maybe the key is stay away from stores that have the big banners that say 3 shirts for 20$ ( just making up a number) Disney is so expensive I'm trying to cut our cost by pre buying stuff. I know they are still going to ask for Mickey pops etc. But maybe this will help.

 

[siren0119]

Definitely not tacky! I picked up Mickey shirts for my kids at Target before our last trip, and hid them in my suitcase to give them partway through the trip. I would rather them choose a really special souvenir that they can ONLY get in the parks than spend money on a shirt. Plus my kids are younger, and grow out of their clothes about every 6 months (darn growing boys!). I don't even buy their regular clothes at full price because I know they'll be in the hand-me-down bag before too long.

 

[momma2ethan]

I like your ideas thanks all. I'm kinda doing a little of everything. I found shirts on ebay from disneyworld that were unworn/ slightly worn for cheap. So I ordered those. I think I am going to check out the outlet store. I'm thinking that last we tried that but it was just a store with disney world stuff in it. Not anything offical. Its so hard in vacation areas they make the stores look so inviting. Maybe the key is stay away from stores that have the big banners that say 3 shirts for 20$ ( just making up a number) Disney is so expensive I'm trying to cut our cost by pre buying stuff. I know they are still going to ask for Mickey pops etc. But maybe this will help.

There are two official Disney outlet stores in Orlando. They are called Character Warehouse and they get merchandise from the parks. One is right by Disney Springs and the other right by Universal, in the Premium Outlets malls. If you search Liz Linen on youtube she does Character Warehouse videos so you can get an idea of the types of things you may find.

If buying your shirts ahead of time is tacking then we are one of the tackiest families as Disney. Not only do we buy ahead of time from places like Target but we actually MAKE most of our shirts.

 

[Jimsig]

We have been bringing DD to Disney since she was 3 1/2 and she is now 9 and we have almost always bought stuff before we go at places like Target etc. DW has also found some great stuff at consignment shops.

Last April we were Myrtle Beach and had to make an emergency trip to the Disney. DD had used her own DIS GC to buy Pua for herself. Well to the best our our knowledge Pua decided to "hop" out of the car at a rest stop in NJ on the way down. DD was very upset and we told her that we would get her a new one. Luckily MB had a store. We had already planned a trip to Disneyland in August and while there we found a nice girls DL shirt for her. While at DL we were in the Target right down the street on Harbor Blvd and they had some great Disney items at even greetter prices. DD asked if she could get 2 autograph books- one for characters and the other for just princesses. Both combined were cheaper then in the parks and had much more space then those sold in the parks to boot.

We spend enough in the Parks that anytime you get get stuff cheaper outside go for it. Every bit helps.

 

[tguz]

Last year, I bought a Mickey t-shirt to wear on the way down to Disney (forgot to wear it) but we all like to get something from one of the Disney parks. I will try to remember to wear the Mickey shirt on the way this year. I do usually suggest my son pick out a shirt so it isn't something that will end up at the bottom of his closet or under the bed. He still wears it but it is starting to get a little small on him. My girlfriend always buys a Pandora charm in the park to remind her of our trip.

 

[wvjules]

If you buy something before you go it is not a souvenir. To me, a souvenir is something FROM the place you visit. Nothing wrong whit pre-buying stuff to give your kids for the trip, but in no way would I consider them a souvenir.

 

[RamblinWreck]

If you buy something before you go it is not a souvenir. To me, a souvenir is something FROM the place you visit. Nothing wrong whit pre-buying stuff to give your kids for the trip, but in no way would I consider them a souvenir.

I think your kids might not agree with you! (neither would a dictionary)

If your kid receives it on the trip, it's going to be a souvenir to them.

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

Chiming in again to agree with a pp about checking out the Character Warehouse stores when you get to Orlando! It's official Disney Merch, straight from the parks, and the prices are great. I went ahead when we were down that way for our cruise and got a few outfits for DS to wear on our cruise next year because the prices were just great. He'll have a souvenir budget when we go to pick out some things for himself, and we're going right after his birthday so I'm sure he'll get some money/ Disney gift cards, but for things like t-shirts and autograph books and things like that I'd much rather get it ahead and spend 75% less.

 

[adamak]

Tacky? Not at all. Why spend 65 bucks on a sweatshirt when you can get the same one for 15? I normally hide the gifts from DC and give to him after we hit the park. To him, it's still a gift.