Pre buying souvenirs

[ClapYourHands]

I do a lot of pre-buying, and often hide the gifts until we're there. I've even wrapped them, and had my kids do "blind packing" with their new parks t-shirts. I know if I buy from Target, Macy's, JC Penny, etc. that I'm buying officially licensed merchandise, and I can often get some great Disney Parks or Disney Store clothes at a thrift store.

 

[ClapYourHands]

This might sound counterintuitive, but I generally know what my kids will really use better than they do. At the parks, they're in vacation mode and caught up in the latest ride and the cool related item in the gift store. I'm able to step back and think about what they like to wear and what they usually play with.

Guess what my kids wear all the time? The Disney and Universal t-shirts I paid a couple of bucks for before our trips. Guess what my kids haven't touched in months? The Avitar souvenirs they had to have after their second ride on FoP.

 

[tinkerbelletreasure]

I always out together a travel gift bag and I get cheap Disney stuff from the Dollar store and Party Warehouse. I pick up Disney shirts at the Disney Store or shop Disney online when they have sales throughout the year. It really cuts down on them wanting trinkety crap when we are there.

 

[North of Mouse]

We don't usually even buy souvenirs. Most people I know don't ever wear their Disney clothing after leaving for home. I have mugs that I usually pick up at other places. Toys are mostly forgotten after kids are back home. We just found that years ago, paying their outrageous prices wasn't worth it to us. A few times we did buy some nighttime 'show' toys and they were played with longer than usual.
But, in general, we've spent very little on souvies.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

Thanks for making feel so much better, it's hard when you are the one in the family that saves.... as my dh doesnt read price tags.

 

[trubgerg]

This might not work with kids, but on a recent trip I set a strict budget for souvenirs. While I was at the parks I used the Shop Disney Parks app to scan the barcodes on anything I liked and added it to my shopping bag. When I got home I took a look and got rid of the fluff and anything I realized was overpriced (by Disney standards at least), and ended up with a little chunk of merchandise within my budget.

 

[tzeitel]

Our latest trip to DLR I bought a couple of shirts, when I go to the hotel room I found the same shirts at the Disney Store (online) for $10 less each. Same with tons of other things I had seen in the parks for full price.

DD is now older (so harder to buy little things at the Target dollar spot) but I pre-buy a couple of shirts that she will wear while on the trip. Sometimes they are from the Disney Store, sometimes from Target, most of the time they are from sites like TeeFury or Woot that reference Disney in funny ways. I also get glow sticks/necklaces/bracelets at Walmart.

We do buy a couple of things in parks (even if I know they will be cheaper online later on) like an ornament with the year and a pair of ears.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

This might not work with kids, but on a recent trip I set a strict budget for souvenirs. While I was at the parks I used the Shop Disney Parks app to scan the barcodes on anything I liked and added it to my shopping bag. When I got home I took a look and got rid of the fluff and anything I realized was overpriced (by Disney standards at least), and ended up with a little chunk of merchandise within my budget.

I really like that idea, I do that eshopping.
It was mostly about getting a shirt that says disney world this time.

 

[GreatLakes]

I agree with some of he PPs, I wouldn't call it tacky but I also wouldn't call it a souvenir if you are buying them at home. A souvenir is something you get while on your vacation, not that you buy in advance and give to someone on vacation. That is just a gift.

If you stop at the outlets in Orlando on the way to the parks then yes, I think that is a souvenir.