Pre-purchasing souveniers at home..

[cujochurch]

I am off on my first trip with kids in May. My nieces (9 & 6). I have
purchased souveniers for them to take with us and surprise them with. I have glow necklaces from $1 store, disney themed candy, and stickers. I am making them princess dresses to wear to character breakfast and I purchased the matching doll from disney online when they were $7.

Does anyone else do this to save a few dollars? What do you buy at home that is much cheaper that would make them happy. I am thinking of leaving something little in the room each day with a little card as if Tinkerbell left them something for them to find when we return in the afternoon.

We have not told them yet. Trip is in May and we are telling them in April. We have a princess rolling suitcase (disney store $18) with WDW for kids guidebook, park maps and disney dollars inside. Also we have (DH, me, and 2 DN) matching haunted mansion t-shirts to wear our first day that we got for $6
(disney online). Anyone have any other neat ideas?

 

[bobcat]

I make disney themed goodie bags for my kids. I usually buy disney themed party bags on clearance and fill them with little trinkets. I keep my eye open for disney themed items or items that would be useful on our trip. I never spend too much money on these and the kids love getting little trinkets each day.

 

[marcyinPA]

At Christmastime, the Disney Store had all of their "junk" stuff on sale (my words, not my kids! They love all of the trinket stuff!) I picked up two of those Buzz Lightyear light up twirly things for 50% off. I will pack those in the suitcase and give them to my boys when we arrive in Disney. I always pack a couple of "surprises" in their backpacks for the trip, no matter what kind of trip we are taking. That's the first thing they do when we get into the car or onto the plane...they look to see what the "Vacation Fairy" brought. I usually pick up cheap (but decent) things at the dollar store or any store for a good price! This year I am going to try to find a journal or notebook with a disney theme for my almost 9 y/o ds, since we are taking him out of school for a week and I told him he has to journal each day we are away, plus read too!

I will be interested to read other suggestions....
Marcy

 

[gildis]

When we went in December, we were there for Christmas. I did both the trinket packing as well as Christmas gifts. Keep an eye on your local Disney store for specials. I got all of the clothing I gave to the family on sale - BIG SALES!!!

I also gave:

their own disposable camera (would love to give digital, but the cheap ones SUCK! - tried that)

glow necklaces

CD player - for the plane ride

New Disney CD's

Disney pins (from www.cheappins.com) lots for cheap - they got to start the trip with pins to trade

Sun glasses

Special candy - I wouldn't normally give

Disney wallets (found at dollar store)

Just anything fun and Disney that I found along the way. If the kids have a favorite character, that is always fun to keep in mind as well.

Have a great trip! I wish I could go again soon.

Jess

 

[LynnythePooh]

I've been able to buy quite a few things using disney auctions via ebay for our spring break trip! I found Polo shirts, tropical shirts for $10, and parade watching light spinners for $5, recently I purchased baseball hats for $5.

I plan on leaving some in the hotel for DS's but slipping a few things into the backpack to give at the park itself!

I've also bought a few things for the Guinea Pig Babysitter and family birthdays - hoping they will think we thought of them while at WDW (like, RIGHT!)

By having some things on hand it will cut down on "I wants" while at the park.

I've also picked up pins and layards for trading. I'm making both boys mini scrapbooks to record their thoughts on the drive down, during visit and the way home! Lots of stickers and fun paper to make them colorful.

I love thinking about our trip

 

[tinkie]

This is SO cute! Wow! Great ideas!!!! Thanks!

ps you have extremely lucky kids!

 

[CheapMom]

I do this- I just keep my eyes open all the time for deals. This year I am so excited because I can print out notes for them to go along with trinkets with my cool new Disney fonts!
On the cruise this year I am making the kids a special beach treat bucket to leave on their beds, it will be a sand pail filled with beach toys, sunglasses, sunscreen, mickey fruit snacks and juice pouch...

 

[Soupermom]

Check out Keebler cookie packages for FREE "bendin' friends"! You can get four different sets (4 friends each from 4 different movies) very easily, and you don't even have to pay shipping...just need to eat some cookies! Mmmm.... I've gotten all four sets to hide away for our trip this summer. You can get them in Kellogg's cereal too, for FREE, but I was ending up with lots of Donald Ducks and no Jesse's, so I opted just to send away...

Enjoy!

 

[maggiew]

Tshirts at the Disney store often go for $7.99 each. I bought several and saved them for our trip. The girls didn't ask about buying shirts in the gift shops because they had a new one each day that I brought from home!

You can also get pooh & friends gummy bears and other Disney treats at the grocery store. I put a pack of gummies in each of the girls fanny packs and they were happy with those as treats. (Although we did indulge in a few Mickey Bars and Dole Whips.)

One thing that worked out great but isn't really a souvenir was a little activity book (about 5x7) that I bought at Michael's Crafts Store for $1. I bought one pooh and one Lion King. I then took a couple of those little crayon packs that you get in restaurants. I put a book and crayon pack in each of the girls fanny packs. When we had to wait for a table at Donald's breakfastasaurus, they pulled them out and did the puzzles and mazes and things. They also worked on them while waiting for Fantasmic. Lots of little kids were looking on with envy.

Maggie

 

[xanman]

I buy the Holiday plush when it goes 75% off, like the Halloween Pooh, and just snip the threads holding the costume on and you have a regular plush for a fraction of the park price. Make sure and feel under the costume to make sure the body is the same, a few are not. I would watch the Easter ones for your trip. I leave them out in the morning, the maid will usually put them in the window or on the bed for them to "discover" when they get back. Another great way to Mickeyize things cheap is with PomPoms, 1 big one and 2 small ones glued to ponytail holders, barrettes (park price$3-4 each!), on hats, visors, sweatshirts, jeans etc, work great, so do rhinestones (cute on dollar store sunglasses). I use tacky glue or hot melt on clothes, super glue & tweezers on plastic. I always make a lanyard with a few pins for them too. You can buy the belt webbing at Walmart or Jo anns for less than $1 a yard, I use between 1/2 and 3/4 yd for each girl, depending on their size, just glue the ends together and tack a pin on or glue a pom pom Mickey on.

 

[mudnuri]

I was going through our trip stuff today to see what else I still have to buy- and here's what I've gotten for DD's 7 & 6 so far.

2 t-shirts each at TDS on clearance CHEAP I remember
2 disney washclothes that expand on water
Lion King plus- set of 3- clearance wal-mart $4.50 each 1 for each DD
cinderella pouch with paper/pencil/stickers-
snowwhite- same as above both on clearance at walmart
Ballo (how do you spell his name?) plus for DD7 clearance $2.50 walmart
Kim Possible dolls- again- clearance walmart- $4.00 each
sunglasses- 1 pair cinderella, 1 pair ariel- LOVE walmart- 3.97 each
Mickey, Minnie, Simba, Sully, Mike & Stitch plush- the 6" or so- on sale at TDS- BYGY 50% off....


now my dollar store finds-
mickey & Minnie key chain
glow sticks
lanyards
disney coloring books- for road trip down
Snow White, and Ariel "barbie" type doll

DH and I do not plan to purchase them any souviners, by the time we go in April they will probably have close to $100 each saved in DD's...thanks to allowance, christmas, and Easter. They do not know about anything that I've purchased, and I am planning on breaking out something new for them each morning...or possibly be able to get out of the room last in the morning, so when we return they have something...

If I can do that, I plan on saying to them when they want something......."you never know, you could have a suprise in the room when we return, I'd wait and see...." I've already printed out some notes from some of the characters saying "Dear DD7, I sure hope you had fun at Animal Kingdom today....Love Stitch"... and I'll put those with the suprise...that way if mousekeeping does see it, hopefully they will leave them where I put them!!


Oh- I forgot almost- I made them autograph books out of 4x6 cardstock (this size fits in DH and my waist pack)...I bought a rainbow pack- of like 200 sheets or something...I put them together in the color I wanted, then went and had them spiral bound at Staples, I also bought them the fat pens....When we get home I will take out the spiral bounding, and crop the autographs into each of their 12x12 CM scrapbook I have for the trip....
Not sure yet what we're going to do about souvenirs at Sea World LOL

Brandy

 

[ceecee]

I used to buy bunch of little things........at vacation time last year, I had a bag full, too much to even think of taking. I gave DD a few and saved a few. Her most favorite thing was the $50.00 in Disney dolars from Christmas she got from her aunt and uncle. She had the best time choosing and knew that's all she had (of course we did end up getting more, she was 7 then and looking forward to it again.

 

[kilee]

I tried these tricks. For us it only works while they are little. DS (11)--- know's the difference now. Not that he still doesn't appreciate the new items, but he kind of likes to pick and choose. So for the $50.00 I was spending on all sorts of "sale" items- I now just give him the money. The only thing I still do is buy pins off ebay cheap for him to trade.

 

[sk!mom]

I don't want my DD7 to have a bunch of trinkets to keep up with in WDW and then to all over the house when we get home. My DD would want a lot of the little things for about 2 minutes and then we would just be hauling it around. We just don't buy a lot of things when we are on vacation (anywhere-not just WDW). We take pictures and only buy something if it is really something special. Since we have always done things this way my daughter will look at the trinket type things- ask for it- and then say "no, I wouldn't play with it."
Before, our last trip I bought, a lanyard and cheap pins for trading- we will take it with us this time because she enjoyed it. We have her autograph book and pen from last time and we will take it. I will pick up some cheap glow things for wearing at night because those are fun and disposable- no carrying around.
Am I alone in this- I feel kind of bad.

 

[cujochurch]

Originally posted by xanman
I buy the Holiday plush when it goes 75% off, like the Halloween Pooh, and just snip the threads holding the costume on and you have a regular plush for a fraction of the park price. Make sure and feel under the costume to make sure the body is the same, a few are not. I would watch the Easter ones for your trip. I leave them out in the morning, the maid will usually put them in the window or on the bed for them to "discover" when they get back.

This is a great idea. I never would have thought about it. I saw the Halloween ones but didn't want to give them Halloween plush. I will definitely check after Easter.

Originally posted by xanman
Another great way to Mickeyize things cheap is with PomPoms, 1 big one and 2 small ones glued to ponytail holders, barrettes (park price$3-4 each!), on hats, visors, sweatshirts, jeans etc, work great, so do rhinestones (cute on dollar store sunglasses). I use tacky glue or hot melt on clothes, super glue & tweezers on plastic.

This is also fantastic. I love creative things like this. I will be heading to the craft store this week.


Thanks for the creative ideas! I want to make this trip the best for my nieces without breaking the bank. They have a hard home life and DH and I really want to give them a magical trip they will always remember and do everything we can to make them feel special! I am really proud of the princess dresses I am making. They are really fancy, like the Disney store Halloween ones that were over $50 and I got all the fabric on clearance after Halloween so they are only costing me about $10 each. Thanks again and keep the ideas coming.

 

[xanman]

I know this has been posted before, but it bares repeating. Buy a shirt for each of them to carry with them to any character events. For my smallest nieces I buy the plain T-shirts at walmart for $4. For older ones, a cheap character shirt is cute. I buy the plain ones in smaller sizes so that there is room for all the autographs. The characters will sign them if you lay them out on the table. I buy an assortment of permanent sharpie markers, the one that comes with orange, turquoise etc. Pick a different color for each character, they all have unique ways of signing. As long as you wash them in cold water they hold up pretty well. I suppose you could go over them with some of the Tulip paints when you get home, never tried it though.
To go with their costumes, why not make some of those crowns, where you twist together a couple of strands of the wire tinsel with the stars, and attach some ribbons,silk flowers, and sparkle tulle, you could make them in different colors, they could wear a different one each day.

 

[CheapMom]

Originally posted by sk!mom
I don't want my DD7 to have a bunch of trinkets to keep up with in WDW and then to all over the house when we get home. My DD would want a lot of the little things for about 2 minutes and then we would just be hauling it around.

I feel the same way- the amount of happy meals toys alone around my house drive me nuts. I never let my kids buy that kind of junk. Most of the 'trinkets' I refered to in my earlier post are either consumable or disposable (ie: disposable camera, mickey fruit snacks, mickey and minnie stamps and stickers, glow sticks) The one thing they like is backpack clips and I don't mind them.
I get these things for them on clearance or at the dollar store.
On vacation they get 1 trip to the gift shop for a souvie on the last day. We give them $20 and they can save or spend it as they wish. Other than that we spend $0 on souveniers.

 

[sln88]

I picked up those little mini fans for around the neck and little squirt bottles for about 50 cents each. keep you cool in that Florida sun.

I also looked for Disney snacks at the dollar store- suckers, mickey cookies, mickey juices, ect

Depends on how much you want to haul down with you!

 

[skiwee1]

I do this to take on the trip to occupy DD but I would never substitute them for souveniers! That is as bad as visiting Mexico or some place and buying the souveniers at the local Walmart. A souvenier is meant to be bought during a trip at the time of the visit to remember the place. I think it is the ultimate in cheap and tacky to pass off the stuff you get at home as Disney souveniers.

 

[CheapMom]

1 souvenier for each of my kids is more than enough- I think it is a cute way of starting each day with a little magic
If they get these treats on the trip then they ARE momentos of said trip.