Souvenirs for a 13-year-old boy

[Cynister]

Thanks for all of the input so far. It will give us some really good ideas for our upcoming trip this summer. On the other hand, it really underscores the lack of available items for boys around this age. I'm not sure it's Disney's "fault" because I think this is a transitional age for boys. For this reason, I'll put another question out there... What would you like to see in the parks for teen boys?

I'll grill my son (again) and update...

Thanks again!

I'd like to see more unique buildable sets (Lego or other kinds) that aren't available in stores & don't cost $400. More collectible items would go over well too. It doesn't necessarily have to be a licensed character theme, it could be about the parks, countries, or history, etc. Being able to do something to buy/collect actual badges or pins as part of a puzzle/hunt(not stickers like in AK) would go over big.

As for what's available currently, my soon-to-be 13yo likes to find & collect the different squished coins. We found a listing of all the machines & use it as a checklist. He also enjoys looking for SW items you can't find everywhere else like collectibles at Launch Bay or books in the SW section of the big store in DS. Sorcerer's of the MK was HUGE with him but now that he has all of the cards he isn't as interested. I think that would change if they released more cards outside of the special events.

 

[Dr Gunnie]

Could anyone recommend souvenirs for a 13 year old boy? My son enjoys our yearly visit to WDW but it seems that there aren't many options for boys his age. His twin sister buys clothing, charms and other jewelry. There seems to be a lot more options for girls. We try to go for 10 days and it would be cool if he had some things to buy that he could use while we are there.
Thanks

We have the same problem with my son. Last year we went to the Memento Mori shop outside of Haunted Mansion and he had his "spirit photo" taken. He really thought that was fun and it was a nice souvenir to take home and put in his room (plus they are only $20) - if you aren't familiar with what they are you can find more here: https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...i-shop-in-magic-kingdom-at-walt-disney-world/

 

[dreiwhit]

My 14 year old son will buy a couple of pins on each trip. He's happy with doing that.

 

[WantToGoNow]

My son spends his money on pins and candy.

 

[cgattis]

My DS13 will no longer wear any Disney shirts except his ESPN ones, not even pirates or Star Wars When I took DD for her birthday, all he asked me to bring him was a Mickey head rice Krispy treat with m&m's on it (which I did, in August, in my carry-on and only lost ONE m&m!!). I also brought him a Star Wars storm trooper helmet vinylmation thing (same blind box concept), and he liked it enough that he bought another one when we went in November. I'm hoping to get some other ideas here though!

 

[cobright]

Could anyone recommend souvenirs for a 13 year old boy? My son enjoys our yearly visit to WDW but it seems that there aren't many options for boys his age.

Getting him a mermaid she'll bra. Stay with me on this... take hI'm to Arpels grotto for photo opportunities, the snap a pic of him holding up the bra as he walks out like a boss. Get both prints framed in a diptych.

 

[DisneyOma]

Light sabers... I'm 42 and still want one. Boys are tough to buy souvenirs for. Compared to girls, where you can just blindly pick anything up.

Thank goodness you're not buying a gift for me! What a sexist, callous way of thinking.

Getting him a mermaid she'll bra. Stay with me on this... take hI'm to Arpels grotto for photo opportunities, the snap a pic of him holding up the bra as he walks out like a boss. Get both prints framed in a diptych.

What??? If I'm reading through the typos correctly, you want to promote what???

 

[cobright]

What??? If I'm reading through the typos correctly, you want to promote what???

Argh. Holy typos! I blame using voice recognition with the Moana soundtrack playing in the background. As for what to promote... I leave that up to the individual. I think the implication that this 13 year old, stuck going to a park with really meager thrill offerings and attractions that to the traditionally minded favor female gender themes, ends up macking on every princess in the place.

It juxtaposes what's possible and an absurdity. And don't tell me it is an affront to Ariel's presumed fidelity. That marriage is doomed. They got married after knowing each other less than a week and with all of a dozen actual sentences of dialogue between them. Based on the sequels and prequels, Eric still leaves her alone for most of the time. When he is around, they celebrate by eating Ariel's friends. I love Ariel as much as anyone, she's my second favorite fictional mermaid, but this right here ... comedy gold.

 

[foohpah]

Yes teen boys at WDW can be tricky. My 14 year old son loves WDW but he would be caught dead wearing an actual Disney t-shirt at this age. His favorite place is the store in Japan - I think he could spend half of our vacation in there and be perfectly happy. He also likes the stores in the U.K. for pop culture t-shirts like Dr. Who. For smaller items he has done some of the Vinylmations and trading pins. Food is also popular since he is hungry approximately every 5.3 minutes. LOL!

I sometimes miss my little guy in his Mickey shirts but having a teen boy at WDW is a lot of fun. He has to keep his love of Disney on the down-low here at home but on our last trip (when I was about ready to kill him at home because he was being so insufferable) - he became a different kid. He got to drop the act and just be a bit goofy since there was no one around but his family - no friends or girls to impress. He was actually pleasant and acted like the kid at heart that he really is. It made me happy to see that little guy was still in there. Trips are obviously different - we spend a lot more time waiting in lines for thrill rides but we talk, we laugh and we make memories that will last both our lifetimes.

 

[Hikergirl]

My one ds was 13 on our last family trip, he didn't want any souvenirs so I just gave him an arcade card with his souvenir money on it. I felt he needed something, but he was perfectly happy with just that.
When dh and I went on our trip last fall, we bought back some things from World Showcase because they weren't overtly Disney. My one ds got a coin set, my other got a boot glass from Germany. They each got a keychain too.
What about snacks or candy?

 

[momtwoboys]

Yes teen boys at WDW can be tricky. My 14 year old son loves WDW but he would be caught dead wearing an actual Disney t-shirt at this age. His favorite place is the store in Japan - I think he could spend half of our vacation in there and be perfectly happy. He also likes the stores in the U.K. for pop culture t-shirts like Dr. Who. For smaller items he has done some of the Vinylmations and trading pins. Food is also popular since he is hungry approximately every 5.3 minutes. LOL!

I sometimes miss my little guy in his Mickey shirts but having a teen boy at WDW is a lot of fun. He has to keep his love of Disney on the down-low here at home but on our last trip (when I was about ready to kill him at home because he was being so insufferable) - he became a different kid. He got to drop the act and just be a bit goofy since there was no one around but his family - no friends or girls to impress. He was actually pleasant and acted like the kid at heart that he really is. It made me happy to see that little guy was still in there. Trips are obviously different - we spend a lot more time waiting in lines for thrill rides but we talk, we laugh and we make memories that will last both our lifetimes.

same with my teens. food is number one and just being away from the daily school routine. we buy nothing on our trips,and we are all happy!

 

[cobright]

For some less theatrical (awesome) and possibly less offensive suggestions ... I asked my daughter for ideas (she's 12)

• Ring carvers in MK (by PotC ride) and Epcot (mexico showcase). Very cheap for what you get, cool enough to show it off year round.
• My tweener son suggests a nice watch. Not sure what your kiddo's budget is but my son's bought two watches at MK; both of surprising quality. One was like $27 and the last one was about $45. I'm actually eyeing one of the Sutton watches they sell at Uptown Jewelers.
• A souvenir experience maybe. Take him out on one of the Sea Racers. That's the only power boat they let kids drive.
• Something practical, yet whimsical. The Agrabah Bazaar in MK sells British Colonial style pith helmets, which are great for keeping the sun off and staying breezy and cool. I also purchased my FoxFire safari vest there which is a great way to tote large amounts of stuff through the park as well as get mistaken for photopass gunner all the time.
• If he collects souvenir ephemera, he can get a Liberty Bell Pilots license if you're able to get the crew of the steam ship to let him steer the boat. The Jungle Cruise in california will give you a souvenir map when you exit the boat, I don't know if the one in Magic Kingdom does (I plan on asking this year).
• One of my favorite take-aways are the souvenir drink cups and popcorn tubs. Plenty of which are cool enough to display on a 13 yr olds bedroom shelf or whatever.

 

[SgtTibbs]

Your mileage might vary, but at that age we made a budget for "extras". My wife and I paid for the basics, lodging/food/tickets and each kid was handed a set amount for extras like souvenirs. My daughter, like yours purchased some shirts and bangles, my son primarily purchased churros and turkey legs. Looking back now they have no regrets.

 

[LuvMyEAR]

As we had made our first ever trip to WDW when our DDs were almost adults, we have been thrilled to experience multple trips with our DGSs. A large part of the joy is seeing their interests change through the years, although I do kind of miss riding Dumbo 5 times, and the Carousel twice that many.

Duffy Bears and wardrobe played a large role for many trips but I suspect that has come to end. Then there was the season of the Pokemon. Pressed pennies and themed playing cards will remain popular, I'm sure, as family cards games are a mandatory part of any gathering. Tech stuff gets cooler to them every year, too. One guy is more pop-culture inclined and likes a little "man-bling" such as shark teeth on leather thongs... always a tasteful necklace or wristlet, right?

In 2015, our older DGS discovered the joys of the F&W Festival. Well, the food part, anyway. He is a few years away from the wine! He already has a gift card, loaded and ready. DIsney Kingdom Keeper books have been a hit. No doubt some souvenir will catch their interest this trip, and if not, that is fine, too. We don't have Under Armour stores at home and they both love UA clothes. I am betting they are going to love Disney Springs this time, and no longer for the World of Disney store!

The boys save up for their souvenirs between trips, and considerable thought goes into every purchase. It is great fun to watch their tastes mature.