surprise your children and save

[harperwi]

This isn't really a question, more of a suggestion (or two).

I wanted to pass along an idea someone else gave me that has worked out really well for us in the past. We're going to try it again this August at WDW.

Over the past year, I've been buying up special things for the boys (they are 7 and 10), and I plan to present them to the boys once we get to our resort over the course of our week. This way they'll have souvenirs from the trip that were purchased at Wisconsin prices, not Disney prices.

Here's a list of things I got for them and how I plan to reveal them:

Day one--arrive AKL.
Surprise: their very own binoculars for viewing the animals!
Day two: MK
Surprise: matching Disney t-shirts for all four of us to wear at the MK that day.
Day three: AK
Plush simba and thumper - I'll be sure to be the last one out of the room, and I'll leave them out with notes saying, "thanks for visiting us at the Animal Kingdom today!" Then when we get back to the room, they'll have a surprise gift!
Day four: Water park
I got them each a Disney beach towel at 50% off the other day. We won't take them into the parks, because last time my nice towel was stolen (!!), but that will be the gift.
Day five: Cocoa Beach
I bought them each a pail and shovel, and the 50% off towels came with Disney beach balls (hopefully the tide won't take them awaaaaaaaaaay.......)
Day six
2 more Disney kid sized t-shirts I picked up at Disneystore.com on clearance last year.
Day seven: MGM/Fantasmic!
I got some light up spin toys at the Disney store a while back on clearance.

Also, I got Guest of Honor badges for them about a year ago, and my friend gave me rainbow colored light up necklaces (about 25 of them), so when everyone else is paying $5 for one color necklaces, we'll have multi-color ones for free!

Anyway, it was a great tip someone else shared with me, and I'm obviously making the most of it. I wanted to pass it along, and this seemed a great place to do it!

Jon

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Great idea- and one I've already done (been doing? not sure I'm done- except now that we are flying I don't have a LOT of room to take stuff like I had planned on having with driving again LOL)

I've gotten the beach towels cheaper on ebay- plus the 50% off ones with beach balls. But now you have me afraid to actually use them there? LOL Ohwell... they were cheap enough not to really worry much if they are stolen.

I also got other things on ebay- clothes, stuffed animals, and even princess & buzz "lights" so they can take those in the scary dark rides. (well, scary to THEM because it's dark! LOL) Also got them Disney backpacks they can use on the trip if they want. Lots of other little goodies.

On my last solo trip I also shopped some at the offsite mall and got them the twirly things. So now I won't have to pay a fortune or say no when they beg for the twirly light up doodads (whatever they are called LOL)

I also got them the starter lanyards with pins on that trip. Plus at home got tons of pins (to keep or trade) really really cheap when our local DS had them on sale.

Oh I also got them Disney pillowcases (in the Disney characters each child likes) so they can use those on their pillows while there. Little things like that- that I know they'll enjoy having.

I also got them all matching Disney denim jackets off ebay- so if we need to wear jackets... they'll be matching. LOL (the ones with the whole "gang" on the back)

I also purchased the set of tiny princess dolls for my youngest. She's played with them already but I put them away when she stopped being that interested in them and she hasn't asked for them again- so she'll be surprised all over again. LOL Little things to keep her busy in the resort room whenever we are in there. LOL
Also got her the wand from Walmart.
Disney swimsuits- and coverup robe type things- you name it!

We are set on souvenirs for the kids and clothes and stuff like that (on the clothes- as long as they don't grow too much. I'd bought those when our trip was planned for end of August- now it's planned for end of Nov! egads....) -so now I can't wait to go. Normally I would NOT be able to buy that much stuff at WDW prices while there- so they are going to feel spoiled rotten on this next trip.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Ps. now the only thing I think I need to get is a cinderella (or other princess) "costume" (ie: dress) for my youngest to dress in IF we are able to get Cinderella breakfast PSs. But I'm kinda waiting to see if we get that plus wait a bit to see how much she grows by then. They are expensive no matter where I can find them online or off- so I don't want to buy too big or too little! LOL

 

[disneyjunkie]

Great ideas, but I just can't do it. For me part of the fun is buying things from the place that we are visiting.

I have a huge list of things I want to surprise son with during our next trip; pins, lanyard, pal Mickey, autograph book, passports, press coin books, Mickey hand held game......

I'll just order them from WDW mail order before our trip. This way I don't have to waste time looking for them while we're there.

On our last trip, DS and I had matching Mickey shirts with NY on them from the Disney store. We still had to have shirts from WDW.

 

[onecoolmama]

Disney Junkie...My DH is the exact same way! I told him we should get the souviners cheaper at walmart or whatever then just give it to the kids at WDW! That way..we save some money. DH laughed at me..he said then all we have are souviners from our trip to Walmart..not WDW! LOL

I see his point completely..but the kids 2 and 1 really wouldn't know the differece!

 

[harperwi]

Maybe I misrepresented myself. We're still going to get the kids souvenirs at Disney.

My point was that now we don't have to spend as much on that particular category.

Also, the kids have saved up about $50 in change in a Pringles jar, and they'll be taking that to spend on whatever they want too.

Though the items will be bought somewhere besides Disney, they'll still be reminders of the trip. When they use their binoculars later, they will be their "Animal Kingdom binoculars." Even kids 7 and 10 won't know whether something was "paid for" at a Disney store or another store. The gifts become part of their memory of the trip, and that's what makes them part of Disney.

Besides, many of these things were bought from Disney anyway, just not an Orlando location.

Jon

 

[frannn]

I have bought tons of clothes, etc for DD's first trip in a fw months. She will not know the difference, and it is mostly all Disney Store stuff anyway. She will get TONS of WDW souvies (including Pal Mickey), regardless, and there are toys and plushes, etc, that I would like her to pick out herself. The stuff I bought her now is not really "fun" for her- a liteweight stroller for the parks, clothes, a spray mist bottle, princess fan, kidclips, a light chaser, bathing suit, raincoat, trading pins, etc. I will buy anything I can beforehand, because I love to shop, and this lets me plan and enjoy a little more before the trip! I'm sure it has helped to save $$, but the way I shop, I probably bought much more than I would have at WDW.

 

[NotUrsula]

Don't know if you have purchased them yet, but you can get REALLY nice compact binoculars for <$20 at Marshalls most of the time. I bought a pr. last year, and to give you an idea of the quality, we could clearly see skiers with them when flying over the Rockies in a commercial aircraft. When folded, these are about the size of a thick deck of playing cards. Not toys, but they could keep these and use them for years of sporting events.

BTW, Simplicity patterns has patterns for all of the Princess dresses, and other characters, too. Here's a link to the selection:
http://www.simplicity.com/s2b.htm
For about the same price as buying one, you can make a princess dress out of much more comfortable fabric, and you can also make it with big seam allowances and a deep hem, to allow for growth. I made them out of cotton sateen, washable and lot less sticky than nylon in Florida heat.