Your favorite/the best souvenirs to buy in DLR/DCA

[duckboyone]

Hi all! So, in the past couple of years, both Disney stores that we had in our area north of Austin TX have closed. We are especially sad about the outlet store closing, since they would get certain things from the park itself, and they always had a great discount area.

So, since we are finally going back to the parks in June, we're trying to plan what souvenirs to pick up. I know there are certain things you can ONLY get in the park (is that still the case, or is everything online these days?). What would be your picks for the best souvenirs to spend money on? Our kids are a little older now, between 7th grade and college, and getting whatever pins are available in the park at the time is already on our list.

What do ya'll think?

 

[Pluto468]

We always get a new t-shirt, pens and magnets. I have a million Disneyland magnets. I like them because they're small and fun to see every day on my fridge

We get new ears sometimes, too.

My kids always liked to get stuffed animals. Last time my son got a really cool hat at the store next to Pirates.

I think you can get some park souvenirs online, at the Disney store.

 

[BadPinkTink]

There's so much I want to buy but as I fly international I have a checked bag weight limit and not a lot of space. I decided on my first trip to buy the dated Mickey or Minnie plush and each year I go back thats one of the things I must buy. I collect the Starbucks You Are Here mugs, so I have bought the Disneyland and DCA Starbucks mugs. I have things like a Peter Pan salt and pepper set, Tinkerbell kitchen towels, Christmas Tree decorations, a mousemat and so much more.

Think of things that you use in your day to day life, and then look for that item in the parks. Theres lots of household, stationary / office things in the various shops around the parks, you can find really cool souvenirs that you can have around the house.

 

[tal2019]

I don't know if they are only sold in the parks but we always get a photo ornament for the Christmas tree so we can always remember that trip.

Course the kids like the stamped pennies and collecting pins

 

[mdmost]

We always get an ornament for our Christmas tree to mark the times we've been to WDW or DLR. There's a new Christmas shop on Main Street now. A lot of times the ornaments for each year are fairly basic so if we're going for a certain occasion like Halloween or Christmas, we'll get an ornament that matches that such as a Nightmare Before Christmas ornament for our Halloween trip since we went to see Haunted Mansion's holiday overlay. We bought an ornament of the Castle with Christmas decorations on it for our Christmas trip in 2018 (our last trip BTW and we're rectifying that soon).

We usually give our kids a set amount each day to spend on whatever they'd like. In the past, that was mostly stuffed animals but now it's shifted to pins and t-shirts.

The Starbucks mugs are a great idea if you're a coffee drinker. We have ones from each trip though they had better designs in the past so we've used Ebay to find older mugs we liked better.

 

[DizMe]

They used to have nice tote bags you could have embroidered (like with your name). I'm not sure if those were always available because I only bought the Christmas ones.

I love items from the crystal shops. I have a few coffee mugs with my name and a couple of stars on them on one side, which they engrave to your specifications. The ones I have say Disneyland on the other side with a character (Minnie) on one and the castle on the other. They have lots of other cool glass things that can be engraved as well as figurines, tiaras, crystal items, etc. Do note that they are not Disney owned so some of the discounts you could get, like with a pass, won't apply there and I'm not sure whether or not they take Disney gift cards.

Silhouettes are really nice to have if you don't have any yet.

It can be fun to have a caricature done.

There are some items like parasols that they will customize for you. We got one for our friend who is a Mary Poppins fan and they added MP pictures in the parasol segments. Not sure how many of those there are, but we got ours in NOS.

Sweatshirts and pajamas are fun. I personally like kitchen items, like dish towels, wooden spoons, mugs, plates, etc. I have favorite Disney things like Alice in Wonderland and HM so those items often catch my eye--cute Alice salt & pepper shakers, tea pot, HM mug, cookie cutters and things like that. I usually only buy small items because they have to fit in my suitcase or tote bag since I usually fly.

Occasionally I'll find something in the jewelry section that I'll buy but it's usually either too cheaply made or too expensive.

Sometimes there are cool things in that shop on Main St that has the gallery. I'm still kicking myself for not buying the golden E ticket many years ago LOL. They have nice books, prints, and specialty items like keys from different lands. There's also an artist that will make a picture for you in the back.

Have fun!

 

[StormyCA]

Disney Dooneys!!!!! But I suppose that's not really practical for most kids, lol.

I buy pins, but only ones that 'speak to me'. I'm not a collector of the exclusive/limited pins. I want pins that mean something or hold memories for me; hotels I've stayed in, rides I love or my first time on, or pins with characters or sayings that mean something to me, like Dodger Mickey, Minnie/Daisy 'BFF', Ft Wilderness CG, The Grand, my first Expedition Everest. One of my favs is a simple ear hat that says "I only look like a grown up". That says it all for me.

 

[MonocularVision]

I enjoy getting a mug every so often. And we also will get a Christmas ornament if we are there near the holidays. We have taken to getting the smaller, more simpler Mickey-shaped bulbs and had them painted with a message. We end up not using the others that come in the package, but we prefer that to some of the larger, more ornate options.

I would love to get more t-shirts but I long ago discovered that I am generally unhappy with shirts that aren’t Tall sized.

 

[Kit Jackson]

I collect pins that mean something to me, like from the hotel where I stayed during a trip, a ride I really enjoyed, or a character that I love. I also buy a lanyard (if it wasn't included with some type of package/special) and then display all of the pins for that trip on the lanyard. I also buy a Disney themed picture frame and put the best picture of the trip in it. I found a simple one at DisneyHome that had Mickey Ears in all four corners during one trip, and another trip that had a frame with what I thought looked like circles/bubbles but turned out to be Mickey Ears. (I tend to go for the more subtle/touch/hint of Disney, but you can find more agresssive/over the top Disney if that's more your style. No judgement. Different people like different things and the merch department understands that).

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Divinity from Main Street Candy Palace.

 

[bwvBound]

Currently the DCA shops located between FF&P (aka Starbucks) and the park's main entry gate have both seasonal stuff and festival items from other parks! Last week we saw merch from:

• Oogie Boogie (from last fall?)
• Epcot's 2022 Flower and Garden Festival
• Christmas
• etc

We were quite surprised by the Epcot stuff! Almost bought something ... hmmm ....

 

[StormyCA]

I enjoy getting a mug every so often. And we also will get a Christmas ornament if we are there near the holidays. We have taken to getting the smaller, more simpler Mickey-shaped bulbs and had them painted with a message. We end up not using the others that come in the package, but we prefer that to some of the larger, more ornate options.

I would love to get more t-shirts but I long ago discovered that I am generally unhappy with shirts that aren’t Tall sized.

Yeah, the great Disney T-shirt hunt. nDH needs the 'tall' sizing too. Just buying a bigger size doesn't work as they aren't really any longer, just 'wider'. Disney's sizing (at least for women) is just awful. Most of the really cute shirts are cut to 'junior size', so no bosom or hip room, or they're plus size which are too big for 'average' women so they don't hang right are are just 'baggy'. The men's T-shirts just aren't 'cute' and they're usually too big in the shoulders and too tight in the hips. If an average size woman finds a cute T-shirt that fits right, she better grab it and run with it (to the register).

 

[Tinkaboo]

Pressed Pennies!! Cheap and fun to track down. I always try to find a new one on every trip, probably have two books full. And when I die…”oh I don’t know what you do with those, it was something crazy Mom always did!”

 

[DizMe]

Pressed Pennies!! Cheap and fun to track down. I always try to find a new one on every trip, probably have two books full. And when I die…”oh I don’t know what you do with those, it was something crazy Mom always did!”

My sister had a whole collection of pressed pennies, too. My BIL had someone make a bracelet out of them! It turned out really cool. This isn't the place he used, but you can see pics of something similar https://davidscointravels.blog/2018/10/25/pressed-penny-jewelry-and-unique-art/

 

[Porsche4]

This will be our first visit in over ten years and I can't wait. I will be buying lots of pressed pennies, I find these are a really fun thing to collect and look back on. I also love Disney stationery for my desk (I work from home) so that I can have Disney in my life every day. I love kitchen/cooking items too which always make me smile. I am a larger lady so unfortunately clothes are not really an option for me and although I would love to buy a pair of mouse ears I'm afraid hats and head bands just look absolutely stupid on me so I will leave that to my adult daughter who can pull off any look. Finally I always buy some sort of figurine, usually Pooh Bear or Eeyore related as they are my favourite and oh and I have to get another little Aribas figurine with all the little crystals on it. I currently have Simba, Pooh & Piglet holding hands and Eeyore. I would love to get another one to add to that collection. Ooooh I am so excited but I don't think my bank account will be when I get back.

 

[Tinkaboo]

My sister had a whole collection of pressed pennies, too. My BIL had someone make a bracelet out of them! It turned out really cool. This isn't the place he used, but you can see pics of something similar https://davidscointravels.blog/2018/10/25/pressed-penny-jewelry-and-unique-art/

Ohmigosh that bracelet is awesome! Love the NBC theme.

 

[Tinkaboo]

Has anyone seen any of the little stuffed figures that sit on your shoulder? It has a magnet to hold in place. I ordered the Grogu one from shopDisney at Christmas and I saw lots of people wearing the Groot one in 2019but I was wondering of there were more available at parks.

 

[TinkerTay]

Has anyone seen any of the little stuffed figures that sit on your shoulder? It has a magnet to hold in place. I ordered the Grogu one from shopDisney at Christmas and I saw lots of people wearing the Groot one in 2019but I was wondering of there were more available at parks.

We have several of those - Groot, Grogu, Woody, Zero (lights up), a Porg, Forky, Remi… I’m sure there are a few more, I’ve seen Judy Hopps that I want to find, but I think it’s a Tokyo Disney one. They come out often, so it’s fun to see what new ones people are wearing on our trips…

 

[shosh1530]

We got the Groot shoulder buddy in June 2021 (from the shop as you exit Guardians) and they were still for sale in January 2022. They are super cute, but didn't stay on my kid's shoulder very well. We were constantly readjusting it or putting it back on after it fell. Most days it just ended up in the back pack.

Our favorite souvenirs: pins, ornaments, mickey ears/hats, t-shirts, plushies.

 

[Critter3]

Silhouettes are really nice to have if you don't have any yet.

It can be fun to have a caricature done.

Where about do you get these done? I'm a first time goer and we will be there in May. For the penny stations I understand there are many around the resort, but how do they work? I have seen these in the past and you just stick in your penny and pull the lever, but I wasn't sure if these ones were different and you had to insert a dollar and it spits it out or something, ha ha.

I also read (when I was planning a trip in 2019/2020) that you can get a gift card in Galaxy Edge that is uniquely shaped, and people said that they would get them as souvenirs. Do they still have these?

Another question that goes along with this topic is what about souvenirs for others (other extended family/friends that didn't join you)? We will need to get some (specifically for a 11 and 13 boys) and I'm just wondering if anyone has any suggestions on what would be good ideas? Obviously it will depend on what they like, but not sure what are good ideas for souvenirs for others.